Sometimes, the Most Impressive Stat Is 1
Over the past 35 years, Texas Creative has partnered with a very lengthy and impressive list of clients to successfully market a large variety of products and services. Consistently achieving an elevated level of success requires an understanding of each client’s business on both a macro and a micro level. The process invariably involves a plethora of charts and graphs, statistics, Google Analytics, year-over-year-same-store-sales, industry benchmarks, executive summaries, KPI dashboards, and lots and lots and lots of numbers. In other words, deep data diving.
A prime example is Goodwill San Antonio.
We’ve had the privilege of partnering with Goodwill for several years and have collectively redirected marketing efforts to focus on their core purpose: Fighting Poverty. Creating Opportunity. They realize the only true way out of poverty is to provide someone the opportunity to work and be self-sufficient. From those overcoming past mistakes involving incarceration or drug abuse, to veterans struggling to make the transition to civilian life, Goodwill gives thousands a chance to remove employment barriers and move forward.
Referring back to the aforementioned data diving, Goodwill recently released their 2019 Impact Report and updated performance statistics. So, without further ado, here are the numbers, stats, KPI’s and summary of the results of Goodwill’s dedication to being the employer who says ‘Yes’ while others say ‘No’.
If our abacus is properly functioning, that totals over 7,200 people positively affected in a single year by Goodwill’s many programs. It’s a very impressive stat. But what’s even more impressive is when you consider each one of those numbers represents a singular life; a real person whose future direction has been altered and guided toward an upward trajectory.
Every year, we at Texas Creative are provided the opportunity to chronicle some of those lives by creating videos documenting their journeys. We call them Success Stories, but a more apt title would be True Miracles. These are stories of people who have demonstrated a degree of individual tenacity bordering on superhuman. They reveal the arc of their lives to us in ways that are painful, honest, and ultimately, redeeming. They openly discuss how the wake of their actions washed over and negatively affected others, especially their families. And how they found a new beginning through the mission and purpose of Goodwill. No matter how far down they fell and what unimaginable trials they faced, each person invariably tells their story with a profound elegance and grace.
Case in point: Abbi.
After a traumatic divorce, Abbi turned to drugs for solace. That led to a life of dealing and incarceration. At her last sentencing, the judge told Abbi if she showed up in his courtroom again, she would die in prison. After release, Abbi learned about Goodwill from someone in her halfway house. Even though she was 52 at the time and had never held a job in her life, Goodwill gave her a second chance. Eight years later, Abbi has received over 8 promotions and is now in charge of shipping and receiving for Goodwill’s robust e-commerce unit.
Abbi’s story was so deep and involved, our in-house video team ended up shooting over three hours of footage. Pairing it down to a 5-minute story while retaining the soul of her journey was quite an editing challenge. We invite you to watch her story.
Creating these success stories is truly enlightening. The stories we hear are, thankfully, very far from our own experiences. The important part is to listen and document them without judgment. Treating the subject with kindness and compassion and assuring them we are going to tell their story in an honest and authentic manner, with an endgame of bringing hope to others in similar situations.
We all go through struggles. Some have greater consequence than others. But these stories vividly demonstrate that no matter how far down the wrong road you’ve traveled, it’s possible to reverse your course. They serve as a reminder of the innate beauty in people and that the colors of our sorrows and tragedies are as vivid as the stripes of our joys.
Abbi is just one of many life journeys Texas Creative has documented for Goodwill San Antonio. Watch them and check out our complete portfolio of Goodwill work.