Posts by Jennifer
The World’s Best Catch Player
by Jennifer Kaufman His mom often wonders if she shouldn’t have named him Joseph – after another famous believer in dreams – because for Ethan Bryan, it all started with a dream. As in, the kind you have while you’re sleeping. He woke one morning with the vivid images of playing catch for a cause with some of baseball’s finest. Once he got his thoughts on paper, he began to wonder just how he could make his dream a reality; he knew just what cause he wanted to support. As this feature goes to press, Ethan will be in the middle of what he hopes is a record-setting game of catch just outside of Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals. A long-time baseball player himself, Bryan clarifies, “These throws have nothing to do with ego. [They] are more than just for the sake of fun and community. These throws are to make a difference in the world.” Everyone that participates will be encouraged to donate at least $1 to raise money for Team Not for Sale, to fight modern-day slavery. Not for Sale is an organization with a presence in various countries around the world, using business creation, supply chain evaluation and aftercare aid, creating enterprise opportunities in vulnerable communities, offering social services to survivors and those at-risk to human trafficking and working to ensure that no one is for sale.1 Ethan had the pleasure of meeting a missionary who works in Romania near a NFS location, and will be donating 100% of money raised at today’s event in his honor. Ok, but why baseball? Bryan has always had a passion for the game. After playing most of the way through high school, he recalls with pride a coach who told him that, despite having a good deal of talent, he made the team first and foremost because of his heart. He eventually realized his size might keep him from playing in the big leagues – but that didn’t stop him from being “the best benchwarmer the team has ever seen”. He says he feels fully alive when playing a game of catch, and wants to connect that passion with another. In 2010, Jeremy Affeldt, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, reached out to Not for Sale to see how he could make a difference. Today, Team Not for Sale has over 30 professional baseball players – in addition to other athletes around the world – using their on-field achievements to pledge monetary donations to the cause. Many of them also feel called to use their platform to further engage their fans and communities. Ethan has absolutely no indication of how many people might show up to play catch today. The Kansas City Royals are in the playoff hunt for the first time in over 10 years, forcing his game of catch to a much more obscure location to make extra room for parking. There are many hurdles that they’ll have to overcome to reach his goal of 1000 participants, but that’s not stopping him. His passion and dedication for this project has led to a bit of “who’s who” (or who-knows-whom, more accurately) and he’s even received some interest from a current player who hopes to stop by. Perhaps that dream of his that started it all might be coming true! His goals have changed a little with time, but all with the same end result in mind. In addition to today’s world record attempt, Ethan has high hopes of playing catch with the president and with any celebrities he can track down, with goals to sell autographed balls to raise more money and awareness. His current story – the quest to become the world’s greatest catch player while working to end slavery – will “end”, at least on paper, in December. It’s both exciting and terrifying though that he isn’t quite sure how it will end… or where the road will take him after his book hits the shelves. Ethan says his throwing skills may have gotten a bit rusty since high...
Read MoreFour Life Lessons I Learned From Funnyman John Crist
by Jennifer Kaufman Yesterday I talked with a friend who is a drummer. I complimented him on his ability to master the dynamics – controlling the oh-so-important loud and soft, lows and highs of a powerful song. He said, “That means a lot. Most people’s go-to compliment for drummers is, ‘Dude, that was sick! Really loud!’ And I think, ‘Well, that is sort of the nature of the instrument…‘ It’s nice to be recognized for something that requires a bit more work.” That made me wonder: do comedians and comic actors enjoy being recognized for who they are beyond the jokes? I suppose I should ask my new friend John Crist. John is an incredibly talented comedian who is quickly gaining traction around the world – but at Jon Acuff’s Start Conference 2013, amidst the hilarity and side-splitting laughter, his words hit home in a powerful way to that building full of diverse dreamers. Here are four of my takeaways: 1. The phrase “dream job” has two words. We tend to favor the “dream” part, but often ignore the second half. People don’t suddenly wake up as the president of a company or the pioneer of a field. Most of us were not born so famous that we can expect to sell an album or a book on name alone. Achieving your dreams – whatever they may be – requires hard work. For Crist, this includes a timesheet he uses to chart the hours he has put in to master his craft. He clocks in and out as he works at his goals, in order to both hold himself accountable and track the effects of his work. 2. Stop making career choices every day. If John banked everything on one performance in front of a small, disengaged audience, or hears feedback from someone who says they wouldn’t have stayed to listen no matter how much the ticket cost, he could call it quits. If he looks at a packed house and focuses on the praise of a sold-out crowd, hearing their laughter in his head louder than any other voices, he might make a rash decision and take on more than he can handle. The same is true of your journey and mine. Don’t quit your day job after one blog post goes viral or your mom says you should be an actor. But don’t you dare quit hustling on your dream because one person criticizes you. For balance, always look at the big picture. 3. If you fail – and you will – allow the shortest possible time to pass before trying again. Jon Acuff discusses this a bit in his book, Start. If Crist has a show that bombs at 7pm, he almost immediately has a chance to put it behind him with the 9pm show. Delivering a win after what feels like a loss is one of the best ways to ensure that “failure” doesn’t define you. If you get a bad review and sit on it for days, weeks, months? Not only will it be harder to try again after ruminating on it, but you may begin to find your identity in that one misstep. (Hint: It’s not there. I promise.) And the one that inspired me the most… the one that convicted me and challenged me on a level akin to the best motivational speakers and pastors I’ve heard… 4. “If you have a gift and you’re not using it, shame on you. You’re robbing everyone of what you were put on this earth to do. I believe you’ll have to answer for that.” Boom. Let that soak in. Many of you know how you’re gifted, how you’re wired. Maybe you don’t know exactly what your life’s road map will look like, including every twist, turn and pit stop along the way. You know what? Stop using that as an excuse. (And to be clear, I’m talking first to myself). You probably know what you’re good at, what you have always loved. It’s not by accident that...
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