Each Friday Dabble highlights a fearless leader, doer, creator or thinker on our blog with simple questions about how they live their lives. Tell us who we should feature next by emailing fearless@dabble.co.
Brittany Martin Graunke Founder, Zealous Good
Brittany started Zealous Good two years ago when she realized all the extra stuff she had lying around the house would be better served by charities. She looked for a place to donate, and couldn’t find anything. And that’s how the awesome idea of Zealous Good was born.
We’ve had many a cup of coffee (and cocktails) with Brittany over the past few years. Each time we walk away with a renewed sense of optimism and focus – because that’s the type of energy that Brittany brings to the table. Here’s some insight into how Brittany approaches her work (and life):
What gets you up in the morning?
Literally my dog will wake me up if I attempt to sleep in and without fail, a good work out will help get me moving and started on the day. Mentally and personally, what gets me started in the day is thinking about my awesome team at Zealous Good, the non-profits we work with, and the potential connections we’re going to make that day. I also am motivated by thinking of all the people who are getting rid of stuff by not using Zealous Good and how much we’d be able to improve their experience if they did!
How do you approach work/life balance?
I’m a better human being when I’m able to balance work and life. I’m a huge extrovert so to get energy I try to make sure to see friends weekly and to spend some time, even if it’s just a meal, with my husband daily. I also try to exercise daily because I find I think most clearly when I’m active. That being said, I am constantly thinking about work and really consider Zealous Good to be my first born child. I definitely don’t have balance in my mind because it’s hard not to constantly think about the successes or trials of the day or where we’re striving to be in the future.
Why did you decide to go after your passion?
I really couldn’t not go after my passion. I vividly remember when I got the idea for what is now Zealous Good. It shocked my that no one had built something that helped people donate their excess items to local charities. I researched, and while I found that it was going to be hard to execute, I saw the upside of what could be accomplished and what impact could be created. I feel like I was uniquely built to start Zealous Good – I’m an engineer/management consultant/non-profit strategist and all those experiences and training led me to see the opportunity that is now Zealous Good. Not every day is full of rainbows and puppies because I get to work on something that I’m passionate about. But, every day I am learning, developing, improving something that I care so deeply about. And, somedays do feel kind of like rainbows and puppies!
Check out Zealous Good for yourself: Website | Facebook | Twitter