Calling all closet blog readers!

Blogging is a place where you can learn to write, make connections, have a dialogue, create an international online presence and push boundaries. While this blog may not change the world. I think it is a cool hobby and hopefully some of the content is useful.

Last week at the AFP Conference in New Orleans I ran into someone who I had met at a conference in Holland. He immediately told me that he was reading my blog. How flattering. He then went onto tell me about one post in particular that had travelled the world and been part of extensive discussions. I was surprised by this. I knew it was a provocative post. I wrote it to start a discussion. Apparently this post had travelled the world and yet only one person commented on it publicly. Why is that? I could have been wrong (in fact now I think maybe I was) and would have welcomed the debate.

This week the number of "followers" for this blog grew from six to seven. Every time a new "follower" signs up I smile. Here is the really puzzling thing though as of today 499 people from 39 countries have visited this blog. 70% of those come back again! (Truthfully I have no idea how those stats fit in with other blogs. I could be confessing very poor performance here. Still that is sort of cool.)

Yet only seven followers and fewer comments? So I have a favour to ask: If you end up becoming the 500th person to read this blog I would ask you that you consider becoming a "follower" and perhaps even jump into a debate with a comment or two. If you are a closet reader I want to encourage you to join us here publicly. It would be good to get to know each other better.

I welcome alternative points of view. Expressing them is how we will learn from each other.

Thank you for spending time here.

The Importance of AFP

I am very fortunate to be at the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference in New Orleans. Last night I was very lucky to have met Andrew Watt who is the director of programming for AFP. It was a brief encounter. He probably doesn't remember it, however it got me thinking.

I have heard and have contributed to critical comments about conferences:

They are too big.

They are too small

They are too political.

The delegates are passive.

There isn't any food.

It is too expensive.

The list goes on. We all think we could do better than the people actually doing it.

After I met Andrew though I started thinking about how important his job it. Without AFP I wouldn't have a career. Without my career millions of dollars would not have gone into important work. AFP programs have had a profound impact on my life. I guess I just figured that out.

Sidney Potier spoke yesterday about the waiter who taught him - a dishwasher at the time - to read and his regret that he didn't ever get to properly thank this man - whose name he didn't even know. Simply because at the time he didn't realize the profound impact that knowing how to read would have on his life. Today it is my turn to thank AFP for their programs that have given me a fantastic career.

Do you have a influencer that you ought to reach out too and thank for their impact on your life? Do it now - today. Tomorrow will be too late.

Thank you for spending time here.