What do you have when you mix beautiful photography from around the world, a diverse group of people, and lively conversation? An amazing night. 

On Friday, May 4th, The Simple Good teamed up with The Prop to organize The Simple Good’s  first art gallery showcase in Chicago with the goal of bringing to life the simple good in our lives. 

At the event,  the guests were the featured artists.  Participants were asked to bring a picture, either hard-copy or digital, which represented their simple good which was then added to the showcase or projected on the wall.  In addition, discussion questions were given to guests upon entry and word web activities on white boards were set up in order to encourage both visual and interactive conversation around the room. 

The showcase also displayed remarkable photography from The Simple Good’s crowd-sourced photo blog. Each featured picture was coupled with a story on how the image represented the simple good in the individual’s life in effort to bring a grasp of the meaning of the simple good in lives of people all over the world – including those in our very own city of Chicago.

Overall, the purpose of the event was to bring an understanding of what the simple good means to all our lives and demonstrate how this basic element can connect us to anyone in the world – including participants within the room the night of the event – and it worked!

The night was buzzing with conversation and laughter.  As we viewed the unique collection of images, we engaged in discussions of the simple good with new friends and old; finally leaving the evening with fresh stories that will leave their impact for days to come. 

“The night was enlightening and thought-provoking!” expressed participant, Jackie Rodriguez. “We should all take time in our day to appreciate the simplicities in life.” 

Usually I look at something done well and imagine it all done at once. A bolt of lightening, a penetrating insight, the gift of inspiration; I look at the end product and don't see the process. But there's process behind almost everything and when you don't take that into account, creating something worthwhile can be pretty intimidating.

I run into this feeling all the time as we're tinkering away on The Prop. We want to create something great, but we're not there yet. We've tried a few things, seen a few encouraging results, but it's always back to the drawing board.

It's times like these that I go back to a few smart people who've been there before, and they tell me, "It's not the huge jumps you're looking for, it's little bits and little bets."

Exponential little bits (or Elbs) are the little steps you take every day and they are characterized by a funny kind of math. They don't add up, they multiply. What are the habits you're investing in that inch you closer to your goal?

Little bets are small, calculated risks you can learn from, use to gain experience, and build on to gather momentum. They may not look like they're going anywhere important but they're almost the only way you really get somewhere. Where should you place a small bet or two right now?

Wise men... now back to the tinkering...

First of all, a HUGE thank you to each of you who participated in the Spread the Love contest! It was so awesome to see your photos as you shared The Prop’s message around the country. Because of you, this message of love and doing good has now reached Illinois (Chicago and beyond), Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, and Pennsylvania - so awesome! We couldn’t do any of this without your continual support and we hope you know how sincerely we value and appreciate you.

Second, let’s give a massive high-five to Jacob Ford, the contest winner! Not only is this guy hilariously witty, but he is a card-spreader extraordinaire. In case you missed his ninja tactics, here are a few of his Spread the Love photos and tweets: 

He never saw @The_Prop coming. #prop #toms

 

@The_Prop Look at me being all tricky! #prop #toms

 

#prop! #toms! Music! Art! Love!

 

#prop card is being propped up. And, uh, #toms

Jacob, you're a rockstar. Be sure to send us a photo of your new Toms when they arrive! You'll be kickin' it in style now!

Oh, and if you still have cards left, don’t fret! It’s never too late to Spread the Love.

 

One of the exciting parts of the past several months has been becoming friends with the fine folks behind the simple good. Priya, Jon, and Muff are dedicated to connecting the lives of people from all over the world through art and discussion focused on the basic element of good in our lives.

You're thinking that sounds like a great fit with The Prop, right?

They've created an online forum for anyone to share photos and conversation around the good taking place around the world.  It's a simple and powerful idea and now we're moving the conversation offline by collaborating with them on the very first simple good event.

Using their crowd-sourced photoblog, we're building an interactive gallery showcase featuring photography submissions that depict the simple good in the lives of people from all over the globe.

One of the interactive elements of the showcase is featuring the participants themselves. We're asking everyone who attends (hopefully that's you!) to bring a photo representing the simple good in your life.

No you don't have to be a photographer, you can bring a digital image on your phone or even a print as long as it illustrates for you the simple good.  For each photo, State Farm will donate $5 to the simple good and The Prop!  So be sure to bring one with you.

This showcase is meant to bring awareness not only to the different forms of good in the world but especially our very own community in Chicago. We hope you'll come and engage the discussion around the simple good in each of our lives.

Join us next Friday, May 4th at 7pm, at Next Door Chicago and don't forget to bring your photo!

More details and RSVP here!

 

If you know The Prop, you probably know Victor Saad. Well, let's face it, even if you don't know much about The Prop, you probably know Victor Saad. But, one of the awesome things about Victor is that nothing about him is "surface." This guy likes to get to the heart of things, know people, dream big, go beyond the obvious. Even if you know Victor, there's always more to discover about him. So here's a little glimpse behind-the-scenes.

Also, if you haven't checked out The Leapyear Project, you really should. It is amazing to be a part of encouraging people to change their lives and their world.

Name: Victor Saad

Where you are currently located: Chicago IL

What is your role at The Prop: Catalyst -- Development

What was the last thing to make you laugh?
I sat in a session with @bobgoff and heard him tell countless stories of things he has done with this kids. The best? Sticking 50 sticks of dynamite in some nearby rock to clear the way for a road they're building. A good story indeed.

What TLC show most closely resembles your life? 
I don't watch tv :/ and TLC is probably not my cup of tea.

If you had to tattoo a band/musical artist on your body, who would you choose?
The Closure. My little brother's old band from High School. I was their biggest fan.

If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time?
Travel.

What song is absolutely necessary for any good road trip mix cd?
The entire Mumford and Sons album

If you could trade jobs with any person in the world, who would you choose?
Can't think of anyone. I love my job.

Favorite music star that you will deny to the death?
Taio Cruz

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If there is a question you've been dying to ask, or someone you would like us to interview, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below.

 

 

As many of you know, here at The Prop we've been searching for a way to expand what we do.  Right now this is a side project we're all up working on late at night or through the weekends.  We believe that changing the world involves all of us giving what we can, and therefore it's worth exploring if at least a few of us could do something like The Prop full time.

There are quite a few questions that need to be answered to get that going, but the obvious one is money.  We think it's reasonable that we could pay the bills while connecting people doing good to create that hope-filled world we're always dreaming about.

One idea that could end up moving us towards that goal is helping for-profit companies expand the parts of their business that have a positive effect on the world and minimize some of the detrimental stuff.  Increasing their practical commitment to ethical business practices and helping them become more sustainable.

Martin Lindstrom recently wrote down a few related ideas for Fast Company about The Future of Ethics in Branding.  He asked consumers what their perspective of ethical business behaviors were, here's a few of their answers:

• Don’t do anything to kids and consumers that you would not do to your own children, friends, and family.
• Almost any product or service has a downside, so don’t hide it. Tell it as it is. Be open and frank, and communicate the negatives in a simple and straightforward way.
• Avoid fueling peer pressure among kids. Bear in mind you’d hate for your kids to come under such pressure.

Pretty good suggestions.  We think there is a ton of potential here for creating transparency, using our resources for greater good, and even saving companies real money.  It's definitely an idea worth exploring, we'll keep you updated through the process.

What are your thoughts on the need for ethical and sustainable business practices in the future?

Welcome to the second installment of our new Meet The Prop blog series! This week we interviewed Odell (@odellthethird), who has been involved in a multitude of Prop projects over the past year-and-a-half. Odell is not only super talented, but also an incredibly generous, hilarious, quality guy. From the moment I met Odell and his lovely wife Hilary, I have been a huge fan, and I’m sure you will be too. 

Name: Odell Mitchell III

Where you are currently located: Chicago, IL

What is your role at The Prop? Contributor. I do my best to help bring visibility to The Prop and its goals/message.

If you had to tattoo a band/musical artist on your body, who would you choose?
I suppose it depends on the location of said tattoo. Still, if I HAD to have one, I'd choose Linkin Park. I'm an avid fan of their music, sure, but I'm more of a fan of their approach to creativity. They're perfectionists, collaborators, friends, creatives, and businessmen all rolled into one. I endeavor to be that and more in my ventures. So, I identify with what I know of them (which is a lot) pretty deeply.

What are you passionate about?
People. I'm passionate about a lot of things, but, honestly, it all revolves around people. I'm a musician and a visual artist, and I love it, but that is mainly because of how I see those avenues can affect people. If they had no ability to influence people and the world around us, I wouldn't be involved in them. That is, subconsciously and consciously, how I approach pretty much everything. "Oh this can move people in a positive and meaningful way? Okay. Now I'm interested."

If someone wrote a biography about you, what would the title be?
"It's Raining Smiles!"

Who is your biggest celebrity crush of all time?
Stacie Orrico. If you don't know, you better ask somebody.

What is your favorite thing to do outside?
Ride my bike. I'm not a cyclist or "one of those bike people" or anything impressive like that. I just like riding. It's nostalgic (hours and hours spent riding around with my friends as a kid), practical (outta my way cars!), and cheap (gas? What's that?). Plus, I really love this city, and there is a certain beauty within it the can only be enjoyed from a bicycle.

What is something about you that most people don’t know?
I didn't start going by my birth name, Odell, until I was 18. Now, isn't it just cruel that I'm not going to say what name I did go by before college? It is isn't it? Hm. Oooooops! ;-)

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
I would take a weeklong trip to visit family and friends so I could individually give them a large amount of money and explain to them why I am giving them money, how I hope it will help them, and how much I love them. Money cannot buy happiness, but it can certainly be a currency of kindness. So I would approach it as such.

What do you do professionally?
By day, I work for Apple. By night, I write, produce, and record music for myself and for other artists/friends in whom I believe. I also do a fair amount graphic design work for those projects.

How did you become involved with The Prop?
I met Victor and Mike at my workplace. They came in with an issue, and I fixed it. But, in the course of fixing it, we really hit it off and basically said to each other, "Hey we need to be friends. Oh yes." They were weeks away from launching The Prop. So, in my time spent with them I found myself drawn into The Prop. I was hooked immediately and haven't looked back since.

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If there is a question you've been dying to ask, or someone you would like us to interview, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below.

 

We are super excited for the first installment of Meet The Prop! This blog series is designed to give you a glimpse into The Prop's personality, both the serious and the silly. Every other week we will post a short (sometimes funny, sometimes introspective, sometimes random) interview with a different Prop catalyst, creative, or collaborator. Our hope is that these interviews help you feel more connected on a personal, human level. If there is a question you've been dying to ask, or someone you would like us to interview, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below. 

And now, without further ado, meet Mike!

Name: Mike Worley

Current location: Denver, CO

Your role at The Prop: Marketing development and Connecting with Non Profits. Love to see how we can further empower Non Profits in what they do best.

What is the last book your read? What did you like about it?
I read Smart Business, Social Business by Michael Brito (@Britopian) last week. It provided a great blue print to how social business works and is evolving. Michael's blog is a go to resource also for anything in the Social Business Planning world.

If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island, but with all your human needs – such as food and water – taken care of, what two items would you take with you?
Would take my beautiful wife and a bible.

If you were an animal, what kind would you be, and why?
I'd be a bulldog, my bulldog Charlie has an incredibly glamorous life.

At which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
REI or Apple, hands down

What was the last thing to make you laugh?
My wife's dead fish impression...priceless

How would you describe your style?
Completely constructed by my wife who is a Personal Stylist at Nordstrom.

If you could trade jobs with any person in the world, who would you choose?
I would probably trade jobs with Gary Vaynerchuk. He is starting to build the most influential online media company in the world and will be changing the game as we know it when it comes to online marketing. I would only trade jobs with him though if he would stay, who wouldn't want to work with Gary V.

What are two things on your 'bucket list'?
1. Help build an orphanage that creatively equips the next generation of leaders.
2. Would love to take a trip around the world hitting every continent in 3 months.

 

We here at the simple good are very excited about our partnership with The Prop which will enable us to to realize our vision of creating an interactive art gallery. At the simple good, we are striving to become the platform for sharing art that inspires us to appreciate the little things. We started the simple good after experiencing frustration about the pace of life in our society. Our culture is focused on moving so quickly towards a destination that we are forgetting about the beauty of the journey. Whatever happened to slowing down and smelling the flowers? 

Journeying around the world, we have had the opportunity to experience the universality of good and how it connects us all as human beings. In building the simple good, we are dedicated to connecting people within communities and around the world using a platform of art and discussion focused on the meaning of the simple good in our lives. What started as a collection of 52 photos taken by friends sharing their stories has now evolved into a global conversation. We have created a crowd-sourced photoblog that leverages art and discussion to elevate our appreciation of the little things. We’re here to deepen this globally universal understanding of the simple good in our life, our community and our world.

We are working on creating an interactive art gallery in order to bring the simple good to life. The photoblog is a beautiful platform to share the simple good from around the world. We want to bring this to a local level and make it easier to share and collaborate with others in an intimate community setting. Through this event, our goal is to inspire a heightened awareness of the simple good and involve people doing good in the community. 

We are working hard with The Prop and learning a lot along the way about what it takes to put a community event together. We have been talking with potential venues, brainstorming ideas for the event structure, talking about the atmosphere and thinking about how best to involve organizations doing good in the community. Along the journey, we have learned that it’s okay not to have all the answers. It’s really easy to get overwhelmed thinking about the big event and it’s important to focus on the smaller pieces. We’ve also learned a lot about the power of collaboration and think it’s a great tool to help us move forward. There are a lot of moving parts and much uncertainty that lies ahead. We are hopeful and will continue pushing forward with The Prop to make this event a reality. We’d love to get your feedback and hear from you if you’re interested in collaborating. 

What does the simple good mean to you? 

--Muffadal, the simple good