The Power of Care

 

Robert A. Costa Jr.

Risk Advisor, Executive Director, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Philanthropist, Do-Gooder

The Power of CARE, when applied.   Are you applying this in every endeavor?

Disclaimer: the amount of times the word CARE is used, is but only for reinforcement; my apologies ahead of time.

To me; the most powerful four letter word behind LOVE, and there are many, is CARE. There’s a drastic difference in success between those who apply this in their lives and those who don’t. We are the captains of our own ships. Our navigation determines what ocean we end up in; if an ocean at all. Some are stuck in rivers or even streams.

Everyone knows there are many moving parts to this thing called life, right? There is no need to go into great detail here, but to sum it up, you have on the field and off the field responsibilities. Meaning career and personal. If you care at work you will ultimately have a career with that organization. If you care at home and in your personal life, it will only make your relationships stronger. I have positioned myself exactly where I want to be, and it’s all because in everything I do, I CARE. Granted there’s more to it, like education, and experience, but the point is you need to apply CARE. Regardless of your occupation, this is a world where people make decisions emotionally. Why not meet emotion with emotion? As a doctor, you do what you do because you care. As a police officer you do what you do because you care. As a teacher you do what you do because you care. There needs to be more of this in business. Like getting into something, some career because you care, and not just making it about the money… because then you will truly see how much impact you have on that organization and how much impact that organization has on the world.

As I write this, I realize where my ship is on the map. I am positioned between being an Executive Director of a startup non-profit that brings in thousands of dollars every year, and hundreds of participants, Dodgeballin’ For Kids; where I work to raise funds for childrens’ based organizations through dodge ball tournaments. That’s just what I do for fun, because I care about children, and making sure there are programs out there for them to help better their future. During the day I work with organizations as a Risk Advisor for the greatest most innovative insurance agency in the country, to minimize risk, so that in turn my clients can ultimately save money and be able to fund other aspects of their business for future growth. Keeping as many businesses in business as I can is a goal of mine.

Apply CARE to everything you do especially when you are younger. It’s better to start early. You differentiate yourself. In a world where there is so much self-this and self-that, ignorance, selfishness, those that display CARE standout and move forward. Sort of like an ice-breaker in the Atlantic, a ship that is meant for a continued path down success lane because it stands out.

How does CARE relate to business? Many people like to replace the word sell with help…but guess what? If you don’t actually CARE, there’s no point because that transition simply won’t happen. Where selling and care meet is when you actually help. Too many times in my career I have run across salesmen or development professionals in the non-profit world that do the work like machines. They make the calls and write the proposals better than anyone, but barely show that caring quality. If you don’t show some emotion to the decision maker that you care, then it’s useless. You are wasting your time. Think about it from the decision maker’s perspective. They want to buy or work with someone, or an organization who cares about them, and the toughest thing on their end, is figuring out who actually does care. Thousands and thousands of companies are out there. All have potential to work with each other, but who is the right fit? Naturally the one who cares the most. When you take two entities or people who care about the work they do and the value they can bring to the table, then you sir/mam, have a deadly combination.

While we are on the ship theme, it’s only natural that I make this pun…. “DON’T LET THE SHIP SAIL AWAY (meaning opportunity) BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK IN ABILITY TO SHOW THAT YOU CARE”

One of the key foundational motives that shows I CARE that I’ve built into MY ship, is that at the end of the day, the bottom line is … “The best thing in life is helping those around you, but more importantly watching them succeed”

What does CARE mean to you? What has happened to your success since you started applying this quality in your work?
Think about it….
How can I help your organization?
I would love to hear from you… rcosta@fbinsure.com