Domino Theory Blog

An Interview with Kate - Part 3 "Trust, Doubts, and Having the Conversation"

Here's our third and final segment of the interview with Kate Skidmore. If you have missed Part 1 or Part 2 it would be good to check those out. We first introduced you to Kate in a blog post titled "Kate's Topple."

My introduction to this segment of the interview explains why Topplers is supporting Kate and her efforts of getting a book published. If after listening to the interview you are inspired and motivated to help Kate please let us know (a simple comment to this blog will work).

Here's what Kate recently sent me in an email message regarding her thoughts on the next dominos in her Topple:

Hey Herb,

Remember in the earlier blog post (read it here) how we listed ways in which people could help move this Topple forward? Well it occurred to me that we actually have a more developed wish list. I don't know if this would be helpful to include in one of the other blog posts for the second or third interview segments but I thought I would toss it out there.

1. We are seeking endorsements for the book from recognizable people related to adoption and/or international development. We are hoping to connect with Mac Powell from Third Day (Christian Music Group), The Touhy Family from The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock who has also adopted a new little baby boy, Senator John McCain, Rick Warren.

2. Connections to a Literary Agent and/or a Publisher who deals with memoires and would consider working with first time authors.

There are more steps but they will not come until later. So I guess that is all for now.

Kate

As you can see Kate is thinking like a Toppler - seeing the world through the perspective of Domino Theory - and working to place dominos in her 'topple.'

Click the bar below to listen to part 3 of our interview with Kate (14:14):

Kate interview part3

Or, if you prefer to download the interview (mp3):

Download Kate interview part3

A final thanks to Carol Ross of Carol Ross and Associates for helping with this interview. She did a great job!

Kate's family (and a few of their friends)...

An Interview with Kate - Part 2 "The Adoption"

Here is part 2 of our interview with Kate Skidmore. In this segment titled "The Adoption," Kate talks about the impact the adoption has made on her life.

Click the bar below to listen (14:40).

Kate interview part2

Or, if you prefer to download the interview:

Download Kate interview part2

If you missed Part 1, "The Invitation" you can find it here.

Part 3 is the final segment, titled "Trust, Doubts, and Having the Conversation." It will posted in a couple days.

An Interview with Kate - Part 1 "The Invitation"

We introduced you to Kate Skidmore in our last post titled 'Kate's Topple.' Since that time, Kate and her husband Mark have completed the first draft of the book. They are now working to secure a literary agent.

Topplers has been helping Kate setup her dominos - a chain of people working together to get her book published. Her story of adopting Maria and Rhoda from Uganda is inspiring. And, as domino theory predicts, an inspiring story motivates people to provide their assistance and keep the topple in motion. In this case, Carol Ross of Carol Ross and Associates has set herself up as a domino in Kate's Topple and volunteered her time to conduct an interview of Kate.

It is our hope that this interview will in some way help Kate accomplish her goal of publishing her book.

This is part one of the interview (12 min 47 sec). The other two parts will be posted separately.

Click the bar below to listen.

Kate interview final p1

Or, if you prefer to download the interview:

Download Kate interview final p1

Part 2 titled "The Adoption" will be posted in a couple days.

Kate's Topple

One of the best parts about Topplers and Domino Theory is that people just “get it.” This then leads them to ask the question, “How can I setup my own topple to watch my dream become a reality?” I want to introduce you to one of those people, Kate Skidmore.

Kate’s dream: Write a book about the inspiring events surrounding the adoption of her daughters from Africa.

• Would you possibly be interested in being part of Kate’s Topple?


• Are you the next person in the chain of people who will help Kate achieve her dream?


• Can Kate pass you a domino so we can track the chain of people involved in helping her accomplish her dream?


• Wouldn't it be great if we could track your act of helping all the through to seeing a child getting adopted?

Here’s the story behind the topple…

Kate has a dream (i.e. the book). She took the first big step of a true Toppler: she got over her fears and self-doubts about being able to make her dream become reality. This summer she and her husband Mark canceled their family vacation and instead spent their time completing the first draft of the book.

Now Kate is using the concepts in Domino Theory to set up her Topple so others can help her accomplish something that might be impossible for her to do on her own. In other words: she is setting up dominos and tipping them, which will then lead to other dominos falling that eventually end up knocking over a big heavy domino – The Book. Then, that big heavy domino tips over with more energy than all the others combined (lots of people read the book) and just maybe, thousands of other dominos start falling, or as Kate puts it…

“I hope the book will lead to an extraordinary number of orphaned children finding their “forever families.” I also hope that the book encourages people to listen and act on the invitation offered to them to make a positive difference.

Kate is asking Topplers.org to help make it possible for her to tip over the next dominos in her topple. These dominos (people like you) can help tip over the next domino in the chain that leads the book getting published by:

• Reading and commenting on the draft.
• Connecting Kate to a publisher.
• Providing first hand experiences/advice for an author like herself.
• Join the Topplers Facebook Page and invite others so there's a bigger population with the potential to help.
• Or simply connecting Kate to someone else that might be able to help.

Everyone that can help will get an official Topplers.org uniquely numbered domino from Kate. This domino can then be passed on to the next person in the chain, creating a traceable topple that will link and recognize every person who helped Kate accomplish her dream of getting the book published and children finding their forever families.

If you are interested in being part of Kate’s topple, the next step is go to the Topplers.org website and visit Kate’s page (featured on the Topplers home page) where you can connect with her via email.

And The Wall Comes Domino'ing Down

One of the more memorable and meaningful moments of the 20th century was the fall of the Berlin Wall. As with any big thing, there were a series of events that lead to it finally tumbling down. I guess that's why the German's celebrated the 20th anniversary of the wall coming down by setting up a huge domino topple.

I continue to see it everywhere I look... One thing leading to another, then another, and so on until something big happens. Often we think we can't make the big things happen, but after years of working to set up and tip my own topples in motion I know that I can change things. I haven't tried to do anything as audacious as knocking down something like the Berlin wall. But think about... Someone did! The idea was started, others joined in, and the unimaginable happened.

I bet the people who know they had a big hand in making the wall come down today feel very proud and empowered to do even more because I learned first hand that one small thing can lead to another. And when you think about it, the wall coming down was just another domino in the chain of making the world a little less messed up.

Thanks to my friend Terry Gold for first alerting me to the topple in Berlin.