The Business of Giving

Kevin Krall 0:00
You're listening to special programming sponsored by the cars marketing Chamber of Commerce. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more, the University of Nevada Las Vegas or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Unknown Speaker 0:25
What's wrong with the world Maamar people live in lightning got

Unknown Speaker 0:30
the whole world addicted to the drama only attracted Hello, everyone. And welcome to the business of giving podcast. My name is Guy Dawson and I am the Executive Director of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. And the mission of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce is to ignite opportunities between businesses and nonprofits, for the purpose of benefiting our members and the communities we serve. The vision of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce is a world where social responsibility is the new bottom line, and our values our integrity, unity, community, engagement and professionalism. And I am always excited when I have the opportunity to record one of these podcasts, the business of giving. And we developed this particular radio broadcast to get the word out in the community about this chamber of commerce that we've been developing for about the last two years. And the whole background behind the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce is that we started hosting events back in 2015, called businesses with heart. And through these businesses with heart events, we brought nonprofit organizations and businesses together to create these synergistic relationships that benefit the community. And so initially, we would host these events and then we go away and come back and we'd host another event. And we decided through our experiences, how the community embraced the whole concept of cause marketing, and how businesses wanted to learn more and more about how they could align themselves with worthy nonprofit organizations and contribute to them. And we were also teaching the nonprofit organizations that we're working with how being in alignment with traditional businesses could also help them to gain more volunteers, more exposure, and just overall build great relationships that could help them as well. And so that was the that's the foundation of what the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce really was all about was hosting these events. A couple of years ago, we decided that we wanted to take it to the next level and create an organization that on an ongoing basis brought these two pillars of the community together nonprofits, and for profit businesses, we really wanted to enhance the education that we provided both of the entities and so through this cause marketing Chamber of Commerce, we've had the opportunity to work with a lot of fantastic businesses and a lot of wonderful nonprofit organizations. And our focus is always about creating a better community by supporting these two pillars, as I had mentioned before, of both nonprofits and for profit businesses, if you want to learn more about what we do at the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce, you can visit our website cause marketing chamber.com. And on that website, you'll get a lot of information, more background about what how we function as an organization. We've had, again, a host of nonprofits that we have a work with specifically in these events that we've been doing over the years. And now that we are truly a full fledged nonprofit organization, we're working a lot on the development and providing a tremendous amount amount of value for people who decide that they want to become members of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. By the way, if you want to become a member of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce, you can sign up on our website. Again, that's a cause marketing chamber.com, you can go on that site, and you click on a link and you can sign up directly. Another great way that people find that they can get involved with the cause marketing chamber is by attending our events, we have a host of events, and I'll be talking about some of those a little bit later in the broadcast. I think that by actually attending the events that we host, that you get a real feel for what we're all about and how you as a business owner, or a nonprofit organization, or even just someone who loves the concept of what we're doing can be a part of all of this. Attending the events seems to be a way that people get a great feel for what we do, being a part of our tribe. And we have just an outstanding community of big givers who are a part of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. And actually I'm going to be interviewing two big givers today on this broadcast the first person that I'm going to interview today. Her name is Paula Jackson. And Paul is with the large Vision Business Network mixers. And I have been attending Paula's events. For probably 13 or 14 years, I personally run a public relations and marketing company called classy communications. I've been in business myself since 2008. But I know for a fact that I've been attending policy events for at least 13 years, and they are outstanding events for business. And the reason why I wanted to have Paula come and be a part of the business of giving podcast is that she is a gigantic giver. And I just wanted her to share some of her experience in business and what she does with her events. Paula Jackson with the large Vision Business Network mixer. Welcome, Paula. Thank you for having me, guy. And Paula, you've been hosting these events for a very long time. But prior to that you have a really big background in entertainment. Can you want to share with the audience some of the things that you did prior to hosting these events?

Unknown Speaker 6:06
Prior to coming to Las Vegas, I worked in broadcasting. Well, actually, I work I work actually worked in all three mediums. I worked in the newspaper business, I was creative director, worked in the radio business, I was promotion director, and I worked in the television business. So he's a television producer, director, I've had several other opportunities that came in my missed with all three of those subject matters of media that I worked in, that was to being a national tour manager for major manufacturers here in the United States a little different than you would actually I would actually have to do a visual thing so people could get a grasp of IT guy, but was put into the I think it was in 2006. And then routers broadcaster Hall of Fame. And the expo was 16 years old now. And we're still going strong.

Unknown Speaker 7:04
Right? And you've got a big background, as you had mentioned in both media and marketing, and how did you take those skill sets that you had develop with those past experiences in journalism? Also, I know you talked about being involved in TV and radio, how did you bring all that together to create these large Vision Business Network mixer events,

Unknown Speaker 7:26
I believe, mainly from the road shells that we did for the major manufacturers Sylvester and I've worked on the roads for 11 years. It was cross country. And we work from major manufacturers. There was a marketing firm that we were contracted under. An example would be we had a program back in, I believe it was the late 90s. It was called a pop of hip hop. It was actually utilized because Pepsi had decided to change their look, their branding their logo. So the globe that you see now was the globe that we introduced to the United States. Our project was the first project that went out with the globe. It ran for three years, cross country 200 cities a year. And it was a vehicle it was a mobile vehicle. So just to give you an idea of the SEC set you for the glass, so what we're doing now is that we took programs of that nature. And we placed it in a market, which is Las Vegas, with large Vision Business Network mixer. So large Vision Business Network network mixer is actually designed to go out on the road. With a 16 year track record, we're hoping next year we'll be able to least go to five cities, not consistently like we do here, guy here in Las Vegas, but at least take one of our main things that have really we really brand it that the public the consumers really enjoy attending and go out on the road with if that's that's what our game plan is for. 2023

Unknown Speaker 9:09
Paula, one of the reasons I wanted to have you on the show is because we have this theme of the business of giving and I can't think of another person in this Las Vegas networking community who has given more than you to this business community. How many small businesses has the large Vision Business Network mixer supported through all these years of you hosting these monthly events?

Unknown Speaker 9:32
Over 10,000 Over 10,000 businesses. The show runs 11 months out of the year, one time a month. There's no show in December. We just created a new program guy. We had our picture business contest. And we pulled that down and we went off on another program called how big business can support small business. And what we have done is we've We've actually tested this this year, and we're going to run with it next year real large, huge, everybody will be hearing about it, because I'm pretty sure the news is going to pick up on it and everything. So we've already been running with it. It's gotten MGM, Caesars, and Martin Harris construction, they've all pitched in. And they ran with this project with us this year, it went very well. Very well, we've had small businesses that I didn't even know existed. So when they come in, in most cases, here's what we're doing for next year, we will have a training program for the business owners to small business owners, so they can understand when they come to an expo, what is expected of them. So there's a whole training program that they'll go through.

Unknown Speaker 10:51
Yeah, and I couldn't have I admired a creativity, Paula, in as far as larger businesses nurturing the success of smaller businesses. I mean, I think that that is a great concept that isn't often presented in the business world. You know, in the business world, sometimes it's so competitive, that you don't find other businesses that will support smaller businesses, but you think I really can appreciate that concept. And that, that there's great benefits that these larger businesses can get from the publicity that they received as being supporters of the small business community. This just falls in alignment a lot with what we do at the cause marketing chamber, which is, as a community, we can work together, and everyone benefits from it. And is that kind of your, your philosophy? I mean, I know it is. But I'd like for you to really quickly explain it.

Unknown Speaker 11:45
That is really the philosophy of the expo, the expo was created for small business, to allow to give them the promotional exposure, awareness for economic growth. Because a lot of these small businesses, they have no clue how to how to really promote themselves. That's the truth. And for 16 years, Sylvester and I have witnessed, and it's really not, for me, business ethics, you know, there needs to be a breaking point where small businesses are, are educated on the advertising, the marketing the promotional aspect of the business, because without that, you wouldn't have a business, where you consumer customers is going to come from, you have to ask yourself that about, about what we're talking about, because it's a very interesting and touching subject. And we're now at a point where we, we really want to get other larger businesses involved with this program. I know there are a lot of businesses in Las Vegas that would have liked to help help the small business community. And with COVID, when they came in and hit it literally shut down a lot of businesses including us. So I mean, we have felt it and we understand it. And like you said, your chamber. We're all for the chamber and whatever we can do this support to help businesses continue to grow. We want to do that.

Unknown Speaker 13:18
And Paula, you've got an event that's coming up in a week, would you like to share with the audience how they can be a part of the upcoming monthly event that you're going to be hosting?

Unknown Speaker 13:30
Yes, on next Tuesday night, November the 15th. At Santa Fe stations Casino. Inside the centennial ballroom, we're hosting our red, white and blue Expo admission, there is no admission cost. All we ask when you come up is that you fill out, you know a form. If you don't have a business card, we still have exhibit space. And we have discounted the final spaces that we have. I think we have eight to 10 left. So if anybody wants to make it a space, please please call me at the office. The number is 702-639-6964.

Unknown Speaker 14:10
And the cause market and Chamber of Commerce wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the large Vision Business Network mixer as I had mentioned before, I've been a part of these events for many years personally and the themes that Paula and Sylvester create in the environment for the success of small businesses is just it's just amazing, Paul, and it was absolute pleasure to have you on the business of giving show and and I look forward to the continued success of the things that you're going to be doing with the large Vision Business Network mixer.

Unknown Speaker 14:42
Well, we thank you for having us. Thank you for helping us get the word out. And you know, we just we really want to assist as many small businesses as we can. Like, like I said being because of COVID it has really affected our community. Our small business can Anybody in Clark County?

Unknown Speaker 15:02
Yeah, you guys are again, you've really been hanging in there. And I want to encourage the community to go out and support a local business that has supported a lot of businesses is for them to continue to function the way that they function being an incubator literally through these events and giving small businesses opportunities to promote themselves as vendors, not to mention all of the referral business probably millions of dollars in referral business. That large Vision Business Network mixer has created through the years from all the people who came and traded business, it's essential that we as a community support organizations, such as Paula and Sylvester as the large Vision Business Network mixer and keep up the great work, Paul,

Unknown Speaker 15:47
thank you for having us.

Unknown Speaker 15:49
I wanted to make an announcement about a couple of events that we're hosting at the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. Next Tuesday, the 15th. We host our cars and business education series. And that is an online event that we do every month, it's always on the third Tuesday of the month. And we feature a business or a nonprofit organization from 6pm to 7pm. And those organizations or businesses talk about their expertise. And we've had wonderful, wonderful people, tax experts, customer service experts, many different aspects of business as well as people in the nonprofit world who give these one hour workshops where they just share excellent information, they are absolutely free to attend, you can go to the website cause marketing chamber.com, for info about our cause and business education series. And again, our next event is going to be on the 15th of November from 6pm to 7pm. Go to our website to get more details about that. We also host our monthly mixer event. Generally these events are on the fourth Tuesday of every month from 6pm to 8pm. And the CMC mixers CMCC mixers bring together businesses and nonprofit organizations just to get together and talk about what they do. They're 6pm to 8pm We generally host him in restaurants. This particular month, it's going to be on the fifth Tuesday of the month, which is the 29th of November from 6pm to 8pm. That event is going to be held at Osaka Japanese bistro out in Henderson and the feature nonprofit that we are going to present will be is Foundation for Recovery. They are a nonprofit organization that does a lot to help addicts and people with mental illnesses. And so we're really looking forward to the business community coming together to support that great nonprofit organization. Again, that will be on the 29th of November from 6pm to 8pm at a soccer restaurant or soccer bistro out in Henderson. For more details about this event, if you want to register for it, there are fees, it's $20 to attend the event. And there there's an ask also these nonprofits have certain things that they're going to be asking for. If you go to the nonprofit, you go to our website, and you'll get more details about some of the donations that they'll be asking for. But again, it will support Foundation for Recovery. So we're looking forward and you can go to the website cause marketing chamber.com To learn more about our mixer event, as well as the cause and business education series event that we're going to be hosting next Tuesday. My good friend Stacy Wren runs a business that has been evolving she is in an industry that is extremely popular. And it is travel and who doesn't love to travel especially now that we have the opportunity to travel for the last couple of years, there's been a lot of restrictions on us being able to travel places and I know people are very, very excited about it. So not only is Stacey helping people who want to travel, she's also benefiting the community with the things that she does with her business. So Stacey Ren is with travel global vacation Pro and welcome to the business of giving show, Stacey,

Unknown Speaker 19:15
thank you for having me excited to be here.

Unknown Speaker 19:17
Tell us about your business.

Unknown Speaker 19:19
Okay, well my name is Stacy I own and operate global vacation Pro. We're a full travel company. We craft custom vacations around the world. So anything from leisure travel, corporate travel groups, families, we there's an emphasis in our company on assisting people with special needs and disabilities. And we have a program called cruise for a cause where we book group cruises that sail around the world and will give a portion of that cruise revenue direct back to a nonprofit. And what

Unknown Speaker 19:49
inspired you to create that particular program within your business something I mean, there's lots of travel businesses out there Why did you choose To take a cause marketing approach to your business.

Unknown Speaker 20:04
Well, while my clients, they range anywhere from corporate business people to families, I like assisting people that have special needs and disabilities. And so I think I'm also a special needs mom. So as I started to grow in my travel business, I decided to kind of think big picture. And I wanted to have a business with a purpose. And so I started to develop special needs and disability travel and then cruise for a cause. So I partner with nonprofits in the community. I'm a small business, which is the basis of cause marketing Chamber of Commerce, to ignite revenue, to ignite fundraising, to ignite cause and awareness for what's going on in our community and where our services are needed the most.

Unknown Speaker 20:49
Yeah, and that's so impactful, Stacey, because as I had mentioned before, traveling is something that people are doing anyway. But with your business model, you are bringing together, the ability to fundraise through something that people are already doing anyway. And what is the some of the feedback that you're getting from people in the community having the opportunity to potentially contribute to nonprofit organizations, while they go and do something that they enjoy anyway, which is traveling.

Unknown Speaker 21:21
The feedback has been great, and it's been exponential, it's been a lot more powerful than I even anticipated in the beginning. So there's a lot of nonprofits that are jumping on board, wanting to benefit and be a part of a travel opportunity that also drives revenue and awareness for their cause. But then there's now social groups, and families that are getting together and wanting to travel and group cruise, but give back a donation to something that's really important to them. So it's going to the social side, and it's going to the nonprofit business side as well. So it's really been cool to see everybody get behind it.

Unknown Speaker 22:01
And as a relatively new business owner, Stacey, how is your experience, Ben how, again, you've got the traditional side of the business, which is providing travel services for everyone. And then of course, you've got this specific niche in your business, which is working with worthy causes and serving that specific audience. How has it been watching your business evolve?

Unknown Speaker 22:28
It's been exciting in the sense of I'm keeping up pace with it. Because once you get involved with your own business, it's great to have a niche, right. So once you pick that niche, and you decide you're gonna go full force with it, it's exciting to see all the wheels turn and it's almost like you're watching from the outside, but you're getting a lot of support from leisure travelers, and then you're also getting support from other small business owners. So I'm now working on partnerships with United Way of Southern Nevada, I'm working on partnerships with the silver knights, which is the minor league of the Vegas, Golden Knights. There's a lot of small businesses in town that are partnering with me to push this travel cruise for a cause. option for people to get out and explore the world. And it's pretty exciting.

Unknown Speaker 23:18
Yes, and as a member of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce, how is that benefited all of this? I mean, I know this is what our platform is all about. We're so proud of what you're doing with your business, how has your affiliation with us helped you

Unknown Speaker 23:35
because marketing has been a great bridge and a platform for me to go to and kind of brainstorm this whole idea and say I'm a small business, I want to have a business that grows with a purpose that gives back to the community but in a unique way, because you wouldn't necessarily think of people traveling worldwide, and then it having a donation or a real purpose and change back in your home community. So cause marketing has been a great bridge and a great education tool to kind of marry those things together. So it's okay to say small business can help drive revenue for nonprofits. And it's okay for nonprofits, to utilize small business in the community and not just rely on government grants and funding right? It's really grassroots effort all around. So cause marketing is tied it together.

Unknown Speaker 24:27
And again, we're so proud Stacy to watch you, your new business or your your evolving business. I mean, it's really not new because you are growing in leaps and bounds. And you know, as far as being a chamber of commerce, you are what we are all about in so many ways in that you have embraced the principles of cause marketing and you're utilizing them along of course with all the things that you're doing as a traditional business as well to bring more success to yourself and but but we want the community to support you so that you can continue to support it. So Well, how can people get in contact with you if they want to learn more about your business either from the fundraising aspect going on a cruise for a cause, as I know, we've got one plan for the Hawaiian Islands in 2023 that I am enormously excited about because I plan to beyond that one. But fundraising or traditional business, how can they get a hold of you to learn more about the things you do?

Unknown Speaker 25:24
The best way is to check out my website, which is global vacation pro.com or reach out to me on social media. I'm on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, I'm on all of them, right? So the more exposure that you have out there, the easier it is for people to get a hold of you. I'm happy to help anybody with leisure travel, I'm happy to help anybody get involved with travel that gives back to their community. And that's something that's not just in Las Vegas, but it's in every city. So I'm hearing available to help.

Unknown Speaker 25:56
Stacey Rin is with global vacation Pro and she is truly a philanthropic entrepreneur, again, we wish you continued success with your business, Stacey. And we also want to encourage the community to support a business that is supporting the community. There are tremendous fundraising elements that she's going to be tapping into by providing travel, great travel experiences. And then of course, proceeds going to these nonprofit organizations. Keep up the great work, Stacey.

Unknown Speaker 26:26
Thank you. Thanks so much for the support. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 26:28
and as we near the end of this podcast for today, I want to remind everyone to follow the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, as well as Facebook, we've also got a YouTube channel that we're developing and we're going to be hosting an online version, a completely online video version of the business of giving that podcast is going to be coming out in the new year we'll be having more details about it that we'll be announcing on our social media sites. And I always want to just mention to everyone that you may feel that you can't make a difference, but you can. You can volunteer and contribute to your community. You can build a business that provides a service that contributes to the lives of others all of us can make a difference. And the same thing that I say on these all these other podcasts I want to say before I leave you all today, just keep giving, keep giving, keep giving, see on the next show.

Unknown Speaker 27:46
The weight of the world on my shoulder. As I'm getting older your people gets older. Most of us only care about money.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai