ORIGIN OF COLLECTIVE: A MOVE FROM " I" TO "WE"

When asked why I use the word “collective” if I am only one person, I answer, “Well, that’s actually not entirely true.” I am a collection of ideas, of things I have read, and of skills I have learned. I am the brainchild of my dynamic parents, my loving family, and my gifted friends. I am one part nature and I am boundless parts nurture.

Collective, to me, means many things.

It means me, you, and us. It means your story, my story, and the story of the world. It means the inspiration that binds us, and the shared values that keep us connected.

Collective, to us, means so many things.

In business, when a collective is formed, there is no limit to what we can produce. We are collective wisdom, collective decision - making, and collective memory.

The term itself can mean so many things, and so for me, it means the act of bringing the right gifts, the right people, and the right organizations together to ignite ideas, set goals, and activate plans.

So yes, it’s true. Jennifer Harris is one person. Yet, she is also a collective; fundraiser, thinker, writer. She is a collaboration strategist and a connector. She is an integrator and an activator, a leader and a team builder. 

I read once, “If we connect to our greatest bodies and minds, then we can collectively transform the world.”  -Rupa

As if pulled straight from my brain, my vision too is that simple: let’s do good work, with good people, in good organizations – it all flows outward from there.