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Mission Forward with Carrie Fox

Mission Forward with Carrie Fox

TruStory FM

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Mission Forward: An award-winning podcast for communicators on a mission. Hosted by social impact expert and B Corp leader Carrie Fox, each episode of Mission Forward explores the power of communications. With just the right mix of practical and thought-provoking content, we take on the issues that matter to you, and that support your work as a communicator for change. Together, we talk through topics that you’re likely experiencing right now: from how to tackle tough conversations; to how to best challenge stereotypes; to how we can build bridges across the issues that divide us. If you’re working to become a more inclusive and thoughtful communicator, there’s nothing holding you back—except you. About Season 9 Communication is essential to moving missions forward. Whether you’re trying to advance a strategic goal, drive change in an organization or raise funds to increase your impact, how you communicate matters. And with the noise of today’s world, it matters even more that your message be delivered, heard, remembered, AND acted upon. Getting there requires more than words. We’ve entered a consequential year. Every decision will matter. Care, courage, and civility will matter too. On season 9 of the Mission Forward podcast, host and social impact communications expert Carrie Fox will be with you through it all. With episodes dropping every Thursday, this season will feature a host of thought leaders who will share their take on this critical year and how they navigate the issues ahead. We’ll dig into key issues you’re facing, we’ll inspire you with fresh ideas and practical insights, and we’ll show you how to apply the key practices of courageous leadership to your work. Come along as we practice a more-than-words approach to communications and leadership. * About the Host (https://www.missionforward.us/about-carrie) * Listen to Past Episodes (https://www.missionforward.us/episodes)
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Top 10 Mission Forward with Carrie Fox Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Mission Forward with Carrie Fox episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Mission Forward with Carrie Fox for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Mission Forward with Carrie Fox episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Mission Forward with Carrie Fox - Stories for Environmental Justice with Shilpi Chhotray
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04/27/23 • 29 min

Shilpi Chhotray is the co-founder and executive director of People over Plastic. This week, she joins Carrie to share a story of waste colonization, social divides, and the work her team is doing to lift the intersectional stories of environmental racism.

People over Plastic is something truly special. On one level, it is a platform, the only multicultural media platform of its kind, publishing stories by BIPOC for BIPOC, uplifting environmental justice stories of the people who are living them in a way that is nuanced, sensitive, and in-depth.

But they have also developed expertise in events, creating safe spaces for frontline leaders to share their lived experiences in an unfiltered context. These storytelling salons are like nothing we've ever seen: creative, powerful, and made so much more potent in the vulnerability and courage that comes when facing the truths of shared narratives aloud, in public, and raw.

We are deeply impressed by what Shilpi and her team are doing at People over Plastic and we couldn't imagine this season of Mission Forward without her. And make sure to subscribe to the People over Plastic podcast to hear Shilpi in action!

Our great thanks to Shilpi Chhotray for joining us this week.

  • (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
  • (00:28) - Introducing Shilpi Chhotray
  • (07:05) - Environmental Racism
  • (10:08) - Free Your Voice
  • (12:58) - Reactions to Story Salon
  • (18:48) - Coming in Season Four
  • (20:00) - Injustice and Overwhelm
  • (24:07) - Stories of Hope
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This week on the show, Carrie sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tina Rosenberg for a third time to assess the surprising power of solutions journalism. Of course, it wouldn't be a conversation about the news media if it didn't discuss the curious patterns of polarization, exploring how our perceptions of division might be more amplified than reality indicates. Tina, co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network, argues that the news, in its relentless focus on the negative, can actually distort our understanding of the world. It's a paradox: the very medium meant to inform us contributes directly to our skewed perspectives.

Through her own work, Tina is actively reshaping the narrative. With tens of thousands of journalists now trained in solutions reporting, she and her colleagues are pioneering a new approach – one that investigates what works rather than solely focusing on what's broken. It's not about Pollyannaish optimism or ignoring bad news; it's about rigorous reporting on solutions, examining their effectiveness with the same scrutiny typically reserved for exposing flaws.

Carrie and Tina discuss the unexpected ripple effects of this shift, from happier journalists to a renewed sense of purpose in the newsroom. They explore the subtle art of listening, the power of asset-based framing (championed by Solutions Journalism Network board chair, Trabian Shorters), and the vital role of community engagement. This isn't just about journalism; it's about how we understand and address the challenges facing our society. Tune in to discover how a different kind of storytelling can lead to a more nuanced, and ultimately more hopeful, view of the world.

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It's the season for gratitude and reflection. But also, a day for taking stock. As we gather with loved ones, it's worth considering the subtle shifts happening beneath the surface of our communities. The connections that bind us, the acts of generosity that fuel positive change—these are the things that deserve our attention.

Ten years ago, nonprofits, the tireless champions of our communities, began to sense a change in the air—a moment of pause, a desire to understand the evolving landscape before taking the next step, a perfectly reasonable response to a world in constant flux.

This week, Stacy Palmer, CEO of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, sits down with Carrie to explore the evolution of this space. They explore the findings of the Generosity Commission, acknowledging the dip in traditional giving and volunteering while also recognizing the rise of new forms of engagement. The landscape of giving is changing, and that presents both challenges and opportunities.

Amidst this evolution, inspiring figures like Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott emerge as trailblazers, reshaping the philanthropic landscape with their bold and transformative giving. They shine a light on the often-overlooked, demonstrating that philanthropy can be a powerful catalyst for positive change, especially when it embraces innovation and challenges traditional norms.

How do we ensure that positive momentum continues? Stacy offers a balanced perspective. She celebrates the progress made while also encouraging us to remain vigilant and adaptable. The insights from 1989, when the Chronicle of Philanthropy first highlighted the need for philanthropy to embrace a multicultural America, still resonate today.

Carrie and Stacy explore the delicate balance between thoughtful planning and decisive action. They discuss the All In By April campaign, a compelling example of how accelerating philanthropic giving can empower positive change, particularly in support of democracy. This story of proactive engagement is a testament to the power of foresight and collaboration.

This week invites you to reflect on each of our own contributions to the story of generosity. Are we building meaningful connections or simply going through the motions? Are we embracing new approaches or clinging to outdated models? The answer, as Carrie and Stacy reveal, lies in the power of relationships, the courage to speak up, and the unwavering commitment to move missions forward together.

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Mission Forward with Carrie Fox - Breaking Bias in Storytelling with Ed Yong and Liz Neeley • Rebroadcast
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01/27/22 • 56 min

We're just a few weeks out from releasing our first episodes of season five of Mission Forward. Until then, we're continuing our tour of past guests in an effort to elevate a few of our favorite conversations to welcome new listeners the best way we know how. This week we bring you Ed Young and Liz Neely in our 2018 conversation live on the Mission Forward stage.

Ed and Liz are two of the smartest and sharpest minds in science, communications, and EDS reporting on COVID earned him a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism in 2021. Back in 2018, Ed had just written a story in The Atlantic titled, "I Spent Two Years Trying to Fix the Gender Imbalance in My Stories Here’s What I’ve Learned, and Why I Did It." The lessons he and Liz articulate in this conversation continue to be relevant as we continue to crest this pandemic wave. We hope you enjoy this conversation and learn as much from it as we did.

Since starting the Mission Forward conversation series in 2014, we’ve had the opportunity to interview some amazing folks: Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, MacArthur Genius grantees, media entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. One of our favorite conversations to date has been with Ed Yong and Liz Neeley. It took place in 2018, shortly after Ed wrote a story in the Atlantic titled: “I Spent Two Years Trying to Fix the Gender Imbalance in My Stories Here’s What I’ve Learned, and Why I Did It.

As an acclaimed author and science writer, Ed was a big deal then, but he’s had quite a run these last few years. This past September, his story on the COVID-19 pandemic, “How Did it Come to This?” took the cover spot of The Atlantic magazine, and since that time, he’s published several other articles on COVID 19 including his most recent: “America Is About to Choose How Bad the Pandemic Will Get.”

Given how much we value Ed Yong — and how straightforward he can make even the most complex science story — we decided to resurface this great conversation from a few years back, about building equity and breaking bias in storytelling.

In that 2018 story about gender imbalance in his reporting, Ed found that only 24 percent of his last 23 articles quoted sources that were women. And of those stories, 35 percent featured no female voices at all. As Ed shared in his article:

“I knew that I care about equality, so I deluded myself into thinking that I wasn’t part of the problem. I assumed that my passive concern would be enough. Passive concern never is.”

Yong’s heartbreakingly honest revelation, and several others like it, spurred our desire to dig in on ways that writers, marketers, and communications directors can build equity and break bias in their storytelling, and his story has stuck with us for many years.

But it wasn’t just Ed who we spoke with back **in 2018. We were joined by his partner, the brilliant Liz Neeley, founder and principal of Liminal Creations, where she focuses her time and talent on science communication. Liz served as Executive Director of The Story Collider through August of this year, shepherding real and deeply personal stories of science and living through on-stage events and their eponymous (and extraordinarily popular) podcast. Together, they had a lot to say on the topic of equity in storytelling.

Liz Neeley and Ed Yong are extraordinary people and exceptional journalists and communicators. We love this conversation and we’re sure that you will, too.

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Mission Forward with Carrie Fox - Why Public Health Matters to Private Lives with Emily Howell and Todd Newman
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06/14/21 • 32 min

"COVID-19 is not just a medical issue. It is also a social justice, economic, and political issue. That makes it hard to figure out how best to share information about it, especially since messages come from a range of communicators—including elected officials, journalists, scientists, physicians, and community leaders—and are delivered to diverse audiences."

Such is the foundational position in a recent piece published in Fast Company. Our guests this week, authors Todd Newman and Emily Howell (together with Dominique Broussard), present their insights into the messengers and their messages that constellate to keep us unhealthy.

This is a conversation about trust, and it brings with it some extraordinarily difficult questions. Does the public understand the role of public health? Has our model of health broken its promise of healthy communities across racial and economic boundaries? Has the media lived up to its obligation to truth in a public health crisis?

Objectively, the answer has to be a resounding no to these and so many more. Which opens to the door to our conversation this week in which we examine the opportunities before us to build trust, to cement community, to broaden the reach of our most critical messages, and to do so clearly. As Natalie so aptly says, "to engage in the production of the public's health is actually a patriotic act." So how do we make it clear that public health truly matters to private lives?

Our deep thanks to Todd and Emily for joining us this week. Please visit the link below to read the original article. Thank you for listening, and for sharing with your communities, too.

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In a world grappling with declining trust in institutions, businesses face increasing pressure to become agents of societal change. This episode of Mission Forward explores this evolving dynamic with Sarah Schwimmer, co-lead executive at B Lab Global, the non-profit behind the B Corp movement. Host Carrie Fox cedes the interviewing chair to her colleague, Bridget Pooley, Mission Partners' chief operating officer, for a deep dive into the forces reshaping corporate responsibility.

They explore the Edelman Trust Barometer’s findings, revealing a fascinating dynamic: as trust in traditional institutions wanes, the pressure mounts on businesses to step up. Sarah highlights the B Corp movement's explosive growth as evidence of this trend, with thousands of companies seeking ways to balance purpose and profit. She shares compelling examples of B Corps actively engaging in their communities, like Legacy Vacation Resorts' efforts to empower employee voting.

The conversation also touches on the crucial issue of shareholder vs. stakeholder capitalism. Is simply declaring a commitment to all stakeholders enough? Sarah and Bridget discuss the importance of accountability and the role of B Lab's rigorous B Impact Assessment in driving real change.

Finally, they explore the age-old tension between mission and profit. Can businesses truly prioritize both? Sarah showcases Patagonia as a shining example of a company successfully integrating purpose and profitability, highlighting innovative ownership models that prioritize long-term mission. The landscape for businesses is complex, but there is always room to become true forces for good.

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In a world increasingly fractured, whispers of civil unrest grow louder. Dr. John Paul Lederach, a veteran peacebuilder with decades of experience in global conflict zones, offers a stark yet hopeful message: the antidote to escalating tensions lies not in grand pronouncements but in the quiet power of human connection. This week on Mission Forward, Lederach shares insights from his new book, Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War, a timely and urgent call to action for a nation teetering on the edge.

Lederach's work isn't about predicting the future; it's about recognizing the patterns of the past. He draws parallels between the volatile political climate in the US and the conflicts he's witnessed around the world, highlighting the insidious nature of dehumanization and the urgent need for rehumanization. He argues that we must move beyond "listening with our eyes," judging individuals based on their affiliations, and instead engage in deep, radical listening that acknowledges the shared humanity beneath the surface of disagreement.

Lederach introduces the concept of "watching our pockets," a metaphor for cultivating local, grassroots movements for peace. He argues that lasting change emerges not from top-down decrees but from the interconnected web of relationships within our communities. He challenges listeners to consider: who do we know? How can we connect with those just outside our comfort zones? How can we build alliances around shared values and goals?

The conversation isn't about finding easy answers or quick fixes. It's about cultivating the courage to start, the willingness to listen deeply, and the perseverance to stay engaged, even when the path forward seems uncertain. Lederach’s message is a potent reminder that the future of our democracy rests not in the hands of politicians or pundits, but in our own capacity for empathy, connection, and the unwavering belief in the possibility of a more peaceful future. In a world where division seems inevitable, Lederach offers a powerful alternative: the possibility of building peace, one conversation, one relationship, one pocket at a time.

Don’t forget, you can download Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War free on his site, or pick it up on Amazon right here.

  • (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
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Mission Forward with Carrie Fox - Common Ground • Finding the Words

Common Ground • Finding the Words

Mission Forward with Carrie Fox

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10/03/24 • 6 min

Last week, I joined dozens of university leaders as they honed skills to navigate political conflict on campus. It was a preventative measure, really, to support their soon-to-return students through the remainder of this election season, and to help one another maintain open and peaceful dialogue across contested issues.

We learned a very powerful lesson.

This short-form episode is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights directly to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.

  • (00:00) - Join us for Mission Forward Live! October 9, 2024 • missionforward.us/live
  • (01:05) - Common Ground
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The Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action sent shockwaves through institutions across America, leaving many wondering about the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Is DEI dead? Or is it simply evolving?

On this episode of Mission Forward, Carrie Fox dives into this complex landscape with communications experts Nimra Haroon and Faith MacIver. Nimra, a cultural strategist and communications manager for Mission Partners, and Faith, Senior DEI Manager at Edelman, unpack the nuances of recent legislation and its impact on the workplace. They dissect the tension between a widespread commitment to DEI values and the growing anxieties around legal risks.

This isn't just a legal issue; it's a communication challenge. Carrie, Nimra, and Faith explore how companies are responding to criticism and offer actionable strategies for moving forward. They delve into the critical distinction between "risky" and "safe" DEI practices, providing a framework for organizations to navigate this uncertain terrain.

This conversation goes beyond buzzwords and platitudes. It's a pragmatic and insightful discussion about building truly inclusive workplaces that benefit everyone. Tune in to discover how to keep DEI initiatives alive and thriving in a post-affirmative action world.

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As Election Day looms, anxieties run high. How can we navigate the uncertainty and potential chaos surrounding this pivotal moment for American democracy? Carrie Fox, CEO of Mission Partners, sits down with Joe Goldman, president of Democracy Fund, and Crystal Hayling, Democracy Fund board member, to explore these critical questions.

Drawing on their recent paper, "On Black Swans, Gray Rhinos and the 2024 Election," Joe and Crystal offer a framework for resilience in the face of unpredictable events. They emphasize the importance of listening to frontline communities, who often recognize the warning signs of looming threats – the "gray rhinos" – long before they reach the mainstream, highlighting the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a prime example, noting that activists on the ground had foreseen the danger and stressed the critical link between voting rights and reproductive rights.

The conversation turns toward the concerning rise of political violence, a potential gray rhino demanding attention. Joe and Crystal underscore the importance of heeding the alarms raised by those most vulnerable to such threats, emphasizing that preparedness is not about predicting the future, but about empowering communities to respond effectively.

They discuss the crucial role of philanthropic funding in supporting these efforts. Crystal advocates for general operating support, giving organizations the flexibility to adapt to evolving challenges. They champion the "All By April" campaign, which encourages early funding disbursements to maximize impact, and introduce a new initiative, "Election Day to Every Day," aimed at providing sustained support beyond the election cycle. This sustained support is vital, they argue, particularly given the possibility of delayed election results and the need for ongoing work to protect democratic integrity.

Finally, the fundamental question: Is American democracy possible? They agree that its survival depends on active engagement and a commitment to building a more inclusive and just system and urge listeners to join the fight. The responsibility for safeguarding democracy rests with all of us.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Mission Forward with Carrie Fox have?

Mission Forward with Carrie Fox currently has 162 episodes available.

What topics does Mission Forward with Carrie Fox cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Change, Marketing, Podcasts, Business and Communication.

What is the most popular episode on Mission Forward with Carrie Fox?

The episode title 'Stories for Environmental Justice with Shilpi Chhotray' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Mission Forward with Carrie Fox?

The average episode length on Mission Forward with Carrie Fox is 27 minutes.

How often are episodes of Mission Forward with Carrie Fox released?

Episodes of Mission Forward with Carrie Fox are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Mission Forward with Carrie Fox?

The first episode of Mission Forward with Carrie Fox was released on Sep 28, 2020.

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