It's one thing to be self-aware. It's another thing to put that self-awareness into practice. This week on the podcast I share a super embarrassing moment from last week and how I'm deploying self-awareness to make sure it doesn't happen again.

OK show of virtual hands. How many of you when someone asks you what you do, say something like, "I work in nonprofit. It's like herding cats." In this episode, I talk about a better approach than "herding" people towards a goal. This show has a special 5 minutes of meditative silence at the end. (This is why I need an editor!)

In the summer, my nonprofit is insanely busy, so I tend to assume that *everyone* is insanely busy. But I know there are lots of orgs that may be in a bit of a summer lull. So this week, I'm talking to you and wistfully daydreaming about my own organizational lull in a couple of months.

This week I'm talking specifically to people who are interviewing for jobs at a nonprofit or who are conducting the interviews for these jobs. Everyone wants to put on their best face for a job interview, so you have to be vigilant in looking for these red flags. And if you are the interviewer, you have to discuss frankly the challenges your organization faces. Here are 5 red flags that I've seen pop up in an interview situation. Let me know what you'd like to add to this list.

The biggest indicator of success for an organization is its culture, and the biggest influence on culture comes from your board. It is worth taking the time to find the right fit in the recruitment process. This week's episode talks about how to do that from a macro level. In this episode I mention downloadable fundraising worksheets. Here's the link for more info: http://virtualexecutivedirector.com/index.php/5-steps-worksheets/

We've all heard the trope, "No is a complete sentence." I mean, sure, it is. It's also a quick way to alienate people you care about. This week I talk about how to say "No" and still maintain those important relationships.

I happen to be in my busy season. I know this to be true because the almond milk I just bought expires after my event is over. When my food outlasts my work project, I know it's crazytime at the job. So this week I'm sharing with you my 5 tips for preparing for your next busy season.

Those of us in leadership know we don't get sick days the way a lot of other people do. Sure, they are part of our benefits package, but when we're out sick, no one is there to pick up the work, and things start falling through the cracks very easily. So how can we take care of ourselves and our nonprofits at the same time? This week I'm sharing my secrets for how to take a sick day without everything falling apart.

As this is being released, families in the USA may be road-tripping home from the long weekend. So instead of my usual "how to" podcast, here's a little story from a recent big event.

You don't have to go it alone. Studies show that having an accountability partner (or "accountabilibuddy") increases your rate of success with whatever you're trying to accomplish. This week, I talk about the value of an accountabilibuddy and how to make the relationship work.