Podcasts about vonna

Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges and Unexpected Blessings with Vonna LaueJoin Educate for Life Radio and Kevin Conover as he interviewsVonna Laue about maintaining joy through life's  trials.  Learn more about how God's plan for your life will bring blessings in the challenges and how you can help ministries such as World Vision. This episode first aired 4/14/25

"Join Nancy Sabatoand Vonna Laue in a heartfelt conversation about faith, trust, and transformation. Discover how life's struggles can be part of God's divine plan to shape your faith and lead to unseen blessings. Featuring inspiring stories from the book *Glad I Didn't Know*, this episode will encourage you to surrender control and embrace God's guidance in every season of life. Perfect for anyone seeking hope and encouragement in their spiritual journey."You can find out more about Vonna and get her book on gladididntknow.comYouTubehttps://youtu.be/7DGbJqerPxYThanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this interview, I'd love to hear your thoughts—drop a comment below! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share for more Christ-centered conversations. Visit thecallwithnancysabato.com Until next time, let's give all glory and honor to King Jesus!

As much as we’d love to believe we are in control of all things, much of life is unexpected. We didn’t see it coming. And maybe, that’s a gift! From a cross country move to a senior year injury to an unexpected death, Vonna was overwhelmed by the “unexpecteds” of life. It wasn’t until later that she realized not knowing was a blessing in disguise. Vonna Laue is a speaker and author of Glad I Didn’t Know: Lessons Learned Through Life’s Challenges and Unexpected Blessings. Vonna admits, “If we knew the difficulties we would encounter, we might not be obedient, and we would miss out on what God has planned.” When we relinquish control and just trust the Lord for each next step, He is faithful! Also in this episode... “Mom, God is so faithful!” Shawna’s daughter said when Shawna answered her call. A series of events all throughout the day led Haven into exactly what she needed when the storm hit. God is faithful. He's got you! Perry shares, “God put a kingdom dream in my heart. I moved across the country to step into it. It was his dream but then I inserted myself into it. Tried to shape it in my image not God’s. Then it crashed. Last, the legacy of Shawna’s dad is that he loved God and loved people. And he did it one step at a time. The way we want to be remembered starts with acts of kindness today.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshow/wgnbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you leave a successful 20-year career as a managing partner at a national CPA firm with no clear plan? Vonna Laue, author of "Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges And Unexpected Blessings" shares her remarkable journey from small-town South Dakota to partner at a national CPA firm to board chair at World Vision USA. Tune in as she reflects on lessons of trust, leadership, and obedience, offering wisdom on navigating transitions, building trust in organizations, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.  Whether you're a leader, mentor, or someone facing uncertainty, this conversation will leave you encouraged to trust the process and embrace life's unexpected blessings. Guest Links:Vonna's LinkedInGlad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges and Unexpected Blessings Credits: Host: Lisa NicholsExecutive Producer: Jenny HealMarketing Support: Landon Burke and Joe SzynkowskiPodcast Engineer: Portside Media

Would you want to know how your future would turn out if given the opportunity? As much as we'd like to think that life is a series of carefully planned events, the reality is that the unexpected, the unplanned, is part of the plan! Trainer and speaker Vonna Laue has experienced unexpected blessings and challenges, and she will share a few lessons she has learned on Thursday's Mornings with Seth and Deb!Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshow/wdlmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, we're thrilled to bring you powerful leadership insights from Vonna Laue, Executive Director of Global Services and CFO of TEAM. Join us as Vonna shares how self-leadership, spiritual vitality, and intentional stewardship can transform your leadership journey and help your organization thrive. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/415vonnalaue Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2   By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on X https://twitter.com/allopus  Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/ Email our host at al@workplaces.org

[00:00:00] Vonna Laue: One of the indicators for nonprofits that anyone who hears me speak knows that I'm always going to harp on a little bit, and that is available cash. Not just cash, because you can look at the balance sheet and see, wow, we've got $700,000 in cash. If that's what the board looks at and starts making decisions based on, you could find yourself in trouble because the available cash that I'm talking about takes that cash number, but then it subtracts two things out of there. [00:00:33] Vonna Laue: It subtracts the things that we're going to pay this week. So maybe we've got payroll coming up this week and we've got a bunch of accounts we're going to pay. I'm going to take that out of there. And I'm also going to take out any temporarily restricted funds that have been given by donors for a specific purpose. If those amounts are held in that cash number, I'm going to back those out. If you back out those two things, that $700,000 might be $200,000. And that board and those leaders are going to make significantly different decisions based on $700,000 versus $200,000.  Right? That's a financial metric. ++++++++++++++++ [00:01:10] Tommy Thomas: You and I have a mutual friend, Alec Hill, former President of InterVarsity. And he wrote of some of the pain and suffering he experienced while being the President of Intervarsity. And he writes, if we pause and reflect long enough, pain is a great teacher. Our character can be transformed more through a day of suffering than a month of study. As I think about your book that's coming out here in a couple of weeks, I would imagine that played into the writing of the book. [00:01:39] Vonna Laue: You are absolutely correct. So, the book is Glad I Didn't Know, and then it's subtitled Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges and Unexpected Blessings, so it absolutely does play into that. The premise of the book is that there are a lot of difficult things that we go through that if we'd known in advance, we would have done everything we could to avoid those, but if we had avoided those, we'd have missed out on what God had planned for us and the lessons that we learned as a result of it. [00:02:12] Vonna Laue: The flip side of that is also the unexpected blessings. And when I look at things like serving on the World Vision Board, if someone had told me in advance, you're going to be on the World Vision Board. I'd have thought, okay, I need this education and I need this experience and I need to network with this person, and I'd have totally messed it up. But I just faithfully follow one thing to the next. And so would totally agree with Alec there. And I'm glad I don't know a lot of the things that I'm going to go through. And each time we go through something, it makes it a little bit easier the next time to look back on the faithfulness of God and realize, okay, we're going to come out the other side of this and there will be blessings as a result of it, even though it's a challenge at the time. [00:03:01] Tommy Thomas: What lesson did you learn from writing this book? A real practical question. [00:03:07] Vonna Laue: Yeah. One of the things that just in the process that I learned initially, I had chapters for the whole book, and I was just going to write their life stories. And then in some discussions and some just careful consideration, I realized if I did that, it would be really easy for a reader to say, oh, that's nice for that person and dismiss it. And the applicability that it had to their lives. And so, within the book, there are 16 other contributors that all contributed a story of their life that they were glad they didn't know. And so, the encouragement there and just the lesson was if we're willing to be honest with ourselves and honest with those around us, we've all got those stories and in sharing them, there is a blessing to be had both by the giver and the receiver. [00:04:09] Vonna Laue: Tommy, I had a number of people that wrote chapters that when they submitted them said something like, I needed to do that. Or it was a blessing to me to go through this, and there were a few people that I had ideas of the stories that they would contribute because I knew specific things about their life. But all of them, I just asked them to do a story. And many of the ones that I thought the story they would do was not the story. They actually contributed. And so fun to see, just how God's orchestrated that. [00:04:45] Tommy Thomas: What's the most dangerous behavior trait that you've seen that can derail a leader's career? [00:04:54] Vonna Laue: I'm going to look at, especially those who have been leading for a long time. A few years ago, I was pondering a few of the leaders that had not finished well. And, you get, I think you use the word distinguished when you introduced me and I translated that to experienced or old, one of the two, some length of time and so as I think about that, it really hit home. Partially because of the people and the disappointment that I had in the situation, but partially because I realized I'm not in the first half of my career. And so, I want to make sure that I do what I can to finish well. And so back to your question. One of the things that really came out to me was the idea of having people speak truth into your life. The more experience we gain in leadership, the scarcer it becomes to have people who will candidly share the truth with us. With time, leaders tend to surround themselves with fewer people who are ready to speak honestly and openly with them. [00:05:51] Vonna Laue: And the longer we lead, the fewer people I find that leaders have around them that are willing to speak truth into them. We talk about being put on a pedestal. That can happen in a number of different ways. It doesn't mean we're famous. Doesn't mean we have all the glory that some of the people you would think of might have. It can happen to any leader, but we rise up far enough in our career or our organization that we just don't have as many close confidants around us that will challenge us. That will speak truth. And I think that when that happens is when people are more likely to not finish well. [00:06:38] Tommy Thomas: I'm sure. Ross Hoskins at One Hope, he says, surround yourself with people who know you better than yourself and will tell you the truth out of love.  This is how we grow. [00:06:49] Vonna Laue: Amen. He just perfectly summarized what I would agree with. Perfectly. [00:06:57] Tommy Thomas: So, if you were going to write another book and this book was going to be about the burdens of leadership that only the president or the CEO can bear, what would be some of your chapter headings? [00:07:10] Vonna Laue: Have to think about that one a little bit……Chapter headings? [00:07:18] Tommy Thomas: Or topics that you think have to be talked about. [00:07:22] Vonna Laue: Yep. I think the topics definitely are similar to what was just said, choosing people that are extremely accomplished to be around you. We talk about having smarter people than you. I'm a big fan of that. I would also say working in a team. We are not as good by ourselves as we are with a team around us. And so, when you're looking at that key leadership position, you're only as good as the team that is around you. I think also you've got to have that personal and spiritual aspect to it. So encouraging leaders, I often find, and as I speak on personal leadership, when I'm at my busiest, the two things that are easiest for me to give up are my workout and my devotion time. The two things I need most when I'm busiest are my workout and my devotion time [00:08:19] Vonna Laue: The two things I need most when I'm busiest are my workout and my devotion time. And so reminding leaders that you're only as good as you are healthy. That's really important and that's, in a number of different way,s that health spiritually that health physically and the health relationally, you know that you don't sacrifice those relationships that are closest to you because you don't get the time back. We often say I'll do that when this project is over. I'll do that when this season is over. And I think all of the people listening to this podcast probably realize there is no normal, right? We used to say when things get back to normal, I'll do this. And that hectic life that we live as Americans, I think is just normal. And so those are a few of the keys that I think are so crucial for leaders. [00:09:18] Tommy Thomas: I remember when I interviewed Rich Stearns and I'm not going to remember the person's name, but he was talking about his career at Parker Brothers, and he said that there was one of the people in the family that didn't know anything at all about toys, but he knew how to hire a team and that was what made the success of Parker Brothers was this man's ability to bring people onto the team that could lead. [00:09:41] Vonna Laue: I would fully agree with that. I mentioned that I usually am doing a lot of different things. So right now, I'm serving as the COO and CFO of an organization and director of internal audit for another one and doing some audit and advisory with a third and some projects, all of that. But the way that works is the teams that are established in each of those places. Within the team, the mission's organization where I serve, the director of global services role that I have, that's like the COO role, that has operations and finance and personnel and IT and security, that's a lot just in and of itself, but I have four phenomenal directors. That they need encouragement. [00:10:31] Vonna Laue: They need a champion, and they need a sounding board. And as long as I can provide those things, they will do their roles far better than I ever could. In fact, I often say when you hire, you better keep them happy and keep them around because you probably can't do their job. +++++++++++++++ [00:10:50] Tommy Thomas:  If you were creating a dashboard to get at a nonprofit organization's health, what would be some of your dials? [00:10:57] Vonna Laue: Oh, I love dashboards. You just spoke one of my love languages there. So, one of the things that I think is key to a dashboard is that I'm a CPA, so it has to have some financial indicators on it, right? [00:11:11] Tommy Thomas: Absolutely. [00:11:13] Vonna Laue: You have to have those. And the basic ones, you're going to have some things like where you are versus, actual. And you're gonna do some trend analysis in that a little bit, I say, this way in a church. Everybody knows it's December. What season of the year is the lowest attendance and the lowest giving season? Always summer, right? And how do we know that? It's because of trends. And so, trend information can be really helpful.  So, I think that a dashboard should include trends. One of the indicators for nonprofits that anyone who hears me speak knows that I'm always going to harp on a little bit, and that is available cash. [00:12:08] Vonna Laue: So not just cash, because you can look at the balance sheet and see, wow, we've got $700,000 cash. If that's what the board looks at and starts making decisions based on, you could find yourself in trouble because the available cash that I'm talking about takes that cash number, but then it subtracts two things out of there. It subtracts the things that we're going to pay this week. So maybe we've got payroll coming up this week and we've got a bunch of accounts we're going to pay. I'm going to take that out of there. And I'm also going to take out any temporarily restricted funds that have been given by donors for a specific purpose. [00:12:46] Vonna Laue: If those amounts are held in that cash number, I'm going to back those out. If you back out those two things, that $700,000 might be $200,000. And that board and those leaders are going to make significantly different decisions based on $700,000 versus $200,000. Right? That's a financial metric. But as far as dashboards as a whole, my real encouragement there is to look at what your key drivers are. So, look at the financial pieces that you need to monitor, but also look at your non-financial and make sure that they are included in that dashboard as well. Maybe it's your turnover percentage. Maybe it's your involvement in X program. How many meals are we feeding? How many beds have we provided depending on what your program is, but that dashboard report ought to tie to whatever your strategic plan is, so the strategic things that you're looking at. Those are the guideposts of that dashboard that you're going to be monitoring to make sure that your strategic plan is being fulfilled. [00:14:00] Tommy Thomas: On a little bit lighter note, but still probably following the same track. If you were a judge on a non-profit version of the Shark Tank and people were coming to you for early-stage investments, what questions would you need solid answers to before you would open your checkbook? [00:14:18] Vonna Laue: I'm always going to want to know what their budgeting process is. Again, you're asking an accountant. I want to understand that. I want to understand who they've vetted this with. What are the focus groups that you've talked to? Who are the mentors or coaches that have processed this with you? What are your strengths? And where you don't have strengths, who are the people that you have identified and already discussed with that are going to come around you to shore up those weaknesses, if you will. So those are a few of the things that I want to make sure that this is well thought out and it's not just the flavor of the week. [00:15:00] Tommy Thomas: Let's go to board service for a few minutes. So, you're now the chairman of the World Vision Board, or the chairperson, I guess I should say. Give us some highlights of what you've learned about the Chairman's role. I know you watched Joan for several years and watched her successes, and I'm sure lack of on some days. What have you learned there?  [00:15:22] Vonna Laue: I will tell you, Tommy, when they asked me if I would consider taking the chair role, the first thing I said was, did you ask this individual? And I named someone from the Board, and they said, yes. And he serves on a couple of large for-profit boards and doesn't have the time and capacity. And I said, okay, as long as you've shown the discernment that you asked him first, we're good. But then I actually went to that individual and I said, if I do this, will you coach me? Would you be willing to debrief with me after the meetings? [00:16:01] Vonna Laue: And honestly, we just finished up meetings on Tuesday this week. And he and I have a call scheduled for Monday. And he said I'd love to do that. He graciously agreed. And so that, to me, was important. Because I didn't know the role. I had served on the board, but that role is different. And so, the relationship between the Board Chair and the CEO is obviously the most critical. We have a pretty, no, we have a very sophisticated board. I'm odd by who God has assembled in that room. And so, when I first came into it, I would say I was just trying not to embarrass myself, but they are such a gracious group of people. "To run an effective Board Meeting, I review agendas and pre-reads in advance, addressing my questions beforehand so meeting time is focused on others' concerns." [00:16:51] Vonna Laue: And it's important to me that the meetings are well run. And that means I want to see the agendas in advance and speak into those. I want to see the pre reads in advance and have gone through all of those so that if I have questions, I can answer them. I'm not asking those questions during the meeting that's reserved for others, and that those may be questions that others would have. So, let's get those addressed in the pre reads or be prepared. So, I think that the preparation that goes into the time before the meetings is critical. ++++++++++++++= [00:17:26] Tommy Thomas: So, here's a couple of quotes about boards and board chairs. And one is the Chair and the CEO must learn to dance together. And neither can stray very far from each other's gaze or proceed independently. [00:17:42] Vonna Laue: Yeah, I would agree with that. Those are two key roles in the organization. And you have to, I'll use the same analogy I used before. You better be pulling in the same direction. The Board Chair has a responsibility to be the voice on behalf of the Board, and so I feel like that's an important responsibility that it's not Vonna's opinion that I take into there. I seek wise counsel from my board and want to make sure that when I'm having conversations with my CEO, that either the board is informed about those things or that, I'm able to speak on their behalf. But on the day-to-day interactions, if you will, or week to week, those two leaders better be aligned. [00:18:30] Tommy Thomas: Another one, Dr. Rebecca Basinger. Governing boards are charged with safeguarding an institution's ability to fulfill its mission with economic vitality. To this I add, responsibility for tending to the soul of the institution. [00:18:50] Vonna Laue: In an institution like World Vision, the soul of that organization to me is very critical. And it's interesting. I chair the World Vision U. S. Board. I have the privilege of also sitting on the World Vision International Board because we are a federated model and there are World Vision offices around the world  and Christ at the center is one of them. It's our foremost principle by which we operate. And, if that's not lived out in the board, the tone at the top is critical for everything. And so, I would agree that the soul of the organization starts with tone at the top. [00:19:32] Tommy Thomas: So, it's been my experience that the good news about having successful executives on the board is they're used to getting things done. The flip side is that they might have a hard time taking off their CEO hat and putting on their board member hat at a board meeting. Have you experienced that? [00:19:53] Vonna Laue:  To the credit of the current board that I have at World Vision US, I would say I don't struggle with that there. There is a spirit of collaboration by God's grace that exists within there. And so, people are willing to share their experiences and their opinions, but they're not sold on them. They're very open. Have I experienced it in other boards? Absolutely. And one of the challenges that I see in the nonprofit sector, Tommy, is that there are experienced board members that come in with for profit expertise. [00:20:32] Vonna Laue: Which, 90 percent of the time, is fantastic. 10 percent of the time can be challenging because there are unique things. I say if you don't believe there are uniquenesses, go ask the local Ford dealership how many contributions they've received this month. You know what I mean? They don't get any of those, right. There are some unique things. There are some unique laws and regulations that either do apply specifically or specifically don't apply. And so in some board settings, I've seen where for profit leaders have a hard time taking off that hat and being able to understand the nuances that are involved in a nonprofit organization, but really, it comes down to the spirit of humility and service. [00:21:21] Vonna Laue: And one of the things that when you contacted me first, I believe that you couched it this way and said, would you be willing to be considered for board service at World Vision? And I tell people that I responded to you, I'm willing to be considered, let me pray about it. And that I said, that's not trying to buy time or push you off. I legitimately meant that because I think that you have to be passionate about a ministry or a nonprofit board that you're going to serve on. And if you don't have that passion for that particular organization, then you find another one that you can be, because I think that passion is really important in the boardroom. [00:22:07] Tommy Thomas: You and I are old enough to remember the Enron crisis and of course much has been written about it. One writer said that certainly part of the problem was that the board didn't dig deep enough into the financial situation at Enron. How do you ensure that your board members are asking the right questions? Of course, you've been a CPA, that might be an easier thing than another board chair, but I think that is critical. [00:22:35] Vonna Laue: It is, and there are so many things that we have to balance in board member selection. We want to balance Equity and Diversity. We want to balance, within that age. I just encouraged us earlier to consider younger board members and what they can contribute. One of the considerations is what is the expertise that they bring to the board and what skill sets do we need on the board? And the reason for that is to ask those right questions. If I've got an audit committee and I don't have anyone that understands audit and finance, that's problematic. And there may be some that just said, of course I can tell you I have presented to a number of audit and finance committees in my career. [00:23:27] Vonna Laue: That they didn't have an auditor finance expert in that entire committee. In this day and age, we're looking at who has digital experience, who has cybersecurity, or IT experience, and it changes over time. The needs of the board today are different from the needs of the board 10 or 20 years ago. So that's a challenge to us individually as board members to continue growing and learning. But it's also a challenge to us to make sure that we're recruiting the right board members. So, to your point, you've got people in there that can ask the questions of, is this a good investment? Is there a legal liability associated with this? [00:24:10] Vonna Laue: Have we got the right protections in place? What's the end result of this potentially going to be? We don't make a short-sighted decision that we're looking at the long-term impact. What are the reputational impacts of these? We have two roles on the World Vision U. S. board that are assigned at every board meeting. And one of those is the keeper of the core documents. So that person is responsible throughout the discussions to be considering how that discussion or that particular agenda item is tied to our core documents, if there's any implications, and one of them is the responsible skeptic, and that is a formal role that person is assigned in those board meetings, and as we're having discussion, we want somebody to be identified that will challenge and say, wait a minute, back up. [00:25:01] Vonna Laue: Let's not get into group think here. What about, and that they know that they're not just putting their opinion in their hat that they've got this particular role. So, I think those two roles have been really helpful in our setting for our board. [00:25:15] Tommy Thomas: I spoke to Dr. Linda Livingstone at Baylor.  I was asking her about this. I didn't use the word responsible skeptic. I guess I had another phrase, but she said, they usually show up. You don't have to appoint them. [00:25:28] Vonna Laue: I heard that. I heard it when she said that. And I laughed and I thought, that's a healthy board actually, for the most part, because Proverbs talks about iron sharpens iron, and that is really helpful if people are willing to speak up. Oftentimes, we're Christian nice and we don't want to challenge each other and we need to be able to speak up and make sure that all of the facts, all of the considerations are on the table. [00:25:58] Tommy Thomas: I sense that probably the role or the function of risk management has increased for a board over the last decade or two. Am I making a good observation or not? [00:26:13] Vonna Laue: The only thing I would say is that might be the understatement of the year, potentially. Absolutely. The risks that we face and maybe I'm going to oversimplify this, but I think, they used to be known, right? You've got trip hazards. That's a physical risk. You've got the risk of fraud. You put controls in place. Those were known risks. What we face now, to me, are a lot of the unknown risks. What's happening in the cyber world? What's happening with opinions? Reputational risk has increased so significantly, and because it's so easy, and I'll be careful to say this is Vonna's opinion, so please don't ascribe this to any organization that I represent, but, because it's so easy on social media and other media, avenues to state an opinion, and it becomes a perceived fact. [00:27:12] Vonna Laue: Thank you. And for an organization to then have to battle something, that's a reputational risk that we have to consider. And yet we can't control, which is a difficult place to be. [00:27:26] Tommy Thomas: Do y'all have a time in each board meeting where you talk about external threats or is that relegated to your CEO to bring those to the board?  How does that work? [00:27:38] Vonna Laue: Practically? Many of the organizations that I'm associated with have an enterprise risk management or a risk assessment process, and there are people within the organization that are specifically identified that are responsible for that. Not that they're responsible for the risks, but they're responsible to make sure that it's updated. The way that I tend to do it with some organizations is, brainstorm across the organization, pulling together leaders from the board. Leaders from different ministries or departments, people in different functional departments, IT, HR, finance, and just let them brainstorm. What are all the risks? [00:28:23] Vonna Laue: I've done this a few times and it's pretty common that you end up with 600-700 risks that are identified and then categorizing those into whatever categories are helpful for you. But things like regulatory, legal, physical, financial, reputational, operational risks. And then once you do that, you can identify what's the likelihood this would happen. And if it did happen, what would the impact be? So low, moderate and high. And that helps you distinguish, like, how significant are these risks? And when you've got them categorized like that, it stands out, like who the owner of that is, right? Those legal risks are either an in-house or an outsourced general counsel, your physical risks might be the facilities people, whoever, but having an owner for those. High and moderate risks should be mitigated through measures such as insurance, internal controls, or policies. High risks, in particular, should be continuously monitored by leaders and the board, to ensure they are well understood and managed effectively. [00:29:16] Vonna Laue: The high and moderate risks ought to have some mitigating measures in place, whether it's insurance or internal controls or policies. And to me, the high risks should always be in front of the leaders and the board. Usually that's an annual process that they would be taking a look at that to make sure that we understand these risks. We're aware of them because we're responsible for them and we also are aware of the mitigating controls that management has put in place and those seem reasonable. So, I don't necessarily feel like at every meeting, sometimes there are committees. World Vision International, I serve on the audit and risk committee. [00:29:59] Vonna Laue: We have it as a specific component of that committee. So every one of our committee meetings, there is a risk component to that we are looking at. But definitely on an annual basis, that ought to be a discussion that boards are having regardless of the size of the organization. +++++++++++++++++ [00:30:15] Tommy Thomas: This could probably be a whole podcast, but maybe we'll probably limit it. But I would be remiss if I didn't ask an artificial intelligence question. I guess that could fall under risk. It could fall under opportunity. Your thoughts as you sit at 50,000 feet looking down on the nonprofit sector, what's going to happen in the coming years that we need to be aware of? [00:30:41] Vonna Laue: I think it's all of the above. It's opportunity. It's risk. I mentioned earlier that boards are encountering different things now than they did 10 years ago, and they have to be learning individually. And as a board, this is a perfect example of that. We, as board members, have to be learning. We have to adjust to and understand this new technology. Actually, our board had the privilege of sitting in an hour-long session this past week with an AI expert. I think we all walked out of there a little terrified and a little concerned about what this looks like. And that's a great place to be, right? [00:31:25] Vonna Laue: Because it means we know that we've got to lean in. I remember a number of years ago, I think it was about 2006, Walt Wilson, who started Global Media Outreach, he had been one of the initial executives at Apple, and I remember sitting with Walt at that time, and he said, the day will come where you just use apps for everything. And I was like, what's an app? And he's like oh, you'll just push a button. And then it'll bring up all the information for that company. And you'll do everything on this app. And I don't know Walt's age exactly, but I would say he was probably in his early seventies at that time. And I was like, that's crazy. [00:32:10] Vonna Laue: And then I realized, now, he was absolutely correct. And he had the foresight to see that. And I tend to believe that's where we will be with AI. This is here. We better figure out how to harness it. We better figure out how to use it well.  Organizations are just starting to formulate AI policies, what they will allow, what they won't allow. I fully believe that we'll look back on those initial policies five years from now and laugh at ourselves. But we've got to start somewhere and the ability that it will give us and the doors that it opens. I don't think we should be scared of it. But I think that we have a responsibility to do it. Worry less about being supplanted by a chatbot and more about being outpaced by someone adept at using AI to drive corporate success. [00:32:51] Tommy Thomas: I read an article recently and the guy was talking and he said people shouldn't be worried about being replaced by a chat box or something.  They should be more worried about being replaced by somebody who knows how to use artificial intelligence to the advantage of the corporation. [00:33:09] Vonna Laue: Oh, I think that's a great line because the functions that it will be able to take the place of you probably don't need to worry about those, but yeah, the technology that goes along with it, make sure that you're one that knows that. And I'm getting articles from fellow board members on a pretty consistent basis. Some of our staff liaisons in the organizations I serve, there is a lot of information that's out there and I would just encourage any of the board members don't be overwhelmed by it. We all have other responsibilities, right? [00:33:46] Vonna Laue: None of us are going to go get a PhD in AI. But as we start to gain an awareness, I think we'll understand better what our responsibility might be as board members. [00:33:59] Tommy Thomas: Let's try to bring this thing to a close. I've taken probably more of your time than you had allocated for me today and I'm grateful.  If you could get a do over in life, what would that be? [00:34:12] Vonna Laue: I mentioned earlier, there were probably a couple of meetings, partner meetings that I wish had gone differently. Quite honestly, Tommy, that's the only do over I might take, but I am very thankful to have lived my life without regrets. And that, to your point about failures and everything else, there's value to be had in the experiences that we have encountered, and to lose out on those. I'd probably just mess something else up. So, I think maybe I'll keep the ones that I have. [00:34:50] Tommy Thomas: Do you have an “I wish I had started this earlier moment in your life?” [00:34:57] Vonna Laue: Oh, I would say the one that I've done often on, that I wish that I was more consistent about, is just memorizing scripture. So I know a lot of people that are good at that. I have gone back to that, incorporating that on a daily basis. And if that's where the foundation of my decision making is coming from, I wish that I had a little bit more of that ingrained. [00:35:25] Tommy Thomas: Final question. If you could give a younger version of yourself a piece of advice, what would it be? [00:35:32] Vonna Laue: I learned this a little bit later. It wasn't too late in life, but one of the most important leadership principles that I feel like I've learned over the years, I'd love to just close with for your group, for your audience. And I think it applies that I would have wanted to know this. As soon as I could, and that is when we have a person in a position that they're not succeeding in, we often in the Christian ministry world feel like we're Christians, we can't let somebody go and I believe that when God calls us to something, he doesn't call us to be miserable or ill equipped for it. [00:36:18] Vonna Laue: And so, when we keep somebody in a position that they are not competent or capable of, we're doing a disservice to them. To two people in two organizations, at least we're doing a disservice to that person because we're keeping them where they can't thrive. And it's very hard to make a change. When I stepped away from the managing partner role, that was incredibly difficult. Most of us don't like change. And so even if we're not happy, and fulfilled in a position, it's still comfortable. So, we're doing a disservice to them. We're doing a disservice to our organization because we don't have the right person in the job. We're doing a disservice to whoever ought to be in that position because we haven't opened it up for them to be there. [00:37:03] Vonna Laue: And we're doing a disservice to whatever organization this person is supposed to work for because we haven't released them to go do that. And so I guess I'd come full circle with something I said earlier, and that is people are the key to what we do, throughout life, in personal matters and professional matters. And so, stewarding the people in our life well is something that I think we all need to do. And it would have been great if I'd have learned that earlier on as well.   Links and Resources JobfitMatters Website NextGen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search - What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges and Unexpected Blessings   Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn Follow Vonna on LinkedIn   Listen to NextGen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

[00:00:00] Vonna Laue: I started working when I was 13 at Dairy Queen. And if you work at a fast food restaurant, at least at that time, more than six or nine months, you're in a leadership position and you've got a crew that works with you. So I had that opportunity. And one of the biggest things looking back on it, and I didn't actually realize that until our girls got involved, but 4H was huge in my life. And at the time it was fun. I used to horse show and did a lot of the competitions at the county and state level. But when I then took our daughter to a 4H meeting and realized, wow, this is where I learned a lot of my leadership skills. They operate with Robert's rules of order and the kids run the meetings and they're elected to positions. And so I had that opportunity at a really young age. +++++++++++++ [00:00:55] Tommy Thomas: Our guest today is Vonna Laue. Vonna is a distinguished leader in the nonprofit sector, particularly known for her extensive work with churches and ministries. Early in her career, she served as a partner for a national CPA firm specializing in audit, tax, and advisory services for the nonprofit sector. She later took on the role as Executive Vice President at the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, where she focused on enhancing trust within the church and ministry communities. Her experience is widely recognized. She has authored multiple articles, co-authored three books, frequently speaks at national and regional conferences, and in 2010, she was inducted into the Church Management Hall of Fame, underscoring her significant contributions to the field. [00:01:45] Tommy Thomas: Vonna, Welcome to NextGen Nonprofit Leadership. [00:01:48] Vonna Laue: Tommy, thanks for having me. It's great to be here. [00:01:50] Tommy Thomas: I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I first met you; I don't know how many years ago it was, but, Rich Stearns, the then President of World Vision had asked me to help him find some board members. [00:02:02] Tommy Thomas: He gave me some parameters and you were the one of the ones that identified. So, I guess that was our first encounter. [00:02:12] Vonna Laue: It was and that was 2016. [00:02:14] Tommy Thomas: In the words of Crosby, Stills, Nash Young, so much water has passed underneath the bridge since then. [00:02:24] Vonna Laue: Amen to that. [00:02:26] Tommy Thomas: Let's give us a few start up questions. I'm always curious, and I don't know these things about you. Before we get too deep into your professional career, take me into your childhood. What was childhood like? [00:02:39] Vonna Laue: I always enjoy telling people that think about birth order, that I'm a fairly complicated person because I was an only child and that automatically raises some red flags for some people. [00:02:53] Vonna Laue: And then when I was eight, my parents divorced and both remarried within about a one-year timeframe, and I became a middle child in two families. So, if you're gonna play the birth order game, I'm gonna give you a lot of information to mull over in that. [00:03:09] Tommy Thomas:  Where was your childhood geographically? [00:03:13] Vonna Laue: Absolutely. I grew up in South Dakota, which is one of the smallest populated states in the country. There were two stop lights in the town my mom was in and one stop  light in the town my dad was in. We may get into it more, but I had the privilege of going to a Christian school. And so, I tell people there were three in my graduating high school class. It was a definitely small-town America, and everyone knew what you were doing pretty much all the time. [00:03:46] Tommy Thomas: Now we've heard these stories; Even my parents who were raised in Alabama and Georgia, they didn't have the snow part, but they had the part about walking to school five to six miles a day uphill. In South Dakota, did you have to walk to school in the snow several miles a day? [00:04:03] Vonna Laue: I walked to the bus stop, and because I went to a Christian school, we wore skirts and dresses every day. And it didn't matter if it was 20 above or 20 below. And they also didn't have snow days when I was a kid. You went to school unless it was absolutely catastrophic. So yeah, I walked to the bus stop in the snow, in a skirt, many times, every winter. [00:04:30] Tommy Thomas:   Thinking back, what was the greatest gift you think your parents gave to you? [00:04:36] Vonna Laue: Actually, it was that very thing of education. When my parents, even when they were still married and we were living in a small town, they wanted me to get an education. And the best way to do that in their mind was through the local Christian school. And so, while my parents were in a mainline denomination and didn't have a relationship with Christ, that's where I went to school. And those three years and the education and the relationships that the Lord gave me there were critical for me. [00:05:09] Vonna Laue: And then when life changed drastically and over the next four years, we moved multiple times and were in different education settings. I kept begging to go back to a Christian school. And so ultimately my seventh-grade year was able to do that, in a different Christian school. And again, they agreed to that because of the education that they felt like I would receive there, but it was through that I came to Christ. So, I'm a big proponent of Christian education. And subsequently, my parents, grandparents came to Christ.  They didn't know it at the time, they weren't doing it for that reason, but that was by far the biggest gift they gave me. [00:05:50] Tommy Thomas:  You turned out at least initially as a CPA, was that a dream from high school? [00:05:57] Vonna Laue: It wasn't. I don't remember, sometimes there are people that remember what they wanted to do in elementary school and that's what they did. We sponsored cadets at the Air Force Academy, and one of those wanted to be a fighter pilot from the time he was five years old, had every plane hanging in his room and to this day he is a fighter pilot. That wasn't me. I didn't have that idea when I was little. When I got into middle school, I was volunteering at a hospital and thought I'd go into nursing and then wasn't really wild about nursing. And so, when I initially started taking college classes, I thought that I would major in chemistry and physics. [00:06:37] Vonna Laue: And had a semester that I was able to go to Bible college in Minnesota and wanted to take that opportunity. I knew that I couldn't finish there, but wanted to go and take some foundational courses and take things that would transfer back to a state university in South Dakota. And when I went, one of the classes that I took was an accounting class. And I took that class and I thought, this is easy. And then I looked around and realized, not everybody in this class thinks this is easy. Maybe there's something to that. And so, it was then, and I to this day wish that I had gone back to that professor, and just let him know the way that changed the course of my career. [00:07:23] Tommy Thomas: Gosh, I remember my two accounting courses in graduate school. I couldn't say that they were easy. Probably the first one was easier. We were taught our first accounting course by the CFO of Coca Cola Bottling Company in Birmingham. He brought stuff from the office every day to the classroom at night.  I think that made accounting maybe a little bit more tolerable for me. [00:07:45] Vonna Laue: Yeah. Real world application, I think does make it at least a lot more enjoyable. ++++++++++++++ [00:07:50] Tommy Thomas: What's something that people are always surprised to find out about you? [00:07:53] Vonna Laue: I usually can pull a few of those out. I would say the one I would share with you and your listeners today is, I was apparently the nation's youngest emergency medical technician and always will be because they passed a regulation not long after I got licensed, but I was 13 when I licensed as an EMT. [00:08:14] Vonna Laue: So that usually surprises people. [00:08:17] Tommy Thomas: That's a good conversation starter. [00:08:21] Vonna Laue: I thought you might like that one. [00:08:23] Tommy Thomas: So, you're out of college now. You're in accounting. Can you think back to your first management job and when you had somebody reporting to you?  What can you tell us about that? [00:08:37] Vonna Laue: I'm thankful. I'm going to back up a little bit just in the leadership journey because I'm thankful for the opportunities I had even when it wasn't my career, if you will. I started working when I was 13 at Dairy Queen. And if you work at a fast-food restaurant, at least at that time, more than six or nine months, you're in a leadership position and you've got a crew that works with you. So, I had that opportunity. And one of the biggest things that looking back on it, and I didn't realize that until our girls got involved, but 4H was huge in my life. And at the time it was fun. I used to horse show and did a lot of the competitions at the county and state level. [00:09:23] Vonna Laue: But when I then took our daughter to a 4H meeting and realized, wow, this is where I learned a lot of my leadership skills. They operate with Robert's rules of order and the kids run the meetings and they're elected to positions. And so, I have that opportunity at a really young age. Obviously when I came into the CPA firm, I served there 20 years and over the course of that time, started as a staff accountant and just worked my way up from there into a senior role and a manager role, a partner role, and then ultimately when I left the firm, left as the managing partner at the time of the national firm, so a lot of opportunities and challenges along the way in that, but I think probably the biggest thing is just how important people are and the way that you treat them and the relationships that you develop with them, not in a way that you're manipulative. But in a way that you truly are investing in them, that will serve you and your organization well, but it goes with them wherever they go beyond there. [00:10:37] Vonna Laue: So I look at that as an opportunity to make an investment long-term in a person. [00:10:42] Tommy Thomas: So if we could go back to that last three or four years in the CPA world, and here you are the managing partner, and you let me come into your staff meeting one day and after about five minutes, we dismissed you and I was talking to the staff and I asked them, what's the most exciting thing about working for Vonna?  What do you think they would have said? [00:11:04] Vonna Laue: It's a great and scary thought all at the same time. I think that I would take them on the people journey with me, if you will.  When I left and moved from our Colorado offices to the California offices, one of the things that really blessed me was one of the staff people that I worked with said, when you traveled with Vonna, she invested in the people in the hotel. When we would go to visit the same client year after year, the hotel clerks knew her because she would take time to visit with them and invest in them. I think sometimes that was annoying to people, and sometimes it was good, but created some interesting and maybe even exciting things along the way. [00:11:52] Vonna Laue:  We had a brand-new staff accountant one time, and we were driving back from an audit between Denver and Colorado Springs, and there was a wreck that happened right in front of us. And this poor staff accountant hadn't worked there for a week or two, and I pulled over and threw him the keys to the car and my cell phone and told him to call 911. And I just got out, and he had no idea what this accountant was doing. So I created some excitement, I think, just by the different ways that I would interact with people. [00:12:22] Tommy Thomas:  If I flip that coin, what would they say was the most challenging aspect of working for you? [00:12:29] Vonna Laue: I tend to do a lot of different things. I think you've come to know that about me over the years, Tommy. And I try very hard to let people know that my busyness is my problem and not theirs, but I think that people often are concerned that they're a bother or they're concerned they can't get time. So, I try to work with the people closest to me frequently on how best to manage. And I'm sure that's not an easy thing. [00:13:07] Tommy Thomas:   Successful people are often asked, what makes you so successful? I'd like to frame the question this way, what's a factor that's helped you succeed that people from the outside probably wouldn't be aware of? [00:13:20] Vonna Laue: I'll start off with the primary one beyond the obvious one and everyone's the Lord, right? And then, and I 100 percent agree with that. If God had only ever given me what I prayed for, I'd have sure missed out on an incredible amount of opportunity. So that is a given. Quite honestly. My husband is very instrumental in my success and a lot of people don't know that because Brian's behind the scenes and most people don't know him, but I talk about being raised in a small town and we still laugh about it to this day, but I was terrified to be around people. We went to a football game one time that had a couple thousand people at it. [00:14:08] Vonna Laue: And I said, would you go get me popcorn? And he said, you can get it yourself. And he wasn't being rude or mean. He just knew that I needed to grow. And I was like, no, I don't need it. And he's like go get your popcorn. And he just has had the foresight over the years to stretch and grow me. And now I think this year I will have probably seven international trips, have the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people at a time, just amazing opportunities and that's a big part of it. But on a personal front, I think that the key to that is being willing to be stretched. That's not easy. It's a lot easier to go with the routine, to go with the things that are known. But when you're willing to open yourself up to opportunities to be stretched, to take advantage of uncomfortable situations, you get a lot more opportunity that follows. ++++++++++++++++ [00:15:11] Tommy Thomas: I'm going to make the assumption here that you've had some good mentors in life. Can you take us down that rabbit trail? [00:15:17] Vonna Laue: I love to talk about mentoring. One of the things that I found throughout a good portion of my career was that it was really hard for me to find a mentor. And the reason that I say that is because I could find godly women who would invest in me personally and spiritually, but many of them had the perspective of a stay-at-home mom and that they didn't understand why I had the desire to have a career. I love my girls who are grown now, but always laughed that they would not have wanted me at home with them all the time because I don't care that you're two. You should be able to organize your closet by short sleeve, long sleeve, skirts, dresses, get it organized. So, I had that challenge, with those women that I wanted to speak into that portion of my life. And then when I looked for someone who professionally could invest and develop me, there was almost the opposite of that. [00:16:21] Vonna Laue: And it was, you got to give everything you have to the job. You're never going to get ahead if you try to balance family. Now, obviously both of those I'm saying to an extreme, but I just had a really difficult time for a long time finding someone who understood my faith and commitment to family, as well as my desire to be excellent in my career. And over time, I have done that. Tammy Heim has been a great mentor to me and a good balance of those things. And there have been others, but it has given me a commitment that we find that for other people. So, two things I would say, one is I have a distinction of my own between coaching and mentoring. Coaching I believe is professional in nature. [00:17:10] Vonna Laue: Men and women can work together in a coaching situation. I personally believe that mentoring often flows over into more personal aspects of your life. And it's a holistic approach to family and work and all of those things. And my idea with mentoring is that it should be the same gender, because I don't want to be talking about the difficulties I'm having at home with a male counterpart.  That just isn't appropriate to me. So, I differentiate those two things based on that. And I know not everyone does, but over the last couple of years have had just the extreme privilege of starting some peer mentoring groups for young ladies. And each group is three young women in similar stages of life, but in different roles and in different organizations. [00:18:00] Vonna Laue: So, they don't come in and fix each other's problems by, oh, you need this software, or you need this vendor. They really listen and help each other problem solve. And then each group has a seasoned leader in it that can contribute maybe some of the stories that she's encountered over time, or even just to be the brakes like, but you could do that, but you might consider what could happen as a result. [00:18:25] Vonna Laue:  Two years ago, we started with two of those groups, we're just wrapping up the second year with five, and next month will start 10 groups committed for the following year. So excited about the opportunity to invest in other young women. [00:18:42] Tommy Thomas: So, let me take that just a little bit further and we may come back to it later. Board service has been a big part of your life, certainly in the last 20 years. In your mentoring, are you talking to these women about board service and the pros and cons and if you serve, what's your best contribution kind of thing and trying to give them some opportunities to do that, right? [00:19:09] Vonna Laue: The first board I served on was not World Vision.  I want to remind people, both young people who are getting into board service, get involved in a local community board, whether that is. I served our hospital in Colorado Springs on their governmental committee. Whether it's a local chapter of some organization, the church network and Christian Leadership Alliance served on some of those, taking the opportunities to get involved in that at a more local level and then work your way up just like you would in almost anything else you do. You don't take up woodworking and become a master craftsman overnight. You start small. So, encouraging them to do that and then encouraging boards and leaders to give young people opportunity and don't expect them to come in with 25 years of experience. [00:20:10] Vonna Laue: You open the opportunities for them to come in and the things that they will contribute to your board discussions you can't imagine. So, I'm excited about what the future looks like. [00:20:27] Tommy Thomas: So, going back to personal leadership for a minute, in the book, It's How You Play the Game: The 12 Leadership Principles of Dean Smith, leadership principle #10 is making failure your friend. Can you share something from your life where this has been in play? [00:20:45] Vonna Laue: Nobody likes to fail, but it absolutely is true and the things that you learn from that and I look back on my time as Managing Partner at the firm and what a blessing that was and how gracious those partners were with me, because I would say, at least one of my biggest failures was just in how I handled the people involved there. And I just got done saying I love people and I do, but I will say all of those leaders are incredibly successful people and, no, I don't mean anything bad by this for those that are in a professional service firm, but it is so true that it's like herding cats because they all have their own realm and their own domain. [00:21:33] Vonna Laue: And they're really good at that. And I wasn't really good at bringing them all together at times and helping us find a strategic vision to go forward in, in one direction where we were all pulling in the same way. And so when I hear that quote, that's one of the things that I think about. And that's been a benefit to me in the years after that to look at, how do we get people to pull in the same direction when they have vested interests in a number of different ways? And now I serve in a mission sending organization. And there's some similarity there when you've got global workers that have their own domain in many parts of the world. God used that to equip me for some of the decisions that have to be made in this setting. +++++++++++++++ [00:22:16] Tommy Thomas: Going back to your mentoring thing for a minute, are you introducing failure to these young women? [00:22:23] Vonna Laue: I would say what I have found is that they're introducing some of their own failures and learning from each other and encouraging each other and the opportunity that it provides those of us that are the season leaders is to say, hey, like this isn't a bad thing. This is difficult. And you would have wanted to avoid this, but this is part of your growing and part of your maturing as a leader and to provide some insights there and embrace it and let them learn from each other.  I would say that's probably been the best part of the failure within those groups. [00:23:03] Tommy Thomas: Frederick Wilcox said progress always involves risk. You can't steal second base with your foot on first. What's the biggest risk you've ever taken and how did it turn out? [00:23:17] Vonna Laue: One of the things that I have thought about over the years and comes from the lessons that I've talked about where I was glad, I didn't know, taking the Managing Partner role was a huge risk at the time. I remember vividly sitting with my husband and saying that if I take this role, there's no going back. Like you don't just leave that and go back into the setting where you were before. And we prayed about it and really felt like that's what we were supposed to do. And that was a huge blessing. [00:23:52] Vonna Laue: It was a challenge, like I've just said, but it was a huge blessing. And then, even bigger than that was the year that I left the firm and that was God saying, you've done what I've called you to do here, and now it's time to leave. And I had three arguments for the Lord, and Tommy, I don't know if you've ever argued with the Lord. If you haven't, I don't suggest it. You're not going to win. So just save your breath. But I had three arguments for him. Number one was I was a lifer. I've told everyone for years, I'm at this firm until retirement. I love it. I'm here. And he said, no. And I said, my second argument was this is economically stupid because he wasn't calling me to something. [00:24:42] Vonna Laue: He was calling me away from something. And he reminded me of that cattle on a thousand hills. And I was like, ah, yep. He's got that too. And then my third argument was just a little more logistical and operational. And that was that our oldest was headed to college, but our youngest was headed to high school. And I just said to him, Lord, you can interrupt. My husbands in my life, but let's not mess with our daughter going into high school. Give me four more years and maybe, and he said, no. And so, without having a job, I was supposed to give 12 months' notice. I went to the partners September 1st of that year and said to them, I believe this is a matter of obedience. [00:25:23] Vonna Laue: And I think if I don't do it, it's going to be detrimental to the firm and detrimental to our family. And they were gracious and agreed. And so, I wrapped up in four months. I had 150 or so meetings to tell clients I was leaving, and the firm was fine, network people, that I had connections with that I was moving on. And of course, what's the first question everyone asks you is, so what are you going to do? And this left-brain analytical type A personality had to look at them all 150 times and say, I don't know. And that was a challenge, but it was exactly what God called us to do at that point in time. And I'm glad that while I'm not always faithful and following through, I'm glad that we did that. ++++++++++++++++ [00:26:14] Tommy Thomas: Join us next week as we continue this conversation with Vonna Laue.  Vonna shares insights from her new book, Glad I Didn't Know, which explores lessons learned from life's challenges and unexpected blessings. She discusses the importance of having people who speak truth into a leader's life, the critical role of team dynamics, and the necessity of balancing personal and professional health. Vonna also reflects on the increasing significance of risk management and the impact of artificial intelligence in the nonprofit sector. Tune in for an engaging discussion on leadership, resilience, and growth. Links and Resources JobfitMatters Website NextGen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search - What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn Listen to NextGen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify  

Imagine your oral care routine as an essential, daily ritual—your mouth is not just a part of you; it represents the gateway to your overall health. Your teeth and gums are the foundations of this special space that requires respectful, consistent care. Hygienist Vonna steers us towards precision in our practices, advocating for the right tools to get the job done. Flossing, as Vonna explains, is no mere habit—it's a technique-driven art, carving clean spaces between teeth with careful strokes. When conventional floss falls short, innovative solutions like ribbed floss or a 'gum-friendly' tool ensure no area is left undefended. Join us on 'Your Mouth Matters' as we dive into the world of oral health—not just as a daily chore, but as a vital part of your well-being. Your mouth is the gateway to your overall health, and every tooth and gum in it deserves your attention and care. Hygienist Vonna is here to guide us with precision, showing us how to pick the right tools for the job. She elevates flossing from a mundane task to an art form, teaching us to navigate the spaces between our teeth with skill and care. And when regular floss doesn't cut it, she introduces us to game-changers like ribbed floss and gum-friendly tools that leave no nook or cranny behind. Dr. Taylor takes us a step further, urging us to look at our oral health from a holistic perspective. She teaches us that what we put in our mouths is just as important as how we care for it—choosing the right dental products is as essential as picking the healthiest foods. It's all about maintaining the balance of the delicate microbiome in our mouths without throwing it off with harsh chemicals. So, pull up a chair and tune in as Barry, Dr. Taylor, and experts like Vonna share their wisdom on maintaining a healthy mouth. Discover tips and tricks that go beyond the basics, and learn how to truly honor the connection between your mouth and your health. This isn't just about brushing and flossing—it's about fostering respect for the critical role your oral care plays in your life. Let's get brushing! So, I invite you to join us at 'Your Mouth Matters', where Barry, Dr. Taylor, and specialists like Vonna share expert knowledge that transcends the basic upkeep of oral health. Together, we explore practices and principles that honor the profound connection between our mouths and our well-being.

Welcome back to another informative episode of "Your Mouth Matters!" We invite you into the world of holistic and comprehensive dental care with a special 'meet the practitioner' segment. Today, we have the pleasure of introducing an exceptional guest from Green City Dental – the meticulous and knowledge-hungry hygienist Vonna, alongside the amazing Dr. Taylor, to share her unique approach to dental hygiene. Say goodbye to the rush-and-go cleanings of insurance-driven practices, and hello to a transformative dental experience. At Green City Dental, it's not just about checking boxes; it's about educating patients with dedication and care. Vonna and Dr. Taylor share their perspectives on why taking the time to dive deep into each patient's oral health history is essential, and how their office operates more like a fitness trainer for your mouth — offering insight, direction, and unwavering support. In today's episode, you'll hear personal stories from Vonna about her journey from a young intern to a hygiene virtuoso with a passion for the finer details. We'll also explore the high-paced world that dental hygienists navigate, and how Vonna and Taylor break the mold, focusing on long-term patient education and health rather than fleeting appointments. Join us as we delve into the interconnectedness of oral care with overall health, learn about the comprehensive and tailored patient experiences at Green City Dental, and discover how combining enthusiasm for learning and a genuine relationship with patients makes all the difference in dental care. There's a lot to unpack here, so tune in, get comfy, and let's talk about why 'Your Mouth Matters'!

Nirvana Page wants to be brave. But when a plane crash separates young "VONNA" from her father, she quickly discovers that finding her dad again is going to take every last scrap of courage she has. The official Sithrah audio drama seeks to bring Jason Brubaker's groundbreaking graphic novel to a new medium, creating an audio adventure for all ages. Episode one Kingdom of the Air will be coming soon!

In this episode we catch up with Vonna DeArmond, a Central Bucks wife and mother with the rather unique experience of transitioning from homeschooling to public schooling during the pandemic.   We discuss what that journey was like, including the time her kids spent in cyber charter school.  We also discuss her involvement in last year's school board elections, and her decision to take on the long-neglected Bucks County Free Library system, a decision that brought about immediate change.

The church most likely to experience fraud is the one that thinks it can't happen to us according to a new nationwide survey of more than 700 church leaders conducted by Church Law & Tax. The survey shows nearly one-third of respondents serve in congregations that have experienced some form of financial misconduct. The survey also shows that fraud happens in churches of all sizes, in all geographic areas, and churches with budgets both large and small.  The failure to prevent or quickly detect financial misconduct exacts heavy tolls on congregations. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity's 2019 study estimates church fraud globally will grow 6 percent annually and total $80 billion by 2025.* Learn more about this problem—and how church leaders can take action to prevent it. Show Notes:  ·        Article | How Well Does Your Church Prevent Financial Misconduct? ·        On-Demand Webinar | Fraud in the Church: What We Learned from 700 Church Leaders  ·        Sign up for the Church Law & Tax e-newsletter to receive updates about the forthcoming fraud prevention online training featuring Vonna Laue. ·         Learn more about Erika's 6-week LIVE course where she helps burnout pastors take the next step toward a life of more joy and contentment. Questions? We welcome them! Please email Erika Cole at contact@takethenextcall.com See all episodes of Church Law. The Church Law podcast is part of Christianity Today's ChurchLawAndTax.com, a not-for-profit publishing ministry. Erika E. Cole, Esq., known as The Church Attorney®, is one of only a handful of attorneys in the nation who practices exclusively in the area of church law. She currently serves as a senior editorial advisor for Christianity Today's ChurchLawAndTax.com. Headshot of Erika by Eagle Lens Media | Podcast Editing by Brian A. Brown*Since the recording of this episode, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Center for the Study of Global Christianity released its  2022 study. The center now estimates church fraud globally will total $70 billion a year by 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode we have a special intro. Crisann invites her friend Vonna to the podcast to share her opinion on some of the topics that we dived into including: Red flags, How to deal with the end of a friendship, Cutting people off, Blocking people, How we go from loving someone to hating them after a break up, How to deal with people coming back for closure, we then end with a rapid fire round with some quick hits. Enjoy. Music by Squash - Rate who Rate you. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/male-reasoning/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/male-reasoning/support

After listening to everything all our guests discussed in "Before You Shoot Your Shot Parts 1 - 4", it is now time to listen to key points from each episode and final takeaways! The core of every relationship is "Friendship" and for this kind of friendship to succeed, one must be very intentional and put in the work. One core part of this work is "communication". Your ability to communicate with your partner and ensuring your message is well understood as intended is the key for successful relationships. Listen as Vonna Sophie shares her takeaways and key points! Don't forget to share & subscribe!

Vonna Nolan from Dogs Trust is speaking to Niall about how we can get our pets through Halloween safely. Click on the link to check out all this advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vonna Nolan from Dogs Trust is speaking to Niall about how we can get our pets through Halloween safely. Click on the link to check out all this advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back with another episode from our new segment of the CEOMOM Podcast, “From the Pages.” Read by Vonna Matthews, we are sharing some of the stories and articles from the CEOMOM Magazine as spoken word. In this episode, Vonna reads 2021: The Year of the Do-Over Starting with Healing from our Spring 2021 issue featuring cover mom, Garcelle Beauvais. Vonna gets personal and shares how she is learning to move forward from trauma, making healing rather than resilience the focus. Important Links: CEOMOM Magazine Latest Issue Print Past Issues Digital Subscription Read Past Issues Crowder Counseling Music: “Knuckle Up” by C. Scott, “Catch Feelings” by C. Scott Follow Us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @ceomommag, @crowdercounseling This show is produced by For Her Media.

Tara Clark established Modern Mom Probs in 2017, a parenting humor and lifestyle Instagram account. She presents realistic issues facing modern parents in a humorous, heart-warming light. Tara creates content for the parenting powerhouse website Scary Mommy and was featured in (201) Magazine as an Influencer to Watch. She is the author of the book Modern Mom Probs: A Survival Guide for 21st Century Mothers. In this episode, Vonna spoke to Tara about managing expectations for our kids and ourselves as moms, self-preservation as a form of self-care, and why balance should not be the goal. Important Links: CEOMOM Magazine Latest Issue Print Past Issues Digital Subscription Read Past Issues Crowder Counseling Modern Mom Probs Follow Modern Mom Probs on Instagram: @modernmomprobs Music: “Knuckle Up” by C. Scott, “Catch Feelings” by C. Scott Follow Us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @ceomommag, @crowdercounseling This show is produced by For Her Media.

We are excited to introduce a new segment of the CEOMOM Podcast called “From the Pages.” Read by Vonna Matthews, we are sharing some of the stories and articles from the CEOMOM Magazine as spoken word. In this episode, Vonna reads 21 for 21: Tips to Make Self Care a Priority in 2021 from our Spring 2021 issue featuring cover mom, Garcelle Beauvais. Important Links: CEOMOM Magazine Latest Issue Print Past Issues Digital Subscription Read Past Issues Crowder Counseling This episode was brought to you in partnership with Guilt-Fee Mommy by Dayna Reed. Learn more about Dayna Reed: @dayna.reed & @guilt.free.mommy on Instagram Music: “Knuckle Up” by C. Scott, “Catch Feelings” by C. Scott Follow Us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @ceomommag, @crowdercounseling This show is produced by For Her Media.

Dr. Thomishia Booker launched Hey Carter! Books after being disappointed in the lack of representation of Black boys in children's books. In this episode, Vonna spoke to Dr. Booker about the Hey Carter! Books brand, and its focus on building self-identity in young Black boys. We also discussed the need to celebrate Black boy joy, her deal with Netflix, and what's next for her critically acclaimed book series. Important Links: CEOMOM Magazine Latest Issue Print Past Issues Digital Subscription Read Past Issues Crowder Counseling This episode was brought to you in partnership with Think Three Media. Learn more about Leah: Leah Frazier, Follow Leah on Instagram: @TheLeahFrazier, @ThinkThreeMedia Music: “Knuckle Up” by C. Scott, “Catch Feelings” by C. Scott Follow Us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @ceomommag, @crowdercounseling This show is produced by For Her Media.

Hosted by DaVonna Tarver

Ebben az adásban elmondom, hogy mi lehet az egyik lehetséges oka annak, hogy nem működik a pénztervezésed. Persze azt is elmondom, hogy mit érdemes tenned, hogy mégis működjön.  Tarts velem.A nagy kérdések, hogy "Hogyan legyen több pénzem?", "Hogyan kell bánni a pénzzel?", "Hogyan tudok többet félretenni?", "Hogy szabadulhatok meg az adósságtól?". Ezek a kérdések, amelyek mindenkit foglalkoztatnak, és amit nem tanítanak az iskolákban. A válaszok pedig itt vannak, ebben a podcastben.Horváth Attila pénztervezési szakértő vagyok, és ez itt a Pénztervezés Mindenkinek. Abban szeretnék segíteni neked, hogy jól használd fel azt a pénzt, ami a rendelkezésedre áll, és több pénzt tudj félretenni.Az a célom, hogy több motivációt adjak neked, és kicsit másképp kezdj el gondolkodni a pénzről. Ha még többet szeretnél tudni a pénzről, pénztervezésről, gazdagságról és sikerről, látogasd meg a következő oldalakat:.https://www.facebook.com/groups/penzgyilegtudatossikeresemberekhttp://pelfee.hu/https://penztervezes.buzzsprout.com/https://www.facebook.com/pelfee/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPt20u7Ut5cf8nqiRh_7sPghttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRSvS8W92zloTClCVj5Mn1Ahttps://www.instagram.com/horvathattila.penztervezes/http://gazdagodjazonnal.hu/https://www.facebook.com/gazdagodjazonnal/ http://penztervezes.hu/

2020, well that was interesting! Melinda Dunbar and Vonna Matthews are having a candid and raw conversation about the craziness of 2020. Although the year was filled with uncertainty, isolation and loss for many, it presented many moments of reflection and stillness. Whether you were forced to pivot, experienced incredible growth or just relished in the quietness, 2020 tested us all and made us look at who we are, what we need and what matters. Listen in as Melinda and Vonna discuss the impact the year's events has had on them personally and professionally, and their hopes for 2021. Important Links: CEOMOM Magazine Latest Issue Print Past Issues Digital Subscription Read Past Issues Crowder Counseling Think Three Media Guilt-Free Mommy This episode was brought to you in partnership with Guilt-Free Mommy by Dayna L. Reed and Think Three Media. Learn more about Leah: Leah Frazier, Follow Leah: @TheLeahFrazier, @ThinkThreeMedia Learn more about Dayna Reed @Dayna.Reed Music: “Knuckle Up” by C. Scott, “Catch Feelings” by C. Scott Follow Us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @ceomommag, @crowdercounseling This show is produced by For Her Media.

This time on Dicebenders: After returning to the school from BeLong, we discover just how much Shaong, Goh, Vonna, and Torq knew of the events and how Torq as the dean decides to handle to now smaller party's punishment.-----  Follow us on our Twitter, Facebook or Discord, there we post upcoming content and keep you all in the loop for all things Dicebenders related:Twitter: https://twitter.com/dicebendersdndFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/280558903019051Discord: https://discord.gg/g8JbQV4 ---------------------- Sound from Zapsplat.com Some music provided by https://www.purple-planet.com/ Some Music material "PeriTune" URL: http://peritune.com/ Author: Mutsuki Akira (Sei Mutsuki) Peritune work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ length cutting, minor rearrangement, leveling, and basic FX may be applied Inbound by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week model and singer Vonna Nolan talks about her experiences within the modelling and music industry, combining your passions to better suit your style, and getting back into the swing of things after taking a break. Keep up to date with Vonna: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vonnamodel https://www.facebook.com/nomadrushband Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChBMwN_O8elIviW7-PAWyXw Follow Doing It For The Exposure: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIFTEPodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diftepodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiftePodcast

We have reached the day of the hump, Sassy Jacks is sponsoring the show, and Vonna and Gary are talking about the Royal Garden SAL, stitching Hannah Longstreth, goldwork temptations, Patti Tronrud’s Queen Victoria finish, changes to the September Soiree event at Sassy Jacks, our Friday guest Deb Eshelman, organic chemistry, quilting, and fresh brownies. […]

Wednesday has a habit of showing up this time of the week and that means it’s Midweek Chat time. Sassy Jacks Stitchery is sponsoring the show and Gary and Vonna are talking about upcoming events and stitching techniques. We explore aspects of needlework that may or may not make you faster and more efficient. We […]

Vonna Matthews is a marketing and branding expert who has over 10 years experience working with non-profit organizations and small businesses. Vonna is a wife and mom who loves empowering women through several platforms- her magazine CEOMOM Magazine, the EnvisionHer 2020 Event Series, her company For Her Media and vonnamatthews.com. .....Connect With Vonna Matthews Website: vonnamatthews.comInstagram: @vonnamatthewsStay connected with Twelve 12 Ministries by: Attend a Twelve 12 eventFollow Twelve 12 on Instagram Become a Supporter of Twelve 12 Send Twelve 12 Straight To Your InboxMusic By Recess. Find Him HERE

The gangs all here. We catch up with the Queens and there is no shortage in laughs as we discuss dating, ex's, Delonte West, and more!!! Song: Prototype (Cover) by Leci Marie

Happy 2020! During this episode I talk with CEO MOM Vonna Matthews. Vonna shares some marketing tips with our mompreneurs and shares her story on becoming a CEO MOM. Vonna believes as an entrepreneur you should hire your weaknesses as soon as possible. This way your team is solid. Three book recommendations: The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann 2. Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff 3. The Motherhood Evolution by Suzi Lula Vonna Matthews is a marketing and branding expert who has over 10 years experience working with non-profit organizations and small businesses. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television/Film from the University of Texas at Austin and her MBA in Marketing from Dallas Baptist University. As a wife, mother of 2 and entrepreneur, Vonna understands the challenges of work/life balance. Her lifestyle brand, Bottles, Bibs & Pumps helps “mompreneurs” to grow their businesses. In April 2016, Vonna launched CEOMOM Magazine to celebrate women who are creating their own rules as it relates to balancing career and family. After large demand, Vonna launched CEOKID Magazine in 2018 to feature kidpreneurs, kid inventors, kid community leaders and more. Vonna discovered her love for philanthropy right after undergraduate. Her first job was program director for Joni and Friends Disability Outreach. In 2002, as a part of her role, Vonna spearheaded 2 mission trips to Cuba to provide wheelchairs for citizens living with physical disabilities. From her mission work in Cuba, Vonna knew that every project, position and opportunity she was afforded was for the purpose of changing lives through faith and service. In 2017, Vonna started For Her Media to use her love for entrepreneurship to raise funds and awareness for causes that impact women.

Vonna Matthews is a wealth of information when it comes to working moms. You can find links to all of her websites through http://vonnamatthews.com . As always, stay up to date with Women In Pants on any of our social media platforms or at www.womeninpants.com

It's Season 2 of the CEOMOM Podcast and we are going in a new direction. Although we had fun with all the business talk, it's time to go deeper and unravel this thing called womanhood. Meet two old friends, Vonna and Melinda, who have grown with each other through various stages of life including singlehood, marriage and motherhood. Journey with them as they explore what it means to be a woman and mother through candid conversations related to mental health, identity, self care, self worth and more. In this season premiere you learn the heart behind The Woman, the Mother & the Myths and why Vonna and Melinda believe your health as a woman is vital to your role as a mother. Important Links:  CEOMOM Magazine Latest Issue Print Past Issues Digital Subscription Read Past Issues Crowder Counseling Music: "Knuckle Up" by C. Scott Follow Us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @ceomommag, @crowdercounseling

House of (a Guy's Own) Pain jumps around before Badger game, Neil Young & Daryl Hannah have a mercy wedding, Aaron Rodgers calls Tom Brady a unicorn in the best sense of the word, & Phil & Vonna of Savage, Minnesota own Hawking's Hairy Black Hole to win Whad'ya Know Quiz--

After taking a summer break to live our best lives and pay bills we are back with a new episode. We have a lot to cover as the news has been crazy in our absence. As a result, today’s episode is long since we had so much to talk about but I’ll give you timestamps in case you want to skip around.5:20 Black Nerd UpdateWe get SUPER nerdy in this one when Vonna and Chris get into their Pottermore bag. We also discuss Comicon developments and new trailers.53:40 Celebrity NewsWe cover everything from Kylie Jenner to Jaden Smith.1:54:50 This Week In RacismWe profile all the stories that exemplify racism in America.2:12:35 Some 45 TalkY’alls President is wildin.2:23:42 Sleeping Beauty: Victim?We debate if this classic children’s fairytale is as innocent as it seems.

After taking a summer break to live our best lives and pay bills we are back with a new episode. We have a lot to cover as the news has been crazy in our absence. As a result, today’s episode is long since we had so much to talk about but I’ll give you timestamps in case you want to skip around.5:20 Black Nerd UpdateWe get SUPER nerdy in this one when Vonna and Chris get into their Pottermore bag. We also discuss Comicon developments and new trailers.53:40 Celebrity NewsWe cover everything from Kylie Jenner to Jaden Smith.1:54:50 This Week In RacismWe profile all the stories that exemplify racism in America.2:12:35 Some 45 TalkY’alls President is wildin.2:23:42 Sleeping Beauty: Victim?We debate if this classic children’s fairytale is as innocent as it seems.

After a short hiatus we had ALOT to talk about this episode. The NFL, NBA Finals, Obama's, Kim Kardashian, Netflix, Vonna's reading list, relationships, 45 is still screwing up, Anthony Bourdain and one thugged out Alligator in Florida. #FreeTheHomie It's worth the listen.

After a short hiatus we had ALOT to talk about this episode. The NFL, NBA Finals, Obama's, Kim Kardashian, Netflix, Vonna's reading list, relationships, 45 is still screwing up, Anthony Bourdain and one thugged out Alligator in Florida. #FreeTheHomie It's worth the listen.

Be intentional about telling your story, even with your taxes. Dive in with Vonna and Dave for an in-depth review of your Form 990.

In this week’s episode the squad in the studio square up over road trips, Mayhem incriminates his younger self, Vonna talks about when the opps caught her lacking in a canoe and Danny shoots his shot at Cassie. #HesDelussionalBlack Nerd Update Opens the Show21:39 Jessica Jones Spoilers Start32:15 Jessica Jones Spolers End34:10 Dats News To Me1:28:08 Debates: Mac N Cheese vs. Macaroni Pie1:41:38 Relationships: How Couples Bond?1:53:15 Whose Man's Is This?

In this week’s episode the squad in the studio square up over road trips, Mayhem incriminates his younger self, Vonna talks about when the opps caught her lacking in a canoe and Danny shoots his shot at Cassie. #HesDelussionalBlack Nerd Update Opens the Show21:39 Jessica Jones Spoilers Start32:15 Jessica Jones Spolers End34:10 Dats News To Me1:28:08 Debates: Mac N Cheese vs. Macaroni Pie1:41:38 Relationships: How Couples Bond?1:53:15 Whose Man's Is This?

Excuse the delay folks but we assure you it was worth it!Join the conversation as Danny breaks down the evils of bullying and lack of preparedness to deal with it. Vonna goes off on 45 and everything else, and Mayhem brings up his personal gripe with parents kissing children on the lips. Another focus group update, and we even coin the phrase UEY here... All this and more on the Last Stop On The L's Episode 20: Unity!

Excuse the delay folks but we assure you it was worth it!Join the conversation as Danny breaks down the evils of bullying and lack of preparedness to deal with it. Vonna goes off on 45 and everything else, and Mayhem brings up his personal gripe with parents kissing children on the lips. Another focus group update, and we even coin the phrase UEY here... All this and more on the Last Stop On The L's Episode 20: Unity!

We’re Back! Did you miss us? Summer in NYC had us all lost in the sauce but we return this week to tackle the big stories of the week: 
1. Are we replacing Danny Ocion with Michelle Williams?2. The race riot 45’s entourage staged in Charlottesville Virginia.3. Game of Thrones Y’all4. Why men fear commitment?Can Chris keep the peace between Vonna and Mayhem with Ocion’s absence? Listen in to find out.Follow us at Facebook.com/LastStopOnTheLFollow us on Twitter @DannyOcion @YFRMayhem @VonnaSage

We’re Back! Did you miss us? Summer in NYC had us all lost in the sauce but we return this week to tackle the big stories of the week: 
1. Are we replacing Danny Ocion with Michelle Williams?2. The race riot 45’s entourage staged in Charlottesville Virginia.3. Game of Thrones Y’all4. Why men fear commitment?Can Chris keep the peace between Vonna and Mayhem with Ocion’s absence? Listen in to find out.Follow us at Facebook.com/LastStopOnTheLFollow us on Twitter @DannyOcion @YFRMayhem @VonnaSage

Part 2: Graham Colton tells us about his recording studio, Lunar Manor, while Vonna Pearl performs live.

SHOW NOTES:Podcast host Bridgette Mongeon talks with author and blogger Vonna Carter about her blog that features young adult and middle grade books and the Houston visiting authors. Vonna says it is her blog is her way of saying thank you to the authors.  To listen to the podcast press the purple button. To subscribe to the podcast in iTunes press the Subscribe to this podcast in iTunes button. If you would like to see a list of the podcasts that have been recorded and read about the hosts please visit the host bios web page on the Godsword.net website. These podcasts can also be found and listened to from the God's Word Facebook fans page. A player has been added to this blog on the right column as well as on the main God's Word website.