Glad You Asked

Martha Schumacher
  • 5.0 (6)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Welcome to Glad You Asked, a show about how active listening can help you build stronger connections with folks in your life, personally and professionally. I’m Martha Schumacher and I’ve spent my career asking leaders, funders, donors, and community members thoughtful questions to help find the real reasons behind why they do what they do. And when you pursue these deeper connections, you ultimately arrive at the heart of what really matters: establishing trust. On each episode of Glad You Asked, we’ll explore three questions, one from our guest, one from a listener, and one from me. During a conversation with mission-driven leaders, we’ll test how each question, each compelling prompt, makes active listening possible and deepens our relationships. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at how effective our questions were in guiding a meaningful conversation, and leave you with a call to action, so you can use these questions in your own work and life. 

Episodes

  1. 4D AGO

    AmickyCarol Akiwumi - How might we co-create the future you actually want?

    In this episode of ‘Glad You Asked’, Martha is joined by AmickyCarol Akiwumi, CEO and founder of The Avocado Foundation and host of the World Changers Podcast, to discuss co-creation, the importance of exit strategies and evolving needs, economic justice in the social impact sector, and much more. Amicky Carol shares her personal journey and confronts the difficult but necessary task of understanding when you’re no longer needed in a space, and having faith that there is a calling for each of us. Here are this episode’s questions. Amicky’s Q: How might we co-create the future you actually want? Martha’s Q: How do you determine what board(s) you want to join? Michelle Flores Vryn’s Q: What part of your own story do you see in the story of our mission? Three questions that Amicky Carol asks herself when she’s considering whether or not to say yes to an invitation to join a particular Board: 1. Do I really care about the mission and is it something I’ll give money to and/or volunteer for? 2. Do I bring something distinctive that they actually need right now? Am I needed and if so, why? 3. Will serving here accelerate my own growth in a way that serves my personal mission? Action item: Take a look at your own organization and ask yourself the question, “Is your organization co-creating the future your mission recipients actually want?” In other words, “Are your organization's leaders co-creating with their beneficiary partners or not?” And if the answer is no, what are possible ways you can approach your organization's leaders and ask this question? Resources: Avocado Foundation: avocadofoundation.org Resource Alliance - International Fundraising Congress: resource-alliance.org Article - Inequality Vs. Poverty: thisvsthat.io/inequality-vs-poverty

    50 min

  2. FEB 9

    Cherian Koshy - What Inspired You to Give?

    In this episode of #GladYouAsked, Martha explores radical empathy, the inspiration behind giving, and acting with integrity with the always inspiring Cherian Koshy. He shares his perspective on the cross section of neuroscience and philanthropy. Cherian’s personal stories about generosity are compelling, and his insights into leadership are raw and vulnerable. He also draws a line with AI as he believes it can never compete with real human-to-human interaction. You also have the opportunity to receive a gratis copy of Cherian’s book Neurogiving, a USA Today bestseller. On this episode: Martha’s Q: What inspired you to give? Guest Q (Cherian Koshy): How does integrity guide the decisions you make when things get hard? Listener Q (Tycely Williams): How does radical empathy show up in your work day to day? Action item: Seek out someone you respect. Could be a colleague, or even a friend or a family member, and ask them the question, “How does integrity guide the decisions you make when things get hard?” How did they respond? What stood out for you? Do their values align with yours? What can you learn from their answer? When you ask, make your best effort to clear your mind, be present, and listen with empathy when they reply. Buy Cherian’s book, Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making, here: neurogivingbook.com. To learn more about Cherian, click here: www.cheriankoshy.com. And here’s the Donor Visit Cheat Sheet Checklist Martha mentioned. #philanthropy #activelistening #empathy #neuroscience #gladyouasked #cheriankoshy #neurogiving

    45 min

  3. JAN 12

    Nina Fascione - What do you think?

    Welcome to Glad You Asked, a show about how active listening can help you build stronger connections with folks in your life, personally and professionally. On this inaugural episode of 'Glad You Asked', Martha Schumacher introduces her new series which discusses the significance of active listening and how it fosters empathy and meaningful connections. Joined by longtime friend and colleague, Nina Fascione, they explore three impactful questions that can deepen conversations. Throughout, they share examples of how these questions have proven effective, particularly in leadership and conservation contexts, while emphasizing the importance of grace and the value of community engagement. This episode’s questions: Guest question (Nina Fascione): What impact do you hope your support will have? Martha’s question: What do you think? Listener question (Julie Upham): What have you learned from other leaders that you've incorporated into the way you lead? Action Item: Identify someone with whom you work, a colleague, a staffer, your boss, et cetera, and ask them, what do you think? Get involved with the International Rhino Foundation and help create a world where rhinos thrive in the wild at rhinos.org Credits: Glad You Asked is a Hazen Institute for Leadership Training podcast. Join us on Patreon for more in-depth content. If you have a question you’d like me to ask on our show, or you’ve used one of the questions from an episode in your life, send Martha Schumacher a message on LinkedIn, or send me an email at hello@hazeninc.com. Learn more at hazeninc.com. Produced by Patrick and Benjamin Childers of Odd Conduit Media. Original music by Bassel & The Supernaturals featuring Herbie Hunkele on trumpet.

    38 min

  4. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Welcome to Glad You Asked

    Welcome to Glad You Asked, a show about how active listening can help you build stronger connections with folks in your life, personally and professionally. On each episode of Glad You Asked, we’ll explore three questions, one from our guest, one from a listener, and one from me. During a conversation with mission-driven leaders, we’ll test how each question, each compelling prompt, makes active listening possible and deepens our relationships. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at how effective our questions were in guiding a meaningful conversation, and leave you with a call to action, so you can use these questions in your own work and life. You can follow me on LinkedIn and Bluesky. You can also come become a free member of the Patreon where we'll be sharing even more about active listening.

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to Glad You Asked, a show about how active listening can help you build stronger connections with folks in your life, personally and professionally. I’m Martha Schumacher and I’ve spent my career asking leaders, funders, donors, and community members thoughtful questions to help find the real reasons behind why they do what they do. And when you pursue these deeper connections, you ultimately arrive at the heart of what really matters: establishing trust. On each episode of Glad You Asked, we’ll explore three questions, one from our guest, one from a listener, and one from me. During a conversation with mission-driven leaders, we’ll test how each question, each compelling prompt, makes active listening possible and deepens our relationships. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at how effective our questions were in guiding a meaningful conversation, and leave you with a call to action, so you can use these questions in your own work and life. 

Information

  • Creator
    Martha Schumacher
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Martha Schumacher
  • Show Website
    Glad You Asked