We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Finkelstein and weāve shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauren, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?I feel the most important process for getting things done that look impossible is just taking the next step to get that job done. I donāt look all the way up that mountain, I just take a look at the next step and then the next step and then the next step and before I know it, Iām looking down that mountain victoriously. Also I find it quite helpful to make a deadline when I want that project accomplished by or the project can sit on the sidelines indefenitely. So the two most important factors for me to succeed is just to take a look at the next step and having a deadline.
Letās talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?I started SaveOnePerson.org in 2001. What sets us apart others is this non profit is itās all heart and passion. I am most proud of the lives that were saved and the ripple effects that this work creates in the world. Stuart Zimmer from NYC found a living organ donor when one of our SaveOneAlerts was on 1010 Wins radio in NYC and a stranger from NYC heard the call for help on the radio, responded and stepped in to save Stuartās life and donated her kidney. Steven had a couple of more kids after his transplant operation. My most favorite success story is when an 11-year-old girl from Israel received her life-saving match from a stranger in England who read the Save OneAlert on line which originated from a radio segment in NYC. I canāt help but think how this young girl gets to live out a full life, get married, have kids when it could have been a much different story for this family. Another favorite story of mine is when Bonnie saw a WPIX 11 news story on TV for a stranger who needed a living organ donor, answered the call and ended up saving 8 lives in a swap program. The challenges Iāve faced along the way is thereās no real funding to speak of, I finance it myself with my limited budget. I envision having SaveOneAlert offices in every media outlet across the globe and thereās only one right now. Iāve also faced the riducule of othersm such as a former boss saying to me āWho will listen to you?ā. Nevertheless, I believe in the project and have seen fruits to the labor over the years. G-d and I know it makes a difference and at the end of the day, thatās what is most important. Iāve learned along the way, patience, persistence, keep going, donāt listen to the naysayers and follow your heart and intuition and the rest will fall into place. I want the world to know that publicizing a personās life saving story to the masses saves lives, and itās time to start using media in a whole new way on a consistent basis to save lives for those who need it the most. Iām not asking for around the clock coverage, just five minutes of each day to save a life, on every media outlet across the globe.
Letās say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary ā say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.I moved from the Upper East Side in NYC to Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. If my friend comes to town, thereās really only one place one needs to be and thatās on the beach, looking at the birds flying overhead, the waves crashing on the beach, feeling the slight wind blowing on your face. Thereās no rush and if things get really crazy we can put on a Tony Robbins Priming meditation and just be grateful for being where we are right now. In terms of travel I would take my guest for a drive in my new convertible down to Key West with the music blasting and the top down, singing Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?I was close to a suicide bomb in Israel that killed 18 people. The event shook me to my core and I felt called to a higher calling, to do something meaningful with my life. I went to my mentor, Rabbi Simon Jacobson and asked him what I should do with my life? The Rabbiās response was use my worldly skills to make this world a better place. My worldly skills at that time were that of a TV Promotion Producer. I used my promotional skills to create SaveOnePerson.org by publicizing individualās life saving medical needs on TV, radio, internet, google grant ads, social media and podcasts, Tony Robbins and his crew has also been instrumental to my growth in terms of expanding my reach by unleashing the power within via weekly videos on prevention of disease & reversing disease, writing a book and creating the SaveOnePerson App which matches living organ donors with donees.
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; itās how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
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One Story Can Save a Life
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