Coffee and Collaboration – It’s the Best!
There’s been a growing need around Greater Akron:
Creating a space for non-profit leaders, Executive Directors, and Development Directors to grow in relationship with each other, to share and collaborate in a safe place, and to learn from each other as they travel a sometimes-challenging road.
We have loved to be a part of filling this need over the past year with our Coffee Collaborations!
- These are times of coming together in a safe space, having authentic conversations, sparking ideas, and uplifting each other personally and professionally …
- All while learning together how to best communicate with donors — and how often — how to engage the mid-level and major donors in your organization, and so much more.
It’s wisdom — and encouragement — in a cup!
Next one up will be held May 9th 2:30-4:30 pm – add it to your calendar today!
Small Biz Highlight: Summit Sports & Social
“Work Hard Play Hard” — a motto, a core value, we’ve clung to for a long time.
Volleyball — a sport we LOVE to play.
Put them together, and you end up finding Chad and Danae with their families and friends on the sand volleyball court — in a league hosted by Summit Sports & Social each summer!
We look forward to every single Friday night in the summer for this “play hard” outlet.
And recently, we got to grab coffee with one of the owners of Summit Sports & Social, Andrew Novak. We love his passion for wanting people to:
- Stay and play in Akron.
- Fall in love with Akron.
- Enjoy living and having fun here by engaging in sports and community.
What is Summit Sports & Social you ask? 😀
Summit Sports & Social exudes a vibrant, community-focused vibe, emphasizing fun and connectivity through adult sports and social gatherings. Since 2016, they’ve been the go-to spot in Akron for active young professionals and those young at heart, offering a mix of sports like sand volleyball and kickball. Their ethos is about creating unforgettable experiences and fostering friendships, all centered around the joy of play. They welcome anyone looking to add a dash of excitement to their routine.
Want to get involved in the “play hard” mindset? Do you take fun as seriously as we do?
Click here to join a league … or consider raising awareness about your organization by sponsoring Summit Sports & Social! Whether you choose a Rubber City Rookie, Akron All Star, or Tireless Titans Sponsorship, you’ll get your name out there AND keep the fun going for the upcoming seasons!
And if nothing else, we highly encourage you to sign up for their emails – they are quite entertaining!
You Don’t Have to Lead Alone
Have you read Brené Brown’s book “Dare to Lead”?
It’s been a real game-changer for the IMMIX team, helping form — from the get-go — who we want to be as a business and as a team.
Actually, some of our core values are based around “Dare to Lead” …
We believe:
- Clear is kind — clarity is hugely important in leadership.
- We should be vulnerable and courageous, be open to feedback, and be willing to take risks — all of which demonstrate strength rather than weakness.
- Building trust within a team involves creating an environment where reliability, accountability, and mutual respect are crucial. These principles help in fostering a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their very best.
- All people — regardless of gender, race, and age — should know their ideas and thoughts have value, and they should feel empowered to contribute to the overall team!
In addition, we invite you to ask yourself these three questions as you dive into becoming a more vulnerable, authentic leader:
- Am I being clear with my team about what is expected and why?
- How am I modeling vulnerability and courage in the workplace? (Reflect on whether you’re leading by example, apologizing for mistakes, authentically showing up, showing openness to feedback, and willing to take risks).
- What steps am I taking to build trust within my team? (Consider how you are fostering an environment of reliability, accountability, and mutual respect.)
Being a leader isn’t easy … but you don’t have to go it alone. IMMIX is here to support and encourage you every step of the way – after all, we are in this together!
Everyday Wins
It’s one of our core values, it helps in remembering our “why”, and we believe it’s crucial…
Taking time out to celebrate wins (no matter how small)! It’s about cherishing each moment of success we’re fortunate to experience with our team, our clients, our community.
Today we’re celebrating the following — and hope you’ll share in our celebration:
- Danae and Chad recently attended the Social Media Examiner conference in San Diego — and yes, we admit it … it was a sacrifice having to be in California in February! 😊
After three full days of learning about new ideas, concepts, programs, and much more, we walked away from the conference encouraged, grateful, and invigorated to keep doing what we’re doing — building on the 40+ years of history and experience we have providing strategic and creative solutions to organizations. Short story: SO worth it!
- Our leadership team is almost done with module 2 of Faithwalking Foundations! We’ve been learning about self-care, self-reflection, and growing emotionally so we can be better people, leaders, and community members.
Faithwalking is an incredible organization based out of Texas whose mission is to bring wholeness to individuals so that everyone can live a more fully alive life (we highly recommend it!).
- Five years of IMMIX, baby! In 2023 we celebrated our fifth IMMIX-iversary. Wow! We’re still blown away that we get to be in relationships with incredible people and help make an impact through businesses and non-profits in the Akron area and beyond.
End goal? A community that’s a great place to work, serve, and live. Thank you for believing in us, and trusting us to come alongside you with marketing or donor development expertise. We are dreaming about and planning what the next five years look like for IMMIX … and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store!
Sometimes taking time out to celebrate wins can fall to the end of a very long list. But we’re here to encourage you: Be sure to celebrate the big wins, the little wins, and everything in between!
Non-Profit Highlight: ArtSparks
Akron is full of amazing non-profits!
Some organizations are known by every local … some are like gems you realize you had no idea existed.
But these “diamonds in the rough” are making an incredible impact, changing lives, and are staffed with amazing people!
One non-profit we’d love for you to get to know is ArtSparks.
We first met Founder Kara several years ago and knew right away she was exceptional. Just hearing her story and her mission told us immediately how passionate she is about helping kids grow in self-confidence and discover joy through dance, music, culture, and so much more.
ArtSparks’ mission is to provide access to high-quality dance programming; to foster the understanding of dance as an art form; and challenge students of all ages and abilities to discover new heights of individual excellence through focused attention, creative exploration, and a sense of community so that they might joyfully dance their way to becoming a more confident human-being than they were before they stepped onto the dance floor.
At IMMIX, we’re deeply committed to fostering connections between our community and local nonprofits. That’s why we urge you to give of your time and resources, knowing there are numerous deserving nonprofits right here that need our support. Together, we can cultivate a community rich in generosity, significantly impacting Greater Akron.
A recent need ArtSparks is looking to fill is in the volunteer realm …
Volunteers are needed to help with performances — Dynamite Duos especially. This program includes young dancers from around Akron and Cuyahoga Falls who are excitedly preparing for their next big performance — “Thrive: The Story of the Last Dinosaur.”
In addition, their upcoming fundraiser is May 3, and ArtSparks is looking for sponsors! If you’re interested, please contact Shauna Conzamen at shauna@artsparksdance.org.
We’re grateful for your commitment to making our community a better place to work, serve, and live! Let’s do good together!
