Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser
The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser episodes
- The Awkward Middle
Navigating the Heebie Jeebies of Learning in Public
We love growth. We just don't necessarily love letting other people watch us grow.
There's an awkward middle between deciding you want to get better at something and actually becoming good at it—a place where you don't quite know what you're doing yet, other people may be watching, and you can't control what they think about your performance.
For many of us, that's when preparation starts to look awfully attractive.
One more course. A little more research. Another degree. A few more donor touches. Just a little more practice before we put ourselves out there.
But when does responsible preparation become hiding?
In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, I'm exploring the vulnerability of learning in public—and sharing some of my own discomfort with doing exactly that as I learn how to podcast. We'll look at why being a capable, accomplished adult can actually make beginnerhood harder, what research tells us about women's desire to feel prepared before pursuing professional opportunities, and why avoiding discomfort can quietly cost us the very experience we need to grow.
We'll also look at how this shows up in fundraising: delaying the major-gift ask, researching instead of talking to donors, waiting until we can answer every possible question, or convincing ourselves we're not quite ready for the next opportunity.
Because eventually, there's something preparation can't give us:
Experience.
In this episode:
- Why being inexperienced is not the same as being incompetent
- How preparation can quietly turn into hiding
- Why avoiding vulnerability feels so good in the short term—and what it costs us over time
- The difference between waiting until you're completely ready and being ready enough to learn the rest by doing it
- How fear of not knowing the answer can keep fundraisers from having the conversations that actually move the needle
- Why confidence and capability are often the result of taking action, not prerequisites for it
- A simple experiment for becoming more willing to let other people see you learn
The goal isn't to become fearless.
It's to become safe enough within yourself to say:
You might see me struggle. You might see me make a mistake. You might see me learn. And I'm going to do it anyway.
Because that's how we get from here to there.
Research mentioned in this episode
Tara Sophia Mohr, “Why Women Don't Apply for Jobs Unless They're 100% Qualified,” Harvard Business Review.
Mohr is also the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead.
The episode also references subsequent research examining gender differences in how prepared people want to feel before applying for jobs—and why the commonly repeated “women apply at 100%, men at 60%” statistic shouldn't be treated as established scientific fact.
Stay connected
💌 Join The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter for reflections and practical tools around fundraising, leadership, emotional mastery, and your inner climate:
https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile
Learn more about my coaching and speaking at Vitalist Coaching:
https://www.vitalistcoaching.com
If this episode made you think of someone who's been preparing, researching, studying, or waiting for permission to begin, send it their way.
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright33 min - The Fastest Way to Lose a Great Idea
Why your first reaction to a big vision may be the very thing keeping you small
Have you ever had an exciting idea—only to talk yourself out of it before it had a chance to breathe?
In this episode, I share a powerful insight from a recent one-on-one business retreat: the biggest obstacle to our dreams often isn't a lack of time, money, or opportunity. It's the habit of rushing straight to the logistics.
When we're operating from old patterns of fear or self-protection, our minds become remarkably efficient at explaining why something won't work. Before we've even allowed ourselves to imagine what's possible, we've already dismissed it.
What if the first step isn't figuring out how your vision will happen—but giving yourself permission to simply hold it?
Whether you're dreaming about a bold fundraising initiative, a career move, or a life that feels more aligned, this episode invites you to notice how quickly you leave possibility behind—and how opening your heart may be the key to opening your future.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why your nervous system may be shutting down creativity before it has a chance to emerge.
- How childhood patterns of staying safe can quietly keep you thinking small as an adult.
- The surprising connection between an open heart and expansive vision.
- Why jumping immediately to "how" can suffocate your best ideas.
- A simple practice to help you stay with possibility long enough to discover what's truly available.
Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do isn't to build the dream.
It's to stop talking yourself out of it.
Enjoying the podcast?
Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to leave a rating and review. It helps more fundraisers and nonprofit leaders discover a healthier, more sustainable way to lead.
💌 Join my free newsletter, The Brave & Balanced Note, for practical tools and reflections on emotional mastery, fundraising, leadership, and creating an inner climate where abundance can grow:
https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile
You can also learn more about my coaching and speaking at Vitalist Coaching:
https://www.vitalistcoaching.com
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright17 min - Ready Is Not a Feeling | with Tania Cervoni
How to Stop Believing the Stories That Keep You Small
What if the loudest voice in your head isn't the wisest one?
In this special collaboration episode, Erin sits down with Tania Cervoni, host of Banish the Lies, to explore the stories we unknowingly carry about ourselves—and how those stories shape our confidence, our relationships, our careers, and our willingness to pursue what matters most.
Together, they discuss the inner critic, nervous system regulation, curiosity, perfectionism, and the surprising truth that ready isn't a feeling—it's a decision.
Whether you're a fundraiser, leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to stop second-guessing yourself, this conversation offers practical tools for recognizing the voices that keep you small and choosing a different path.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why your inner critic developed in the first place—and what it's trying to protect.
- How curiosity can interrupt anxiety and create new possibilities.
- Why success often triggers fear before it creates confidence.
- What The Big Leap taught both Erin and Tania about expansion and upper-limit problems.
- How childhood strategies can quietly shape our careers and relationships decades later.
- Why "ready" isn't a feeling you wait for—it's a decision you make.
- A compassionate way to relate to the younger parts of yourself that still fear rejection and failure.
About Tania Cervoni
Tania Cervoni is the host of Banish the Lies, a podcast that helps listeners recognize and challenge the unconscious beliefs that quietly shape their lives. Through thoughtful conversations and practical insights, she explores self-awareness, self-compassion, leadership, and the stories we inherit about who we are.
If this conversation resonated with you, I encourage you to listen to Banish the Lies and connect with Tania for more conversations about quieting the inner critic and creating a life based on truth rather than fear.
Stay Connected
If you're enjoying The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, be sure to subscribe and join The Brave &Balanced Note, my free newsletter with practical tools for emotional mastery, sustainable fundraising, and living with greater courage and ease.
And if this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to leave a review or share it with someone whose inner critic has been a little too loud lately.
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright1 hr 1 min - The Medicine We've Forgotten
How Plants Can Help You Return to Calm, Healing, and Self-Sovereignty
In this personal episode, I'm stepping outside my usual fundraising conversations to share one of the practices that has profoundly shaped my own healing journey: working with medicinal plants.
When I became seriously ill in early 2020, I found myself searching for ways to support my body while the world felt uncertain. That search led me into the study of herbalism—a path that reminded me of something our ancestors once knew well: that many of the plants growing around us have been trusted allies for generations.
This isn't about rejecting modern medicine. Quite the opposite. It's about expanding our understanding of what caring for ourselves can look like. Alongside the incredible gifts of modern healthcare, there's also something deeply empowering about learning simple ways to support our nervous system, our rest, and our everyday well-being.
In this episode, I share:
- Why studying herbalism changed my relationship with healing
- The connection between plants, intuition, and self-sovereignty
- Four gentle herbs I reach for regularly (and why)
- How to prepare nourishing herbal teas and relaxing herbal baths
- Why slowing down and reconnecting with nature may be one of the greatest forms of self-care available to us
Whether you're simply curious about herbs or you've been longing to reconnect with the natural world, I hope this conversation encourages you to explore with wonder, wisdom, and respect.
Mentioned in this episode
Penn Herb — Quality dried medicinal herbs and supplies
https://www.pennherb.comStrictly Medicinal Seeds — Medicinal herb seeds and plants for growing your own herbal garden
https://strictlymedicinalseeds.comIf you're enjoying these conversations about living with greater courage, balance, and authenticity, I'd love to have you join my free newsletter, The Brave & Balanced Note, where I share practical reflections and tools to help you create an inner climate that supports the life you're here to live.
Subscribe here: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright23 min - Who Does She Think She Is?
The Fear That Keeps Brilliant Women Playing Small
Have you ever downplayed your accomplishments, brushed off a compliment, or hesitated to celebrate a win because you didn't want to seem arrogant?
Many of us were taught that being humble is a virtue. But what if some of what we've been calling humility is actually fear?
In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin McQuade-Wright explores the hidden emotional patterns that keep so many caring, capable people from stepping fully into their gifts. Together, we'll unpack why we shrink ourselves to stay safe, how old stories about criticism and belonging shape our behavior, and what it really means to lead with confidence without losing our humility.
If you've ever worried about "getting too big for your britches," felt uncomfortable receiving recognition, or found yourself holding back even though you know you're capable of more, this conversation is for you.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why humility and self-doubt are not the same thing.
- How fear of criticism can quietly keep you playing small.
- The surprising cost of dismissing your accomplishments instead of celebrating them.
- Why you are not responsible for managing other people's emotional reactions to your success.
- A simple daily practice to help you build an internal sense of safety instead of searching for it through other people's approval.
The goal isn't to become louder, more boastful, or more self-promotional. It's to become free—free to accept appreciation, celebrate your growth, and pursue the work you're uniquely here to do without apologizing for taking up space.
Enjoying the podcast?
Follow The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who has a habit of making themselves smaller to keep everyone else comfortable.
Want more practical tools for leading with courage, clarity, and emotional resilience?
Sign up for The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter, where I share coaching insights, reflections, and practical exercises to help you lead from alignment instead of anxiety.
Join here: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright14 min - Getting Fired Might Be the Best Thing That Ever Happened to You.
How Unexpected Endings Can Lead You Back to Yourself
Losing a job can feel devastating. It can shake your confidence, your identity, and your sense of security. But what if getting fired wasn't the end of your story? What if it was the beginning of something far more aligned?
In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin McQuade-Wright shares her own experiences of both being fired and having to let others go, exploring why the career endings we resist can sometimes become the greatest gifts of our lives.
Together, we'll unpack the fear that keeps us holding on long after we've outgrown a role, why some of us are wired to stay longer than we should, and how unexpected transitions create an opportunity to reconnect with who we really are and the work we're here to do.
Along the way, Erin references the astrological concept of Fixed signs—one of the three zodiac modalities—as a metaphor for loyalty, perseverance, and the tendency to resist change. If you're curious about the differences between Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable signs, The Old Farmer's Almanac offers a helpful overview of these personality modalities: https://www.almanac.com/cardinal-fixed-mutable-cardinal-signs. In astrology, Cardinal signs tend to initiate, Fixed signs sustain and stabilize, and Mutable signs adapt and embrace change. While astrology isn't the focus of this episode, it's a useful lens for understanding why some of us naturally cling to the familiar while others are more comfortable embracing change.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why getting fired doesn't define your worth—it can create space for something more authentic.
- How fear quietly keeps us in jobs we've already outgrown.
- The questions to ask yourself after an unexpected career ending.
- How work can become a distraction from your deeper purpose.
- Why life's biggest disruptions often become the catalyst for your greatest growth.
If you're navigating a layoff, career transition, or simply wondering whether it's time for a change, this episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and trust that endings often make room for beginnings we couldn't yet imagine.
Enjoying the podcast?
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's facing a career transition or wondering what's next.
Want more tools for leading with courage, clarity, and emotional resilience?
Sign up for The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter, where I share coaching insights, practical tools, and reflections to help you lead from alignment instead of anxiety.
Join here: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright19 min - How to Fundraise as a Board Member Without Burning Out
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than Fundraising Experience
Serving on a nonprofit board can be one of the most meaningful ways to give back—but it can also become one of the fastest paths to burnout if you're carrying too much responsibility without enough support.
In this episode of The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, Erin McQuade-Wright explores what effective board fundraising really looks like, why asking for money isn't the only way to advance your organization's mission, and how emotional intelligence can help you become a more confident and sustainable volunteer leader.
Whether you're brand new to board service or you've been volunteering for years, this conversation will help you approach fundraising with greater clarity, healthier boundaries, and a mindset that allows you to serve without sacrificing yourself.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why relationship-building is more powerful than simply asking for donations.
- How a culture of philanthropy strengthens fundraising across an entire organization.
- Practical ways new board members can begin fundraising with confidence.
- Why nonprofit organizations have a responsibility to support—not just expect—their volunteer fundraisers.
- How emotional intelligence helps you recognize your limits before burnout and resentment take over.
If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough as a board member—or felt like you're carrying more than your share of the load—this episode is for you.
Enjoying the podcast?
Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share it with a fellow board member, volunteer, or nonprofit leader who could use a little encouragement.
Want more practical tools for leading with courage, clarity, and emotional resilience?
Sign up for The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter, where I share reflections, coaching insights, and practical strategies to help you lead from alignment instead of anxiety.
Join here: https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright16 min - Calm the Chaos, Challenge Distortions with Kelly Hint
How cognitive distortions drive fundraising anxiety—and a simple progressive muscle relaxation practice to shift your nervous system back into ease, clarity, and authentic confidence.
Ever feel like you have to be “palatable” to donors—like you need to shrink, mask, or perform to succeed? In this episode, Erin sits down with Kelly Hint, LMHC, NCC, and OCD specialist, to unpack the difference between cognitive dissonance (the body-level discomfort of not being your authentic self) and cognitive distortions (the anxious thought-loops that fuel perfectionism, catastrophizing, mind-reading, and the “shoulds”).
You’ll hear how these patterns show up in fundraising pressure—like tying your self-worth to results, assuming a “no” means you failed, or believing you can’t be fully yourself without losing the donor. Then Kelly guides a progressive muscle relaxation practice you can use before donor meetings, after tough interactions, or anytime anxiety takes over—helping you release tension and regain steadiness.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Common cognitive distortions that drive fundraising anxiety
- Why uncertainty triggers the mind to “fill in the gaps” with fear
- How the body holds stress—and why job changes don’t automatically reset it
- A step-by-step progressive muscle relaxation exercise (quick, practical, and repeatable)
About Kelly Hint: Kelly is a licensed mental health counselor in New York, a nationally certified counselor, a nationally certified clinical mental health counselor, an OCD specialist, and the author of Kick Ass Coping Companion.
Find Kelly:
- Book: Kick Ass Coping Companion (https://a.co/d/7slRbZ7)
- Therapy: KellyMHint.com
- Coaching: CoachKellyHint.com
- Podcast: The Hint Hive: Amplifying Women’s Voices
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright1 hr 4 min - The Lava Rock Effect
Why Other People's Emotions Keep Pulling You Away from Your Most Important Work
Have you ever sat down with a clear plan for your day… only to find yourself pulled into everyone else's problems?
In this episode, Erin shares a simple metaphor from the New Mexico desert that completely changed the way she thinks about work, leadership, and people-pleasing. Using the image of lava rock—with all of its tiny holes and distractions—she explores why so many caring professionals abandon their own priorities in order to manage relationships, smooth conflict, and keep everyone else comfortable.
If you've ever finished a workday exhausted without making progress on what mattered most, this episode will help you understand why—and how to begin changing the pattern with curiosity instead of self-criticism.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why people-pleasing is often a nervous system safety strategy—not a personality trait.
- How workplace relationships can quietly pull your attention away from your highest priorities.
- What this looks like in fundraising conversations with donors and volunteers.
- Why mindfulness helps you notice unconscious patterns before they take over your day.
- A simple question to ask yourself whenever you feel pulled into everyone else's agenda.
Resources mentioned
- Playing Big by Tara Mohr
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and join The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter, for practical insights on emotional mastery, leadership, and fundraising without burnout.
Sign up here:
https://brave-balanced-note.kit.com/profile?_gl=1*qniw91*_gcl_au*MjEwODgyNzI0OS4xNzc1NzY5ODE1If you found this conversation helpful, I'd be grateful if you'd leave a rating or review—it helps more thoughtful fundraisers discover the show.
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright16 min - The Emotional Work No One Trains You For, with Betsy Burris
What Teachers and Fundraisers Can Teach Each Other About Burnout, Boundaries, and Being Human
Teachers and fundraisers may seem worlds apart—but underneath the surface, they're doing remarkably similar emotional work.
In this special podcast swap episode, Erin joins Betsy Burris, host of Teaching Through Emotions, for a wide-ranging conversation about the invisible emotional labor that comes with helping professions.
Together they explore burnout, people-pleasing, nervous system regulation, somatic awareness, the Enneagram, and why so many caring professionals end up sacrificing themselves in the name of serving others.
Whether you spend your days in classrooms, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, coaching practices, or any profession centered on helping people, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: the relationship you have with yourself shapes every relationship you have with others.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why teaching and fundraising attract many of the same kinds of people.
- How people-pleasing can become an unconscious survival strategy.
- The difference between compassion and self-abandonment.
- Why burnout is often rooted in emotional patterns—not just workload.
- How somatic awareness helps us access wisdom beyond our thinking minds.
- The hidden cost of tying your worth to your performance.
- Why learning to feel your emotions creates more capacity to support others.
- A simple 90-second daily practice to begin reconnecting with yourself.
Connect with Betsy Burris
If this conversation resonated with you, be sure to check out Teaching Through Emotions, where Betsy helps teachers understand the emotional and relational dynamics that shape life in the classroom. Even if you're not an educator, you'll find practical wisdom for navigating relationships, emotions, and leadership with greater awareness.
Stay Connected
If you're enjoying The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and join The Brave & Balanced Note, my free newsletter filled with practical tools for emotional mastery, fundraising, and sustainable leadership.
I'd also love to hear what stood out to you from this conversation. Leave a review, share this episode with a colleague, or send it to someone in a helping profession who needs the reminder that taking care of themselves isn't selfish—it's essential.
Send Erin a text
✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth
Listen to all episodes + subscribe:
https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.comNewsletter Sign-up: The Brave & Balanced Note
Join the community:
The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiserBook a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call:
A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing.
👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthroughLearn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support:
VitalistCoaching.comConnect on Instagram:
@erinmcquadewright1 hr 23 min
About The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser
From the publisher's feed
The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser is the podcast I wish had existed during my 15 years in fundraising. It’s a love offering to the people behind the mission—the professional fundraisers who…
give their hearts and energy every day to make the world better.
This show isn’t about strategy, metrics, or money. It’s about you—the human being doing the work. Each episode offers real tools and soulful conversations to help you regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your purpose, and renew your energy so you can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage.
If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, overworked, or caught in the constant pressure to perform, this podcast is your invitation to return home to yourself. Join me to learn how to cultivate balance, resilience, and authentic impact—from the inside out.
Full Episode Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/fkFZpmNYF3v