By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC
Just the other day, I had a guest on my “Career Can Do” podcast who reminded me of a quote by St. Francis of Assisi:
“For it is in giving that we receive.”
The guest was Mark Contreras, who sits on the board of directors of the Bo Cipra Foundation. That foundation exists as a testament to a great man who is no longer with us. Bo Cipra was a father, a brother, a son and a well-loved member of his profession and his community. I had the pleasure of knowing Bo for many years both personally and professionally. Prior to his untimely passing, Bo, who attended West Point, worked as a senior sales line pipe manager in Houston for a leading manufacturer of pipes and related services for the world’s energy industry and certain other industrial applications. Through his work, both professional and volunteer, Bo touched many lives and made many loyal and lifelong friends who still honor his name through his foundation. The Bo Cipra Foundation pays tribute to the life and legacy of a great man by financially and emotionally supporting petroleum-industry families who have lost their primary provider. Additionally, the foundation honors Bo’s love of golf by encouraging safety on and around the golf course and his love of other Texas-based charitable institutions by supporting their efforts as well. Bo unfortunately died in a tragic manner involving the misuse of a golf cart.
As a recruiter in Houston serving the global energy industry for over 30 years, dealing with the many changes and challenges in what I call the “New Work World,” I believe we all have much to learn from Bo’s legacy both in and out of the office; his life encapsulates the words of St. Francis of Assisi. Every year around the time of Bo’s passing, the foundation hosts a charitable golf tournament in his honor. This year it is on Monday, April 28. The tournament consists of 36 holes of golf in a corporate-outing-style event. There’s a shotgun start, live and silent auction, door prizes, contest giveaways, food and drink on every hole and much more. This year the foundation will also launch a cornhole tournament in the fall for nongolfers who want to participate.
Let’s investigate Bo’s legacy and the benefits of giving back in the New Work World and beyond. How can we benefit from the charitable giving of our time and financial support?
1. Make a Positive Impact
Bo Cipra made a positive impact on so many levels. And for us, any contribution or donation, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in someone’s life. By giving back, you have the power to positively impact the lives of others. Whether it’s volunteering at a local shelter or youth group, mentoring young minds, helping the kid down the street with his batting practice, your actions can bring joy, hope and inspiration to those in need. And you get a good feeling by participating in such activities. I mentor college students at various colleges, and when they tell me they got their first job, or had three interviews and received three offers, I feel so much joy and happiness knowing that I assisted a young person in moving forward!
2. Find the Passion and Make It Happen
Bo had a passion for many things, including baseball and golf, and to serve his customers in a way that they wanted to buy from him. When we are in alignment with our passions and interests in the work world and beyond, we can truly become our best selves and, more importantly, help others along the way. Many years ago, when I worked for a Big 3 automaker in a job that was totally out of alignment with my passions and aspirations, the title song from the movie “Flashdance” inspired me: “Take your passion and make it happen.” I took a huge risk, left my close family and found a job that truly aligned with who I am and what I enjoy doing. More importantly, I am now able to help so many move forward in their career journey. I still have candidates whom I placed over 10 years ago report on their progress. When I was out visiting my clients at Christmas, I walked into a company and a man said, “Hi, Mary Ann. You placed me many years ago and I am now director of the department!” I can’t tell you how great that made me feel, knowing that I helped him get into alignment with his passion and purpose to be able to move up in the company!
3. Network Expansion
Bo always valued networking to meet those who could help expand his circle or help others expand theirs. So goes the old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know.” Networking can facilitate many positive aspects of life. Knowing people in different venues can be extremely beneficial for getting a job or career advancement. When you know a lot of people, you have more opportunities and chances knocking on your door. Being a member of many organizations such as Toastmasters, Rotary, NSA, HIPC, NASPD and NAPCA has helped me to expand my personal and professional network and allowed me to give back in a way that makes me feel like I can help someone else.
Let’s all use the legacy of Bo Cipra’s life as a model for positive change and contributing to the world. Whether you volunteer or become an activist, you are learning valuable skills and changing your life by giving back to others. I hope I see you at the Bo Cipra Golf Tournament, April 28 at Wildcat Golf Club (more info at TheBoCipraFoundation.org). The people you will meet, the stories you will hear and the good feeling you will get by being involved in such a worthy cause can only allow you to be grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. Bo’s legacy will always live on, and I feel so lucky to have known such an amazing, kind, caring man! It is a New Work World, but let’s make it the best New Work World by giving back so that everyone wins!
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. This was followed by “Revolutionary Reinvention”, a workbook for job seekers giving advice on how to rediscover your skills and passions and reinvent your career. Her most recent book is “Revolutionary Results” , a collection of life lessons about relationships, integrity and contributing to the world.
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