Over the weekend, we received a note from Berry Zimmerman, a Seattle-based business consultant who founded and runs an operation called BizEnrich.com.
According to Berry, BizEnrich.com is “a member organization of independent business experts dedicated to enriching the professional lives of business leaders.”
“Every business expert who joins BizEnrich,” Berry told us, “receives a copy of The Go-Giver to help clarify the values of the organization and inspire them to serve their clients in a way only a true Go-Giver can understand.”
Last Friday, BizEnrich held an unusual event: their first annual “Thanks-Go-Giving Celebration.” We’ll let Berry describe it:
The purpose of the event was to gather as a community to express our gratitude for the generosity of our members and share our blessings with each other. Our members were treated to a complimentary gourmet luncheon by our sponsoring organizations.
Prior to eating lunch, we hand-wrote personal Thanksgiving cards to 70 foster parents in the greater Seattle area. Foster parents make some tremendous sacrifices to care for their foster kids and it was a great joy for us to thank them for their generous spirits. We have “adopted” Olive Crest, a regional charity who does great things with foster kids (and parents) to reduce abuse.
Throughout the three-hour event, everyone was given an opportunity to share something personal with the group. They were given guidelines ahead of the event, and were given a tremendous amount of freedom to share a story, a poem, a physical gift, or whatever they wanted to do. Each person was also given a copy of one of the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and asked to make it relevant to something in their own life.
The sharing was incredibly touching and personal.
We learned things about our business colleagues that only best friends share with each other. We heard poems from authors like Maya Angelou and Mary Oliver. We heard stories of heartache and triumph. We heard heartfelt statements of appreciation for each person in the room. We received gifts of recipes and song lyrics and memorabilia from local charities.
We all left the event with full bellies and hearts.
In the 24 hours since the event, I have received several personal emails of appreciation and gratitude. One member was so moved by the event that he claimed, “Today’s meeting did more to build relationships between the members than all the meetings this year combined.”
Happy Thanks-Go-Giving.
Berry
We asked Berry if he would mind our sharing his note in our blog. In his reply, he added this:
Everyone I know who reads The Go-Giver is moved by the story and finds some way to engage the spirit of the book in their lives.
One of my members carries a copy of The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success in his planner. Another member tried to get her 14-year-old daughter to read the book. (Sorry, but The Go-Giver is not quite “Twilight” to her.)
Oh, well. And bad news for Berry’s friend’s daughter: there are no teenage vampires in the next Go-Giver book, either. (Although here’s a secret: there is a real-life teenage girl who makes a brief appearance!)
Our thanks to Berry and all our amazing readers, who continue to spread the message of the book so incredibly far and wide!
What a fantastic idea and blessing to a group of people who deserve more admiration and support than we can begin to provide!
Happy Thanks-Go-Giving to all!
John,
Thank you for sharing our story in your blog. We are truly honored by your encouragement.
Ron,
Thank you, too.
Maybe giving and receiving should be the new supply and demand in our capitalistic society. Everybody assess your blessings (supply) and give an equal amount to someone in need (demand).
Happy Thanks-Go-Giving.
Berry
Thank you for sharing this awesome story. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Berry for some time, and always leave our coffee dates inspired by his creativity and thoughtfulness.
Thank you so much for sharing this story about Berry Zimmerman and his group BizEnrich. I have the great pleasure of knowing Berry and I can tell you that he is a prince of a guy and a Go-Giver all the way.
Because we share an office space together, I get to see him in action with people on a regular basis and I know from experience that he will give you the shirt right off his back if he thought you needed it more than he does.
Berry is a true inspiration to those of us that know him … and a great role model as well!