Trudean Haye

Before you start your own foundation, look into your community and see what's already going on. A lot of times people will think they want to start something because they don't see it, but did you look first? How many organizations have you volunteered with? Whether it's helping at a women's shelter, did you reach out to them? Did you see where they're lacking support? When it comes to children's organizations, are you looking into what they need? Are they lacking support? That's one of the biggest things I looked for in Philadelphia. I didn't want to do all the work in the beginning, so I was like, who can I volunteer with? I volunteered with them out, and there was nowhere for me to actually volunteer, nothing for me to do. That's why I launched my foundation. But now there are so many nonprofits popping up. Look and see where support is needed and what you can do before you actually start your own, because having a business in general is not an easy feat. Sometimes being a part of something that's already started, you can still be great. You don't have to start something on your own to be great, to be helpful, or to be supportive. You can reach out to see what's there and just take it from there.

There are a lot of challenges, especially in today's age and generation and our current administration. But with those challenges comes knowing the climate in which we're in and knowing how to navigate it, because if it's not one thing, it's always going to be another. You can't stress yourself out over the challenges. If you didn't get this grant, okay, move on to the next. Maybe you'll get a smaller grant. If we don't have funding for certain things, that's when we lean more into our community. Let's do more community work, let's reach out to the community, because the same community we're pouring into should be able to pour back into us so we can help someone else. Our biggest strength is that if we don't have something we can help the community with, we can go online and say, hey, we have a mom who needs formula, can somebody buy a thing of formula for her, and everybody pitches together. Even if it's somebody giving five dollars, that five dollars adds up. Five people give five dollars, we can put that together and provide dinner for a family. The challenges will always be there, but there are things that come with those challenges, because community is important and community is what we're built on.

The biggest value for my personal and professional life is boundaries, knowing when to say no and knowing your limits. As an entrepreneur and when you're doing community work, you really want to help everyone, and sometimes you will stretch yourself so thin that you're burnt out. Very early on, I created a model where Trudy does not work during the wintertime because I hate the cold. But also, no is a full sentence. If I say no, this is exactly what I mean. I don't have to give you an explanation. Creating those boundaries and knowing your limits is so important. I have a hard stop at 5 o'clock because I have to tend to my kids, I have to make dinner. I can't do any meetings past a certain time. If it's an emergency, of course I'll pick up the phone, but just creating those boundaries are my biggest values.