Happy Monday, friends! This week's Millennial on a Mission is a young lady who is passionate about entrepreneurship and doing good. Her platform, Daily Do Good, encourages millennials to "spread kindness one person at a time, one day at a time." Based in Washington, D.C., Daily Do Good (which recently raised $10,000 - congrats!) is fostering an online community of do-gooders who want to incite change in The Nation's Capital though volunteering and philanthropy.
I'd like for you to meet Saranah Holmes.
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Saranah feels fortunate to have been brought up in a city so rich in culture. "I studied health science at San Jose State University and loved my time there," she recalls. "The school had roughly 24,000 students, but I never felt like a little fish in a big pond." Saranah then continued on to get her Masters in Public Health from the George Washington University. "My graduate experience was memorable, but I chose not to continue with a career in public health. Instead, I followed a path towards development, being an executive assistant and most recently an entrepreneur."
CC: What inspired you to pursue your choice of career? Who are some individuals you admire in and out of your field of work? What challenges have you faced in building your business/brand, and what have you learned from them?
SH: An idea came to me one day while reading Daily Candy -- why not have a daily email dedicated to nonprofits, philanthropy and GOOD stuff that's written in a fun and clever way? That idea eventually turned into the Daily Do Good, a one stop shop for all things philanthropic in the D.C. Metro area. I'm also taking what I've learned in my 10+ years of fundraising and event planning to offer consulting services to nonprofit organizations.
The person I admire the most is no longer with us. My father passed away in 2013, but he reminds me daily to always strive to do my best and not let obstacles stand in my way. My father grew up very poor and he never let his circumstances define who he was. He taught me to find another door if one gets slammed in my face, and to always do what I can to help others. While I don't have a marketing background or a business degree, I am curious and not afraid to ask for help. The biggest challenge has been monetizing my business and building a subscriber base. I'm very grateful to have received advice from people who are pointing me in the right direction.
To Saranah, being a Millennial on a Mission means taking advantage of all there is to offer in this age of technology and using it to turn dreams into reality. "When I was growing up, no one was talking about being an entrepreneur -- we were encouraged to think about a career working for someone else," Saranah says. "Today, being an entrepreneur isn't something that is seen as a crazy departure from the norm." Her advice to her millennial peers? Learn as much as you can from different work places. "Make sure you have a back up source of income and don't let fear keep you from stepping out on a limb."
To learn more about the Daily Do Good, be sure to visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Twitter!