Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelley Khoury. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Kelley with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
This definitely comes from my parents! I saw my parents work extremely hard my entire childhood and it was a strongly shared belief that you should always take pride in your work. My mom would always say, “I don’t care if you are cleaning a toilet – you have better do it to the best of your ability.” What I admire the most about my mom was that she didn’t just share this knowledge – she displayed it in her daily actions. This has influenced my own personal work ethic, starting at the age of 5. We had a paper route – which meant we’d deliver the “Rutland Hearld” newspaper around our town at 4 am each day. I still remember when it would rain – I would have to hide each newspaper under my coat as I walked to the door ensuring it remained dry. When it would snow a lot, my mom would always end the paper route delivery with having us grab our shovels at home and returning to shovel the sidewalks of our elderly customers to ensure they were safe. We had this paper route over the next 11 + years and it helped pay for my college education.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
We launched Operation Birthday in August of 2021 and in the first year and 1/2 we’ve been able to impact 300 kids and ensure they felt special on their birthday. We are extremely passionate about our non-profit and its mission.
Operation Birthday is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is founded on the principle that all children deserve a birthday celebration. Our mission is to ensure each child feels special on their birthday by providing parents in need with birthday items they are not able to afford.
We pride ourselves on how each Birthday Kit is customized for each child – which means each parent gets to design and suggest items as if they were shopping for the kiddos themselves. This protects the parent’s dignity while also ensuring each child feels as special as possible. We put so much love into each Kit – we even include batteries for any toy that requires them.
The stories of why parents need this help really highlights how important our mission is.
“I lost my job due to my daughters disability. She was born at 2 pounds and spent 4 months in the NICU now we have millions in medical debt, hardly any income, and another kid to care for. Because of this she has never had a birthday party. She deserves a party even though we can’t give her one.”
“I am a single mother of four amazing children and I am currently recovering from a domestic violence incident that left me non weight bearing on three limbs. I am now working on my physical rehabilitation as well as working on my mental and emotional health. My children have taken such good care of me since my accident and I would love for this special day to be all about her.”
We also capture Feedback from our recipients to ensure we are remaining aligned with our mission.
“Thank you so much for everything! I truly appreciate it! It seems like my world is spiraling out of control right now with a lot of health issues in the family and now car issues so I am not sure how much of a birthday I will be able to give my daughter… you made it so she will have a fantastic day! Thank you so much for making my future a little brighter and with a lot more hope that everything will be ok. You are truly a blessing. Thank you again for all the thought you put in it and making it personalized for her. You guys rock! It truly did mean the world to me when I opened it yesterday.”
“Thank you so much. Our package just arrived, and it is so amazing. I cried opening it. It’s funny through all the stress this year her Birthday and Christmas are the worst. She’s a great kid who deserves the world. Thank you for helping families celebrate these amazing kids when we just can’t do it.”
• Link to Webpage: https://www.operationbirthday.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/operationbirthday2/
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first would be having curiosity and wanting to learn. You have the ability throughout your lifetime to constantly be learning new things and you should be excited about it! Keep yourself challenged and remember, whether you think you can or cannot, you are right!
The second is always be grateful and give back. Even on your lowest days, there is always something to be grateful about. If you can adjust your mindset to achieve this, you will have a more fulfilled life. I believe that true happiness comes from helping others and that being selfish rarely pays off in the long run.
Lastly, I believe it’s important to always be happy for others. You should loudly cheer on your friends, co-workers and family members and support all of their successes and wins throughout life. I’ve found so many people waste time on jealously which is a pointless emotion to invest in. Years ago, I read a theory around jealousy, stating that if you were to be jealous of someone – you had to be jealous of everything! For example, if you were jealous your friend just bought a $120K car, you also have to jealous of how they worked 80-hour weeks, missed out on traveling and having a healthy work-life balance. If you change your mindset to view the big picture, you will find there is no need for jealously and more room to be grateful for your own journey. As the song said, “Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself. – Baz Luhrmann”
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Feeling overwhelmed is never fun, but when that happens, I always focus on what I can control. For example, if I am feeling overwhelmed, I make a list of everything that needs to be done and I strategically tackle what I can. By dropping my list from 15 tasks down to 7 tasks, I instantly start to feel better. I think it also helps subconsciously to remove the added weight of holding these items in your mind and having them live on paper instead (and the extra satisfaction from physically crossing each item off is amazing)! I’ve found procrastination is not your friend, I always try to keep a purposeful and proactive mindset.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.operationbirthday.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/operationbirthday2/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/operationbirthday2/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/operationbirthday/
Image Credits
We own all of the rights to the photos. **No need to add this but just wanted your team aware that you could use this**
