Meagan Sweeney-Hyde steps in for regular host Joey Goone and speaks with Utopia Director of Communications Jordi Stack.

Meagan and Jordi bring a wealth of experience to the table, having navigated multiple aspects of event production through their careers. Through candid discussions and insightful anecdotes, they share their personal journeys to Utopia, and the lessons they’ve learned on the way.

In this episode, join us as we uncover invaluable career journey tips, focusing on the art of creating impactful nonprofit events. Get insights on starting your career, navigating the field and how you can make a difference in event production. Learn firsthand what drew them to Utopia Experience, and how they contribute to its success.Subscribe now to The Impact Roadmap podcast for practical advice and inspiring stories from the event industry!

Utopia Experience's website:

https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

Meagan Sweeney-Hyde is the Director of Business Development at Utopia Experience, with extensive experience in the nonprofit sector including Make-A-Wish America and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

She brings over a decade of experience in the events industry to the table in today’s podcast, sharing her passion for making a positive impact on attendees as well as clients.

Meet Taylor Shanklin. Her friends call her T-Shank. She’s a dreamer, writer, adventurer, fast decision-maker, creative, mom, and founder of a branding agency. She brings awareness on how to work through life’s challenges through her lived experiences with chronic autoimmune disease.

Her life mantra is Minimize to Maximize and her superpower is listening to others, understanding what they do best, and helping them focus energy in the right places for growth. Joey and T-Shak chatted about the impact of in-person events and how to capitalize on them.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Impact of Events

0:10 - Intro

0:24 - Introducing Taylor Shanklin

1:09 - Taylor’s Bio

1:49 - Barlele and Creative Shizzle

3:09 - What is the difference between branding and marketing?

5:16 - Where can smaller organizations start looking for information and data about their client’s problems?

8:48 - The intersection of events and marketing

10:31 - Using events as a tool to gather data and information

13:30 -  Bringing members of an organization together with events

16:37 - Live in event surveys and polling

19:44 - Advantages of collaborating with teams and organizations at events

22:57 - What are innovative ways to incorporate branding elements into event design?

25:45 - How do you evaluate metrics with a branding strategy?

29:50 - What is a funnel fundamentally?

33:37 - What is on the horizon for the world of branding?

36:09 - How do we navigate the new landscape of technology while maintaining our humanness?

39:55 - How do you “Robot Proof” your business?

41:11 - Using humor to recover from a minor error

44:12 - Stand out by being human and being real

46:41 - Where to find Taylor?

47:12 - Upcoming conference from CREATIVE SHIZZLE!

49:17 - OUTRO

USEFUL LINKS:

Taylor's Website:

https://www.tshank.com/

Taylor's TEDx Talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=hEJpd5WjYks&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

Utopia Experience's website:

https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

Patrick Kirby is the Founder of Do Good Better Consulting and a believer that “we’ve always done it this way” is the most dangerous phrase in the English language.

Patrick has spent over a decade working in nearly every capacity in the nonprofit industry, for organizations of all shapes and sizes, and strives to ‘Do Good Better’ every day. From organizing $10,000 cure walks to $1 million galas, Patrick’s passion lies in creating creative solutions to make fundraising less boring.

He cut his donor relations/fundraising teeth as the Alumni Coordinator at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, MN, before trying his hand as a manufacturing sales rep to companies such as Target and Best Buy. Tired of being yelled at for uncontrollable international shipping issues in both English and Chinese, Patrick re-joined the world of nonprofit work as the Sr. Development Director at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation MN/Dakotas Chapter before taking the Chief Development Officer position at the Anne Carlsen Center.

He earned his B.A. in “B.S.” (politics) at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, and is hopelessly addicted to super nerdy Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels and old-school SquareSoft ® RPG Nintendo games. Patrick married out of his league to his wife Shannon, has three ridiculously adorable children named Spencer, Preston, and Willow, a chunky dog named Grover, and lives in West Fargo, ND.

0:00 - Opening

00:51 - Intro and Patrick’s Bio

04:01 - Patrick's Background

06:42 - What Do Non-Profits suck at?

09:43 - Power of Curiosity

12:46 - How do you grow your business?

21:38 - The Biggest issue the Non-Profits are dealing with 

23:38 - The Attention Span Problem

25:53 - Keep the donors you have

27:04 - Do you know why you are having an event? Fundraiser vs. Friendraiser

30:02 - What happens when you have the right people in the room?

32:03 - How do you get the right people in the room?

34:46 - Using Creativity to make events unique and help with Fundraising

39:22 - Looking at Non-Profits and their overhead differently

42:46 - How to keep Non-Profit staff motivated

47:09 - Don't forget to love yourself

51:35 - What is fundraising going to look like in 2024

56:44 - Outro and where to find Patrick

0:00 - Opening

00:51 - Intro and Patrick’s Bio

04:01 - Patrick's Background

06:42 - What Do Non-Profits suck at?

09:43 - Power of Curiosity

12:46 - How do you grow your business?

21:38 - The Biggest issue the Non-Profits are dealing with 

23:38 - The Attention Span Problem

25:53 - Keep the donors you have

27:04 - Do you know why you are having an event? Fundraiser vs. Friendraiser

30:02 - What happens when you have the right people in the room?

32:03 - How do you get the right people in the room?

34:46 - Using Creativity to make events unique and help with Fundraising

39:22 - Looking at Non-Profits and their overhead differently

42:46 - How to keep Non-Profit staff motivated

47:09 - Don't forget to love yourself

51:35 - What is fundraising going to look like in 2024

56:44 - Outro and where to find Patrick

Today we’re trying something a little different! To wrap it up, we sat down as a team to reflect on some of our favorite moments from this season. We had so many meaningful conversations with SO many incredible people; it was hard to choose just six.

We’re thankful for everyone who’s appeared on our podcast, but the people featured in this episode—Alison Canavan, Shavanna Spratt, Andrew Biggs, Mallory Erickson, and Rhea Wong—deserve a special shoutout. If you haven’t listened to their episodes, go check them out. Links are included at the end of this description.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Teaser

0:22 - Graphics

0:36 - Introduction

1:30 - Bryan’s experience as a guest host

2:11 - Joey’s experience as the host

4:27 - Difference between being the host vs. being a guest

6:34 - Were there any guests who surprised you?

8:09 - Difference between being the host vs. being a guest (continued)

9:08 - Psychological safety

11:19 - Introducing the highlight clips

12:10 - Clip 1 (the myth of no time)

13:29 - Clip 1 Discussion

18:04 - Clip 2 (the benefits of being uncomfortable)

18:37 - Clip 2 Discussion

20:50 - Clip 3 (don’t get stuck IN the business)

21:46 - Clip 3 Discussion

26:03 - Clip 4 (mallory’s ai notetaker)

26:55 - Clip 4 Discussion

29:21 - Clip 5 (4,000 weeks)

30:12 - Clip 5 Discussion

35:08 - Clip 6 (one degree shifts)

35:50 - Clip 6 Discussion

40:22 - Wrapping up

43:02 Outro

LINKS:

Check out what else we do

Be a guest on season 2

Ep. 8 (with Alison Canavan)

Ep. 19 (with Shavanna Spratt)

Ep. 17 (with Andrew Biggs)

Ep. 14 (with Mallory Erickson)

Ep. 10 (with Rhea Wong)

This episode is a real treat.

We were able to sit down with Tamara Keefe, the CEO and self-proclaimed “Flavor Temptress” of Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, to talk with her about her journey from food insecurity to starting one of the most iconic businesses in the St. Louis area. What does it really take to be a successful entrepreneur? What has she learned along the way? What can other entrepreneurs learn from her experiences?

Tamara has a wealth of knowledge to share, and her straightforward, honest approach to answering questions made her a ton of fun to interview. Enjoy the episode!

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Highlight

0:30 - Introduction

0:43 - Introducing Tamara

3:25 - How Tamara got to her emotional rock bottom; what was missing in her life

6:05 - The increased anxiety that comes with being a business owner

7:45 - Where does meaning come from?

8:56 - Manifestation, creating the future you want

10:18 - The importance of education

12:23 - What finally made you decide to leave the corporate world?

14:20 - Ice cream changes lives

15:56 - Events need to be about community

17:25 - What’s your most significant memory with ice cream?

20:51 - The experience of developing a team-first mindset

23:12 - What is Clementine’s origin story? 

26:54 - What sets Clementine’s ice cream apart

30:17 - Talking about sugar, sourcing ingredients, Clementine’s philosophy

33:41 - Unpacking labelling regulations, the problem with artificial dyes

38:58 - The cost of integrity

39:47 - How is Clementine’s committed to community?

41:23 - Clementine’s experience during the pandemic

44:59 - What advice would you give to other small business owners?

45:40 - When do you think you’ll have found what you’re looking for?

48:24 - Do you have a favorite charity?

50:05 - What it means to be a woman in business

51:25 - Where can people find you?

53:10 - Any new flavors coming out? What’s your current best-selling flavor?

54:31 - Favorite book, movie, or podcast?

55:45 - Favorite place you’ve travelled?

56:05 - Who’s someone else you think we should have on the podcast?

57:40 - Outro

USEFUL LINKS:

We recently had the privilege of talking with Shavanna Spratt, the founder of “Da Hood Talks Podcast” and a passionate advocate for community voices in the St. Louis area. Shavanna has been working for years to raise awareness about the racial disparities in the healthcare system, focusing especially on the unique challenges faced by black mothers and babies.

We talked with her about her perspective on some of the major challenges her community (and the country) is facing, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the need for more people with lived experience in places of power, and the misuse and abuse of storytelling. The work she’s doing is incredible, and after listening to this episode, definitely go check out her podcast!

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Highlight

0:31 - Intro

0:44 - Introducing Bryan and Shavanna

1:29 - What’s it been like starting your own podcast?

2:53 - Comparing a panel of guests to a single interviewee

3:49 - How do you find all of your guests?

5:23 - What has living in Ferguson, MO for the last 10 years been like? Have things changed?

8:00 - Reflecting on the effect of the national spotlight after Michael Brown was killed

10:13 - Trying to determine the path forward

11:37 - How did you get so involved in the community?

18:09 - The power and importance of storytelling

19:12 - The misuse and abuse of storytelling

23:27 - Learning to be your authentic self

25:42 - How do you keep your head above water while juggling motherhood, work, your podcast, etc.?

29:35 - How has the overturning of Roe v. Wade affected your community (and the country at large)?

33:48 - A lot of decisions are being made from a place of ignorance

36:05 - You can’t help others if you aren’t thriving

38:47 - What help are you looking for right now?

40:51 - How can listeners support you?

41:55 - Outro

USEFUL LINKS:

1) Da Hood Talks: https://www.dahoodtalks.com/en/

2) Support Shavanna and Da Hood Talks: https://ent.dahoodtalks.com/

3) Utopia Experience: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

We recently attended Raise 2023 in Nashville, TN, and had the privilege of being able to interview some of the event's speakers. We sat down with Deborah Barge (CFRE, Chief Development Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America), Bobby D. Ehlert (Chief Inspiration Officer, Inspire Hearts Fundraising), Barbara O’Reilly (CFRE, Founder and Principal, Windmill Hill Consulting), and Josh Meyer (Vice President, Demand Generation, Bloomerang) to talk about some of the unique challenges facing fundraisers today.

LINKEDIN PROFILES:

USEFUL LINKS:

Auctions are a mainstay of nonprofit event fundraising. Silent auctions, live auctions, paddle drops—in one form or another, auctions continue to be a vital part of traditional nonprofit galas. That’s why today we sat down with Kelly Russell from Artisan Auctions to dig into how nonprofits can make their auctions more effective.

Kelly Russell is an expert auction strategist, benefit auctioneer, and fundraising host who has helped organizations around the country raise over $200 million. Kelly leads a team of fundraising professionals to produce donor-driven events that consistently exceed client goals, and it's Kelly's donor-first philosophy and remarkable results that keep her clients coming back year after year.

If you want to bring in more money at your next live auction, don’t miss this episode of the Impact Roadmap!

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Highlight

0:15 - Intro

0:28 - Introducing Kelly 

1:33 - What’s your origin story? How did you get started as an auctioneer?

4:29 - What are some of the biggest challenges that nonprofits face when it comes to event planning?

6:51 - The importance of focusing on strategy

7:48 - When you think about strategy and guest experience, what are the most important things to keep in mind?

11:51 - Reflecting on the ringing phone

13:18 - Make-A-Wish anecdote

16:32 - The power of sharing stories

18:21 - Comparing the meaningful work of nonprofits with work in the corporate world

20:13 - What is one of the most impactful events you’ve experienced?

25:53 - KCSC’s senior prom

26:46 - How do you construct an event to maximize its emotional impact?

34:13 - How to succeed in everything: focus on the people!

35:50 - Our need for self-acceptance, self-love

38:33 - Leveraging Some Good News

40:56 - What makes a good appeal?

49:15 - What advice would you give to a nonprofit that's evaluating the success of their auction?

51:33 - When the event is over, the work is just beginning!

53:34 - Donor stewardship and donor cultivation

56:13 - What do you see for the industry in the future?

59:47 - The importance of hybrid events, and how to do hybrid well

1:03:57 - Any last parting advice?

1:05:44 - Outro

USEFUL LINKS:

Artisan Auctions: https://www.artisanauctions.com/

Utopia Experience: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

As an international sales coach for top-performers at Google, Salesforce, SAP, Bloomberg, and Microsoft, Andrew Biggs helped 6 and 7 figure earners achieve their highest potential. Now, he works with small business owners and entrepreneurs to help them reclaim their most precious resource: TIME. After all, it’s hard to be better than rich if you’re always working.

But what does it mean to be “better than rich?”

How does scaling help you get there?

Where do you start when optimizing your business?

How do you balance economic growth with personal contentment?

We answer all this and more in today’s incredible conversation with Andrew Biggs, a master of identifying operational bottlenecks, eliminating wasteful practices, and leveraging technology to automate menial tasks. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur looking to take your business to new heights, a nonprofit executive trying to use your resources more effectively, or just a driven individual seeking a better work-life balance, this episode is a must-listen!

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

0:43 - Introducing Andrew, his bio

3:09 - How Joey and Andrew met

5:56 - All personal development begins with self-love

7:19 - What did learning self-love look like for you?

9:31 - In our low moments we forget things we know in our high moments

11:26 - What does it mean to be “better than rich?”

13:12 - What kind of people make up your current client base?

15:23 - What’s the point of making money? How can you be more effective with your time?

18:36 - What made you want to address this particular need in the small business community?

20:40 - Joey’s difficulty letting go 

22:30 - Bottlenecks in business often come from the business owner themselves

24:03 - Are there any personality tests you use when onboarding new clients?

27:14 - A great place to start when trying to optimize your business? User experience

29:01 - Stop focusing on objections; find your second-slide customers!

31:08 - Defining systems (and why they’re useful)

33:48 - What are the initiatives that you’re most excited about right now?

36:29 - What steps along the journey to scale are the most difficult?

40:33 - Exit strategies, why are you scaling?

42:59 - What are your thoughts on balancing growth vs. contentment?

45:52 - Why you should keep the potential to sell open

47:08 - What more do you want?

48:28 - Andrew’s experience balancing work vs. self-fulfillment

50:44 - Thanking our sponsor, Utopia Experience 

51:47 - What else is on your heart right now?

53:20 - Favorite book, movie, or podcast? 

54:37 - What matters to you most?

55:25 - What are you most proud of right now?

56:52 - Who else should we have on this podcast? 

57:33 - How can people get in touch with you?

58:13 - Closing remarks

USEFUL LINKS:

Better Than Rich: https://www.betterthanrich.com/

Utopia Experience: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/