We talk with Nick Lynch, former Make-A-Wish recipient, cancer surviver and successful media and ad tech entrepreneur.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to not make decisions based on fear. I once had a boss ask me, what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? When she asked me that, my whole entire perspective on life changed. It helped me to take the longer view that if I am consistent and operate from a place of optimism, that I can accomplish what I wanted. Too often when I was younger, I made choices solely on fear. Fear of missing out. Fearing of failure. Fear of losing money, time or relationships. There are too many opportunities to count that I skipped because of fear. If I had just started instead of having the internal debate based on fear, it would have allowed me to make a much more informed decision based on real data and information, instead of the made up fear that I had in my head.
If you had a million dollars to contribute to a cause, where would you choose to donate?
I am extremely biased given my background as a Make A Wish kid, but I would donate every penny of that million dollars to Make A Wish. The power of a wish is very, very real. I credit Make A Wish and granting my wish to go to Disneyland as the fundamental catalyst for breezing past my childhood cancer and feeling like a “normal” kid. When a child goes through a life threatening illness like I did, It is a massive, negative shift in the child and the families lives. In order to course correct, and ensure that the child and the family have the energy and the will to progress forward, an even BIGGER gesture of positivity needs to take place. So when a wish is granted, it is the power of that wish that really propels kids and their families forward so that they can tackle the challenges ahead of them but also continue to live happy and healthy lives. They lean on those memories and that joy during the hard times. So every dollar that can be used for granting a wish has the power to make those much needed changes in each and every kids life.
How did you help your community this year?
Collidescope.io has helped raise nearly $2m for our nonprofits partners as well as helped them to reach over 20m people on social media. We are constantly creating value for the space by providing free services and content. Whether it’s a free CRM or a social media resources, we believe in being constant in giving - especially when it comes to educating the nonprofit space about new and innovative was to storytell and build community. We are currently developing an influencer marketing course that provides our step by step process for our to build and launch an effective and high performing influencer marketing program for your nonprofit. We are also working to launch more free tools that allow nonprofits to better use and contextualize new technology like cryptocurrencies and NFT’s. As we continue to see opportunities for nonprofits, we will be the ones building the bridges so that all organizations can have access to these tools.
How did you end up where you are today?
From a professional stand point, I have spent the last 15+ years based in LA working in advertising - helping brands and advertisers better target their audiences on digital and social media. But from a person stand point, I am a cancer survivor and Make-A-Wish kid and been supporting Make-A-Wishes LA chapter for the last 7 years. At the beginning of the pandemic when everything was shutting down and nonprofits could host in person events, the first thing I thought of is how are nonprofits going to generate revenue now. Using my background in advertising and marketing, I knew that if I could connect influencers, corporations, and nonprofit where there is vision and value alignment, measure the efficacy of those new partnerships, and provide transparent reporting back to these stakeholders, that we could make a large impact - not only during the pandemic, but beyond.
How do you choose which social causes to donate to?
When we donate to a cause, we usually donate at least one of our “3 T’s” - time, talent, or treasure. These T’s are valuable. But that value is only transferred if you are truly passionate about the cause you are donating too. My passion alignment is easy because of my experience, but if you don’t have a direct connection to a cause because of experience, then follow your passions. It’s extremely important to that value and vision alignment so that you can put your passions to work and provide that value to an important cause.
1000 Spotlights: Why We Give reflects our mission of giving back, to mentor and to inspire those around us. Through a series of interview questions, we explore intrinsic motivations behind why we give, and talk with those inclined to make a difference in the lives of others. If you are involved in charitable activities, volunteer and paid academic engagements or in community service, we want to talk to you. Write to us to nominate yourself or someone else who fits the bill.
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