Molly’s Vision Board

Vision: The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

In March of 2007 I received a scholarship to attend a three-day breast cancer retreat for survivors, six to 24 months out of treatment in Colorado.

Pink Fund had been officially launched the previous October, and I was still reeling from my surprise diagnosis, job loss and uncertain future.

I needed a vision for the future, mine and Pink Fund’s.

I had never made a vision board, except in my mind, that was cluttered with worry over work, my children and all the other distractions that danced daily in my head.

On the final day of the retreat out came the form core, magazines, scissors and glue sticks.

At the time, Pink Fund was a Michigan based organization solely providing financial assistance to breast cancer survivors living in Michigan, but I knew the problem we were attempting to address was not relegated to Michigan, so as I paged through the magazines, I cut out the Ford Motor Company Blue Oval, the Quicken Loans logo (now Rocket) and a picture of Oprah and glued them to my board.

I knew that Ford was heavily invested in the breast cancer space through their Warriors in Pink program working solely with Susan G. Komen, the big dog in the fight.

Pink Fund was in its infancy, a puppy if you will.

But I thought, “Well why not think BIG!”

Five years later, through a series of fortunate events, Pink Fund was invited to become one of Ford’s charity partners.  Fueled by the creative chops of their advertising agency, a full-blown national ad campaign launched in the fall of 2012, allowing us to provide financial assistance to patients in all 50 states.

As we were filming actor James Denton at his Montana ranch, think Mike the plumber in Desperate Housewives, in a Ford designed, Time to Fight T-Shirt Ford sold on the Fordcares.com website, I was truly blown away.  Denton’s mother had died from metastatic breast cancer and his sister-in-law had been recently diagnosed.

Ford’s full-blown ad campaign included television and print (full page, full color, full run of press) ads in People, US, In Style and Ladies Home Journal.

That logo I reluctantly pasted on form core five years earlier manifested into a partnership now in its 14th year.

While my vision for Quicken Loans, now Rocket, did not come to my exact fruition, I was delighted that Pink Fund was added as charity beneficiary for their annual golf outing in memory of their former Chief Financial Officer, Tammy Z who died from metastatic breast cancer.

In recent years, I have added other visions to my board.

For instance, I wanted a round up for charity check out promotion with a major retailer and was delighted when Fleet Farms (49 general farm stores in five rural states) selected Pink Fund as their partner for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

After speaking at The Health Care Advocate Summit in September 2022, where CVS Specialty was a major sponsor, with more than 9,000 locations nationwide, I put the Red CVS logo with a heart on my vision board.

I knew a partnership of some sort with CVS would help us reach more people in rural, urban and suburban communities who may need our help.

Last fall, CVS called and asked if we would be interested in a three weeklong in-store radio awareness campaign for Pink Fund.

I cannot explain the magical manifestation of vision boards, except to say there is science around creating an external reminder that gets encoded into your brain. Telling your brain what matters and looking at it daily is like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Reflect on Your Goals: Take some time to think deeply about what you want to manifest in the coming year. These could be career goals, personal growth, health improvements, or travel adventures.

Find Your Images: Look for images, words, and quotes that resonate with your goals. You can cut them from magazines or search for printables online.

Dream Big: There are some visions on my board that are WILD AND CRAZY, like winning a Golden Globe and Oscar for an original screenplay, becoming a late in life stand up comic and signing a deal with Netflix and writing a best-selling book.

Arrange Your Board: There’s no right or wrong way to arrange your images. Some people prefer to organize their board by category (career, health, relationships), while others mix everything together to create a more holistic vision.

Place Your Vision Board Somewhere Visible: Hang it where you’ll see it every day, whether it’s by your desk, on your bedroom wall, or in your office. This will help you stay on track with the goals it will take to achieve your vision.

Include Specific Dates: If you have a specific timeframe for your goals, add a deadline to your vision board.

Feel It: Don’t just focus on material things, include images that reflect the feelings you want to experience (joy, peace, abundance).

Believe in the Process: Trust that the process works, even if it takes time for your dreams to materialize.  Remember it was 5 years before Ford called me, 8 years before Rocket called me and 2 years before CVS called me.  And Oprah, well I am still waiting to hear from her.

Today is National Vision Board Day.  There is no time like the present to create your vision board. Haul out a board, markers, scissors, glue and magazines to put your vision into action for 2025.

Speaking of magazines, look for an exciting announcement in the next month from Pink Fund!