In this episode of Been to the Mountain Top, Steve calls his shot: raise $1,000,000 by December 31 and break a world record on November 6 in support of Stoked, the youth mentoring organization he founded. He lays out a focused fundraising plan anchored by the NYC Marathon, a silent and art auction, sponsorships, and a “20 x $20K” challenge—while documenting the journey daily for accountability and momentum.
You’ll hear why he’s returning to this work after three years away, how he plans to elevate the field of mentoring in partnership with other youth-serving organizations, and the systems he’s building to make it happen. Steve shares day-two updates, early outreach to pillar donors, and the tools and content engine he’s creating to track progress, amplify the mission, and bring listeners behind the scenes.
Key Topics Covered
- Calling the shot: $1M by December 31 and a world record attempt on November 6
- The plan: NYC Marathon with co-founder Salama, silent auction, art auction, ticket sales, sponsorships, and 20 people raising/donating $20K each
- Mission and motivation: expanding access to mentors and elevating the mentoring field through partnerships, resources, and tools
- Content and systems: launching a Podcast Engine and a daily goal-tracking tool to automate distribution and measure outreach, training, and content output
- Simplifying to execute: narrowing the art auction to 20–30 strong pieces, moving additional works online
- Donor strategy: securing pillar donors ($25K–$200K) to build early momentum and runway
- Daily disciplines: running, training, outreach, content creation, team building, processes, systems, and pitch decks
- Day 2 updates: interview with art curator/advisor Carrie Scott; reconnection with early supporter Nikki; emails to artists and major donors; branding help from a video game executive
- Radical transparency: sharing progress publicly for accountability and to inspire others
Notable Quotes
- “I’m calling my shot: by December 31st, I’m raising a million dollars.”
- “I want to elevate the space and the field of mentoring so that more young people have opportunities.”
- “I’ve always done things in silence. I’m attempting a new thing where I just share—because for me, it’s really about accountability.”
Resources & Mentions
- Stoked (Steve’s youth mentoring organization)
- Salama (co-founder, running the NYC Marathon with Steve)
- Carrie Scott (art curator and advisor)
- Nikki (early supporter of Stoked)
- Build a Growth (Steve’s agency)
- Podcast Engine (automated podcast redistribution tool in development)
- Goal-tracking tool (in development to measure outreach, content, training, etc.)
- NYC Marathon (November 6)
- Silent auction and art auction (fundraising events)
- “20 x $20K” fundraising challenge
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction and calling the shot: $1M by year’s end
01:10 – The November 6 world record attempt and NYC Marathon plan
02:30 – Fundraising pillars: auctions, tickets, sponsorships, and 20 x $20K
04:00 – Why mentoring now: returning to Stoked and elevating the field
05:30 – Building systems: Podcast Engine and daily goal-tracking tool
07:00 – Simplifying the art auction for quality and focus
08:15 – Day 2: interview with Carrie Scott and outreach updates
10:00 – Pillar donor strategy and pitch development
11:30 – Daily disciplines and team processes
12:30 – Branding support from a video game exec and closing ask for feedback
If you’re following along, let Steve know what you’d like to see behind the scenes as he documents the journey daily.
Ready to join the community? Here's how you can connect with us:
Stay Connected:
@thelarosiliere
Get Involved with Stoke:
Transform lives through action sports and mentorship
@stokedorg
stoked.org
Level Up Your Business:
buildergrowth.io
Design with Purpose:
purposedesignbuild.com
24 分