Last year I meet a mentor by surprise. He was a successful older man that happened to be an alumnus of my high school. I was working a regular 9-5 and had an itch for something with even more variety to challenge my restless mind.

I asked him what was the one piece of advice that helped him have success in his life that he could pass onto me? He thought for a moment and said with confidence; “volunteer on a board of directors”! I looked back at him with a questioned look on my face and he went further. . .

“The thing is about anything really is that you gain experience by doing something. If you don’t have experience doing something the best way to gain experience is to volunteer. I started volunteering to help out on the board of directors for more than one non-profit organization and after a while, before you knew it, I was getting paid to help direct the organization. I mean, if your going to volunteer you might as well volunteer on the board of directors because the board of directors are responsible for the success of the business. If you want to learn how to direct and manage a successful business you will learn fastest by being a sponge around other more experienced board members. Then once you have built report with those other board members as a responsible, dependable participant, they will end up inviting you to other functions and introducing you to other people they work with. . . If I look back upon my carrier and think about the one thing that helped me the most that was it.”

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

Benjamin Franklin

“Wow”, I said. . . “And, by the looks of your office (pictures of him smiling with other people) you are having some real fun doing it!”  He said, “Naturally, I chose to volunteer at the places that I was genuinely interested in and it didn’t feel so much like work.”

He went on and on about the money he helped raise, the poor people and the kids that he helped. He reflected on the travel and the golfing that was included in his duties as a board member, sometimes as the chairman of the board. I looked into his eyes and his smile made me smile and I was sold!  I decided right then to start with my search.   I landed on the BolderLife Festival  (bolderlifefestival.com) and chose this group because of the film and drama opportunities that it offered. For a long time I have wanted to make short films, editing, writing, acting and marketing. I jumped in last year with both feet and had a great experience!

This year the BLF is going to be even bigger and has goals to expand its student outreach program and invite hundreds of high school students to learn about independent film and to discuss the topics of the film with industry experts and the film makers themselves. If you are interested in getting involved with the BLF this is a perfect time to volunteer! We are looking for anyone with passion for our mission statement interested in helping us with this December 4^th event.  Inquire HERE: volunteer@bolderlifefestival.com

written by Anthony Prichard
Sponsorship Coordinator