Before I Put On The Apron

Seven and a half years ago, Danny Rosin and Charity Gibson reached out to me with an idea.

At the time, I was helping manage #promochat, a fun weekly Twitter chat that had developed its own little community inside the promotional products and apparel decoration industry. People showed up every week to talk, share ideas, ask questions, learn from each other and share silly memes. LOTS OF MEMES!

I loved it, but I was also starting to realize that keeping something like that going takes more than one person.

Danny and Charity who had both been participants saw what was happening too. Their idea was pretty simple: What if #promochat became part of PromoKitchen?

They weren’t recruiting me. They weren’t selling me on joining a committee or giving me a list of reasons I should volunteer. They saw something I was already doing, recognized that it was fun and connected to a larger educational purpose and invited me into something bigger. I said yes, with no real idea where that yes would eventually lead.

That invitation introduced me to people who became friends, collaborators, mentors and, eventually, people I’ve had the opportunity to mentor in return. It gave me opportunities to learn, contribute and lead. Looking back, I think there’s an important lesson in the way Danny and Charity approached me.

They didn’t sell me PromoKitchen. They met me where I was and helped me see where I could belong. 

And whether you’re already part of PromoKitchen or just hearing more about it, I think there’s something in that worth paying attention to.

It's worth remembering, especially when we talk about growing this community. The best invitations rarely feel like recruiting. Usually, someone notices something in you and tells you why. They introduce you to a person, a group or an opportunity that might make your world a little bigger.

Maybe someone did that for you?

If you’re already part of PromoKitchen, or have been part of it before, you don’t need a perfect elevator pitch to do the same thing for someone else. You don’t need to memorize all of our programs, explain the history of mentorship or know every committee and volunteer opportunity.

Just tell your story.

Who invited you? Why did you say yes? Who helped you along the way? What relationship exists in your life today because you got involved? What have you learned, and why are you still here? Your PromoKitchen story is probably a better invitation than any organizational description we could write.

And if you’re not sure how to start that conversation, try four simple words:

I thought of you.

Then tell them why.

“I thought of you because you’re always willing to help somebody.”

“I thought of you because you have experience that other people in this industry could learn from.”

“I thought of you because you ask really good questions.”

“I thought of you because someone helped me when I was finding my way, and I think you’d connect with this community.”

That next word really matters.

Because.

It turns an invitation into recognition. It tells another person, "I see something in you." Which feels a lot different than, “Hey, we need volunteers.”

There’s also more than one way to join us in the kitchen. You can find a mentor or become one. You can join a committee, help with an event, share something you’ve learned, write a blog, participate in a conversation or make an introduction. You can show up to learn. You can show up to help. A lot of the time, you end up doing both.

You won't be asked to put on a chef’s apron and serve on the board on day one. You just have to find a place where you can contribute, learn or connect.

That’s why I created those four “I thought of you…” questions. They’re simply a way to make these conversations easier, help you share your own PromoKitchen story, and help someone else see where they might belong. Think of it as something you can reach for when you know someone should be introduced to PromoKitchen, but you’re not quite sure what to say next.

If you’re already part of PromoKitchen, I’m not asking you to recruit five people. The truth is, I don't want you to recruit anyone! I want you to think of one person who could use someone in their corner, one person who gives freely and might have something valuable to share, or one person who simply should know this community exists.

Tell them why you thought of them.

And if you’re reading this and you’re not part of PromoKitchen yet, maybe this is your sign. You don’t need a big title, twenty years of experience or a connection to somebody on the board. There’s room to learn, room to contribute and room to grow.

Almost eight years ago, Danny and Charity made one invitation. They couldn’t have known exactly where it would lead, and neither could I.

Maybe that’s the magic of the kitchen?

Communities don’t grow because of a polished recruiting pitch. They grow because people notice people, meet them where they are, share what they know and make room for them.