My husband, Mark, was in heavy traffic on I-85 one day in Atlanta and noticed a bumper sticker that said, “No Farms = No Food.” Sometimes, the simplest things hit home.  

He thought about the luxury of a full stomach and how we rely on farmers to provide our daily sustenance. He also thought about U.S. demographics and how the Baby Boomers are aging out of the workforce. We see more and more family farms sold to make room for development, and we don’t have enough young people to take on the responsibility of feeding the rest of us.  

“We have to do something!” he thought.  

Of course, my husband and I are serial entrepreneurs. We work so well together and have run seven successful businesses. Our brains are always identifying problems and wanting to resolve them. It’s in our wiring. It’s fun to look at the world and play mental algebra by “solving for X.” 

And “do something” is where I step in. Mark is the “light bulb” guy. He presents the “we should (solve for X).” And I’m the implementer. Here’s the algebraic formula to make that light shine. 

Our worry for the next generation inspired us to launch yet another business, HireSmart Cares, our nonprofit. God has blessed us in this life, and we want to pass those blessings to the next generation. We want them to have a “fresh start” to a wonderful career and life of “adulting.”  

HireSmart Founders Talk With Teens About Being Smart With That Paycheck 

Our original focus was on agriculture, but we expanded that to include any trades-based field where young people can graduate high school on a Friday and go to work on a Monday with a good-paying job — and without massive college debt that burdens so many these days. 

We support youth in a variety of ways. That includes speaking to young people about preparing for job interviews, entrepreneurship, and managing their finances.  

But we also funded just over $122,000 in youth support initiatives in 2024. That included $50,000 to expand our local high school ag barn so that kids who don’t live on a farm can house livestock at the facility and understand the satisfactions possible in an ag career. We pay for kids to attend ag and trades-based competitions and conferences. We cover the cost of materials for construction classes, provide seed money for young entrepreneurs to get their businesses going, and fund the creation of high school drone programs so teens can earn certification in a rapidly expanding field. 

Flight Plan for Success: HireSmart Helps JROTC Launch Drone Program 

We also fund educational scholarships for the children of our Filipino virtual employees, and the joy we see on their faces when they know they can provide their child with a quality education is worth every penny. 

We’re always eager to hear pitches from others on “here’s how we can make a difference” in young people’s lives, whether it helps one kid or 1,000. Any idea needs to help young people increase their job-ready skills and expand their ideas about what’s possible career-wise.  

Mark and I don’t need fancy things in life. We’re comfortable and grateful for that comfort. So our passion is directing our time, effort, and dollars to leaving a better world behind after we’re gone. That’s how we love. That’s how we care. And we aim to expand that effort as far and wide as possible because we know we’re not alone.  

HireSmart Filipino Scholarships — Ina’s Story 

The world is full of terrible things, many of them out of our control. But what can we do? Well, we can love one another and look for specific ways we can help young people have a fresh start as they set out on their own to tackle all the challenges ahead. They need your support. They need your care. 

You can donate here if you’re interested in helping our nonprofit grow and help more kids. You can click here if you want to hear Mark talk about HireSmart Cares.  

But as we start this new year, I want to know, “What hits home for you?”  

Think about how you can make a positive difference in other lives. Maybe it’s one person. Perhaps it’s a lot more, but any energy you spend in that way is worth so much. It’s how we can all work together to “solve for X” in this life and be a shining light for each other.  

Anne Lackey’s Company Offers a Unique Virtual Solution for Staffing Issues 

If you ever want to talk about HireSmart Cares or tell me about your passion project, I’d love that opportunity. If you want to hear how our business, HireSmart Virtual Employees, can help you save time and money so that you can make a bigger positive impact in the world, I’m available to chat at your convenience. Just click here to set up a time. Thanks so much for your time. And thank you for the wins you’re creating for other people in your business. That’s what it’s all about!