Soapbox

Two years ago, I was on a delegation for Arts Advocacy Day in DC, where I sat down with three Republican congressman seeking support for $200 million for the NEA.It was great to receive a day of lobbying training arming up with facts like:

1. Artists create work immediately - we don't need 3+ years to design a road/bridge;
2. For every $1 spent on arts there is $7 in related spending.  Think about when you go to the Aronoff: dinner + tip+ valet+ program/souvenir+ buy a drink/dessert What would downtown be without it?
3. Artists' jobs cannot be exported and artists pay taxes too;
4. I am in the business of creating taxpayers vs. welfare cases or criminals who cost tax payers.

Then in the Capitol Offices I got to balance a huge red leather Congressman's office chair on my chin. He did a classic double take and we got the votes and the funding.

Over the past decade I have been creating Social Circus. Social Circus is "The growing movement toward the use of circus arts as mediums for social justice and social good. It uses alternative pedagogical tools to work with youth who are marginalized or at social or personal risk.  A characteristic of the social circus is its universality and accessibility. Each person, in accordance with their abilities, is able to realize their own potential through the wide gamut of activities that the circus offers: one can participate in juggling, trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, balancing acts, etc."

University Hospital physician Dr Victor Garcia invited me to the Cincinnati Appreciative Inquiry Workshop on Sept 11, 2010, to participate in a "conversation about how we might stem the violence in our communities and better integrate historically disenfranchised people back into the life of Cincinnati, and in doing so make life in Cincinnati a richer and more sustainable place."
 
I have developed and led successful non-profits but now I am about to embark on seeking to start-up a Low Profit Limited Liability Corporation to utilize the methods of Social Circus to help give opportunities and build resilience for poor people.  If you are interested in investing in this venture you can contact me at paul@circusmojo.com.

We all pre-judge people and situations.
 
Everyday I explain how the circus motivates change and growth.  When I introduce myself as a clown I hear,  "Oh I hate clowns," or "I am afraid of clowns."  I have a theory of why people have Coulrophobia- the fear of clowns; movies have been tough on clowns, but really clowns are the only thing that parents will allow their kids to be afraid of.  If you are scared of the doctor or dentist, Santa Claus - too bad, hold still, open up or tell him what you want." Clowns... "Oh-OK honey let's cross the street." It is this fostering of fear that builds Coulrophobia. 

When say I offer circus programs, people think I am shooting people out of cannons or that I am bringing elephants to the office or school. When I call the HR office to try to sell a circus corporate team building session, they say "WHAT? We have enough clowns here we don't really need a circus."  I enjoy the shift when people experience Circus Mojo and work through that prejudice.  I convince people the viability of circus skills is an opportunity to grow.

Ten years ago, I spent six months performing in Japan at a hot springs bath resort.  This experience offered me a very unique perspective… "Gaijin" which roughly translates to "hairy southern bastard" (Marco Polo had lots of hair and sailed in from the south) is a derogatory term for foreigner and this is what I was called nearly every day.  I was surrounded by elderly at a resort and all they remembered that the USA dropped two atomic bombs on them.  I would be jabbed with plates and chopsticks while in line for the buffet by guests. I think there are few places a white guy can experience overt racism, and while this is nothing close to the racism experienced by people in the USA it certainly has shaped my perspective. I loved Japan. I worked 12 minutes a day six days /week in a cabaret as a clown and had an amazing time. I could have stayed but my wife was ready to come home.

The circus encompasses sports, artistic expression and creativity. Circus demands cooperation, coordination, imagination and inspiration and the world of business and education certainly need avenues to deliver these concepts tangibly and we all need to work through our prejudices.

The circus is about resilience - about getting up, trying again and succeeding. 

I have certainly had my challenges in this business.  In November 2009 I purchased the old Ludlow Movie Theatre, my base to develop circus for "children of all ages." This center will host cabaret/circus performances, training space for professional circus artists, corporate team building, summer camps and be a catalyst for change in Ludlow. Bringing a business to Ludlow, KY where the growth industry was check cashing and tattoo parlors is a formidable venture.  I believe we must take risks and build upon achievements in order to create businesses and communities that work. 

My vocation is to help people rediscover what it's like to learn with their muscles and not their minds.  You only gain balance by falling or nearly falling then adjusting, getting up and trying again and again and again.  As we age we get frustrated easily and tend to stop doing what we are not good at...the circus dares us to achieve. Learning circus skills is tangible.  When a student; adult, teen, or toddler tries to spin a plate, walk on a large ball or do their first somersault there is a struggle and eventual achievement.  Self-esteem, confidence and fearlessness exude, and then there is the next skill to master. Circus Mojo strives to complete every corporate workshop, camp, school residency/after school program with a culminating performance for an audience of peers, friends, etc.  The recognition when a performer completes trick styles and smiles - TA- DA - the audience then applauds.

Mojo Medicine is a program I will offer at Cincinnati Children's Hospital twice a week for the next year that is funded by the Cooperative Society. Working with teenagers at the psych unit at Children's is remarkably like working with a group of executives…from my perspective, people are people and I am offering them a chance to succeed at new skills. Circus Mojo offers a variety that ensures everyone succeeds at something.  The Circus (sans animals) requires three elements:  Acrobats, Jugglers and Clowns, and after doing this for 14 years I can quickly assess who belongs in what group in every workshop. I challenge people to work on all three but highlight what they are best at.

It just amazes me how much I am like my Mom. 

There was a time in my life that I would have probably rolled my eyes at that comment only because I was too young to see the pure essence of her beauty both inside and out.  You really do not see how much you pick up from your parents until you're a bit more mature.  You just automatically learn different behaviors and traits from your parents.  So you should best believe that these are the folks that you probably learn financial management from as well.  And that means that they most likely did the same when they were young as well.

So what happens when you have a parent that just was not fortunate enough to have a parent or a person that they looked up to show them how to open a bank account, manage a check book, create a budget, save to purchase a home and so much more.  Here is where you have a break down.  But there is an opportunity to break this cycle by seeking financial education.

I know that sounds really easy, but that is where the challenge may be.  When you are so far removed from the process of knowing what your choices are, what you don't know is what is really keeping you trapped in a situation that you did not realize you could change.  Just think about all the folks out there that are still paying to get their paychecks cashed.  Yes, there may be small percentages that just do not trust financial institutions, but there are a significant number of these individuals and families that do not realize the risk they are taking let alone the money they are wasting. 

I just want everyone to know what their financial options are and if they still choose to pay for a service they could of received for free…. well, that is their choice.  But I really do believe that once folks understand the financial system and find a way to make it work for their situation, so many doors will open. 
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SMARTMONEY Community Services (SMCS) was founded in 1988 to work in partnership with the Cincinnati Central Credit Union, providing economic education and credit union services to residents of Over-the-Rhine and other economically distressed Cincinnati communities.  Since inception, SMCS has launched a number of innovative programs, including the first Individual Development Account program in the greater Cincinnati community, one of the most successful micro enterprise business training courses and is a HUD-Approved Counseling Agency offering pre and post purchase home ownership counseling and workshops. SMCS has had a longstanding reputation for providing quality affordable financial services and economic education to the Cincinnati region for over 20 years.

For more information regarding SMARTMONEY and/or the programs and services offered please visit their website at www.smart-money.org or contact them at (513) 241-7266.

Change is such an odd word.  Not many letters but can be taken in so many directions depending on who is leading it and/or who it is impacting.  But I would like to challenge us all to think about how we can change our behavior toward financial education.  I don't think I have ever met anyone that aspires to live paycheck-to-paycheck or struggle to make ends meet.  Ok, so what is an "end meet" anyway? And why is it that when we hear the words 'financial education' we automatically picture someone else needing these types of programs and services?

Do you realize that your earnings are not necessarily the key to financial success?  I am sure some of you would argue that point with me, but at every income level there are folks that achieve their financial goals or make progress and others who do not.  So how does one improve their chances of financial success?  First and foremost, be ready to adopt positive financial behaviors for your personal situation.  And in order to do that you need to understand what a good financial choice is for you and your family and what might not be a good choice.  

Ok, here comes that word again: change.  Yes, you might actually have to change your financial behavior.  The simplest way to ease into change is to simply be aware of what you are doing.  Actually think about maybe packing your lunch a couple of days a week, consider increasing the amount of money that gets direct deposited into your savings account (yes I am assuming we all have a savings account), take a "staycation" (enjoy some of the arts and events right here in Greater Cincinnati) or consider whether you really need to purchase another pair of jeans.  Ok, I might have gone a bit too far with the jeans statement but hopefully you get the point.

So now you are more aware of the financial choices you are making, I challenge you to become better informed.  Do you know how to read your credit report? Do you know how to create a household budget? Are you contributing to your 401K plans at work? Do you have a savings account (yes, you need a savings account)? Do you have a emergency fund?  But I would also ask that we all change our perceptions of who needs financial education.  You see there should be no shame in becoming educated, yes-financial education is just as important as anything else in our lives and should not be frowned upon.

So I congratulate all the individuals and families that have taken advantage of the programs and services that SmartMoney Community Services offer.  You have all taken one small step toward making a huge difference in the financial life you live in this fine city. 

Taking responsibility for your financial mistakes, Humbling. 
Sticking to a budget, Difficult.
Understanding your financial choices, "Priceless."

So really what is all this commotion about financial education?

Is it really that important that individuals and families understand the financial choices that they are making?  Do you really think that someone that has worked all week and finally gotten their paycheck should have to pay to get their check cashed?  Maybe there are some folks that do not understand what a credit report is and why they should even be concerned about their score anyway.  Why do we need to understand what mortgage we can really afford?

Today's complex financial services market offers us a vast array of products and services.  This degree of financial choices is good but also means that we should be equipped with the knowledge and skills to evaluate the options and figure out the ones that best met our needs. Most people experience their first lesson in financial management at home.  But many low-to-moderate income families are struggling to make it and not necessarily making good financial choices.  Financial education is critical to help individuals and families understand how to make better financial decisions. 

This is why SmartMoney Community Services is committed to working with individuals and families in Greater Cincinnati regardless of what they make.  You see financial literacy is an issue that affects not only the underserved, but also all families struggling through this economic crisis. The focus cannot solely be on how much money a person needs to make but just as importantly how do we all manage with what we have.

Some of you may know a gentleman by the name of Edward Finke.  He is the President of the Financial Network Group Ltd. and co-host of Simply Money, a TV news media show on FOX19.  He recently delivered the keynote address at SmartMoney's annual award luncheon and made the comment that most financially successful people are financially successful because they have chosen to live below their means.  Well, think about that for a minute.

At SmartMoney Community Services we provide programs and services that range from basic budgeting, first-time homebuyers education, small business development, individual one-on-one financial coaching, foreclosure counseling and much more. We are working to enhance the quality of life in Greater Cincinnati and our weapon of choice is financial education.  So join us and volunteer, make a donation, or better yet take advantage of the program and services that we offer.

Now let me get off my soapbox and get back to fundraising.  We still have a lot of work to do here in Greater Cincinnati and it certainly isn't cheap!

The line of people outside the Freestore Foodbank during the holidays is a humbling image that, once viewed, can't be forgotten. For many, it's one of the most poignant images of the holiday season: the juxtaposition of hundreds of hungry people in the midst of a thriving urban environment.

But even though there is a great need for assistance within the urban core, most are not aware there are just as many hungry neighbors in suburban and rural areas.

While we have long delivered food to our rural neighbors in need, in the past we often weren't always able to deliver wholesome perishable foods. There simply was no way to keep perishables at proper and safe temperatures during the hour-or-longer journey to Scioto County in Ohio, Owens County in Kentucky and Switzerland County in Indiana. However, around this time last year, the Freestore Foodbank added a weapon to its hunger-fighting arsenal when we were one of the seven food banks nationwide to receive a Kraft Foods Mobile Pantry.

Literally a food pantry on wheels, the Mobile Food Pantry is a 26-foot refrigerated truck that holds up to 10,000 pounds of food. The mobile food pantry provides us with the ability to distribute more food – and more types of food - very quickly and efficiently. The refrigerated truck brings fresh foods, notably fruits, vegetables, proteins and dairy items, helping our rural neighbors get the essential nutrients they need.

The Mobile Food Pantry has the capacity to serve approximately 150 families per stop, depending on the number of pounds of food scheduled for distribution. It makes an average of five trips a week and annually distributes more than 750,000 pounds of food – approximately 500,000 meals – to those in our rural areas who might otherwise go hungry.

Although Kraft and Feeding America have been very generous to us with the Mobile Pantry over the past year, it's really events like the upcoming Rubber Duck Regatta that provide us resources to provide our rural neighbors with fresh, nutrient-rich food.

So the next time you see that line in front of our Liberty Street Food Room, remember that because of our Mobile Pantry our neighbors outside the city won't be going hungry during the holidays either.

For more information on the Freestore Foodbank or the Rubber Duck Regatta, visit here.

Most people are aware that the Freestore Foodbank provides food for those in need. However, food is only the first step - over the years, we've learned that hunger is often symptomatic of a larger problem.

That's why we've added critical social services to our outreach.  When our neighbors come to us for food, we use that conversation as a gateway to determining what other necessities they may require; a safe place to live, government benefits like Food Stamps, access to affordable health care, clothing, or job training and placement.

We also strive to develop programs that provide direct assistance beyond food, like Cincinnati COOKS!. Cincinnati COOKS! is a free, 10-week culinary training program that prepares at-risk individuals for employment in the food service industry) provide real, necessary skills that enable our clients to seek jobs and become self-sufficient, thriving members of the community.

With more than 10 percent of Tri-State residents un- or underemployed, this assistance is needed more than ever before.

Our philosophy is simple: Food is not the end product - rather, food is the vehicle for a larger conversation that leads to self-reliance. Further, by providing emergency food, we work to determine the root causes of poverty and food insecurity, and this allows us to offer services aimed at creating self-reliance.

Money raised through events like the upcoming Rubber Duck Regatta provides us with the resources to help these people get back on their feet. It all begins with food - but it's the hope we offer after the initial first step that really matters.

For more information on the Freestore Foodbank or the Rubber Duck Regatta, visit here.