In what she shares will be her final public media appearance, Bev Browning joins Holly Rustick for a deeply personal conversation about her extraordinary 55-year journey in the grant writing industry, the lessons she learned building a grant writing business before freelancing was commonplace, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind. Bev takes us back to the 1970s, when she wrote her first successful grant without even knowing exactly what a grant was. From launching her own consulting business and building a team to becoming the author of Grant Writing for Dummies and training grant writers across the country, she shares how the industry, and her own relationship with the work, has evolved. Holly and Bev also explore what today’s grant writers can learn from the old-school approach to business development, why critical thinking matters more than ever in the age of AI, and why grant writers need strong client boundaries and confidence in the value of their expertise. But this conversation is about more than grant writing. Bev opens up about stepping away from social media, focusing on her faith, family, health, and philanthropy, and finding peace in this next chapter of her life. It’s a conversation about building a career, knowing when to close a door, treating people with kindness, and recognizing that success is about far more than revenue. ABOUT OUR GUEST Bev Browning is a veteran grant writing professional, trainer, consultant, and author whose career in the grant writing industry spans more than five decades. She began writing grants in the 1970s and went on to build a grant consulting business, train grant writers and nonprofit professionals, and author books including Grant Writing for Dummies. Throughout her career, Bev has worked with organizations across the United States and beyond, while helping generations of grant professionals develop their skills. Today, she has stepped away from grant writing and social media and is focusing on her faith, health, family, theological studies, and philanthropy. CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST Bev Browning has stepped away from social media and shared in this interview that she does not want to invite public feedback or outreach. OTHER RESOURCES: Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/ Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/ Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW THE PODCAST Favor, please? If you love this podcast, would you please do me a favor and leave a review on iTunes or your podcast listener? This helps others find the podcast and I read each and every review! “Every time I listen to Holly’s show, I learn something” – If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the Grant Writing & Funding podcast to get grant and freelance grant writing proven strategies and conversations in your podcast player every single week. Thanks for listening! Warmly, Holly Rustick Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.
