“So while you are important in that story, you are not the main character; your customer is. And the part you play as the professional is the guide. Because what we ultimately wanna do for our customers is we don't wanna sell ourselves. We wanna sell the problem we solve; like we wanna sell the solution.” - Amy Milne

Leaning into the problem with Amy Milne

For this episode, Jess and I are excited to sit down with Amy Milne, the CEO of Beyond Fundraising. Being an experienced nonprofit consultant, she was recently certified as a StoryBrand guide. She talks about how to use the StoryBrand framework and how to make your customer the hero of the story. So if you’re feeling stuck or you’re experiencing a business slump then this episode is for you!

Highlights:

1. Attracting your customers with what you can do for them
2. Being clear and clever about your business
3. Utilizing authentic storytelling in the nonprofit sector

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

StoryBrand

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

thegoodpartnership.com

Captivate by Vanessa Van Edwards

Connect with Amy:

• Website: https://www.startingbeyond.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-milne-8946791/ 
• Instagram: @startbeyond, @milneamyr

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Long story short, the thing that I'm really about is Democratizing thought leadership or this thing we call thought leadership. I don't really love that term. So that the people with the real wisdom, insight and lived experience that I think that we should all be listening to can grow their influence and recognition so that we can actually move the world towards a more just future.” - Tania Bhattacharrya

Niching down to become a thought leader with Tania Bhattacharrya

In today’s podcast, we are chatting with Tania Bhattacharrya. We talked about her going from her in-house job as a fundraiser to having a business of her own, VIP Day. Today she is working with vision-led entrepreneurial women in the social impact space and helps them build their power and influence using LinkedIn. 

Highlights:

1. How to democratize thought leadership and why it is important
2. Intentionally evolving - as seen in Tania’s journey
3. Tips and tricks for nonprofit coaches and consultants who are looking to start or grow their business

Connect with Tania:

• Website: https://lumosmarketing.co 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-bhattacharyya/ 
• Podcast: The Campfire Circle

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 “I think we're attracting folks who understand that mindset. I mean, they're choosing to join a community. And I think also a lot of us recognize that the skills that we've learned, that we base our businesses on, we learn from somebody else.” - Heather Yandow

“I think the abundance and collaboration mindset really helps people do better work… It is much better if I can feel kind of comfortable letting that go, sharing that with other folks that are going to do a much better job and really love doing that work. And then give myself the space to take on clients that are more aligned with what I do.” - Lauren Andraski

Community over competition with Heather Yandow and Lauren Andraski

In today’s podcast, we are chatting with Lauren Andraski from Consultants for Good and Heather Yandow from Nonprofit.ist. Jess and I were so excited to have them talk about how they have formed open and generous communities for consultants where everyone grows and learns from each other.

Highlights:

1. The benefits of social connection and having a community where you can learn from and feel supported.
2. Having an abundance mindset and allowing other people to work alongside you.
3. Leading with trust and building your network.

How to keep members in your community.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Jess' Nonprofit Coaches and Consultants Slack Channel

Connect with Heather:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatheryandow/ 
• Website: nonprofit.ist
• nonprofit.ist/confessions

Connect with Lauren:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenandraski/ 
• Website: consultants4good.com

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“My relationship with rest has to continue to evolve because I'm the business, right? I'm the business. And if there's no better investment I can make, it's in myself.” - April Walker 

Taking a sabbatical with April Walker

In today’s podcast, we’re chatting with April Walker about how she invests in her mental wellbeing by taking those well-needed breaks. She also shares how she earns from her speaking engagements, how she declines organizations who don’t stand for what she believes in, and how she informs clients when taking sabbaticals.

Highlights:

1. You are the business. Without you, your business isn’t going anywhere so make sure you take those breaks from time to time, and make sure you really leave work behind when taking time off.
2. We need to set boundaries with our clients. If they don’t stand for what you stand for, then what’s the point?
3. Learn how to know your worth. If you always get an immediate yes, then you should’ve asked for more.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Philanthropy for the People

Rhea Wong

Connect with April:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilcwalker/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philanthropyforthepeople/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/equityandthings

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"People don't go into nonprofit [business] because they're gonna make a lot of money. They do it because they are so passionate about it. That's how you can connect with them on a deep human level." - Erin Binns

Creating a 5-star experience with Erin Binns

In today’s podcast, we’re chatting with Erin Binns about how she aces the customer service department. Erin of The Client Collective previously worked in the hotel industry and during her hotelier days, she learned how to treat customers as royalty. She learned how to form human connections, allowing her to generate more leads for her business. Her client management approach means less marketing and more ideal clients!

Highlights:

1. Basic referral networks bring a lot more to your business than you think of so don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth.
2. Form human connections - Simple gestures such as greeting them on their birthdays or giving them gifts out of nowhere can keep your clients coming back or making meaningful referrals
3. Always remember, offboarding is just as important as onboarding so don’t hesitate sending that thank you note.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Andaz of Park Hyatt

Connect with Erin:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-binns-7a69611/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinbinns/
• Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/Binnsy/

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There are clients where we just like, ‘Nah, this isn't working.’ It’s scary, right? It's scary to let go of revenue. I've always believed though, that like, the reason we consult is cause we don't wanna be treated badly by people. And so at some point, most of us are gonna have to fire a client.” - Cindy Wagman

“I think it's about giving yourself permission to not continue to work with clients that you don't wanna work with.” - Jess Campbell

AMA: Saying buh-bye to clients

It’s just Jess and Cindy in today’s podcast as they talk about the importance of knowing your limits when it comes to dealing with clients. In this episode, they explore how to properly approach the matter of firing clients. What boundaries have been crossed? How do you start the conversation? How do you frame your words? 

Highlights:

1. The importance of setting boundaries with clients 
2. How to frame conversation when firing a client
3. Remembering that our actions influence our client’s expectations of us

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

The Make It Happen Conference

Find Us Online: https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The podcast has been transformative. It is mind-blowing how many people say yes to being on your podcast that you would never imagine in your wildest dreams saying yes to you.” - Dana Snyder

Launch like a pro with Dana Snyder

In today’s podcast, we’re chatting with Dana Synder about her business and how she launched her super successful podcast Mission to Movements. Plus, we’re diving into how Dana built her business by pivoting her focus from direct service to teaching and coaching.

Highlights:

1. A full behind the scenes playbook of launching (in Dana’s case, a podcast)
2. How Dana moved from an agency model to teaching and training
3. Leveraging Dana’s superpower of digital marketing to generate leads and build her business

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

The Make It Happen Conference

Positive Equation

Buzzsprout Ads

Connect with Dana:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danarsnyder/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivequation/ 

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So I always tell people, you don't have to be shiny like me. You gotta be shiny like you. And just remember, I mentioned that I'm a candle. Candle shine, light shine, mirrors shine, sun shines, diamond shine, all those things shine. So you have to be authentic to yourself and shine the way you would shine and how you would show up.” - Vivian Kaye

Highlights

1. F*ck it - How turning 40 life made Vivian care less about what other people think
2. Building your audacity muscles - how to claim your space and power
3. Asking “why not?” to battle your imposter syndrome and step into opportunities with confidence

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Connect with Vivan:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsviviankaye/

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We need to learn how to self-coach because at the end of the day, It’s just us.” - Cindy Wagman

It is never an easy battle when the enemy is yourself, but imposter syndrome is something 100% of us go through in our business journey. In this episode of Confessions Podcast, Cindy and Jess listen to a confession from one anonymous caller sharing their experience with imposter syndrome. They dig deep by sharing their own Imposter moments throughout their experience with their businesses.   Jess and Cindy discuss how turning negative thoughts about one’s self off and combating the voices in our head with logical and emotional evidence got them through those tough times. 

Highlights:

1. We all struggle with Imposter Syndrome.
2. How to identify where your Imposter Syndrome comes from and whose voices you’re actually hearing.
3. Some approaches to combat Imposter Syndrome 

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We have this headwind of constantly trying to remind the nonprofit sector that we are people too, and we deserve to be compensated for our time.” - Rachel Bearbower

Everyone keeps talking about the need for consultants to move from 1:1 work to 1:many, but what does it really take to get there? In this episode of the Confessions podcast, Rachel Bearbower, the founder and CEO of Small Shop Strategies, shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of her experience creating a membership program in her business. It’s not all sunshine and roses, but there is definitely a payoff to patience. 

Highlights:

1. Going from 1:1 work to 1:many doesn’t happen overnight
2. A membership is a great way to build a community (and recurring revenue) but is a huge commitment and requires you to show up for that community consistently.
3. What has worked and what hasn’t when it comes to growing an audience
4. Not apologizing for wanting to earn a good living

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Connect with Rachel:

• Website: https://www.smallshopstrategies.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbearbower/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallshopstrategies
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallshopstrategies/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelbearbower

Find Us Online: https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.