Today I had breakfast with a new friend. Kyle Chowning. Our conversation was energizing and the ideas were flying as we talked about life, where we’ve come from and where we are headed. It was just my kind of meeting and for the record… Kyle is a great guy… and he is a dreamer.
Part of our conversation was around Help-Portrait.com, which was dreamed up by Jeremy Cowart. I had been watching people talk about Help-Portrait on twitter and then my friend Keely Scott told me more about it and what she did to be part of the 12/12/09 event in Nashville… A fascinatingly simple idea and one that Kyle gave me more detail about and how he was connected to the cause.
As Kyle told me about Help-Portrait, I started to think about this…
How many times have you had a simple dream that you thought would never be worth the effort?
How many business ideas have you had that seemed too simple to actually work?
Help-Portrait… One man’s dream…
- Find someone in need 2. Take their portrait 3. Print their portrait 4. Deliver their portrait
Sounds pretty simple? It is. Watch this video.
But what is amazing is how this idea and event spread like wildfire. Four months ago the site went up and the idea went out on the internet with Twitter and Facebook carrying it’s message and guiding people back to Help-Portrait.com. I really think simple ideas have the most impact.
The main event happened on 12/12/09 resulting in massive coverage online as well as major news outlets and taking place in over 40 countries. At the end of the day, 12/12/09, with on 43% of the locations reporting there were 17,200+ pictures taken, 1400+ photographers 2720+ volunteers and a major show of support from Kodak. Folks… this was just 43% of what was reported and the numbers have gone up dramatically since not to mention everyone else who is planning their own Help-Portrait event on a later date. This was one man’s dream….
Go back to 1952 and the Korean War. Evangelist Everett Swanson goes to minister to the troops during the war only to be devastated at the site of all the children orphaned living in the streets.
His dream?
Start an orphanage for 300 children. Nothing more… Nothing less.
Fast forward to December 2009. Everett Swanson’s dream is called Compassion International. Today Compassion is in 26 countries and with over 1 million children currently registered in the program.
One man’s dream… A simple dream… Help those in need.
These are just two examples of simple ideas dreamed up by two different men who wanted to use their sphere of influence to make a difference in the world.
Oh… and by the way. Because the internet gives us tools to market ideas, Jeremy Cowart spent ZERO dollars to market his dream Help-Portrait.
You can do that too.
Every cause needs a champion…
Time to go dream a little.
UPDATE: New Help-Portrait Results!
38,761 portraits GIVEN
7,905 photographers and volunteers
532 locations
41 countries
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