Success and Social Media with Marsha McCullough

Marsha McCullough

When Facebook announced its support for organ donation, social good ambassador Marsha McCullough applauded their decision. For years, many have championed the issue with modest and respectable results. But when a social media giant throws considerable support behind a cause like this, it not only enhances Marsha’s work, but inspires a social savvy generation to take notice.

But bringing awareness to organ donation is only one aspect to this dynamic woman. McCollough is a huge advocate of Giving Tuesday, the international day of service that has become a global phenomenon. No matter what she’s involved with, it is clear that her philosophy of helping others is not simply a digital experience, but an enduring commitment that fuels her optimism and general support for nonprofits.

How did you get involved with social media?

I first dabbled in social media when I assisted with the launch of a multi-niche pharmacy, it was a lean startup and I had several other responsibilities, but it was a great learning experience. Before that like most others, I had a personal facebook for connecting with close friends and family.

With this business, as with any business or brand, marketing and outreach were critical. The location was in a small town that already had an established pharmacy, so we needed to be able to connect with the locals in a way that our competition was not. Social media was one way we were able to do that. Our other niche was organ transplant patients, with the closest transplant center being 40 minutes away and many of the patients living even further away. Social media became the perfect tool for keeping people connected with us.

I officially threw myself into social media full force after an unexpected job loss. Shortly before my departure I had started a blog to promote organ donor awareness. The unexpected job loss gave me time to work on the blog while exploring career options. The website has grown into a space that not only highlights organ donation stories and inspiration, but also shares my discoveries as I learn more about social media.

How effective do you believe the online space has been in advancing and empowering philanthropy?

The online space has, without a doubt, become a very powerful vehicle for philanthropy.  Advancement can be seen in the way that we are able to connect and learn with others when promoting our cause.  For example, you can collaborate and find out from your connections what fundraising techniques are most successful, or tips on what to do when writing and applying for a grant.

When a nonprofit puts the online space to work for them, they are applying the experience of others and sharing their experiences which only helps to empower them. Not only does the online space provide support and knowledge, it also gives you the power to reach for awareness beyond the four walls you work in every day. Online there are no “map” drawn boundaries and your potential for outreach is limitless. You have the ability to connect to other potential sources of revenue and pick up several other advocates in the process.

Marsha McCullough

You’re a DonateLife Ambassador. What are some of your responsibilities?

In my role with Donate Life TN, I get to speak to visitors at Health and Wellness Fair booths, assist with donor recognition events, speaking engagements and administrative tasks. You could easily find me helping their public education team at an event or hanging out in their office stuffing envelopes.  My biggest responsibility as a Donate Life Ambassador is to connect with others who are not aware of the need in our state for donors. I get to educate and inspire others to make the decision to become a registered organ donor.

The decision to be an ambassador and donor was very personal for me.  I worked with transplant patients on a daily basis and witnessed how incredibly thankful they were for the gift of life that had been given to them and it only felt right to acknowledge where this gift came from. If I had not been working in a healthcare environment that made me aware of the need, I would probably still not be a registered donor.  It is easy to be unaware of the need when organ transplantation and donation are not a part of your daily life. I wasn’t intentionally trying to be selfish and keep a gift from others, it was because of my lack of knowledge. Now I want to help educate others that are in the same place that I was.

How do you define success?

I define success as a combination of empathy, courage and authenticity used for a goal. I feel empathy is important to be able to understand and relate to others. Problems cannot be solved if we are looking at them from our own perspective and not taking the time to really feel the situation. We all need courage from time to time to take risks, admit when we were wrong and learn from our mistakes. Authenticity is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and those we encounter on a daily basis.  For me personally, when I have a day when all of these are in alignment and I am using these traits to accomplish a goal or help someone less fortunate than myself, that has been a successful day.

For more information on Marsha McCullough, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter.

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