The Nonprofit Leader's Guide
We want to bring you the thoughts of some of the most impactful leaders in health and human services. Their real-world experience in driving growth and impact and leading in hard times might be just the extra dose of motivation and common sense you need to bring to your organization whether you are an Executive Team member or the Board President. We think that leading the conversation about the nonprofit business sector and what nonprofits should think about now is part of our mission, “Building A World that realizes the boundless potential of all people.”
Our purpose in this podcast is to make your mission, our mission.
The Nonprofit Leader's Guide
Build Trust with Bold Branding and Sincere Storytelling
Rebranding a nonprofit isn’t about swapping logos or picking trendier colors— it’s about removing friction between people and the help they need. We sit down with three dynamic marketing leaders who have guided large behavioral health and human services organizations through bold transformations, unifying dozens of legacy brands, clarifying their promise, and building trust where it counts: at the front door to care. Your team can learn so much from this team of experts: Renee Stein, VP of Marketing and Communications at Boundless, Jana Greig, EVP of Administration at Brightli, and Whitney McChane, Chief Marketing Officer at Clarvida.
These vastly accomplished executives explore the practical “fourth leg” of brand beyond positioning, identity, and message: consistency. You’ll hear how disciplined, research‑driven choices led one team to retire 27 names in favor of a single, bilingual brand designed to feel warm, human, and memorable in a sea of clinical lookalikes. Another guest shares the path to becoming the nation’s largest nonprofit behavioral health provider under one name, and why internal alignment—across leaders, clinicians, and support staff—made the difference between a clever concept and a living, breathing brand.
Storytelling sits at the center of the work. We dig into employee‑generated content that outperforms polished videos, including the tools and prompts that make it scalable. We highlight a traveling portrait exhibit that invites people to tell their own mental health stories, reducing stigma and sparking action. Along the way, we connect data to human impact, reframing marketing as part of the continuum of care: informed campaigns raise awareness, lower barriers, and turn curiosity into contact.
Plus, don’t miss our 'Mission Moment' on inclusive outreach roles that unlock new revenue and representation in the community. If this conversation gave you a useful idea or two, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help more nonprofit leaders find it.
Welcome everyone to the Nonprofit Leader's Guide Podcast brought to you by Boundless. I'm your host, Scott Light. We are so excited to bring you this episode to highlight the work of three impactful marketing and storytelling professionals. These creative and brilliant leaders do the hard work of transforming organizations by making the work that they do visible and telling the stories of their mission, the outcomes of people served, and also introducing the community to the hardworking staff that deliver these results every single day. Their work promotes access to services and a vital link to the community. We think that bringing you the thoughts of these and many other leaders in our podcast series in health and human services might just be that extra dose of motivation and common sense that you need to be a North Star during these turbulent times. We consider hosting and leading these conversations another way that we are building a world that realizes the boundless potential of all people. Let me introduce you to those great guests that I just mentioned. Renee Stein is Vice President of Marketing and Communications here at Boundless. In fact, we're right here on the Boundless campus together in our studio. She leads strategic initiatives that elevate brand visibility, drive stakeholder engagement, and support organizational growth. Renee brings both professional expertise and personal advocacy to her roles. She is a passionate voice for continued investment in developmental disability services across Ohio. Hi, Renee. It's good to see you.
SPEAKER_04:Hello, great to see you as well.
SPEAKER_01:Janna Gregg is here as well, executive vice president of administration at Brightley, a journalist, turn marketer, and strategist with 18 years experience. Her endless curiosity fuels her creative problem-solving skills, making her a go-to resource for really any challenge that comes her way. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Missouri State University and a master's degree in communications and marketing from Drury University. She is also currently working on her Master of Science in Health Administration at the University of Alabama. Janna, you're not going to have enough room on your walls for all of these degrees here. I should say uh UAB, University of Alabama at Birmingham. And she also completed the Executive Strategy Program at Oxford University's Business School. Janna, welcome to you.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you. Thank you for having me. Great to be with you all.
SPEAKER_01:Whitney McChain is here as well, Chief Marketing Officer of Clare Vita. She leads brand strategy, marketing operations, and enterprise communications for one of the nation's largest behavioral health and human services organizations. Whitney is guiding a bold transition and transformation right now. So, of course, her expertise and her perspective is going to really be pertinent to this conversation. She's modernizing her company's identity and crafting a narrative that reflects its commitment to helping every client and every employee break through. She's known for her collaborative leadership style, strategic clarity, and deep respect for the people doing this life-changing work on the front lines every single day. Whitney, hello to you. It's good to have you.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'd like to go around the horn with a little bit of a rapid fire out of the gate. And Renee, let me start with you. When you think, this is for all of you, but Renee's going to start us off. When you think of your organization's brand today, what single word or maybe a phrase in your mind best describes it?
SPEAKER_04:I would have to say today, it's reimagining possibilities.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Janet, how about to you?
SPEAKER_04:I'm going to say tenacious.
SPEAKER_01:Love that. We're two for two. Okay, Whitney, no pressure. Two for two.
SPEAKER_02:If I had to choose one word to describe Claire Vita today, it would be breakthroughs.
SPEAKER_01:Love it. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to come back to your words and phrases here in just a little bit because we're we really want to flesh those out. I also want to start and tell our listeners about a couple of themes today. We're going to explore how rebranding helps nonprofits, how it helps nonprofits stay relevant to the communities that they serve. And, you know, we'll also highlight, you know, sometimes there's tension. Let's be honest here. When we're talking about modernizing, let's say, a look or a feel, but also preserving trust that has been built over the decade. So I did a little homework here. So I looked at a list and a story about the best nonprofit brands of 2024. And they were rated on these three things. So again, we'll go around the horn. I'd love to get your thoughts here. They were rated on these three metrics positioning, so determining how your organization stands out, brand identity, uh, you know, the visuals, the emotional impact of your organization. And the third one was message, crafting that narrative that resonates with your supporters. Um, Whitney, why don't we start with you? How do you think those three markers, pillars, if you will, um, what do you like about a brand being put up against against those three markers?
SPEAKER_02:You know, it's that three-legged stool. You really can't fall short short on any one of them because all three are incredibly important. In order for your brand to resonate and break through, you have to have strong positioning. You need to understand who you are positioning yourself toward and the market in which you are being positioned. So the competition. And when you have strong positioning, then you can craft a personality that is unique and helps you really stand apart from the competition. But just standing apart is not alone. You have to be able to resonate emotionally, intellectually with the people who you're marketing yourself to. So I absolutely agree that three are equally important and powerful.
SPEAKER_03:I like what you said, Whitney, calling it that three-legged stool that all three need to be present. Um, I might even make it a fourth-legg stool if that's a thing, because positioning, brand identity, the message, so critical, but I might add consistency. You know, what's the consistency that you're showing up with that same message, that same identity, that same positioning? I think um, marketers, we are probably the only ones that can easily get bored with our brand and start maybe going outside those brand guidelines, trying to bring in some different pieces with messaging positioning, but that consistency is really critical.
SPEAKER_01:Renee, let me come to you. What do you think about those three? I'll mention them again: positioning, brand identity, and messaging.
SPEAKER_04:I think they're critical. And I think an agency, um, especially one that does probably as much as all of our agency does, you know, we do a lot, but we always have to stay true to our brand and keep our position in the marketplace, even when we're trying something new and we're sending out that message. I want people to know that boundless is behind it. So having that consistency, the the big B we like to call it, even if we're doing a new program, a new service, having that trusted bee and that consistency, I think, is very key. So I'd have to agree with that as well. So if we can make it a four-legged stool, I would vote for that. Because I love the three-legged and the fourth there just made the whole picture whole.
SPEAKER_01:Renee, you mentioned you you talked about knowing your market. Boy, did you tee up really my next um thought and question here? Because that same story that I was reading, they they said that the great branders out there in the nonprofit world um have some common threads uh between them. Know your market was one of them. Uh being bold, having bold personalities. And Whitney, I think you even touched on that one just a couple of minutes ago. Emotional residence was another one. Invest in a creative advisor, and that is maybe going outside. If you don't have those folks inside your organization, go outside to get those skilled designers, those skilled experts. And then a community-centered approach. So I'd love for the group and and Renee, if you want to expand a little bit on knowing your market and maybe a couple of these other pillars, what resonates with you out of that list?
SPEAKER_04:I I would have to say knowing your market, you have to understand who you're talking to, what their um capacity is to receive your message and and how best to connect with them. So, you know, we say about the people that we serve, we meet them where they're at. And I think as marketers, that's kind of our charge as well. Um, we're trying to reach the families that we serve, we're trying to reach donors, we're trying to reach stakeholders, um, really understanding what level of engagement they want with us and having the messages in a format that makes sense to them, that has that emotional connection to them, or, you know, really is speaking their language to get them to understand better what our brand does and keep that consistency.
SPEAKER_01:Um Jenna, what do you like about this list?
SPEAKER_03:It's hard to choose. And, you know, just adding on to that, knowing your market. Um, I think knowing absolutely who your audience is, who you're trying to reach. Um, I have a wonderful uh colleague and mentor that always says, if you're trying to talk to everyone, you're not talking to anyone at all. So really having a targeted message, but I think going a step beyond knowing your market, but also understanding where your organization is and the ecosystem of care within your communities. And a way that we, you know, in our marketing and communications team really think of it and position ourselves is we are part of the continuum of care. You know, it's not just a bonus to have wonderful marketing communication resources. It's really critical because it's our team that does a lot of the work to build trust with the community and help people come into our front doors for the first time.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Whitney, jump in, if you would, please.
SPEAKER_02:When I think about the persistent theme that stretches across all of these, I come back to research and know your market. It's fairly obvious. You know, we researched thousands of, we surveyed thousands of employees and researched hundreds of organizations while we were crafting our brand, its personality, its place within the market. At the end of the day, when you're rebranding or forging into new territory, it can sometimes feel uncharted. You need to have confidence in your path so that you can be steadfast in where you are headed. And if you don't have a wealth of research that have armed and informed your position, your knowledge of the market, and how you are implementing this new brand, it's easy to go off chart. You really need to know where you're headed and feel steadfast in that direction. And I believe that throughout these four themes, research is just paramount to success.
SPEAKER_01:That's really interesting. Can I ask all three of you? I want to come back to the second one that I had on this list here in terms of being bold and having bold personalities within your organization and outside with your public-facing folks as well, and your public-facing advocacy and campaigns and whatnot. Could you each maybe think of something bold that you've led or been part of, whether it's in your current organization or and can can be from the past, but just something bold that you've put out there that that you found resonated?
SPEAKER_03:I think a lot of times healthcare brands play it pretty safe. Um, it's still very clinical. Um, and so what we have tried to do um is a little bit more of the opposite. We want our boldness showing warmth, brightness, humanity. Um, we want it to catch people's attention, spread the energy, be really intentional and just stand out. So I think when you're looking at transforming a brand, don't do what everybody else is doing. Don't mimic what everyone else is doing. Look for something that's a little bit different and is gonna help you stand out, and you're able to tell that story and weave it into so many different facets of your organization. How do you bring this to life with your team? How do you bring that into your mission, your vision, your guiding principles? Um, our guiding principles, we were just filling out our um annual uh reviews, our performance reviews, and um, you know, a lot of our guiding principles are embedded into that, where we're, you know, trying to identify how well we think we're living each of those out.
SPEAKER_02:You know, our choice to rebrand to Claire Vita, I would consider very bold. We had 27 different brands, 72 different social channels. There was a lot of passion and heritage in the brands that we had to retire to become one unified brand. And we were very intentional about embracing a bold, memorable name and visual identity. Our research in the market showed a lot of people using greens or rainbow colors, things that either felt very clinical. Our previous names included pathways. There are 1700 pathways in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Registry, by the way. Um so we intentionally chose something that really deviated from that norm. Our name is actually a combination of Clarity and Vita or Life in Spanish. And the choice to use a combination of English and Spanish was very intentional, and the meaning behind it even more so. Our logo has contrasting very bright colors. And so moving away from something that felt more typical within the health and human services industry into something that might feel even lifestyle adjacent, but set us apart for us was a very bold choice. And I admit I had concerns when we were selling this in, but I'll go back to the research. It was so strong, it was easy to be persuasive among our internal stakeholders and to tell a compelling story externally about this brand.
SPEAKER_01:How long did it take you, Whitney? Just to follow up on that, just a little bit. How long did it take you once you put that out there, those colors, the new name, when you started getting some feedback coming back in? And you went, maybe took a breath and went, okay, this is working.
SPEAKER_02:I probably held my breath for a straight month between when we had gotten the initial clearance approval on the name to when it was introduced to our most critical stakeholders and their reception internally, all of our business leaders, our operating leaders, was the moment when I finally was able to exhale and feel very confident about it. It's easy to get locked in your own, you know, um, be very myopic about what's happening until others can join in on the celebration of this brand. So it was really that turning point internally, having our leadership buy into this brand that helped me feel confident about our next steps. And I'm thankful that it then translated out to our uh clients that we serve and our community partners as well. But I think truly those internal leaders who've been with us for decades were the voice of reason to say this is right, or they could have said this is wrong. But fortunately, we were all in alignment.
SPEAKER_03:I think we often see companies rebrand, and sometimes it goes really well, sometimes it doesn't, right? Like Cracker Barrel. Um, but you have to understand what your audience needs, what your market needs. There has to be value. You really have to believe in the value of this rebrand, and that will help you stand by it, that will help you see it through. And in some cases, maybe there is not everybody's gonna love it right away. But you know, I I always try to say, it's like whenever you're naming your baby. You know, a lot of times you don't want to tell people what you're gonna name your baby. Um, you know, when you're still pregnant, because they'd be like, oh, I don't like that name. But if you say, if you hand them the baby and give them their name, they're gonna love that baby. They're gonna love that name because now it's associated with that baby. But I feel like the the brand, sometimes we have to prove it a little bit over time, and it may not be love at first sight. Um, but if you believe in it, you really know there's value to it and hang in there, I think it's worth it. Um, we're we're actually right there with you, Whitney. Um, so Brightly is made up um of about 10 different brands that we manage. Um, we on November 1st are formally uh merging in with Sinnerstone, which is another large um behavioral health provider, and uh will be the largest nonprofit behavioral health provider in the nation. Yes. Congratulations about the possibilities there. Um, but we will be taking the name Sinnerstone across all of Brightley. So all those brands, you know, over the next year, year and a half will be transitioning. So talk about transformation and we are we are right there in the middle of it.
SPEAKER_02:Just to build on what you say, I hate to keep coming back to research. But I think part of where things fail is not really understanding your audience and maybe having a position that you have confidence in, but not understanding your market and their readiness to receive it. I kind of liken it to a new pair of shoes. If you've done your research, you have faith in the brand, you have confidence in it, you know, they may be a little uncomfortable at first, but after a while, they fit just like a glove. But if you haven't invested in the right way, after all, you're gonna get blisters because you put on a pair of cheap shoes that were never gonna work out, you know, at the start. So I think if you've done your work, you really understand your market and you're not trying to force fit something, it will work out. Um, it's where people fall short and lose sight of what the market really needs and wants and is ready for, where things tend to fall flat.
SPEAKER_04:And I think just to piggyback on, you know, all of the research that is needed, that is why you have that creative investor. Because I know sometimes, especially when you're managing a lot of companies coming together, um, they may have very um specific ideas about their brand and bringing it into a new brand, having that creative um person with you and having all of that research that Whitney keeps bringing up really does help you internally to kind of get people to open their eyes and look a little bit further into the landscape and understand how this plays out. So I just wanted to echo that. That I think that's why having somebody else, another voice from outside of the organization sometimes is so impactful.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, those creative advisors can help you, like we were saying, be a little braver, take a little bit of risk with this brand and not just blend in, but be willing to stand out. And sometimes those creative advisors can help nudge you in that direction.
SPEAKER_01:All right. I want to come back to your word or phrase that you described your uh branding and and what you're about, well, right now with your respective organizations. So we started the episode with this. Renee, when I asked you about boundless, you said it was uh the words that came to your mind were reimagining possible.
SPEAKER_04:I think part of our identity and the core of our brand is Boundless tries to find a way for the people that we serve. We want them to live boundless lives. It's it's great that that's our name too, but that really is what we are going for with each person that we serve. And just given the times and the creativity and some of the things that we need to do to make sure that we can still continue serving people and get them on their boundless journey, I think is a hallmark of our agency. So we are really always trying to innovate, find new ways to do more with less. And, you know, that is just part of our DNA. No matter what else is going on, we're focused on the people who we're serving and we're going to find a way to do it.
SPEAKER_01:You know, and I think about my four years being uh a communications partner with you here, I I along that same lines. I don't know if it's a I don't think it's a uh a marketing slogan per se, but um boundless tries to get to the yes all the time. Does that make sense? Absolutely. I think so. Uh that's that's what comes to my mind.
SPEAKER_04:Yes. If if someone needs something, we are going to find a way to get that for them if if that's what they need to live their boundless life. And so that's why I always think about that, because we've got a lot of challenges coming. There's a lot going on right now, but we're focused on the future and and continuing to say yes, as you said.
SPEAKER_01:Uh Janna, you had another good one too. Uh, tenacious. Tell us how we can be more tenacious.
SPEAKER_03:Well, one of our guiding principles at Rightly is to spark tenacity. Um, our CEO, CJ Davis, says um, he always calls us that we're relentless learners, is what he said. So we are constantly looking to take in feedback, make improvements. And we don't want to just provide wonderful care. We absolutely want to do that, but we want to continue to push the industry, dive into research. Yeah, Whitney. And um, we want to lead the industry. We want to be setting that standard for care. We want to continuously be leveling up and um really looking at the best way to help our clients and patients to have those wonderful outcomes that they deserve. So, in some ways, Brightley's brand itself is tenacious. Um, that's our personality. And with all the change, um, constant evolution at our organization, we just are tenacious, we don't give up. But at the same time, it's baked into our mission because we don't give up on people, we don't give up on our communities, or you know, we don't give up on the belief that healthcare can be more hopeful and more human and um be that source that really helps people thrive and just live the best lives possible.
SPEAKER_01:And you know, if you think about it, when we're all tenacious and when we all get after it, that's when we break through. And Whitney, that was the word that you brought to the conversation. Tell us more about breaking through.
SPEAKER_02:So we're a year into our rebrand just over, and while we've made significant progress, we know there's a lot more to do. So I would consider our present stage a breakthrough. And I go back to the comment about consistency. It would be amazing if I could wave a magic wand, and the moment the rebrand was out into the universe, every touch point would be transformed. But it does take a while. You know, we have 192 physical locations and thousands of employees, and so it is it is a process. I would say beyond just the rebrand, however, you know, at our core, we're a staffing business focused on having the right people in place to deliver to deliver care and services. And right now, the benefit of being one united brand is that we're breaking through to new ways of attracting and retaining staff. So a big part of that breakthrough momentum is um because of our unified brand. And I would say the last piece when I think about breakthroughs is it's more than just a milestone. Um, it's our promise to our employees and our clients alike. So whether you're looking to advance your career or achieve personal goals, we feel that breakthroughs begin here. And being able to effectively articulate that is a lot due to our unified brand. And one last time, all the research that went into it.
SPEAKER_01:Let me ask all three of you, let's do a little bit of pivot, a little bit of a pivot toward storytelling. Um, and and I'm I'm real transparent with with our listeners here. Uh, all I've ever been is a storyteller, first is a journalist for for 28 years, and then now as a content provider and and hopefully still storyteller with with my own business. And I I tell all my clients that if if you're not telling your story, someone else will. And that's when it leaves your hands, and that's when things can can get dangerous. So let's talk about storytelling in this way, whether it's it's it's internally or externally with your stakeholders, with your respective communities. How do all three of you storytell?
SPEAKER_02:For us, uh new focus is employee-generated content and helping our employees to be the voice of Claire Vita. We really believe that there is this innate trust and authenticity that comes along with the voice of the employee. They're not only able to tell the stories of our clients in a way that is genuine and emotionally impactful, but they're able to speak authentically about their experience at Claire Vita, what a day in the life and their role is like. And so we have done some testing in regards to content that uses either stock footage or highly produced footage, or you know, more typical EGC, less highly produced content. And that employee-generated content wins every time. And it really because is because of that third-party trust and credibility. So for us, it's been a big pivot to those employees versus things just coming from Claire Vita.
SPEAKER_01:And Whitney, is that um, you know, iPhone videos? I mean, what are we talking about here when you're talking about employee-generated content?
SPEAKER_02:Great question. We actually use a platform called Sceneit. It allows people to collect content either on their phone or on their laptop. You create a series of prompts. It lets them very easily move through questions. It creates a very scalable collection method. And there's some built-in editing tools. Um, I am not a representative of Sceneit, but I am really impressed with their Slick platform. So it's helped us to elevate that employee-generated content function in a way that people can use even if you're not a traditional storyteller.
SPEAKER_01:Renee, I'll come to you. And again, Boundless has shown leadership by having four years worth of this very podcast. Uh, and then Boundless also leans heavy into videos as well. Can you talk about maybe storytelling uh from this campus, maybe to 30,000-foot view?
SPEAKER_04:Sure. So um we try and use storytelling to talk about our results, and we often use that when we're rolling something new out. Um, you know, sometimes program and services, we all kind of use the same label. So what we try to do here is tell the impact of a program. So, you know, we we may take a program where we're out in the community and we'll tell stories, um, success stories that we've had. People that have gone through the program, we use their testimony. If a mom calls in and just says, Oh my gosh, I loved your, you know, behavioral health program, my daughter loved it. I'm like, great, you know, can can I use this quote from you? So we really use storytelling. We're just trying to show the impact to a person's life and the improvement. So we do a lot of blog posts, you know, we have this podcast. Um, so we do internally too as well. We collect employees' success story and share those as well. Um, so that's something we're really focused on is really showing impact and not just actions. Okay.
SPEAKER_03:I feel like this is one you're gonna have to cut me off. I could just go on and on and on about storytelling from considering a strategic narrative. So as you're considering your brand and your organization, finding that common theme, that strategic narrative. For us, we call it a common purpose, and you weave it into everything. It shows up everywhere. Our common purpose, our strategic narrative is that we sparkle and it shows up everywhere. Um, storytelling is so important because if I just share a raw statistic with you, it's gonna wake up two parts of your brain or engage two parts of your brain. It's those language areas. But if I tell you a story, that's gonna wake up many more areas of your brain: sensory, emotional, memory parts, just your whole brain leans in. One way that we've done this at Brightly is we put together an art exhibit. It's called The Art of Being Me. And we did this with um Brightly Foundation, Soon to Be Cinnerstone Foundation. Um, but we have about 30 stories because we've been adding to it over the years, where we are not telling people stories. We are asking them to share their own stories. They're sharing stories of addiction, um, behavioral health issues, mental health challenges, um, just a wide variety. We even had a board member share his story. These are done on beautiful portraits. We worked with a local artist in Springfield, Missouri, Randy Bacon, and he tells the story. They also have a video that go with it. And we've had the opportunity to um have this exhibit travel around the state. It was even in the Missouri State Capitol for a little bit. We are so grateful for that because we know we want people talking about their mental health. We want them to talk about their health with their loved ones, um, with their friends. And if they can see other people willing to tell their stories, that just makes it feel a little bit more okay to tell your own and to start talking about it. And maybe that helps you get into care if you need care. I always say if something we put out there helps you get into care, I don't even care where you go to get your mental health care. I I consider that a win. So hopefully I don't get knocked for that by my boss, right? But um, I consider that a win if we help you get really comfortable with the idea of mental health and that you're willing to see care because of the resource or the story you might have um seen through some of our efforts.
SPEAKER_01:I love it that you brought up data points and telling stories beyond the data points or really aligned to the data points. Um I I was asked, I've been asked over the last 30 years, what what makes a really good soundbite? You know, what what's gonna get on the news or what's gonna, you know, now in social media, it's not so much the news, but now it's all about social media. And my definition of what makes a great soundbite has really never changed. And I I don't really think it will. And it's taking a data point and giving it human impact. And again, that really boils it down. But when you can take a data point and again connect it to human impact or a group of humans and how that data can help drive advocacy or drive change local level, state level, federal level. Then then you're getting into the secret sauce there. That is that is really good stuff. Let's do this. Let's let me ask you one, all three of you, one last question. What would be a piece of advice? Let's say if we've got um uh a listener, maybe a young nonprofit executive, and they're managing transition right now. Maybe they're managing a big branding transition. What would be your best piece of advice to that person or to a nonprofit organization overall if they're they're trying to navigate that and and you know, in some turbulent times right now? Um, Whitney, would you start us off with that one?
SPEAKER_02:Don't let bumps in the road keep you from the journey that's ahead of you. You're bound to run into challenges, you're bound to make mistakes, um, but you'll, you know, get back up and recover. I think the the proof of a strong leader and a strong brand is not whether you've fallen short or fallen down, but the recovery and how you pick yourself back up and forge ahead. So, you know, come up with a plan, feel good about that plan, but expect that you'll have to deviate from the plan and that you'll run into challenges that you couldn't possibly foresee right now. And that's okay.
SPEAKER_01:Janet, how about it?
SPEAKER_03:There was a study, and it came out last year or the year before. It was from the American Marketing Association. They have a journal of public policy and marketing, but they studied how do marketing efforts impact access to mental health care. I mean, what a dream. It's exactly what we needed. I'd be glad to share it if you want to post that or make it available for your listeners.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:But I mean, to no surprise of this group, it does make a difference. It is evidence-based, that it's not just um the cherry on the top to be able to do these marketing and branding efforts. It truly is part of that continuum of care. Creating the access and the knowledge of what to talk about, what to ask about, what resources are available. These help break down the stigma and the reasons why someone would not seek care. So, one, my advice is this is actually really important. It's part of your continuum of care and it's research-based, it's evidence-based to that fact. My second piece of advice is and will always be is just keep the people first. As you're doing this, think about your employees. How do you use this effort to connect them back to the greater purpose? Because we all need that. And, you know, how do you keep your people first, um, your employees as well as your clients and the community that you're serving? I think if you keep them just first in mind, then um you're probably not gonna get it wrong.
SPEAKER_01:Renee, you got a piece of advice to help close it out here?
SPEAKER_04:Um, to piggyback on what they both said, you know, do your research, um, make sure that you have the voices of those you serve, your constituents, listen when you're going through the rebranding effort. How do they see you collect all of that data? This is very important. You know, this isn't just a decision. Oh, I kind of like this name. We're gonna throw it up there. You know, this is the guiding force for your agency. So it's worth the time, it's worth the effort. You know, make sure you do your due diligence.
SPEAKER_01:Renee, Jana, Whitney, thank you all for joining us today. And again, continue on these um, these branding roads that we're all on and uh come back to the podcast anytime, okay?
SPEAKER_03:Thank you so much um for the wonderful conversation and thanks for having me with you today. Thank you. It was a pleasure.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you very much, Scott. And now, as we're really wrapping things up, something that we're trying to include in as many episodes as possible. We call it our mission moment. So the last time you heard from our CEO, Dr. Patrick Maynard, for this episode, we want you to meet Molly Mallory with this mission moment.
SPEAKER_00:I am Molly Mallory, as Scott mentioned, and I am the outreach manager for Boundless. Our outreach positions were born from a dream to give individuals with disabilities meaningful opportunities beyond the usual roles like dishwashing and stocking shelves. We wanted something different, something that taps into their passions, skills, and interests. To bring this vision to life, we partnered with Capabilities, Independent Employment Services, and our own internal programs to identify three exceptional outreach specialists. What began as a modest list of tasks quickly transformed into something extraordinary. These individuals didn't just meet expectations, they redefined them. They dove in with enthusiasm, sending 50 to 60 emails a day, cold-calling businesses, organizing fundraisers, and securing new distributors. The impact, immediate and inspiring. For example, George made a one-call close with Jungle Jims, who's now one of our favorite community partners. Brandon just delivered 150 products to a PTA fundraiser, doubling the good we're doing in that school district. And Kyle, the creative force behind our sweet treats, has taken his story national, inspiring others to dream bigger through conference presentations. These are not just wins. They're proofs that what when we invest in people's potential, the results ripple far beyond what we imagined. I envision a future where our social enterprises flourish, where we empower even more outreach specialists to lead with purpose and passion. These roles aren't just jobs. They're bridges to possibility designed to unlock the unique talents of individuals with disabilities. And what's the truly powerful thing is that these people behind our baked goods and our pet treats know that someone just like them is out in the community representing them, advocating for them, and showing the world what's possible when we believe in potential over limitation. With the holidays coming up, don't forget that our Pets and People Dog Treats make perfect stocking stuffers, and the Confection Connection Bakery will make your holiday parties extra sweet. And of course, I have the best staff to help you. Reach out to me at mmallory at Iamboundless.org. I am Molly Mallory, and I am boundless.
SPEAKER_01:Molly, thank you very much. That was just terrific. And we also do shout outs to the other folks that Molly mentioned: George, Brandon, Kyle, and really everybody involved on the team. That was just terrific. We thank all of you for joining us for this episode. This is the Nonprofit Leader's Guide Podcast brought to you by Bamless.