3/18/22 - Connections that Grow Culture: Ray Gary with iDonate

Welcome to the, iWork4Him podcast. I'm Michael miracle producer of the, iWork4Him radio program, the voice of the faith and work movement. Our mission is to transform the workplace of every Christian into a mission field. What does that look like in your workplace? Let's find out right now.

Jim: This episode of iWork4Him was previously recorded for the Christian leadership alliances outcomes conference podcast, where leaders come to invest the best of what they know into other leaders.

Martha: Remember, if you have influence over just one person, you are a leader together. Let's listen to this podcast and learn more about leading God's way.

Enjoy

Jim: Martha and I are excited to host the outcomes conference podcasts. Every podcast is dedicated to you. Our outcomes conference podcast listener. We have an incredible conversation coming up today with Ray Gary with iDonate. We'll be focusing on leadership, thriving and of course the related outcomes, right, Gary, welcome to the outcomes conference podcast.

Ray Gary: Thank you for having me.

Jim: We're excited to have you here. And you know, before we get started talking about your leadership role at iDonate and a perspective of what God is doing through you to lead a thriving environment at donate. Tell us how you personally keep your faith strong and your leadership Christ centered each and every day.

Ray Gary: Sure. No, I appreciate it. I'd say it kind of revolves around two to three things that I do consistently every, every morning. And I, I kind of have a little combination of either devotionals, scripture reading or videos of two or three teachers that I follow for different reasons. Some that inspire me some that are great educators.

And so I'm very consistent with how I start my day. I think number two our church model has, is a community group model. And we take that accountability very seriously, both at the couple level, as well as the, as it at the men level. And so there's a, there's a lot of accountability there in our community group, which, which sort of keeps you grounded and centered.

And then three, I think is just a practice that I got into years ago when I decided it was much better to start my day with having God go before me, instead of going in front of. And so I, I learned, I learned that it's much better even in the little things, whether there's meetings or things like a podcast or whatever it is that we've got going for the day I've, I've learned that it's best just to start and ask God to go before me.

It seems to work much better than me running out in front of him.

Martha: Well, it sounds like you've you have your day set up very well. And I think a lot of people will, you know, maybe it's just even a good prompting, like, yes, those are great ways to start the day. So thanks for sharing that with. So tell us about what thriving really means to you personally.

Ray Gary: Yeah. Well I'll give you a little bit of a contrarian answer to that. I mean, I think in when we're talking about, iDonate, I think a lot of times we'll talk about iDonate or business success or leadership or things like that, but a little bit of a different answer that, that you may not expect.

But thriving to me is more about sort of the feeling I get through sustained In other words I feel like I'm thriving as a person who happens to be a believer when I go through these periods of being very faithful and very consistent in obedience, because what that does for me is that gives me sort of a, not an arrogance, but a confidence and assuredness that I think works from the inside.

And so I, I don't think I need to be overwhelmed or consumed with a business success or a number of metric, which are all very, very important, but I think it starts by being sort of centered at, in our identity and who we are and kind of, I don't know. I just feel like that I thrive as a person when I get that right first.

So maybe a little different answer than what you'd expected. That's what thriving means to me is having that peace and assuredness daily, it's almost more important than work that is more important than worldly success.

Jim: How, tell us how iDonate, enables you to help those you serve thrive. So our time, how are you making sure that those you serve through the ministry and the business of, iDonate to thrive.

Ray Gary: Yeah, no, we're a software company. We provide digital giving platforms for ministries, churches, and nonprofits. And that's what we do for a living. As I like to say, we're not fundraisers. There are people that are really, really good at fundraising. That's a practice and a discipline in and of itself.

We're we're technologists. And the, the analogy that I like to use is we make a camera. We're not a. So there is an art to photography. You know, you need to understand kind of like today, you need to understand lighting and how you crop an image. And, you know, do we take that picture at seven 14 in the morning based upon where the sun is or not, and then there's the camera.

And so we, we, what we do is we focused on building the greatest camera in the world and put it in the hands of people that really know how to take great pictures. So we see ourselves as being sort of relentless at trying to make the best giving experiences you can possibly make. As a matter of fact, our mission statement says we help nonprofits stand out by delivering incredible giving experiences so that their donors, when they come to given.

They have a great experience. They feel like it's simple, secure maybe even joyful when they go to engage with that nonprofit or that ministry.

That's

Martha: quite a hefty statement there that you're living up to. So, so let's take that into the culture of your company. A lot of companies have to try, you know, a lot of trial and error to try to get to a place where they find the right ways to create a sustaining, you know, thriving culture.

What does that look like at, iDonate, what are you, what are you doing? That's having the greatest impact?

Ray Gary: You know, I get that question a lot. As a matter of fact, we talk about it at our board level quite a bit, and it's been super popular and, and not just popular, but important to talk about on the last 12 to 15 months or so with everything that's been going on.

I think the main thing is it starts that you have to be authentic about caring about people. You know, there's lots of different philosophies. What's the right answer. How do we engage? How do we practice going to work and all those kinds of things. But at the end of the day, it's about authenticity and, and about caring about the people first you know, one of the things that I did was immediately when we went into lockdown, as you know, we had everybody go home, but I actually wrote a personal letter every week.

And I think every Friday, and just sort of recapping the week to everybody, I talked about what's going on? Sort of the political world what's going on in the company and just try to be an encouragement to keep people connected. So I think that's part of it and they are things that we're really focused on around here.

And we have been, since we started the company is trying to connect our people to the field. You know, that's while we don't actually go do the work on the ground, like we say, there are boots on the grass. We try to make great foods for the people that are on the ground. And so we try to keep our people connected the field by having a customer come and speak to us or having a customer zoom in talking about their mission.

We have our people go out and connect and do volunteer projects for the nonprofits and ministries we serve so that they can understand, you know, what, if the software is not great or the experience is not great, it's having a direct impact on the boots on the ground.

Jim: Wow, this is some great words. We're going to hear more from Ray Gary from iDonate.com right here on the outcomes conference podcast in just a minute, hang on.

Martha: You know the kind of person that always tells you about the latest trends or the special deals around town we'll lean in because here's a message from that kind of person.

The awaken podcast network is the place to be. Go to awaken podcast, network.com and unlock God's purpose for your work with help from some friends. You will find a gathering place of podcasts that provides simple tools, faith stories, and conversations that will inspire and equip you to vibrantly live out your faith in your work today.

Go ahead, check out awaken podcast network.com and then be that kind of person and tell a friend,

Jim: Hey, welcome back to the outcomes conference podcast today. We're talking with Ray Gary from iDonate the founder and CEO of iDonate.com. I recommend that you check them out. iDonate. All right, right. The last 12 to 18 months, a little rough, that's just a little rough, so much has happened to all of us over these last 12 to 18 months.

What changes have you made in the last year personally or professionally that helped you keep focused on your mission as a leader?

Ray Gary: Well, again, I think that's another fantastic question. I think for me, it starts with just developing. A deeper empathy, empathy for personal situations. You know what we've been through in the last 12 to 15 months or so, and we're still going through not, it's not the same for everybody and I'm for better, for worse.

I'm wired to say, you know what, things are not that bad. Let's just get to work. And in, in that, that, that doesn't work and that's not really realistic. And so I think one of the things that I've been taught over the last 12 months or so is just developing a deeper empathy for. Everyone's situation is unique and different.

Everybody kind of goes through these things in a different way. And so that's one big thing. I think the other thing that's alongside, what we've been through from a pandemic standpoint is just, you know, these cultural wars that we're in now they're, they are real. And you know, we're, we're going to have to as believers that our leaders more than ever have to take clear positions on things like this, because.

We're, we're, we're in a battle and it is a real battle. And so I think we've been sort of charged by making a clear statement on truth.

Jim: Hmm. Wow. Great. Love that.

Martha: So talk to us about what you have experienced as one of your greatest challenges during the last 12 or 18 months?

Ray Gary: I think, I think like most people it's, it's a two-fold one. How do you manage culture and a completely virtual world? And then how do you, how do you sort of work in that world? Now we had a little bit of advantage as a tech company. We already had a little bit of a hybrid model, several of our people in different offices. And we had, we had virtual days, we had Mondays and Fridays already before COVID even came.

So we were already kind of ramped up and had the tools and were equipped for that. So this hybrid already existed. But that, it's just a challenge to feel connected to people when you're always in this sort of virtual way, which is why I don't think that it's sustainable over time. I think people will eventually get back together, even if it's in the Harvard way.

And then I think the other side that people don't always talk about, people always talk about their employees, which is super, super important, but there's another component which is the client. And I was talking to a friend of mine and he said, you know, we've had net promoter scores that are phenomenal every year.

And then last year they were down and we didn't do anything different other than the fact that we didn't go out and see them. And so there, there is, there is an impact of sort of going out and pressing flesh or speaking to people face to face that I think matters over time. I don't think it's sustainable not to do.

Jim: The physical relationships, the S you know, and when you're out, seeing clients that just relationships matter, and they tried to tell you all year long, the relationships don't matter. We're fine. Digital is fine. But it's, it's just not true. God created us to be in relationship, not only with each other, but of course with him.

So what do you think Ben, your greatest breakthrough in the last 12 to 18 months, the thing that you feel best about accompany.

Ray Gary: Well, and if you don't mind me just picking up on what you say, I, that's why I'm so excited about CLA going to a real conference is as you can visually know, I mean, conferences are made about relationships in the hallways and conversations you have one-on-one with people.

And so I think everybody's about had enough of all these virtual trade shows. And so I'm really excited that CLA is going to be in person, but in terms of a breakthrough it's a very spiritual thing. It's not necessarily a business thing, which. I think for me in the last year is just really understanding that the presence of God is as important as the favor.

You know, I think I'm always as being a transactional kind of guy. I'm always thinking in terms of God's favor and wanting to make sure that we always have God's favor on life and business and things we do. But what I've found is the presence is probably as important, if not more important than the favor, because whether the favorite.

And the way that I wanted it to come or in the timing that I wanted to come, as long as you have that presence of God and, and you've in, and you feel that it really doesn't matter about the other, the other almost becomes second.

Martha: So when you learn things like that, whether it's that idea or something else, and you really want to impress that upon your own staff, is there something that you maybe give us an example of something you've shared with them as you've learned for yourself, and then you've, you know, tried to pass that on to your employees.

Ray Gary: That is a fantastic question. And yeah. Yeah, I would be less than a genuine if I said I did that often enough. And you've prompted me to think about how to do that more. I do that sometimes I, as matter of fact, we had a leadership conference just to two weeks ago and I was sharing with them about my favorite scripture in the Bible and how wide it impresses me.

And, and, and, and we talked about that, but in terms of sort of these wisdom insights, As my wife would say, I don't know why. You're not sure. And I'm with your kids more, but it's, it's a, it's a great question. And it's something you probably prompted me to think about how we would do that more, but I'm certainly, certainly not shy about doing that. And it's, it's a great idea.

Jim: Yeah. And so often we experience things. We, we read a book for ourselves or we listen to a podcast for ourselves or we, you know, we, we hear a speech and we're like, oh, I want all my people to hear this. I want them all to experience. Because it it'll impact all of our culture at the same time.

And sometimes it just, and when you tell your people that, wow, this really touched me, they're going to want to hear it. Cause they're like, well, what, what touches Ray? Well, I want it to touch me cause it's impacting our entire company. I love that. And then that's a transparency, vulnerable vulnerability thing too.

As a leader, when you're like this touched me, I want to share it with you. Do you ever get a chance to really pass that kind of stuff on?

Ray Gary: Yeah. Sometimes. And as I was saying a minute ago, I mean the presence. Is not something that's obvious, but, but when you think about it for a minute, it makes perfect sense because if, if you're at peace with the presence and you're assured that he's always with you and he's certainly faithful, you don't get as wrapped up around what the actual outcome is or the timing of it.

And, and people in business. Particularly people like me that are wired very transactional. We tend to focus on the outcome, not, not to use your name of your podcast here, but we tend to focus on when is it going to happen? How's it going to happen? What is it going to look like? And I think God, for us just sometimes says, why don't you just sort of enjoy my presence, relaxed I'm with you.

And it'll work out according to my timing, which in my way, which is probably better than yours. Anyway.

Martha: So let's talk about that in the transaction that. At iDonate, you're serving Christian non-profits helping them to get more support for their mission. And I can imagine that that feels thankless sometimes.

So when we come back, we want to hear a story maybe of a way that you've been able to see your clients thrive.

Jim: You're listening to the outcomes conference podcast with your host, Jim and Martha Brangenberg. As we talked with Ray Gary from, iDonate, check him out on. iDonate.com. It's the software you need to help make giving to your organization super easy. Wonderful. And joyful as Ray Gary said, we right back.

Want to build a profitable side hustle that impacts people with truth and healing in themselves and in their leadership? Then look at becoming a certified leadership coach with giant giant has been in the leadership space for over 13 years and has over 500 coaches in over 127 countries.

Their coaches are being hired by fortune 500 companies and organizations. Like iWork4Him, Martha and I took the giant Sherpa training under one of these great coaches to become leaders worth. Following giant gives you everything. You need to start your own coaching business from scratch. Like hands-on training from top level.

Access to an all-in-one online platform to run your entire coaching business and you get to join a thriving community of coaches around the world to get started giant is hosting a coaching business workshop to help you learn how to build a successful coaching business. This workshop is 100%. And you can reserve your spot by going to giant.tv/iWork4Him. If you're ready to impact people and get paid to do it, go to giant TV /iWork4Him. That's giant.tv/ iWork4Him.

Welcome back to the outcomes conference podcast. Today. We're talking with Ray,Gary from, iDonate the sponsor of all of the outcomes conference podcasts.

iDonate as a phenomenal organization. Digging a little deeper with it, CEO and founder, make sure you check them out online. iDonate.com perhaps there that the organization for you to help facilitate the giving to, from all of your people in your organization. Martha.

Martha: So Ray, right, right before the break I was asking, you know, give us an example or something that you've been able to experience where you've seen your client thrive because of what you're doing at, iDonate.

Ray Gary: I, I really appreciate that question. I'm, there's a, there's a number of technical things that I would give an answer to, which nobody would care about. But I think one of the, one of the, one of the ways, which I think is very relevant today is, you know, we, you know, we provide web giving and peer to peer giving event texts, giving all the different forms of digital giving.

But what we're finding today with sort of changes in demographics and just sort of the way. Things have been deinstitutionalized. And when my father and my grandfather, when they get, as they get, give and used to give it wasn't anything to write a blank, check to an institution, you'd write a blank check to Billy Graham and you'd write a blank check to your local church or hospital or whatever.

And people just don't think that way anymore. And so I think one of the things we're able to do with technology, particularly things like peer-to-peer is allow people to sort of frame up their value propositions in a way that really resonates with today's. Because today's audience is not a blank check kind of rider.

They're, they're a, Hey, I want to understand the impact. I want to see a, what I'm giving to, and I want to see a value proposition that resonates with me. I'm just not somebody that's willing to send in a blank check because I'm just not wired that way. So we, we use our technology a lot in different use cases to sort of frame up the ask or frame up the cause in such a way that resonates with the donor. And that's really made a big difference

Jim: But sometimes when you serve other people in order to help them serve other people, it sometimes can be a thankless job. Do you ever get discouraged or does, I mean, how does it make it feel?

Ray Gary: Never. I mean, to be honest with you, I've never even thought about that.

I've believed since day one, this was my calling. I've believed that, you know, my job is to make the, the boots on the ground better. One of the. The quotes that I use, those sort of my quote or my mantra is you know, the Martin Luther quote, which is the Christian Shoemaker. Doesn't do his duty by putting little crosses on shoes.

He does his duty by making great shoes. And so I've always thought, and I've always loved. Whoever said it is that excellence, honors God and inspires others. And so I wake up every single day, just relentlessly passionate about how do we make excellence that honors God and inspires others with what we do.

Because maybe I'm not the best in the world at being on the ground and being in hand-to-hand combat. But if I could make the boots on the grounds lives better, then that's what my calling is. And so it's, it's easy to wake up every single day and it's easy to never get discouraged because we can always make a pixel better.

Martha: That's so great. So let's give you an opportunity right now to share that calling that God has given you. Through the outcomes conference and the Christian leadership Alliance. One of the things that's really a core value is having leaders help invest in the other leaders with what they already know.

So what is something right now, a leadership idea or something that you can pass on as an investment to the listeners of this podcast?

Ray Gary: I think the most important thing is that we have to go back to the basics and the foundation that leadership is not about some. Management fad or some management book or some new technique that always when somebody is looking for today, more than ever, leadership is about values.

And if it doesn't start from the inside out, it doesn't really matter what you're doing on the outside. The values have to be there. I don't really and, and it has to be rooted in true. And, you know, we have to balance that with grace and love, certainly in today's world, that's even more important.

But if you, I don't really know of any other way to lead today. And I don't know if anything anymore important than leading based upon values.

Jim: When you say, you know, you're talking about values and you've got to come from the inside out, what do you mean?

Ray Gary: Well, I mean, I think you need to know who you are, you know, what principles you stand for.

And I think you have to be willing in a really difficult environment. Today. And that was just with a friend at lunch, talking about this very subject. You have to be able to stand and take decisions that sometimes aren't unpopular. We, we, we live in a world today where even sometimes our credit card processor doesn't want to process for a ministry because they don't believe their mission, or they believe that maybe they're not diverse enough or maybe they don't share their worldview.

And so, you know, that not only affects our customers, but that it starts infecting affecting employees and partners. You know, who you're surrounded with. Maybe people will want to work for you or not work for you based upon your values, but it's much easier to wake up every single day, knowing who you are, then waking up and reading the newspaper or watching the news and letting somebody else decide who you are every day.

And I think this more important than we get grounded in lead. Those core values. Otherwise we're just going to be a candle in the wind, I guess.

Martha: So, you know, a lot of the non-profits that are that participate with the Christian leadership Alliance probably already know what their values are, but you know, did you have some insight early on, did you know for yourself and for, iDonate what they were going to be, or has that been a process over the years?

Ray Gary: No, I think it's, I think it's evolved somewhat. I think that you know, we, we wrestle some with about how narrow our charters should be. We serve, we serve both faith based organizations and non-faith based organizations now, you know, we have it come a filter for that. I mean, They can't be at an aesthetical, the family or our, our worldview.

So as Galatians says, I think it's four, six, you know, do good to everybody, especially the house of faith. And that's kind of a verse that we've taken to heart is we love doing the work for Christian ministries. As I say, I, I don't know how biblically accurate this is or not, but as I say, you know, there's a difference between water and living with.

And, you know, there's, there's good that these organizations do, which is great and we're very supportive of them. And I think people should, but there's difference when you're actually doing those services in the name of Jesus, because there's an eternal consequence with that. Right. So we, we we've really, I think, began to focus more and more on how do we lift up those organizations and help them not because we think that they're better people or anything like that, but the mission is more active.

And and they become more and more important to us.

Jim: Fabulous words. Thank you, Ray. Gary from iDonate.com for being on the outcomes conference podcast today.

Ray Gary: Thank you. Thanks

Jim: for having me and to you. Our outcomes conference podcast listeners. Thank you for joining us today. We pray that this podcast inspired you to think higher and deeper about thriving for a greater kingdom impact.

Martha: Be sure to visit Christian leadership alliance.org, or you can stay up to date by subscribing to the outcomes online newsletter and the CLA higher thinking

Jim: blog. If you're not out of remember, what are you waiting for? Join the Christian leadership Alliance today. Christian leadership alliance.org.

Martha: Remember the wisdom in this podcast came to you on its way from someone else. If you loved it, state say so and share it today with us.

Jim: I'm Jim I'm Martha, we'll see you again for the next episode of the outcomes conference. Did you know

Ray Gary: that God has a calling on your life? It's true. He's called you to bring Jesus to the world.

For some that may look like a pulpit or a foreign mission field, but for most of us, it looks like a construction site, the cubicle, a hospital, or a classroom, wherever it is that you work with volunteer and invest. That is your mission field. To learn more about integrating your faith into your work in retirement.

Check out our books. iWork4Him. sheWorks4Him and iRetire4Him. I going to, iWork4Him.com/ bookstore.

Outro: Thank you for listening to the, iWork4Him podcast with your hosts, Jim and Martha Brangenberg, please visit. iWork4Him.com to learn more about connecting your faith and work to join the iWork4Him nation or subscribe to our weekly blog. You can also follow us on social media at iWork4Him to stay up to date and meet our guests.

If today's message spoke to you, please subscribe, rate, and review the show on your favorite podcast platform. Your review we'll launch more workplace missionaries across. That's at, iWork4Him and online. iWork4Him.com. I work the number 4 him. Dot com.