Showing vs. Telling

Shoes for the Soul. A small part of everything we do at San Juan Capistrano Rotary.

You've probably sat through many boring PowerPoint presentations where someone lists Rotary's accomplishments. It's just like a business trying to sell features instead of solutions.

"We've helped eradicate polio. We provide clean water. We support education."

Eyes glaze over. People check their phones. The message gets lost.

Here's the thing: Facts don't move people. Stories do.

Instead of saying "Rotary fights poverty," show them the family in Tecate, Mexico moving into the home you helped build in a single day.

Don't tell them about youth leadership. Introduce them to the high school student who came back from RYLA with confidence they never knew they had.

Real Examples Beat Abstract Concepts

When you're trying to get someone interested, resist the urge to explain. Instead, take them on the next house build. Let them swing a hammer, paint, and watch walls go up. Have them see the family's faces when they hand over the keys to their new home.

A member once told me, "I joined after going on my first house build. Seeing that mom cry when we finished her family's home—that's when I understood what Rotary really meant."

Your Actions Are Your Best Advertisement

Wearing a Rotary pin is telling. Building a house in Mexico is showing.

Posting about RYLA on Facebook is telling. Posting photos of teenagers discovering their leadership potential during the weekend retreat is showing.

The difference matters. People trust what they see more than what they hear. They remember experiences, not explanations.

Want to see this concept in action? Watch how this video demonstrates the power of showing vs. telling. Notice how it makes you feel compared to just reading about it.

Make It Personal

The best tool isn't a speech about "Service Above Self." It's letting people experience how service makes them feel.

Next time someone asks about why you're in Rotary, try this: "Want to come with us next month? We're building a house for a family in Mexico."

Or "Know any high schoolers? RYLA applications are open—it'll change their life."

Stop explaining what Rotary does. Start inviting people to experience that moment when a family walks into their new home or a shy teenager finds their voice at RYLA, they'll understand Rotary better than any brochure could explain.