I have an honest confession to share right now– I LOVE the song Africa by Toto. I’m often made fun of by my coworkers here in the Nanolumens office because of my affinity for this amazing song, but I can’t get enough of it. Even as I write this, I am playing the song on repeat at my desk. And I can assure you that I am completely ignoring the groans from my cubicle neighbors.
The drums on the intro to the chorus!
The harmonies!
Oh my goodness, trust me, just play it while you read this blog.
So why am I talking about a long forgotten (and amazing) song? Because our CEO, Rick Cope and his family recently went on an excursion to Africa – and you can’t say the word “Africa” to me without me feeling compulsively led to listen the song.
While their trip was packed full of amazing wildlife and beautiful sunsets, the real purpose of the visit was to support the Cope’s micro-lending efforts and to visit a school that they were instrumental in creating, funding and supporting. Since it’s inception, this school has become one of the number one performing schools in Tanzania, and all of its students passed the exams required in order to begin high school courses. Success stories like this are a result of dedication to the spirit of giving, that the Cope family supports whole-heartedly.
Nanolumens has been incredibly fortunate to be on track for record breaking growth this year and that simply wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of every team member, and the kind of leadership that isn’t afraid to do things like bungee-jump off of the Stratosphere or cross the Serengeti. That spirit of taking charge, and the passion behind doing things beyond the norm embodies the energy that you feel inside of the Nanolumens facility.
I hope that this post encourages you to do two things:
- Work towards developing a passion for giving, and do something for someone else. A small action can go a long way.
- And most importantly, listen to the song Africa by Toto—over and over and over.