Ten years ago (literally) I was what I called an “accidental consultant.” And, I figured I should make it official and at least have a website. I was referred to Scott Paley, principal at Abstract Edge. He asked a lot of questions, and his diagnosis was that I had a lot of things to say (he should have asked my wife!) and that my advice would be helpful to lots of nonprofits.
And poof! My website became a blog filled with actionable, story-based, and funny advice for board and staff leaders of nonprofits based on my experience playing every position on the nonprofit field.
And, thanks to Scott’s efforts (and good content), it really took off. Today, this free content is offered weekly to over 100,000 visitors from over 150 countries.
Ten years is like 100 in the tech space, so we decided a renovation was in order. Not for us, and not (just) to make it nicer looking.
You see, this renovation is all about you. Just as my blog has been for the past decade.
Here were our objectives — all geared toward busy nonprofit leaders whose time is precious.
- Content Front and Center: We’ve made tweaks through the years and are returning to what works best for you. Content is the star attraction of the site. And our new, more sophisticated search function makes it easier to find exactly what you are looking for. After 10 years of writing blog posts, there’s a lot to search for!
- Quick Tips: At the top of each blog post, you’ll see my smiling face with a quick tip that often leads to a downloadable resource to complement the topic you are learning about. A bit of extra color commentary and/or an additional quote to help you bring the advice to life.
- Interested in info about me and my work? Our new navigation makes it easier to find all the info you need.
- Faster: In 10 years we have seen so many tech changes (with faster speed at the top of the list). Why wait to read some advice that could really help you? While I might not be as zippy as I was a decade ago, the blog? Definitely zippier.
- Mobile-Friendly: The majority of readers grab my content on their phones, and so you will find a very up-to-date, mobile-friendly site.
- Accessibility: We began with our podcast episodes. Each one now has captions and transcripts. And you should see this as just stage one in our commitment to ensure that everyone has access to the advice and insights we provide. Stay tuned as we continue to speak to and unveil an array of ways in which all visitors will see themselves here and feel a strong sense of belonging.
- A New Tag Line: We wanted our brand to more accurately reflect what we do and how we think about you as nonprofit leaders. Many of you know that I am known for saying Nonprofits are Messy, and indeed they are. I still embrace this as a way of helping folks understand the more complex structure, organizing model, and power dynamics. We made a decision that it is and continue to be the perfect tagline for my podcast, a forum where we attempt to untangle the messy issues nonprofit leaders face every single day.
But for this blog, we have landed on a phrase we believe really captures what I do across all lines of my business — my blog, my podcast, speaking gigs, and inside the Nonprofit Leadership Lab — my online membership site that supports thousands of nonprofit leaders.AND AND AND it is a bit of an homage to one of my heroes, Mr. Rogers. (Actually, to be fair, it’s an homage to to his mom.) It is inspired by this quote:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day…I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted that there are so many helpers — so many caring people in the world.”
What more important work could there be than helping the helpers?
Come explore the new website, and I hope that during your stay you find advice, belonging, and inspiration.
The world is counting on you to be your best. And I commit to helping you do just that.
Want to learn from a growing community of nonprofit leaders and get exclusive access to content from a variety of experts? Click here to learn more about the Nonprofit Leadership Lab.
