Hey there, nonprofit leaders, tell me if this sounds familiar…

You leave a staff meeting thinking, “Yes! We’re totally aligned. Everyone’s got it.”
Then 48 hours later, your inbox tells a different story.

Half the team took your idea and sprinted in one direction.
Another half politely waited for more instructions.
And one person… somehow started building an entirely new project.

You sit back, reread your own notes, and think, “How did we get here? I was so clear!”

That’s today’s topic — the moment when we realize: what we said isn’t always what people heard.

Whether it’s a staff member, your board, or a partner — clarity gaps happen everywhere.
And as leaders, we can’t afford to keep losing time, trust, and energy to mixed messages.

So today, we’re going to unpack why this happens, how to spot it early, and practical ways to bridge the clarity gap — before it turns into conflict or confusion.

A few months ago, my son Jake — who was 19 at the time — and I did a mobile order from my phone at our local Starbucks.

It was one of those Starbucks stores that sits on the edge of a big shopping center parking lot. We parked right in front. The front door was practically staring at us.

I handed Jake his mission: “Run in and grab our order, please.”

Easy peasy, right?

He hops out of the car while I check my phone for messages. Five minutes pass. Then ten. By the twelve-minute mark, I’m thinking, Did Starbucks run out of coffee beans?

Finally, Jake comes walking back across the parking lot looking slightly sheepish… and holding no coffee.

He says, “Ohhh… I thought you meant the Starbucks inside King Soopers.”

Yep. He had marched right past the Starbucks directly in front of us — past the Einstein’s Bagels, the Marshalls, the PetSmart, and the dry cleaners — all the way to the Starbucks kiosk inside the grocery store.

And of course, that one didn’t have our mobile order.

That, my friends, is the tale of two Starbucks. Same parking lot. Two totally different destinations.

☕ And today’s episode is brewed around one of my favorite real-life leadership lessons: what a Starbucks mix-up can teach us about effective communication with our teams and boards.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

Have you ever had a staff member who seemed great on paper, or even had moments of brilliance, but behind the scenes, their toxic behavior slowly drained the energy out of your whole team?

Maybe you found yourself thinking, “If I just give them one more chance, maybe this time it will stick.”

Today, we’re exploring what happens when those second, third, and fourth chances start working against you.

Because sometimes, the real damage isn’t just in what the employee does, it’s in the ripple effect their behavior has on everyone else.

People call in sick. Morale tanks. The culture you’ve worked so hard to build starts to quietly erode.

In this episode, I’ll share the story of Claire, a healthcare nonprofit leader, whose year-long struggle with one employee pushed her staff to the breaking point.

It’s a story full of drama, fallout, and ultimately relief, and it might sound eerily familiar. We've all been there, right?

If you’ve ever wrestled with the tension between being kind and being firm, this story could shift everything.

And thanks to Disney, I’ll give you a reframe that can help you feel better when it’s time to let someone go.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

Welcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK, the show that fuels your leadership, protects your energy, and helps you spark lasting change. I’m your host, Marcia Beckner.

Let me paint the picture.

You spend three hours writing a job posting. You list all the “must-haves,” cross your fingers, and wait.

--> Fifty-three applications land in your inbox.
--> Only two even kind of fit the bill.
--> You reach out to one, and they ghost you.
--> The other wants $30K more than you can offer.

Sound familiar?

One CEO recently told me, “I feel like I’m chasing people who don’t even want to work here.” And that stings especially when you know your mission matters.

So today, we are getting real about a leadership headache so many of you are facing:

Why it’s so dang hard to recruit and hire great staff right now, and what to do instead of just “posting and praying.”

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

Hey there, nonprofit leaders, and welcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK, the podcast that helps you fuel your leadership, protect your energy, and spark lasting change.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing behind-the-scenes lessons from a unique opportunity I had in 2024, stepping in as the Interim Executive Director of a thriving arts nonprofit in Denver.

This wasn’t my first rodeo, but it was my first time back in the ED seat since 2017, and wow, the experience gave me powerful tools and fresh perspective for anyone navigating nonprofit leadership transitions, burnout, or rebuilding staff morale.

Whether you're stepping into a new CEO or ED role, navigating a board relationship, or just trying to stop spinning out, you’re going to walk away from today with actionable tools and mindset shifts that will support you now and for the long haul.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

Let’s talk about something every nonprofit CEO and Executive Director will face… and usually at the most inconvenient moment possible.

Picture this: It’s Monday morning. You’re halfway through your first cup of coffee, still convincing yourself this is going to be a productive day.

You open your inbox, and there it is… a subject line from a staff member that reads: “Quick Chat?”

Now, we both know “Quick Chat” means anything but quick.

It’s code for: This is going to be emotionally draining and possibly ruin your week.

Immediately, your brain kicks into overdrive: Are they quitting? Are they upset with me? Is this about the holiday party budget again? The possibilities are endless and none of them seem good.

If you’ve ever felt that stomach drop, you’re not alone. Every leader has been there.

But here’s the thing; those next few minutes matter more than you think. Because how you respond can either…

• Erode trust and make the situation 10x worse
  OR
• Build respect, strengthen relationships, and even bring your team closer together.

Today, we’re diving into how to handle even the messiest staffing challenges with composure, clarity, and yes… grace.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

If you’re a nonprofit CEO or Executive Director, you already know there are a million things you can’t control:

The economy.
Funder priorities.
Donor preferences.
That one staff member who thinks “fashionably late” is a cute personality trait.

But there is one thing you can control, and it changes everything else.

Back when I was an Executive Director, I tried to control it all…I even lost sleep over details no one else cared about.

I thought if I worked harder and slept less, I could force everything into place.
Spoiler: it didn’t work.

Instead, I was constantly frustrated, and maybe you’ve been there too.

A funder suddenly pulls their support. Instant panic.
A volunteer drops the ball. Simmering irritation.
A “remote” staffer caught skiing instead of working...okay, that one’s a personal story that I'll share in a minute.

Today, I’m reminding you of the one thing you can truly control that will help you lead with more ease, acceptance, and peace.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

If you’re a nonprofit CEO or Executive Director, I have a question for you.

How many mornings have you opened your laptop and thought, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up?

How many nights have you laid awake worried about staff conflict, budget gaps, and your organization’s long-term sustainability.

Wondering if you’re holding your organization back?

So, if that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

What you’re experiencing isn’t just stress. It’s what I call The Silent Epidemic in our sector.

Leaders expected to move mountains for their mission while quietly sacrificing their own health & well-being.

The good news? It doesn’t have to be this way.

You can lead with confidence, protect your energy, and still make a massive impact.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.

Find the full transcript for this episode and more resources for nonprofit leaders here.

Hello, and welcome to my very first episode of the Nonprofit CEO SPARK podcast. I’m Marcia Beckner, and I help nonprofit CEOs, Executive Directors, and founders lead with confidence, boost team morale, and design inclusive cultures that fuel sustainable growth.

Since 2020, my mission has been to partner with leaders who are ready to create “best place to work” cultures, places where your team’s energy and your organization’s mission are fully aligned for long-term success.

If you’re a CEO or ED, here’s how you’ll know this podcast is for you:
You’ve quietly thought…

• “I’m catapulting towards burnout and not sure how much longer I can do this, maybe a year or two.”
• “I feel pushed around or isolated in this role.”
• “No one told me how hard it would be to transform my organization.”
• “How much longer can I keep sacrificing myself just to get the work done?”

If your staff is struggling with stress and overwhelm, this podcast is also for you. Because here’s the truth...burnout, compassion fatigue, personal sacrifice, economic uncertainty, and that feeling you might be holding your organization back…these challenges are far more common among high-achieving, mission-driven leaders than most people realize.

But it doesn’t have to stay this way. Together, we’re going to spark something better—something sustainable—for you, your leadership, and your mission.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit and social impact sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout? Book a Burnout to Boundaries Strategy Session today and start reclaiming your time, energy, and joy.

Go to CultureCARES.com.