The Extra Mile - The Official Charity Miles Podcast

Soraya Alexander is the Chief Operating Officer of GoFundMe and as the President of Classy, a GoFundMe subsidiary. Through her work, Alexander supports thousands of nonprofits and hundreds of thousands of people to unlock the world's generosity.

GoFundMe is on a mission to help people help each other. Through innovative technology, Classy helps nonprofits raise more so they can do more good in the world. Together, the two organizations help billions of dollars per year get raised for social and environmental good.

In this interview, we discuss the challenges charities face in engaging their supporters, generational shifts in donor expectations, effective fundraising techniques, community building, and the psychological barriers to making donation requests.

Soraya shares how GoFundMe and Classy are tackling these challenges and how we, as people who care about charities, can take a more active role in supporting them.

On a final note, I'm happy to share that Charity Miles is developing a partnership with Classy and GoFundMe to help bring some of these ideas to life, and to better help our members support the charities they love.

We're grateful for the opportunity to make an impact with Classy and GoFundMe. And we're grateful to Soraya for sharing so much with us in this interview.

#EveryMileMatters!

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Here are some time stamps:

04:29 The Power of Individual Donors 08:21 Generational Shifts in Philanthropy 10:19 Engaging Donors Beyond Donations 13:12 Building Community and Connection 14:09 Innovations in Fundraising Technology 21:43 Charity as a Way of Life 24:49 Community Support and Long-Term Stewardship 25:05 Connecting Immediate and Structural Change 26:09 The Power of Donor Engagement 28:02 Building True Community vs. Marketing Segments 32:29 Empowering Supporters and Relinquishing Control 34:15 Successful Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Tips 36:57 The Psychology of Asking for Donations 41:13 The Importance of Consistency in Fundraising 45:04 Call to Action for Nonprofit Supporters 47:00 Conclusion

Laura Putnam is a global wellbeing activator, author of the bestselling book Workplace Wellness that Works, and CEO and Founder of Motion Infusion, a leading wellbeing provider.

She is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and has worked with a wide range of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, academic institutions, and nonprofits.

Laura has trained over 40,000 managers and leaders on how to lead wellbeing from the inside-out and outside-in to truly champion wellbeing that works for all.

I recently met Laura at the First Coast Worksite Wellness Council's conference in Jacksonville, Florida where she was the keynote speaker. (Shoutout to FCWCC for including us!)

After hearing her keynote, I knew we had to get her on the podcast-- not just for our members and partners in our Employee Empowerment Program, but for all our members, most of whom work at companies in one way or another, and in their own capacity have the power to foster a culture of wellbeing.

In this interview, we dive deep into the importance of workplace wellness and how it ties into building high-performing teams.

Laura shares insights on the challenges companies face with wellness programs and provides practical strategies for creating a culture that supports wellbeing.

She discusses the significance of team leaders in fostering a healthy work environment and offer tips for both organizational and individual improvements in workplace wellness.

Whether you're an HR leader, a manager, or an employee, this episode provides valuable advice on enhancing wellbeing in the workplace.

Big thanks to Laura for sharing so much with us!

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Here are some helpful timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome 02:35 Meet Laura Putnam 06:42 Laura's Journey and Mission 09:45 The Importance of Workplace Wellness 11:37 Challenges and Solutions in Wellness Programs 17:55 Role of Managers in Promoting Wellbeing 22:06 Creating a Culture of Wellbeing 30:26 Practical Tips for Managers 39:47 Conclusion and Contact Information

It's also a great privilege for me to share today's interview with Kara Goucher. Kara is a two-time Olympian, World Championship medalist, and one of the most accomplished and admired long-distance runners of our time.

Beyond her competitive achievements, Kara is also a passionate advocate for clean sport and gender equity, an inspiring speaker, author, podcaster and NBC broadcaster for track and field. She's someone who continues to inspire runners of all levels.

As we'll talk about in this interview, two years ago, Kara began slipping while she was running. And after seeing multiple doctors, she was diagnosed with Runner's Dystonia, a neurological disorder with some similarities to Parkinson's. Many of you may remember the interview I did with my friend, and fellow Team Foxer, Justine Galloway, who also has Runner's Dystonia. So this is something we'll also talk about in this episode.

Kara also as a unique and hard-won perspective on the power of brands to affect social change, and the power that we have as people– individually and collectively– to move and work with them to do so.

Most recently, Kara has partnered with Brooks Running, a brand that holds a very special place in our hearts here at Charity Miles. Whenever we ask you what brands you want us to partner with, Brooks is always the #1 response.

Which is why we are so thrilled to also be partnering with Brooks this year.

For over a century, Brooks has been propelled by a never-ending curiosity with how humans move.

It drives their every decision and every innovation. Because they believe movement is the key to feeling more alive.

And we're all moving towards something.

It could be the top of a mountain, a first-ever 5K, or peace of mind after a stressful day. It could be a cure for Parkinson's, a cleaner planet, fair play.

So… let's run there.

With gear and experiences specifically designed to take you to that place.

Whether it's a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line. Let's run there.

Head to BrooksRunning.com to learn more.

Sami Inkinen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Virta Health, which is reversing type two diabetes through nutrition, lifestyle change, and a new standard of medical care.

Prior to Virta, Sami was the Co-Founder and COO of Trulia, which many of you probably used to find a house or apartment. Sami took Trulia public and then sold it to Zillow.

Sami is also an Ironman Age Group Champion and all-around world-class endurance athlete.

To raise awareness about the dangers of sugar and its connection to diabetes, Sami and his wife rowed from California to Hawaii—2,750 miles, completely unsupported.

I've been personally lucky to know Sami for over ten years now. I was introduced to Sami through the Global Good Fund, a fellowship program for social entrepreneurs.

Sami became my mentor through GGF, and has always been generous with his time and insight whenever I need it through the years.

I've wanted to record this interview for a long time. Big thanks to Sami for sharing so much with us.

#EveryMileMatters!

Today's interview is with Jenny Lawson, the president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, a leading national nonprofit that inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment.

Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful provides the expertise, programs, and resources to help people end littering, improve recycling, beautify America's public spaces, and restore and support resilient communities.

Before joining Keep America Beautiful, Jenny was the Chief Civic Innovation Officer at Points of Light where she led forward thinking initiatives, partnerships, and campaigns to advance the mission of Points of Light around the world.

She designed, led, and championed programs and research to aid companies in achieving their social change goals through the actions of their employees, including the Corporate Service, Council of Leading Brands, the Civic 50, Ranking of Community Minded Companies, and a newly developed digital community, the Community for Employee Civic Engagement.

So needless to say, I think Jenny has a lot of expertise on how nonprofits can work with companies and communities to advance social change, which is a topic that I know all of us are interested in, particularly those of us who are part of the Charity Miles Employee Empowerment Program.

One of those companies is AT&T which is supporting Keep America Beautiful now through our Employee Empowerment Program, and connected us with Jenny for this interview.

I met Jenny in a park up in Connecticut, and we recorded this as a live walking webinar with our members and AT&T's employees. It was a bit rainy, but that didn't seem to faze Jenny one bit.

Huge thanks to Jenny for all of her insight, and to AT&T for their partnership in bringing this to life.

#EveryMileMatters!

On March 8th, I ran the Jerusalem Marathon.

As you surely know, Israel is in the middle of a war that started on October 7th. I, like everyone, have a mix of different feelings about this.

But I didn't go to Jerusalem to make a statement about my own feelings. I went to listen and try and share what others in Israel are feeling right now.

I think a marathon is a great way to experience the true essence of a place. The New York City Marathon feels like New York City. The Moab Canyonlands marathon feels like the Moab Canyonlands... And the Jerusalem Marathon feels like Israel.

If you listen to this, I hope you feel it too.

#EveryMileMatters

Maria Baltazzi is an Emmy Award winning television producer, traveler, marathon walker who raises money for cancer charities, author and longtime Charity Miler with over 8500 Charity Miles!

Maria recently wrote a book called "Take a Shot at Happiness" which invites and coaches us to explore happiness in our own lives.

While Maria discovered that her own "happiness essentials" include faith, self-love and physical health, she encourages people to explore and understand their own personal meanings of happiness.

She also draws from her experience as a producer on shows like Survivor to help us all think like storytellers to script, perform in and capture our own reality shows of happiness.

Thank you to Maria for sharing so much with us.

Thanks also to our sponsors at Factor 75.

Eating better is easy with Factor's delicious, ready-to-eat meals. Every fresh, never-frozen meal is chef-crafted, dietitian-approved, and ready to go in just 2-minutes.

You'll have over 35 different options to choose from every week, including Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, and Keto. Also, there are more than 60 add-ons to help you stay fueled up and feeling good all day long.

I've been enjoying Factor for two months now, as I get back in shape. I've lost 15 pounds since starting Factor, and I've taken nearly 90 seconds off my mile pace for my long runs.

My favorite things about Factor are:

• The variety of meals, all of which have been delicious.
• The convenience. They're really ready in less than two minutes which makes the healthy choice the easy choice when it comes to mealtime during a busy/hectic schedule.

You all know that we work hard to develop partnerships with brands that we believe in, brands that share our values, and brands that can help us all live healthier and make an impact.

That's why we're truly grateful for our partnership with Factor and I hope you'll check them out.

Head to Factor75.com and use code MILES to get 50% off your first box while subscription is active.

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Here are some noteworthy timestamps for the interview....

02:59 Maria's Journey with Charity Miles 04:08 Maria's Role on Survivor and Connection to Ethan Zohn 06:19 Maria's Transition from Producer to Author 06:46 Understanding Happiness through Survivor 08:27 Maria's Personal Journey to Happiness 09:19 The Role of Storytelling in Happiness 10:06 The Power of Photography in Capturing Happiness 17:06 The Impact of Storytelling on Personal Behavior 25:40 The Foundational Three Elements of Happiness 29:07 Exploring the Concept of Happiness 30:00 Making a Choice for Happiness 31:04 The Role of Education in Happiness 31:47 Personalizing Your Happiness Essentials 33:09 The Importance of Exploration in Happiness 35:13 The Role of Faith in Happiness 37:21 The Problem with Prescriptive Self-Help Books 38:18 Understanding Happiness as a Choice 45:53 Practical Steps to Cultivate Happiness 51:48 The Connection Between Happiness and Resilience

In this episode, we're thrilled to walk with Susan Greeley, SVP and National Director of Wellness Services for Castle Connolly Private Health Partners, one of the newest partners in our Employee Empowerment Program. Susan is also a registered dietician, cookbook author and the host of her own podcast, A SENSe of Wellness. So we recorded this as a doubler that Susan will be releasing on her podcast too :) Susan lives near me in New Jersey, so we were able to meet up for a walk in a park near my home. It was a beautiful, chilly day before Christmas. And since we were in the holiday and new year spirit, our conversation weaves through several themes that can help us all stick with our 2024 resolutions. Hint: make them easy and fun. And don't go it alone. Here's a quick rundown with timestamps: 00:05 Introduction and Welcoming 02:23 Susan's Background and Role in Wellness 04:02 Susan's Cookbook and Approach to Wellness 05:13 The Importance of Support and Community in Wellness 05:48 Gene's Background and the Founding of Charity Miles 07:13 The Impact of Charity Miles and the Importance of Community 10:10 The Importance of Change 15:26 The Role of External Support in Behavior Change 16:58 The Importance of Community and Positive Surroundings 28:11 The Impact of Charity Miles Beyond Fundraising 33:32 The Power of Intrinsic Rewards 36:11 The Role of Feeling Good in Behavior Change 37:21 The Problem with Wellness Challenges 39:52 The Importance of Consistency 40:13 The Power of Tiny Habits 53:36 The Role of Fun and Laughter 55:18 The Importance of Sleep, Hydration, and Outdoor Activities 56:37 The Power of Community --

We're also thrilled to introduce our newest sponsor, Factor, America's #1 Ready-to-Eat Meal Delivery Service.

Simply put, Factor meals are Easy, Nutritious and Tasty.

No matter your eating or dietary style, Factor serves up the meals you're looking for with a flexible menu of chef-crafted, dietitian-approved options.

Imagine having delicious, chef-prepared meals that align perfectly with your diet - be it Keto, Vegan, Protein Plus, or Calorie Smart - delivered right to your doorstep and ready to eat in under two minutes.

With over 34 meal options and 45 add-ons each week, including snacks, smoothies and more, Factor makes it easy and tasty to keep your health journey on track.

No more boring salads. Just mouth-watering dishes like roasted garlic filet mignon and shrimp, or blackened salmon with smoked gouda cauliflower grits and broccoli.

Charity Miles members get 50% off your first order of Factor plus Free Wellness Shots for Life! Just go to charitymiles.org/factor to claim this exclusive offer.

No commitment is necessary—skip or cancel at any time.

But, of course, I don't think you're going to want to skip or cancel once you try it.

Huge thanks to Factor for their support, and for helping us all make it easy and delicious to reach our 2024 goals.

Edith Wharton once said, "There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."

Today's guest, Aaron Sherinian, is both—a candle igniting change and a mirror reflecting the light of others.

Eleven years ago, Aaron was the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for the United Nations Foundation, where, amongst many other things, he was instrumental in founding Giving Tuesday, a movement dedicated to turning the Tuesday after Thanksgiving into a day of giving.

During these crucial early days for Charity Miles, Aaron observed the power of our community sharing the #GivingTuesday hashtag on social media, sparking his interest in our mission.

This led to a breakfast meeting that was a turning point for Charity Miles and me personally.

Aaron not only connected us with crucial sponsors like Johnson & Johnson but also provided platforms for us to share our story at events like the Social Good Summit, the Moms+Social Summit, and SXSW. These opportunities were instrumental in introducing us to key members of our community.

I've wanted to do this interview for a long time, and it brings me particular joy to share it on Giving Tuesday.

In this conversation, Aaron shares insights from his career and personal experiences, including:

• The potluck dinner of life and how each of us can bring our best dish.
• Effective ways to invite people to embrace positive change.
• Think big but start small.
• The evolving role of social media and its impact on social causes.
• Why rallies are important.
• The importance of cultivating a purpose posse.
• Overcoming taboos to find solutions.
• The power of showing up.
• The transformative power of taking a chance on someone.

It's no exaggeration to say that Charity Miles would not exist today without Aaron taking a chance on us.

In honor of Aaron, I invite you to take a chance on someone else you see spreading light into the world.

#EveryMileMatters

If you're not joining our live weekly walking meditations, then you're missing out!

We do them on Zoom every week, alternating between Wednesdays and Fridays, at 1PM ET.

Here's a recording of our latest walking meditation, led by Haley Fountain.

Haley is an integrative nutrition coach, yoga teacher and meditation coach in Houston, Texas.

To the point, she's fantastic.

If you enjoy this walking mediation, then keep an eye out for our live meditations which we announce my email to all of our members.

(If you'd like to get those emails, just download the Charity Miles app.)

If you'd like to learn more about Haley, click here.

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Also big thanks to our sponsor, Hope Foods, which makes the most delicious and nutritious plant based hummus and dips.

All Hope Foods products are Organic and/or Non-GMO Project verified, GFCO certified gluten-free, OU-certified kosher, and dairy and soy-free.

Hope Foods is also committed to mental health, which is why they're the perfect partner for our walking meditations.

To learn ore about Hope Foods and explore holistic well-being resources on their website, click here.