Rich Tatara is an active member and President of the Rotary Club of Naperville, a worldwide network of people in action triumphing over community issues through leadership and community building. He is an experienced global leader in telecommunications and IT and a retiree at Tellabs, where he worked for 22 years. Throughout his Tellabs career, Rich held several senior leadership positions, including Vice President of Global Marketing, Vice President of North American Sales, and General Manager of the Global Services Business Unit. Rich spends much of his time giving back to communities. He’s an active member of the Three Fires Council and Boy Scouts of America, Chairman of the Voters Assembly at Bethany Lutheran Church and School, and a Tax Aide for the AARP Foundation.

The Rotary Club has a long history in Chicagoland, particularly in Naperville. However, despite having four locations, its leadership still faces challenges in recruiting new members and spreading its mission. So, what is the Rotary Club, and what are the benefits of joining?

Rotary clubs are known for being the world's oldest and most prestigious service club. They connect a network of people of action to provide humanitarian services, promote goodwill, and encourage high ethical standards. Rich Tatara, an active organization member, explains Rotary offers various committees for individuals with diverse talents, including finance, membership, public relations, youth service, and fundraising committees. In addition to making a difference in their communities, Rotarians of the Naperville chapter can sharpen their leadership skills via its leadership program, which hosts several annual events.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith welcomes Rich Tatara, President of the Rotary Club of Naperville, to discuss the organization and its mission. Rich also shares the Rotary Club’s contributions to society, the challenges of leading Rotary, and how people can benefit as members of the organization.

Adam Russo is the Founder of Reliable Coaching and Strategy, a coaching consultancy helping organizations manage people, processes, and strategies. He’s also the Founder of Edgewood Clinical Services, a full-service mental healthcare provider for all ages. Before exiting the company after 16 years, Adam grew the organization to eight figures in revenue, 140 employees, and served thousands of clients annually. The quality of care, combined with business strategy for growth, resulted in Edgewood being twice as listed on the Inc. 5000 list for the fastest-growing businesses in the US. In June 2020, Adam partnered with LifeStance Health, where he led 1,200 employees across four states and was responsible for $100 million in revenue. 

The people-process framework is a methodology that balances people and processes to drive action and achieve business growth. However, the success of this strategy is dependent on the leader. What should leaders consider when implementing this type of structure?

As business leader Adam Russo explains, executives in leadership roles should focus on employee work ethic, workplace culture, and business operations. And even though there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to measuring work efficiency, organizations should be able to determine a value for the dollar in terms of meeting deliverables and deadlines. In addition, businesses incur costs when there is high turnover, but a solution to employee retention is creating a safe and engaging work environment. Having standard operating procedures in place, such as processes for onboarding, an overview for the initial two weeks, and job duties, also aids in retention. Adam also advises updating SOPs, which significantly impacts business growth regarding inaccuracies and productivity.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith welcomes Adam Russo, Founder of Reliable Coaching and Strategy, to discuss a purposeful people-process strategy. Adam shares his career trajectory and what inspired him to start his coaching consultancy. He also talks about work ethic, employee motivation, and compensation in the wake of inflation, and how workplace culture and operations impact business growth.

Rick Lochner is the President and CEO of RPC Leadership Associates, a leadership and business consultancy that helps develop entrepreneurs, executives, nonprofit board members, and professionals. He honed his skills while serving 11 years in the military, leading soldiers in challenging environments worldwide. Upon leaving the Army, Rick spent the next 18 years in corporate leadership, ranging from front-line management to senior executive management. He successfully led organizations in Fortune 100 corporations and privately held entrepreneurial ventures in various industries. Rick is a revered coach, facilitator, and workshop and keynote speaker. He has also authored seven books, including Finding the Missing Piece: The Impact of Effective Communications on Sustainable Success. Rick graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

A 2018 published report revealed that approximately 7% of charities become insolvent because they lack business acumen. How can nonprofit agencies fulfill their mission without being confined to budget limitations?

Seasoned leader Rick Lochner has over 20 years of experience leading companies, including Fortune 500. After noticing a gap in the management of nonprofits, he wanted to offer his expertise while helping charities change the world. Most philanthropic organizations operate within an allotted budget, which is a non-scalable business model. While nonprofits focus on a mission, exploring alternative sources of revenue generation can help bolster scalability and impact. Rick coaches nonprofit leaders and boards to help them work within the confines of a traditional business that generates revenue. Rick also explains that charitable groups are more likely to succeed by formulating a growth-oriented strategy.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast with Paul Feith, Rick Lochner, President and Head Coach at RPC Leadership Associates, discusses alternative methods to lead nonprofit organizations. Rick shares his leadership background and how he became involved in nonprofits, the differences between social enterprises and traditional charities, and why nonprofits should operate like conventional businesses.

Paul Feith is the President of Paul Gregory Media, a mission-based digital marketing agency that offers services such as branding, marketing campaigns, social media management, SEO, advertising, and fundraising. Paul is a self-described computer and technology nerd who started his first entrepreneurial venture as the owner of Compu-Tech, a database programming company. After a long career in corporate America as a new media manager for various dot-com startups, he founded PGM.

Paul uses his passion for volunteering at mission-based organizations by sharing his expertise in technology and marketing at various nonprofit organizations, including serving on the boards for Habitat for Humanity of Illinois, Giving DuPage, The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Social Responsibility Chicago. He is also active with The Rotary Club of Naperville

Pillar-based marketing — which has evolved over the past years — is a hierarchy of landing pages and blog posts built on SEO strategy. How can your company benefit from this marketing strategy?

Upon its inception, only large conglomerates could afford pillar-based marketing, which cost between $20,000-$30,000 per month. Thanks to modern-day technologies like AI and other content automation tools, it’s affordable for nonprofits and small to medium organizations, ranging between $3500-$8000. With the assistance of content automation, AI identifies keywords, topics, bullet points, and heading tags, giving marketers ideas for blog posts. So, not only is pillar-based marketing cost-effective, but it’s also time-effective, cutting research by 90%. Although this type of marketing is attractive, it benefits companies utilizing SEO for at least two years and produces results within 30-90 days. As Paul Feith muses more on the topic, these are just some of the many advantages of pillar-based marketing. 

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Chad Franzen of Rise25 once again flips the script to interview host Paul Feith about pillar-based marketing. Paul discusses the costs of using pillar-based marketing, how AI enhances marketing research, and how companies can benefit from pillar-based marketing.

Sarah Grycko-Oprzedek is the President and CEO of United Way of Will County, an organization that champions the self-sufficiency, health, safety, and education of the residents in Will County. She’s been a loyal servant leader of the United Way for 17 years, beginning her career as a Community Relations Manager and progressing up the ladder into senior leadership. Before United Way, Sarah worked in Human Resources and Employee Relations at Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions. Through her HR experience, education in psychology and social work, and commitment to making a difference, Sarah found her passion within corporate social responsibility and community relations to benefit the greater good.

A career in the nonprofit sector can be a rewarding experience, as it allows one to impact communities in need positively. However, leaders of philanthropic organizations face many challenges daily. 

Sarah Grycko-Oprzedek, a seasoned fundraising professional, explains that nonprofits face an unfortunate phenomenon known as "David versus Goliath." Under this pretense, legislation threatens charitable businesses with lawsuits to return illegally donated funds, also known as clawback donations. Another challenge leaders grapple with is employee churn caused by lack of funding. This results in ineffective disbursement of duties, inundating staff with heavier workloads. As a result, maintaining a healthy work-life balance becomes arduous, as leaders and staff members exceed the standard 40-hour work week, sometimes clocking 50-60-hour work weeks.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast with Paul Feith, Sarah Grycko-Oprzedek, President and CEO of United Way of Will County, discusses the challenges leaders face every day. Sarah talks about clawback donations, employment challenges within the nonprofit sector, and the complexities of achieving a work-life balance.

Tim Frick is the Founder and President of Mightybytes, a Chicago-based digital agency and Certified B Corporation helping nonprofits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven companies. He is also a speaker, community leader, and author on sustainable design and has published four books, including Designing for Sustainability: A Guide to Building Greener Digital Products and Services. In addition to his work at Mightybytes, Tim is a former board member and board president at Climate Ride. He’s also a board member at Alliance for the Great Lakes, Co-chair at W3C’s Sustainable Web Design community group, and the Co-founder and Community Organizer for B Local Illinois, a foundation helping local and regional organizations attain social and environmental goals.

In many ways, the Internet makes our lives easier by providing instant communication, accessible information, online payment platforms, and the ability to work from home. But are you aware that the Internet pollutes the environment?

Over the years, our reliance on electronic devices has led to the creation of digital waste — obsolete devices that have reached the end of their life cycle. Unwanted computers, cell phones, and other electronic equipment account for 60 million pounds of landfill waste and 3-5% of global emissions. However, according to Tim Frick, a pioneer in digital sustainability, we can decrease our digital footprint by practicing digital sustainability. Beyond donating and recycling older gadgets, Tim advocates for using energy-efficient web hosts. Individuals and companies can also create performance-enhanced digital products and services by reducing data payloads, optimizing smaller images, and decreasing page size.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast with Paul Feith, Tim Frick, Founder and President of Mightybytes, discusses digital sustainability —  the process of incorporating environmental, economic, and social stewardship practices into digital products and services. Tim explains how digital waste impacts the environment, how the internet can be more sustainable, and provides nonprofits with ideas on supporting digital sustainability.

Marissa Schmidt is the Marketing Director at Paul Gregory Media (PGM), an award-winning marketing agency driven by purpose. In her day-to-day role, Marissa interacts directly with clients and oversees the entire project lifecycle, from ideation to execution. She has over five years of digital marketing experience, including content strategy, graphic design, social media management, and effective communication. Beyond her project management duties at PGM, Marissa volunteers with PGM’s client partners and various community organizations, such as the Naperville Ribfest Sponsorship and Feed My Starving Children.

Mission-based marketing agencies like Paul Gregory Media (PGM) typically serve nonprofit and for-profit clients. Although these types of businesses generally have contrasting goals, they usually have similar questions and concerns, including brand awareness, various donation platforms, and the cost of hiring a marketing agency. Are you shopping for a freelance marketer or a full-service agency? How can they support your marketing needs? 

Whether the establishment is monetary or philanthropic, experienced marketer Marissa Schmidt explains that social media, blog posts, and email campaigns are the most cost-effective and organic methods to optimize brand awareness. Compiling a well-crafted message across all three touchpoints is essential to build trust and credibility. In terms of online or donor fundraising, platforms like DonorPerfect, Network for Good, and GiveWP allow nonprofits to collect and process donations securely. Additionally, these platforms can generate a donation history and an IRS tax receipt. When hiring a service agency, consider your budget and long-term goals. Although full-service agencies may perform one-time projects, purchasing a retainer between $2,000 and $12,000 is the best option since surplus funds roll over to the next month or year. However, regardless of each customer’s unique needs, a reliable agency will carefully guide them through the entire process from conceptualization to implementation.

On today’s Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith sits with Paul Gregory Media’s Marketing Director, Marissa Schmidt, to ponder potential clients' common questions. Together, they address effective methods to promote brand awareness, leading donation platforms, the costs of building a website, and how marketing agencies charge for their services.

Shefali Trivedi is the Founder, President, and CEO of A Better We, a platform committed to empowering individuals and communities via resources, services, and curated events. With 30 years of experience in marketing, sales, and project management, Shefali has held various roles in the government and nonprofit sectors, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Before founding A Better We, she served as Giving DuPage’s Executive Director. Under her leadership, the organization increased volunteer engagement by 250% and launched its first-ever Giving Day event at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Shefali is a prominent speaker at chambers, colleges, faith organizations, and community groups. In 2019, the Daily Herald Business Ledger recognized her with the Most Influential Women in Business award.

When working for charitable causes, it is essential to comprehend the risks associated with fundraising events. For instance, the weather may not be favorable, or, as in the case of 2020, an unforeseen pandemic could occur. How do you conquer these challenges without losing sight of your core mission? 

Shefali Trivedi has extensive experience in leading mission-based organizations and has learned valuable lessons in her previous roles, including the importance of persistence, changing organizational culture, taking risks, knowing your business model, and sales. She navigates her career with the mindset of understanding the trends in philanthropy and developing a business plan rather than relying on government funding alone. In some cases, it takes changing the organization's culture by proposing new plans. To plead one’s case, one must do their due diligence by conducting research, attending webinars, and having data and budgets to back up the proposals. Although transforming a culture may not happen expeditiously, being persistent and steadfast in your vision can help make substantial headway. These lessons have prepared Shefali well for her current role at A Better We, and now, she opens up about some of her greatest insights. 

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith interviews Shefali Trivedi, Founder, President, and CEO of A Better We, about the lessons she’s learned as a servant leader and the importance of having trust in your business model. Shefali shares her career trajectory, the challenges she overcame in her previous roles, and A Better We’s mission.

Ashley Kratschmer is the Digital Marketing Coordinator at Paul Gregory Media (PGM), a mission-based marketing agency dedicated to serving clients’ altruistic values. In her role at PGM, Ashley oversees all digital marketing tasks and is responsible for generating impressions, leads, and awareness for the agency's client base. Ashley’s five years of experience in the industry has allowed her to work on various marketing teams in consumer goods, higher education, and health and wellness. She enjoys using her marketing skills to help organizations in need.

Programmatic advertising is a type of digital advertising that uses software to buy and sell ad space. So why is this type of promotion more effective?

Programmatic ads target specific demographics, interests, and online behaviors, making them more likely to be viewed by people curious about the advertised product or service. This leads to higher conversion rates, as more individuals who see the ad will likely take action, such as purchasing. Though Google Ads focuses on shoppers ready to make immediate purchases, programmatic ads promote products and services for future sales. So besides being cost-effective, programmatic ads are time-saving since marketers can automate them. In addition, you can measure campaign results by tracking conversion rates and investment returns. By monitoring these metrics, companies can see how well their campaigns perform and make necessary adjustments to improve their results. 

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith interviews Ashley Kratschmer, Digital Marketing Coordinator at Paul Gregory Media (PGM), about programmatic advertising. Ashley explains when and how to use programmatic ads, the difference between geofencing and retargeting, and when to optimize campaigns.

Katrina Syrris is the Social Media Manager at Paul Gregory Media (PGM), a mission-based marketing agency dedicated to serving clients’ altruistic values. A self-described social butterfly with a flair for communication, she acquiesced to hone her social media skills. Katrina’s hands-on experience and efforts make her an asset at PGM. When she’s not creating content, Katrina can be found building theatrical production sets or in a forest preserve. She serves as the Commissioner for the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and is the Founder and Artistic Director at Goodly Creatures Theatre. At Goodly Creatures—a modern theater company bringing literature to the stage—Katrina writes, produces, and directs productions for indoor and outdoor venues.

In a world where the public increasingly demands transparency from companies, social media platforms provide a window into a business's personality and values. This information helps consumers decide whether to work for or do business with a particular organization. However, in terms of reaching an audience, is social media a sales or marketing tool?

Social media manager Katrina Syrris explains that social networking provides brand awareness but still supports conversions. Nevertheless, using social media effectively is crucial to achieve your desired results. If your business’ conversion rates continue declining, the next step is to start tracking analytics or refine your strategy. Social media is a powerful tool to position your brand as a cultivated thought leader and build a relationship with a desired audience. When used correctly, these platforms exhibit a company’s significance in the community. Additionally, social media allows brands to interact with the public and gives them a voice to address positive and negative feedback. Social media is constantly evolving, so adapting your strategies as needed is essential.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith interviews Katrina Syrris, Social Media Manager at Paul Gregory Media (PGM), about how businesses can benefit from social media. Katrina shares strategies for successful campaigns, preferred management tools, and discusses the differences between using social media as a marketing tool and as a sales tool.