Here’s a truth that many of us face as women leading businesses or nonprofits: people sometimes underestimate what we’re building. They may see the results without knowing the work that goes into it, or worse, they may assume our efforts are just “small” projects rather than real, meaningful work.

Saying no is often hard, especially when I care so much about the work I do and the community I live in. But I have learned that if I don’t set an intention for my resources in advance, it’s easy to overcommit. And, when I overcommit, then I deplete my resources. It’s the law of diminishing returns.

In 2019, I made a vow to pursue only what makes my heart sing—a simple but powerful decision that transformed my life. From rediscovering my love for biking to finding joy in solo travel, I've learned that it's the small, everyday choices that lead to a fulfilling life. It's not always easy, but the journey to living a life that truly resonates with my heart has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.

I remember one lady specifically who lived down street. After the third or fourth weekend in a row we went around collecting cans, she started preparing for us. Each Saturday she saw us walking down the street with our wagon, she would run inside and come out with a tons and tons of cans - almost a whole wagon full!

Through the process of meeting so many of my neighbors, I honed my skills on how to approach criticism. I developed a process to listen to and respond to complaints in a positive way.

At Talbott Talent, we believe in the power of people to drive the success of nonprofits. As we proudly step into our eighth year of partnering with organizations to help them find exceptional talent, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Talbott Talent’s Hiring Partnerships.

Like many new nonprofit managers, I had to go with my gut. As a new 20-something manager whose instincts weren’t fully developed and who didn’t have many examples of good managers, I didn’t have the greatest success. Fortunately, I’ve grown a lot in my 25+ year career in nonprofit leadership.

A topic that has been coming up a lot lately in my conversations is one that is prominent throughout the book the E-Myth, by Michael E. Gerber. It’s the concept of the tension and difficulty found between spending your time working “on” versus “in” your organization. While the E-Myth is focused on the “Entrepreneurial Myth”, I think it’s important to recognize that it also has implications for nonprofits.

I didn’t know if my personal experience and perspective was something that anyone wanted or cared to hear. But I knew in my heart, I wanted – maybe even needed – to share my story with you.

If we want to get different results than we are getting today, we have to change our habits, and in order to change our habits, we have to change our actions. In order to change our actions, we need new and different thinking, and in order to start thinking differently, we need to gather new information.

As a business owner, Leah understands the significance that five years in business means. More than anything, she is eager to change how the nonprofit sector hires. Leah is so thankful for the individuals who have supported her in Talbott Talent’s growth.

Right now, celebrating our 5th anniversary in business, we are uniquely positioned for our greatest impact yet. We have the right people on our team to dramatically change the way nonprofits hire. We are a team of like-minded, principled, thought leaders.

In the nonprofit world, I often think that if we thought of our time as a resource that should be allocated with laser focus toward things that moved the needle to fulfill our organization's mission, we'd all be better off!

A story of nonprofit burnout - Learn the #1 tip for avoiding burnout as a nonprofit leader. Our VP of Strategy and Innovation shares her top time management and prioritizing strategy!

Last week I had coffee with a girlfriend, and she asked, “Are you ready for Christmas?” For some reason that I had yet to truly come to terms with, I found myself hating this question.

In her role, Doyle will partner with nonprofit leaders and boards across the United States to provide custom solutions for nonprofits, helping them find the best leaders for their organizations and strengthening their overall effectiveness.