Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Schairer.
Sara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2008, I was going through a tough time. I was facing a heartbreaking divorce and was a stay-at-home mom to my 18-month-old daughter. I tried to go back to work but couldn’t find a job thanks to the financial crisis.
Luckily, I watched an “Ellen” episode that changed the direction of my life. Ellen was interviewing author Wayne Dyer and he said that compassion is the most important lesson to teach our children. He posited that if we could teach our future leaders to put themselves in others’ shoes, we could solve every social problem on the planet.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the power of compassion and that very evening, the word compassionate turned into two words in my brain – “compassion it.” This made so much sense to me! The phrase reminded me of “Just Do It,” and it makes compassion a verb. I decided it was an ideal bumper sticker.
This simple play on words has gone from a bumper sticker to a nonprofit and global movement. After noticing how “compassioning it” benefited my own life so profoundly, I became obsessed with compassion. In 2012-13, I attended a program through Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and became a certified teacher of the 8-week course Compassion Cultivation Training.
How is Compassion It a global movement? We sell reversible wristbands online that remind people to make compassion a priority each day. You flip it from one side to the other when you “compassion it,” and we now have over 140,000 wristbands creating compassion in six continents, 50+ countries, and all 50 U.S. states. Wristband sales help us offer compassion education programs to underserved populations.
Compassion It’s mission is to inspire compassionate actions and attitudes, and we bring compassion education programs to schools, universities, prisons, jails, hospitals, and workplaces. I’m proud of the work we do here in San Diego, and I’m also proud of how my teammate Burrell Poe is cultivating compassion in the city of Chicago.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I can’t imagine any entrepreneur saying they’ve had a smooth road. I left corporate America to create Compassion It, which brought a great deal of uncertainty to my life.
Most of my struggles have been internal. I am plagued by imposter syndrome and often wonder if I have what it takes to help Compassion It fulfill its potential for creating a substantially more peaceful and sustainable planet.
I also have a tough time with funding. As a nonprofit, raising capital is the main role of an executive director. However, I much prefer teaching compassion and developing creative ways to make compassion accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Compassion It – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Compassion It makes compassion accessible to all.
Both our wristbands and our experiential compassion education programs benefit individuals and also ripple out to impact families, classrooms, workplaces, and our larger society.
Compassion It’s Advocate program offers monthly lessons and resources for people who want to cultivate compassion, mindfulness, and self-compassion, and it’s also a way for people to support our efforts with a monthly donation.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I consider someone successful if she leads a life that benefits others while staying true to herself. This is the recipe for lasting happiness.
Pricing:
- Compassion It Advocate – starting at $5 per month
- Compassion Cultivation Training (8-week course) – $325
- Compassion It Wristband 2-pack – $10
Contact Info:
- Website: www.compassionit.com
- Email: sara@compassionit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassionit
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
