Psst! Hey! Guess what?
It’s our birthday!
Eight years ago, on May 27, 2014, Spark! was born. Throw the confetti! Sound the band! Cheers to all those we have partnered with!
We’re here to celebrate because getting here was no cake walk (Get it? Cake. Birthday. We know you’re laughing.). Spark! has been through its fair share of ups and downs over the years, and we’re so grateful to be where we are today.
Since we’ve been talking about the Hero’s Journey a lot over the past few weeks, we couldn’t pick a better time to share our story of how we’ve learned and adapted our model to suit a changing world.
What started with one response to a request for proposals (RFP) in 2014 resulted in a business growing in capability and capacity. Shannon McGuire, Spark!’s Chief Empowerment Officer and our fearless leader, led us through the gorge, turned adversity into advantage, and worked to usher us into the future.
Back in 2019, Spark! comfortably existed in the “known world” of the Hero’s Journey, working and co-creating with a variety of clients. During the summer of 2020, Spark! was called to be a guide that supported Idaho on its BIG Dream quest. Amidst the fear, uncertainty and chaos of our pandemic-driven world, leaders asked us to help bridge divides through cross-sector collaboration advancing unity and mental well-being. No easy feat considering the challenges being faced.
In traditional Hero’s Journey fashion, we were hesitant at first - we resisted the call. But in the end, Spark! answered the call to the BIG Dream, met our guide at the time, and crossed the threshold into the unknown world.
While that BIG Dream was underway, Spark! as a company simultaneously was experiencing a different Hero’s Journey and call to a BIG Dream—well, it was actually Shannon's calling that helped us pause. She had a new burning desire to help people feel good about being themselves, the pandemic having sparked (hey, we like puns) this passionate pursuit.
As both calls to adventure loomed overhead, Shannon, our fearless leader, contemplated killing Spark!. Working with a variety of leaders, we began to deepen our human-centered systems focus and more deeply advance our work under unity. A new team emerged, as did a way to mesh both BIG Dreams. Against her best attempts, Spark! refused to quit, and we survived. No hard feelings, right Shannon?
As it turned out, the work Shannon started fostering unity and co-creating harmonious, vibrant communities was direly needed, especially as the societal landscape of the 2020s began to unfold. Shannon returned to reinvest in Spark!, igniting the flame quickly growing into a blaze.
Having returned to the known world with the elixir, Shannon and the Spark! team are committed to advancing Human-Centered YOUnityTM across the globe in the pursuit of building a better world.
Interested in learning more about navigating your own Hero’s Journey or learning more about Human-Centered YOUnity™?
It’s our birthday!
Eight years ago, on May 27, 2014, Spark! was born. Throw the confetti! Sound the band! Cheers to all those we have partnered with!
We’re here to celebrate because getting here was no cake walk (Get it? Cake. Birthday. We know you’re laughing.). Spark! has been through its fair share of ups and downs over the years, and we’re so grateful to be where we are today.
Since we’ve been talking about the Hero’s Journey a lot over the past few weeks, we couldn’t pick a better time to share our story of how we’ve learned and adapted our model to suit a changing world.
What started with one response to a request for proposals (RFP) in 2014 resulted in a business growing in capability and capacity. Shannon McGuire, Spark!’s Chief Empowerment Officer and our fearless leader, led us through the gorge, turned adversity into advantage, and worked to usher us into the future.
Back in 2019, Spark! comfortably existed in the “known world” of the Hero’s Journey, working and co-creating with a variety of clients. During the summer of 2020, Spark! was called to be a guide that supported Idaho on its BIG Dream quest. Amidst the fear, uncertainty and chaos of our pandemic-driven world, leaders asked us to help bridge divides through cross-sector collaboration advancing unity and mental well-being. No easy feat considering the challenges being faced.
In traditional Hero’s Journey fashion, we were hesitant at first - we resisted the call. But in the end, Spark! answered the call to the BIG Dream, met our guide at the time, and crossed the threshold into the unknown world.
While that BIG Dream was underway, Spark! as a company simultaneously was experiencing a different Hero’s Journey and call to a BIG Dream—well, it was actually Shannon's calling that helped us pause. She had a new burning desire to help people feel good about being themselves, the pandemic having sparked (hey, we like puns) this passionate pursuit.
As both calls to adventure loomed overhead, Shannon, our fearless leader, contemplated killing Spark!. Working with a variety of leaders, we began to deepen our human-centered systems focus and more deeply advance our work under unity. A new team emerged, as did a way to mesh both BIG Dreams. Against her best attempts, Spark! refused to quit, and we survived. No hard feelings, right Shannon?
As it turned out, the work Shannon started fostering unity and co-creating harmonious, vibrant communities was direly needed, especially as the societal landscape of the 2020s began to unfold. Shannon returned to reinvest in Spark!, igniting the flame quickly growing into a blaze.
Having returned to the known world with the elixir, Shannon and the Spark! team are committed to advancing Human-Centered YOUnityTM across the globe in the pursuit of building a better world.
Interested in learning more about navigating your own Hero’s Journey or learning more about Human-Centered YOUnity™?
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