Lindsey Petasek, grant writer, Sole4Souls
Q: Looking back, what personal experience or milestones have had the greatest influence on your professional success?
My experiences, such as serving on the Women’s Fund of Greater Green Bay’s Imagine the Future Grant steering committee, have significantly influenced my professional success. I learned a great deal about working collaboratively with other community organizations. The work set fire to my passion for issues surrounding girls and women.
Q: What do you wish more people understood about your industry?
I wish people understood how difficult the work in the nonprofit world can be, the talent required to work in the industry and that nonprofit professionals are seeking solutions to some of the community’s most considerable problems. I have heard friends or others in the corporate world talk about how they want to do something less challenging or stressful and “should maybe just work in a nonprofit.” Nonprofit work requires skills and talent and can require an exhaustive amount of mental and emotional energy.
Q: What’s a work challenge you’ve overcome?
One was my preconceived definition of success and what it meant to make a difference in the world. I am passionate about serving others and thought I could only make a difference by directly working with the issues. I was in graduate school, working and interning all at once — I was exhausted in every sense of the word. Over time, I’ve learned that you can make a difference in other ways without having to be the one doing the work directly.
Q: What is one cause or issue that you’re especially passionate about, and why?
I’m passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. As a Korean-American woman, mother and community member, I am personally connected to this issue. I grew up in small-town Wisconsin, and I did not always have positive experiences. I combated both overt and covert racism my entire life, with my first memory of it being around four years old. For a long time, I struggled with my identity and self-worth and made myself small. Fortunately, my mother was a social worker, and she provided me with opportunities for education and experiences that never stopped building my self-confidence. I know the value of experiences, education and exposure to further our connection, understanding, and empathy for one another.
Q: What advice would you give others looking to make change in their communities?
Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. A lot of young people will try and get involved in as many things as possible to build their resumes, and they do things out of feelings of obligation rather than motivation. Don’t overcommit your time or energy for anything you will not show up for 100% with passion and joy.
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