Susan Davis

By Susan Davis, Executive Director, Improve International

I have a mini-poster tacked near my desk with “10 Secrets to a Stress Free Life”  by Kathleen Hall.  In no particular order, they are:

1. Start Small
2. Connect
3. Focus on now
4. Write it out
5. Own the news
6. Walk softly
7. Try a mini-meditation
8. Take stock
9. Love your commute
10. Practice gratitude

In the interest of simplicity (and because I’m terrible at #3 – take one job at a time), I’m going to combine 1, 4, 8, and 10.  I want to start small by writing out a list of those to whom I feel gratitude in the forming of Improve International.  Again in no particular order:

• My parents Steve & Trish Davis for general (but awesome) parently support and more specifically for being my second and largest cash donors.
• Ned Breslin of Water For People for helping me develop professionally for more than 2 years, his enthusiasm for this idea, and for letting me work on it nearly full-time for the last month of my time at Water For People – an enormously useful investment.
• Jeni Bogdan of the Saxon Group for being my very first cash donor.
• Stuart Jackson and Lou Jackson of The Jackson Group for advice on incorporation, organization type, payroll, and other accounting support.
• Water For People staff for being so supportive during my 2.5 years there and in the transition; especially Sue Dorsey, Nick Burn, and Katie Scolari Borden for their sage advice.
• Elizabeth Holmes of First Data and LeeAnne Rees of Restaurant Associates for being my first board members and putting up with my learning curve while I get things set up.
• Marla Smith-Nilson, CEO of Water1st for sharing lots of information (especially on the daunting Form 1023 for federal tax exemption) and other start-up advice.
• Stephanie Jolluck of Coleccion Luna for taking care of me in Guatemala and setting up meetings.
• Bonnie O’Neill for her hospitality at Casa Colibri, Lake Atitlan, and enthusiasm for this concept.
• Evelyn O’Reilly for setting up meetings at CARE; and Liz McLaughlin, Maliha Khan and Joyce Adolwa for taking time to talk to me.
• Rachel Cardone and Jenelle Van Eynde at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their tough questions and great ideas.
• Gary White of Water.org for taking time to meet me for coffee when he was in New York to hear about my concept.
• Kitsy Rose of Kitsy Rose Public Relations for helping me to get a mailbox set up in Atlanta and for recommending my logo designer, Ashley Bothwell of Green Chair Creative
• Adam Rabinovitch, Tanuja Prasad and Mary Belay for asking great questions, networking and general moral support in New York.
• Stephanie Coffey Arnette of Accenture for answering customer relationship management questions.
• Haani Hasnain for strategic business advice and some great name ideas (I recall something about a third eye, which actually applies if you look at Improve International Inc.)
• Rashmir Balasubramaniam of NSANSA for listening, promoting joy / work balance – and recommending Improve International to others.
• Denise Knight of The Coca-Cola Company for advice, and dinner.
• Victoria Shelton for offering me a place to stay in Atlanta until my condo is available.
• The 40 people now following me on Twitter (@improve_intl) – hope that I write something useful or interesting that makes it worth your while!
• My friends and colleagues who took time to read my first blog.  I know everyone is busy and it’s such a thrill to see the stats.

I’m sure there are many more people I’ve left off but please accept my thanks.  I am feeling gratitude and it’s true – it’s hard to feel stress and gratitude at the same time.   So thank you all for giving me something to thank you for.  Namaste _/|_