Standing Up For What You Truly Believe In

I’m a communications professional, but also a mum and a Rotarian, and quite frankly a bleeding heart for an infinite line up of eminently worthy (or possibly unworthy) causes that battle for my attention-deficit brain on a daily basis, never more so than when the holidays loom near. I believe in universal access to healthcare, educational opportunities for all, and a solid, committed and unified Canada. I try to make choices that honour the things I believe in, the things that I stand for.

I also believe that my credit union stands for something important that goes beyond the bottom line. Yesterday I watched (and helped a bit) as truckloads of fresh food were distributed to area Food Banks in the parking lot of our Clinton branch. My credit union’s Farms to Food Banks program will continue to help people in need put healthy food on their tables throughout the winter. And that’s because my credit union stands for something that helps build stronger communities; that engenders trust among our members and our staff; and that helps everyone in the organization make decisions that are right for us, our communities, and our world.

I believe our staff recognizes that our credit union stands for something important, and that means we’re all working together to do something that matters. But it’s not always easy. How do you offer a broad selection of high quality products and services, extended hours to serve your members better, and support innovation and earth-friendly solutions and all at a low price?

Whether in business or in our private lives it’s sometimes really hard to stand up for what you truly believe in. It’s hard to stick to your principles whatever the consequences may be. But if we stay true to our beliefs and we stand for something that really matters, our staff, our members and our communities will sit up and take notice.

Movies you really should see

I love movies. Small movies. I avoid the big Hollywood blockbusters (except Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter!) and I pass over the obtuse critically acclaimed art films that are so often a) morbidly dark and depressing; b) plotless, incoherent, narcissistic and rambling; or c) all of the above!

No, I prefer the small films that lift my spirits, renew my hope for a better world and engage me intellectually and emotionally. I glean the titles from news and magazine articles that send me to my favourite source for non-mainstream films, Cinemail, an online dvd rental outfit based in Winnipeg that has proven to be my greatest ever movie find. That’s where I keep a running list of everything I want to see and Cinemail obliges me by sending me a new dvd once I return the one I’ve just watched.

Some of my favourites? Waitress with Keri Russell playing a small town diner waitress trapped in a miserable marriage to a no-good lout. She bakes such incredible pies like “kick in the pants pie” and “I don’t want Earl’s baby pie”, that fans have created a website where they share their own versions of “therapeutic” pie. Most memorable moment? Andy Griffith’s heartwarming monologue when he describes how much he looks forward to Jenna’s Tuesday pie.

Another wonderful film was A Good Year with Russell Crowe playing a Wall Street shooter who returns to his grandfather’s vineyard in France, where he spent his childhood. There are many comedic turns as lessons in viticulture are trumped by lessons in life. Gracie was another fine film that transported me back to the 1970’s when we hung out in paneled rec rooms, wore knee socks and tight gym shorts, and girls and boys understood the expectations and limitations of gender. Gracie wants to play soccer but the only school team is for boys only. She not only has to fight the school and the school board for a spot on the team, but other students and even her parents don’t understand why she won’t just go play field hockey, a sport more suited for girls.

Finally, check out The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the true story of the handsome globe-trotting Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffered a stroke and had to live with an almost totally paralyzed body. A heartbreaking film of unimaginable human suffering, endurance, love and hope.

Differentiation in the marketplace

Nothing like sitting and watching the first snow of the year on the Square in Bayfield to get you thinking about all sorts of existential questions. Like “Exactly why am I working for a credit union,” and “Am I making a difference in my community?” Or, how about, “Can I even do a little thing to change my world?”

I work for a credit union… NOT a Bank! As the communications gal, it’s my job to tweak the language that informs our staff and our members what we’re all about. Sounds easier than it is. So what distinguishes our credit union from a bank?

At the end of the day, it’s critical that our members, our staff and our community see a difference in the products and the service we offer. From frontline staff to our leaders, we always have to ask, “Where is our differentiator?”

Falling back

Well, this isn’t my first foray into the blogosphere nor, I suspect, will it be my last. Today is as auspicious a day to begin a new blog as any, particularly as the clocks went back to give me an extra hour to have my way with–hurray!

It’s been a busy day online and off. Typical of my Sunday mornings, it was off to the gym to strengthen my wibbledy bones, and then reap the reward, a misto enjoyed on the Starbucks patio in the late morning sunshine. Then good walk with Forrest and back to my laptop.

Downloaded Skype at long last and then chatted with Oliver for possibly hours, lost track of the time. Spent much time in busy silence as we each worked away at whatever task we had at hand, but it was oddly comforting to watch him, almost as if he were here. Strange that. I was finally inspired to tackle twitter again. Who will I follow? Will anyone follow me? Do I really have anything of interest or value to twit about? Time will tell.

My 10:26 alarm has just alerted me to the late hour with “When Your Mind’s Made Up” from the fabulous film Once by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. If you haven’t seen the film or heard the soundtrack, get on it! The Windsor International Film Festival is arriving on Friday, and I can’t wait. As always, the line up of great films will beckon irresistably.