We have all experienced a pivotal moment where someone's words resonate so deeply, they ultimately provide a source of inspiration, comfort or guidance throughout the course of their personal and professional lives. In July, we asked the CGP community to share the advice that shifted their perspectives and strengthened their careers. 

The pieces of wisdom below capture how meaningful advice can emerge from mentors, career crossroads or challenging times. 

"It's okay to change your mind."

One of my best friends said this to me when I was at a crossroads in my career. I wasn't happy at my workplace then, and I felt I was on the wrong career path. Thanks to these words of wisdom, I moved on from an unsatisfactory job, and I am now in a new, higher-paying position with a new organization that will allow me to grow personally, professionally and financially." 

“It takes a minimum of 12-14 meaningful connections with a donor to secure a major gift, and if it has been more than 3 or 4 months since the last contact, you are essentially starting over. Give them meaningful, consistent attention!"

"Never stop trying and never give up."

I took a chance on a job about ten years ago that didn't work out. It took 8 years and a few stops on my career path to find the right position. Every step along the way, many difficult, got me to the right spot. 

"If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."

 I've heard some iteration of this statement my entire life. To me, it's the equivalent of, "Never stop learning." There's always room for growth.

"Your job is to build the relationship. You create trust, so that if you don't know an answer, they know you'll find one and get back to them. Don't worry about anything else."

I was 26 years old when my non-profit employer hired a planned giving consultant to teach me how to be a PG officer. I was terrified that I would be considered too young to do the job well, and I was intimidated by all the financial and tax-related information involved. He told me not to worry, and [shared that quote].

I took that to heart, and it truly changed how I approached my role. I have been a PG officer for 33 years now, and have repeatedly shared this simple, but valuable piece of advice with others new to the field. Those words made all the difference!

"There is no real emergency in fundraising." 

Sometimes we can let the stress of the job get to us and while what we do is so important to our causes and our communities, we should not always be so unrelenting to realize that we should not stress ourselves out or deprive ourselves. Sometimes I would get a request from a donor that I would feel like I would need to answer immediately at the sake of other important things going on at work. My prior AVP reminded me that there are no real emergencies in fundraising, so we can take a breather and make sure that we are handling the question and the donor appropriately. 

"In this labor market and your career path, whatever you do, you must be Agile, Mobile, and Hostile."

Agile - being open and flexible with learning new things, always educating yourself; Mobile - being able to move to different locations/communities to follow opportunity; Hostile - not to be afraid to take risks and to double down on certain opportunities that will come your way. 

I started my career in public affairs working for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Labor & Industry in Harrisburg, circa 2000. The head of that state agency, or Secretary, was the late Johnny J. Butler. A wonderful and dynamic labor leader and retired judge from Philadelphia. We used to travel with him for events and to handle media. He used to tell us [this quote].

I miss Mr. Butler. He sadly passed away in 2022, but left a legacy of building trusted relationships, encouraging cooperation within the political, business, the labor community, and statewide unions.  

"It's wise to seek both a mentor and a sponsor. A mentor can guide and offer correction when necessary, but a sponsor can advocate for your career growth with senior leaders. It's best to have both!"

"Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a big pond?"

My AFP Mentor asked me this as I was trying to decide where to grow in my career. I knew what I wanted, which helped me get back on track. He also reminded me that I don't have to know everything to move into leadership roles, I have a network that can help me whenever I need advice or information. 

"Know the difference between being 'busy' and being 'intentional."

This was pretty early on in my career, and I certainly felt the pressure to say 'yes' to all opportunities/requests to 'get ahead'. A senior leader shared with me that if I continued in that direction, the only outcome would be burnout. As a people pleaser, this hit me hard. I wanted to be helpful; I hated not being a part of a project/event. (The FOMO was real.) But she was right. Once I started strategically selecting where/how I spent my time, it allowed me to do some of my best work.

"You are an advocate for the organization - you are not the organization. Remember to keep your integrity, humanity, and empathy at the forefront of all you do."

Share your thoughts and own piece of wisdom with the CGP Community on the CGP Link: log in to connect with the CGP network. 

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