What is your purpose? How do you re-energize? In today’s episode, Phil Wilkerson, Industry Advisor at George Mason University, shares a bit about his own work, gives us some advice he gives his students, and then we get philosophical as he talks about the deeper meaning of life and what brings us all here. Phil practices what he preaches. He networked with me via LinkedIn and we connected virtually over the past few months. He reached out to talk about our podcasts and higher ed work during this remote time. This episode will leave you feeling strong and inspired!

Welcome to our special Mother's Day Episode! Whether your mother is with you in person, virtually, or in your heart, we are all marked by our mothers in some way. This conversation helps me realize, our mother’s don’t only help us grow, we push them to grow and better themselves too.

Our guest for this episode talks about her experience of being a mother as a grateful patient, as well juggling a powerful career with parenthood. Leslie Nelson-Berner (President of the UNC Health Foundation and Associate Dean for Development of the UNC School of Medicine) shares the inspiration she feels from her children to do good in people's lives through her development career. Leslie is passionate about her work and she exudes joy as she shares her story with us.

This conversation is an interview, just like my other past episode have been. However, it can also serve as a template to think about your donor meetings moving forward. If you are interested in my thoughts on virtual visits, and take-a-ways from Tara’s comments as donor, keep listening after her remarks and I will share my reflections. Thank you for tuning in and for continuing to do such important work during this unprecedented time. Tara says it herself, our work is important and cannot stop now!

This conversation was recorded pre-covid and I have waited to share it because it didn’t feel as relevant when were all scrambling to transition to remote work several weeks ago. Now, I realize it’s more relevant than ever. Fritz Schroeder (VP for Development and Alumni Relations at Johns Hopkins University)and I start with an unscripted conversation about financial aid and the historic 1.8 Billion gift from Michael Bloomberg. Then, we talk about leadership, in all of it's forms.

Talking with Shanna Hocking, Associate Vice President, Individual Giving at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, on this episode led to a major moment of clarity for me in my own work. We talk about the importance of a personal brand as a professional, and how we can grow and dream about the future while physically sheltering in place. Shortly after we stopped recording, I used her advice and brainstormed a short term and long term strategy for my regional portfolio. This was so motivating for me. My hope is that you will have a similar experience.

Check out her website at https://www.shannaahocking.com/ and enter DEVDEBRIEF for a 10% discount!

Hindsight is such a bittersweet gift we have. How can we look back on our choices and learn from them? Did we do it right? Did we make a huge mistake? The nature of COVID-19 with it’s waves and regional timeline, gives us the opportunity to hear from a university leader who is 2-3 weeks ahead of those of us living on the east coast. Dan Peterson, Vice President for Development for University Advancement and President of the UW Foundation, shares what has worked and what his team has learned over the past 6-8 weeks of working remotely. Dan’s perspective gives me hope as he acknowledges the pain and loss, but is able to see the positive growth we can bring forward into the next fiscal year and beyond.

Special thanks to Ben Renberg!

How do we handle crisis communications during COVID-19? You are about to hear the alumni relations perspective from Michelle Vaeth, Associate Vice President for Alumni Affairs at Cornell University. Drawing on her long previous Procter and Gamble experience, Michelle shares mantras that help her during crisis, defines the difference between regular communication and crisis communication, offers best practices and she reminds us to always do the right thing. She is dynamic and reassuring about the planning and strategy we CAN control for our external and internal outreach during COVID-19.

You might be asking yourself, what does faith have to do with it? I am pushing the New York atheist envelope and daring to say that faith is a critical element of life right now as we grapple with the new realities of COVID-19. We are being stripped to the basics and forced to rethink what matters most. This episode is the Debrief’s version of Chicken Soup for the Soul. We talk about morning rituals to set you up for success, and Martin's book, "Five Minute's for Fundraising." My uplifting conversation with Martin might ask you to think about what matters to you and how that impacts everything from personal to professional.

Today I have the pleasure of featuring my very own boss, Veronica Martini. Our discussions is focused around how our team is responding to COVID-19. To remind everyone, our team consists of central major gift officers and executive assistants who travel domestically and internationally. We are no longer able to do the primary work function that our team was designed to do. Our colleague Suzanne Atlshuler said in a recent call, “we aren’t trying to work harder, we are trying to work smarter.” This episode will explore just that as we share how the first week of working from home has been for us.

People say timing is everything. In this episode, We talk about timing and choosing the right job based on the team, and institution. Jeff Richard tells us that choosing where to commit your time as a fundraising professional is about more than just what you are passionate about. Where is the institution in it’s life phase? How can you make a difference within that context? I was expecting Jeff to tell us how different all of his roles have been. On the contrary, Jeff tells us just how similar they are. He suggests that more than the cause, the timing, and the team are the most important.