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First-time Valley author makes list of must-read books, hoping to help others

Posted at 9:59 AM, Aug 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-03 12:59:32-04

Learning to pivot her way through COVID-19, Letitia Frye calls the coronavirus pandemic a cursed blessing.

Frye is a world-class auctioneer who has spent the past 16 years entertaining crowded galas and parties for charity.

In that time, the East Valley resident has helped to raise more than $600 million for nonprofit organizations across the nation.

She’s written about it in her first-ever book, titled No Reserve: Take Ownership and Live YOUR Life without Limitations.

It's a motivational page-turner getting positive feedback from big-time reviewers at Amazon and Great Reads. In it, Frye gets vulnerable about her own life to help others.

“For those who read the book. You're gonna hear about divorce, you're gonna hear about suicide in my family, you're going to hear about a near-death experience getting hit by a car. I mean, these are things that would level most people. But thanks to support from others, I was able to dig down deep, see the lessons in the mess and find my way again.”

COVID-19 could have wiped out the fundraising specialist but she was up for the challenge. Now, on a mission to beat social distancing guidelines, Frye is helping Valley non-profits bounce back.

“We pivoted them into not only what they were meant to do, but what they could do through live streaming”.

By teaming up with Arizona-based innovators like Carey Pena at Inspired Media 360, Frye says doors are opening fast.

“Carey’s extensive connections, her background in broadcast journalism and digital media make her a major difference maker!”

Now that streaming technology is expanding at an exponential rate, nonprofit organizations are pivoting into the digital fundraising space, allowing Frye to host hour-long virtual fundraisers.

She says it’s a cost-effective and safer way to help people and viewers are tuning in from all over the world.

“Carey Pena and her team know how to produce and share meaningful stories about the people we want to help. That’s huge for us because donors have to emotionally connect with our mission before they ever give a dime.”

Dr. Linda and Dana Hansen are also Arizona-based innovators. Their competitive fundraising platform, Fund Duel, is seeing a lot of success.

Frye says, “We took Fund Duel live on April 23rd in the midst of COVID. Nobody was doing anything yet and we took that event and we got 6,000 viewers from 10 countries. We had a bid from as far away as Paris for our own Arizona County Hospital.”

Fund Duel is a gamified fundraising digital platform that uses challenges to drive social media engagement, encouraging people to donate.

Dr. Linda Hansen is the creator who says, “In virtual galas, we are getting people onto teams and they are competing. They do that by uploading a photo or a video and sending it out on social media. Then people donate right on the photo or video."

Frye says this technology alone has people and non-profits across the globe taking a closer look at the revolutionary way Arizona innovators are helping others.

“Here in Arizona, we have really stuck by each other. We have pivoted very well. These platforms are both national and international and they came right out of the Valley which is pretty cool”.

Frye’s book is available now at retailers everywhere including Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Good Reads.