Meet Nancy Bruscher

We recently connected with Nancy Bruscher and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

Generosity is key to who I am. Most of the time when the word generosity comes up, you think of money. Money doesn’t consume you when you give it away & you’re able to have a healthy view of money. Beyond financial generosity, I love being generous with my time. Every day I ask myself this question…at the end of my life, however long or short I have on this earth, what will be most important to me? Are the things I am doing now, every day, part of what I believe are the most important things? Many times the “things” that take most of our time really don’t matter. This keeps me intentional and on task. When I don’t think I have time for something, if it’s on “my list” of importance, I make the time, and everything else falls into place. It really does.

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?

Stories. Memories. Hope.

That’s what I do. I’m blessed to help people capture their memories in story form through a DVD, a book, or a podcast. My goal is to point to hope, because that’s what we all crave.
Right now, I’m most excited as my podcast, Ordinary People Extraordinary Things, hits 100 episodes & my big, crazy dream of writing and publishing a book is starting to become a reality. Don’t be afraid to dream and take steps to make that dream become a reality. The numbers don’t matter or if you’re “successful” in the world’s eyes. I know that’s easy to say, but if you can remember that every day, it will make a difference in what you do and how you approach your giftings and talents.

I have loved stories my whole life – I think we all do. That’s what movies, songs, TV, and books are – stories. You have a story. I have a story. Everyone has a story. If we share our story, we not only impact others but sharing our story reminds us of what we’ve been through and helps us get through the next hurtle in life.
I have been blessed to take this love of stories and make a business out of it. Generations to Generations started 19 years ago and Ordinary People Extraordinary Things, a podcast about hope, branched off 3 years ago.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Empathy, listening, & staying focused but flexible – I’ll break these down.

Empathy.
What does it actually mean? To understand someone else’s situation or feelings. In my opinion this is lacking in our culture, and if we get this back we can change our city, state, and country. It may seem silly and unrealistic to say this, but think about it…if we take the time to actually listen and understand someone’s story that person becomes a person. They are no longer “that group/that stereotype”. This doesn’t mean that you agree, but you do see them as a fellow human being, just like you. I see this all the time when I’m interviewing someone. I don’t have to agree with everything they say, I don’t agree with everything I’ve ever said :), but I start to love them and understand how they got to where they are because of what they’ve gone through. To do this forces us to listen – really listen, which brings us to point 2.

I have always had a gift for listening. This is not to toot my own horn, but it’s important to know what your gifts are. When I was young, I thought that meant I would be a counselor, but I’ve used those listening skills to listen to people’s stories and make a DVD, book, or put out a podcast episode about their story to share with family or anyone who will listen. Listening can be hard, especially in a world of distractions, but even if we take out the distractions that easily come to mind, you can put down your phone and look like you’re listening and not really listen. One way this happens is to begin thinking of your response or next thought. Don’t do that. Just listen. When you’re thinking of what you will say, that really isn’t listening.

Staying focused and flexible.
I know this sounds like a contradiction, but I think it’s important not to be swayed by every new thing or something that’s working for someone else but also being open to learn and see if that matches your goals. I’ve found it’s important to know your Why. Why are you doing what you’re doing? This will keep you on track & able to say yes or no to new ideas. When you know your Why you can take in new information without getting overwhelmed and not doubt everything you do, but you can also take a new idea and implement it when it fits into your Why. My Why is to capture memories, capture stories, and share hope.
So what’s your Why?

My advice is to start. You will not be perfect. You will not have it all down. You won’t have every step in place – that doesn’t matter.

Start.

And see where it goes.

Then you can add, change, & learn more.
Not only can you not know all the things to do until things come up, but you will stop yourself from doing anything, because you will paralyze yourself with questions, all the things to do, and wanting it perfect, that you will never start.

If you are further along in your business, hobby, or ministry I recommend finding a mentor. I know that’s overwhelming. I reached out to several people before someone said yes. Keep reaching out. Keep trying. Keep learning and seeing what your next step, your next level is. This can be scary or exciting – depending on how you look at it.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client is anyone who wants to capture memories. I know the experts say you have to narrow who your “ideal client is” but Generations to Generations helps anyone who wants to capture their story in DVD or book form to pass on to their family. I also help people transfer their memories that are in old forms: home videos, photos, or slides & convert them to digital. All of these are memories and stories that need to be persevered. Ordinary People Extraordinary Things podcast focuses on stories of faith and hope from everyday people that anyone can listen to around the world to be inspired.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Sara Ramsey on NancyBruscher.jpg

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