Greaves Communication Strategies

Greaves Communication Strategies Marketing strategies for do-gooders with great ideas.

05/18/2026

Just a few days into Girl Scout cookie season in NYC, I received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to chat all things cookies thanks to the folks at and .

This was a highly personal share for me because it encouraged me to revisit the fact that teaching sales to my daughter helped me on the path to overcoming the grief of losing my own mother.

💗 I knew the cookies had an ever-growing list of superpowers, but this one tops them all.

Every lesson in our household begins with solving a problem. For Liz, the lesson about sales (and Scouting!) began with finding a problem in our community that we could help to resolve.

🍨Cookie season starts in January, and with door-to-door sales out of the question, Liz and I worked out a partnership with to sell custom sundaes featuring our cookies.

Partnering with a business that’s usually slower in winter led to an awesome appreciation on both sides.

This isn’t a sad story.

What I want people to take away from this conversation isn’t just our story. It’s what the Girl Scouts cookie program actually teaches young women about the BUSINESS OF RELATIONSHIPS.

‼️ Before these girls ever encounter the high-pressure, boiler room version of sales that so many of us have been conditioned to fear, they learn something far more powerful: that your neighbors, your community, and your regular customers aren’t targets. They’re partners.

Even though we’re in NYC, Southeast Queens is a very tight-knit mostly Caribbean community where that lesson doesn’t feel like a curriculum. It feels like home.

Very grateful to Ferrero Rocher, Carla Lalli, Atlantic Rethink, , and for creating space for this conversation.

DM me for Thin Mints.


The hottest ticket in town right now isn’t a show or a restaurant. It’s a volunteer shift.Yesterday I chaperoned a middl...
05/06/2026

The hottest ticket in town right now isn’t a show or a restaurant. It’s a volunteer shift.

Yesterday I chaperoned a middle school class trip to and I walked out of there feeling like a very proud New Yorker — one who was a little humbled by a bunch of 12-year-olds.

These kids showed up, rolled up their sleeves, sorted food without complaint, and took the work seriously in a way that stopped me in my tracks.

🗽In Queens alone, more than 22 million pounds of food were rescued last year.

Food that would have gone to waste, now reaching families who need it. Yesterday a group of middle schoolers contributed tothat number. (I added that Statue of Liberty emoji because if you’ve ever been on the BQE while driving by with kids in the car, you know what went down yesterday on the bus).

We talk a lot about impact. That’s what it actually looks like.

Allow me to ring this bell again on behalf of nonprofits everywhere: ORGANIZATIONS NEED YOU YEAR-ROUND, NOT JUST DURING THE HOLIDAYS.

Booking summer fellowship events? Consider a local food pantry or New Yorkers can contact City Harvest directly at [email protected].

If you’ve been looking for something meaningful to do with your team, your family, or your organization — especially heading into summer — this is it. You don’t need a big plan. You just need to show up.

Because a strong city is built by people who take care of each other. Yesterday reminded me that some of those people are still in middle school.

Thank you to the City Harvest team for your hospitality, for igniting the spark, and for continuously introducing young people to the gratifying and lasting experience of service leadership.

04/22/2026

Imagine leaving your home to start your morning commute and as you approach your car, you notice there’s a 12-foot crocodile 🐊 underneath it.

During our expat experience in Jamaica, my daughter and I were fascinated to learn that this is highly likely to happen during hurricane season.

We couldn’t let it go.

Who do you even call for that?

Thanks to social media, we were able to snag some face time with , one of the Caribbean’s hardest working Wildlife Conservation Biologists, to help a then 9-year-old understand more about her work to preserve the environment.

This was especially poignant for us coming from a region that many dismiss as a vacation playground, but is really home to so many exceptional biological wonders.

At the time, Liz was grossing her mother out by picking up cane toads 🐸 (crapauds for the Trinis) with her bare hands, carrying fried bake from breakfast to feed the mullet fish 🐟 in the river behind us, and pointing out tadpoles in the drains.

🌎 This , I’m grateful for Treya and the numerous scientists worldwide that work around us humans to care for much of the flora and fauna that we still have yet to fully understand — or appreciate.

You’ll be pleased to know that Liz is still on the trail and is now working to protect predatory bird species 🦅right here in New York City.

**Fair warning: this interview has two hosts. One is my daughter. The other is a stuffed kangaroo named Roo Roo. Treya handled both of them like a pro. 💗.

I hope this brings a smile to your day, and the significance of Earth Day closer to home. We would be so lost without our scientists and conservationists.

04/19/2026

Really appreciate Deputy Speaker ’ thoughtful response on the definition of public service. It was a beautiful way to kick off the day’s discussions about ways in which we support our community as well as our key motivations for giving back.

Congratulations to on its inaugural, civic engagement conference. I had a blast, I connected with so many like-minded and progressive individuals within our NYC community, and my daughter got to hear about what life used to be like on The Ave way back in the day. She learned about Alexander’s and the NYNEX building, too!

I had such an amazing time at Corporate Partner Day this week! I left inspired, humbled, and feeling like I just touche...
04/16/2026

I had such an amazing time at Corporate Partner Day this week! I left inspired, humbled, and feeling like I just touched lightning with this next generation of leadership.

The organization gives interns real workplace experience, real skills, and a real shot at careers that might otherwise feel out of reach.

⚡️ The highlight for me was the elevator pitch competition where we coached a group of participants through their pitches.

🎉 What started as light guidance turned into media training, mentoring and full on cheering by the third round.

*************************************

Year Up United has created a safe space for young people to develop, grow, and get just a taste of what success can feel like. That matters more than I can put into words.

If your organization has the capacity to partner with them, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. These interns are READY. The question is whether we are.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but seeing someone once, twice or 50 times on Instagram rarely builds trust. A follo...
04/14/2026

I don’t know who needs to hear this but seeing someone once, twice or 50 times on Instagram rarely builds trust.

A following? Yes.

That’s social proof, not money in the bank.

What’s missing is social capital, the trust and awareness that you are who you say you are behind the image. That leads to conversions.

Visibility means people noticed you. Resonance means they understood you, trusted you, and felt compelled to act.

I’m also sharing some highlights about a new grant opportunity with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and a writing resource for comms team members who are seeking inspiration.

*Check out my newsletter and let me know what you think:

https://message2money.beehiiv.com

Queens folks, do you remember piling into the car and driving for what seemed like forever out to Estelle’s Dressy Dress...
04/06/2026

Queens folks, do you remember piling into the car and driving for what seemed like forever out to Estelle’s Dressy Dresses in Farmingdale ahead of special occasions? The unlocked a critical core memory for me this weekend when I got a preview of their Prom Giveaway event.

Y’all, we got the Estelle’s Dressy Dresses experience right in Cambria Heights.

Shout out to the community partners like and the neighbors who helped to create this magic for our babies.

There are dresses, suits, shoes and accessories, and this past weekend they hosted makeup, grooming and etiquette courses to ensure the teens felt wholly confident inside and out.

Thanks to the thoughtful work of and , 30 young men left with suits, ties and a boatload of proud smiles. The kids really enjoyed the workshop with the barber, and they could not stop the chatter while learning how to tie a tie. They were so excited!

When I tell you the aunty in me could not contain my own excitement for these young people and their families.

This is what the library has always been for this community. Not just books. It’s been a resource, a gathering place, and a lifeline since we were kids.

And watching QPL create these beautiful moments where young men are stepping into their power and young women are stepping into their grace — all made possible through community — I am genuinely moved.

I want to thank Scott McCleod, Director of Civic Engagement, for including me in a call to support.

If you haven’t explored what the Queens Public Library is offering your family right now, please do. You might be surprised by what’s already waiting for you. Make an appointment for your middle school and high school teens. They’re aiming to fill 300 slots this week.

P.S. I’ll be speaking on April 18th at the SOLD OUT inaugural Civic Engagement Conference, “Leadership Takes Many Forms,” and this experience will be a highlight of my topic about Connection Capital and using your network for good.

03/30/2026

If American women were paid for all of the caregiving labor they provide, it would be worth $683 billion.

I attended a Women in Leadership fireside chat hosted by Councilwoman last week, and when she shared that stat, it nearly knocked me right out of my seat.

As a mom raising a teenager (already, y’all — WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!) who started her business while caregiving, I felt that number in my bones. Life doesn’t pause just because you’re building a career.

But my daughter Liz was in the room watching. Well, listening. Through headphones. And sneaking glances at her phone. And that’s the real leadership lesson.

Representation matters. So does showing up — even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

Did you know flooding is the #1 most pressing health concern for New Yorkers? I spent the morning with the team at , wh...
03/24/2026

Did you know flooding is the #1 most pressing health concern for New Yorkers?

I spent the morning with the team at , which brought together public health leaders and community organizations to talk candidly about what’s happening on the ground across NYC.

Their approach was simple and thoughtful: listen first. Then report stories that reflect the real experiences of communities.

The conversation touched on major challenges New Yorkers are navigating right now:

⚫️ Access to healthcare, especially for communities hesitant to seek care due to immigration concerns

⚫️ Growing climate and flooding risks across NYC neighborhoods

⚫️ Combating misinformation and rebuilding trust during disease outbreaks

Huge thanks to Charlene Pacenti, Trenton Daniel, and for convening such an important discussion, along with organizations in the room including EmblemHealth, , , and . It’s also always a pleasure to visit our historic landmark .

Because the strength of a community isn’t measured on paper.

It’s measured by whether people show up, listen, and work together to solve problems that keep their neighbors safe and healthy.

We’re seeing an alarming rise in breast cancer diagnoses for women under 45. I’m honored to join the board of the , an o...
03/17/2026

We’re seeing an alarming rise in breast cancer diagnoses for women under 45. I’m honored to join the board of the , an organization that meets this challenge head-on!

Created by a breast surgeon who has spent more than 50 years fighting the disease, the Foundation delivers timely knowledge that makes the difference between early detection and running out of time—starting with youth education.

‼️ 90% of schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties have integrated this curriculum.

💗 Kids are learning to advocate for their own health and the health of the people they love.

And we’re expanding into NYC! I’m now using my big mouth and love for my community to increase awareness.

The most powerful tool we have in the fight against cancer is knowledge. Education today saves lives tomorrow.

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