Podcasts about comsay

Most nonprofit leaders treat capacity like a fuel tank — something you deplete and refill. Brooke Richie-Babbage makes the case that capacity is something you design, and that the strain you're feeling is information about that design, not about your dedication.She's joined by two leaders who've rebuilt theirs in public: Casey Lardner, Executive Director of Genspace, the world's first community biology lab, and Chidi Asoluka, Founder and CEO of NewComm, which went from a classroom experiment with 18 kids to a student-led organization delivering projects for the NYC Department of Health and Mount Sinai.

Jenn DeBarge Goonan has sent thousands of pitch emails to editors, producers, and partners. She's distilled what works into four steps — and they work whether you're chasing press coverage, a corporate partner, or a major donor meeting.Jenn launched Lululemon into the U.S. market, built campaigns for Ben & Jerry's, and now runs JAG Communications, where she's spent 20 years making mission-driven work visible.

The gap between hope and despair has grown from 4% in 2010 to 27% today. That's the "hope gap" — and it's the reason Jon and Becky spent 10 episodes sitting with eight change leaders who are filling it, one story at a time.

One client reclaimed 15% of their lapsing donors and added $200,000 by year-end. No new campaigns. No bigger team. Just a stewardship system running quietly in the background. Rachel Bearbower built it.As founder of the Nonprofit Automation Agency, Rachel has helped clients climb from 35% to 50% donor retention in a single year, recover nearly $20,000 in lapsed gifts in 90 days, and hand 20+ hours a month back to overstretched teams — all without losing the human touch.

Most of us picture democracy being decided on Election Day. Hannah Fried spends her life on the part nobody watches — the quiet, local decisions made months and years before a single ballot is cast.Hannah is co-founder and CEO of All Voting Is Local, a national nonprofit working year-round in eight states to remove voting barriers for Black, Brown, and Native American communities. She and her co-founder spent years saying "somebody should start an organization" focused on the local officials quietly deciding how elections run — then realized they were the somebody. They built it from her kitchen table with no money, got incubated by The Leadership Conference, and went independent in 2022.In this episode, you'll hear:Why the decisions that make or break your right to vote — where polling places go, what hours they're open, how vote-by-mail works — get made by local officials long before any ballot is castThe playbook for turning one county-level win into a national conversation — and why story is the engine that does itWhy "it's never too late to get involved" is more than a platitude, plus the concrete ways any person can plug in this yearIf you've ever wondered whether slow, local, unglamorous, years-in-the-making work actually adds up — this conversation is your answer.

Half the world's coral reefs have died since the 1970s. That's the kind of number that makes a person feel too small to matter. Sam Teicher has built his whole approach around refusing to let it. Sam is the co-founder and Chief Reef Officer of Coral Vita, a company that grows coral in land-based farms and plants it back onto dying reefs. He could have built a nonprofit to do it. He built a for-profit instead — after a UN-funded project collapsed when a small, restrictive grant didn't renew — and started with just $1,000. A decade later, Coral Vita runs farms from the Bahamas to Saudi Arabia and has earned Sam the Earthshot Prize and a Forbes 30 Under 30 nod.

A 52-year-old man who'd spent too long online reading conspiracy theories walked up to Imran Ahmed's colleague — a member of parliament and mother of two — and killed her, screaming internet slogans as he did it. That was the moment Imran realized the online world and the offline world had quietly become the same world.Imran Ahmed is the founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a US–UK nonprofit that produces the hard evidence lawmakers, advertisers, and parents use to hold social media and AI companies accountable.

Madge Thomas leads a leadership academy most nonprofit professionals have never heard of — one that's quietly spent nearly two decades and $100M+ training over 165,000 nonprofit leaders worldwide. As president of the American Express Foundation and head of corporate sustainability at American Express, she's built it on a deceptively simple premise: invest in the leader, not just their programs, and the impact ripples outward — to the organization, the community, and long after any single initiative ends.Madge makes the case that the people powering nonprofits are the sector's most under-resourced asset — then shows how the Academy is changing that with funding, peer cohorts, alumni grants, and a curriculum rebuilt for this moment: AI training with Microsoft, storytelling with TED, and resilience for a shifting funding landscape. If you've ever poured everything into your programs with nothing left for yourself or your team, this episode names that tension out loud — and offers a different way through.In this episode, you'll hear:Why investing in individuals instead of just programs creates a "two plus two makes five" ripple effect that most funders never think to measureHow the Academy stacks funding, a peer cohort of ~75 leaders, and alumni grants to attack nonprofit burnout at the root — by removing the impossible choice between developing your people and running your programsWhat today's nonprofit leaders need that they didn't a decade ago, including AI training built with Microsoft and storytelling training built with TEDYou'll walk away with a new lens on where philanthropy should focus — and a reminder that you don't need a $100 million budget to start a ripple. A ripple starts with one tiny fracture in the surface.

There are 12 million kids in the U.S. with a mental health concern, and four out of five never get treatment — not because the care doesn't exist, but because it takes an average of 15 years for proven research to reach the providers families actually visit.Dr. Lisa Hunter Romanelli has spent her career closing that gap. As CEO of The REACH Institute — and its very first employee 19 years ago — she's helped train nearly 10,000 primary care providers in evidence-based children's mental health care, with a goal of 16,000 by 2027.

The traditional nonprofit playbook is full of defaults nobody voted for: merge only when you're desperate, expect your team to run on empty, soften your mission to stay safe, and treat funders like they're doing you a favor. At the We Are For Good Summit, four leaders sat down to throw all of that out.

The Kiki and ballroom scene, built by Black and brown LGBTQ+ youth of color in New York City, has been creating art, designing fashion, performing, and building community for over 20 years.Meet Colby King

Dr. Sanjay Bindra is a practicing cardiologist who built a $2.5 million endowment at a zero-staff nonprofit in less than four years, with no campaigns and no urgency emails. Then he studied why it worked. The result: the GIVE Study, a 12-month real-time look at how small nonprofits can achieve sustainable recurring giving through trust, behavioral design, and strong governance. In this episode, you'll hear:Why first-time donor retention has been under 20% for decades, and the single most important thing you can do to change that numberThe difference between dopamine-driven fundraising and oxytocin-driven relationshipsThe GIVE framework: Gratitude, Impact, Voice, and Engagement, and how to apply it to build genuine donor relationships that lastWhat your org can do right now to start building a sustainable baseYou'll walk away with a replicable framework for turning one-time donors into lifelong community members.

An 85% graduation rate against a district average of 60% — at a second-chance school in the South Bronx where the primary healing tool isn't a worksheet or a clipboard. It's a professional recording studio.

"Crisis creates clarity, and philanthropic funding is the best risk capital we have." That's how Hala Hanna reads the moment we're in, and as Executive Director of MIT Solve, she has the data to back it up.MIT Solve has spent a decade brokering the relationship between companies, funders, and the early-stage innovators closing equity gaps in health, learning, climate, and economic opportunity. Their 460 solvers are reaching 430 million lives, have mobilized $87 million in direct funding, and have collectively raised $1.4 billion. And Hala has a front-row seat to the fundamental shift happening in how money moves toward mission.In this episode, you'll hear:Why the most forward-thinking funders are moving from rewarding proximity to power to rewarding proximity to the problem, and what that means for your missionWhat corporate partners actually need from nonprofit partnerships right now, and how to position your org to meet them thereWhy pairing measurable outcomes with storytelling is the real fundraising unlock, and the one question every nonprofit leader needs to answer before walking into a funder conversationYou'll walk away with a sharper read on where philanthropy is heading and a concrete playbook for becoming the partner funders are actually looking for.

As Co-Founder of Caring Across Generations and President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo has spent decades working at the intersection of policy and culture — because she knows you can't change one without the other. A MacArthur Fellow, Time 100 honoree, and author of The Age of Dignity, she's now launching a million-care-conversations campaign and a new production label, Give Not Take Media, to get care stories into film and television at scale.

Most nonprofits treat email like a megaphone. They show up loud when they need donations and go completely quiet in between. Katelyn Baughan has worked with UNHCR, Amnesty International, the Trevor Project, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and she has seen this pattern cost nonprofits thousands in unrealized donations.Her fix: stop thinking about campaigns and start building infrastructure.In less than 20 minutes, Katelyn walks you through the automated email system that works in the background to build donor relationships, nurture loyalty, and raise more money, even when you're not hitting send.

Scott Cameron is a two-time Emmy Award-winning creative leader who has spent his career executive producing international adaptations of Sesame Street, bringing this iconic brand to audiences in 190 countries and 31 languages. He joins us for this special episode to talk about what 57 years of research-driven storytelling has taught him about how story actually changes people.

Matt Oh was an engineer with a stable career and a 9-to-5 when a mission trip to India stopped him in his tracks. He saw something he couldn't unsee — women and children spending 10 hours a day walking to collect dirty water.In 2015, he founded FOREFRONT Charity with a few college friends and one water well. Today, more than 100,000 people across India, Kenya, and East Africa have been impacted through clean water, education, medical care, and empowerment. 105 water wells drilled. A school built, in which 20% of the students once worked in child labor, that now serves more than 250 first-generation students. A 90% program efficiency rate. Clearly, an engineer is running this.

This episode includes themes of combat trauma, mental health, and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.Meet Richard Casper

What does it actually mean to fund community power? Not a one-time grant, not a single big donor relationship, but real, sustained infrastructure for the leaders closest to the problems. Vincent Jones has spent three decades figuring that out.Meet Vincent Jones

There is a growing gap in our world between hope and despair. And storytelling might be the most powerful tool we have to fill it.Welcome to Stories That Fill the Hope Gap, a 10-part limited series created in partnership with Good is the New Cool and We Are For Good. Every Wednesday for the next 10 weeks, we are bringing you a changemaker who is using story to cut through noise, build connection, shift culture, and move people to action.We open with the conversation that started it all: the keynote Afdhel Aziz delivered live at ImpactUp: Story, framing the big idea that runs through every episode that follows.In this episode, you'll hear:What the Hope Gap is, where it came from, and why it matters for every changemaker telling stories right nowWhy pop culture, social media, and news are all feeding despair, and what that means for how we communicateGallup's 2026 finding that hope is the number one thing people want from their leaders, outpacing trust, compassion, and stability combinedAfdhel's 3-step storytelling playbook: start with hope, spark wonder, inspire courageous actionWe need your stories to help fill the hope gap. Share yours at weareforgood.com/hopegap.

Meet Christina Martin Kenny

Meet Amanda Green

Is philanthropy stuck in hypothesis mode?In science, there are two kinds of research: hypothesis-driven, where you predict the outcome before you run the experiment, and exploratory, where you map the landscape and stay open to what you find. The biggest breakthroughs almost always come from the second.Meet Casey Lardner

Meet Dave Raley

Meet Nathan Cook

We're living in the loneliest moment in modern history. And at the same time, people have never been hungrier for hope, for joy, for meaningful connection. Your volunteers are at the center of that tension. And if you're not treating people power as a strategy, you're leaving your mission's most powerful asset on the table.Recorded live at the We Are For Good Summit, this conversation brings together four extraordinary leaders: Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting; Nicole Stewart, Executive Director of Boston CASA; Nicole R. Smith, Executive Director of ALIVE, the National Professional Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagement; and Sara Lomelin, CEO of Philanthropy Together.In this episode, you'll hear:What ALIVE's data shows about organizations that treat volunteers as strategy vs. afterthought: 80% more volunteers, 60% higher engagement, and donors who are twice as likely to giveBoston CASA's three non-negotiables for scaling a volunteer program without burning people out: exceptional training, strong supervision, and a mission-anchored cultureHow to operationalize people power right now: from launching a giving circle to giving volunteers a role, not a receiptWhy skills-based volunteering is surging even as companies go quiet on CSR, and what that means for nonprofitsPeople are looking for hope. They're looking for joy. They're looking for meaningful connections. You are the one they've been waiting for.

Meet Pedro J. Rivera

At 4am on April 3, 2025, Jennifer Rupp's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. 93% of Michigan Humanities' budget. Gone overnight. What happened next is a story about crisis leadership, radical transparency, and why connection isn't a soft strategy. It's the only strategy.

700 episodes felt like the kind of moment that deserved more than a LinkedIn post and a few dancing emojis. So we sat down to talk about what this journey has taught us about generosity, the stories that haven't left us, and what we're still learning.We're so grateful you're here. Come celebrate with us.

Meet Jeremy Bouman, Founder of RISE in Omaha

Kyle S. King started his nonprofit journey as a college junior, raised $100K, and never stopped. Eight books, a publishing company, a keynote career, and the Growth Alliance later — he's spent over a decade helping mission-driven organizations do the deeper work first: aligning leadership, tightening operations, and sharpening the stories that actually move donors to act.

"You don't manage volunteers. You have to inspire them."Jeff Byard figured that out after 14 years in Alabama emergency management, six years as a senior leader at FEMA overseeing 185 presidential disaster declarations, and now as Chief Programs Officer at Team Rubicon — the disaster response organization with 200,000 Greyshirts deployed across the country and around the world.In this episode, you'll hear:Why the shift from volunteer management to community building changes everything — and exactly how Team Rubicon made that shift at scaleHow 3,500 volunteer leaders lead a Greyshirt nation of 200,000 — and what that organizational structure teaches every nonprofit leaderJeff's One Good Thing: don't let perfection get in the way of good.Episode Highlights:Jeff's origin story: Marine Corps to FEMA (3:08)Joining Team Rubicon and the "for impact" sector (6:36)You don't manage volunteers — you inspire them (7:48)What Team Rubicon does: 1,000 service projects a year (9:14)Volunteer management vs. community building (12:00)Veterans + "kick ass civilians": the 50/50 dynamic (14:51)Making volunteers your core capacity at scale (16:13)10 simultaneous operations in Hurricane Helene (16:51)The philanthropy moment that made Jeff cry (20:55)One Good Thing: don't let perfection get in the way of good (25:04)Resources Mentioned:Team RubiconTunnels to Towers FoundationJeff Byard on LinkedIn Full Episode Landing Page: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/697//Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.comSay hi

Trust is not a soft skill. It's the whole job.Today we're bringing you something special: Aila Malik's live keynote from the We Are For Good Summit, followed by a real-time coaching Q&A with our community.Aila has spent nearly a decade working alongside nonprofit leaders at their most defining moments: leadership transitions, burnout, mergers, and organizational inflection points. Her firm has partnered with hundreds of organizations, and her framework for building trust has changed how leaders think about culture, credibility, and change.In this episode, you'll hear:Why trust isn't a soft skill — and why treating it like one is silently breaking your organizationThe three layers of trust (workability, credibility, vulnerability) and exactly where most leaders get stuckHow to rebuild trust after a leadership transition, a broken promise, or a loss of confidenceWhat Aila told a room full of summit attendees about why people resist change — and why the answer isn't strategy, it's safetyEpisode Highlights:The Sector as a Response to Broken Narratives (1:42)The Three Layers of Trust (8:15)Building Credibility (10:10)The Vulnerability Layer (12:47)Live Q&A: Trusting Funders and Long-Term Partners (17:33)Navigating Trust in Organizational Transitions (20:00)When Stakeholders Have Different Goals (24:27)Trust Repair and Apology Tours (30:03)What Young Organizations Should Know About Trust (33:47)Middle Management as Trust Infrastructure (35:00)Aila's One Good Thing (40:01)Resources Mentioned:Connect with Aila + Venture Leader CollectiveFull Episode Landing Page: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/696//Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.comSay hi

Sara LaBarge grew up on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin, won a Gates Millennium Scholarship as a teenager, and went on to lead strategic partnerships at Native Forward Scholars Fund — the largest direct scholarship provider to Native students in the country. When MacKenzie Scott called (twice), their organization was ready. This conversation is about what that readiness actually looked like.Native nonprofits receive less than 0.5% of all philanthropic funding. Native Forward has been building anyway — for 55+ years. And the frameworks Sara uses for partnerships, accountability, and trust-based giving are some of the most practically useful we've heard for any fundraiser navigating high-stakes funder relationships right now.

Meet Eliza Blank, the new CEO of The Farmlink Project

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Afdhel Aziz, founder of Good is the New Cool, to unpack why the way most nonprofits tell their story is quietly killing their impact, and what the new playbook looks like.Afdhel has spent 30+ years advising brands like Disney, Coca-Cola, Gap, and Adidas on purpose-driven storytelling. But his most urgent work right now is closing the hope gap - a measurable 27% chasm between hope and despair in society, tracked by Yale. He believes nonprofits sit at the center of the solution. And he's here to show you exactly how to get there.

In this Working Session, Jon and Becky are joined by digital strategist Josh Burns to rethink how nonprofits approach online giving — moving beyond quick wins and into strategies that actually build momentum. Together, they explore why so many organizations feel stuck growing digital revenue and how a shift toward relationship-first thinking can unlock more sustainable, long-term results.From understanding the “digital donor gap” to building a simple growth framework rooted in human behavior, you'll learn how to align your digital presence with real-world connection — and turn passive audiences into engaged, giving communities.Top 3 Takeaways:Online Giving Starts With Human Connection — Not Conversion: Digital channels may be the medium, but people are the mission. Learn how to ground your strategy in empathy, proximity, and real relationships so your messaging resonates beyond the screen and inspires meaningful action.Use a Simple Growth Framework to Guide Strategy: Break down your digital ecosystem into three key stages — awareness, consideration, and action — and understand how each channel (social, website, email) plays a role in moving supporters toward deeper engagement and giving.Play the Long Game With Story + Community: From email nurture to community-building spaces, discover how consistent storytelling and intentional engagement create the trust that leads to higher conversion over time — not just one-off gifts.This episode is packed with practical, low-lift ways to strengthen your digital presence — whether you're just getting started with email, refining your storytelling, or rethinking how you engage donors online.Welcome back to Working Sessions: hands-on, clarity-filled conversations designed to help you move real work forward inside your organization.Let's get to work.Episode Highlights:  Understanding the “Digital Donor Gap” (04:47) Why Data + Humanity Must Work Together (06:52) Digital Should Drive Real-World Action (07:27) Breaking Silos: Learning From Programs + Donors (10:30) The Feel–Know–Do Storytelling Framework (13:19) The Digital Growth Framework: Awareness → Action (14:47) First-Party Data + Building Direct Relationships (18:10) Community-Building as a Growth Strategy (20:14) Playing the Long Game With Email + Story (23:11) Tracking Metrics + Setting Realistic Goals (25:05) One Good Thing: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone (30:02)Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/692//Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.comSay hi

SummaryFrom Westonbirt inspirations to field guides and plant-hunter epics, Lewis and Gemma pull 13 tree books and ask how reading changes woodland practice. Hear about ships with greenhouses, coppice cycles, charcoal burning, fungal networks, minimalist nursery design, mapping with old OS layers and LiDAR, plus a practitioner's starter stack for ID and ethnobotany.SponsorsTENTSILESave 10% on tree tents and hammocks with code ForestChildren10 at checkout. Ideal for leaders who want flexible base-camp shelter without ground impact.Chris HollandExplore Chris's 54-page Plant of the Week guide with songs, stories and QR videos. Use our affiliate link: https://chrisholland.myshopify.com/?ref=ForestSchoolPodcastKey takeawaysBooks are tools. Ideas on the page translate into better planning, richer invitations to play and clearer woodland decisions.History explains today's woods. War, trade and enclosure shaped plantations and access.When the landscape is the resource you can need fewer add-ons.Mycorrhizal science challenges the clean slate approach to plantations. Diversity can feed young trees.A balanced shelf helps practitioners. Mix narrative inspiration, technical ID, land-use history and local mapping.Chapters00:00 Audio or video and how to follow along02:10 Westonbirt, tree hunters and why one book leads to three more06:40 Plant collectors, ships with greenhouses and species introductions11:20 Remarkable trees and the Douglas fir story15:20 Finding the Mother Tree and what fungal networks show us20:10 Managing woods for play, coppice cycles and charcoal25:40 Enclosure, disafforestation and the Western Rising rabbit hole30:40 Rackham, old OS maps and first steps with LiDAR35:30 Practitioner stack for sessions and ethnobotany40:50 Photos or illustrations for ID, trends in tree writing, the squirrel book wishBooks and resources mentionedThomas Pakenham — The Tree Hunters; Meetings with Remarkable TreesJohn Evelyn — Sylva, or a Discourse of Forest TreesSuzanne Simard — Finding the Mother TreePeter Wohlleben — The Hidden Life of TreesRichard Powers — The OverstoryOliver Rackham — Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape; The History of the CountrysideTristan Gooley — How to Read a TreeRay Mears — British Woodland: How to Explore the Secret World of Our ForestsRoger Phillips — UK wild plants and fungi photographic guidesChris Holland — Plant of the Week collectionHandy tools referencedOld OS map viewer for historical layersLiDAR overlays for spotting ridge and furrow, pits and platformsListen now

“This moment doesn't define you. It can refine you.” -Rebekah FreedomWISE words from this episode's wise guest. Your breakup is here to teach you lessons you wouldn't have access to otherwise. That is what Rebekah and I are here to unveil for you today. Get your own copy of Breakup Rehab! Order it on Amazon here. *Please* go show Rebekah Freedom some podcast love! Check out her website and coaching work on her website here. More quotes from this powerful episode: “Pain is weakness leaving the body because it is the precursor to growth. It says: “Pain is here to teach me what I am and what I am unwilling to let go of.” -Rebekah Freedom “Ask yourself: ‘What if I just don't judge my pain?' That is the first step into authenticity and knowing yourself.” -Rebekah Freedom “Taking responsibility for your life and owning what you create is integrity. It takes integrity to get out of abusive situations. It takes integrity to stop abandoning yourself and betraying yourself through words and deeds. Have standards and stick to them. Don't give up the goods to someone who isn't worth your time. Keep yourself in check by watching what you think and say.” -Rebekah Freedom “Okay, now it's time to talk about sex — with yourself. One part of your body can give pleasure to another part. How amazing is that! No shame in that. Total joy in that. Where there was a communion of two, masturbation can be a communion with you.” -Rebekah Freedom Want to schedule a free coaching session? Head over to my website: ⁠JaniceFormichella.com⁠ or email me directly: Janice@JaniceFormichella.comSay hi to me over on IG: ⁠@janiceformichella⁠⁠Download The Broken Heart Repair Kit: The 3-step Method to Beating Your Breakup ⁠ _____________________________________________________________Breakups, Broken Hearts, and Moving On with Janice Formichella is an inclusive space for all adults who are looking to heal their hearts and have happy relationships. I believe that love is love and that there are a wide variety of different types of relationships and that all are valid. I recognize each individual's right to self-identify. As a podcast host, I am dedicated to making this a safe space for all and strive to portray that in my content. I welcome feedback on my efforts and thank you for being a part of the community.

In this quick chat, Emily reflects about witchy aesthetics and offers up er thoughts on the way witchcraft is often presented to us. Listen in!learn more about Wise Woman Witchery at www.wisewomanwitchery.comSay hello at emily@wisewomanwitchery.com

ABOUT DINA TOWNSEND Dina's Linkedin Profile: linkedin.com/in/dinatownsendDINA TOWNSEND BIOAs Chief Sales Officer at Mamava, Dina leads the Sales Organization with energy, optimism, and a genuine passion for building connections. She is rooted in the belief that strong business acumen and a meaningful mission can be seamlessly intertwined. After a purpose-driven career pivot from Digital Signage Technology to Mamava, she channels her expertise into propelling sales for this mission-centric company. Beyond her professional endeavors, Dina is a former skydiver, a hobby homesteader, an avid college football fan, and a well-intentioned, albeit average, golfer.email: dinat@mamava.com | 802.347.2111 (o) Website: www.mamava.comSay yes to dignified lactation spaces! Be a hero—here's how you can help. SHOW INTRO:Welcome to Episode 82! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast…In every episode we continue to follow our catch phrase of having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” And as we continue on this journey there will be thought provoking futurists, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.We'll talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections between our mind-body and the built world around us.We'll also have guests who are creative marketing masters from international brands and people who have started and grown some of the companies that are striking a new path for us follow.If you like what you hear on the NXTLVL Experience Design show, make sure to subscribe, like, comment and share with colleagues, friends and family.The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is always grateful for the support of VMSD magazine.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. I think the IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience.SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org Today, EPISODE 82… I talk with Dina Townsend Chief Sales Officer at Mamava a company whose mission is to create a healthier society through infrastructure and support for breastfeeding. And, along with partners who share in in their purpose of celebrating and supporting breastfeeding, Mamava is moving closer to creating a future where there is a dignified lactation space anywhere a parent may go. We'll get to my discussion with Dina in a minute, first though a few thoughts…*                     *                          *                          *A few episodes back I had Claire Coder founder and CEO if Aunt Flow on the show. That was an interesting conversation since we crossed what I think were a few boundaries (at least for me) and we talked quite candidly about menstruation. Not just about the biology of women's monthly cycle but about the fact that there are many women who have faced the scenario of getting their period unexpectedly and not have pads or tampons to meet them in their moment of need.Enter the company Aunt Flow who provides free feminine hygiene products in public restrooms, schools and other public buildings and to Fortune 500 corporate headquarters - for which tens of thousands of women are eternally grateful.This conversation with Dina Townsend, I guess you could say, falls in the Aunt Flow camp of subjects. Breast feeding moms was not a subject that I had on the list of things to address on the podcast. But here we are nevertheless with a subject that piqued my curiosity because the company Dina works for, Mamava, checks most of the boxes in our Dialogues on DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and he Arts” catch phrase.First off…I did not know there was something called the “Pump Act”. For the curious out there, a little internet searching comes up with this:“…The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, enacted in December 2022, expands workplace protections for nursing employees by requiring employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for pumping breast milk for up to one year after a child's birth.This law allows for legal action if employers fail to comply…”Now… Dina will contend that many employers do in fact provide such a space and also that a janitors closet with a folding chair would be in line with the requirements. Sure, a closet meets the description of a ‘private space' but it wholly underserves the needs of a nursing mother in terms of experience.I am aware that there are widely divergent views on the whole subject of breast feeding – we are not going to go there – except that I'll say that I fully line up behind my wife who breastfed our two sons.My discussion with Dina moves from the necessity to provide environments for nursing mothers to breastfeed their infants while in public places to the buying power of mothers who statistics indicate make an enormous amount of the buying decisions in households to how tying Retail Media Networks - RMNs – to Mamava pods serve a triple bottom line serving People, Planet and Profit. It's a way of shifting our thinking about business from “How much money did we make?” to: “Did we make money in a way that benefits society and the environment too?”Nielsen, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Harvard Business Review research tells us that Women drive 70–80% of consumer purchasing decisions in the U.S. and that is even for products they don't personally use.  And that their annual global consumer spending, is $20 trillionwhich, by the way, is a number projected to rise to $28 trillion. In many households, women make or heavily influence91% of new home purchases, 92% of vacation decisions, and 80% of healthcare choices says research by the Yankelovich Monitor, Marketing to Women Conference data.And Millennial and Gen Z mothers are even more influential: they control about $1 trillion in direct annual spendingand are primary decision-makers for food, home goods, education, and entertainment – says research by the Pew Research Center.So, women and moms are a force to be reconned with in terms of buying power and why Mamava pods are more than an economic discussion. The behavioral and psychographic aspects of them is important as well.Women increasingly valuebrands that support family life, caregiving, and inclusivity and so features like Mamava pods in retail locations or corporate HQs or parental-leave policies have brand-equity impact.We have known for some time that brands that are considered authentic exhibiting genuine empathic concern for their customer and employeesare major drivers in establishing brand affinity and purchase decisions. The BabyCenter “State of Modern Motherhood” report says that “ 9 in 10 mothers say they are more loyal to brands that “understand the challenges of motherhood.”And then there is mom's digital influence. Pew Internet studies explains that“80% of moms research products online before buying and that 60% follow parenting or lifestyle influencers for purchase guidance.”When you combine these factors with the emergence of Retail Media Networks, RMNs, you have a value add to placing Mamava pods in places that do not actually take up any more space on the sales floors of a store than is already being occupied with stuff that does support the brand experience or selling anything.Use to be that when digital screens came into the retail world, we had kiosks as wayfinding devices. Then a proliferation of screens emerged in the market where walls were more digital wallpaper crowding the environment with content and, in my opinion adding little to experience, arguably creating a shopping experience with more visual distraction and diminishing the overall experience. Painting the environment with the broad-brush stroke of digital media is often ineffective in capturing and retaining attention and doesn't lead to the positive results we think it does.That said, well considered application of digital media like those found on Mamava pods creates an opportunity to provide messaging to customers that could be more like a public service announcement, like ‘get your flu shot here today,' or a focused marketing piece that invites customers to consider a particular product that they may not have thought of prior to arriving at the store.So, you might ask why this matters to retail designWomen and mothers aren't just your average everyday consumers, they're key decision-makers shaping the social expectations of brands and spaces. Retailers, airports, and workplaces that provide amenities like Mamava pods, family restrooms, or flexible shopping experiences are responding directly to data-driven insights like:Increased dwell time and spending when caregivers feel accommodated.Higher brand loyalty and word-of-mouth among mothers.Positive CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility - and inclusivity signaling which is important for both consumer and employee attraction.If you have recently traveled through an airport, you may have already come upon a Mamava pod or maybe you have seen their “bench” version in a retail store. Fed up with pumping in bathrooms and borrowed spaces—Mamava's co-founders, Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson, applied their decades of expertise in design and brand strategy to solve a problem that was largely invisible: the lack of lactation spaces in workplaces and public spaces and as a result, the Mamava pod was born.Tying together the Mamava pod, and its various incarnations, and retail media needed some savvy about how to create an effective in-store media application that wouldn't end up as just another screen in an already overwhelming environment.Enter Dina Townsend.As Chief Sales Officer at Mamava, Dina leads the Sales Organization with energy, optimism, and a genuine passion for building connections. She is rooted in the belief that strong business acumen and a meaningful mission like the Mamava brand platform can be seamlessly intertwined. After a purpose-driven career pivot from the world of Digital Signage Technology to Mamava, Dina channels her expertise into propelling sales for this mission-centric company. ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites: https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon.  The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

Can controlling your mind control your health? This week on The AGEIST Podcast, we revisit a powerful episode from the archives. Dr. David Spiegel, one of the world's leading experts on hypnosis and psycho-oncology, explains how stress, sleep, and emotional regulation directly influence survival, especially in cancer patients. He also shares how self-hypnosis and structured breathing can reduce pain, anxiety, and even tremors—tools now made widely accessible through his app, Reveri. Optimize your autonomic nervous system to sleep better, feel calmer, and potentially live longer.How long will you live? Take our quiz today to find out at ageist.com/longevity-quiz!Special Thanks to Our SponsorsOzlo Sleepbuds: Transform your nights with science-backed wearables designed to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up restored. Now through October 16th, save $50 when you use our link.fatty15: C15:0 is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in over 90 years, and fatty15 is on a mission to optimize your C15:0 levels to help support your long-term health and wellness—especially as you age. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/AGEIST and using the code “AGEIST” at checkout.LMNT Electrolytes: Our #1 electrolytes for optimal hydration. Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase by using our link here. Find your favorite LMNT flavor, or share with a friend.Key Moments“The strain in pain lies mainly in the brain.”“We have not succeeded in killing anybody with hypnosis yet.”“Good sleep at night should be a part of everybody's health regimen, but especially cancer patients.”Connect with Dr. SpiegelReveri AppStanford Healthcare ProfileConnect with AGEISTNewsletterInstagramWebsiteLinkedInRead the full interview transcript here or at ageist.comSay hi to the AGEIST team!

The Gypsy Tales crew is back! Join us as we break down the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship playoffs from the Gold Coast. We give a bit of insight as to where we have been and why we weren't on the ground for the SMX Playoffs. In this episode: • SMX Championship recap - Why the format needs work • Haiden Deegan vs Jo Shimoda • Jett Lawrence's dominant 450SMX performance • Hunter Lawrence's playoff push • Why St. Louis was the best track of SMX 2024 • Charlotte's sketchy drag strip setup issues • The problem with triple points scoring • Chase Sexton crash • Listener audio notes from the Gypsy GangWe discuss the confusing Olympic-style scoring system, and why riders struggle with bike setup at drag strip venues and of course we had to give our take on the Deegan situation. Plus, hear our take on why St. Louis proved you don't need gnarly rhythm sections for great racing.After a break for Cape York adventures, we're back with fresh perspectives on what worked and what didn't in SMX 2024. Should SuperMotocross move away from drag strips? Is the triple points system broken? We dive deep into all the controversial topics.

Most entrepreneurs don't have a creativity problem. They have a listening problem.They chase trends. They overanalyze the market. They brainstorm for hours.And yet, they're still stuck—struggling to create something truly unique, something that actually shifts industries and transforms lives.Why? Because creativity isn't found in effort. It's found in revelation.In this episode of The Estherpreneur Podcast, , I'm exposing the biggest myths about business creativity and revealing the biblical blueprint for unlocking divine ideas, innovation, and strategic growth.

Have you ever wondered why you keep facing the same struggles in business and life—no matter how hard you try to break free? I did too.For years, I found myself in frustrating situations—partners who took advantage, clients who pushed boundaries, and a constant feeling that I wasn't standing up for myself. I thought I was being patient and showing grace, but in reality? I was tolerating mistreatment.Then, one conversation changed everything.In today's episode of The Estherpreneur Podcast, I'm sharing a deeply personal breakthrough that revealed how a single childhood moment shaped my decisions for decades. If you've ever felt stuck in cycles you can't explain, this might be the eye-opening conversation you need.The truth is: you don't need to work harder—you need to believe better. Let's dive in.Want more kingdom business wisdom? Connect with me on LinkedIn @EdnaHarding for daily inspiration and strategies on doing business and life God's way. I share practical tips, biblical insights, and real-world victories that will help you thrive in both business and faith. Favorandwealth.comSay hi on social: LI:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ednaharding⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/EdnaSHardingIG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/theestherpreneur⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YT:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/EdnaHarding⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Every entrepreneur will encounter a giant—one so intimidating it seems impossible to overcome. Maybe it's overwhelming debt, unpredictable cash flow, or the fear of an uncertain future. But what if the key to victory has already been placed in your hands?In this episode of The Estherpreneur, we unravel the strategies hidden in one of the most powerful underdog stories of all time. It's not just a lesson in faith—it's a divine battle plan for navigating financial struggles with boldness, wisdom, and supernatural provision.If you've ever felt stuck, outnumbered, or like the odds are stacked against you, this is your moment to discover how giants really fall.

Can #MomTok survive a Criminality episode? We're about to find out because Melissa is diving headfirst into the whirlwind world of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” with a focus on none other than the notorious Taylor Frankie Paul.Taylor isn't your typical Mormon mom—in fact, her connection to the faith seems more rumor than reality. But what she *is*, is the OG Mom at the center of #MomTok's rise, fall, and scandalous swinging saga. For years, #MomTok thrived in one very specific corner of the internet, until a shocking soft-swinging scandal blew up in Utah, grabbing global attention. And just when you thought it couldn't get wilder, Taylor's personal life took center stage—new man, new drama. From cheating accusations and surprise pregnancies to arrests and criminal charges, it's a non-stop reality TV-level ride. But wait—there's another Mormon mom who went viral in the #MomTok universe for an unforgettable moment that you won't believe. Melissa breaks it all down, so whether you're deeply entrenched in #MomTok drama or just catching up, this story has a little something for everyone.Here's what the hosts are watching as of today's episode:Melissa: Jailbreak, NetflixRebekah: Nobody Wants This, NetflixRebekah gave three clues for the next episode:LONDONPRIME2002Check out Rebekah's new podcast that launches MONDAY, OCT. 7!Thank you for your interestLearn more on TYFYIPOD.COMSay hi to us! We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + TwitterWe are @criminalitypodcastTikTok on TikTokDrop us a note with episode suggestions, or tell us what you're watching: criminalityshow@gmail.comEnjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn't a CRIME! https://podfollow.com/criminalityWe have a website where you can explore all past episodes and our TV recommendations! https://www.criminalityshow.com/SOURCES:https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/miranda-and-chase-mcwhorters-relationship-timeline-the-way-they-were/?taid=66fc1908589661000144421c&utm_campaign=true_anthem_usweekly&utm_content=new&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitterhttps://people.com/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-jessi-ngatikaura-discusses-taylor-frankie-paul-and-dakota-mortensen-relationship-8720451https://www.thecut.com/article/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-whitney-leavitt-interview.htmlhttps://www.distractify.com/p/whitney-leavitt-bili-light-baby-dancinghttps://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utah-influencer-taylor-frankie-paul-pleads-guilty-to-aggravated-assault-after-incident-with-boyfriend/ https://youtu.be/v7lqhqTV0tM?si=EnTP_6IBm1djrEHfInterview on Viall FilesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Friend, I was nervous to hit record on this one because I'm telling on myself again. In this chat we have expert Corrine Stokoe here to chat about co-dependency and how it can sneak into every aspect of our lives.Is it really that big of a problem? You may be surprised to hear how co-dependency shows up (and gets in your way!)The information Corrine shares can change your life and empower you to change the lives of others. Don't miss this chat!Thanks so much for being here. Let me know if you were having lightbulb moments too over on IG at https://instagram.com/nicolewalters!Did you know all of our chats are also on YouTube? Watch at https://nicolewalters.com/youtubeLearn more about living CODAFREE at https://codafree.org/Get the rest of the links and resources from this episode on the show notes at https://nicolewalters.com/episode438Episode Sponsors:Use code NICOLE at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. 1 time use only.Right now, you can get 10% off your first subscription order of Bobbie's Organic Infant Formula PLUS free shipping on all subscription orders for the duration of your feeding journey by using code WALTERS10 at Hibobbie.comSay hello to clean, spa-quality skincare essentials that deliver a moisture-rich glow. My followers will get 15% off their first order when you use code NICOLEWALTERS15 at checkout at oakessentials.comVisit gtmbawomen.com to learn more about the Georgia Tech MBA.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.