Artificial intelligence has been a fantastic personal and professional help in my life. 

I use AI tools weekly in at least a dozen ways, big and small. They help me communicate more clearly, work more efficiently, make better decisions, and do things that would take staff time or skills I wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

“Dave, the way you’re wired, you are going to be good at stuff for about two years, or 90%, whichever comes first.”

I was stunned. Was that supposed to be a compliment??

I was 25 years old at the time, and I was having lunch with a consultant our agency had hired when he sprung this “wisdom” on me. 

At the time, I couldn’t hear anything but a backhanded compliment. 

This week’s a fun one – the second episode of Season 5 of the Purpose & Profit Podcast just dropped last week, and it’s all about the power of story, leveraging cultural moments, and turning storytelling into profit.

Just over five centuries ago, in September 1522, one of the most important acts of innovation in history took place.
I’ve written previously about the importance of stepping outside of conventional expertise when you need breakthrough innovation

This week, I traveled to Louisville to speak at Priority 2024, hosted by Missio Nexus.
It was fun to preview some of the lessons from my upcoming book on Subscription Giving, which I can share will officially be unveiled soon!

After a brief summer break, Season 5 of the Purpose & Profit Podcast premiered this week with an insight-filled interview with David Farmer, VP of Innovation at Chick-fil-A.

In this episode, Carly and I dive deep with David into how innovation, culture, and values intersect. I was grateful for the conversation, from how innovation in drive-thru capacity relates to nonprofts, to the importance of prototyping for healthy growth. It was an honor to have David helping us kick off Season 5 of the show sharing insights that are both practical and inspiring.

It’s a huge honor to be asked to speak on innovation, specifically on leveraging AI to grow innovation and impact.

But I have to be honest. Until recently, I didn’t think of “innovation” when I thought of Chick-fil-A. Wasn’t the idea to keep things the same and not innovate?

I’m writing this Wave Report with a great sense of relief. The manuscript of the book is now – finally – with the editor! 😮‍💨😁🙌

If you are new around here, I’m deeply passionate about helping leaders create profitable growth through innovation, and I’m writing a book about how the Subscription Economy is transforming recurring giving – and what nonprofits can do to benefit. There are many steps to go, but I’m celebrating this one step closer to putting this important message into the world.

I’ve got a problem with retention. 

A bone to pick. 

A beef, if you will. 

More specifically, my issue is not with retaining donors year after year, which is very important. My beef is with the focus on the measurement of retention – a metric that fundraisers and marketers all over the world rely on as a core indicator of the health of their fundraising program. 

Tomorrow, August 17, is National Nonprofit Day. It’s a day to honor nonprofits, the role that charities play in society, and the people who make that vital work possible.

Bonjour, mon ami. 👋

We are home from our summer living in France, so I thought I would share some reflections and lessons on life, leadership, and innovation from the time.

My wife Heather and our daughters deemed this our summer of Joie de Vivre. Joie de vivre is a French saying that means the “joy of life.”

Joie de vivre is about being fully present in the moment and with the people in front of you. The joy of living is not only about happiness, but about embracing whatever life offers in the moment.

Two years ago, I wasn’t sure what I should do. I was launching an advising practice focused on helping organizations grow through sustainable innovation. My dream was to invest half of my time in research, learning, writing, and speaking, and the other half in working directly with clients to apply that learning.

Today, we conclude our three-part series of ideas on innovation from the Purpose & Profit Podcast with a conversation with my co-host Carly Berna about the limitations of expertise.

Today, we continue our three-part series of ideas on innovation from the Purpose & Profit Podcast with an interview with Gabe Cooper, CEO and Founder of Virtuous, on best practices of innovation in nonprofit organizations.

Today’s Wave Report is a short one. For the next couple of weeks, our family will be taking time to travel and create memories as we conclude our Joie de Vivre – our summer living en France.

Joie de vivre is a French saying that means the “joy of life.” As in, “they are filled with joie de vivre.”

As I write this, I’m in one country of red, white, and blue 🇫🇷, thinking of another country about to celebrate the red, white, and blue 🇺🇸… my country, for which I’m grateful.

By the time you read this, the barbecue grills will have cooled, hot dog eating contests weighed, small town parades walked, and fireworks watched.

As many of you know, I’m working on a book.

I’m immersed in the depths of editing at the moment. There is one trend in particular that I’m struggling to articulate, and I wonder if you might be able to help.

I have big news to share. We're moving to France! 🇫🇷

...for six weeks. 😬

I have a few lessons to share in light of this grand adventure. But to understand how we got to today, we need to rewind the clock.

Today marks 20 years that I’ve been in this industry. 🥺

Twenty years ago, on June 7, 2024, I walked into my first day in a new job and into a new world of marketing and fundraising for nonprofit organizations.

Just a few weeks prior, I had no idea that working with nonprofits was even a career option for someone passionate about marketing and making a difference. 

The graveyards of history are littered with organizations that pioneered one way of doing things but failed to transition to the next model.

I can’t think of a better illustration than two days—ten years apart—at this little company called Blockbuster.

“Do you use AI?”  It’s an odd question, if you think about it. 

I think the way we talk about artificial intelligence today is wrong.

The conversation is either ambiguous, or philosophical, or technical, creating confusion. We talk about it in a primitive way – what does the question “Do you use AI?” even mean?

It reminds me of the early days of the internet. 

Do you remember your first time going on the internet?