Best Stu Swineford Podcasts (2024)

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Ep102: Effective Storytelling to Inspire Investment with David Cohen from Techstars 40:52

1y ago40:52

40:52

Whether you are a startup looking for investment, or a nonprofit seeking to build momentum by attracting a larger donor, getting your story dialed in is clutch. On this week’s Relish THIS, David Cohen from Techstars joined me to discuss his experience with investing and what purpose-focused businesses can do to ensure that they are able to attract …

1
Ep 101: How to Get Volunteers on Board from the Onset with Karen Knight 45:42

1+ y ago45:42

45:42

Volunteers are the fuel that keeps nonprofit organizations humming. Not discounting volunteers' hard work to serve nonprofits’ missions, volunteers and how they talk about their experiences working with their favorite organizations provide the thrust that brings an abundance of donations, interest, and other volunteers into the system. In short, wh…

1
EP 100: Improve Your Effectiveness with Data with Matt Ranta of Nimble Gravity 54:32

1+ y ago54:32

54:32

The idea of testing can stir up anxiety for many people. But what if testing was a fun, fruitful venture for your organization? In fact, to get the most out of your marketing, you need to be testing, measuring, making adjustments, and repeating this cycle infinitum to ensure you aren’t missing opportunities and are taking your message and its prese…

1
Ep 99: Reenergize Your Nonprofit to Survive and Thrive with Kristen Faith of The Nonprofit Makeover 57:37

1+ y ago57:37

57:37

All of us have a desire to be liked. And many of us hide our true selves from fear of rejection. We tailor our appearance, what we say, and what we talk about to try to curate a persona we believe will be more attractive to more people. This curation may create a likeable avatar, but it may exist through the exclusion of authenticity. And what migh…

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Ep 98: Creating a More Authentic Conversation with Aaron Wrixon 1:01:07

1+ y ago1:01:07

1:01:07

Are you struggling with content marketing? In one sense, getting your message out to prospects has never been easier. A quick web search reveals dozens, if not hundreds, of content tools to help you quickly distribute your latest ideas via email, social media, your site, and nearly anywhere else you can think of. However, this ease of access has co…

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Ep 97: Mission Alignment and How to Keep Creativity in the Ecosystem With Teague McDaniel from Creative Integration Initiative 51:41

1+ y ago51:41

51:41

There’s a saying in sales, “‘No’ is the second best answer you can hear.” There’s a certain power in “no” and getting to that “not interested” allows everyone to move forward and get on with their day. This holds true in the nonprofit world as well. Understanding one’s mission and selecting partners that are mission-aligned is vastly more impactful…

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Ep 96: Your Numbers Tell a Story: Understanding nonprofit finances with Stephen King 52:35

1+ y ago52:35

52:35

Storytelling is a major component of any organization’s marketing. People love a good story, and effective storytelling can make the difference between gaining that new donor or falling short on your projections… again. More often than not, when looking for a compelling story, one overlooks a glaring opportunity in one’s organization. See, when tel…

1
Ep 95: Reframing Costs As Investments with Alex Romero 57:03

1+ y ago57:03

57:03

Particularly when one is a solopreneur, there’s a tendency to think of expenses as money coming out of one’s pocket instead of as an investment into one’s organization. It stems from adopting a scarcity mindset (rather than framing one’s experience from abundance) and also is seen quite a lot when one attaches oneself very closely to one’s occupati…

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Ep 94: Reimagining the Elevator Pitch With Building Bridges 1:03:28

1+ y ago1:03:28

1:03:28

In the past, one’s “elevator pitch” lasted 30-60 seconds. There was a reasonable expectation that one could hold someone’s attention for that period of time during which a longer conversation could be created. These days, however, 30-60 seconds is an eternity. In the world of TikTok and SnapChat and Twitter, we now have roughly 7 seconds to capture…

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Ep 93: Is Your Nonprofit Ready to Apply for Grants with Gauri Manglik 52:57

2y ago52:57

52:57

Going after grants seems like a no-brainer for most nonprofits. The allure of readily available money is certainly a draw – that can turn into a real distraction if you aren’t positioned well to win these opportunities. My guest today, Gauri Manglik, is a pro in the grant writing space. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of Instrumentl, a platform desig…

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Ep 92: Help Is Always Available: You Don’t Have to Go It Alone with Mike Hess From The Blind Institute of Technology 55:27

2y ago55:27

55:27

One of the challenges most entrepreneurs create for themselves is an inability to ask for help. This can stem from fear of appearing weak, a desire for control, or a heightened sense of responsibility honed by years of “Gettin’ it done.” Regardless of the root cause, one thing is certainly true: You are not alone. Neither in your thinking that you …

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Ep 91: Relationship-building on Social Media with Nick Black from Good United 39:46

2y ago39:46

39:46

Marketing is all about relationship-building. From selling a $0.25 widget to landing a multi-million dollar corporate sponsor, your ability to close business is only as strong as the relationships you build. People do business with people… and it’s becoming increasingly evident that people do even MORE business with people they like. That’s why any…

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Ep 90: Framing your donations as investments with Greg Harrell Edge from Coachart 1:05:51

2y ago1:05:51

1:05:51

A small adjustment in the language you use can make a big impact on your outcomes. A lot of nonprofits, in fact, MOST nonprofits, talk about donations in terms of “gifts”. This tees up a certain dynamic – one with low expectations which can reduce the frequency and volume of said “gift”. My guest today is Greg Harrell-Edge, the Executive Director a…

1
Ep 89: Own Your Marketing With David Pisarek of Wow Digital 57:20

2y ago57:20

57:20

If there’s one takeaway from this week’s episode it’s that “your site is a member of your team.” And, like the other members of your team, your site needs to be nurtured in order for it to thrive and work as effectively as you would like. See, a lot of people think that having a website is enough. They tend to fall into the Field of Dreams fallacy.…

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Ep 88: Getting Culture “Right” and Focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in your Organization with Michael Rolph from New Sincerity 1:05:06

2y ago1:05:06

1:05:06

Aside from “pivot”, “culture” is a word that has been getting a bit of a workout in the business world over the last several years. There are SO many reasons why a focus on “culture” is a clutch move for any organization. We are seeing a big shift in how people engage with businesses and brands, and when one can lead with culture, there are a varie…

1
Ep 87: Aligning and Defining Your Company’s Culture with HR Strategist Otisa Eads 55:41

2y ago55:41

55:41

Building a team seems like a pretty straightforward endeavor. Figure out what you want people to “do” then get someone on board to accomplish that task, right? Turns out, there is a better way to approach the hiring process and it comes from “BEing” rather than “DOing”. And it really comes down to seeking cultural fit before task fit. It’s a bit of…

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Ep 86: The power of purpose and leading with authenticity with Cheryl Farr and Cristina Ferreri from SignalCSK 56:09

2y ago56:09

56:09

At one point, having a purpose-focused organization was a bit of a differentiator. Lately, the term comes up a lot, and for those organizations that are truly leading with purpose and have a mission that drives their decisions and daily activities, kudos to you. At Relish Studio, we like working with people with a purpose for a variety of reasons. …

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Ep 85: CRMs, the number one tool you need to grow the success of your nonprofit with Lidiane Mocko of CRM Growth Strategy 56:53

2y ago56:53

56:53

When asked, “What’s the best Customer Relationship Management Tool (CRM)?” I like to joke, “The best CRM is the one you will use.” And though this is mostly a pithy reply to a legitimate inquiry, in my experience just getting started and committed to using a CRM is one of the best actions one can take to get their sales humming. And yes, nonprofits…

1
Ep 84: Embracing the new future of virtual events to greatly increase your engagement, attendance, and donations with We and Goliath 55:20

2y ago55:20

55:20

Like it or not, we are still living in a world where virtual events continue to be a necessity. In order to accommodate the widest possible audience, getting your virtual events dialed is imperative to ensure that you enable optimum engagement. And what’s fortune is that we do live in an era where technology exists to make these types of events not…

1
Ep 83: Planning where you want to go with Sherry Quam Taylor from Quam Taylor Consulting 57:54

2y ago57:54

57:54

When thinking about planning, most of us start that exploration from the perspective of where we are today. Want to buy a new car? How much money do you make or have in the bank? Interested in taking an extended vacation? How much time have you accumulated in your PTO at work? But my guest today, Sherry Quam Taylor from Quam Taylor Consulting takes…

1
Ep 82: Budgets are essentially plans, in numbers - Strategic planning for nonprofits with Carol Hamilton 53:30

2+ y ago53:30

53:30

When you think of strategic planning, what comes to mind? Hours locked away in a conference room, working through scenarios and exercises that, in the end, will produce a document that feels ok at the time, but you know will rarely see the light of day once the session is complete? Or a valuable exercise that aligns your team, creates thrust for yo…

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Ep 81: Who you need to BE to get things DONE with Sobia Zafar from the Taaleem Foundation 53:00

2+ y ago53:00

53:00

Setting big goals for your organization can be daunting. Are your plans and projections realistic? Are you reaching too far? Not far enough? Getting to that “sweet spot” of planning and projections feels comfortable. But, as we chatted about in last week’s episode, that’s not real commitment. Commitment happens when you land in the zone of uncertai…

1
Ep 80 How to leverage authenticity and passion to do good in the world with Steve Bacon from Belief Theory 58:15

2+ y ago58:15

58:15

My coach frames everything from the perspective of commitment. And if you think you understand commitment, let me tell you something, his definition (and getting committed to REAL commitment) could change your world. See, it’s easy to “commit” to things you know you can do. I can confidently sign on to say, throwing a football 20 yards. That’s not …

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Ep 79 Advertisers vs. Sponsors vs. Partners – What’s Best for Your Organization? with Ken Unger from Charge 1:01:17

2+ y ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Partnerships can provide a much-needed boost to any organization’s outreach. They help secure funding for events, bring in a baked-in audience ready to engage, and can contribute in a variety of other ways to help your organization move closer to your goals. However, partnerships are a two-way street. This week’s Relish THIS I spoke with Ken Ungar,…

1
Ep 78 Help your organization thrive and survive with Mitch Stein, CEO of Pond 58:28

2+ y ago58:28

58:28

Two of the most common questions we get from nonprofit leaders are, “Do you know anyone who can help us with that?” and “Is there a tool or app we can use that will help streamline that for us?” Fortunately, the Founder and CEO of Pond, Mitch Stein and his team can help with both of these challenges. There are SO many tools and resources available …

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Ep 77 Making your organization work for you with Simon Severino from Strategy Sprints 48:40

2+ y ago48:40

48:40

What if you could have your organization truly work for you? Many leaders dream of building an organization that can run without constant attention and input from the founders. One that has the right team in place and the right processes on line to thrive. One that allows every team member the opportunity to step away for a while with the confidenc…

1
Ep 76 Getting Inspirational - Build a better team through the power of leadership coaching with Chris Hutchinson 59:01

2+ y ago59:01

59:01

At the ripe, young age of 23, I found myself leading a team of creatives for one of the top three cycling catalog companies in the nation. Looking back at that time, I certainly could have used more experience in team management and motivation to get the most out of my team. Or at least some additional investment in myself to become a better leader…

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Ep 75: Failing Fast for better results with Diana Zhang from Neighbor Share 1:01:29

2+ y ago1:01:29

1:01:29

Whether you're a seasoned nonprofit or just getting started, it's important to learn the concept of “failing fast.” Getting to a “no” quickly can help you achieve success and grow rather than limiting yourself and what you can do. On this week's Episode I spoke with Diana Zhang, CEO and Co-Founder of Neighbor Share, an organization that offers “mic…

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Ep 74: Scale Your Organization Through Inspiring Your Stakeholders With Joe Sanders From Colorado Uplift 1:02:43

2+ y ago1:02:43

1:02:43

For most businesses and organizations, the quickest wins are found in the INSPIRE phase of the stakeholder lifecycle. In most situations, transforming customers and donors into repeat business is simply easier than selling to a whole new audience. After all, you’ve already put in the hard work nurturing these individuals through the ATTRACT, BOND, …

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Ep 73: Reframing your story to your stakeholders perspective with Danny Combs from TACT 48:25

2+ y ago48:25

48:25

Messaging is a challenge for many organizations. From struggling with differentiation, to being too “us” focused, it’s flat-out difficult to nail your core message and engage stakeholders. Yet most nonprofits have a great story lurking in the haze. After all, what’s not to love about an inspirational mission? And even the newest nonprofits have suc…

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Episode 72: Get Committed And Take Action With Mark Bergel 56:08

2+ y ago56:08

56:08

If you have been listening to Relish THIS for a while, you have probably detected a theme: I'm a big fan of taking action. In fact, I ask each of my wonderful guests at the end of each episode what action they would like for you, dear listener, to take after our discussion. Well, my guest today, Mark Bergel, Co-Founder of the Shared Humanity Projec…

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Episode 71: Living Your Values To Expand Your Mission With Seth Ehrlich 58:02

2+ y ago58:02

58:02

The business world is changing. No longer can businesses continue to operate in using the old paradigm. Put your head down, shut up, and work harder no longer work as a motivators for your team. This shift to culture-based business promises a different experience for all stakeholders. And when you and your entire team can live the values you have c…

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Episode 70: Leveraging Paid Search For Nonprofits With Kurt Filla 54:54

2+ y ago54:54

54:54

Whether you run a nonprofit or for-profit organization, paid search is going to be one of the main marketing ecosystem pillars you should consider to get "instant on" traffic sources to your offerings. That being said, running a successful paid search campaign requires some planning and know-how to make sure you get the most out of your investment.…

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Episode 69: Get Your Podcast Up And Running: Successful Podcast Launching Tips With Tony Lupo And Ryan Fairfield Of The Warrior Next Door 57:38

2+ y ago57:38

57:38

Launching a podcast can be difficult especially if you don't find your niche. According to recent research, there are currently over 2 million individual podcasts out there. And around 45 million episodes. That sounds like a pretty crowded market. But when you dig into the stats a bit more, some real gold gets unearthed. According to Amplifi Media,…

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EP 68: The Market Of Building Business Relationships On Amazon With Keith Hartnett 39:14

2+ y ago39:14

39:14

Marketing is all about relationship-building. The most valuable relationships are measured by their quality vs. their quantity, but almost every relationship begins with an exchange of value often marked by some series of back-and-forth interactions. My guest today, Keith Hartnett, the Founder and CEO of Better World Products, knows all about the p…

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EP 67: How You Be Influences What You Do With Townsend Wardlaw 1:12:29

2+ y ago1:12:29

1:12:29

Have you ever considered how you "be" directly influences all that you "do"? It's an interesting concept – one that requires some serious brain yoga to wrap your head around. See, if you follow today's guest's approach, you have the capacity to create every moment in your life. How you show up in life (how you "be") influences everything. In this e…

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EP 66: Systems Optimizations - The Key To Scaling Your Business With Alyson Caffrey 49:46

2+ y ago49:46

49:46

When you start a business, systems optimization isn’t usually top of mind when it comes to priorities. However, if you want to scale and grow, you need to have processes in place for your team to follow. Today’s guest is Alyson Caffrey, the Founder and CEO of Operations Agency. Her goal is to help organizations create powerful, reliable systems tha…

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EP 65: Mindset Shifts For Leaders - How To Stop Suffering With Jeff Kinsey 57:49

2+ y ago57:49

57:49

Nietzsche is quoted as saying, "To live is to suffer. To survive is to find some meaning in the suffering." But what if the suffering itself was optional? What if you can shift your mindset to look forward instead of back? This concept is what today's guest, Jeff Kinsey, and your host, Stu Swineford, have in store for you. Jeff is the Founder of Th…

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EP 64: Hone your message to reinforce the work you do with Stephanie and David from SJMA 1:03:17

2+ y ago1:03:17

1:03:17

As you’re probably aware, I’m a big fan of protecting Colorado’s open spaces. You may know Relish is involved with 1% for the Planet, but I think it’s also of interest that I’ve chosen to live deep in the forest of Colorado’s Front Range. It’s fair to say environmental stewardship is engrained in what I do. That’s why this episode of Relish This wa…

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Ep 63: Telling your story at the intersection of marketing, branding, and sales with Suzi Bahnsen from Apple and Arrow Sales. 1:03:35

2+ y ago1:03:35

1:03:35

In the for-profit world, Sales and Marketing are two sides of the same coin. They work hand-in-hand to build an organization. In the nonprofit world, however, these two components of brand building and stakeholder engagement get a bad wrap. But do nonprofits actually sell? Of course they do. Whether some component of your organization drives revenu…

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Ep 62: How To Successfully Launch A Product On Amazon With Luke Tierney of Eco D2c 50:16

2+ y ago50:16

50:16

I don’t think it’s news that Amazon dominates the online selling game, both here in the United States and around the world. You don’t get to be a $1.75T—yes, that’s trillions of dollars—by slacking. In any case, if you’re launching a consumer product, a little knowledge about how to market it on Amazon can go a long way. On this week’s episode, I t…

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Ep 61: Rethink your nonprofit’s revenue streams with Regeanie Corona from Advancing the Seed 1:05:08

2+ y ago1:05:08

1:05:08

When you’re trying to scale and grow, it can be daunting to think about all the moving parts that need to fall into place for your organization to reach the next level. Fundraising, messaging, outreach, hiring, infrastructure—all of these compound to create a lot of stress. That is, if you haven’t mapped out a plan. On this week’s episode of Relish…

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Ep 60: Reframe and Remaster Your Messaging To Thrive with Douglas Spencer of Spencer Brennan 52:12

2+ y ago52:12

52:12

What message are you trying to share with your stakeholders? On this week's Relish This, I chatted with Spencer Brennan, the founder and CEO of Boston agency Douglas Spencer. He and I met on an online group called Nonprofit.ist that enables those working in the nonprofit sector to connect with other nonprofit and purpose-focused experts. Spencer he…

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Ep 59: Manage and fuel your organization’s growth with Goodworld co-founder Richie Kendall 48:56

2+ y ago48:56

48:56

My guest today is Richie Kendall, the co-founder of Goodworld, an AMAZING tech stack that helps organizations (both nonprofit and for-profit) manage and fuel their growth. Richie’s platform combines many great features in one platform, making it easier to coordinate your outreach for maximum effect. In my opinion, nonprofit organizations could espe…

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Ep 58: Sharing your Passion With A Wider Audience: PR and nonprofit outreach with Maya Brook From Slow Food Denver 53:43

2+ y ago53:43

53:43

Are you crafting a conversation with all of your audiences? On this episode of Relish This, I talked with Maya Brook, the Executive Director of Slow Food Denver, an organization that helps educate people about their food sources and encourages them to seek out food that is produced using sustainable practices and is available to everyone. Their mot…

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Ep 57: How to build partnerships and expand your mission with Mike Reichert from Wild Bear Nature Center 57:20

2+ y ago57:20

57:20

On this week's episode, I talked with Mike Reichert, the Director of Operations at Wild Bear Nature Center in Nederland, CO. Wild Bear Nature Center has an ambitious plan to educate people about nature by building a new facility down the street from where I live. (They’re currently running a big capital campaign to raise the necessary funds.) They’…

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Ep 56: Remain relevant by running online events with Dave Jensen from Encompass Event Group 1:00:20

3y ago1:00:20

1:00:20

Are you hosting an event this year? If not, you should consider doing so. (Within the bounds of safety, of course.) On this week’s episode I talked with Dave Jensen, the CEO of Encompass Events Group. Their company helps nonprofit organizations put on live hybrid and remote events. They offer support and production services to help organizations kn…

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Ep 55: Keeping your foot on the gas even through the hard times with Angela Forster from Tiny Studio. 58:05

3y ago58:05

58:05

Are you keeping your foot on the gas? This week I talked with Angela Forster, the co-founder of Tiny Studio. Angela and her business partner, Nancy Rice, have a women-owned business that does lots of work in the nonprofit sector. Since both of us are in the design world, our conversation naturally touched on design trends. We also talked about remo…

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Episode 54: Running a sweepstake to engage donors with Annie Tukman from TapKat 57:40

3y ago57:40

57:40

Have you ever thought about generating donations by hosting a sweepstake? (Yes, “sweepstakes” means more than one. 😁) This week we are talking to Annie Tukman, the Sales Director at Tapkat, a platform that runs online sweepstakes for nonprofit organizations. Sweepstakes are great for an organization because they help gamify the donation process. Th…

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Episode 53: Commit to sharing your story and why it matters with Rhiannon Hendrickson from Orapin Marketing. 58:54

3y ago58:54

58:54

Have you committed to getting your story out to your stakeholders? Today’s episode of Relish This, we talk to Rhiannon Hendrickson, Founder and CEO of Orapin Marketing, a fantastic PR firm that does a LOT of work in the nonprofit sector. Her firm focuses on helping nonprofits get their stories out to their stakeholders. Orapin’s approach focuses on…

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Stu Swineford Podcasts

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