One of the core sponsors to the BIG Dream Gathering in Iowa City on November 19th is Jim Lewis.

He’s CEO of Relationship Marketing, Inc in Des Moines, Iowa.  He’s also a proud alumni of The University of Iowa.

But most importantly… he’s a BIG DREAM Advocate!

Recently, I was able to sit down with Jim and talk with him about some of his own dreams as well as find out about why he’s helping to sponsor the upcoming BDG.

Check out the interview…

If you haven’t heard about Jim… you need to find out more!

He’s a true innovator and one of the University of Iowa’s true success stories!

Plus… he leads one of the most innovative organizations in Des Moines.

It’s Relationship Marketing, Inc.

Here’s the scoop on them…

Relationship Marketing is a data-driven marketing practice that architects multi-channel pharma promotional campaigns. So, what does that really mean? They use customer insight to inform a relationship strategy with the customer’s professional targets – one that delivers on their preferences today and tomorrow with relevant, customized content.  Then they lead their clients through the maze of non-personal promotion vendors to identify best-in-class channels to ensure engagement with their customer’s targets, while collaborating with them to guarantee every tactic is measured, an ROI is calculated and everyone is accountable, including RMI.

Plus… Jim literally has a slide in his office.

That’s right… you can jump in a tube slide to get from the second floor to the first floor at Relationship Marketing!

Yeah… fun stuff and the very stuff that inspires big dreamin’ and big thinkin’!

Love it!

Thanks Jim for being such a BDG supporter and a BIG DREAM Advocate!

Mitch

The U of I Alumni Association is a co-sponsor for the the BIG Dream Gathering that will be held on Friday, November 19th.

I was recently able to sit down and talk with Leslie Prideaux, the Assistant Director of Alumni Programs for the University of Iowa.

She attended a BIG Dream Gathering we held in Kansas City and she’s been a true catalyst for the BIG Dream Gathering coming to the University of Iowa ever since!  So it was fun to sit down and hear her perspective on dreaming big!

Plus, it was great to hear why she thinks students, alumni and the community should be dreaming BIG together!

Check out the video here:

We also want to say a BIG DREAM GATHERING THANK YOU to the University of Iowa’s Alumni Association for their support of the BIG Dream Gathering!

If you’d like to find out more about the BIG Dream Gathering on November 19th, just click here!

We couldn’t do it without you!

Keep dreaming BIG,

Mitch

Evan is a University of Iowa senior and he’s got a big dream!

He wants to develop blockbuster websites and help people to master social media.

As he’s building his repertoire… he wants to assist some other people with their big dream.

Check out my interview with him…

Think about it.

Do you have a big dream to let the world know about a great product, service or freakishly cool idea?

Do you need to build a web presence around it?

Maybe Evan can help you out.

And you can help him in the process too!

Why not leave a comment below and let him know.  Leave him some encouragement! Shoot him an idea or a connection.  Or… pitch him on helping YOU with YOUR big dream!

You just never know.

By the way… did you hear him talk about his own BIG Dream Gathering experience during the interview?  Why not come to the BDG at the University of Iowa on Friday, November 19th? (Click here for the specifics)

Maybe you can post of few of your own BIG dreams… and just see where it takes you!

Keep dreaming BIG,

Mitch

On Sunday, my family and I were headed back from a BIG Dream Gathering event in Chicago.

As we made our way through Davenport, Iowa… we stopped for the ever important cup of coffee.

To our surprise… we were greeted by tables full of FREE cake!

And not just any cake.

It was some of the BEST cake I’d ever tasted!

The fun surprise was that there was a BIG dream behind all of it!

As it turns out… the cakes were made by Serenda (who I’m convinced was an angel with hidden wings!).

Serenda’s Story

Serenda’s story is that she’s baked for as long as she can remember.  She started with her mom when she was a child and she has used family recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Sadly, in 2005, her sweet mom passed away, but Serenda kept baking and she kept the family recipes and traditions alive.  As she did, she realized she had a BIG dream of getting her mom’s wonderfully ooey-gooey baked treats out to the world!

Serenda’s AWESOME Family

Enter her sister… Nancy Pearl Scott who lives in St. Paul.

Nancy challenged Serenda to do it.  To walk out her big dream.  She asked her a few questions.  Things like…

“Why not start small?”

“What if we just gave some cake away to see what would happen?”

“What if we just had some fun with it?”

So they did.

Believe it or not, a local Starbucks offered them a space to set up a few tables.

That’s right!

Heck, the Starbucks probably sacrificed some sales of their own treats to support a BIG dreamer like this.  (Now, I’m not sure if this is corporate policy.  And I realize it’s a bit of a slippery slope for Starbucks to start supporting EVERYONE’s big dream like this.  BUT I will say that I became wildly loyal to Starbucks because they helped with Serenda’s BIG dream that day!)

A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT STEP

Serenda was taking a small but significant step towards her BIG dream.

Her family was there in full force too!  Handing out the cake.  Letting people know how they could order the cake.  Asking for input and ideas.  Telling the story.

It was the picture of how BIG dreams get launched!

Serenda’s family came around her with enthusiastic… ALL IN… support for her BIG dream.

And guess what… it was WORKING!

People were sticking around.  They were tasting Serenda’s incredible offerings.  They were asking for menus and order forms.

I know that Mel and I were thinking about how we could order cakes from Serenda for our next party!  (And let me just say that it wasn’t just because it would help her big dream.  Nope.  The cakes were THAT good!  I literally was thinking about when I could make the 3 hour drive back over… just so I could have some of that lemon cake melt in my mouth again!!)

So… why not let Serenda know that you believe in her big dream by leaving a comment here.

Or better yet, why not call her at 563.650.7104 and order a cake… a pie… or something extra special that’s not even on her menu?

If you’re in the Davenport or Quad Cities area, why not help spread the word about Serenda and her “Sweet Pearls Desserts?”

You could play a part in launching her BIG dream… and enjoy some sweet sweet cake along the way!

What if we took a lesson from Nancy’s playbook?

Lastly, what if we all took a lesson from Serenda’s awesome sister Nancy?  What if we looked around at our family and/or friends today… to see if someone has a big dream percolating?  What if we went a step further and asked them about… and supported them in their big dream?

What if we helped to set up a way for them to experiment with their BIG dream?

What if?

What could that look like for you… today?

Let’s do it.

And let’s eat some cake along the way!!

Keep dreaming BIG,

Mitch

Oh… we love this BIG dream.

Check out Susie Kindler’s big dream of writing a children’s book.  If you do… she’ll even sing for you!

What do you think?

Have you got some encouragement, ideas or connections for Susie?

Let her know by leaving a comment here or by connecting with her directly at: susiekindler@yahoo.com!

We can’t wait to see this book on shelves… and more importantly… in kiddo’s hands!

Great job Susie!

Go get ‘em,

Mitch

I met Eric and his parents this week.

He’s an amazing kid and he’s someone we can all learn from.

I mean hey… I’ve been talking with people about their BIG dreams for years now, and it’s rare that anyone can tell me about their big dreams with the clarity that Eric did.  (Heck, I don’t know that I can state mine this clearly!!)

Check him out…

Click here: Eric’s BIG dream from the BIG dream gathering.

Now, granted.  He’s young.  His dream might change and that’s ok.

But at the same time… I’m betting on Eric.

I can see him in the front row of classes at the University of Louisville.

I can see him working with the finest race horses in the world.

I can imagine that great smile and that humble confidence really kicking in when his horses win big some day!

Can’t you?

Why not leave him a comment to encourage him?

Do you have a suggestion or an idea?

Click on comments and let him know.

Thanks for dreaming big together gang!

And watch for more videos and dreamer updates in the coming weeks!

Andre Allen has a BIG dream.

Want to help?

Have you got some ideas or connections?

How about an encouraging word or thought for Andre?

Why not leave a comment and let him know?

It’s just that easy.

Keep dreaming BIG and let’s help each other out!

Many of you know about John Cheatem.

If you don’t… you should check out his music.  It’ll bless your flippin’ socks off!  (Click here to find out more.)

Here’s a snapshot of his BIG dream… as well as some words of wisdom on going after your own BIG dreams.

What do you say?

How would you encourage John?

How have you been impacted by his music?

Do you think he can do it?

Leave a comment and let him know.

And hey… what if you helped to spread the word on his BIG dream?  You just never know who your connections might be able to connect him with.

Let’s spread the word… and just see what happens!

P.S. – Be watching for more interviews from BIG dreamers who attended the most recent BIG dream gathering.  Our videographer, Calvin J. is pulling them together now, and we’ll be bringing you more in the coming days!

P.S.2 – Check out some of John’s singing via youtube by clicking here. And you can see an interview I conducted with John earlier this year by clicking here.

If you were able to attend the BIG Dream Gathering that we had at Hope in West Des Moines, you know it was an amazing two days of dreaming BIG!

We had over 600 people come to dream and connect.  Plus, we had over 2000 dreams get posted on the walls!

Here are some photos from designer, digital storyteller and friend of the BIG Dream Gathering… Jocelyn Wallace.

Watch for more photos and videos to come!

Plus, if you were there and took some pics… we’d love to feature them.

Just shoot them over to us at Mitch@BIGDreamGathering.com and we’ll give you credit!

Again, be watching for updates over the next few days and weeks.

Thanks for dreaming BIG with us,

Mitch

I met Elizabeth Krueger recently after a talk I gave about the BIG Dream Gathering story.

She had been to a BDG a few years ago, and she let me know about some of the big dream sheets she’d posted.

As we talked, I found out that she loved to combine her passion for photography with inspirational quotes.

I can’t help myself, so I asked if she had any of her work with her… and reluctantly at first… but then bravely… she showed me a few examples of what she’d done.

I was really impressed!  She obviously had an amazing eye for photography, but then she also had an awesome ability to combine her shots with just the right text.

Let me show you so examples…

If you’re an artist… you know how much guts it takes to put your artwork out there for the world to see.

So I’m sooooo proud and excited for Elizabeth… that she would have the guts to draw a line in the sand and to tell the world that this is one of her big dreams.

What do you say?

Do you have a thought or an encouraging word for Elizabeth?

Leave a comment and let her know.  I’m betting it would mean the world to her.

Plus, it might just help her to keep on her journey towards this BIG dream.  It might just help her to keep exploring and experimenting with this big dream.

So if you believe in her or you appreciate her work… let her know with a comment.

And in the meantime… keep dreaming BIG,

Mitch