“Very often we buy into other people’s dreams with our business and so now is a good opportunity to actually step back and say, ‘What is it that I want?’” - Cindy Wagman

We’ve had insightful conversations with our amazing guests this year. And that’s why for this episode, we’ve invited them back for the podcast’s first-ever roundup episode. Our guests talk about what they are expecting in the nonprofit consulting and coaching space in the next year. One thing’s for sure, there are so many things to look forward to!

Highlights:

1. How you can stand out and become successful by helping nonprofits do their mission

2. Moving from online to smaller, more personal events

3. Alignment of identity and mission

4. Resilience through the recession

5. Learning to adapt and thrive after the great resignation

Find Us Online:  https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com/

Connect with Cindy:

Cindy Wagman Coaching https://cindywagman.com/

The Good Partnership https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/

Connect with Jess: 

Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Transcript:

[00:00:00] Cindy: Welcome to the Confessions Podcast. I'm Cindy Wagman.

[00:00:03] Jess: And I'm Jess Campbell. We're two former in-house non-profit pros turned coaches and consultants to purpose-driven organizations.

[00:00:11] Cindy: After years of building up our separate six-figure businesses from scratch, we've thrown a lot of spaghetti at the wall and have lived to see what sticks.

[00:00:20] Jess: We're on a mission to help other non-profit coaches and consultants looking to start or scale their own businesses past the six figure mark by pulling back the curtain.

[00:00:30] Cindy: Whether you're still working inside a non-profit and thinking of one day going out on your own or you've been running your consulting business for years, you understand that working with nonprofit is just different. We're giving you access to the business leaders who serve nonprofits as their clients. You know, the people who truly get it.

[00:00:52] Jess: No more gatekeeping, no more secrets. This podcast is going to give you an inside look at what running a successful nonprofit coaching and consulting business looks like. Basically, we're asking people how much money they make, how they get paid and what has and hasn't worked in their businesses.

[00:01:11] Cindy: Listen in as these leaders share their insights, their numbers, and the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to building a nonprofit coaching or consulting business, we're gonna empower you to make the power moves that give you the income and freedom you set out to create from day one.

[00:01:28] Jess: You ready? Let's go.

[00:01:31] Jess: Hi, Cindy.

[00:01:32] Cindy: Hey, Jess.

[00:01:33] Jess: I'm excited for this episode. We've never done anything like this before.

[00:01:37] Cindy: I know. This is our very first roundup episode where we're bringing together all of the experts. Not all of them, but a lot of the experts we've had on the podcast to collectively weigh in on a topic.

[00:01:49] Jess: Yes. In this episode, we are bringing you, drumroll please. Our predictions for 2023 when it comes to the nonprofit consulting and coaching space. Have you thought about what yours might be?

[00:02:06] Cindy: I have. So, as you know, I've been consulting for about seven years and I feel like with the last couple years, we've seen a really big push to one to many online courses, all that kind of thing. I actually feel like that is both getting saturated, but also people want more connection. And so, I feel like we're gonna see a shift back towards the one to one stuff or deeper, more meaningful transformation. I also think with the great resignation, people need more hands-on practical support. So that's what I see coming down the horizon from where I'm seated. How about you?

[00:02:53] Jess: Yeah. I mean, I would underscore, underline, double tap on all of that. And in addition, I think bringing it back to things that are either physical in nature versus just a digital experience, whether that's postage or whether that's in-person. I think that people are very fatigued from being online.

[00:03:22] Jess: And over the last two, three years, we didn't really have a choice. And as someone that was just able to travel for a little holiday, people are out. People are craving and really out. And so, I'm thinking about that, which is a little scary for me who has someone that has built a community online and has events online and trainings online. I'm predicting that people are a little burnt out of online and really ready to come back in-person. So we'll see how that transpires.

[00:04:01] Cindy: Yeah. But there's lots of great predictions that our guests are gonna share with you. So take note, because 2023 is here y'all. So get ready and it's such a good opportunity to take a step back and look at your own goals. One thing I feel like I've noticed a lot is very often, we buy into other people's dreams with our businesses. And so now is a good opportunity to actually step back and say, "What is it that I want? How do I make that happen?" And this is a great little nudge for you. So...

[00:04:39] Jess: Absolutely.

[00:04:39] Cindy: I'll be listening.

[00:04:40] Jess: Enjoy.

[00:04:41] Rachel: Hello, my name is Rachel Bearbower with Small Shop Strategies. And my 2023 prediction for nonprofit consulting is that we're not out of the woods yet. It's still going to be probably a tough couple of years. I think that we are going to still have a lot on our plates. But I think that if we can really lean into our own resilience and our nonprofit's resilience and continue to find ways to minimize, their overwhelmed with really specific actionable support that the nonprofits are going to feel more successful, we are going to be more successful. And we can't do it all and I think we're gonna figure that out, But because we can't do it all, we have to get really specific and as we continue to just pair down what we're doing, just all around, we're gonna get better.

[00:05:51] Dana: My name is Dana Snyder and I am the founder and CEO of Positive Equation. And my number one 2023 prediction for nonprofit coaches and consultants is that there will be more VIP day gathering, in-person style where organizations really want that customized, personalized touch in working with coaches and consultants in the work that they do.

[00:06:13] April: Hi, I'm April from Philanthropy for the People, founder and CEO. My predictions for 2023 nonprofit consultants really depends on… to me, the political climate. I think it's going to be increased potentially in continued equity work if the political climate merits it. And if not, I think we'll see a fizzling out in people that just kind of wanna play it safe and raise some money. So I'm curious.

[00:06:42] Jonathan: This is Jonathan McCoy from We Are For Good. This is a creator's marketplace like you have to lean into exactly who you are in your true, authentic self and show up because the marketplace is just splintered and people are looking for their people. So you should come out loud with exactly who you are to find the people that you are. I think it's just gonna get more and more so over time. So really excited for what's on the horizon.

[00:07:07] Becky: Hi, this is Becky Endicott. I am the co-founder and chief storyteller at We Are For Good. And the trend that I see really looming in 2023 is that giving is identity. Now, we're starting to see people wanting to align with their causes. They want people to know what they care about. We're seeing people wear a Save the Tree shirt rather than a Nike shirt. We're seeing people post more about their favorite causes on social media, serving and they're very proud to share it. They wanna have conversations around it. So my trend would be, if you're looking at giving as identity, you need to find a way to story tell that. You need to find a way to equip your people to tell that story. And I would say before you do that, you need to start with your own story. Look inside, get vulnerable, find your why, connect it back to your mission. Tell that story. Give a framework for someone, and then be brave and the way you ask for it. And ask for it in several different places 'cuz not everybody's hanging out in the same place. Grab your email, get on your social channels, ask for it at your events, put cards down, whatever you can do. When somebody makes a gift online, they're making a gift. Put a little box on your online giving page that says, "Why did you give?" Optional. They don't have to fill it out. But my gosh, if they do, you have an inception story from the very beginning. Start telling that story. Start lifting that story. It's going to draw people to your mission.

[00:08:41] Betty: So I'm Betty. And the trends that I see for nonprofit consulting is that I think that there is a trend going towards more of thinking holistically for what the future of work will look like in the nonprofit context. I don't think that we can do consulting for nonprofit anymore without realizing from the great resignation how people valuing their work is very different. So what does that mean translating to fundraising? What does it mean translating to talent like retention? And the experience communicating to your external stakeholder. So that's the trend.

[00:09:29] Kishshana: All right, y'all, I'm Kishshana Palmer. I am your favorite relationship coach, strategist and consultant. And my number one prediction for the nonprofit sector is coaches and consultants is that folks that get on their A-game because there are a lot of folks swimming in the water. Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond? Meaning do you wanna be local or regional in your work, in your reach? Or do you want to be a small fish in a big pond? Are you trying to go after the national folks and are you trying to scale? And so folks, get on that A-game and get really clear about who they serve, where you serve because there are a lot more folks who are starting their own practices and businesses and differentiating yourself is gonna be really, really critical if you want to be successful.

[00:10:15] Rhea: This is Rhea Wong. My number one prediction is, I think business is going to be booming because as we see more people resigning, the need for coaches and consultants will go through the roof, especially if you're a fundraising consultant. So I think if you're out there and marketing well, you're gonna see a good year.

[00:10:34] Tania: Hey, everyone. I'm Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing and I'm all about helping women be seen on LinkedIn. Oh, you know, we are in such a time of rapid change and there's so much flutter going around. "Are we in a recession? What happened?" Okay, my prediction is that next year, there will still always be a place for highly virtual events, virtual conferences, virtual summits, online group coaching. There'll be a space for that. And I've also noticed a trend. I predict that people are really wanting to have more intimate, in-person small curated events in-person like a retreat or a camp. And so, I'd be really curious to see how that's gonna shape up and maybe, potentially, see about planning something like that on my own or with good friends. Yeah.

[00:11:30] Cindy: Thank you again for listening to the Confessions Podcast for nonprofit coaches and consultants. If you enjoyed today's episode, which I sure hope you did, you can enjoy your support in one of three ways.

[00:11:41] Jess: Number one, post the screenshot of this episode to your Instagram stories or LinkedIn profile and tag Cindy so we can repost you.

[00:11:49] Cindy: Number two, share this podcast with a fellow non-profit culture consultant.

[00:11:53] Jess: And number three, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts so that we can continue to grow and reach new listeners.

[00:12:00] Cindy: And of course, make sure you subscribe so you can get the latest and greatest interviews as they drop every Thursday.

[00:12:06] Jess: And to our fellow non-profit coaching and consulting friends, remember we're an open book and here to answer your burning biz questions.

[00:12:14] Cindy: See you next time.