We were lucky to catch up with Carrie Hough recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carrie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
A Lewis Howes quote comes to mind, “‘You find your meaningful mission when you find a problem that needs to be solved.” In the fall of 2016 while supporting Sheffield High School, Paula Seward and I saw many middle and high school girls’ soccer programs in Memphis did not have the necessary, basic equipment to safely field teams. This sent Paula and I on a journey to build what would become 901 Girls with Goals. Creating 901 Girls With Goals gave us the opportunity to not only provide needed equipment to school teams, but to share our love of soccer and lessons we learned on the field at our free clinics with girls who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play soccer at school. The confidence, leadership and skill set one learns from team sports was essential in helping Paula and I succeed in our professional careers. Once I realized we could make a difference with one team, Paula and I recognized between our shared skill sets, we had the opportunity to do more. As 901 Girls With Goals grows, it’s become clear this is something Paula and I were meant to do, even if we didn’t realize it when we officially became a nonprofit in 2018.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
901 Girls With Goals began as a way to give back to our community – it’s our passion project. Paula and I both work full time jobs at large corporations, and as co-founders, we volunteer our time to manage the activities for 901 Girls WIth Goals. As president, my focus this year is to develop a vision for expanding our programming. In 2018, we supported seven schools; last year, we provided equipment to 19 schools. In 2022, we adapted our free clinic model and successfully launched our after school clinics and expanded that program from three schools to five. In February, with the backing of Tennessee Soccer, we were awarded the Innovate to Grow grant from U.S. Soccer. These funds will allow us to expand our after school spring clinics, support additional schools and afford us the opportunity to develop additional partnerships and programs over the next three years.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The ability to network and lean on our network of professional women, who also played soccer, is essential to the growth of 901 Girls With Goals. As an organization run solely by Paula and myself, we have to be clear about what the two of us can realistically accomplish for the organization. We rely on our board members for support and direction. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses and when to ask for help. Our women’s soccer network helps us in areas like website design, photography, fundraising and player coaching. Being open to learning new things is essential. I never would have thought I’d be the co-founder of a nonprofit, but here I am! I’ve learned many new things about the inner workings of a nonprofit and how to pivot and adjust as you discover new things.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I’m an avid reader! I’m currently reading “The Greatness Mindset” by Lewis Howes. Two of my favorite quotes from it so far are: 1. “Greatness is being willing to change your definition of success as you pursue your meaningful mission.” We adapted our programming and added coaches clinics and after school clinics, which were not part of our initial vision.
2. “The goal is not passing specific checkpoints but pursuing greatness.” The book helped me think of success as a process. As a Six Sigma Black Belt and Process Improvement Consultant, that really hits home with me. Success is not an end point – it’s learning from both successes and failures and continuing to get better.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.901girlswgoals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/901girlswithgoals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/901girlswithgoals
