Guest Name:
Carli Franks - Merage Foundation

Guest Intro:
Carli is the Senior Marketing Strategist for the Merage Foundation, where she oversees all strategic marketing, planning, as well as press relations, communications, the websites, social media efforts. She does everything. Her goal is to help elevate the great work at the organization and its partners.

Carli has more than 10 years of experience in marketing communications in both the association and nonprofit sectors and she's also currently an executive board member of her college alumni board at North Central College where she got her Bachelor's degree in Organizational Communications and Organizational Leadership in 2005.

Carli and I have been working together for a number of years now and she's near and dear to my heart as a customer and as a friend. She's fantastic in what she does and I'm excited to have her on this show.

Topics We Discuss:
An overview of the Merage Foundation as a consortium of nonprofit entities, their respective focus areas, and some projects they have funded
The value of setting expectations for each project and setting priorities
Using the basics to track projects: Excel spreadsheets
Systematizing their processes: Prioritization, weekly check-ins
Content generation as a major challenge for them in showing their industry leadership
The impact of telling your stories and great work to the community
Balancing new and current projects - Finding a way to always make it happen!
A look into the Hot Pockets story as the basis of the work they do today - An entrepreneurial approach
Hiring for greatness: Looking for the long-term fit and setting expectations
Monitoring strategies: Monthly dashboards, monthly core team meetings, quarterly meetings
The importance of collaboration and building relationships versus hardcore negotiations
Books, People, & Resources:

Merage Foundation - Read more about David and Laura and the organizations they support

Andre & Katherine Merage Foundation

Sabrina Merage Foundation

Jonathan Merage Foundation

Chef America

Projects:
Equitas
Black Cube

Tools they use:
Slack
Meltwater