Of red kettles, life coaches, and the Bald Headed Men of America

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ken Corn was a regular columnist for The Paper before retiring a few months back. We still miss his work, and here is a column of his that was first printed in December of 2023.

In mad pursuit of ingredients for one of life’s greatest pleasures, a bowl of corn flakes and bananas, I stopped at the grocery store the other day.

The familiar sound of a ringing bell floated across the parking lot. At the store entrance stood one of the approximately 25,000 Salvation Army Red Kettles greeting retail shoppers around the globe between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year.

The bell ringer, an elderly gentleman with a warm smile.

Prior to retirement, one of the company car cup holders served as a repository for coinage designated to fund DQ banana milkshakes on my travels across the state. On this day, a frantic search of my post-retirement ride turned up no coins.

With head lowered and eyes averted, I walked hastily by the bell ringer. A man under duress on an important mission. Halfway down the cereal aisle, just past the Fiber One, an epiphany of sorts.

Paper money folds nicely for placement in the red kettle. While my wallet may be devoid of any such currency, there is this thing called cash back available at checkout.

The Salvation Army’s 133rd Red Kettle campaign officially kicked off on Thanksgiving Day with a performance by Dolly Parton during the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders football game.

Prior to her performance, she pledged a $1,000,000 donation. Dolly and I do not inhabit the same socio-economic sphere, so my donation upon exiting the store was slightly smaller.

ABOUT LIFE COACHES

First there were sports coaches who helped athletes improve performance. Along came business coaches to help executives and employees achieve career success. Now we have a proliferation of life coaches who focus on personal transformation rather than performance improvement.

According to Luisa Zhou, a life coach who coaches others on how to be a life coach, coaching is a $2.85 billion dollar industry. From 2015 to 2019 the number of coaches increased 33%.

As of 2019 there were 71,000 life coaches around the world helping people find balance and fulfillment on their journey to self-discovery. Life coaching is not therapy, counseling, or consulting.

There are no formal education requirements necessary for life coaching, and as the job is not regulated by a federal or state agency, there is no need for a license. However, certification is recommended.

According to Ms. Zhou, a life coach can charge higher rates by selecting one of her recommended high-ticket niches. Watch the revenue stream explode when peddling yourself as an intimacy coach, a personal brand coach, a decluttering coach, or a minimalism coach instead of a generic life coach.

While the plumber worked in freezing temperatures to replace some piping in our house this week, I asked if he needed help identifying his goals, creating an action plan, and making a change in his life.

The look on his face suggested that such assistance would not be necessary.

BALD HEADED MEN OF AMERICA

On Jan. 27, 2022, the Carteret County News-Times in Morehead City announced the death of “Rotary International legend John T. Capps at age 80.

John was the recipient of numerous awards including the N.C. Long Leaf Pine Award, the Pioneer Award in Polio Eradication, The Rotary Foundation Meritorious Award, Service Above Self Award, and the Rotary Distinguished Service Award.

One fellow Rotarian described John as a giant among men who cared for his fellow man. He dedicated his life to Service above Self (the Rotary motto) and impacted thousands of lives.

John and his wife Jane extended their passion for humanitarian works to include The Salvation Army of Carteret County. They served on boards, raised funds, served meals following hurricanes, and served as Red Kettle volunteers.

Bald since age 20, John was the fourth generation of baldness in his family. In 1972, the era of hair and more hair, John founded The Bald-Headed Men of America as a baldness “support group” promoting pride in baldness.

For several decades he hosted an annual convention in Morehead City to celebrate baldness. The motto was “more head, less hair.” Awards were handed out, including the coveted Ben Franklin Look Alike Award.

An involved member of his community, John scoured the newspaper announcements each week seeking out churches and civic organizations hosting fund-raising breakfasts on Saturday mornings. He plotted a route and made the rounds.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER

Attached to a bulletin board over my desk is a document titled “Small Things Mean A Lot.” A gift from John Capps several years ago, it was deliberately printed on pink paper to draw attention.

This collection of 50 common sense ideas and practices are anything but self-first coaching niches. To cite a few. Always accept an outstretched hand. Count your blessings. Don’t expect life to be fair. Be the first to say “hello.”

Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. Compliment three people every day. Buy whatever it is kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.

Such simple practices coalesce into an approach to life which inevitably brings balance and fulfillment. Rather than hiring a life coach, perhaps we should pay attention to the role models right in front of us.

As was the case for many years in Morehead City, that person may even be the Red Kettle bell ringer.