Take The Leap
Take the Leap is the podcast where we get real about the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship and life.
Sure, some folks make running a business look like a walk in the park, but let's be honest – it's more like a wild ride through a theme park with unexpected twists and turns!
Join us your co-hosts, Victoria & Ashlan, as we spill the beans on our own real-life experiences and shine a spotlight on some amazing guests. From the highs of success stories to the lows of epic failures, and hey, we'll even throw in some cringe-worthy, laugh-out-loud embarrassing moments for good measure!
So buckle up and tune in every week for a dose of raw, unfiltered truth about what it's really like to chase your dreams and build a business. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just dipping your toes into the startup world, we've got something for everyone. Even if it's just to make you think, "I'm so glad I didn't do what they did!"
Take The Leap
#135: Real Talk on Capitalism, Consulting, and Client Work
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this unfiltered and wide-ranging conversation, Marina Martinez-Bateman returns to share what it actually looked like to survive one of the most volatile years many nonprofit professionals have ever experienced. From losing clients week after week to rebuilding her business from the ground up, Marina pulls back the curtain on resilience, burnout, and what it takes to keep going when the systems you rely on start to fail.
This episode is a must-listen if you’ve ever felt like the rules of business, or the economy, suddenly stopped making sense. Marina challenges the narratives around capitalism, nonprofit funding, and “professionalism,” while also offering a powerful reminder: building something sustainable often means doing it differently, with integrity, and alongside people who actually share your values.
Key Takeaways:
- The nonprofit industry is carrying a burden it was never meant to hold alone. When systems fail, nonprofits step in, but that model is fragile and deeply underfunded.
- Economic instability hits unevenly, and nonprofits felt it first. Many organizations and professionals experienced rapid loss, burnout, and even paralysis in the face of constant change.
- You don’t have to fit into broken systems. Marina’s perspective on being “unemployable” highlights how some people are simply not built for dysfunctional hierarchies, and that can be a strength.
- Integrity-driven businesses operate differently. Paying fair wages, prioritizing people, and building collaboratively may not be the fastest path, but it’s often the most sustainable.
- Not all consulting is created equal. Marina calls out the gap between performative strategy and actual impact, and why that disconnect harms businesses.
- Authenticity is a business advantage. Trying to fit a mold (especially around “professionalism”) can distance you from the clients who actually value your work.
- You don’t need to work with everyone. The sooner you find alignment with your clients, the easier and more effective your work becomes.
- Diverse perspectives create stronger outcomes. Healthy conflict and varied experiences lead to better decisions and fewer blind spots.
- There’s another way to lead and manage. Marina’s Decolonizing Management program explores how to build teams and organizations outside of traditional, harmful systems.
Guest & Host Information:
- Guest, Marina Martinez-Bateman, Founder of New Coyote Consulting
- Co-Host, Ashlan Glazier-Anderson, Owner of AshbeanPDX Marketing
- Co-Host, Victoria (Tory) Proppe, Owner of Imagine Marketing Strategies
Connect with Marina:
- On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinaisgo/
- On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-martinez-bateman/
- On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/marinaisgo.bsky.social
- Follow New Coyote on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newcoyotecomms/
- Follow New Coyote on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newcoyote
- Explore Marina’s Decolonizing Management Cohort: https://decolonizing.management/
Connect with us:
- On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaketheLeap-Today
- On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taketheleap_today
- Find Ashlan on Instagram & LinkedIn:
- Find Tory on Instagram & LinkedIn
Like our content? Be sure to subscribe and review!
Want to keep in touch?
Find us on:
Youtube
Instagram
