Talking with Mrs. Madonna Bistany Executive Director at Future for Kids.

After I was able to shadow Mrs. Madonna Bistany Executive Director for Future for Kids and had a chance to discuss the day to day workings of her job, she was gracious enough to sit down with me again and talk about the why, who, what, and where of her life and job with future for kids. One of the major things that she told that I would like to share with everyone before jumping into the interview is, she adamantly declared that to be successful in not only life, but in your career you have to “Love what you do! Be passionate about it every moment,” to me that was something that was very moving and quit refreshing. When I think about my life and my future and the lives of others I always think that you have to have joy and passion in your life or what is the point of being here? As I grew up I watched my dad just go through the motions of his job there was no spirit in it. He went day to day doing a job he didn’t enjoy, than came home feeling so physically and mentally exhausted that he couldn’t even move some days. Why if we spend all the time we do learning about something, do we spend the rest of our lives miserable? It can’t be how life is, I want to go to work and feel inspired, and in the case of Mrs. Bistany that is exactly how she feels every day. Now after my little ramble let’s move on to the interview.

Rachel:
What types of challenges do you face?

Mrs. Bistany:
Keeping things fresh in the nonprofit area is the biggest struggle. To keep your company growing and thriving you always have to be thinking about bigger and better things that can draw in donors and volunteers. Also you have to keep everyone from the board members to the community engaged and focused on the plan that is best for the company. Also you always have to expect problems you can prepare for them, but sometimes you just have to face them as they come.

Rachel:
How you deal with deadlines?

Mrs. Bistany:
I am always trying to be down before the deadlines. I don’t like to have the last minute worries and rush. My motto is always better to be done early than late. The ability to be done early let you have more time for last minute problems that may arise. Also you have chance to make changes without feeling stressed or over whelmed.

Rachel:
What about your position do you like most?

Mrs. Bistany:
My favorite thing about this job and company is you have the ability to have it be what you make of it. The more work and passion you put into it the better and stronger it becomes. To me this job is so personally fulfilling and rewarding, you walk away knowing that you have helped make a difference in the children’s lives. You have put forth all your power and strength to create a well oiled machine that has the ability to change lives. And getting a chance to see the kids and how much they enjoy our programs is heartwarming and breathe taking.

Rachel:
What do you think you can do to help make things work smoother in the company?

Mrs. Bistany:
The ability to grow the company to appoint where we will have a full time staff is going to be an essential part of providing a greater opportunity to have smooth functioning company. It is hard to have to change interns and volunteers every semester, having to train and retrain people can be hard and be draining. To have interns is a blessing, but the ability to have a person constantly help and growing in their knowledge of the company is a very wonderful asset for a company.

Rachel:
What are your feelings about working with others?

Mrs. Bistany:
Team work is huge and integral part of nonprofit work being connect to everyone and the community is the way we can find support to help our company thrive. This is my favorite part of the job getting a chance to work with everyone and be a part of every aspect of the company. I love getting to work with our interns and show them how the world of nonprofit works, the ability to know that you have given them knowledge and passion for the nonprofit community is a wonderful and inspiring part of my job.

Rachel:
Do you find you enjoy working on group projects?

Mrs. Bistany:
The best work in my opinion is the work that comes from a team project. I love working on group projects you have so many ideas and available resources. The big part of being an executive director is have the final say in most if not all of the projects. So you have to work with everyone keeping up to date on the projects and making sure you understand the best way to achieve the goals of the company are.

Rachel:
What would you consider your ideal work environment?

Mrs. Bistany:
My ideal work environment is very much the environment we are in now. Having a small office with people enjoy what they do and are passionate about creating the best company we can, create good energy and that helps drive the company as a whole. I loved the individualities that comes together to create a larger being willing to go the extra mile for the company and the children is a wonderful thing to be a part of.

Rachel:
Is there anyone in a similar position that you look up to and respect?

Mrs. Bistany:
A lot of my friends are Executive Directors from other charities. We have an amazing opportunity to pull ideas and resources together to help one another grow and become more knowledgeable on growing events in the community. The ability to watch other people in your field is the greatest learning experience you can compare similarities and differences gauging which works best for you and your company. To surround yourself with people in your field that you have respect for helps you grow and reinforce your ideals.