Why did you do it?
Movember moves WFH professionals
That was the question I asked Mike Pace when he enlightened me about the Movember fundraiser. You know, the one where you grow a moustache during the month of November?
“Honestly, I did it as a way to network. And I did meet a lot of great people but that’s only part of it,” Mike said. “The truth is, I had so much fun.”
After becoming Facebook friends and seeing the previous year’s photos that was pretty obvious. Nobody had more fun with Movember than Mike.
That was good enough for yours truly. Particularly with a father who survived prostate cancer. So, I jumped in and began an odyssey of devoting the month of November—now known as Movember—to growing a “mo” and raising funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer, men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Christmas in November
That’s literally what it felt like with each donation that rolled in. Particularly when it came from people you knew but not that well. Or from family and friends who you may not have heard from in a while. Many knew my father for years or had a relative or friend who had prostate cancer.
The generosity took me by surprise. There are so many wonderful causes out there. When somebody donates $50-$100 to a cause, it’s humbling. Frankly, during Movember, I’m easily moved to tears. Happy tears. The priceless ones.
Of course, fun abounds during Movember. Someone can’t be as bad at growing a moustache as yours truly and not have some fun with this. Case in point, the photo below:
Or this:
What’s it’s all about
Of course, the tears don’t all come from donations. Thinking about why I do Movember and who it helps is another big reason. This one still brings waterworks. It probably always will.
What’s the HOH—Home Office Hack?
Good question. The isolation of the home office can be a challenge at times. Finding something to break that up puts you in a better mental place to work. Between connecting with old family and friends, some self-deprecating fun and a great reminder of the good you are doing achieves all that.
Every single year.
Is there a fundraiser you’re passionate about?
Do you need to mix things up a bit and break out of your rut? Find a fundraiser that motivates you get busy either donating or raising money. Preferably the latter as it’s the connecting when you reach out to ask for donations that’s the gold in this hack.
If you would like to raise money for Movember, welcome aboard. You can sign up here. Everybody is a welcome participant in Movember either as fundraiser or donors; whether you can grow a moustache or not.
If fundraising isn’t your thing, sharing somebody else’s fundraiser can offer a bit of a boost to you as well. You can start by sharing my Movember page.
If you would like to share this newsletter with your network. Here’s some complimentary language for a post:
“My friend/contact/colleague Joe D’Eramo is once again growing a moustache for Movember. He talks about his efforts in the latest edition of his newsletter, My Home Office Hacks. Check it out. iworkfromhome.substack.com.
If you have a fundraiser that you’re doing during the month of Movember, please share by submitting it with a comment. I will be happy to share.
Make sure you don’t miss the next edition of My Home Office Hacks. Subscribe today!
