Community is a powerful thing. For the last three weeks, we’ve been looking at if from a personal view. How it affects the individual. How we need each other. How we need to allow ourselves to be seen. How we need to speak up. How a community can be large or small (just two). Also, the personal benefits we receive from tapping into the power of community.
All those things are important.
But there is more.
This week I want to talk about the collective effects.
What communities, or the power of many, can accomplish.
Here are 3 Amazing Examples
1 – Gathering Power
Parul Agrawal has been gathering a community of voices to speak about motherhood. She could have chosen to write a book about the subject all by herself, but instead, she chose to gather a community.
The journey began with seeking out one hundred moms from around the world.
Women of all ages, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and stages of motherhood.
Parul found women jumping at the chance to tell their mom stories. In less than six months she has been successful in gathering 111 moms from countries such as India, US, Canada, Israel, Qatar, Dubai & Australia.
But not only did Parul gather the stories to compile into a book, she created an online community for all these moms. In this online community, she gave the group opportunity to be a part of the process, and connect with other moms.
I am honored to be a part of this gathering. One of my mom stories is in this book.
Parul has stated her goal with this project is to provide a platform for moms to share their message with the world and turn them into published authors. And not only published but Bestselling authors as well.
Parul is putting the power of many on display.
The book is well underway and Parul is seeking to have it ready for release by Mother’s Day this year. The title is 100 Moms One Journey.
I will let you know when it is available.
2 – Harnessing Power
David Mike started blogging a few years back and little by little gathered quite the following as he shared his story of redemption. His blogging turned into a book with the assistance of community.
Many communities in fact.
People within these communities helped him choose his cover, coached him in writing, and provided feedback along the way.
Having benefitted from so much from the communities in his writing he understood the power inherent in them.
With that knowledge, David harnessed the power of community to launch his book.
David had acquired three hundred and fifty subscribers to his blog when he set up his Facebook launch group. The first day FOUR hundred fifty people joined it. The group grew to SEVEN hundred seventy-five.
Harnessing the power of many, David’s launch day results were stellar. His book Dishonor: One Soldier’s Journey from Desertion to Redemption secured these stats for DAY ONE:
Hit #1 in Hot New Releases in the Army Bios category
Hit #2 in Hot New Releases in The Christian Inspiration category
Hit Top 100 Hot New Releases in the OVERALL category of Books
Made #4 Bestseller in the Army Bios category
Made #7 Bestseller in the Christian Inspiration category
On launch day he received about 40 reviews on Amazon, which has climbed to 105 at this writing. Two of those are 4 star with the remainder being 5 star.
David continued to harness the power of many through interviews and speaking opportunities and has gotten his book into about 20 prisons and 6 libraries.
David is a true self-publishing success due to the power of many joined together on the same team. Many walk the road of self-publishing but not all are as successful as David. There is a reason for that. Bestselling author Jeff Goins points out those differences in his article about David here.
Get a copy of his book Dishonor: One Soldier’s Journey from Desertion to Redemption – just click here.
3 – Multiplication Power
The March of Dimes was created in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt when the polio virus was one of the most devastating threats to children and adults. President Roosevelt, a polio survivor himself, began the March of Dimes to get rid of the dreaded disease. He encouraged people to give, even if it was just a dime, to fund a cure.
It was a March of Dimes grantee, Jonas Salk, MD, who created the polio vaccine that brought the end to polio.
Having succeeded at their goal of ending polio, the March of Dimes harnessed the power of the community they had gathered and utilized it to multiply more cures.
The “new March of Dimes” focused on preventing birth defects. Out of that came what we know as the Apgar score and the immunization for rubella.
Reinventing itself again, the March of Dimes began focusing on healthy pregnancies and the walk-a-thon was born.
Increasingly multiplying their efforts, the March of Dimes added to their focus the crisis of prematurity. The March of Dimes has accomplished so much because of so many. You can read more detail of their history here.
My daughter, Naomi Trotto, is the mother of not one, but two NICU babies and has a passion for this foundation. Every year since her son was born she has participated in the annual walk. What began as a personal commitment has grown into so much more.
Each year she has multiplied the number of supporters for the cause.
She has many friends who have been through the NICU experience that join her in this annual endeavor. Her 2nd year she began holding her own fundraiser and each year it has grown as the power of many gets in gear. Last year the fundraiser was a road rally.
This year Naomi and her business partner, Ashley Sonnenfeld (also a NICU mom), are the ambassador family. They will be addressing the crowd and sharing their stories at the annual walk (aka March for Babies) in Mount Clemens Michigan.
You can support their team T.E.am Supreemies here.
At the organization’s Fundraising Launch they met with corporate sponsors and other family teams.
At this gathering, Naomi learned specific strides the March of Dimes has made at saving babies lives. One of which saved her daughter’s life – surfactant therapy.
Premature babies are at risk of many serious medical complications. One of these is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Babies with RDS struggle to breathe because their immature lungs do not produce enough surfactant, a protein that keeps small air sacs in the lungs from collapsing. March of Dimes grantees helped develop surfactant therapy, which was introduced in 1990. Since then, deaths from RDS have been reduced by half. Emphasis mine – read more here.
If you were born in the last 75 years, you are a march of dimes baby. See why in this 3-minute video.
As we can see in these 3 examples there is much we can accomplish by joining together.
Experience the POWER of Community! Share on XHow have you experienced the POWER of Community in your life?
Share in the comments below.
MY book Emerging With Wings is finally coming out on Kindle this April.
I am looking to gather a launch team and harness the power of community.
Join me here.
Thank you for sharing my journey with the tribe. Truly honored!
You are most welcome David!