The Widow's Mite

Meridian Magazine

"I'm afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare."

— C. S. Lewis

America remains a generous country. In 2025, Americans gave an estimated $617.20 billion to charities, up 5.7% from 2024, according to Giving USA. Adjusted for inflation, total giving grew 3.0%.  

Where did the donations come from?

Individuals accounted for 64% ($394.20 billion), up 4.1%; foundations 19% ($117.15 billion), up 5.7%; bequests 10% ($62.19 billion), up 19.7%; and corporations 7% ($43.67 billion), up 3.1% from 2024.

Where did the charitable dollars go?

The top five recipient categories were Religion (mainly houses of worship) at $151.58 billion, up 2.4%; Human Services at $99.50 billion, up 5.3%; Education at $92.01 billion, up 11.7%; Foundations at $79.05 billion, down 16.2%; and Public Society Benefits at $72.06 billion, up 11.6%. 

These figures are combined estimates, not a precise tally of charitable giving. 

Some gifts from lower- and middle-class households were no doubt made with great sacrifice, as those givers often donate a higher percentage of their discretionary income to charity than high-earners.

What does the study conclude about motivations for giving? "Donors in 2025 responded when organizations clearly communicated need, impact, and opportunity." 

Bequests continue growing

U.S. charitable giving surpassed $600 billion for the first time since 2021, when it reached $661 billion in inflation-adjusted terms. A post-pandemic surge drove that high mark, as donors tried to meet increased human needs during the crisis. 

"The individual donor is the place to begin," says Lilly Philanthropy. Planned giving should be near the top of any fundraising strategy as an expansive wealth transfer begins. 

Bequest giving rose nearly 20% in current dollars and 16.6% after inflation. This marks the third time in the past four years that bequests have grown by 20% or more. 

That gifting corresponds with the U.S. Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, released in October of this year. That study, conducted every three years, shows the typical American family getting wealthier in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic, while well-off and older Americans got much richer.

The Wall Street Journal reported that wealth increased 37% for Americans 75 and older, while it declined 23% for persons under 35. During 2022-2025, people 75 and older became the richest age group, with a median net worth of $505,000 vs. $216,000 for all families. That wealth is measured in a family's assets, like stocks and home equity, minus their liabilities, like mortgages and credit card debt. 

"The new data points to a picture of a two-speed economy where older and affluent people are thriving, and persistent inflation (3.7% as of September) is making others feel pessimistic about their finances and the economy broadly," the Journal reported.  

The University of Michigan's October consumer sentiment index reached its second-lowest level on record.

Religion's mixed review

Giving USA draws special attention to the Religion category, as contributions are "relatively flat or declining," down 0.2% in real terms. Its share of total giving has declined, falling from over 50% in the late 1980s to roughly 23% of all U.S. charitable giving. 

Nonetheless, Religion received $151.58 billion in 2025, the largest share of gifts—$52.08 billion more than the No. 2 category, Human Services, at $99.50 billion. 

Factors influencing religious giving:

• Americans have become less Christian and less religious. In 2007, 78% of Americans called themselves Christian; today, that number is 63%. (Pew Research Center)
• Fewer households participate, and median gifts are lower, even as a small top tier of major donors increases contributions. (LinkedIn, Susan Axelrod)
• Remote worshippers give less per capita than in-person attendees. (Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
• A rising religiously unaffiliated population is shrinking the pool of active donors. (YouTubeIUPhilanthropy)
• Everyday donors and younger generations are increasingly directing philanthropic support to secular causes. (Center for Generosity)

Donor decline

What should concern all fundraisers? Fewer donors. 

"The number of nonprofits in the U.S. has increased 34% in the last 20 years. In that same period, the percentage of U.S. households giving to charity fell from roughly 66% to less than half," writes Jessica Browning, a principal with Winkler Group. 

Browning points to a dilemma of more nonprofits and fewer donors to support them.

A leading reason people don't contribute is that they don't feel they've been asked. 

Another more substantiated factor is a change in U.S. tax policy. Fidelity Charitable reports that since Congress passed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which increased the standard deduction, only about 10% of households itemize their deductions, leaving the remaining 90% ineligible for charitable giving tax deductions. 

However, beginning with the 2026 tax year, a reinstated deduction from the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act allows non-itemizers to deduct cash donations to charity—up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly, adds Fidelity. *

Even so, giving remains concentrated among major donors.

The wealth effect

Foundation Source noted that with the economy strong for the upper tiers, giving should be higher. "Giving tends to track the stock market — with a couple of caveats." 

Some say giving often rises when households feel financially stronger.

One of the fastest-growing charitable vehicles is the Donor Advised Fund, or DAF. "Donors, advisers, and institutions alike are increasingly recognizing DAFs as a vehicle for more meaningful, tax-effective giving," offered Steven Kump, a Foundation Source executive.

Charitable giving as a share of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) has remained remarkably steady at roughly 2% for over four decades, according to historical and annual reports from Giving USA and the Generosity Commission Report.

Management matters

The Giving USA analysis highlights the realities of running a charity: "The need to navigate rising operational costs, workforce challenges, uncertainty about government funding, and growing demand for services." 

Communicating need and donor retention are top priorities for everyone. Technology is helpful, but face-to-face contact still makes a difference. Consistently delivering the right messages is harder as donors' interests change. Listening is often overlooked. 

News reports suggest artificial intelligence is reshaping charitable giving by changing how donors find causes, how nonprofits raise money, and how organizations operate behind the scenes. 

Does it "pinch" to give?

The account of the widow's mite is found in Mark 12: 41-44 and Luke 21: 1-4. This well-known biblical story is about a poor widow who gives two tiny coins to the temple treasury. Jesus calls attention to her and teaches that sacrifice and devotion matter more than the gift's size. 

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put everything — all she had to live on." (NIV)

The story of the widow's mite, a tiny, low-value bronze coin, is about humility and trust. It represents generosity as "a quality of being unselfish and kind, willing to give to others without expecting anything in return." 

This real-life event Jesus observed is a timeless stewardship lesson that calls us to give—when it's easy and when it's not. 

Strategist.com

 © Bredholt & Co.

*Strategist Post has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Diet Sodas Are Out. Zero Sugar Sodas Are In

WellnessPulse

 "A brand is a promise. A good brand is a promise kept."

—Muhtar Kent, former CEO, The Coca-Cola Company

What are your favorite brands? 

The three most popular consumer brands, based on public approval and consumer tracking in America, are Dawn dishwashing liquid, Band-Aid, and M&M's. When measured by overall corporate financial worth and global brand value rather than consumer polling, technology giants Apple, Microsoft, and Google dominate the top spots globally.

What's a brand?

Andrew Dobbie, founder of a branding agency, says, "A brand is the unique perception, feeling, and reputation that a customer has when they think of a company, product, or service."

A better way to understand a brand is to think of it as another term for your reputation.

A YouTube interview with brand designer Rocky Roark suggests that three components of a brand are perception, or what people say about a business when no one from the company is in the room; the visuals- logos, colors, fonts, and slogans that help people recognize the brand quickly but are not the brand; and each experience or interaction, from customer service and product quality to advertising and website design, which shapes the overall brand. 

A better way to understand a brand is to think of it as another term for your reputation.

When does a brand get underway? On day one.  

Shifting loyalties

Customer and loyalty retention platform Growave reports that loyalty changes when a company, collectively, or any of its employees in physical or remote locations individually, fails to meet expectations, offers less value than competitors, or loses trust. This includes AI voice bots that are supposed to be assisting with customer care.  

Rising costs and inflation make shoppers focus on price, deals, and overall value rather than emotional ties to a favorite label. 

Zeta Global Platforms says that a silent shift in brand loyalty is quietly transforming the retail landscape. "Consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are moving away from long-established brand allegiances, driven by changing expectations around value, personalization, and convenience."

Even the cola wars are getting caught in this transition. Diet is out; Zero Sugar is in. 

Both Diet and Zero Sugar are calorie-free, artificially sweetened imitations of their sugary counterparts, Bloomberg News says. "Yet the latter's branding resonates more with younger, well-ness-minded consumers, who shun sugar but don't vibe with calorie counting or diet culture."

The word "diet" is from a different era. "For a lot of younger consumers, it's radioactive," said Kevin Ryan, chief executive officer of Malachite Strategy and Research. 

Zero-sugar sodas are a small but growing part of U.S. soft drink sales. Last year they accounted for 52% of the category's sales growth, according to Circana data. Sales of both Pepsi and Coke Zero Sugar are up; sales of full-sugar Pepsi and Coke are declining, while Diet Coke is up slightly.

Bloomberg says that Keurig Dr. Pepper had no Zero Sugar offering in 2020. Now it has more than 40. Our favorite is Zero Sugar A&W Cream Soda, which is also caffeine-free.

Keep your promises

Here's a change assessment from Zeta Global Platforms:

"Historically, brand loyalty was built on trust, familiarity, and consistent quality. Consumers often stuck with the same brand for years, influenced by family traditions, regional availability, or limited choice. This was especially true before Amazon. 

Adding social media and artificial intelligence to the marketing mix brings powerful influencers into the picture ...

"Today's consumers, especially younger generations, are showing less loyalty and are more open to experimenting with new products, companies, and experiences."

Adding social media and artificial intelligence to the marketing mix brings powerful influencers into the picture, one that's without historical precedent.

Under these circumstances, the best stance is to recognize and prepare for major generational change — customers and employees. For many, the differences are a present reality. McKinsey & Company spotlights small- and medium-sized family-owned businesses. "These Main Street businesses face the greatest disruption because of retirement and succession voids."  

As AI becomes less costly and readily available, and good help is harder to find, there will be a strong incentive to move in that direction, liabilities and all. 

However, in certain areas where responsiveness and empathy matter, a human connection remains superior. 

More importantly, guard your enterprise's brand as you guard your life. And encourage colleagues to do the same. 

Classical Greek philosopher Socrates, writing in the 5th Century BCE, observed: "The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." 

Strategist.com

©  Bredholt & Co.

Pairing Artificial Intelligence With the Liberal Arts

Steve Jobs. CNBC

"It's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing."

 —Steve Jobs, Apple Co-Founder

News about artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers is ever-present. Daily headlines and stories about OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude), Nvidia, and others leave little time for the public and private sectors to understand what's really going on. 

That may explain the one-year moratoriums on data center land sales and construction in the U.S. and other countries. A Gallup Poll found that more than seven in 10 voters, including large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans, said they wanted no such facility built near their homes.

Meanwhile, one observer said, "The American economy is hoping the boom doesn't go bust." 

A cautionary transformation

In healthcare, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing diagnostic accuracy. It's fundamentally transforming software programming. The publishing industry is trying to balance creativity and ethical concerns. Amid a shrinking labor supply and growing AI-assisted cheating, companies are changing remote job interviews to ensure candidates are who they say they are. 

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Kellanova (formerly a part of the Kellogg Company) and Siemens spent four years using AI and digital twin technology (a live virtual copy of a real physical thing, place, or process) to make the perfect, uniform Pringles potato chip. This innovation comes as consumers eat fewer chips because of price increases and health concerns. 

More than 40 million people globally use ChatGPT for health advice at least once every day, according to the chatbot's maker, OpenAI, mostly to check or explore symptoms. They also ask about everyday problem-solving and personal advice. Those chats aren't completely private, and deleting them doesn't always mean they're gone.

In August of this year, The Washington Post reported a dozen examples of chatbot conversations being swept into criminal and civil proceedings. 

AI also has an expanding role in modern warfare.

What should be concerning about artificial intelligence? 

In the immediate term, the literature points to a real-world loss of human accountability, transparency, and control over critical decisions. 

"I don't worry about some dystopian future; I worry about the reality we have right now, and how we integrate the amazing possibilities of artificial intelligence into human-centered systems," says Dylan Losey, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech.

More than technology

What exactly is artificial intelligence?

Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple, put it simply: AI is an attempt to imitate the brain. Note that he doesn't say the "mind," although that could be next. 

How that imitation happens through large language models (LLMs) is another story, and others tell it better. 

Our interest is in humanity and the potentially beneficial relationship between AI and the liberal arts. In an academic setting, Adam Grant of the University of Pennsylvania says students need an ethical education to understand integrity, a vital contribution the liberal arts can make to technology. 

A great combination

In a 1996 interview with NPR's Terry Gross, Steve Jobs explained that combining technical and engineering skills with artistic disciplines (such as design, philosophy, and poetry) created products that made the "heart sing." 

Those intersections also shed light on Tim Cook's executive leadership, which has been highly successful in carrying forward Steve Jobs' innovative ideas and helping Apple thrive. Cook retires this month after 15 years as CEO of the world's second-largest company with a market capitalization of nearly $5 trillion. 

Jobs' belief was that computer science is a "Liberal Art," a tool that everyone understands and uses in their daily lives. He often said technology needs a human-centered perspective to be truly useful and appealing. 

In an essay cautioning against the neglect of humanities, Greg Dickens writes in Medium, "But if you make time for the liberal arts, not only will you become a more interesting person, you can find that little something that will differentiate you from everyone else."

The Guardian newspaper once described Apple's distinction as "an obsessive, uncompromising focus on eliminating the non-essential when it comes to its products." 

The role of soft skills

In 2017, Dr. David Deming, Dean of Harvard College, published a report highlighting the importance of soft skills alongside technology. Dr. Deming's thesis shows why it pays to be different in the workplace. 

"With the help of AI, white-collar workers can generate far more memos or strategy options than in the past and churn out more productive prototypes or software features. But some executive still has to decide which option to greenlight," writes Norm Scheiber in The New York Times.

"As AI makes production of knowledge work more and more efficient, the job of presenting, debating, lobbying, arm-twisting, reassuring or just plain selling the work appears to be rising in importance," Scheiber adds.

Dr. Deming says that these skills were always important. "But as the information landscape becomes more saturated, the ability to tell a story out of it — to take a ton of text and turn it into something people want — is more valuable." 

As automation heightens the importance of personal interaction, soft skills matter, but they're not enough. Dr. Deming concludes that the people who fared best tended to combine social skills with substantive knowledge.

Counsel from credible sources

In an article entitled "What AI Bosses Advise Their Kids About Jobs," Personal Journal writer Lauren Weber interviewed individuals heavily involved with artificial intelligence.*

Here's a summary of advice to their children (ranging in ages 4 to 26) about what to pay attention to as they consider the future of careers in an AI-driven world: 

Critical thinking, an essential life skill; adaptability; ethics (human judgment); mathematics; ability to relate, empathize, and be around other humans; communication; and how kind you are.  

A liberal arts education matters more than ever, these experts suggested.

The Journal just reported that Ernst & Young's U.S. Division is giving out $100 million in bonuses and rewards to recognize employees who show human skills like adaptability, innovation, and judgment, as well as experimentation with AI. 

Versatility counts

After warning that artificial intelligence would eliminate many white-collar and entry-level jobs, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized, saying, "I'm delighted to be wrong about that." 

It's too early to know for sure, but the threat is there. Current workforce reductions stem from financial and structural problems in businesses and nonprofits, while the blame is shifted to AI.

Whatever jobs AI takes, it will create new ones that didn't exist a few years ago. Breakthrough technology functions that way. Who benefits? MIT labor economist David Autor says it's college graduates under 30, often in urban settings. Those who can learn new things gain specialized knowledge and expertise, increasing their worth.

U.S. Labor Department studies show substantially fewer people entering the workforce between now and 2030, so those who want work will, for the most part, have it. However, those positions may not always be in a graduate's field of study.  

LinkedIn data shared exclusively with Forbes magazine shows that the key to young professionals successfully navigating today's uneven job market is whether their degree is adaptable enough to land a job in several different industries. 

The top five most versatile college majors, where 2022 to 2024 graduates landed jobs farther afield from their majors, are English, Visual and Performing Arts, Communication and Journalism, Business and Marketing, and Computer and Information Sciences. 

Walking in wisdom

At some point, college graduates and those in skilled trades learn that they too bear responsibility for making (and keeping) themselves desirable and employable. 

However, it's an invaluable gift when someone who has practiced takes a special interest in our lives. They support development by pointing toward self-awareness, strong moral character, and trust. Improve performance with timely advice. They are also good listeners. 

A universal truth: "When the student is ready to learn, the right teacher comes along."

Providing that kind of assistance to young adults, or anyone, is a personal endeavor, though it likely utilizes technology in some form.  

Which, in the spirit of Steve Jobs' original thought of combining technical skills with artistic disciplines, should make our hearts sing. 

*Caroline Hanke, global head of organizational growth and health at SAP; Ethan Mollick, professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and co-author of Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI; Jaime Teevan, chief scientist and technical fellow, Microsoft, and trustee, Yale University; Daniela Amodei, President and co-founder of Anthropic.

Strategist.com

©  Bredholt & Co.

 

Michigan Summers Are Hard to Beat

WGVU TV

"I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June." 

 —L. M. Montgomery 

Michigan, my home state, is a special place.

Established in 1805, Michigan is bordered by Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and is connected to Lake Ontario through the flow of water in the Great Lakes system. 

"The Great Lakes State," as it's sometimes called, is a "water, winter, wonderland" of recreation and outdoor activities like swimming, boating, fishing, and hunting. Snowmobiling is a big deal with the fifth-largest snowmobile trail in the nation, worth a billion dollars to Michigan's economy, especially in the Upper Peninsula. 

While the "Mitten State' has struggled with population loss, it recently experienced a rare net gain in domestic migration. Michigan's population grew for the fourth consecutive year to 10,127,884 as of July 2025, adding approximately 27,922 people according to the state's official website. 

"Despite this, Michigan faces long-term challenges from an aging population and low birth rates, with long-term projections indicating a slow decline to about 9.9 million by 2050," say government analysts.

Motor City

Detroit's Big Three automakers (General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis, formerly Chrysler) have created the middle class by providing high-wage, blue-collar jobs with strong benefits such as pensions and healthcare. GM made a college education possible for me through a summer clerkship at Chevrolet Motor Division in Flint. 

Tens of billions are being invested in plants and new technology in the state. However, more dollars are going elsewhere to reduce labor and logistics costs, access new talent pools, and build near-regional customer bases, according to Bridge Michigan. The New York Times reports that Michigan has roughly 280,000 fewer auto jobs than it had in the 1950s, a 60% decline. 

General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis combined have cut 20,000 salaried positions, a reduction of about 19% of their white-collar workforce from recent peaks.

This cyclical industry has undergone many changes in the past 100 years. And more are on the way. The threat of low-cost, government-subsidized vehicles from China entering U.S. markets is becoming more real, though it's held at bay by 100% tariffs and U.S. security concerns. 

Bipartisan legislation is beginning to work its way through Congress to ban the import, manufacture, and sale of internet-connected vehicles, software, and hardware linked to China or other adversaries.   

AI is changing the way vehicles are developed, produced, sold, and driven.

In addition to the Big Three automakers, Michigan has 16 headquartered companies on the Fortune 500 list. They include Dow, Inc., Penske Automotive Group, Stryker Corp., and Whirlpool. 

More than manufacturing

Michigan is an agricultural powerhouse, according to the Michigan Economic Development Commission. "It ranks as the second most diverse state in the U.S. for agriculture," says the Commission. Contributing over $125 billion annually, it's the state's second largest industry, producing more than 300 commodities and ranking #1 in tart cherries, asparagus, and black beans.

There are 93 colleges and universities in Michigan listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This includes 15 public universities, 28 public community colleges, and a variety of private non-profit and for-profit institutions.

In 2024, 51.6% of Michigan residents ages 25-64 held a certificate, an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, a graduate degree, or a professional degree, according to the Lumina Foundation. When looking specifically at bachelor's degrees or higher, approximately 32.4% of people ages 25 and older hold this qualification, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. 

The University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, is the state's oldest university, founded in 1817. The school, with $2 billion in research volume, is also the current Big Ten and NCAA Division I men's basketball champion. 

Professional sports teams such as the Detroit Tigers, Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Detroit City FC (a soccer team nicknamed the "La Rouge") try to keep fans engaged year-round.  

Is there a Michigan accent? Yes, it's called "Inland North" or "Great Lakes." The Detroit Free Press says that if you call it "pop" instead of "soda" or vacation at Mack-in-awe (Mackinac), or visit Sue Saint Marie (Sault Ste. Marie), you're likely a true Michigander. Going Up North for the weekend also qualifies.  

While traditional Michigan speech is starting to disappear among younger generations, CBS Detroit claims the hallmark Michigan vocabulary remains strong across the state. 

Speaking of unique Michigan sounds. Musical historians tell us that Motown Records was founded by Barry Gordy in January of 1959 with an $800 loan from his family. That was the beginning of a cultural movement, not just a record label. 

From 1961 to 1971, the label, featuring artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Diana Ross & The Supremes, had 110 Billboard Top Ten hits, according to news reports.

Tourism and weather

Maybe you're familiar with the state's marketing campaign — Pure Michigan — which was launched 20 years ago. It was named one of the top ten all-time travel campaigns by Forbes.

A state with an Upper and Lower Peninsula means there's a lot of ground to cover when sightseeing or vacationing (97,000 square miles of land and water). Sleeping Bear Dunes, Pictured Rocks, and Tahquamenon Falls are favorites. M-22 is a 116-mile scenic highway that follows the Lake Michigan shoreline around the Leelanau Peninsula.

The Wall Street Journal's number-one-rated but least-visited national park, Isle Royale, is not to be missed. A forty-five-mile-long island that is ten times the size of Manhattan and the only island in the U.S. National Park system, Isle Royale lies in the northwest part of Lake Superior. 

Home to wolves, bears, foxes, and moose, the main island, along with 450 smaller islands and the surrounding waters, makes up Isle Royale National Park. This outdoor experience, which is closed November 1 through April 15 due to extreme weather conditions, is a three-hour ferry boat ride from Copper Harbor or a 50-minute flight from Houghton. 

Mackinac Island (the French spelling) offers a unique car-free atmosphere (cars have been banned since 1895), where travel is limited to bicycles, carriages, and walking. The island's marketing reminds everyone that "you are pausing time in the 19th century." It's a national landmark with 80% of its land preserved as a state park.

Michigan is filled with rivers, spring-fed lakes, and freshwater seas.

MLive writer Emily Bingham provides a look at water facts from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:

• You are never more than six miles from a body of water.
• You are never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.
• There are more than 11,000 inland lakes. (Sorry, Minnesota.) The three largest are Houghton Lake, Torch Lake, and Lake Charlevoix.
• There are 3,288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. 

Here's what the Michigan Storm Chasers say about the weather: "While it features distinct winter, spring, summer, and fall, the weather is notorious for rapid, unpredictable changes, often allowing residents to experience all four seasons in a single week or even a single day."

Forces of nature

In the current best-seller, The Gales of November, author John U. Bacon details the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a 13,000-ton freighter that sank on November 10, 1975, disappearing from radar at 7:15 p.m.

Twenty-nine crew members lost their lives in one of the fiercest storms ever to hit Lake Superior, which has a maximum depth of 1,332 feet, according to the Great Lakes Commission. Waves that day were at 25 to 35 feet high, with hurricane-force wind gusts of 85 miles per hour.

Bacon writes that the storm was so far-reaching and powerful that it made the Mackinac Bridge, eighty miles south of the Fitzgerald's location at Whitefish Bay, "sway thirty-five feet side to side, like a snake slithering through the grass." 

The vessel lies north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, in Canadian waters at a depth of 500 feet, equivalent to a 50-story building. 

Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the tragedy in his 1976 ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Lake Superior is so cold (average temperatures of 30 degrees Fahrenheit) that bacteria can't grow, so instead of floating, corpses sink. The song reminds us that the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area never gives up its dead.

As someone said, "There's nothing as silent as the bottom of the sea."

A peninsula in transition

The upper part of the Lower Peninsula was a favorite getaway of American novelist and short-story writer Ernest Hemingway. It's reported that Hemingway, a Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning author, enjoyed walking the streets of Petoskey (unnoticed) and fishing at Walloon Lake, where his family owned a summer home, "Windemere," now a National Historic Landmark.

"The cider tasted like Michigan, too. I always remembered the cider mill," Hemingway recalled. 

In 1914, Russian-born American composer Irving Berlin wrote a popular song about the state, "I Want to Go Back to Michigan." Anyone returning now would find a pleasant peninsula in the process of determining its political and economic future. 

Together with longer-term population trends, the greatest challenge may be public education, where facilities are aging, test scores are falling, and enrollment is declining in many districts. That poses a predicament, as a strong educational infrastructure is a primary driver of corporate site selection.

The nature of the seasons is changing, too, even as calendars remain the same. Spring is welcome after a long, cold winter, but it's often wet and stormy. Flooding in northern Michigan recently washed away the Tunnel of Trees roadway on Michigan Highway 119. 

Peak foliage in autumn is arriving later, although with unmatched colors and picturesque drives. This might be the best time of the year. 

Though Michigan summers go by quickly from Memorial Day to Labor Day and are becoming noticeably warmer, they are still enjoyable and hard to beat.

Strategist.com

© Bredholt & Co.

  

Learning to Read the Room

 

Idaho.gov

"To acquire knowledge, one must study; to acquire wisdom, one must observe."

—Marilyn vos Savant

What's the greatest threat to the future of any organization?

Heightened competition? Poor execution of strategy? Government regulations? AI?

While those are possible perils, the most critical problem may be institutional indifference among younger employees. 

Corporations have always been a test of an entrant's perseverance and endurance. It's the fortunate new associate who has someone on the inside to guide them through the labyrinth of power, structure, and potential minefields in relationships. Even learning about the company's history and the reason for being. 

However, virtual or hybrid organizations make cultural assimilation harder, as ethos is best experienced firsthand. 

In an article published in The Wall Street Journal entitled "A New Lost Generation: Why Gen Z Is Unprepared For the Workforce," author Tessa West, a professor of psychology at New York University, suggests that younger workers are struggling to fit into organizations of all kinds. "There's a lot of turnover because new hires who don't acclimate don't last long," West observes. 

"Those who do stay often find the experience unfulfilling and frustrating. Their bosses are at a loss, wondering why the new workers just don't get it," Professor Tess adds. (And workers wonder why bosses don't get them, as great supervisors are rare.) 

She concludes, "If the trend continues, we are heading for a crisis: a generation of employees who never become seasoned insiders, incapable of either collaborating or leading. When a generation of workers never acquires the tools they need to lead, the leadership pipeline falls apart. In time, so too will our organizations." 

A crisis in the making

It's necessary to be cautious about generalizing millions of people, as Gen Z represents a fifth of the workforce. Voice Pro, a coaching firm, reminds everyone that there are exceptions in all generational categories. And focusing too much on stereotypes keeps us from learning about those individuals excluded from a general rule. 

Yet detachment is a recognizable and measurable dilemma among this cohort.

"According to a November 2022 Gallup report, 54% of Gen Z and younger millennial employees are 'not engaged' (ambivalent or 'quiet quitting') at work, a higher rate than other generations." More recent statistics show disengagement increasing among younger workers.

Johns Hopkins University's Imagine Center summarized the data as follows: "This will continue to occur if a majority of young employees don't have strong relationships with their managers, employers, or coworkers. Therefore, younger workers may be less inclined to 'settle' for a less-than-ideal employer, as they are always looking for better opportunities."

Are employment pressures the same as they've always been, or different?

"Young adults are struggling with everyday work due to a convergence of high anxiety, poor executive functioning, economic pressures, and workplace misalignment," report mental health experts at Lyra Health. Reduced in-person interaction has hindered the development of their soft skills and workplace etiquette," the study concludes. 

A major difficulty faced by this group is their inability to manage relationships and demonstrate social skills, as they've spent most of their lives isolated online — for school, friends, and entertainment. 

Does anyone want to lead?

Executive Search firm Stanton Chase says a leadership crisis isn't coming but is already here:

Deloitte’s latest research shows that only 6% of Gen Z workers say their primary career goal is reaching a leadership position. They’re actively rejecting the traditional climb to the C-suite. 

This rejection isn’t happening in isolation. Stanford research helps explain why, finding that Gen Z prefers collaborative or rotating leadership models over traditional hierarchical structures. 

The consequences are already visible: McKinsey research warns that 90% of organizations will face meaningful skills gaps in coming years, partly because the talent they’re counting on doesn’t want the roles they’re offering.

This isn’t a temporary trend that will correct itself as these generations mature. The data suggests something more substantial and long-lasting: a complete reimagining of what leadership should look like, how leaders should be developed, and what motivates talented individuals to take on executive responsibilities. 

Rethinking leadership development

Over 2.1 million students are expected to earn bachelor's degrees this spring, with another 1 million estimated to earn associate's degrees, according to the Education Data Initiative. How many took a course in observation if one was offered?

"More than books, seminars, training, or experience, observation is a prime educator," says author and motivational speaker Tony Legando. It's a simple skill, but its potential in developing teams, like finding a new source of energy, is off the grid," Legando emphasizes.

An overlooked aspect of how individuals develop is their ability to be attuned to those around them. That begins by learning how to read the room, literally and figuratively. Principally, this refers to the bearing and manner in which colleagues conduct themselves.  

But to read the room, you have to be physically present. Digital doesn't allow true engagement.

What else should we know about next-generation development?

Managers and supervisors on the front lines have significant responsibility. Helping coworkers get the right experiences. They teach them to learn from mistakes and improve decision-making skills. 

The literature reveals that purpose is important to younger employees. Is it linked to advancement? Are development paths offering diverse experiences rather than just ladder climbing? Ongoing conversations about performance appeal more to self-directed learning styles than annual reviews.

In an age of artificial intelligence, there's a premium on human communication.

The data make clear that not everyone wants a leadership role. And new processes are needed in succession planning to entice those who may be open to that option. For those with the right motivations, gifts, and temperament, this is a new day. 

The door is open for courageous persons willing to take on tough assignments. The need is for more individuals who can endure adversity while maintaining their composure. A sign of maturity.

 

For employers, appealing to emerging leaders is an ongoing effort. What do they see that would motivate them to take on more duty and accountability? 

One pitfall to avoid — promising opportunities while letting the bureaucracy inhibit their fulfillment. That's a self-defeating act for any organization.  

With a rising generation leadership crisis at hand, it's time to let more associates in the room. Remind them that "to acquire knowledge, one must study; to acquire wisdom, one must observe."

Strategist.com

© Bredholt & Co.

An Inspiring Life of Faith

BBC

"And without faith it is impossible to please God." 

—Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

What one sees upon entering the nursery at a Nirmala Shishu Bhavan branch in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, is the babies and toddlers responding to exceptional care from the co-workers. 

What one feels is the love and warmth that fills this safe space. 

Estimates of street-connected children in Kolkata vary widely due to the brief duration of their time in those locations. Still, figures suggest hundreds of thousands, with some reports indicating as many as 250,000 or more in the city. 

Major cities like Mumbai and New Delhi may each have one million or more street children, including those living or working on the streets, according to The Hope Foundation.

It's places like Nirmala Shishu Bhavan where temporary care is given to children who are abandoned, physically and mentally challenged, suffering from malnutrition, and other diseases. In India alone, there are over 60 such children's homes.

Although the Kanpur branch in Kolkata was closed in 2022 due to lease issues, the Maidan and Secunderabad branches remain active, serving as orphanages and welcoming visitors, with some operating 24 hours a day.    

All are part of Mother Teresa's ministry to the poor in India.

A Divine call

How did this adventure in faith get its start?

"On the train journey to Darjeeling on the 10th of September 1946 is where the Missionaries of Charity begin—in the depths of God's infinite longing to love and be loved. 

"It was in that train to Darjeeling that I heard the call to give up all and follow Him into the slums—to serve Him and the poorest of the poor ... I knew it was His will and that I had to follow Him. There was no doubt it was going to be His work." 

Those are Mother Teresa's words describing her "call within a call." 

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire, and raised by a deeply religious Catholic family, Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian nun who founded a compassionate mission unlike any other. She prepared well for her death on September 5, 1997, at 87, by establishing a charity with the necessary values, leadership, and structure to carry on the work. 

Acts of mercy, love, and grace

In 1950, Mother Teresa laid the foundation for the Missionaries of Charity in what was Calcutta. This dedicated enterprise, starting with just twelve members, has expanded to 139 countries and now has more than 5,700 nuns and co-workers managing 760 homes, 244 of which are in India.

The sisters run orphanages, homes for those dying of AIDS, and care for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, and alcoholics. The charity is active in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe, and Australia. 

They have 19 homes in Kolkata alone, including homes for women, orphaned children, and the dying; a school for street children; and a leper colony.

The best-known service is the Kalighat Home for the Dying in South Kolkata. This hospice was established by Mother Teresa in 1952, using an abandoned Hindu temple.

Beyond the traditional vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, members of the congregation also pledge a fourth vow: to offer wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love," Mother Teresa is quoted as saying.

Today, the Missionaries of Charity is led by Sr. M. Joseph, MC, Superior General from the Mother House in Kolkata. 

Nothing is easy

In addition to being removed from a building on government land after their lease was not renewed in 2021, the Missionaries of Charity lost their license to accept funds from other countries that same year, a source of nearly $13 million in income. That affected 22,000 direct dependents in India, leading, for a time, to the rationing of services.

Then, in January 2022, the Indian government restored the Charity license, permitting the religious order's Indian provinces to receive funding from foreign sources.

Sainthood for all?

One of Mother Teresa's insightful observations continues to motivate her charity: "The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved." 

She went on to say that loneliness "urges us to look around and notice those who may be silently struggling." 

Princess Diana, who was reported to have been very close to Mother Teresa, wrote, "I found in her the direction I've been searching for all these years." That same thought is no doubt shared by countless individuals.  

The Economic Times pointed out how her work was recognized in India. She was issued a diplomatic passport by the Indian government and received the Padma Shri in 1962 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1969. In 1980, she was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

In 1979, the Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized her sacrifice and service by awarding Mother Teresa the Nobel Peace Prize "for her work in bringing help to suffering humanity through the Missionaries of Charity." 

The Nobel Committee announced that she refused the traditional banquet and instead donated the $192,000 to the needy in Kolkata. 

On September 4, 2016, 19 years after her passing and following Pope Francis' canonization, Mother Teresa became Saint Teresa of Kolkata. 

A decade since sainthood, and, in a world of great human need, this globally revered but selfless figure remains an inspiring life of faith.

Strategist.com

©  Bredholt & Co.

The Swiss Cheese Model of Safety

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin

"Two is one, and one is none."

—A military adage

U.S. President Donald J. Trump was on his way to Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2026, to speak at the World Economic Forum when a "minor electrical issue" forced Air Force One to return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The lights in the press cabin went out briefly. 

A decision to return to Joint Base Andrews was made "out of an abundance of caution," said presidential press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

The president and his party, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the traveling press corps, were transferred to two different planes for the 7.5-hour flight to Zurich. 

The former head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Mary Schiavo, said, "This has to be one of the best-maintained planes in the world. But there are things on every aircraft where when the warning light comes on, you have to turn around and go back to address it."

Don't ignore the warning lights is good advice. 

Swiss cheese explained

The lush valley in western Switzerland known as Emmental, about an hour and a half or 121km from Zurich, is the birthplace of Swiss cheese, according to Wisconsincheese.com. The website describes this as an "alpine-style" cheese made in high-altitude pastures. 

When Swiss immigrants arrived in Green County, Wisconsin, in the late 1800s, they brought cheesemaking techniques with them. And we're all glad they did.

Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

Historians at the association say it's due to the cheesemaking process, which slowly releases carbon dioxide, forming small pockets of air called "eyes" during aging. 

Holes and slices

The Theory of Active and Latent Failures was proposed by James Reason, Ph.D., a psychology professor from the University of Manchester, in his book, Human Errors. Dr. Reason's initial interest was in complex systems, such as healthcare. His thesis was that accidents are caused by a breakdown or absence of safety barriers within the system. 

The Swiss Cheese Model is a popular representation of Dr. Reason's work, in which absent or failed barriers at each level are represented as holes in the cheese. 

Post-accidents are evaluated by identifying which slice of the Swiss cheese broke down and mitigating their recurrence.

The U.S. government admitted in a court filing last year that it was partially at fault in a midair collision between American Eagle flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people on January 29, 2025. The CRJ-700 passenger jet, owned by PSA Airlines, was attempting to land on runway 33 at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. 

The role of redundancy

In the Swiss cheese model, the holes represent weaknesses in individual parts of the system, and they continually vary in size and position across the slices. The system produces failures when holes in each slice momentarily align, permitting, in Dr. Reason's words, "a trajectory of accident opportunity." 

Therefore, there is a necessity for redundancies. 

"Redundancy in aviation refers to the duplication of critical components or systems to enhance reliability, usually through a backup or failsafe. This ensures that if one part of the system fails, others can take over its function without compromising safety," say the experts at Melbourne Flight Safety. 

"The key areas are avionics, power, and flight control systems," they note.

Even with redundancy in the cockpit on general aviation and flight decks for larger aircraft, pilot error accounts for 60% to 80% of all incidents, according to the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration. Mechanical failure and weather conditions are also important factors. 

Commercial air travel remains the statistically safest mode of transportation, with fatality rates near zero per 100 million passenger miles, says the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

What other types of systems require backups?

Power grids, water supply systems, communication networks (such as data centers), and transportation infrastructure (such as additional highways, bridges, and tunnels). 

As someone said, "We're all connected, and we're all vulnerable."

One other category to consider is succession plans, which are a form of strategic redundancy. "They are designed to ensure business continuity and reduce dependence on any single individual. Normally, redundancy implies elimination, but in this case, it means backup," suggests CPA firm, Moss Adams. 

Murphy's Law

Sean Gold, the founder of TruePrepper in North Carolina, says that "The 'two is one and one is none' idea means that you should expect one thing to go wrong with equipment, survival gear, plans, and even people."

"Even the most careful plans and robust equipment need backups," Gold emphasizes. 

KCRA TV in Sacramento, California, reported that three survivors of the deadly avalanche near Castle Creek used their safety gear to rescue fellow skiers buried in snow. Six members of the group survived while nine died. It was the deadliest avalanche in modern California history. 

There's a relationship here with an epigram known as Murphy's Law, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Yet sometimes the biggest risk is doing nothing.  

Nevertheless, the goal of preventing accidents and not repeating bad decisions is achieved by taking the time to learn from past mistakes and institutionalizing those findings.

A visible example of that principle is the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion forty years ago, which occurred on January 28, 1986, and took the lives of seven crew members just 73 seconds into the launch, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. 

The lessons there — don't yield to internal management pressure and don't launch in cold temperatures — may partly explain why NASA rolled back the Artemis II moon rocket to its hangar last month so engineers could look for possible helium leaks. 

Learning from the past and leveraging timely knowledge are ways to prevent cultural, systemic, and mechanical holes from aligning. Think about that the next time you're enjoying a slice of Swiss cheese. 

Strategist.com

© Bredholt & Co.