1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A bubble bath with a book and no place else to be.
2. What trait do you most deplore in others?
People who re-write history. Sometimes I don’t think it’s intentional — they aren’t even necessarily aware they’re doing it; it’s so deeply held that they’re lying to themselves. I actually wrote a little poem about it once years ago…
Revisionists
are dangerous
They'll change
around all
happened what
3. What is your greatest extravagance?
These days? It might be time off. Between the consulting life and writing books and parenting? Time off is gold.
4. What is your current state of mind?
Reflective.
5. What is your educational background?
My degree is in Graphic Communications Management with a double minor in Marketing and Multimedia. I then did further studies in Marketing, and the Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology. Plus, I’m just an avid learner so I do courses here and there all the time. I took a course on trauma-informed storytelling this summer, and am always learning new things at conferences.
6. What was your first job?
I worked as a Nurse’s Aide at a nursing home for about 3 years while I was in high school. Healthcare and end-of-life care work runs in my family.
7. Which talent would you most like to have?
I suppose psychic abilities are more of a superpower than a talent, so I’ll say I’d love to be able to speed read. That would sure come in handy sometimes. Or maybe play piano or guitar – it would be fun to play an instrument that people like to sing along to.
8. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I think I overuse punctuation more than particular words or phrases. I love parentheses, and em dashes and a good ol’ ellipsis. Also, I’ve been trying to reduce the number of times I use the word “just” to soften things—“just wanted to follow up” or “just let me know.”
9. What do you consider your greatest achievement(s)?
It’s cliché to say perhaps, but, having kids. Or rather, raising kids. Having them is the easy bit. Raising two kids these days requires the navigation of a lot of challenges but watching them turning into pretty stellar humans is awfully gratifying.
10. What is your current favourite charity?
One of the things I like most about being a consultant is that I get to have an impact with all sorts of charities in many different realms. In one year, I can work with charities in healthcare, the environment, social justice, education, and more! So, it’s too hard to choose a favourite. I will say that it’s the one closest to home that is taking much of my personal attention at the moment — raising money for my son’s grade seven class camping trip!
Aimée Lindenberger, B.Tech, CFRE loves legacy giving. As a Senior Consultant at Global Philanthropic Canada with over two decades of experience in marketing and communications, she’s known for helping charities connect more meaningfully with their supporters. Being one of the first in the world to earn a certificate in Philanthropic Psychology, Aimée takes a fresh approach to legacy fundraising, and offers insights in her book, “How to Talk About Legacy Giving.”