Derwin Dubose

The art of taking a real vacation

// May 30th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Blog

It’s been a while since I posted, but I just came off of a great vacation. My girlfriend and I went out to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a truly phenomenal place, to camp for a week. Our time at the Outer Banks was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. On the trip, I renewed my commitment to my job, and returned to work this week refreshed, energetic, productive and happy.

Many people’s approach to vacation is flat-out wrong. They leave home, but spend every waking moment tied to a Crackberry, send emails at the same frequency that they do in the office, jump on conference calls while gone, and even do serious work on vacation (crunching numbers, writing reports). They ignore their loved ones and annoy the heck out of coworkers who think, “Aren’t they supposed to be on vacation?”

Each person needs time to recharge and renew, and with millennials focus on personal life, we need to make sure we have real vacations that boost our happiness and send us back to work ready to roll:

Pick a place you can explore. Don’t take time off of work to just veg out on your couch; go somewhere that has things to do and explore. The Outer Banks has beaches, two bodies of water, several national parks and historical sites, museums, lighthouses, wildlife, and great restaurants. Pick a vacation spot that is beautiful and allows you to do things that you will enjoy.

Go on a technology fast. Most people don’t have relaxing vacations because they stay tethered to work and home stress through electronic communication. Your vacation should free you from all communications with the office and anything that will stress you. I left my laptop and PDA at home, I turned my cellphone off for the entire trip, and I left my watch in the car.

Relax like never before. Sleep in, read, walk, hike, talk — do whatever it is you need to relax. During the work week, caffeine is usually my friend because I’m a chronic insomniac, so on vacation, I slept in every day to catch up. I never get to read for recreation, so I finished Good to Great on vacation, which was a phenomenal read. It allowed me to return to work recharged (and get on a more regular sleep schedule).

Consider roughing it (or at least connect with nature somehow). For me, there’s nothing more relaxing than being in nature. I love hiking, cycling, and just being outdoors. We camped at the Outer Banks — tents, outdoor stoves, the whole nine — and the simplicity of life was such a healthy change of pace. But if you are one of those folks who just can’t go too rough, at least pick a vacation spot that will allow you to connect with nature in some way, be it a short hike or walk along some water.

Most importantly, be introspective. For a good amount of time each day, my girlfriend and I split and did our separate things. I’d go shopping for supplies or food while she stayed at camp, or she’d go do a small hike while I read on the beach. While you’re alone, be sure to do some soul searching and think about where you’re at in your career and life.

Here are some questions I asked myself:
Am I happy? At work and with life as a whole.
Am I accomplishing my goals and concentrating on my work and personal priorities?
How can I simplify my life, and what stresses do I need to simply let go?
What am I doing really well, and what do I need to improve upon?
Where do I think I want to be professionally a year from now?

I came out of that internal conversation realizing that I’m extremely happy — perhaps the happiest I’ve ever been. My job is a great match for me and fulfilling, I’m making progress on my goals, and my life in general is at a place that makes me extremely content.

How non-profits can attract young board members

// May 19th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Blog, Non-Profits

The non-profit sector is providing a remarkable opportunity for twenty-somethings in all walks of life. Most non-profit leaders, especially board members, are retiring soon, leaving a void that we should step up and fill.

I’ve written before that twenty-somethings should extend their volunteer roles to include executive-level volunteering such as joining boards and committees for non-profit organizations. However, organizations have to provide key things if they want to attract young people to help lead them:

A sense of purpose. Good board members want to connect with a noble cause and “give back” to the community. They want to connect with a defined mission that helps someone else. For the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, where I work, it’s helping critically ill children and their families. For Traction, the organization whose board I’m on, it’s getting more 20 and 30-somethings involved in civic life.

Clarity. Recruiting board members should be taken as seriously as hiring new staff. With many organizations, people are simply asked to “join the board” without details on what they will be expected to do. Instead, potential board members should be given a clear, concise job description that outlines roles, responsibilities, or expectations.

Accountability. Good board members need to be managed effectively and held accountable for their performance. Staff at non-profits should regularly touch base with all board members, make sure they are engaged, and help them accomplish their goals for the organization. And if they aren’t, you should ass them to “piss or get off the pot.” Good board members will want their colleagues to be held accountable as well — no one wants to pull a disproportionate amount of weight.

Technology and social networking. Keeping millennial board members engaged will require thinking outside of the box for decision-making and communication. In-person meetings will always be necessary for some things, but organizations should start using conference calls, voice over IP, online document collaboration, chats, and social networking groups that can allow busy people to contribute outside of boring meetings.

Benefit to them. The best board members will stay with organizations because there is a personal and professional benefit to their involvement. Organizations should provide opportunities for networking, professional development, skills extension, fun and other benefits to board members.

A sense of accomplishment. Board members need to see the fruits of their labor. Organizations should set SMART goals (smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) and involve board members in accomplishing them. Giving them specific tasks, creating an action-oriented culture, sharing the organization’s success will surely keep great board members around — as opposed to many groups, whose boards do little other than sitting around and talking about what should be done.

Organizations that don’t provide these things for board members will lose severely. Board members could feel unchallenged, unneeded, or like they’re spinning their wheels. And given how busy talented millennials are, they’ll likely move their time toward structured activities and organizations.

The smartest organizations will use these tactics now to ensure sustained participation and leadership from the best and the brightest our generation has to offer.

Balling on a Budget: The challenges of buying your first home

// May 15th, 2008 // No Comments » // Balling on a Budget, Blog

Yesterday, I ran into two very cool twenty-somethings, legal employees who are looking to buy their first homes in my neighborhood. We spent over an hour talking about the home-buying process, the rewards of home ownership, and the unique challenges of home ownership that most renters may not be prepared for.

I spent a blog post explaining why twenty-somethings should buy homes now, but there are a few challenges that you must take care of during the process:

You need to understand the home buying process. Purchasing your first home can be a confusing, intimidating process. Before getting started, make sure you understand the real estate process, lest you fall prey to rogue real estate agents, predatory lenders, and botched deals.

Although there are many helpful vendors out there, don’t depend completely on the people who are selling you a product to give you objective information. I know several people who lost thousands because they didn’t fully understand the process.

There’s plenty of information out there to give you a good overview of the process and some tips. Check out HUD, About.com, Kiplinger, and Smart Money to get started.

You need good credit. Each twenty-something should check his or her credit report three times each year using the free credit reporting systems online. You get one free report per year from the three reporting bureaus, and your credit score — aka FICO score — is the key to getting a good interest rate. Not only will you have a better picture of your financial health, but you will also catch identity theft.

If you have credit problems — such as late payments, credit limits to the max, or even lack of credit — you can talk to credit counselors and loan officers to get input on strategies that will improve your credit score and make you more attractive to lenders. Having a few problems on your credit doesn’t automatically disqualify you, though. I was a little irresponsible with a department store credit card I got when I was a freshman in college, but using strategies from credit counselors made everything even out.

You need savings. I encourage everyone to look for those home ownership programs that will help you with a down payment and closing costs. I got over $40,000 from state and federal sources that are often overlooked.

However, there is a significant investment required. I put a little over $1000 down to qualify for the home ownership programs, and as part of your initial offer to purchase a home, you need to put some money down as “earnest money.” Also, I had to purchase a refrigerator, washer, dryer, kitchen items, and furniture, which are important but should not be the source of more credit card debt. I saved and saved beforehand until I could pay cash for most of these items.

You need to continue saving. If there’s a problem at your house, it’s your responsibility to fix it. Pipes burst? You call the plumber. AC or heat not working? You call the technician. I think you get the idea: there’s no more landlord to call in order to take care of household repairs.

If you purchase a home, you need to save at least 1% of the home’s value each year and devote it solely to a home maintenance fund for emergencies. Purchase a home warranty that will cover repairs during your first year or more — my contractor has fixed small things for me at no charge because of my warranty.

And if you have a homeowners association (HOA), figure out what repairs they cover. My HOA costs a pretty penny (over $100 each month), but they take complete care of my lawn and garden area, exterior water and sewage problems, and exterior painting.

You need to stay on top of things. The home buying process takes a lot of paperwork and people management. Make multiple copies of your tax returns, pay stubs, and loan applications, and keep them in a safe place. Turn in applications and forms in person, if possible. Follow up with all of the people you meet in the process and make sure your real estate agent, loan officer, and attorney keep their promises.

Finally, you need patience. Finding the right home, real estate agent, and loan package can be an arduous journey. Doing it right means conducting careful research, talking with many people, taking time from work, filling out countless forms, and waiting on things to be approved. In fact, it took me a few weeks shy of a year from thinking “Hey, I want to buy a house!” to my closing date. Many people give up because of the time involved, but patience will definitely pay off.

Again, I recommend that twenty-somethings purchase homes if they’re planning on staying put for the next 3-5 years. The time is now to take advantage of the nation’s housing situation. Home ownership is deeply rewarding, but be ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

Things I learned from a career in politics

// May 5th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Blog, Career

Twenty-somethings are engaged in politics like never before. Online communications, social networking tools and the general buzz around the this year’s elections have made us more socially conscious and politically active than ever. The zeitgeist has no doubt made countless twenty-somethings consider making political work their career, but twenty-somethings should apply some serious thought before deciding to work in politics.

The excitement around 2006 led me to take a political job. I spent two years working in North Carolina’s political realm, doing grassroots organizing (canvassing, phone banks, training, and voter outreach) and fundraising and campaign finance consulting. I worked with state-wide organizations, groups in all 100 North Carolina counties, 10 political committees, and over 85 candidates.

Let’s start with the things I gained from being a political staffer:

A “tenacity in pursuit” work ethic. Campaigns are time-driven machines that require careful planning, prioritization of tasks and quick execution. Good political staffers have to be fast, focused, flexible and ready to respond to anything while under all kinds of stress, and those skills have tremendously helped me in the “real world” workplace.

Management skills. A campaign’s success is driven by the staff’s ability to get volunteers, surrogates, consultants and candidates to perform key tasks — even when it’s pure grunt work or something the person does NOT want to do. These skills give former political workers an edge on managing employees, clients, donors, and volunteers.

Cool travel and and phenomenal networking. I put well over 35,000 miles on my car in two years and it was worth every dollar I spent in gas. I got to drive all around North Carolina, meeting great people from all walks of life — voters, local leaders, candidates at all levels, elected officials, activists, political consultants and state-wide leaders. I was able to build relationships that I still keep today, find several mentors, and learn more about the state I now call home.

Workplace research and strategy skills. No matter the specific role, political staffers have to conduct careful, intense research on your candidate, opposition, and electorate before launching the campaign. The research makes sure you’re looking at all angles to find strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats before charting a course. It’s very valuable for me in my current job as we create new fundraising programs.

Technological skills. At every level of modern campaigns, staffers have to daily use technology for data and volunteer management, voter contact, fundraising, and polling, to name a few things. I’d taken some great computer classes in college, but political work refined my web, database, and Microsoft Office skills.

Being inside of the news. Once you work in politics, you can never read the news in the same way. It’s pretty cool to pick up a newspaper and read things that you knew days prior to the press finding out. It’s cooler to read a politician’s statement and know the staffer who actually wrote it. It’s coolest when you wrote a statement yourself or were directly involved in something that made the news.

Impressing people after you move on. People, especially donors, seem to be impressed by my political past — far more than when I actually worked in politics, to be honest. It is the launching point for many conversations in social and work situations, and the skills I gained from working in politics undoubtedly helped me land the job I currently have and will continue to help in future job searches.

And finally, stargazing. When I was in politics, I regularly ran into political celebrities — congressmen, state-wide elected officials, journalists, and pundits. Less often, but still exciting, I’d run into national people like Howard Dean and governors of other states. Just by volunteering last week, I saw both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama speak and was about 20 feet from BO. Exciting stuff.

The key, though, is to not simply stargaze; meeting these political celebrities provide great networking opportunities. I’d dare say that few of them know me from Adam — they meet thousands upon thousands of people — but I’ve taken the opportunity to network with their staffers, who’ve helped me get access to the celebrities when I’ve needed them and given me great advice.

And I’d be remiss not to mention how fun it was to run into political celebrities I’m not particularly fond of like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Kwame Kilpatrick, Mike Nifong, and even Star Jones. These are not my favorite people, but my encounters with them provide great content for random conversations, especially at parties.

These are the positive things that came out of my stint in politics. Stay tuned for a post looking at the negatives before deciding a career in politics is for you.