Dear friends,

Today is Election Day, and I know we are all watching local outcomes and bellwether contests closely. Thank you to everyone for turning out! Avalon is closed so staff can vote and volunteer. Our teams are prepared, and all deliverables will remain on schedule.

Data-Driven Leaders

Avalon analytics VP SB Birnie and client services VP Rebecca Shapalis, along with Bobby Mann, Chief Advancement Officer at Humane Rescue Alliance, will present at The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement Conference on Thursday. Their session is designed specifically for C-Suite executives, philanthropic leaders, and organizational decision-makers who need to understand how direct marketing fundraising performance connects to an organization’s financial health. If you’re attending, be sure to check it out, and please stick around to say hello!

Brand Zeitgeist

After last month’s Louvre heist, some commercial marketers saw a brand opportunity. IKEA jumped on board with ads for glass containers meant to spotlight “your crown jewels.” McDonald’s benefited from good timing, having launched an unrelated heist campaign shortly before the robbery made news. Most notably, German forklift company Böcker, which manufactures the “heist ladder,” leaned in with humor. In what could have been a PR disaster, they were able reframe the story and “align brand truth with zeitgeist.” It’s an interesting case study, and I’ve been fascinated by these events, but my heart does go out to museum leaders at the Louvre! Now that the suspects have been apprehended, I hope they recover the missing jewels soon.

Growth Mindset

Senior VP Jackie Libby shared four characteristics of great leaders: humility, learning from others, patience, and self-awareness. Fast Company author Marcel Schwantes notes that these are not fixed traits, but essential skills to develop and strengthen over time. Leaders should be “committed to the climb” and constantly seeking to learn and improve. It’s a good reminder that a growth mindset makes all the difference, even and especially for senior leaders.

“The best leaders aren’t defined by the peak they’ve reached, but by their willingness to take the next step.”

– Marcel Schwantes, Fast Company

“We Stand Together”

Thank you to SAGE for an inspiring night at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, celebrating the 2025 SAGE Awards and Gala. This year’s honorees include Tony Award-winning artist Bill T. Jones, Viiv Healthcare, and outgoing SAGE CEO Michael Adams. In addition, SAGE launched The Michael Adams Leadership and Innovation Fund, which will help ensure Adams’ legacy and a strong transition for incoming CEO Lynn Faria. Avalon is incredibly proud to partner with SAGE and support their mission of advocacy, resources, and community for LGBTQ+ elders.

“We stand together … we’re not going anywhere.”

– Incoming SAGE CEO Lynn Faria

Turkey Twinning

Farm Sanctuary’s annual Adopt a Turkey campaign is in full swing. This humane holiday tradition is an Avalon favorite, and we are proud to adopt two flocks. Like so many animals, “these living, feeling individuals deserve so much better” than they experience on factory farms. If you can’t decide which bird(s) to adopt, take a moment to discover your turkey twin: Are you a daring Zuzu, a gentle Julie, or, like me, a caring and confident Thelma? There are no wrong answers on this test!