Photo courtesy The Huffington Post

I spent several hours on Saturday purchasing items for Haiti victims.  And while I know that U.S. pharmaceutical companies have given $25mil, and stores like WalMart, Home Depot, and Target have made cash donations ($600k, $1mil, and $500k respectively), I  am surprised at the lack of “big picture” thinking on the part of many national retailers in how they can help Haiti victims with actual goods, as much as through financial donations (and let’s be honest, the dollars given so far are small for these huge corporations).

As I was driving home with items purchased to take to CrossPoint on Sunday, I began to daydream about what I’d do if I ran these companies. This list isn’t exhaustive, as there are surely companies/industries I’m leaving out.  But I’m reaching out to these companies to pass along suggestions.  If you know people in high places at retail, I hope you’ll do the same.

Walmart, Sam’s, Target, Costco, Meijers, KMart-Why not create sections in the store with the big needs (tarps, tents, water, flashlights, formula, basic medical supplies, etc.) and make them easy for people to find and purchase? A step further-why not create bins for those purchased items to be placed into and ship them to Haiti?  You definitely have the resources to make this a possibility.

Sears, JCPenney, Belk, Macy’s, Dillard’s-Why not send several containers full of blankets, sheets, pillows, clothes, and shoes? Everywhere I looked today, there were sales happening, so it’s obvious there’s excess inventory.  I see a really good use for it right now.

Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menard’s-Why not offer to help cover the cost of contractors who come into your stores everyday to get over to Haiti to help with building removal, search & rescue, etc.  I’m sure many many want to help, but haven’t a clue how to get started.  Also, why not commit to sending a carrier full of tools when the removal process begins? Having Eko Depot in Haiti, it’s safe to assume a process for getting materials there is already set.

National grocery store chains-water, formula, baby food, diapers, cleaners, prepacked meals and more are of top need right now.  Again, why not make it easy for consumers to purchase them for shipment to Haiti, as well as sending over shipments of them from you directly? I’ve seen Publix and Kroger’s both do this well during the holidays for those in need. 

Looking at the nonstop pictures, it’s clear that there are many, many people and agencies jumping in to help during this time of crisis.  This level of destruction is going to take marathon mentality, not sprinter thinking.  We need to be in it for the long haul. Which national companies will set the pace for grand-scale efforts to make a difference?

The cost of stepping up and doing the right thing: Expensive

The benefits of long-term loyalty built when retailers do the right thing: Priceless

Anne Jackson, radical thinker extraordinaire, wrote an honest, powerful post yesterday on her upcoming trip to Haiti.  She said people had emailed her to say they were jealous that she’s going.  While I’m not jealous, because I know that what she’ll see and feel when she’s there will be gutwrenching, I am  a bit sad. Because I’ve felt the desire to do more than just send money and donate items.  I want to get my hands dirty. 

The tragedy in Haiti is another signal that my life is beginning to make clear the fact that some choices I made in younger years—and those I continue to make—are impeding the course I’m supposed to be charting now.  But there are responsibilities—a mortgage, car payment, insurances, private school tuition—things it’s not easy to pack up and walk away from.  Still, I know there’s a growing passion for a major shift in where I am now.  I would have done it already, were it not for the requirement of stability my life demands. 

Lately, I’ve been waiting on God to show me just how this equation is going to work out.  I’ll admit, I’ve rarely been one to make radical shifts in my personal life.  Ironically, it’s one of the things I love most about my job-every step in marketing has some measure of faith involved, but when it comes to my own life, I have looked for the safer ground, the “small ways” to be serve and be faithful.  Those things are good and necessary because they teach us obedience and patience, but I feel something different around the corner.   I don’t know what’s next, but I know it will take a leap of faith.

These days, I’m walking with purpose and listening more closely.  Because my future is calling.

What about you?  Where do you feel the pull to take a leap of faith?

I don’t know about you, but my mind is always going.  It’s challenging to get to sleep most nights because my brain doesn’t have a “pause” button.  I’ve noticed lately that I daydream a lot in those hours before bed.  Sometimes it’s figuring out how I’d solve a crime in the novel I’m reading.  Or how I could have handled my child’s meltdown differently.  But often, it’s about random ideas (and I do mean random) and missed opportunities: 

Example of a random idea: If I were the head of marketing for IHOP, I’d create a campaign around how eating your pancakes tells something about your personality (do you chop them up and then pour the syrup on; do you eat one pancake at a time, or do you eat around the edges and save the buttery part for last ?)  People love hearing affirmations about their personality…and I guarantee you there’s a psychologist out there who can come up with a test to coincide with pancake eating.   In the end, IHOP could generate a lot of revenue with a low cost item and give customers something fun at the same time. 

Example of a missed opportunity: Last weekend, on a whim, I took my daughter to get her hair cut at Regis.   The pleasant scheduler told me it would run between $18 and $23, based on the stylists’ level of experience.  I quickly said it was well worth an extra $5 to get a more experienced person to cut her naturally curly hair.  During the time her hair was being cut, I watched six people check out…all happy with their new do’s.  And I noticed that every customer was asked if they needed any products (apparently, something they are counted on to push).   When the haircut was done and it was our turn to pay, our guy asked if we wanted any product, and I shared my “words of wisdom” for the day.  If they would offer customers who have just had their hair done a discount on product (like 25% off one or all products purchased right then), they’d be moving a lot of gel, mousse, and hairspray every day.  I’m no rocket scientist, but it doesn’t take one to know that catching people when they are already happy…and when you’ve just sweetened the deal for them within a limited window of time… is paydirt.  Selling slightly discounted products will always be better than selling No products.

Watching how other people look at the world around them has always been fascinating to me.  And often, thinking about ideas for other companies helps me come up with cool ideas for the world I work in. 

What random ideas or missed opportunities have you thought about lately?

I can’t believe it…I have started a blog.  I’ve done enough homework to have some ideas on what works and what doesn’t.  It seems that the best course it to be authentic and write about what shapes my world.  More than likely, those topics are relevant to other people, too.  So here goes…