Inspired Nonprofit Leadership

Founders who build a nonprofit from the ground up often find that their identity and the organization have become the same thing. The founders who handle growth well learn to name what they are feeling when they hand off roles, and they choose a new role on purpose.

Sarah invited Luke John Mickelson, who built one bunk bed in his garage in 2012 and grew it into Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit with more than 400 chapters across 47 states and four countries, to unpack what founder syndrome feels like from the inside and how founders and the people around them can move through it.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• How one bunk bed for a six-year-old named Haley became a national movement.

• Why each role a founder hands off can feel like losing part of themselves.

• What Luke means by a relevance wound, and the comment that nearly made him quit.

• How Luke's five steps help founders pause, name a new role, and plan their legacy.

• What boards and executive directors can do to give a founder grace during a transition.

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit founders who want to hand off roles without feeling pushed out.

• Executive directors who took over from a founder and want to keep that relationship strong.

• Board members who want to support a founder through a leadership transition.

• Founders of any organization who are stepping back and want to stay connected to what they started.

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit.

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

• Luke Mickelson's website

• Luke Mickelson on LinkedIn

• Luke Mickelson on Instagram

• Free founder syndrome assessment at LukeMickelson.com

• Founder's Syndrome Survival coaching and courses

• Book a free discovery call with Luke

• The Leadership Evolution Podcast

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your support for the show and the nonprofit leaders who listen.

Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Founder syndrome usually gets talked about as a problem, and the founder often gets the blame. Sarah sees it differently: if your organization is outgrowing the person who started it, you probably did something right, and that transition deserves a real plan.

Sarah goes solo to share how founders, boards, and the leaders who follow a founder can plan a healthier transition, drawing on her conversation with Luke John Mickelson, her years as a nonprofit executive director, and a sailing saying about easing the sails.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• Why Sarah thinks every successful nonprofit will eventually outgrow its founder

• What empty nest feelings can teach us about a founder's transition

• How a founder can honor the loss and name what they gained

• Why the founder transition belongs as a goal in your strategic plan

• How boards and successors can keep founders involved as ambassadors and storytellers

Who This Episode Is For

• Founders who feel a sense of loss as their organization needs them less

• Executive directors who followed a founder and want a strong working relationship

• Board members planning for a founder who is still involved

• Teams who want the founder transition to feel like a celebration

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit. • Founders Syndrome with Luke John Mickelson • Luke Mickelson on LinkedIn • Sarah Olivieri's website • Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri

Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human…

Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth.She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results.

Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them.

A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life.

Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey.

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your support for the show and the nonprofit leaders who listen.

Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

When you expect yourself to get every word right, a small mistake can shake your confidence. Learning to stay comfortable when something goes wrong gives you room to keep communicating and connecting with the people in front of you.

Sarah talks with Crispin Thompson, a leadership coach with more than 25 years of experience leading teams and helping people grow. They explore how to build confidence through practice, recover from mistakes, and use AI while taking responsibility for what you say.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• Why Crispin sees perfectionism as a barrier to confidence and presence.

• How he slowed his nervous speaking by deliberately lowering his voice.

• What Sarah means by staying comfortable when she doesn't know the answer.

• How to use AI for feedback while taking responsibility for the final message.

• Why Crispin chose calm problem-solving when encouraged to show more anger.

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders who want to feel more comfortable speaking to staff, boards, or donors.

• Leaders who want to recover from mistakes without losing their confidence.

• Anyone looking to use AI while keeping their communication accurate and personal.

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit.

• The Leadership Studio

• Crispin Thompson on LinkedIn

• Crispin Thompson's media profile

• The Human Advantage: Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your support for the show and the nonprofit leaders who listen. Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

When something hard happens in your life, the instinct is to keep working at full speed so nobody else has to carry your load. Leaders who handle these stretches well tell their team what's going on, lighten their workload for a while, and ask for help when they genuinely need it.

Sarah goes solo to work through what to do when a long day, a loved one's illness, or a family crisis lowers what you can take on, drawing on three recent stories, including a day of early school drop-offs, a late doctor's appointment, and a promised trip to the store with her son.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• Why a long day or a loved one's illness really does lower what you can take on

• What happens to your decisions and your health when you push past your limits

• How your team ends up fixing work you did while overstretched

• Why asking for help can be a gift to the people around you

• How to adjust your schedule and expectations to match what you can handle right now

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders going through a hard stretch at home who still want to lead well.

• Executive directors who would rather carry everything than ask their team for help.

• Leaders who want to support a team member through a difficult season.

Links from this episode

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit.

Connect with Sarah:

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri

Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human…

Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth.She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results.

Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them.

A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life.

Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey.

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to our sponsor Donorbox. More than a suite of helpful fundraising tools, Donorbox is a partner that helps you raise more money and supports you in retaining your donors. Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Mental health support needs a place in the everyday work of a nonprofit. Regular check-ins and clear ways to get help give staff support they can turn to while doing demanding work.

Sarah talks with Weanne Estrada, a mental health specialist at ADRA who supports people working in humanitarian settings. Together, they explore what nonprofit leaders can learn from supporting staff before, during, and after emergency deployments, including the everyday moments of connection that staff said mattered to them.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• Why Weanne sees mental health support as essential to effective humanitarian aid.

• How psychological first aid uses three steps: look, listen, and link.

• What deployed staff said about shared meals, walks, and manager check-ins.

• Why staff valued knowing counseling was available, even when they didn't use it.

• How stories of recovery and resilience can support the people doing the work.

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders who want to make mental health support a regular part of work.

• Teams looking for practical ways to respond when a colleague is struggling.

• Leaders who want to support staff carrying the emotional weight of helping others.

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit.

• ADRA International

• ADRA International on LinkedIn

• ADRA on Facebook

• ADRA International on Instagram

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your support for the show and the nonprofit leaders who listen.

Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Show Notes

When you explain an idea to your team, the big picture may be clear in your head, but it's probably not as clear in your team's head as you think it is. Specific examples help other people understand what you mean and what the work actually involves.

Sarah Olivieri walks through how to add useful detail to everyday communication so you can get what's in your head into the minds of your team. She shares practical examples from leadership meetings, planning, and the experiences of people your nonprofit serves. She shows how describing what happens step by step can make an idea easier to understand and reveal something a plan has missed.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• How a specific example makes a big-picture idea easier to understand.

• Why walking through a Monday morning can reveal gaps in your plan.

• How describing a client's experience helps others understand their perspective.

• What details can add to onboarding, job descriptions, and team communication.

Who This Episode Is For

• Leaders who want their team to understand what they are asking.

• Teams that want to find gaps in a plan before putting it into action.

• Anyone who wants to explain the experiences of the people their nonprofit serves.

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips, resources, and updates on training opportunities.

• Inspired Philanthropy Circle

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri

Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human…

Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth.She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results.

Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them.

A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life.

Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey.

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to our sponsor, Donorbox, for supporting Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your work removing friction from donation forms.

Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Show Notes

Reaching out to potential major donors can feel premature when you haven't figured out how you will follow up. A written contact list and a plan for the next interaction give you a simple place to start, without mapping out a year of conversations.

Sarah shares this approach using questions from nonprofit leaders starting major gifts programs in the Inspired Philanthropy Circle. She shares her own struggle with following up, the scheduling habit that helps her stay connected, and ways to give people something to look forward to together.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• What to record in a contact list so relationships don't depend on memory.

• How to arrange the next interaction before the current conversation ends.

• What to say when scheduling ahead feels uncomfortable or too pushy.

• How recurring tours, dinners, or informal gatherings give you something to invite people to.

• Why building a community of supporters can bring an emotional return alongside funding.

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders who want to start donor conversations without waiting for a complete annual plan.

• Fundraisers looking for a simple way to keep track of relationships.

• Leaders who want to stay in touch with supporters without feeling pushy.

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips, resources, and updates on training opportunities.

• Inspired Philanthropy Circle

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership and supporting these conversations. In this episode, Maria and Sarah discuss giving donors control over their recurring gifts.

Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Episode Description

Reaching out to potential major donors can feel premature when you haven't figured out how you will follow up. A written contact list and a plan for the next interaction give you a simple place to start, without mapping out a year of conversations.

Sarah walks through this approach using questions from nonprofit leaders starting major gifts programs in the Inspired Philanthropy Circle. She shares her own struggle with following up, the scheduling habit that helps her stay connected, and ways to give people something to look forward to together.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• What to record in a contact list so relationships don't depend on memory.

• How to arrange the next interaction before the current conversation ends.

• What to say when scheduling ahead feels uncomfortable or too pushy.

• How recurring tours, dinners, or informal gatherings give you something to invite people to.

• Why building a community of supporters can bring an emotional return alongside funding.

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders who want to start donor conversations without waiting for a complete annual plan.

• Fundraisers looking for a simple way to keep track of relationships.

• Leaders who want to stay in touch with supporters without feeling pushy.

Links from this episode

Links

Website: saraholivieri.com

Substack: Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication

Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips, resources, and updates on training opportunities.

Inspired Philanthropy Circle

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to our sponsor, Donorbox, for supporting Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your support for the show and the nonprofit leaders who listen.

A fundraising story asks people to care and act. How you gather and share that story matters to the person who lived it, the audience hearing it, and the donor relationships you hope to build.

Sarah invited Maria A Bryan, a trauma-informed storytelling trainer who helps nonprofits tell difficult stories while protecting the people involved, to unpack how consent, safety, and choice belong in fundraising. They discuss asking for stories without pressure, preparing audiences for difficult content, and building donor relationships around shared impact rather than guilt.

Who it's for

• You want to share compelling stories while protecting the people in them.
• You want donors to feel connected to your mission without using guilt or pressure.
• You want a clearer process for consent and responding when a story causes harm.

What you will hear

• Why someone receiving help may feel unable to say no to sharing their story.
• How content warnings give audiences a choice about hearing difficult stories.
• Why Sarah argues that relationships built on shared impact can support long-term giving.
• What Maria's experience of trying to pause a monthly gift reveals about donor choice.
• Why your storytelling process needs a plan for repairing harm.

Links from this episode

• Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit
• Maria A Bryan's website
• Connect with Maria A Bryan on LinkedIn
• When Bearing Witness: trauma-informed storytelling certification
• Emotional Intelligence Is Nonprofit Retention Infrastructure with Brittan Stockert

More of Maria's expert insight

• Ethical Persuasion in Fundraising: Inspire Without Pressure, The Nonprofit Podcast
• A Guide to Ethical Storytelling, What the Fundraising Podcast
• The Problem with Nonprofit Storytelling, Nonprofit Nation
• An Inclusionary Wakeup Call for Public Interest Copywriters, Journal of Public Interest Communications
• Trauma-Informed Storytelling with Maria Bryan, A Trauma-Informed Future Podcast

Connect with Sarah

• Sarah Olivieri's website
• Sarah Olivieri on Substack

Thank you to Donorbox

Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership and supporting these conversations. In this episode, Maria and Sarah discuss giving donors control over their recurring gifts.

Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Show Notes

Arriving at a team meeting with a solution already worked out can feel like you're helping everyone get ahead. When the work needs several people's perspectives, leaving the solution open gives the team a chance to develop something together that none of them could have created alone.

Sarah discusses when preparing a solution before a meeting can get in the way of collaboration, drawing on her experience helping teams create something new together.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• What to consider before working out a solution ahead of a meeting

• Why doing extra work can feel like the right thing to do

• What your approach to meeting preparation might be teaching your team

• How to make more room for leadership across your organization

• What Sarah's one-sentence definition of leadership asks us to reconsider

Who This Episode Is For

• Nonprofit leaders who want more people on their team taking initiative.

• Teams who want meetings that draw on everyone's ideas and experience.

• Executive directors who want to share the responsibility for moving their organization forward.

• Leadership teams who want to develop solutions they couldn't create on their own.

About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri

Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human…

Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth.She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results.

Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them.

A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life.

Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey.

Links

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit.

Resources mentioned:

• Apply to talk with Sarah about working together

• Explore ways to work with Sarah

• Email Sarah about your experience

Connect with Sarah:

• Sarah Olivieri's website

• Sarah Olivieri on LinkedIn

Thank you to our sponsor Donorbox. More than a suite of helpful fundraising tools, Donorbox is a partner that helps you raise more money and supports you in retaining your donors.