Thinking CAAP

In this re-release episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore reaches back into the archives for a timely conversation with Marie Conley, founder of M Conley Consulting and an upcoming keynote speaker at CAAP's 2026 Annual Conference, Mission Possible.

Marie joins Beck Moore and Heather Holloway for a conversation about leadership, workplace culture, empathy, health advocacy, and what it means to live a "point-worthy" life. She shares how her nonlinear career path shaped her work as an HR anthropologist and HR archaeologist, giving her a unique lens for observing people, leadership, and the hidden dynamics that shape workplace culture.

The conversation also explores what strong leaders do well, why administrative support and onboarding are often undervalued, and how small, intentional acts of kindness can create meaningful engagement across an organization.

Marie also opens up about her rare disease diagnosis, her experience with Cushing's disease and adrenal insufficiency, and the way that journey changed how she understands energy, boundaries, purpose, and empathy. Her "point-worthy life" framework offers a powerful reminder for leaders, caregivers, and human service professionals: every decision, relationship, and responsibility uses energy, and we have to be intentional about where our points go.

As CAAP prepares to welcome Marie to the main stage in Lancaster, this archived conversation offers a meaningful preview of the perspective, humanity, and wisdom she brings to conversations about leadership, connection, and showing up well for the people around us. For more from Marie Conley:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mconleyconsulting/

Website: https://www.mconleyconsulting.com/

Conley Cushing's Disease Fund: https://kickcushings.com/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Rachel Barnard, founder and CEO of Creative Civility, for a conversation about burnout, resilience, and what it takes to build organizations where people can truly thrive.

Rachel challenges the idea that burnout is a personal failing, especially for people in human services and mission-driven work. Instead, she frames burnout as a signal that the work, the environment, and the systems may need closer attention. Together, Beck, Heather, and Rachel explore the emotional weight of service, the gap between what should be and what is, and the way fatigue can affect integrity, creativity, decision-making, and organizational culture.

The conversation also looks at capacity, asking for help, vicarious trauma, survivor syndrome, joy, self-care, and the importance of giving from a place of wholeness rather than depletion. Rachel shares how Creative Civility helps teams map their experience of burnout, reconnect with their humanity, and create joyful disruptions that make room for wellness, creativity, and possibility.

This episode is a reminder that healthy organizations begin with healthy people, and that thriving isn't something we earn after the work is done. Thriving is the baseline we have to build into the way we lead, serve, and show up for the long haul. Substack: https://rachelgbarnard.substack.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-g-barnard-49335751/

Website: https://www.rachel-g-barnard.com/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore welcomes Kara Hardin for part 2 of a conversation about what happens after we recognize our patterns of striving, over-functioning, and self-protection.

Beck shares a deeply personal story from the beginning of COVID, reflecting on fear, identity, transition, and the terrifying but life-changing work of becoming more congruent with himself. Kara builds on that story by exploring the difference between automatic striving and deliberate striving, and how leaders can begin to notice the many parts of themselves that show up in moments of pressure.

Together, Beck and Kara discuss self-awareness, organizational culture, the limits of control, human services work, and the importance of creating space to pause, reflect, and gather better data about what we need. The conversation is honest, tender, and practical, inviting leaders to build healthier organizations without losing touch with their own humanity.

We hope you listen to and share this deeply human, supportive, and inspiring conversation with your circle, and find ways to support each other today.

Connect with Kara Hardin | LinkedIn

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore welcomes Kara Hardin, founder of The Practice Lab, for a conversation about achievement, identity, burnout, and the patterns that shape how we lead.

Kara explores how the same strategies that help high achievers succeed can also lead them toward exhaustion, especially when they try to control themselves enough to control the world around them. Through stories about work, parenting, running, fishing, striving, and self-improvement, Beck and Kara unpack what it means to lead from purpose instead of protection.

This episode invites listeners to reconsider success, pay attention to what makes them feel alive, and remember that there is no single rulebook for a life well lived.

Connect with Kara Hardin | LinkedIn

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Brandi Fleming, Executive Director of Indiana County Community Action Program, for a conversation about leadership, service, responsibility, and what it means to keep holding hope for a community.

Brandi shares what has kept her rooted in Indiana County and how Community Action helps create pathways to stability and opportunity for individuals and families. She reflects on the increasingly complex challenges people are facing, from housing and food insecurity to employment, rising costs, and the many connected barriers that can make it difficult for families to move forward.

The conversation also explores Brandi's journey from accounting and finance into Community Action leadership. She talks about the shift from CFO to executive director, the challenge of balancing strategy, outcomes, and dollars, and the leadership value she calls "strong kindness," pairing compassion with accountability, boundaries, and strength.

Throughout the episode, Brandi offers an honest look at the weight and beauty of Community Action work. She shares what gives her hope, including programs that feed children and seniors, the power of helping someone take the next step toward stability, and the strength of a statewide network that continues to gather, collaborate, and push for change.

From client stories and leadership lessons to finding balance during heavy days, this episode is a reminder that Community Action is built by people who keep showing up, keep caring, and keep working toward a better future for the communities they call home.

Connect with Brandi Fleming on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-fleming-a7866b359/

Follow Indiana County Community Action Program, Inc on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IccapofIndianapa or on their website here: https://iccap.net/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore welcomes Bree Groff back to the podcast for a conversation about work, joy, humanity, leadership, and what it means to create organizations where people can feel more like themselves.

Bree, author of Today Was Fun, shares the core idea behind her book: work does not have to be something we simply endure. Instead, work can be understood as something that creates value for others and for the world, with joy and humanity built into the way we lead, communicate, and show up together.

Beck and Bree discuss one of Bree's favorite team exercises: the user manual. By answering simple questions about how people work, what they value, how they process stress, and how they prefer to be supported, teams can build trust, reduce assumptions, and create stronger working relationships. The conversation also explores how leaders can adapt their communication, understand different support styles, and make work feel more human without forcing people to disclose more than they are comfortable sharing.

The episode also digs into fun, vulnerability, gratitude, and the small moments that can shift workplace culture. Bree encourages leaders to be "10 to 20% more human" than they think is safe, while Beck reflects on how CAAP's team has built a culture of care through thoughtful gestures, humor, and showing up for each other during difficult moments.

From pajama meetings and turkey suits to micro-confessions and gratitude messages, this conversation is a reminder that workplace culture is not only shaped by policies and surveys. It is also shaped by the small, repeated moments where people feel seen, cared for, and allowed to be human.

Discover more about Bree Groff:Website: https://www.breegroff.com/home Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bree_groff/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bree-groff/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Heather Holloway flips the script and interviews host Beck Moore, CEO of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what CAAP does, how membership works, and what it means to support a statewide network of Community Action Agencies.

Beck shares how CAAP supports Pennsylvania's 42 Community Action Agencies through training, technical assistance, professional development, advocacy, enterprise solutions, conferences, partnerships, and responsive member support. He reflects on the importance of building real value for members, creating a stronger sense of community, and making sure agencies feel seen, heard, supported, and connected.

The conversation also explores CAAP's growth, including revenue diversification, CAAP Learn, partnerships with other state associations, project administration, team expansion, and the challenge of staying relevant in a changing nonprofit and human services landscape. Beck discusses how CAAP balances data, instinct, mission alignment, and member feedback while continuing to build infrastructure that supports both current and future needs.

From adaptive budgeting and AI to disaster case management, PA Navigate, leadership development, and the evolving role of associations, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the strategy behind CAAP's work and the promise the organization makes to its members: that they can be vulnerable, share what they are struggling with, and know CAAP will be there to support, connect, protect, and celebrate them.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Heather Holloway flips the script and interviews host Beck Moore, CEO of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what CAAP does, how membership works, and what it means to support a statewide network of Community Action Agencies.

Beck shares how CAAP supports Pennsylvania's 42 Community Action Agencies through training, technical assistance, professional development, advocacy, enterprise solutions, conferences, partnerships, and responsive member support. He reflects on the importance of building real value for members, creating a stronger sense of community, and making sure agencies feel seen, heard, supported, and connected.

The conversation also explores CAAP's growth, including revenue diversification, CAAP Learn, partnerships with other state associations, project administration, team expansion, and the challenge of staying relevant in a changing nonprofit and human services landscape. Beck discusses how CAAP balances data, instinct, mission alignment, and member feedback while continuing to build infrastructure that supports both current and future needs.

From adaptive budgeting and AI to disaster case management, PA Navigate, leadership development, and the evolving role of associations, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the strategy behind CAAP's work and the promise the organization makes to its members: that they can be vulnerable, share what they are struggling with, and know CAAP will be there to support, connect, protect, and celebrate them.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Amanda Shelton, CEO and Executive Director of the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies (TACAA), for a conversation about Community Action, state association leadership, storytelling, advocacy, and the evolving needs of local agencies.

Amanda shares her journey from working at a local Community Action Agency in Harris County, Texas, to leading the statewide association that supports agencies across all 254 Texas counties. Together, Beck and Amanda compare the Community Action landscape in Texas and Pennsylvania, including differences in geography, public and private agencies, disaster response, funding, and how local needs shape local solutions.

The conversation also explores how Community Action tells its story, why economic impact matters, and how agencies can better communicate the realities of poverty, affordability, and the Benefits Cliff. Amanda emphasizes the importance of knowing the audience, choosing the right messenger, and helping people understand that most families are much closer to instability than they may realize.

Beck, Heather, and Amanda also discuss the changing role of state associations, the pressure of advocacy, the importance of data, the relationship between state offices and local agencies, and the growing need to think differently about AI, intake systems, administrative burden, and human-centered service. The episode closes with a reminder that Community Action is stronger when networks move together, learn from each other, and continue telling the story of why this work is important.

For more about Texas Association of Community Action Agencies: https://www.tacaa.org

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Marie Connelly for a conversation about leadership, workplace culture, empathy, health advocacy, and what it means to live a "point-worthy" life.

Marie shares how her nonlinear career path shaped her work as an HR anthropologist, giving her the opportunity to observe workplace dynamics across campaigns, nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, and leadership development. She reflects on what strong leaders do well, why administrative support and onboarding are often undervalued, and how small intentional actions can create meaningful engagement across an organization.

Marie also opens up about her rare disease diagnosis, her experience with Cushing's disease and adrenal insufficiency, and the way that journey changed how she understands energy, boundaries, purpose, and empathy. Her "point-worthy life" framework offers a powerful reminder for leaders, caregivers, and human service professionals: every decision, relationship, and responsibility uses energy, and we have to be intentional about where our points go.

The conversation closes with practical insight on workplace kindness, medical advocacy, onboarding, generational communication, and how leaders can create cultures where people feel seen, supported, and valued. For more from Marie Conley: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mconleyconsulting/ Website: https://www.mconleyconsulting.com/ Conley Cushing's Disease Fund: https://kickcushings.com/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog