If "inspiring Wisconsinite" was in the dictionary, Eric Salzwedel would be pictured right next to it. From a young age, Eric found his passion for giving back. Since then, he's co-founded a non-profit, Do Good Wisconsin, started a consulting company that focuses on charitable giving, Intentional Purpose Consulting and volunteered countless hours to give back to the state he loves, Wisconsin.
Here are three things I learned from Eric during our conversation on episode 36 of Wisco Legacy
Do Good
What does "do good" mean?
I think about the impact you can make by thinking about others first. Doing good comes in a lot of different ways.
Buying someone coffee
Donating your time at a local food
Letting someone go in front of you in the line at the grocery store
Extending grace to someone who is having a tough day and lashing out at you
All of these are examples of doing good. All of these can have an impact on someone else's day. Even a simple "How are you?" in the line at the gas station can make a tremendous impact on someone's life. Former guest of the podcast, Jeff Ditzenberger, saved someone's life just by asking "How are you doing?" to a stranger in line at Kwik Trip. Click here to listen to the result of him asking that question.
He could have been silent and waited in line, but he asked him, made a quick connection and saved the man's life.
It's truly remarkable what you can do by having the mindset of "doing good." This conversation with Eric has me shifting my mindset to think about the impact that I can make by have a "doing good" mindset.
You Never Know Who You Can Inspire
What motivates you to get up everyday and put your best foot forward? Eric's LinkedIn bio says:
"Dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of others every single day!"
Eric is passionate about making a positive impact. He shares a lot of what he does on social media too. He doesn't do it to brag, he does it to inspire others to do the same. I can certainly relate to that. I went through a weight loss journey and shared (probably too much) about my weight loss journey as I was going through it. I didn't do it to brag, I did it to inspire others to think about their health. I have heard from numerous people that I inspired them to go on their own weight loss/health journey. The feeling I get from hearing that is incredible! I'm genuinely happy that they made the choice to better themselves! I recently heard from someone I met two months ago during a training program I attended. I briefly mentioned to that I lost 100 pounds during an ice breaker activity. I got this note on LinkedIn a few days ago:
I share my weight loss journey because I know it can inspire others to do the same. I don't do it for the likes and comments. I never thought I could lose 100 pounds. I had limiting beliefs in myself that held me back for so many years. Once I broke through that wall, I knew I could keep going and hit my goal. I knew it was possible. Eric, thank you for continuing to share the remarkable work you are doing. It has inspired so many to give back.
Give Back
Giving back comes in many forms: money, time, skills, advocacy, etc. Most people think the best way to give back is donating money. That certainly helps, but giving your time and skills is equally as important. If you don't have the means to give money or the time to volunteer, you can be an advocate for causes by simply sharing their social media posts or talking about the cause to your friends and family. Each individual person has the opportunity to make a difference in this world. Admittedly, I haven't done enough over the last few years in giving back. I have been focused on giving back through advocacy on the podcast, but haven't spend enough time volunteering or donating to causes that mean something to me.
Listen to Eric talk about the feeling of giving back in the first 20 seconds of the video above.
That little clip has changed my thinking on giving back. Moving forward, I am going to make more of an effort in giving back money, time, skills and advocacy in my local community.
And that's a wrap! Thank you, Eric, for an incredible conversation! Keep up the great work! Subscribe Here to be the first to hear about Wisco Legacy.
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Thanks again for reading!