How the Nonprofit GlamourGals Provided Companionship to Isolated Seniors, with Rachel Doyle
Dusty Weis:
Greetings, innovators. And welcome to Back of the Napkin, where we explore big journeys in the world of small business with the personalities who make it happen.
Stephanie Davis:
This is where small business leaders can hear about unique ideas that have launched successful enterprises across America, and meet entrepreneurs who aren't afraid to think differently. And it's brought to you by SurePayroll, where small business is their business. I'm Stephanie Davis from the SurePayroll team.
Dusty Weis:
And I'm Dusty Weis, a small business owner from the Midwest. And we are fired up to be back here behind the mics to kick off season two. Steph, I don't know about you, but I feel pretty good about how season one turned out. I think it was a hit. And I am ready to share even more stories about small business owners in the US and the really cool adventures that they're having.
Stephanie Davis:
Absolutely. I could not agree more, Dusty. Season one was awesome, but we're eventually going to cover some food topics in season two, which I'm always excited to talk about.
Dusty Weis:
Yes!
Stephanie Davis:
And we'll be talking to the small business owners behind an Indian street food operation and a gelato shop. So we're getting into all kinds of good stuff.
Stephanie Davis:
We're also going to talk to the owner of a beverage company who made an appearance on the hit TV show Shark Tank. And I don't know about you, but I always enjoy watching Shark Tank, so I'm excited to hear how that went down.
Dusty Weis:
It's must-see TV. And it's going to be must-listen podcasting. But those are all coming up a little bit later this season.
Dusty Weis:
However, before we dive into today's episode with a nonprofit who's on Oprah's radar, we would love it if you took a moment and subscribed to Back of the Napkin in your favorite podcast app. We'll be releasing our season two episodes over the next few months. We don't want you to miss any of them. So take a minute, hit that subscribe button.
Stephanie Davis:
And if you enjoy the show, how about a five star rating, or even leave us a review to tell us what you liked, and you might just be helping another entrepreneur like you find the bolt of inspiration they needed.
Stephanie Davis:
Dusty, can you believe that we've been working remote for a year now and have spent more time than ever at home?
Dusty Weis:
No, Steph. In fact, it's really hard to wrap my head around it. But you and I have been working really closely together, I mean, in each other's business, at least two or three times a week for five or six months now. And that's insane to me, because we have never met personally face-to-face. I've got other clients that I talk to monthly, clients that I've had for more than a year at this point, and I've never met them face-to-face.
Dusty Weis:
It's going to be weird when we're finally back to in-person work, because it's going to feel like we've got a lot of time to make up for. And I hate to tell you this, but we're going to find out real quick who's a hugger and who's not.
Stephanie Davis:
It's so true. COVID-19 has changed so much, from the way we work to how we buy things and just everything. But it also really impacted how people spend time with family and friends. Weddings and other life celebrations were paused, and nursing home residents weren't able to have visitors, which was hard.
Dusty Weis:
And that brings us to today's guest. Even before COVID-19 hit, Rachel Doyle, the founder of GlamourGals, saw a need to address elder isolation. Prior to the pandemic, 60% of people in nursing homes were not getting visitors. And since COVID, that number has increased due to the restrictions on visitors.
Dusty Weis:
The original concept behind GlamourGals was to reduce elder isolation by having high school and college volunteers provide makeovers to nursing home residents. And since COVID, they've pivoted to connect safely with these seniors.
Dusty Weis:
So today, we're talking to Rachel to learn more about the mission and inspiration behind GlamourGals, the #MyDearFriend campaign and the lessons that she's learned through her journey as a small business owner. So Rachel Doyle, thank you for joining us on Back of the Napkin.
Rachel Doyle:
Thank you so much for having me, guys.
Stephanie Davis:
Rachel, when we first connected, you said that you were inspired to launch GlamourGals because you had a grandmother in the nursing home. Can you explain more about that and how that experience shaped your inspiration for GlamourGals?
Rachel Doyle:
When I was in high school, I had always been involved in service. I was one of those students who was definitely involved in every activity. But I felt like a lot of the service we did, we never actually met the people whose lives we were trying to impact.
Rachel Doyle:
So when my grandmother had passed away in a senior home junior year of high school, I wanted to do something that honored her, but something that was relatable to me as a teenager. And for me, I loved fashion, beauty and makeup. So I thought, "Why can't I take the things that I love, that I'm passionate about, and use it to make people smile?"
Rachel Doyle:
And I remember thinking back to visiting my grandmother one of the last times, and we brought her to the mall. And there was this really kitschy place called Glamour Shots at the mall. You two might actually remember them. When I speak to teenagers these days they're like, "Glamor Shots, what's that?" And we actually tried to go in and do it, but push comes to shove, it was too expensive. We couldn't get dolled up and take a memorable picture together.
Rachel Doyle:
And I just thought back to that moment of, there is something special about giving someone a makeover or getting all dolled up and taking a photo together with that tangible memory. So when I combined the idea of doing those makeovers that I usually did with my friends to going into the senior homes and connecting with the residents there...
Rachel Doyle:
And if you have nothing else to talk about, you can say, "What color lipstick would you like," or "What color nail polish would you like?" And all of a sudden, the conversation turns into their first date or that horrible color blush that they wore once, or that they're so against makeup. And then before you know it, their nails are painted. They've got lipstick and blush. And they're telling me about their first boyfriend.
Rachel Doyle:
So I think it was a combination of just the personal journey that I had with my own grandmother and wanting to honor her, but also finding service that was relevant and relatable to myself as a teenager.
Dusty Weis:
So prior to COVID, the organization partnered with high school and college-aged students across the country to provide makeovers to nursing home residents. When did you get started? What was it like when you first got started? And how has the program grown through the years?
Rachel Doyle:
I never imagined that I would be at the helm of a nationally or globally recognized nonprofit that is now spread throughout 18 different states across the country and Canada.
Rachel Doyle:
I was 17. I remember getting the idea, thinking of the idea that summer, and then going to one of the local senior homes that I usually volunteered at maybe once a year, where you play a musical instrument over the holidays. And I went in and I pitched my idea called GlamourGals, where we would come in and give beauty makeovers and have conversations with the seniors there.
Rachel Doyle:
And the activities director turned to me and was like, "Who's the adult in charge? And who's your corporate sponsor?" And I'm like, with my little notepad, "I will get back to you. I have no idea what a corporate sponsor is." So I walked out of the double doors of that senior home, jumped into my mom's minivan and looked at her and said, "Well, you're an adult. Will you sign the paper for this woman?"
Rachel Doyle:
And back in the day, I actually opened up the Yellow Pages and started cold calling makeup companies pitching them. And I remember one of my first cold calls. I ended up on the line with a Mary Kay representative who just loved the idea. She was very close with her mom, who was in a senior home. And she said, "You know what? I'll donate all my makeup. I'll come with you to the very first makeover." So those were the humble beginnings of GlamourGals.
Rachel Doyle:
And then at our very first make-over a month or two later, things don't happen overnight, we had our very first makeover. And the senior home happened to just put out a press release. And the New York Times showed up to our very-
Dusty Weis:
Wow!
Rachel Doyle:
... first makeovers. So I remember walking into that room being like, "Okay, if this doesn't go well, my life is over. The New York Times is going to report on it." Thankfully, it went the opposite of that. And what began with just two volunteers that I had dragged from homeroom, now is a national movement with thousands of volunteers and making an impact in so many local communities connecting teens and seniors.
Rachel Doyle:
And although makeup was kind of the inspiration behind the service, there... It's become really a tool for conversation. And just like an artist has a paintbrush, we have our computers. It's just a tool, but it's really that during time when you sit and pause and connect with people. And that is the heart of the GlamourGals program, is that connection that we have.
Dusty Weis:
I've just got to say, I'm really impressed that at 17 years old, you were organizing volunteering events and calling sponsors and appearing in front of press crowds, because when I was 17, it was all I could do to get out of bed and make it to school by 8:30. I was not impressive as a teenager. And so my hat is off to you for that.
Dusty Weis:
But I also know from having spent a little bit of time volunteering that, there is nothing quite like the way that a group of seniors lights up when somebody comes in and just spends time with them. And particularly with the makeup aspect of that, how do the elders react when one of your groups shows up and wants to spend time with them?
Rachel Doyle:
I think what makes GlamourGals gals so unique is that, it's a group experience. So we would go into an activities room, which was probably painted peach and it was quiet and everybody is parked in a wheelchair, possibly, because a lot of times in homes the seniors have to be in wheelchairs, and there is this air of hesitancy. You could feel it.
Rachel Doyle:
I've been to thousands of volunteer opportunities with GlamourGals, and every one starts the same. We're all standing there. And then everybody takes that deep breath and just goes, "Let's have some fun. Let's connect with someone. Let's put our phone to the side and have a real conversation eye-to-eye."
Rachel Doyle:
A lot of times seniors, if they've had a stroke, they might be hunched over. And it's important to sit down next to someone eye-to-eye, have a conversation, which I think for teenagers these days, or for any of us, to lift our eyes up and look someone in the eyes and connect with them in that way is so rare that just by that action, it just unlocks this incredible atmosphere of connection.
Rachel Doyle:
And before you know it, the room is too loud. People are walking by going like, "What is happening in here?" People are coming in and joining, who originally maybe wanted to hang out in the hall. They weren't sure they were really into the makeup thing. And then you notice that the makeup thing is really just the hook to get people involved in something that maybe they're not as familiar with or comfortable with. And once that dissipates, it's conversations, it's wisdom, it's stories, it's advice. It's all these different layers.
Rachel Doyle:
And what's great is that the students then, with our national platform, they take it back and they can journal about it. And we call them these transformative journals, because they can journal right on their phones. They can earn service hours and awards and scholarships through our program. So these stories that are then captured at the senior home live on through the volunteer journals, and in their stories get to have a second act in the community that has disenfranchised them.
Stephanie Davis:
I love all of that. And that connection, to your point, is so important, especially now more than ever. Then COVID came along and disrupted all of that. And you couldn't go in and make those connections with people. So I know you did a pivot to do the #MyDearFriend campaign. How did that go? And how have you seen the success and still making those connections when you can't connect with people face-to-face right now?
Rachel Doyle:
So we started 2020 with two giant Mylar balloons that had 2 O, because that was supposed to be our 20th celebration. And we were going to bring these balloons to all of our events, because we paid a pretty penny for those darn balloons. And yeah, that didn't happen. Instead of this celebration of 20 years and continuing to grow, within a week of pausing our traditional programming... And this is where I'm excited to share the entrepreneurial mindset that as a social entrepreneur, I've always, I think had and utilized very efficiently where when there is a challenge I end up leaning in. And it scares me a little bit, but I love, I think, that uncomfortable time where creativity can really blossom and bring you to the next step.
Rachel Doyle:
So within a week, well, actually within pausing it that day, I literally said to my team, "We're going to write an email to our volunteers, to our senior home networks, and our larger networks. First, check in with them because we are in the business of helping people. And right now people are scared, and they just don't know this unknown time we're going into." We reached out to them and said, "How are you? How can we help? And how can we move forward together?"
Rachel Doyle:
And reflecting back, that's a great crisis plan. It was simple. You get answers. And then you move forward. And within a week, through the forward thinking of our volunteers and our own just creativity said, "We cannot let our teen volunteers go forward without us. And we can not forget about our seniors because we haven't for the past 20 years. We're not going to start now."
Rachel Doyle:
And one of the first campaigns we launched was the #MyDearFriend note writing. And I think it actually is a real throwback to when people used to write real letters. Like when people used to get together and have real conversations.
Dusty Weis:
I was going to say, did the teenagers these days know what a letter is?
Rachel Doyle:
Yes.
Dusty Weis:
[crosstalk 00:14:57] tell them?
Rachel Doyle:
And so we're teaching everybody how to a mail a letter again, even adults. I think we've all forgotten. But the reason why we called it, #MyDearFriend is that we launched it during a crisis. We didn't want any senior to feel left out because there is always some that are more popular than others. Everybody wants to write to Helen, but not Eleanor. So we wanted to make sure that every senior received a note.
Rachel Doyle:
They were easily distributed because as you know, everybody was in crisis, but for senior homes, especially in the beginning, it was horrific. I mean, it was really, really horrific. And so we wanted to make sure we could do a service that's easy, accessible, and could still have the same impact.
Dusty Weis:
And what happened to those Mylar balloons, the 2 0? Did those just sit in the office and eventually go the way that all Mylar balloons do, just crumpled up on the floor?
Rachel Doyle:
I know, right? We were actually switching offices the week they announced in New York City that New York City was going to shut down. And we were like, "Do we rebook the movers? Will we pay two rents?" This is where like the business part comes in. So we made a quick decision to say, "You know what? We got to do it now." So we literally moved our entire office mid-March. Those balloons are sitting in an office, which we've been in twice in the last year.
Dusty Weis:
[inaudible 00:16:23].
Rachel Doyle:
They're holding up. They're holding up.
Dusty Weis:
Well, the ability to pivot, as you said, it's just so important for small businesses, especially and for nonprofits. And GlamourGals is a nonprofit, the first nonprofit actually that we featured on this podcast.
Dusty Weis:
And I know that you founded your organization when you were just 17 years old, but had you, prior to that, had an established interest in working in the nonprofit space, or is it just something that you really discovered?
Rachel Doyle:
I had no idea that nonprofits could be people's jobs, like zero. I think, when I was in high school there wasn't social media. We still had those giant cell phones. I think it's when you create something, be it a business or an organization, that fills a demand in the community where when people are saying to you, "I want more of that," or "I need more of that," or "How can I be a part of that," that is what drove it forward.
Rachel Doyle:
I remember when I graduated high school, sitting on the couch with my dad being like, "Well, what do I do with GlamourGals?I'm going to go to college." And I said, "Well, you can't let everybody down, so let's just keep doing it."
Rachel Doyle:
And then in college, I got really involved in the entrepreneurial groups. I was part of all those pitch competitions. And I actually would win them, and then they would say to me, "Oh, well, you're like a nonprofit, so you're not going to move on. Your first place, but we're going to give it to the guy who's doing the business thing. And he's going to pitch against the master's students."
Dusty Weis:
Stop.
Rachel Doyle:
And I was like, "Wait a minute. A good idea is a good idea." No, I think, I didn't necessarily stumble into it, but as I continued to fill a demand, I decided to educate myself on it.
Rachel Doyle:
And I learned in college that people can be a social entrepreneur, people can run it like a business. And I think that's also what set GlamourGals apart and has given it some of its success, because so many people underestimate the resources, almost the business knowledge you need to make a nonprofit grow, and really serve in a way that has a return. And you can have staff and you have to deal with all of the business-like things within the confines of the nonprofit world, which there is a lot more, I feel, than private business even.
Stephanie Davis:
So with all of that and the initiatives you oversee and thinking about all of the business things, what does your business model look like specifically? How do you keep the lights on for you and your employees?
Rachel Doyle:
I mentioned that the nonprofit has to work within the confines of certain IRS law, but it doesn't mean you can't sometimes try anything and everything within those confines. So I've definitely been in years where I just said yes to everything.
Rachel Doyle:
Like, if a theater in Los Angeles wanted to say, "Let's collaborate on opening night of Legally Blonde and ticket sales will go to your organization. We'll get you on stage. You can talk about it. And then during intermission, we're going to sell dresses." We did a lot of creative things within those confines to bring in revenue, I think, diversified revenue.
Rachel Doyle:
And then there were other years where you pull back from that diversity and focus on what's really working, and definitely as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations. And I think that's a real cultural thing in the US.
Rachel Doyle:
When you go outside of the US, economies are run differently and there is a lot more support from the government and there isn't this culture of giving. So I think I'm really grateful that I was brought up in a country that has this culture of individual giving to that. And I think that's what, of course, is the driving force of nonprofit revenue aside from grants or government grants and sponsorships and things like that.
Dusty Weis:
Well, I'm the first one to admit that when it comes to nonprofits, there is a lot that I don't know about how they're run. And so I have just been fascinated by this entire concept so far here.
Dusty Weis:
We're going to continue this conversation with Rachel in just a moment. But first, it's time for us to check in with the SurePayroll bulletin.
Dusty Weis:
This is SurePayroll's Back of the Napkin podcast where entrepreneurs share the stories of their big journeys in small business. I'm Dusty Weis.
Stephanie Davis:
And I'm Stephanie Davis. And we've been chatting with Rachel Doyle, CEO and founder of GlamourGals. Before we dive back into our conversation with Rachel, we want to do a quick fast five with Rachel to better understand her. So Rachel, when you're looking out your office window, what do you see?
Rachel Doyle:
I see, actually traffic for the first time in a long time.
Dusty Weis:
Let's talk about the quarantine, hopefully that we're coming out of soon as vaccines go into arms here. Did you hop on any of the big quarantine trends? Were you a big bread baker or what was your quarantine coping mechanism?
Rachel Doyle:
I mean, I love sourdough and I wish I had the time to make it seven different ways. I have two small children and running a national organization, so I was not bread baking. I'll tell you that. I'm maybe more cocktail making during that time.
Dusty Weis:
[crosstalk 00:21:51]. Yeah, I went through that phase.
Rachel Doyle:
Spicy margaritas, anybody? But I did jump on that coffee, that frothy coffee thing, that really pretty frothy. Do you remember that, anybody?
Stephanie Davis:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Rachel Doyle:
I did it once. I thought it was cool. And then I bought all those packets and never did it again.
Stephanie Davis:
Fair.
Rachel Doyle:
I tried it.
Stephanie Davis:
Do you have a favorite sport or favorite sports team?
Rachel Doyle:
So this is a shout-out to my husband. By default, I love St. Pauli. Are you guys international soccer fans at all, football, as they say in Germany?
Dusty Weis:
I try, but I haven't quite gotten there yet.
Rachel Doyle:
So St. Pauli is this awesome team out of Hamburg. They're third division soccer in Germany, but they are just so awesome. If you ever go to a sports game, you have to go to St. Pauli in Hamburg, because any other sports game you go to after that, you'll be like, "It is so quiet in this stadium."
Dusty Weis:
What about your first job? What was the first paycheck you ever pulled?
Rachel Doyle:
I mean, I think I started probably and it's babysitting. I actually had an informal party planning business. I know you had another person on talking about party planning. And I'm like, "Oh yeah. Vendors and things like that." I was too young to do that. I think I had a little more just internal creativity. I guess my first real paycheck was, I was a telemarketer for chimney cleaning.
Dusty Weis:
Ooh, that's tough.
Stephanie Davis:
Amazing.
Rachel Doyle:
I'll tell you this, I think I took it as a summer job thinking, "Well, I get paid to prank call people," because who really answers the phone and really books chimney cleaning? And they liked me. They were like, "You got a great voice on the phone. You're nice." But I was always handed the Yellow Pages. And so you either call everybody whose last name is Smith, but they've been called a thousand times, so they hate you, anybody named Smith. Then you have all these really odd names. And then you're like, "Am I pronouncing it right?"
Rachel Doyle:
And everybody seemed to rent. So I remember once if I booked five chimney cleanings and got a six one, I got a bonus. And so I called up my parents like, "Listen, if I get the five bookings, will you just be my sixth, so I could get the bonus?" I don't think I booked anyone that summer.
Dusty Weis:
I bet your parents had the cleanest darn chimney in town though.
Rachel Doyle:
Yeah, right. So yes, telemarketing, chimney cleaning.
Stephanie Davis:
All right. If you get to spend an hour having coffee with any three famous people living or dead, who do you choose?
Rachel Doyle:
Trevor Noah, because he's just so sharp. Everything he says is so sharp. Maybe him and his 10 writers, but Trevor Noah. Gandhi, of course, pre fasting, because we're having coffee. Just because I feel like someone who has so much patience, we can all learn from that. And an Egyptian, the Egyptians like back in the day of the pyramids, because my first question would be, "How did you build this? How did you do it?"
Dusty Weis:
GlamourGals has been around for about 20 years. That's a really impressive milestone for a small business, especially one that was founded by a 17 year old. Do you ever just stop and reflect on that? How has that journey been?
Rachel Doyle:
I think I have so many pinch me moments. I think when I've had success, I don't get too comfortable in it, especially if you've been covered by the press. It's so fleeting. One day Oprah is talking about it. The next day New York Times is writing about it. But that's just one article. That's one four minute segment. And then all the time you fill between it is what really propels something forward. So there has always been this ebb and flow.
Rachel Doyle:
There's definitely been times where I thought, "I don't know if this is just going to crush us. It's just too challenging for us to get through," be it anything from funding to HR, all those great things people have to deal with in business.
Rachel Doyle:
And what I found is that if you're willing to lean in and be comfortable when you're uncomfortable in it and work through it, you actually now can... I can now look back on two decades and trust my gut and say, "I have a good intuition." Or when people ask me a question, I have great answers. And you can be proud of it and have a little confidence in it, but never stop learning and never stop putting yourself in those uncomfortable positions that get you there.
Stephanie Davis:
So you mentioned a lot of the press you've received. And part of that included Oprah, which is a big deal. How did that impact your business and all, and what did that feel like to be recognized by Oprah? I just can't stop saying that, by Oprah, because she's great.
Rachel Doyle:
It was a really big deal and was not expected. She had read the New York Times article. So it happened within the first year of starting GlamourGals. And it was still a high school project. We weren't a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. So actually having that press brought us a lot of validity. I would literally say, "Oprah likes us." It opened the door, come on. But it's funny how it happened. I was in AP Stats, not my favorite class. And I got called down to the principal's office. The people were like, "Ooh."
Dusty Weis:
Like, "Shut up."
Rachel Doyle:
"You skipped gym, Rachel?" And I go down to the principal's office. They sit me down and they said, "Rachel, do you know Oprah?" And I'm like, "Yeah, I'm having coffee with her next week. No, I have no idea." I'm like, "Yeah, she's on the TV." And they're like, "Well, she called the school." And I'm like, "Oprah called the school?" They're like, "No. Oprah's people called the school. But Oprah, and they want to talk to you."
Rachel Doyle:
And I remember it was a really big deal that they let me made the long distance phone call from New York to Chicago out of the principal's office. And I talked to them. It was a Tuesday. And they're like, "And we're going to be there on Friday and we're going to film you in your house." And then I was like, "Oh, okay." This stuff moves fast. And my mom was like, "Okay, we need a new house, because no way my house is going to be on TV." But they work all the camera angles anyway. And I'm like, "Well, school clearly knows I'm not in school because I'm filming with Oprah."
Rachel Doyle:
And they literally showed up. It was the nicest crew. And that piece that aired, it was called a spirit piece. It was a four minute long piece that she shows at the end. And she introed it with, "Rachel Doyle has found the secret to a beauty makeover that makes any woman feel special," or paraphrasing, something like that. And that replayed every Thanksgiving for four years.
Rachel Doyle:
And my biggest regret with that is that I didn't have a thing called a website. I couldn't get on Dateline for the Oprah effect. After years later, well, I'm like, "The phone rings off the hook." I was a minor. So people, to get in touch with me, had to find out what high school I was in. And they did. They would call the main office. And literally, I had all these secretaries working for me because I'd get called down to the main office six more times because I got a delivery of packages for donations or people wanted to get in touch with me. So in the beginning, I saw the power of the press.
Rachel Doyle:
And then later on, I learned how I could use that a little more strategically in college, how I could control the narrative. I was working out and reading one of those magazines. Oh, magazines. Right?
Dusty Weis:
Yeah.
Rachel Doyle:
Magazines. And I responded to an editor's letter, and because I felt like I had something relevant to say. And they actually called my dorm room, the editor of the magazine saying, "You know what? We don't want to just feature your response. We actually want to do a column about the organization." So I think there is a power in being relevant and using press to tell your story in a strategic way and be able to control a little bit of that.
Rachel Doyle:
In the beginning, it was more of other people driving the story. And I think that's great when your idea is novel, but if you can continue and see how you can utilize the press to grow your business, it's helpful.
Dusty Weis:
I think, it's incredible that at 17 years old you had an entire team of managers vis-a-vis the office staff at your high school and how fortunate then. But now you've moved on to managing a team of four employees at your foundation. When you look at yourself as an employer, how do you go about cultivating a good workplace culture to really help your employees provide the most value to your nonprofit?
Rachel Doyle:
As a small employer, I think you face a lot of challenge of building culture. And I think it has to be at the forefront of every day and how you communicate on a daily basis with your employees. I think the idea of always being open to creativity, conversation, and ideas, and letting them know they can be heard, maybe at the end of the day I'm in charge, the buck stops with me, it might be my decision, but at least I took the time to listen and hear your view.
Rachel Doyle:
But it's fun, because I think that's something intimate we can offer people that gets lost at big companies, that most people can hide behind office plants or responsibility can be shoulder onto someone else. And there is all those weird office dynamics that can happen with a larger team. Whereas, a small team, when you really gel, it's really fun to work with people and be able to identify what strengths they have and really dial into those to make them really productive at their work, make them proud of what they do.
Rachel Doyle:
And so much of that ethos already happens with our volunteers, that I'm constantly trying to bring the same values and programming that we do with our volunteers into our small, humble operations at the head office. It gets important that they mirror one another.
Stephanie Davis:
I love all of that and think that's so important. And it's great that you all collaborate so well with all of that, with everybody being engaged and excited. You've been crushing goals throughout all of this. What's next. What are you hoping to achieve and focus on?
Rachel Doyle:
So the past year, when we've pivoted to our new and safe programming, we of course, launched the #MyDearFriend campaign. We launched actually a coloring book that was distributed. We just distributed 3,000 coloring books. And what's unique about that is that, the pictures are all based on real program photos submitted from our volunteers. So the seniors are able to, not just color any old thing, they can remember the past. And I always feel like anything that's worth remembering, you put it in a book. So we did that.
Rachel Doyle:
But I think what's important to recognize is that, the Boomer population is only growing older. This is a demand that's going to be continuing. So we're not about to expand into different demographics. I think we really want to stay focused on serving the seniors in our communities.
Rachel Doyle:
They're behind those double doors and forgotten about so much that, you have to keep that focus on your mission and not have mission creep. But at the same time, I think we showed in the last year that our creativity and being agile in that process can help us get to serve more people, even in difficult times. So I would say, keeping that creativity to make sure that the longer-term impact of addressing elder isolation is still top of the list.
Stephanie Davis:
I think all of that's great. And I'm excited to follow along and see what happens. And one of these times, I need to get involved in the #MyDearFriend campaign too, because I think it's super important and that's just good for everybody. And you're right. I got a letter from a friend the other day and she was like, "I don't normally do this." And I'm like, "I don't normally get these, but this is great." So I think what you're doing is awesome. And this has been so much fun to talk about.
Rachel Doyle:
Well, April 5th, we're launching our next spring #MyDearFriend campaign and our most ambitious goal yet of 50,000 letters. So people can sign up at our website and actually join the #MyDearFriend campaign. The beautiful thing is at any generation, anybody can get involved and write a kind note. We teamed up with an artist, [Lan Deblah 00:34:49]. And she makes these hand painted, hand water colored cards. So if you're short on time, for a small donation, you can just download cards and write notes. And they have lots of tips and things like that, so.
Dusty Weis:
Well, I'm here for it. I'm stretching out my wrist now because it's been a long time since I actually put pen to paper and pen to letter. But Rachel Doyle, the founder and CEO of GlamourGals, thank you so much for joining us today on Back of the Napkin.
Rachel Doyle:
Thank you for having me, guys.
Dusty Weis:
Well, that was a heck of a start to season two there, Steph.
Stephanie Davis:
Absolutely. When I first connected with Rachel, I related to her story as I had a grandma in the nursing home for many years. However, we were very fortunate because we lived right next door to the nursing home. And so we could pop in and visit her frequently. But I always felt for the people who didn't have that luxury. And I love the work that GlamourGals is doing.
Dusty Weis:
Yeah, absolutely. And what a lucky grandma you must've had, Steph. But same as you, and as I've watched the news throughout the pandemic, the hardest scenes for me to stomach were always the ones where people were forced to interact with their loved ones through the windows at nursing homes. It was just heart wrenching to see. And I think that with vaccines finally starting to go into arms here, it's just, it's such a relief to know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. And I think it's a relief to know that Rachel and her group are still out there finding new ways to do their work.
Dusty Weis:
But that much said, that's all that we have for this episode of Back of the Napkin, where we explore big journeys in the world of small business with the personalities who make it happen.
Stephanie Davis:
Please make sure that you're subscribed in your favorite podcast app. And if you enjoyed the show, leave us a five star rating or even a review. We would love to hear from you about any ideas that you have for small business owners who we should be featuring on this show.
Dusty Weis:
Back of the Napkin is brought to you by SurePayroll. From easy online payroll to 401k support and award-winning customer service, SurePayroll has been serving the payroll and business needs of small businesses for more than 20 years.
Stephanie Davis:
Here on Back of the Napkin, I am the executive producer and co-producers are Carey Straetz and Dave Pappa. Our production partners are Podcamp Media.
Dusty Weis:
Where we provide branded podcast production services for businesses. Our editor and producer is Larry Kilgore III. So thanks for tuning in to Back of the Napkin. I'm Dusty Weis.
Stephanie Davis:
And I'm Stephanie Davis.
