9 Nonprofit Trends That Matter in 2023: Be a Change Agent - Jon McCoy, CFRE, Becky Endicott, CFRE and Tania Bhattacharyya

8:15PM Mar 2, 2023

Speakers:

Julie Confer

Becky Endicott

Tania Bhattacharyya

Jonathan McCoy

Keywords:

people

friends

nonprofit

community

world

tanya

story

book

change

voice

habits

feel

agent

superpower

create

mission

storytelling

podcast

thought

work

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Hey, I'm John. And I'm Becky. And this is the We Are For Good podcast,

nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.

We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.

So welcome to the good community, where Nonprofit Professionals, philanthropist, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.

So let's get started. What's up, Becky, happy Friday,

can I make a confession right out of the gate, that I had been waiting to talk about this topic on the podcast since last September. And I am so jazzed that it's here today. Truly, I

feel really excited that the day is finally here. You know, I mean, we're in the middle of our trend series. And so if you haven't been tracking with us on Fridays, since the start of the year, we're unpacking these trends that really matter. And this is not your typical list. This is these connected conversations we hear from the most innovative nonprofits who are really in there doing the work, but doing it in a way that meets the moment to evolve to meet the moment. And so we're finally on week seven of this, which is be a change agent. And this is a topic that we have seen some amazing changes, we haven't seen some frameworks for how to show up as one. So I'm really pumped to jump into this.

Absolutely. And I want to do some tone setting here just by starting with a few questions which I've never done before. So wherever you are, if you're driving, do not take your hands off the wheel, just think of this. But raise your hand if you are someone who joined the nonprofit field, because you wanted to change the world. or raise your hand, if you are one of those people who simply just want to do good, and help in systemic issues. And further the great things that grow our communities in our hearts in our lives. I mean, that is most of us. That is why most of us joined the nonprofit, the social impact sector, we believe deeply in this work. So here's my challenge to you to gently work toward in 2023. I want you to see your mission as a serious stewardship to make our world a better place. And I want you to know that your voice, your story, your experience. And your ideas are an important thread of that story. And so we're going to be talking about how do you step in to being a change agent. And if you think of thought leadership as kind of being the 1.0, we're moving into this 2.0 concept of actually lifting our voice storytelling is going to be a huge component of finding your voice. But the trick really lies in believing that your knowledge, abilities, voice and experiences are relevant to diagnosing and really addressing challenges that are facing your organization. And we want to awaken those communities of change. So let's figure out how to get active and we want them to know that you have friends here, they're gonna help walk you through it. And we've got a heck of a guest coming on to talk about it, too. I love it.

Because I feel like this conversation is definitely stacking on the trends that we've unpacked, you know, if you listen to us riff about marketing is mission is the same idea of like going deeper to like, how is the marketing we're doing actually helping to change the bigger underlying issues that your organization stands to make a change in the world. And so one of those questions to ask yourself is how are we looking beyond the horizon? And thinking about how do we step into the conversations that really starts to create change and how systems are and starting to, like build our thought leadership and the way that we engage around that, because it does stack with community is core and surrounding yourself with people who are like, valued. And when these things start to come together. That's how we really feel like we'll be able to look back in several years and be like, that's how the needle got moved, stepping bravely into that threading our own personal story and experience and showing up in a really authentic way. That's true to the things that really stirs our hearts that keeps us up at

love that John and you know, we pitch this question to our community. And it was really a question about bravery. And how are you feeling about stepping into your power? And I want to tell you, John, something that I thought was really interesting because we've got two voices from the community that we wanted to pull in who had great perspectives on this. And both of them are talking about change agency through the evolution of power. So the first one is our dear friends sterren bird one of the most incredible non Prophet professionals she works over at Salesforce has been on the podcast. And she says we need to speak truth to power, even if it hurts, and even if it isn't popular. So I thought that was a brilliant observation, appreciate staring your voice in this.

And we also love the comments from Alexandria Sampson over at events, honey, she said, stop making ourselves small as nonprofit advocates and understand that we have power. And this comes through in so many of our conversations, whether it's how we walk in to a partnership conversation, or how we just feel about stepping into the arena, so to speak, in our thought leadership, that we are coming from a place of power, the impact that we're creating is so meaningful and so important that we should feel that, you know, kind of encircle us as we kind of step into it. So I wonder if we jump into some pro tips, because getting active is all about what being a change agent is all about. So we've corralled some pro tips, Becky, where do you want to start with these,

you know, I gotta start with vision. And really, what we want you to do is, rather than just jump and go take some time to reflect, develop a clear vision for the change that you want to create. And that's going to start really within you. So I would use that as a starting point for number one,

I love that. And then you know, community is core. So of course, we're gonna say build strong relationships with those like minded like valued friends, because this is work that you need that kind of camaraderie in the journey, because there's days when it's hard to keep showing up. And you definitely need that accountability as you try to figure out how you can tell your story and what's going to land and what you know, could be the best way to position things. Just getting feedback and having that open dialogue is going to change the game.

The third one, and you know, it's coming, it's here and ever present all the time, and We Are For Good is storytel from the heart, you know, we believe storytelling is the heartbeat of connection. So if you can tell the truth, give dignity, talk about the solutions, you see and do that through the lens of authenticity, vulnerability, is really going to have an amplifying effect, because people are going to see themselves in that story. They're going to have empathy, or they're going to have some sort of connection to you that oh, that I know, that's happened in my life, too. I had that feeling too. And that thing that we're so afraid, afraid to say, could be the thing that is the most empowering thing that draws people to our work to our mission. So if you're looking for a starting point, start with your story. Talk about what's happened in your life, share it through that lens, and I guarantee you, it's going to be an incredible starting point for you.

And we can't get activated without saying, Look, friends, we have to take care of ourself. And Becky and I tell this to each other pretty much on the daily these days, because being in the arena, so to speak, and putting yourself out there can be really exhausting, like you have to be surrounded and community, which we've already talked about. But just the work by design is not going to be solved by one person. So we have to come at this from that fundamental belief that taking care of ourselves is the ultimate long game in tackling some of these bigger issues. So prioritizing, rest, and spoiler alert that's coming at you just two weeks away. Now, we're going to have a whole episode dedicated to prioritizing rest and leaning into that as individuals and as people because we are people.

So before we bring in our guests, I just have to grab all of you out there into my mom embrace. And I just want to tell you, you can step into your superpower, you can do that for yourself, bring your team into what you're seeing and trending. share articles bring growth into the organization. And all of a sudden, you find you're the change agent that the organization has been waiting for. And change agency. John, you said it before. And I just want to underscore it. It's a collection of voices. And it's not just for nonprofits, these issues impact all of us. We are all instruments and what we care about. So this is really going to be a celebration of solving multiple issues by being brave. And connecting dots. And the cool thing is we can all celebrate it and with each other, and everything is going to flow from that. We're going to find friends, we're going to expand community, we're going to get more knowledge and understanding and awareness, I hope it will untether empathy in your heart and allow it to spread. And so I want to just read this quote from clay Buck really quickly, because I just thought he had such a brilliant insight to this. And he says when you speak the words of generosity into existence, you are creating the power of philanthropy yourself. We believe this can happen through your change agency through your thought leadership. And I just want you to know that you have the ability to do it. And you have a community here who's going to support you. So when we were thinking about the expert to bring on for this conversation, there was a list of one and this this is literally a 2.0 conversation of one we had last year and we're here talking about how do you be a change agent and so naturally, we had to find a change agent and of course there are many of you already in our community. So it is our group great joy to bring back a powerhouse, Tanya Bhattacharya. She has been on the frontlines of fundraising. She's been an IDI been in foundation grants and capital projects. And after that experience, she was just like, I want to build something of my own. And she is the founder of Lumo smarketing. And her superpower is truly lighting up women, leaders of color, amplifying their voices and opening doorways of opportunity and influence. And so Tanya came on last year for those that were with us on our last year trends. And we were talking about how to step into being a thought leader. And so this conversation today is really the 2.0 of that. And it's moving from being a thought leader to being changing. There is nobody here who understands how to become crystal clear on your niche to provide value and do it and deliver it with radical empathy more than Tanya so we are so excited. You're here. Welcome back, my friend. I think this is your three peat, isn't it on the podcast.

This is this is the three P and every time I'm on here I am just so humbled first of all, by that introduction, that is so kind and gracious. I'm just gonna you know, just listen to that put in my Hi Fi file. I'm so grateful to be here. And you know, I love you guys, this is gonna be fun.

This is going to be really fun. So let's let's jump right into tone setting for us right now. When you think about that phrase that we need to be a change agent talk about what kind of an impression that leads you through? How can we kind of set some tone for this and what opportunity can our listeners sees today? Yeah.

Wow. Well, let me take you on a little bit of a journey here. And it's going to feel like I'm I'm going way up left field, but I'm gonna bring it back. I promise you. You're for it. Okay, trust me. All right, cool. Total dressed. Well, we were just talking about how I went to Japan. Right. And so I have a long flight there long flight back. And so I took that time to reread one of my favorite series, I guess, one of my favorite books, which is the parable of the sower and the parable of the Trickster by

the parable of the sower, that's great. Ah, yes. And

I mean, so you know, I mean, they're technically science fiction books. They were published in the 1990s, which now is 30 years ago, I can't believe it. But you know, in these books in the quote, unquote, far off distant future of the 2020s, the US is going through a period of time called the pox, the apocalypse. And there's climate change, there's police brutality, there's, you know, all this stuff, all while this radical authoritarian President runs and wins on the campaign slogan, make America great again. It's like, how was this written? 30 years ago? Yes, yes, I

don't remember that. It was written

for our time. I mean, literally, I mean, it takes place in 2024 on and it's, it couldn't be more prophetic. But the reason I'm bringing this up in relation to the theme of being a change agent, is that you know, these books are really about change and our relationship to change. And so one of the narrator's in the book says, you know, the pox or the apocalypse, the situation we're in, was caused by our own refusal to deal with the obvious problems that we cause. And then we sat and watched as they grew into crises. Whereas in comparison, like the main narrator, the main character of the book, Lauren, shows us what being in right relationship with change can look like, you know, because we watch her, activate strangers, that she's meeting on the highway as they like, flee into supporters of this new ideal future, which in this case, happens to be starting fresh and outerspace, but I don't think that has to be our reality. But I think that, you know, we can get to this new vision of whatever it is that that looks like. And it might be a little bit different for all of us, by helping people understand their own capacity to be a change agent, their capacity for relationships, their capacity for imagination, and community care. Right. And so, yeah, how does that land with you? How does that land with you?

I mean, it hits me between the eyes, say, you know, because I want to juxtapose this with being like, kind of a lifer in nonprofit, that the missions I was a part of, not that they weren't really well intentioned, but playing it safe was like the MO. Yeah, total Mo. And like, that's how we brand. That's how we talk everything. Button. Yep. And like you're saying that, like, our relationship with dealing like the problems, like even airing the problems has been a problem. So secondly, of actually solving and talking about and being authentic through that is like, we're in a reckoning of needing to deal with that be on so many levels. So that's how it hits me. I'm like, dang, we need to sit with that. And, you know, change the way that we show up as a team to even talk about these things, right? Yeah.

That's so onpoint. That's so important. Because like, you know, we didn't cause these problems like you and I, the three of us, like the people in the trenches of the nonprofits that are listening to this. We didn't cause the problem. But I think that if we don't get into relationship with the problem that we're solving and figure out what the new what new solutions might Be and be really open about an honest, right? Be honest about the problems, we're just kicking the can down the road for the next generation that cans gonna get larger and heavier and uglier. And you know, we're not going to ever single handedly create all the change that our world deserves. But you know, we all have a ripple effect that we can spark. And that could look a lot of different ways, right? Because being a change agent, and I've talked to our friend like, like Isla Maalik about this, who you know, I met through Hi,

you guys.

Yes, so she was on my pod talking about this, how she used to think being a change agent had to look like, you know, living in a tree and like not shaving your armpits like holding a sign. No, it can look so many different ways, right? And at this pivotal crucible moment in our history, like everyone has something to offer and contribute.

But I love that you go deeper, because you know, one of the images you shared with us is this idea of an iceberg, that maybe we see some things, but we need to really understand what's under the surface that really guides this. And I feel like a conversation like this that's so deep like we really do need to examine like, what is what is below the surface of being a change agent? What is below the surface of being a thought leader that can cut through in this very moment in time?

Yeah, yeah, I love that question. It's something I've been thinking about a lot, because I think when we think of a change agent, when we think of like a change maker, you know, imagine what in your mind, we think of that person getting a Nobel Prize, right? We think about person, giving a speech in front of millions of people. And even on a smaller scale, even if we're not thinking of like the Obamas or the mullahs of the world. You know, we're at least thinking of someone who has a lot of PR opportunities going their way or major funding from a prestigious organization, right. But like, there's a lot of blood, sweat, tears, strategy, time, and work that goes into that, that we don't see, right? There's a lot of those behind the scenes things. And so there's so many things from community care, like we talk a lot about self care, but it's like, how do we practice community care? How do we nurture relationships? How do we build habits? How do we shift our mindset? How do we build a personal board of directors or I like to say campfire circle? How do we?

Yeah, go check it out? It's

amazing podcast, campfire circle.

That's my pod. Yeah, those are a storytelling, how do we create a strategy around storytelling and make that a habit? And, you know, I can go into all those things. But I say those things not to dissuade anyone because it sounds like a lot of work when I say it that way. But instead, I say that to like, how can we fall in love with the process and the practice of being a change maker of being a thought leader, because so often, like I think this work, the nature of it is we're not always going to see the final outcome or the end product of that work. Like even bringing it back to the books the the parable series, like Lauren says many times, she's not going to see the fruition of like them going into outer space, but she's doing it anyway. Because this is what humankind needs like in that book. So my thing is, like, I come from the mental health space, as you know, and it's like, we may never get rid of mental health disorders in my lifetime. But we can fall in love with the practice and the process of, you know, working towards that and cherish, cherish, cherish, cherish, cherish each success along the way, each win along the way, and just show up as a representative of the change that we want to see in the world so that that change, work becomes embodied. And we're almost showing up from a place of like, you know, living in a world where these things don't exist, and I know that that feels very like wispy, that it's that feels very wispy, but like the actions we take are indicative of a different world that we're working towards, it becomes a daily practice.

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The thing I love so much about what you're saying Tanya is, is really the the democracy and agency that you're giving everyone. I mean, we talked so often on this podcast about, you know, this is a time in history where everybody can be a philanthropist. But the reality is friends, everybody can be a change maker. And you don't have to have the microphone and the Nobel prize to be able to do it. You have your own community, wherever you are, whether that's digitally, whether that's physically, and you have a perspective, and you have a voice and something to say, and your unique lens, on your mission on its people on harm, on opportunities, those need to have a voice because we cannot systemically change all of the things that are plaguing our world until we talk about those things. So I want to talk about this iceberg because you put together this graphic, we're going to drop it in the shownotes I'm pretty sure I'm gonna write a blog on it when this podcast drops. Because it's such a great perspective. Because you're right, when we when we think about being a change agent, we're just thinking about the PR and the public speaking and the invitation to sit on boards and all of these things. But there's so much more that's deep, deep down inside that we have possession over and I want you to live some of those things for us. So I'm looking right now I've got a couple that are pulling out at me storytelling strategy, I think is really important. I think vulnerability and habits. Live some others that you think are really important to this community.

Yeah, gosh, there's so many like you said habits and I think habits is one of my favorite ones because it's so deep into the iceberg. But you know, I'm a big James clear fan, big atomic and liquid atomic habits back to you. I have found that when you set up certain change making habits like things just fall into place, and it feels serendipitous, it's like, is this mad? What's happening? No, it's just you have the system set up so that you consistently are creating change. So okay, let me give you some examples. So habits for change makers. So like read interesting, like read or consume interesting information that's related to your mission or even even tangentially related to your mission, right, like read one interesting thing per week, then that's the one piece and then reach out to those people reach out to the authors reach out to the reporters who have put those pieces together, build a relationship with them, you know, LinkedIn is a great way easy way to do that I have been so surprised at who's willing to respond to my message. I mean, it's, it's just another human on the other side, you know, who's passionate about the same things you are so you know, do that, invite it build a relationship where you can invite them to get involved in your mission in any way that they feel good about? Right? Ask them for recommendations of people that they know who could contribute to your mission. And, you know, and just do that once a week, you know, read an interesting piece, build a relationship with the author, and a year from now, think of how many dozens, maybe hundreds more aligned people who have these big audiences who are already you know, podcasters thought leaders, authors, reporters, you know, they're you have a relationship with them, right? They're invested in your work, you're invested in their work and just think about what could happen as a result from this tiny habit, right? That could take 10 minutes a week. And it's fun time, right? You're reading something interesting, making a friendship. And just think about the power of that one little habit.

And I mean, you know, we're all about like, the energy you're putting out to showing up generously. I know, when we get those unsolicited feedbacks, I know you get this too, with just putting yourself out there. It's it matters because it cuts through the people that just want something to oh my gosh, you just reached out to like, truly, either say thank you or to like, go deeper, and not really just platform yourself, but just create the relationship and connection. And there's an desperate need for more of that in this world. And that's going to separate you from all the ai ai chats that are you men what's happened lately, but it's like, all these robotic emails keep making it to me. So, you know, hey, I'm an Enneagram. Nine, I get scared of things easily because I love keeping peace. And so I like to kind of poke the bear at that a little because it is true. But I mean, let's unpack some of the challenges or fears that you have witnessed as leaders step into the arena, you know, our mutual friend, Tony Alberich. In his book, I mean talks about this, just getting into the creative arena. And he's such a great thought leader to follow on LinkedIn to that puts his flag in the ground around topics that you know, create interest and create discussion and all of that, but what are some of the challenges or fears that you have witnessed firsthand and how do we kind of deal with those?

Yeah, I love that question. And I'm Enneagram three so we can we can work on this together a little bit. Oh, well, I mean, I can answer I think where I want to start with this answer is this quote that I often often show from the euro we know Euro Wahid, which is like this fear of what is it It's like the fear of not being enough and the fear of being too much or exactly the same fear, which is the fear of being you, right? It's the fear of being you. It's if you're showing up as yourself and not being not being enough for that moment or that situation, right. And so I would sum up the greatest fear in that role. And like, there's this keynote that I give about storytelling, and I talk about Oprah in it. And usually one of the questions that I get is like, Well, I'm not Oprah, though. So this isn't like, how can this apply to me like my story, my thought leadership, my advocacy work, my, you know, presence doesn't have that same impact. And I want to reframe it a little bit, because like, none of us need to become Oprah. Necessarily, that's a great goal to do that, if you like, go and do that, if you want to. I don't want to dissuade anyone from that. But we again, we tend to compare ourselves against people who have been honing their craft for an entire lifetime. And maybe we're just starting this journey, right. And so you can become an Oprah, like figure for your audience, right? That inspiring, caring, visionary changemaker, who's painting that picture of a different world so that other people can see it and feel it and like, want to join them in that mission. And that vision, and there's no way you can do this wrong. That's the other thing that I would tell people, You can't do this wrong. If you're showing up in service of your vision, with care, you know, building relationships with people who have an aligned vision to yours, like, you really can't do this wrong, you can't fail, you can't fail,

I'll tell you that the thing that we've heard the most in our community about the hesitation of becoming a change agent, and I would love to get your perspective on this is people are not sure if their boss is going to support them, if their board is going to support them. If the people who are in their professional network, you know what I'm talking about their own beliefs, their own experiences, their own thought leadership. And I and I want to like hold space for that is a very real feeling. But I would love to get your perspective on. Because we think that organizations and individuals and leaders have so much power in their voice, I don't even think you have to be a leader, I think you can be, you know, two months into your nonprofit job, because you have seen some things, you have experienced some impact, you have seen it on the front line. So talk to us about some practical ways that listeners could get started and move toward being a change agent within their thought leadership. Yeah,

I mean, two months, and you have definitely seen some things, you know, with any nonprofit journey, that's for sure. You know, some, you know, I always bring it back to storytelling. And that's one of the things under the iceberg that we haven't fully gotten into. But I recently learned this. It's a story about a storytelling campaign, which is so funny, but I think it's very good my language yet. I know, I know. But I think that this can it this will answer the question in a little bit of a roundabout way. But so in 2018, in Ireland, the abortion ban was overturned. And this was a really big deal. So really, really big deal, because it was a surprise that it was overturned. And people came out in full force and like overwhelming numbers to vote. And after the, you know, after the vote, a majority of people who were polled about what changed their minds from a no vote to a yes vote, in terms of repeal pointed to a one on one conversation that they had with family or friends. And it wasn't an accident. Like it was really part of this, you know, grassroots advocacy campaign, where 1000s of people who had experiences, you know, with abortion, broke their silence and started talking about it and inspired other people to speak up. And, you know, at that time, abortion had been banned since the 80s. And so just about everyone had some kind of story to share, whether it was in their own lived experience, or friends or something like that. But because it was so shrouded in stigma and silence and secrecy, much like many of the issues we work on, right come from the addiction world, if our issues weren't stigmatized, like there'll be plenty of funding and opportunity for them, all of us work on sanitized issues, you know. And so these stories really turned the issue around. And so I think one super practical way to start thinking about this is really just start reflecting on your own story. And I always like to ask it in like terms of what have you grown through to become the guide you are today? Like, just reflect on that question, and we move life so fast that we rarely have time to really sit and reflect and like think about that, but hey, it's Pisces season is my seat. It's our season. Yes. It's a time of connection of emotion of relationships of being fully connected to ourselves and just just take a bath, take a nap and just journal on what you have grown through to become the guide you are today and I promise like that will that will set you on the path if you're not already?

Well, I just love watching you do your thing to Tanya because you guide so many people and I've I see this I'm witnessed watching this happen of giving people the confidence to believe in themselves. elves, and to know that their story does matter. And then to be a guide to that person that may be going through what you've encountered. And maybe you're just a couple of steps ahead. But I just think there's so much power in realizing that, that each of us, I mean, when we're ready, because I think we need maybe talk about that split second of like, when you're ready to use it in that way, what a superpower it can be. And so I don't know, if you want to thread a case study of someone you've worked with, or just maybe understanding when is the right time to go in and tap into some of these maybe sensitive stories that we want to share to help others.

I love that I'm so glad you brought that up. Because I can definitely get on a little bit of a, I can be a little intense about this. But at the same time, I very much think that it's all in your own time. And it's a highly personal decision of when it is that you're going to start sharing your story. I think that a great case study would actually be the first client I ever worked with, like, Oh, I love her. And she was my friend before we started working together together. She was the wife of one of our board members at the organization I worked for, and she has the trifecta of experience. She has the professional experience, right? She's an attorney, she has the like the she has an educational experience, right. She's an adjunct professor, but the part of her experience that she didn't often speak to that much because she thought it devalued her like her prestige, and she thought it devalued how people would you know, perceive her take her seriously was the lived experience because she has lived experience in the child welfare foster care system, the you know, the systematic family separation system, as she sometimes calls it. And she has shared a lot with me that I had no idea about, I learned so much from all of my clients about some of the carceral roots of that system. And she has made it her life's work to really like share, share the message, share her story, to spread awareness so that more families who are currently going through this family separation experience, can reunite with their families and maneuver the system right with with an eventual goal of abolishing the system, but working within the system currently, because it's what we have. And so she just texted me actually a couple of weeks ago, and we work together two years ago, by the way, but she texted me I wish I had like had the text ready. But it was essentially like the tools that you shared with me have just now like really kicked into gear and I found myself sharing my story in front of this really professional audience and I felt fully, you know, empowered, I felt fully able to share my story. I didn't feel like trauma porn, it didn't feel like the oppression Olympics, I was just there standing in my power and standing in my story at the same time. And I could see how people's minds were starting to shift and hearts were starting to shift as a result, because again, you can't argue against someone's lived experience. You just can't. You can argue about whether or not abortion is right or wrong. You can't argue against their story, you just can't. So yeah, how does that land with you?

I'll tell you how it lands. That is it right there. And I want to give a practical, another like pro tip for this because I You really made me think about this. If you need a starting point, friends, write down your story. And then I would say, Go find a friend, find somebody that you trust, respect, perhaps somebody in your own industry, perhaps it's just a friend, and ask for an accountability buddy in this journey. Because I think if you are both pushing each other a little bit and saying I'm thinking about this, I'm thinking about writing about this, I'm thinking about sharing this, but I'm afraid of this, saying your fears out loud. I think at least for me, like John has done this for me for almost 20 years, I'll kind of voice some of my fears. And John will say, Oh, I didn't think about it in that way at all. I thought it was more XY and Z. And I see it's empowering in this way. And having a person to do that with I think is going to give you some armor, I think it's going to give you a shield. And then you find out that your story is your superpower. And because of how you share it and how vulnerable you can show up and that vulnerability is underneath your iceberg which I love. It's going to draw people to you who want to know more who share that same story in some particular way. And I think it's community building and it's heart expanding. And so I think what I want to say is I'm about to get off my soapbox here is change agency is something that feels really intimidating for us in the nonprofit sector. And it's because we've been living on the margins of scarcity and everything we do, and the way we operate the way we look at our budgets the way that we think about innovation. But this thing, this thing could be your superpower and it is going to draw people to you and allow you to change the world in a way big or small in some way that connects you to people who also want to change the world in that way. So thank you for even sharing that incredible story. And God bless that attorney working in child welfare. She's got a mountain of a job ahead of her.

Oh my gosh, that I mean mic drop moment. And you just you just said it's so perfectly and beautifully. And guess I, I love the idea of finding a buddy to do this with because that brings in that element of community care to like we can't do any of this work alone. It is impossible. None of these big visions will get accomplished on our own. And we'll burn out if we try. So yeah, find that buddy find that community and you do such a great job. Oh, the view all of you of creating a community around that We Are For Good

community of care is one of my new favorite phrases. So thank you for saying that. And thank you for your nice comments.

I mean, Tanya, okay, this is far exceeded what I knew was going to be an epic conversation. But you know, how we start to wind down our, our all of our episodes, we ask for you a one good thing, what's something a piece of advice? Maybe that relates to our topic today that you leave with our listeners?

Yeah, you know, I got to bring it back one more time, bring it back full circle. Back to this book, the books that I've read, because really, again, it's a parable of the sower and parable of the trickster. Because these books, again, are just such a wonderful manual for change work. And there's verses all throughout the book, that speak to our relationship with change, ability to shape change, and to be changed shaped by it, right as a result, so So here's one, I wrote it, I wrote it off to the side so I can I knew this question was coming. I was like, oh, what's gonna be my third? What's gonna be my good thing? All right. So here it is. Okay, I'm going to read it. Kindness eases change. Love quiets fear, and a sweet and powerful positive obsession. blunts pain, diverts rage, and engages each of us in the greatest, the most intense of our chosen struggles. So why I love that so much is it's like, we all get to have a sweet and positive powerful obsession in our lifetime, right? And what is that chosen struggle? Whatever that is, and we get to pick we get we have full agency over what it is that we want to be that change maker in? What is that? And what if that's what we all asked each other? Instead of what do you do for work? Right? What if we asked each other? What's your chosen struggle? Right? What is the sweet and powerful positive obsession of your life, like what a different world we would have, because we'd be rooted in the legacy work, right? We'd be rooted in a process of self actualization and, and leaving the world a little bit better than we found it and, and really doing it with kindness and with love is is the key to all of it.

Thank you for that just incredibly powerful quote, It has made me think so deeply about even my own role in this and we're for God's role. And I hope that that self reflection is coming in to our listeners hearts right now really want you to chew on this. And think about when is your time? And what is that first step because we are rooting for you. And I can tell you that if you need a cheerleader in this, Tanya is your girl, she has the strongest LinkedIn thought leadership and change agent space. So we got to make sure that everybody knows how to connect with you. So tell us about the campfire. Tell us about limos and tell us where they can connect with you.

Yes. Oh, thank you. Thank you for that opportunity, my friend. Well, so LinkedIn is my playground. That's where I hang out. That's, that's my happy space. And so you can find me on LinkedIn, it's just under my name, I'm sure it'll be in the show notes. And the other space is really my campfire circle podcast. And what that's all about is really reimagining the ultimate space of leadership from the boardroom table where so many of us have experiences where we maybe didn't feel included, where maybe we didn't feel like we were enough. And instead replacing that with the campfire circle, which is a place where we all get to share our stories. It's a place where we all get to huddled together in warmth in in community. And it's a place where there's enough seats for all of us, right, there's always a seat at the campfire circle so you can find me there too.

Well, always grateful to share space with you. Thank you, Tanya. Just so Dory, you know, you and

I feel the same way. Thank you so much for this.

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