Multiple ways to feel compensated; not all of them are financial.
observation — attributed to Sandy Safi
Safi's licensees run their events on varied motivations. Some operate for profit. Many operate primarily for the networking opportunities the event creates: a window of visibility for their other work and the connections that come through running a high-profile evening. The reframe matters operationally. A licensing program that assumes financial compensation is the only motivator under-recruits. A licensing program that recognizes the visibility and network value alongside the financial value recruits more broadly and more durably. The principle generalizes. Volunteer programs, ambassador programs, and franchise structures all benefit from understanding the full range of what compensation actually means.
For format builders, ambassador-program designers, and community managers thinking about how to recruit and retain local leaders. The observation is most useful as a corrective when recruitment has stalled because the only offer on the table is financial.
compensation, networking-value, visibility, motivation