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Thirty-seven years ago, as he made his way across the dirt roads of Soweto, South Africa, Joe Eilerman wondered how he could help “the indigenous tribes trying to eke out an existence,” he recalls. And, though he wishes he had reached out to poor communities such as those in South Africa much earlier in his life, his work today should do him proud. In early 2011, the longtime Midmark technical publications department manager completed the necessary paper work and tax forms and by July, his charitable organization, the Mission of the Body and Blood, was formally recognized in the state of Ohio.
“My motivation for starting this mission is a direct result of my days working at Stamco, a steel mill manufacturer,” he says, referring to the early days of his career when he joined Jack Eiting (brother of former Midmark CEO Jim Eiting). “Jack sent me to the Republic of South Africa for seven months to work on the installation of some steel mill equipment at Iscor, a government-owned steel mill in the town of Vanderbijlpark (approximately 50 kilometers north of Johannesburg). I would often drive by the township of Soweto, which housed some of the poor. On weekends I would travel the dirt roads throughout the area and watch some of the indigenous tribes trying to eke out an existence. I knew at that point that I should do something to make a difference for these people.” It’s a shame it took so long to get started, he adds.
After an extended strike at Stamco in 1976, Eilerman moved on to a technical publications position with Crown Lift Trucks (New Bremen, Ohio), followed by a position at his brother-in-law’s company, Fabcor. “During my two years at Fabcor, I did some technical publications contract work for Rudy Quinter and Bob Wyen at Midmark,” says Eilerman. Soon afterward, in December 1990, he joined Midmark’s technical publications department full time. Two months shy of his 21st anniversary with the company, he was forced to retire early to focus on treatment for cancer. “I worked until Oct. 4, 2011, at which time I went on permanent disability,” he says. “I truly love the company and wish I could have retired [much later]. I should add that my father, brother and I collectively worked over 100 years for Midmark.”
A long time coming
In a way, starting a mission is Eilerman’s means of paying it forward. “In early 2009, I was being treated at the Mayo Clinic and had to fly to Rochester, Minn., every couple of weeks,” he recalls. “My teammates at Midmark took up a collection to help defray the travel and hotel expenses for my wife, Peg, and me. It made a huge difference. Once I completed my treatment and returned to work, I realized I couldn’t possibly repay all of their generosity.” So, he promised to pay it forward. Hence, the Mission of the Body and Blood took shape. “In actuality, this mission belongs to everyone at Midmark,” he says.
“I toyed with the idea of helping [poor villages] in Africa back in 2010,” Eilerman continues. However, side effects from his chemotherapy and radiation treatments held him up. Once he got started, though, the Mission of the Body and Blood took off. Starting a charitable organization is not much different from what good managers do at work, he points out. “You surround yourself with great, talented people who have a desire to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged. Every person that [came] to me had experience working with a non-profit organization. I simply shut up and listened to what they had to say.
“Our goals are summed up best by the three words soul, body and mind,” he continues. “We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing spiritual guidance, healthcare and education to the underprivileged in underdeveloped countries throughout the world. Currently we target three countries – Tanzania, Haiti and Jamaica.” Although he had always assumed any charitable work he did would involve South Africa, as luck would have it, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, Eilerman met Fr. Benedict Magabe, a Catholic priest from Tanzania who is currently stationed in Ohio. “Fr. Magabe shared his memories as a middle class child growing up in Tanzania and [pointed out] the spiritual, medical and educational needs of the poor and underprivileged in Tanzania. I immediately recognized that their needs were as great as – or greater than – the needs of [the underprivileged in] South Africa.” Several directors at Mission of the Body and Blood have ties to Haiti and Jamaica, prompting the organization to reach out to those countries as well. “We are not limited exclusively to these countries, but we will work there until we are sure all [of those] projects are self sustaining,” says Eilerman.
“For any new or prospective location, we always do a needs assessment before entertaining another project,” he explains. “The most important factor to remember is not to spread ourselves too thin and to always try to under promise and over deliver. Ultimately, the donors dictate any mission’s success. If we can’t convey a country’s need through our passion to our donors, we are doomed to fail.” This especially holds true in today’s tenuous economic climate, he adds. That said, Eilerman’s organization is more than holding its own. “We have sent two containers to Tanzania via the port of Dar es Salaam,” he says “The first 40-foot container was filled with 32 55-gallon barrels of food grade soy meal donated by [one of our directors], Ed Werling, for use as a protein supplement for children and adults suffering from malnutrition. Ed has worked closely with a professor from Michigan State University to perfect a soy meal manufacturing process. It has proven to be a very viable protein substitute, with tests showing that 4 ounces of soy meal equal the protein content of 4 ounces of red meat.” The container also contained several Midmark M7 Sterilizers, several used Midmark examination tables, a wooden lathe to be donated to a trade school or a local furniture maker, and various suitcases filled with new clothing, he notes.
“The second 40-foot container, currently in route, is filled with smaller, low tech medical supplies, as well as hospital beds and hospital supplies,” he continues. “The entire container was donated to us from another non-profit organization, which specializes in medical and hospital equipment and supplies in exchange for some of Mitch Eiting’s used Midmark medical equipment. A third 40-foot container filled with high-tech equipment will be sent out before the end of the year to outlying clinics and dispensaries, such as St Gaspar Hospital.” And, nothing’s cheap, he points out. “Each container cost us approximately $7,000 to send.” And, looking ahead, Eilerman and his team are investigating the cost of acquiring all-terrain vehicles for transporting seriously injured or ill patients from outlaying bush areas to St. Gaspar Hospital. They anticipate a price tag of $30,000 for a small fleet of new vehicles and $10,000 for used.
Purchasing the all-terrain vehicles is the start of a long wish list of projects that Eilerman hopes to complete over the next several years. The missionary looks forward to achieving the following goals:
- Tanzania-Agriculture Project. Establish a poultry and swine operation and cultivate soybeans and maze on a 50-acre plot near the Upendo Complex in order to make the complex self sufficient. The facility will incorporate a meat market for the processing and sale of chicken and pork. The farm will be located near the 100 acres of land recently donated to The Mission of the Body and Blood in Dodoma. Desired completion date is mid-2013.
- Tanzania-Seminarian Project: Secure sponsors for 30 new seminarians at the St. Gasper Seminary for the duration of their training at a total cost of about $42,000 USD. Anticipate completing 15 seminarians by end of 2012, and 15 by end of 2013.
- Haiti-Agriculture Project: Establish a poultry operation, at a site to be determined, to enable a village to become more self-sufficient. The facility will incorporate a meat market for the processing and sale of chickens. Projected cost to be determined with completion in late 2013.
- Tanzania-Upendo Girls School Project: A school for victimized young girls who became pregnant and are expelled from secondary schools per Tanzania law. The school will be located on 100 acres of donated land in Dodoma. This will be the initial structure in the Upendo (Swahili for Love) complex and will include child care for the girls’ children while they attend school. Desired completion date 2014.
- Upendo Primary School: Desired completion date 2015.
- Upendo Nursing School with dormitories and cafeteria. Desired completion date 2016.
- Upendo Secondary School: Desired completion date 2017.
- Upendo School of Medicine: Desired completion date 2022.
Making it all work
It may not be easy juggling family, health issues and busy careers with Eilerman’s daunting list of mission goals, but with the support of family and former colleagues, he’s making it work. In the beginning his schedule was consumed with “frequent doctor visits and [cancer] treatment cycles.” Still, the time he spent in 2010 recuperating was also an opportunity to brainstorm project ideas, he notes. Leaving work on temporary disability last April has enabled him to devote more time to his mission. And, his wife “is like-minded when it comes to helping the poor, so having her at my side helps tremendously,” he says. In addition, the mission’s success rides on the shoulders of a talented team, including the following:
- Mitch Eiting, mission vice president and owner/community relations manager of Midmark.
- Ron Kramer, mission treasurer and a professor of accounting and economics at Wright State University Lake Campus.
- Joan Schnabel, mission secretary, who brings years of corporate executive experience to the organization. (She is Eilerman’s sister).
The mission’s board of directors is comprised of Eilerman, Ed Werling, Jerry Buschur, Mike Bruns, Greg Bornhorst, Jon Hoying and Sherri Hoying, all of whom contribute a host of talents and expertise, according to Eilerman. Werling is a livestock expert with 20 years of experience working for a nonprofit organization in Jamaica. Buschur, the mission’s housing and supplies expert, accompanied Werling to Tanzania last year where they designed – and donated money to – a cafeteria and meeting center at a nursing school in Intigie. The owner of a family-run construction business, Bruns is a consultant for the mission’s construction projects. Since his retirement from teaching high school chemistry and physics, Bornhorst has filled in as the mission’s educational consultant. And Jon and Sherri Hoying work in northern Haiti, where they have helped with the construction of several churches. “Jon is my nephew and has always been interested in the spiritualization of the poor and needy,” says Eilerman.
To date, Eilerman has made only one trip to Tanzania – something he looks forward to doing more frequently once his health improves. “The last trip took a lot out of me so before I make my next trip I will need to build myself up a bit,” he explains. “It will be absolutely necessary to have feet on the ground because most of these people have never been farmers, construction workers, etc. So they will have to be taught in order for them to teach others. Whether it will be me or one of my colleagues who will make the trip(s), that will be determined.”
Indeed, educating the villagers they serve is key to their mission, Eilerman points out. “Whatever we do or supply [for the villagers] must be a means to an end,” he says. “We can give them food or grain to address their immediate food needs, but we feel we need to teach them better and more efficient ways to farm. That’s just one example.” Often, it makes good sense to obtain food locally rather than ship it from the United States, he says. “Our American diet is significantly different than that in a developing country, where rice and grains are the main staples. Meat is a luxury that many can’t afford. On our last trip we helped start a poultry operation at the St. Gaspar Seminary, which is designed to produce 300 butchering chickens every two weeks. We contracted with a local veterinarian to oversee the operation the first year and make sure that the seminarians learn how to fish. The new poultry operation, along with the existing hog operation, should supply ample meat for the seminarians and allow a surplus to be sold at their butcher shop.”
Manpower and financial aid are equally important, he notes. “Money is without a doubt the single most important part of any mission work,” Eilerman says. “We have sent several containers of used medical equipment, food, clothing and supplies. Each time we send a container from the United States, it costs around $7,000 for shipping. Ideally we would get our materials from the county where the project is based. When buying in a developing country, however, supplies are limited and those available are of questionable quality.” Medical equipment, drugs (particularly for malaria during the rainy season) and computers are in high demand. Cell phones are another story. “Believe it or not, almost everybody in Tanzania has a cell phone since there are no land lines for conventional telephones,” he says. “With that in mind, telemedicine via smart phones may have some potential in at least this area of Africa.”
“Whatever project we work on, we will need feet on the ground,” he continues. “If money wasn’t an issue, I would love to have some college graduates volunteer to help in Tanzania. What better way to enhance your resume than to show where your priorities are and that you can handle whatever the job throws at you.”
Eilerman wants to be clear about one more thing: “Our mission uses less than one-half of 1 percent for administrative fees, so 99.5 cents of every dollar goes directly to the projects,” he says. “Nobody [here is] on a payroll.
“I would like to get the world to a point where the poor don’t have to spend the majority of their day searching for sustenance,” he continues. Instead, he would like to see them “concentrate on obtaining a reasonable education so that they can be in control of their destiny.”
For more information about the Mission of the Body and Blood, please visit www.missionofthebodyandblood.org.
In an era where it seems like many companies have become heartless sweatshops grabbing for every nickel they can get and squeezing their employees for more and more, having a larger purpose still matters.
People have become jaded about mission and vision statements. Too often, they become meaningless platitudes put on a placard that hangs in the lobby and no one reads.
A purpose is different. A purpose is a concrete reason to get out of bed in the morning. It’s how you and your company make a difference today. A clearly articulated purpose restores the nobility and meaning to work.
Here’s why your purpose matters:
Purpose is why your organization exists. Purpose drives sales. You don’t have to create world peace. Your purpose can be helping customers be more successful or making a difference in your industry.
Purpose makes you money. A study from Jim Collins and Jerry Porras found that organizations driven by purpose and values outperformed the market 15:1 and comparison companies 6:1. Purpose may sound fluffy, but it translates into cold hard cash. Having a purpose beyond making money almost always results in you making more money.
Purpose isn’t just a feel good thing; it’s essential in a tough economy. One of our clients provides IT services to small businesses. Two years ago, if you asked their people what they did, they would have told you – “We sell IT services.” After we started working with them we made a critical shift. Now their CEO says, “Our purpose is to help small businesses be more successful.” We pulled that purpose to the front and center of everything they do.
The result: Their sales are up 35%. In a challenging economy, when most of their competitors are floundering, they increased revenues by 35%. Ask anyone in their organization what they do, and they’ll tell you. “We help small businesses be more successful, and we’re damn good at it!
Purpose-driven salespeople outperform product-driven salespeople. In a double-blind study I did with a major biotech company, the
single unifying characteristic of the top performers was a sense of larger purpose. The salespeople who were product-focused or who wanted to win the trip did OK. But the salespeople whose clearly articulated purpose was to heal people consistently sold more than everyone else.
For them, it wasn’t just about touting features and benefits or winning a trip to Aruba. They’re playing for higher stakes.
One top-performer summed it up saying, “If it’s 4:30 on a rainy Friday afternoon, other sales reps go home. I don’t. I make the extra sales call, because I know, I’m not just pitching a product. I’m saving people’s lives.”
Purpose ignites the secret yearnings of our hearts. Human beings 
have two fundamental emotional needs: We want connection and we want meaning. We want to have close personal relationships and we want our work to count for something. We want to make a difference.
I’ve worked with over 200 leading sales organizations. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, the people who have a fire in their belly are the people who have a purpose.
Working for a higher purpose engages people’s passion in a way the spreadsheets never will. Products and profits connect with your head.
Purpose connects with your heart.
If you want your organization to be more successful, start with purpose.
(c) Lisa Earle McLeod
Lisa Earle McLeod is a sales leadership consultant. Companies like Apple, Kimberly-Clark and Pfizer hire her to help them create passionate, purpose-driven sales forces.
She the author of The Triangle of Truth, which the Washington Post named as a “Top Five Book for Leaders.”
She has appeared on The Today Show, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. She provides executive coaching sessions, strategy workshops, and keynote speeches.
More info: www.LisaEarleMcLeod.com Lisa’s Blog – How Smart People Can Get Better At Everything
Copyright 2012 Lisa Earle McLeod. All rights reserved.
Sales reps may spend the bulk of their hours on the road. But, at the end of a long day – or week – the office beckons. Whether it’s a cubicle at the corporate facility or a laptop on the kitchen table, work settings often present a less-than-ideal atmosphere. In fact, sitting in front of a computer screen for an extended period can be downright mentally and physically draining for even the most resilient of reps.
A recent online ABC News report, by correspondents Enjoli Francis and Kim Carollo, offers tips for staying healthier at the office – wherever that may be. Here are a couple
- Experience nature. According to a study by Dr. Marc Berman, a post-doctoral research fellow at Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, and his University of Michigan research team, people improve their working memory span by about 20 percent following a 50-minute walk through nature. People have two types of memory, says Berman: directed and involuntary. In office settings, they rely on directed attention, which reportedly leads to mental fatigue. By contrast, a walk through the woods or the park stimulates involuntary attention, which may help fortify their directed attention, possibly leading to increased production at work. Employees should be aware of mental fatigue, notes Berman. If there isn’t a park nearby, a quiet street may suffice.
- Browse the web. Does it pay for employers to encourage their staff to spend more time surfing the web? According to a group of researchers at the National University of Singapore, web browsing is key to heightened productivity. In fact, study results show it may help rejuvenate the mind. Not only did the 96 test subjects appear to be more productive after 10-minute web-surfing breaks, they also reported less boredom and mental exhaustion.
For more tips, read this month’s “Working Out the Workplace” Healthy Reps article at www.repertoiremag.com
The other day I received an email from one of our readers. Beth Von Behren lives inOlivette,MOwhere they are opening up a new Kinko’s. She had to fax a letter and wasn’t sure if the new store was open. When she drove in the parking lot, she didn’t see an open sign. She walked in anyway. The manager said, “Well, we’re not open yet, but let’s try out the fax machine and see if it works.” The fax machine worked and the manager refused to accept payment. He was just happy to take care of a customer and develop a relationship with a new customer.
The manager understood the concept of earning a customer’s business. You can advertise and send sales people out to meet customers, but the best sales strategy you can have is to deliver great service. How much did it really cost to fax a couple of pages? Not a fraction of what they will earn in future business.
I’m reminded of the MasterCard commercials. This one would go something like this: “Sending a fax, one dollar. Making copies, two dollars. Creating a loyal customer, priceless!”
What are you doing to make sure you create loyal customers?
Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. As a professional speaker and author, Shep helps companies develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep’s speaking programs and books, please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com Web: www.hyken.com. For information on customer service training, go to www.TheCustomerFocus.com.
In the past few years I have discovered some websites that have been great resources for lab and basic medical information. Check them out and see if they can answer any questions you or an account may have.
- American Association for Clinical Chemistry (www.aacc.org). Information pertaining to lab issues from regulation to new testing that’s available. AACC offers a special section for the laboratory marketplace.
- Medicare reimbursement fees for 2012 (http://www.cms.gov/ClinicalLabFeeSched/02_clinlab.asp#TopOfPage.) This spreadsheet will give you the starting point for what a practice can expect to be paid for a certain lab test. Under the DOWNLOAD list: click on 12CLAB [ZIP/XLSX/TXT]. Follow the instructions from that point.
- CLIA application (www.cms.gov/clia). Download the CMS Form 116, which is the CLIA application form.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov). Click on the “L” for a list of lab related items you can use (e.g., biosafety, lab guidelines and standards, lab personnel issues and lab practices). One of the most recent PDFs is a “waived lab guide,” which your physician office customers can use to set up and run waived tests properly.
- Lab Tests Online®, a public resource on clinical lab testing (www.labtestsonline.org). Information such as the meaning of a test, when/ why it’s ordered, and normal ranges. This site also has an app function for mobile devices.
- HCPro (www.hcpro.com). OSHA compliance quick tips link, with up-to-date OSHA information regarding health issues. The newsletter is easy to read, and you can quickly see what applies to you and what doesn’t.
- Clinical Laboratory Management Association, an association of nearly 3,000 clinical laboratory professionals (www.clma.org). Includes the latest news on lab regulations, coding and some testing. Sign up for the newsletter. You may only use about 10 percent of the information, but it will be worth it.
- COLA, a physician-directed organization whose purpose is to promote excellence in laboratory medicine and patient care through a program of education, consultation, and accreditation (www.cola.org). A resource for training and certification for any lab issues.
- Medical Laboratory Observer, ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory, ADVANCE for Medical Laboratory Professionals – three magazines techs use to stay up on new products and medical concerns (www.mlo-online.com, http://laboratory-manager.advanceweb.com/, http://laboratorian.advanceweb.com).
Remember, you don’t need to know everything … you just need to know where to find it. So next time you’re asked a question about lab or need to do some quick research, just reach for that little TV screen on your hip, type in a few words, and look like a genius.
– By Tim Duams