Lessons at the Intersection of Purpose & Profit
It all started with a question – what are the surprising ideas at the intersection of causes and brands?
It’s hard to believe, but we’re coming up on four years since launching the Purpose & Profit Podcast.
I remember when my co-host, Carly, and I decided to do the show. We had known each other for several years. She knew I liked to connect charity leaders with guests and topics from outside the world of nonprofits to see what we could learn. A couple of years prior, she started pressing me, “Dave, you should do a podcast.”
I had never done anything like a podcast before, and truth be told, I was intimidated by the idea of an ongoing show. It sounded like a lot of work!
Ongoing content felt like a never-ending hungry beast, so I was hesitant to take on the challenge. Finally, one day, Carly messaged me about the latest nonprofit podcast and said Dave, the space deserves. I said I would do it only if she did the show with me.
We both agreed that it would need to be about a topic that we were passionate about – the kind of show that, if we were the only ones who ever listened, would be worth it because of how much we learned and who we met.
So, the Purpose & Profit Podcast was born.
Carly has an MBA from Pepperdine and was an adjunct faculty member in the graduate school of business. As a business owner myself, I am fascinated by the lessons we can learn from the world of for-profit brands and apply to nonprofit causes, as well as what causes could teach brands.
We started pre-production, and Masterworks graciously agreed to underwrite and sponsor the first season. We were off!
Five Seasons of Surprising Ideas
We just wrapped Season 5 in February, and are approaching four years of exploring the ideas at the intersection of causes and brands.
When I write and speak about the importance of cultivating an outside mindset in creating breakthrough innovation, the podcast is one way I do that.
Each episode represents a wave that might be worth watching and maybe even catching for you and your organization.
💡 Takeaway: Not every wave is worth catching, but a key to cultivating breakthrough innovation is learning to pay attention to the waves, pick the right ones, and catch them at the right time. The Purpose & Profit Podcast is one way to keep up with the waves that might be worth catching.
I don’t feature all of the episodes we do on the podcast here on the Wave Report, so for today, I’m going to highlight the 11 episodes of Season 5, graciously sponsored by Virtuous, FaithSearch Partners, and Imago Consulting.
If you see an episode that stands out to you, I recommend you download it on your podcast service of choice, so you can listen next time you are on the go. All available episodes are at www.purposeandprofitpodcast.com/podcast, and you can listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other services listed at Spotify.com.
Let’s take a tour of Season 5, shall we?
Season 5, Episode 1
Chick-fil-A’s Approach to Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Innovation
We kicked off the season with an interview with David Farmer, Officer VP of Innovation at Chick-fil-A. We discussed how innovation and entrepreneurship collide, and how nonprofits can benefit from change while staying true to their core values and beliefs.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to David Farmer on Chick-fil-A’s approach to innovation in Season 5 Episode 1: Chick-fil-A’s Approach to Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Innovation.
Season 5, Episode 2
Lessons from American Idol with Nonprofit Expert Dana Snyder
I was thrilled to talk to my friend Dana Snyder about some of the lessons she learned from working on American Idol, and how those lessons can be applied to increasing your monthly donor programs as nonprofit leaders. Dana also shared some key insights from her book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind: A Framework to Build, Grow & Sustain Subscriptions for Good.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Dana Snyder on lessons from American Idol and growing recurring monthly giving in Season 5 Episode 2: Lessons from American Idol with Nonprofit Expert Dana Snyder.
Season 5, Episode 3
7 Habits of Highly Effective Nonprofit Leaders
Every few episodes, Carly and I try to do an episode with just the two of us. In this episode, we dive into the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Fundraisers” from an article I wrote. We offer key insights for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders, emphasizing the importance of leadership, strategy, and sustainability in driving impact.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Carly and I explore seven habits that can help nonprofit leaders achieve sustainable impact and growth in Season 5 Episode 3: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nonprofit Leaders.
Season 5, Episode 4
A Recipe for Success: How to Pair Vision Casting and Vision Carrying
Jeff Henderson joined us for an inside look at how to grow your vision and to be ready for whatever comes next on your organization's path to success. Jeff shared his experiences working with well-known organizations such as the Atlanta Braves, Chick-fil-A, and North Point Ministries – one of the largest churches in America – and highlighted some of his challenges and successes.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Jeff Henderson and I explore insightful tips and strategies on how nonprofits can achieve their ultimate vision in Season 5 Episode 4: A Recipe for Success: How to Pair Vision Casting and Vision Carrying.
Season 5, Episode 5
Getting Major League Results with Minor League Resources
Before spending more than a decade helping nonprofits to grow, Justin McCord learned the principles of direct marketing and innovating with limited resources while leading marketing for various minor and eventually major league sports teams. We talk to Justin about what it’s like to compete for the entertainment dollar and how to differentiate your organization from others.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Justin dive into the practical applications of what it means to be a “winning team” and how smaller organizations can win with limited budgets in Season 5 Episode 5: Getting Major League Results with Minor League Resources.
Season 5, Episode 6
How to Ask Powerful Questions with Chad Littlefield
Chad Littlefield is on a mission to eliminate superficial small talk. Co-author of “Asking Powerful Questions,” Chad joined us for a conversation about connection and the power of asking great questions. This was a special episode for me, as I’ve often wondered how to better ask questions.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Chad share strategies leaders can employ to build a culture of openness and effective communication in Season 5 Episode 6: How to Ask Powerful Questions with Chad Littlefield.
Season 5, Episode 7
Innovation for Social Change with Leah Kral
Leah Kral is the author of Innovation for Social Change: How Wildly Successful Nonprofits Inspire and Deliver Results. When I first met her, I knew we had to have her on the show. In her book, Leah thoughtfully explains how nonprofits can appropriately incorporate innovation from the for-profit world.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Leah help us see what innovation can look like for nonprofits and how it isn’t just a for-profit tactic for success in Season 5 Episode 7: Innovation for Social Change with Leah Kral.
Season 5, Episode 8
The Power of Invented Holidays
Carly and I discuss the increasing popularity of made-up holidays and the concept of shared moments that rally people around a common cause or idea. We then unpack how these shared moments across various invented holidays relate to the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Carly and I discuss the untapped opportunity to leverage invented holidays in Season 5 Episode 8: The Power of Invented Holidays.
Season 5, Episode 9
Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset: How to Be Disruptive in Any Industry
Sheeba Philip is a visionary leader who has helped transform iconic brands like Oreo, JCPenney, and JellO while also leading impactful nonprofit initiatives. She’s also our first-ever repeat guest in five seasons, and we discuss what it means to adopt an entrepreneurial approach in your organization.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Sheeba explain how discipline is the backbone of any successful venture and offer advice on how to maintain focus on the most important tasks when there are so many distractions and potential opportunities in Season 5 Episode 9, "Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset: How to Be Disruptive in Any Industry."
Season 5, Episode 10
Tools for Growing a Giving Community with Emily Rasmussen
Emily Rasmussen is passionate about bringing people and communities together to further generosity. As the founder of Grapevine, she is at the forefront of a trend in philanthropy known as crowdgranting. In this episode, we discuss with Emily how the rise of giving circles is part of a larger movement of groups of people coming together to do more good.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Emily share the four “C’s” of crowdgranting and sheds light on this fascinating trend in philanthropy in Season 5 Episode 10: Tools for Growing a Giving Community with Emily Rasmussen.
Season 5, Episode 11
Unveiling The Rise of Sustainable Giving with Dave Raley
It was fitting that the final episode of Season 5 aired on the launch day of my new book, The Rise of Sustainable Giving. In this episode, Carly turns the tables and interviews me about why I spent the past three years researching and writing the book and why it represents an unprecedented opportunity for more than a million charities that have historically been left behind.
💡 Takeaway: Listen to Carly interview me about my new book on how the subscription economy is transforming recurring giving, and what nonprofits can do to benefit in Season 5 Episode 11: Unveiling The Rise of Sustainable Giving with Dave Raley.
None of this would be possible without our generous sponsors, so a huge THANK YOU to Season 5 sponsors Virtuous, FaithSearch Partners, and Imago Consulting. 🙏
We’re into Season 6 now, so subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!
Until next week… Surfs Up! 🌊
- Dave
About the Author | Dave Raley
Consultant, speaker, and author Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps nonprofits and businesses who serve nonprofits create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of the book The Rise of Sustainable Giving: How the Subscription Economy is Transforming Recurring Giving, and What Nonprofits Can Do to Benefit. Dave also writes a weekly innovation and leadership column called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn.
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