Today is Blog Action Day and the focus is on poverty.  I wanted to share a story from my past.

Coralee Whitcomb founded Boston’s Virtually Wired, a non-profit dedicated to connecting everyone to computers and the internet.  Virtually Wired was a tremendous resource to anyone that could not afford a computer or internet connection.  This was especially great to train the homeless to get that critical job.  

In the late 90′s, I taught a series of courses on online marketing at Virtually Wired that drew some fascinating individuals from all walks of life.  Virtually Wired does not exist any more, but in my few months of teaching there, the lessons that I learned will last a lifetime.  

I wanted to share just a few lessons from Virually Wired today on Blog Action Day, they are:

• Don’t Assume: My Virtually Wired students, with no access to computers or the Internet, had much more insightful questions than individuals at the large financial services organization I was working for at the time.  Their questions and excitement pushed my own knowledge and understanding to new levels.
• Give Freely: At the time, I didn’t have much money to donate to the various causes that I believed in.  However, I quickly learned that I got far more out of giving my time than I would have by giving a large check.  I have carried this lesson with me and give my time freely to the organizations that I care about.
• Stay Humble: A lesson that has served me well – just because you are at one end of a microphone or are standing at the podium, never assume you are the person in the room with all the answers.