Hart & Hustle Podcast

Keenan Hart
  • 4.2 (5)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hart & Hustle delivers real conversations with nonprofit and healthcare leaders who are scaling mission-driven impact through strategic innovation. Hosted by Efrain Lozada, each 45-minute episode explores leadership, operations, technology adoption, and practical strategies for mission-based organizations. Learn from executives who've transformed accessibility, efficiency, and community engagement while staying true to their values. For nonprofit directors, operations leaders, and healthcare innovators who hustle with heart. New episodes weekly.

  1. 2D AGO

    How FHC San Diego Serves 230K People With Street Medicine & Mobile Clinics | Meredith Johnston

    Meredith Johnston from Family Health Centers of San Diego shares how her organization serves over 230,000 individuals annually through innovative community health solutions—from street medicine teams partnering with police to mobile mammography units reaching underserved neighborhoods. In this conversation, you'll learn: ✅ How to build nonprofit culture that prioritizes authenticity and mission over corporate hierarchy ✅ Why "food is medicine" matters for mental health programs serving vulnerable populations ✅ How Southwest Airlines' crisis leadership principles translate to nonprofit operations ✅ The real challenge of marketing safety net services to communities that need them vs. donors who fund them ✅ Why saying your struggles out loud is the first step to solving them This episode is perfect for nonprofit executive directors and operations leaders looking to scale community impact while maintaining organizational soul and staff wellbeing. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction: Meeting Meredith Johnston 2:15 - Family Health Centers Mission: Serving 230,000+ San Diegans 6:05 - The Pandemic's Great Equalizer & Vaccine Equity 9:18 - The Marketing Paradox: Reaching Patients vs. Reaching Donors 13:03 - A Day in Nonprofit Philanthropy Leadership 14:44 - Food is Medicine: Fresh Produce for Mental Health Programs 17:22 - Finding Philanthropy by Accident (And Never Leaving) 22:43 - Southwest Airlines Leadership Lessons That Still Apply Today 27:28 - What Real Nonprofit Culture Looks Like 31:00 - Three Words Every Leader Should Live By: Authenticity, Empowerment, Integrity 33:28 - Growing Up Mormon & Finding Your Authentic Leadership Voice 37:58 - How to Get Involved: Spirit of the Barrio Events 40:03 - Advice for Anyone Struggling: Say It Out Loud & Take One Step 📊 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Family Health Centers operates 29 clinics serving San Diego's most vulnerable populations with 92% of patients classified as low income Street medicine teams partner with SDPD's Homeless Outreach Team to provide continuity of care before encampment sweeps, preventing infectious disease spread Authentic leadership means hiring teams that shore up your weaknesses, not pretending to be perfect at everything Culture isn't something that happens to you—it's something you create intentionally through consistent values and communication Meredith's leadership framework: "Your only job is to be yourself. No one else can play your position." 👤 ABOUT MEREDITH JOHNSTON: Meredith Johnston is Vice President of Development at Family Health Centers of San Diego, one of the top 10 largest community health clinics in the United States.  With 20+ years in nonprofit fundraising and advocacy, she previously worked in the executive office at Southwest Airlines during 9/11, bringing crisis leadership and culture-building expertise to mission-driven healthcare.  She's passionate about connecting wealthy communities with safety net organizations they may never need but that serve as the backbone of public health infrastructure. Meredith's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithhjohnston/ Family Health Centers Website: https://www.fhcsd.org Spirit of the Barrio Events: https://www.fhcsd.org/events 🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE: Hart & Hustle brings you weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders solving real problems in healthcare, education, and community services. Every Tuesday, hosts Keenan Hart (CEO, FRANSiS™) and Efrain sit down with nonprofit executives, operations directors, and innovators to uncover practical strategies you can implement in your organization. Subscribe for weekly insights on nonprofit leadership, operations, and scaling mission impact.

    43 min

  2. JAN 21

    Staff-First Leadership: Serving 1200 Youth Without Burning Out | Liz Matthews, Covenant House Alaska

    Liz Matthews from Covenant House Alaska shares how leading with a "staff-first" philosophy allows her team to serve over 1,200 homeless youth annually—and why treating your staff as your primary client changes everything. As Director of Housing overseeing five programs across Anchorage, Liz has learned that sustainable impact starts with taking care of your team. In this conversation, she breaks down the leadership practices that prevent burnout, the power of working from different sites weekly, and how Covenant House's federation model enables resource sharing across 34 locations in North America. What You'll Learn: How to prevent nonprofit staff burnout while scaling services dramaticallyThe "one size fits one" approach to youth services that actually worksWhy nonprofit leaders should maintain physical presence across multiple sitesHow federation models enable collaboration over competitionPractical ways to give back beyond financial donations (time, talent, advocacy)Key Stats: Covenant House Alaska served 1,200+ youth in FY25, on track for 1,400+ in FY26Anchorage has the same unhoused population as Houston (3,000+) but a fraction of the overall populationCovenant House International operates 34+ sites across the U.S., Canada, and Latin AmericaAbout Liz Matthews: Liz leads housing programs at Covenant House Alaska, bringing decades of experience from domestic violence shelters, foster care systems, and preventive services in Wisconsin, Tennessee, and New York City. Her leadership philosophy—that staff are her primary clients—has enabled sustainable growth while maintaining team wellbeing. Resources Mentioned: Covenant House Alaska: covenanthouseak.orgCovenant House International: covenanthouse.orgConnect with Hart & Hustle: Hart & Hustle brings you weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders solving real problems in their communities. Subscribe for practical insights on nonprofit leadership, operations, and scaling impact.

    33 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    NOCD's Dr. Patrick McGrath: From Bullied Teen to Treating Thousands With OCD Daily

    Dr. Patrick McGrath reveals the massive misconceptions about OCD and how one chance meeting at a conference led him to help thousands escape years of suffering. In this powerful conversation, the Chief Clinical Officer of NOCD shares how OCD actually works, why saying "I'm so OCD" minimizes a devastating condition, and how technology is finally making evidence-based treatment accessible to millions.

    39 min

  4. 12/18/2025

    From Homeless at 20 to CEO: Jose Muñoz's Promise That Changed 20,000 Lives

    From Homeless at 20 to Leading Chicago's Largest Youth Homeless Organization In this powerful episode, Efrain sits down with Jose M. Muñoz, CEO of La Casa Norte, who shares his remarkable journey from experiencing homelessness as a young father to leading an organization that serves over 20,000 people annually across Chicago.

    39 min

  5. 12/16/2025

    How Ann Marie Cook Built a $22M Aging Services Movement by "Accident"

    Ann Marie Cook, President & CEO of Lifespan of Greater Rochester, reveals why America's aging population crisis is bigger than most people realize, and what needs to change now. In this powerful conversation, Ann Marie shares insights from leading a $22 million organization serving older adults for nearly three decades. She discusses the uncomfortable truth about elder abuse, the explosion of financial scams targeting seniors, and why the "silver tsunami" will reshape everything we know about work, family, and community.

    30 min

  6. 12/12/2025

    Foster Kid to CEO: Merideth Rose's Journey from Trauma to Transforming 16,000 Lives

    Foster care alumni to nonprofit CEO leading 16,000 lives toward healing. In this powerful episode, Efrain sits down with Merideth Rose, President and CEO of Cornerstones of Care, to discuss her transformation from a foster kid expelled from school to a leader revolutionizing trauma-informed care across Missouri and Kansas.

    41 min

  7. 12/10/2025

    Detroit Parent Network's Angela Hood on Breaking the Credential Trap

    From Sunday school questions to boardroom solutions. Angela Hood, Chief of Staff at Detroit Parent Network, shares how growing up in Flint, Michigan shaped her commitment to amplifying parent voices in education. Discover why degrees don't define expertise, how to challenge systems without getting shut out, and the real meaning of "no money, no mission."

    47 min

  8. 12/08/2025

    From Delivering Babies to Healing Trauma: Dr. Karen DeCocker's Mental Health Revolution

    Dr. Karen DeCocker, Vice President of Clinical Services at Stella Mental Health, shares how she transformed from delivering babies to revolutionizing trauma treatment through innovative mental health care. Learn about the stellate ganglion block, a two-minute procedure with an 80% success rate in resetting the nervous system's trauma response.

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Hart & Hustle delivers real conversations with nonprofit and healthcare leaders who are scaling mission-driven impact through strategic innovation. Hosted by Efrain Lozada, each 45-minute episode explores leadership, operations, technology adoption, and practical strategies for mission-based organizations. Learn from executives who've transformed accessibility, efficiency, and community engagement while staying true to their values. For nonprofit directors, operations leaders, and healthcare innovators who hustle with heart. New episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Keenan Hart
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    330
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hart & Hustle Podcast
  • Show Website
    Hart & Hustle Podcast