Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kari Kron Schmitz, who is the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit organization, Bears Who Care. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kari, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
The core of my eternal optimism comes from my father. He was always finding the “bright side” of any situation, good or bad, and I unknowingly picked up his mindset. When something doesn’t go quite right, my immediate reaction is: “Well, at least this part went okay,” or “It could be worse.” I think it’s important to always stay optimistic, which is not easy to do, because it helps keep those around me in a better mindset and frankly, it’s just easier to live life that way. When you have an optimistic approach, it feels like you can handle anything that can happen with grace and ease.
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?
I’m the co-founder and executive director of Bears Who Care, which is a charity that provides new teddy bears and books to children in need in the Central Florida area, whether they are ill or disadvantaged. What’s most fulfilling about the service we provide is knowing that we are bringing them comfort AND encouraging them to read, which is such an important life skill. They not only can read with their “new friend,” but they can also read with their parent/s, siblings, etc. And when you get a hug from a child or hear cries of laughter when you read them a funny story, there’s no greater joy you will feel.
We (my husband is the other co-founder) officially started Bears Who Care 15 years ago with just 50 teddy bears and 50 books and have grown it organically to where we’ve distributed teddy bears and books to over 28,000 children (year-to-date) through schools, hospitals, churches and more.
Our annual fundraising event, the Bears Who Care OktoBEARfest 5K Fun Run & Walk started in 2018 and is still going strong. It’s a very popular community event and is also done by virtual participants. We are all about inspiring people to be active and build relationships, especially among family and friends.
We have a goal and vision to grow Bears Who Care into a national charity over the next few years, since providing new teddy bears and books can be done anywhere.
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?
As I think back about what three skills have helped me the most in launching a successful non-profit, they would have to be: perseverance, relationship-building and marketing expertise. Perseverance is important because you have to remain determined to reach your goals and accomplish tasks, no matter what might fall into your path and possibly prevent success. Being able to create strong relationships is key, since you need to rely on other people to support your non-profit, whether they are local business owners, volunteers, donation recipients, etc. You need to adapt to all different types of individuals and understand their needs, because you want them to benefit from the relationship or partnership as much as you do. Finally, having marketing knowledge (I thankfully have 25+ years in the field) is so important because you have to know how to promote your non-profit in an ever-changing landscape. Reaching people with a message about your service or requesting donations, even in your own backyard, isn’t easy because there is so much content to which they are exposed every day. The rules and optics in social media are constantly evolving, so you have to stay current in your knowledge (again, not an easy task.)
The advice I would give others is to find people who possess skills and experience that will help you most and spend some time with them. Ask questions about how they do what they do and their mindset. Online learning or certifications in social media and digital marketing will bolster those skills. You just need to have a basic understanding of how it all works and revisit those topics periodically.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents were amazing people, and I miss them every day. The way they impacted me the most was to encourage me to be independent and rely on my intelligence and values. With their guidance, I have always believed that I can do anything that I put my mind to and can accomplish the goals I set for myself. They always gave me opportunities to learn, grow, explore and stand on my own two feet and always made sure I felt their love and support behind me. I know that I’m very lucky to have two people who gave me the strength and determination to get through life, and although there have been setbacks (as happens with anyone), I have always found a way to persevere and rise above the challenges as much as I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bearswhocare.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearswhocare_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearsWhoCare
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BearsWhoCare