Changemakers Collective

Anybody can point out problems and call out what’s not working, but fewer people actually take the time to meaningfully solve those problems. In this episode, we discuss the importance of being a problem solver, not a problem identifier. This includes the necessity of leadership humility, which involves listening to team members, embracing their ideas, and sharing decision-making authority. We also offer insights on effective hiring practices to build a dynamic team aligned with your organization’s values. If you’re ready to stop being the bottleneck in your business by empowering your team to solve problems as they see them, this episode is for you!

In this episode, we cover:

• How you as the business owner might be discouraging problem-solving

• Teaching your team how to take responsibility for problems they notice

• Coaching your team vs. consulting for your team

• Learning not to hold on too tightly to all the decision-making in your business

• Interview questions to help you build your problem-solving team

• Encouraging collaboration among team members to increase creative problem solving

You started your business to make an impact in the world, but now you’re too busy and burned out on the day-to-day operations to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you to accelerate their growth through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

When we ask business owners and teams what they need to get closer to their mission and vision, 99% percent of the time they all say “money.” And 99% percent of the time, that’s not actually what they need. In this episode, we explain why more money isn’t going to solve your problems, and why crafting a clear vision and aligning your existing financials to that vision is going to take you way further than a $10 million windfall.

Links mentioned:

• Watch Episode 22: Scaling to 7-Figures Through Collaboration and Connection with Brian Boan

• Watch Episode 10: The Nuts & Bolts of Starting a Business

• Vision Map by Joel Malm

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why more money is not going to solve your problems

• The magic question we ask our clients to unveil their pain points

• The terrifying moment you decide to go all in… and what’s waiting for you on the other side

• How to think like an investor to make the most out of the money you can

• Getting out of survival mindset and into growth mindset

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

Are your board and staff working together harmoniously… or are they butting heads at every turn? In our experience, it’s usually the latter, so in this episode, we’re sharing how you can take steps to create more harmony between your staff and board. From getting aligned on the same vision to making sure the right people are in the right seats, this episode has everything you need to ensure your people are working hand-in-hand to achieve your mission.

Links mentioned:

• Watch our Interns vs. Volunteers vs. Board Members series

• Book a Preparing for Everest vision casting session with the Silverback Ventures team

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why having clear roles and responsibilities for your staff and board members is key for efficiency - and harmony

• Getting clarity around your vision so board and staff are aligned

• Making sure the right board members are connecting with the right staff members

• Leveraging your board for way more than fundraising

• Trusting your board members to be subject matter experts that will guide your staff to their highest and best use

• Why you should be wary of board members who are on several boards that aren’t all solving the same problem

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

Change is hard, but changes in leadership are another beast altogether. In this episode, we’re diving into how to navigate leadership changes in your organization in a way that keeps everyone aligned on the big picture vision. Plus, we share some behind the scenes intel on our Leadership Challenge workshop and how it facilitates a smooth and exciting leadership transition.

Links mentioned:

• Vision Map by Joel Malm

• How to Work With Silverback Ventures

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• The challenges that arise from changes in leadership

• The step-by-step of joining a new leadership role in your organization

• What NOT to do during a leadership transition

• Behind the scenes of a Leadership Challenge with Silverback Ventures

• Why starting with a strong vision statement saves you a ton of headaches during leadership transitions

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

It’s no secret that many kids are slipping through the cracks of the education system, but with the right engagement, we can turn this ship around. In this episode, David Spellmon Jr. shares how his organization, Positive Archer Solutions, solves this problem through hip-hop music. Yes, you read that right: David connects with students through music to build social and emotional learning skills to set them up for success in school and in life. This episode is an incredible case study on turning your passion into purpose and using it to solve a problem and maximize impact.

David Spellmon Jr. is an education advocate and Founder of Positive Archer Solutions, which creates student success by focusing on the whole child by incorporating Hip Hop Pedagogy, social and emotional learning, service learning, and building social capital. Through speaking, program facilitation, and workshops, David brings an innovative approach to improving academic and behavioral outcomes for students and improving school climate. ​​

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• How David’s upbringing in a military family taught him the power of connection across cultures

• The lightbulb moment that cued him into using hip-hop as educational curriculum

• David’s mission to create more connection to our students in the educational system to boost literacy rates

• Behind the scenes of creating and monetizing your own educational framework

• Why it’s our job as entrepreneurs to challenge the status quo

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

Can a cup of coffee change the world? A product-based business can absolutely be impact-driven, and Bryan Boan’s coffee company, Rock Hill Coffee, is living proof of that. In this episode, Bryan shares the wild stories behind starting and scaling his company, how keeping collaboration and connection at the forefront has supported his growth, and his vision to make a global impact with Rock Hill Coffee.

Connect with Bryan:

• Rock Hill Coffee Website

• Rock Hill Coffee IG

• Bryan’s Instagram

Links mentioned:

• Vision Map by Joel Malm

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Building a company that’s truly community focused and impact driven

• How Bryan got buy-in from his advisors and stakeholders for his vision even when they were unsure of the “how”

• Behind the scenes of scaling a business from $800 revenue months to almost seven figures in annual revenue

• Leveraging collaborations to scale your business

• That one time Bryan got a call from the secret service 👀

• Why treating your staff exceptionally well is more important than calling them “family”

• Bryan’s vision to open a coffee farm in Uganda and to empower the community around it

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

Having an advisory board or a board of directors for your organization can multiply the impact of your organization’s mission… but only if you have the right people in the right seats. In this episode, we discuss the legal requirements for a board, our hot take on pay-to-play boards, and how to serve on a board if you want to make an impact for a cause you care about.

Links mentioned:

• Oakworth Capital Bank | Central Carolinas

• TowneBank

• No Fail Meetings by Michael Hyatt

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Non-profit board requirements vs. for-profit board requirements

• The difference between advisory boards vs. boards of directors

• How to choose who should be on your board

• Steps you should take to find and join a board

• Why we believe boards shouldn’t be pay-to-play

• How long you should serve on a board

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

Have you ever showed up to an event as a volunteer, ready to put some time and energy into a cause you’re excited about, only to arrive and be unsure of what to do? We’ve all been there, and it’s not only a bad look for the organization, it’s also a lost opportunity to make an impact. In this episode, we discuss how to lead your volunteers to success, protecting yourself and your volunteers legally, and the limits of what volunteers can and can’t do.

Links mentioned:

• Fact Sheet #14A: Non-Profit Organizations and the Fair Labor Standards Act

• Congress.gov: Volunteer Protection Act of 1997

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Where to find labor laws around volunteers for your state

• Protecting yourself if your paid staff wants to volunteer their time

• Giving back to your volunteers without violating labor laws

• Outlining clear tasks and expectations for volunteers

• Examples of volunteer events done well… and some not-so-stellar examples

• Why you should get to know your volunteers

• The limits of what volunteers can do for your organization

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

If we had a dollar for every time we heard someone say “we’ll just hire an intern to do that,” we’d be living on the beaches of Tahiti right now. So many people see interns as unpaid (or cheap) laborers that will solve all the problems in their business. In this episode, we’re breaking down some of the myths about interns, what an intern can and can’t do in your organization, and how to build an internship program full of the impact and integrity we know you want to keep at the forefront of your business.

Links mentioned:

• Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why unpaid interns are counterproductive

• The actual requirements to have an intern

• When it makes sense to have an intern vs. a part-time employee

• How to set clear (and reasonable!) expectations for your interns

• Ensuring your work needs meet your intern’s work requirements

• Creating an internship program with responsibility and integrity

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

We wanted to end our financial literacy series by sharing the weekly practice that helped Steff and her husband pay off credit card debt, build savings, and maintain their financial gains. Having a weekly budget might not sound fun or glamorous, but it’s the key to making financial changes that will set you up for less stress, big future purchases, and a stronger relationship with your spouse. That sounds pretty fun to us!

Watch the rest of the series:

• Part 1: These Habits are Keeping You Broke

• Part 2: Taking Control of Your Financial Future in Uncertain Economic Times

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why we need to get comfortable talking about money
• Steff’s wake up call that her family needed to get their finances together
• How she changed her approach to credit cards and budgeting immediately
• The link between weekly planning and saving money
• How to plan for big future expenses or purchases
• Reframing your budget as an opportunity to reduce stress

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube