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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast

Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast

Stu Swineford

Are you looking for ways to shorten your marketing learning curve and strengthen your organization’s ability to survive and thrive? Welcome to Relish THIS, a show for purpose-focused leaders seeking to leverage the power of marketing to fuel their organizations’ growth. Each week your host, Stu Swineford – author of Mission Uncomfortable: How Nonprofits can embrace purpose-driven marketing to survive and thrive (https://missionuncomfortablebook.com) – talks with a purpose-focused leader or marketing ecosystem expert to explore ways to transform lives through marketing. Using the techniques developed working with hundreds of for- and nonprofit organizations at the digital marketing agency he co-founded, Relish Studio (https://relishstudio.com), he inspires you to take action to improve your organization's ability to shine.Are you feeling stuck with your outreach? Not sure if your message is reaching anyone – much less the right audience? Do you view your marketing as a cost rather than an investment in your organization’s health and growth? If so, Relish THIS is the podcast you have been looking for.If you are seeking to take your organization to the next level and take the mystery out of your marketing, you are in the right place. With Relish THIS, you’ll learn that you are not alone. The roadmap for a successful marketing campaign is at your fingertips. This marketing podcast explores ways your organization can adjust its relationship to marketing to build relationships that will fuel your growth. Learn how to develop and nurture relationships through authentic marketing tactics like email marketing, content marketing, brand story development, social campaigns, effective landing page design, cause marketing, funnel creation, paid search, SEO, and much more. Learn how you can apply purpose marketing throughout the stakeholder lifecycle and nurture relationships to create thrust in your business. Relish THIS anchors its conversations in the audience engagement lifecycle – a framework that identifies each step of the stakeholder journey – from initial interest to lifelong advocate and supporter. By optimizing each phase – ATTRACT, BOND, CONNECT, and INSPIRE – we’ll dig into what makes any organization's marketing successful and how to ensure that you have a roadmap to win. Each week, Stu and his guest have a thoughtful, in-depth conversation about what’s working, what’s not, where one can take their organization and how to get there quickly and effectively. Relish This is all about creating opportunities to expand your mission through marketing.If you find yourself struggling with marketing your nonprofit or purpose-focused business and are looking for fresh ideas for how to motivate your team, engage your stakeholders, build your volunteer and donor base, encourage repeat business, and inspire your existing connections to promote your organization, Relish THIS is here to help. Each episode unearths marketing gold that can be applied to your own organization to help you reach your goals.Stu and his guests explore a full range of business-building topics that will help your organization expand your mission. Most guests say they come away with a laundry list of ideas to take back to their team to improve their performance and fuel their organization’s ability to connect with it’s target audience. Team-building, organization and process development, motivational techniques, fundraising, how to inspire ALL your stakeholders, and the nuts-and-bolts of running a successful marketing campaign and process... all of these and more are explored on this weekly, hour-long show.Get ready for action with Relish THIS!For more or to listen to past episodes, check out http://relishthis.org
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Top 10 Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast 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 Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

One of the challenges most entrepreneurs create for themselves is an inability to ask for help. This can stem from fear of appearing weak, a desire for control, or a heightened sense of responsibility honed by years of “Gettin’ it done.”

Regardless of the root cause, one thing is certainly true: You are not alone. Neither in your thinking that you ARE alone nor your actual state of aloneness. Help is available for you and it’s ok to be vulnerable and ask for assistance. (In fact, asking for help is seen as a way to help others. The Jewish faith calls this a worthy deed – a “mitzvah”.)

My guest today is Mike Hess. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Blind Institute of Technology. Mike and I actually met several years ago when he was doing a presentation for the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO). Mike took us through a really cool exercise that demonstrated how entrepreneurs in particular have a hard time asking for help. Mike and I chatted about this challenge – particularly in relation to the idea of loss aversion and how he experiences that as a person with blindness.

Mike says he gets a sense of this kind of “squishy” feeling sometimes when he's talking with people and makes some recommendations for ways to avoid creating that experience for others if you are starting to put off that vibe. Mike believes that if one can just be vulnerable and admit the challenges that they're having, how that becomes a way to diffuse the “squishiness” and creates a stronger foundation on which to build relationships. As you may have guessed, Mike is just an amazing person. His willingness to share his perspectives to help others grow is truly a gift.
Links:

Blind Institute of Technology

ASK: Partner up! If you don’t know how to do something, find a partner and engage with them – particularly if things are feeling “squishy”

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At the ripe, young age of 23, I found myself leading a team of creatives for one of the top three cycling catalog companies in the nation. Looking back at that time, I certainly could have used more experience in team management and motivation to get the most out of my team. Or at least some additional investment in myself to become a better leader.

But, like many 23 year olds, I am sure that I figured I could knock it out of the park on my own. Did I get the job done? Sure. But there was a LOT more tacking than optimal (to use a naval metaphor.

I made lots of mistakes: from micromanaging, to making constant changes in direction, to failing to find resources for those activities I could delegate. That’s how most of us learn to lead.

But there is a better way.

On this episode of Relish THIS, I had a great conversation with Chris Hutchinson, the CEO, Founder, and Abundance Influencer of the Trebuchet Group. His company helps purpose-focused leaders learn to work more effectively with their teams, get their organizations’ visions and actions aligned, and ensure that everyone is working as a team toward a unified goal. Using another naval metaphor — everyone is rowing in the same (and correct) direction.

Culture alignment, letting go of perfect, and how leadership coaching creates improvement in other areas of one’s life were all on the table during our conversation. Chris and his team at the Trebuchet Group do amazing things to help lay the foundation for organizational — and personal — growth for those looking to get their teams working as a unit.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

Links:

Trebuchet Group

Ask: Think about the impact you are making and if it is working for you. If not, take action if it is not fully satisfying.

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My guest today is Eric Magers, the Executive Director of Seaside Sustainability and the Founder and CEO of the National STEM Honor Society. (I think it's fair to say that he has A LOT going on.)

Eric focuses on creating multiple ways for people to “get into” these organizations and give. By tapping into multiple motivations—like training, accreditation, and philanthropic behavior— and weaving them together, you can make it easier for people to get excited and become more directly engaged. This will enhance your ability to bring people in and stay financially healthy.

Eric and I had a great conversation that focused on exactly how his organization layers both motivations and revenue streams. We also discussed how to leverage virtual opportunities to expand outreach and engage stakeholders.

And, like Relish Studio, both of Eric’s organizations are part of the 1% for the Planet program. It is always great to chat with like-minded leaders who are also interested in improving the climate!

Hope you enjoy!

Links:
Seaside Sustainability
National STEM Honor Society

Ask:
Never underestimate your power.
Make change happen and tell people about it!
Know where you spend your money to support green organizations.
Think globally/act locally.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Ep 34: Creating meaningful relationships with Elaine Brewer from the Humble Warrior
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05/11/21 • 64 min

Good marketing is all about relationship-building, isn’t it?

On today’s episode, I had the opportunity to talk to Elaine Brewer, one of the founders of Humble Warrior Wellness Center, who reminded me that’s exactly what marketing is about.

The Wellness Center helps veterans and first responders with their mental and physical health, by offering resources, services, and classes.

Interestingly, Elaine’s organization just launched—so they’re addressing some daunting challenges. In a nutshell, they’re trying to raise money, navigate the pandemic, and build relationships and connections all at once. That’s been creating some real concerns about what to do first.

Our conversation focused primarily on creating strong connections with stakeholders and learning to lean on those authentic connections before you go for a big ask.

This led to a discussion about tactics—for example, how to find connections using Sales Navigator or break up projects into smaller bite-sized pieces. We also talked about ways to leverage different channels of communication and resources, like starting a podcast to get your message out there and build an enthusiastic and engaged audience.

Elaine is doing some important work. and we’re excited to follow her journey.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Links:
Humble Warrior Wellness Center
Energize Colorado
Colorado Nonprofit Association

Ask:
Take care of yourself and don't be afraid to reach out.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Episode 8: Building a Successful Nonprofit with Ford Church from the Cottonwood Institute
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11/17/20 • 59 min

Today's guest on Relish This is Ford Church, the Executive Director at the Cottonwood Institute.
Ford and his team do some really great work inspiring kids to explore in and connect with nature. Their philosophy is that it's a lot easier to get kids to care about the environment if they have a connection with it.
We had a really great talk about Ford's journey into the outdoor nonprofit world, the great work they do at the Cottonwood Institute, and the challenges they have faced this year when in-person events have been much more challenging to navigate.
We chatted about the different stakeholders Cottonwood engages, how to get into nature even when it seems out of reach, and how to reframe how nonprofits think about marketing in general.
Another really great episode of Relish This! I hope you enjoy it.
Show notes and links:
The Cottonwood Institute
The Surrender Experiment
NOLS
Wilderness First Aid Certification
Action Ask:
Donate to support the Cottonwood Institute. Go vote! Support your favorite nonprofit on Colorado Gives Day.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Episode 5: Global Peace Through Music - Saam Golgoon from World Music Development
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10/27/20 • 60 min

Saam and his team are on a mission to promote global peace through music.
Though their revenues are down this year, they have managed to keep things rolling through pivots to virtual events and getting a bit creative with outreach and fundraising efforts.
We talked through ways to get kids involved with music and tools that can be used to reach audiences at scale, pay-what-you-can options to allow people to assign the value they received for an event or activity, and even how to leverage gaming platforms to host live events.
It was a great conversation and I hope you enjoy the show.
Show notes and links:
World Music Development
Teachable
Leftover Sermon
Action Ask:
Join World Music Development to help promote peace through music
Note: Both Saam and I were recording from remote, mountain locations so the audio on this episode is a little shaky at times.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Episode 3: Supply Chain and Making Adjustments - Brad Appel from Wish for Wheels
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10/13/20 • 55 min

Another fun episode of Relish This!
My conversation today is with Brad Appel, Executive Director of Wish for Wheels, a really great nonprofit that has a mission to provide every 2nd grader at Title 1 schools around the country a new bike and helmet to improve their mobility and health.
We chatted a lot about challenges Wish for Wheels is facing this year with supply chain problems (simply sourcing bikes and helmets to give out), running a nonprofit during a global pandemic, and the greatness of riding bikes and the importance of bikes to kids.
Hope you enjoy the show!
Show notes and links:
Wish for Wheels
Action Ask:
Offer grace to someone else on a bicycle.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Ep 95: Reframing Costs As Investments with Alex Romero

Ep 95: Reframing Costs As Investments with Alex Romero

Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast

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11/01/22 • 57 min

Particularly when one is a solopreneur, there’s a tendency to think of expenses as money coming out of one’s pocket instead of as an investment into one’s organization. It stems from adopting a scarcity mindset (rather than framing one’s experience from abundance) and also is seen quite a lot when one attaches oneself very closely to one’s occupation. (But that’s a whole other conversation.)
The problem is compounded when framing every investment opportunity against the direct revenue this allocation is likely to create.
So before introducing this week’s guest here on Relish THIS, I’ll relate a quick tale.
When I first started my life as an entrepreneur, I had a tendency to fall into this “cost trap”. I viewed every expense through the lens of “how does this make us money” and neglected the other benefits investing in support, resources, tools, etc. could bring to an organization. I know now that there are many intangible benefits to investment, including boosts in morale, comfort, and the like, as well as time savings (both direct and indirect saving accrued simply by no longer having to think about an activity needing to be accomplished).
For me, one of the first places this type of investment attitude paid off was in bookkeeping.
Every month I dreaded doing our books. I didn’t enjoy it and knew I wasn’t great at it. I tended to put it off until the last minute and then fret about it after I was done. Neither, any good bookkeeper will tell you, are good for the health of one’s books.
So I overcame the “this cost won’t make me money” demon in my head and hired a bookkeeper. Mischa has been helping us ever since and I don’t think I have once questioned the “cost” of her engagement. It freed up a ton of noise in my own head and I know our books get done correctly and on time each month. Now THAT was a great investment!
So coming back to my guest today on Relish THIS. Alex Romero is one of the financial masterminds (her “real” title is Virtual CFO) at Chris Hervoshon CPA. They are a virtual CPA team that helps nonprofits get their financial house in order so that they can confidently serve their constituents most effectively.
Alex is just great. She has been working in the nonprofit space for years and shared a TON of valuable information during our conversation to help your nonprofit navigate bringing on a CPA to help you stay compliant with state and federal regulations and have a healthier understanding of your nonprofit’s financial status.
Of course, we talked about the cost vs. investment conundrum as well as what you need to know before bringing on a CPA, ways to bridge the gap between DIY and hiring an expert, and ways to get really proactive about your finances so that you can be able to run your organization most effectively. We dove into managing and tracking grants and donations as well, so there is a LOT of great information in this episode.
Whether you are just getting started with your organization or have been up and running for years, there’s something for you in this episode. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did.
Links:
Better Way CPA
Twitter
LinkedIn
Ask:
Start a spreadsheet to track any money that you get through your door at your nonprofit. Just start tracking and keeping records.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Ep 94: Reimagining the Elevator Pitch With Building Bridges

Ep 94: Reimagining the Elevator Pitch With Building Bridges

Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast

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10/25/22 • 63 min

In the past, one’s “elevator pitch” lasted 30-60 seconds.

There was a reasonable expectation that one could hold someone’s attention for that period of time during which a longer conversation could be created.

These days, however, 30-60 seconds is an eternity. In the world of TikTok and SnapChat and Twitter, we now have roughly 7 seconds to capture your audience’s attention before they move on to something else.That’s why you have to answer these questions immediately on your site:

  • What is this?
  • Who is it for?
  • How does it make their life better?
  • How do they get it? Or what should they do next?

Today’s guests on Relish THIS, Maren Miller and Nikki Murillo from Building Bridges, are working to transform the world through DEI training. They see an opportunity to inspire both current and future leaders to embrace inclusivity in the workplace and beyond to shift perspectives and make the world a better place. They are doing amazing work in the space.
They are also doing a pretty good job of fleshing out their story on their site: demonstrating empathy and establishing authority, differentiating their services and processes, and leveraging social proof. But (at least on the date of our conversation) were missing an opportunity to nail the 7-second test to really throw the hook into those looking to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices in their organizations.

Just the nature of their work, which requires individuals to take a pretty hard look at their own privilege, requires overcoming some interesting challenges. We chatted through some sales ideas, ways to create some sparks in their INSPIRE phase activities and more.

This was a really fun conversation and I hope you can check out the show.

Links:

https://buildingbridgesshift.org/

Building a Story Brand

Small Business Marketing Assessment

Ask:

Fill out the Building Bridges Survey

Go Slow To Go Fast! Pause take a breath, be aware of yourself, of your environment, your surroundings, your community, and, examine what is the next right step.

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Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast - Ep 101: How to Get Volunteers on Board from the Onset with Karen Knight
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03/14/23 • 45 min

Volunteers are the fuel that keeps nonprofit organizations humming.

Not discounting volunteers' hard work to serve nonprofits’ missions, volunteers and how they talk about their experiences working with their favorite organizations provide the thrust that brings an abundance of donations, interest, and other volunteers into the system.

In short, when you treat your volunteers well and create an experience that a) positions them as the heroes in your mission story and b) treats their time as an invaluable resource not to be wasted, you’ll be on the path to real success.

See, many nonprofits position the organization as the hero of their story. In this narrative, the organization is cast as the creator of the majority of the thrust leading the charge to fulfill its mission.

Turning that framework on its head to position the volunteer as the hero is a fantastic way to encourage better engagement and attract more volunteers to your organization. It’s a subtle shift that can be challenging, but magic happens when you get it right. This shift in messaging helps bring volunteers into the system as they see themselves cast that the hero. Who wouldn’t want to work with an organization that views its volunteer force through that lens?

Once you have enticed your volunteers to take action to engage with your organization is the next area in which planning and process development works wonders.

Crafting an onboarding process and following that process each and every time a volunteer offers to engage with your organization is paramount. Have a plan, make the volunteers feel welcome and valuable, and ensure they don’t feel that their time was wasted.

When you nail these two elements of your organization, you will see an uptick in your repeat volunteerism, your helpers will start recruiting for you, and you will see referral-based donations start rolling in.

That’s a long introduction to this week’s guest on Relish THIS, Karen Knight. Karen has worked in the nonprofit space since first volunteering at age 11 and has been helping nonprofits improve their volunteer engagement ever since. Her consulting business helps nonprofit organizations knock their volunteer engagement out of the park by developing proven, repeatable processes and a better understanding of effective volunteer engagement and management.

If you leverage the talent and hard work of volunteers, this episode is tailor-made for you.

Dig in to see a different approach to volunteerism.

Links:

Karen Knight Consulting

Ask:

Show your appreciation

Thank your volunteers on every shift

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FAQ

How many episodes does Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast have?

Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast currently has 104 episodes available.

What topics does Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Non-Profit, Marketing, Business Marketing, Business Strategy, Nonprofit, Podcasts, Business and Marketing Strategy.

What is the most popular episode on Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast?

The episode title 'Ep 101: How to Get Volunteers on Board from the Onset with Karen Knight' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast?

The average episode length on Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast is 57 minutes.

How often are episodes of Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast released?

Episodes of Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast?

The first episode of Relish THIS: The Nonprofit Marketing Podcast was released on Sep 29, 2020.

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