The Impact Roadmap: Events, Leadership, Nonprofits

Utopia Experience

The Impact Roadmap is a podcast for people who want to make an impact. It highlights the stories, values, and wisdom of leaders in both the small business and non-profit worlds. It showcases incredible individuals committed to building community, paying it forward, and helping others. What motivates them? What helped them succeed? What have they learned from failure? Join the conversation and learn how to more meaningfully focus on what makes a life well-lived.

  1. 03/26/2024

    Meagan Sweeney-Hyde and Jordi Stack: Career Journey Tips in the Event Industry

    Meagan Sweeney-Hyde steps in for regular host Joey Goone and speaks with Utopia Director of Communications Jordi Stack. Meagan and Jordi bring a wealth of experience to the table, having navigated multiple aspects of event production through their careers. Through candid discussions and insightful anecdotes, they share their personal journeys to Utopia, and the lessons they’ve learned on the way. In this episode, join us as we uncover invaluable career journey tips, focusing on the art of creating impactful nonprofit events. Get insights on starting your career, navigating the field and how you can make a difference in event production. Learn firsthand what drew them to Utopia Experience, and how they contribute to its success.Subscribe now to The Impact Roadmap podcast for practical advice and inspiring stories from the event industry! Utopia Experience's website: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

    12 min

  2. 02/29/2024

    Meagan Sweeney-Hyde: The Personal Power of Nonprofit Events

    Meagan Sweeney-Hyde is the Director of Business Development at Utopia Experience, with extensive experience in the nonprofit sector including Make-A-Wish America and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  She brings over a decade of experience in the events industry to the table in today’s podcast, sharing her passion for making a positive impact on attendees as well as clients.

    19 min

  3. 01/19/2024

    Taylor Shanklin: The Impact of In-Person Events

    Meet Taylor Shanklin. Her friends call her T-Shank. She’s a dreamer, writer, adventurer, fast decision-maker, creative, mom, and founder of a branding agency. She brings awareness on how to work through life’s challenges through her lived experiences with chronic autoimmune disease. Her life mantra is Minimize to Maximize and her superpower is listening to others, understanding what they do best, and helping them focus energy in the right places for growth. Joey and T-Shak chatted about the impact of in-person events and how to capitalize on them. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Impact of Events 0:10 - Intro 0:24 - Introducing Taylor Shanklin 1:09 - Taylor’s Bio 1:49 - Barlele and Creative Shizzle 3:09 - What is the difference between branding and marketing? 5:16 - Where can smaller organizations start looking for information and data about their client’s problems? 8:48 - The intersection of events and marketing 10:31 - Using events as a tool to gather data and information 13:30 -  Bringing members of an organization together with events 16:37 - Live in event surveys and polling 19:44 - Advantages of collaborating with teams and organizations at events 22:57 - What are innovative ways to incorporate branding elements into event design? 25:45 - How do you evaluate metrics with a branding strategy? 29:50 - What is a funnel fundamentally? 33:37 - What is on the horizon for the world of branding? 36:09 - How do we navigate the new landscape of technology while maintaining our humanness? 39:55 - How do you “Robot Proof” your business? 41:11 - Using humor to recover from a minor error 44:12 - Stand out by being human and being real 46:41 - Where to find Taylor? 47:12 - Upcoming conference from CREATIVE SHIZZLE! 49:17 - OUTRO USEFUL LINKS: Taylor's Website: https://www.tshank.com/ Taylor's TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=hEJpd5WjYks&ab_channel=TEDxTalks Utopia Experience's website: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

    49 min

  4. 01/05/2024

    Patrick Kirby: Do Good Events Better (Fundraising Mistakes, How to Get the Right Audience, Donor Retention)

    Patrick Kirby is the Founder of Do Good Better Consulting and a believer that “we’ve always done it this way” is the most dangerous phrase in the English language. Patrick has spent over a decade working in nearly every capacity in the nonprofit industry, for organizations of all shapes and sizes, and strives to ‘Do Good Better’ every day. From organizing $10,000 cure walks to $1 million galas, Patrick’s passion lies in creating creative solutions to make fundraising less boring. He cut his donor relations/fundraising teeth as the Alumni Coordinator at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, MN, before trying his hand as a manufacturing sales rep to companies such as Target and Best Buy. Tired of being yelled at for uncontrollable international shipping issues in both English and Chinese, Patrick re-joined the world of nonprofit work as the Sr. Development Director at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation MN/Dakotas Chapter before taking the Chief Development Officer position at the Anne Carlsen Center. He earned his B.A. in “B.S.” (politics) at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, and is hopelessly addicted to super nerdy Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels and old-school SquareSoft ® RPG Nintendo games. Patrick married out of his league to his wife Shannon, has three ridiculously adorable children named Spencer, Preston, and Willow, a chunky dog named Grover, and lives in West Fargo, ND. 0:00 - Opening 00:51 - Intro and Patrick’s Bio 04:01 - Patrick's Background 06:42 - What Do Non-Profits suck at? 09:43 - Power of Curiosity 12:46 - How do you grow your business? 21:38 - The Biggest issue the Non-Profits are dealing with  23:38 - The Attention Span Problem 25:53 - Keep the donors you have 27:04 - Do you know why you are having an event? Fundraiser vs. Friendraiser 30:02 - What happens when you have the right people in the room? 32:03 - How do you get the right people in the room? 34:46 - Using Creativity to make events unique and help with Fundraising 39:22 - Looking at Non-Profits and their overhead differently 42:46 - How to keep Non-Profit staff motivated 47:09 - Don't forget to love yourself 51:35 - What is fundraising going to look like in 2024 56:44 - Outro and where to find Patrick 0:00 - Opening 00:51 - Intro and Patrick’s Bio 04:01 - Patrick's Background 06:42 - What Do Non-Profits suck at? 09:43 - Power of Curiosity 12:46 - How do you grow your business? 21:38 - The Biggest issue the Non-Profits are dealing with  23:38 - The Attention Span Problem 25:53 - Keep the donors you have 27:04 - Do you know why you are having an event? Fundraiser vs. Friendraiser 30:02 - What happens when you have the right people in the room? 32:03 - How do you get the right people in the room? 34:46 - Using Creativity to make events unique and help with Fundraising 39:22 - Looking at Non-Profits and their overhead differently 42:46 - How to keep Non-Profit staff motivated 47:09 - Don't forget to love yourself 51:35 - What is fundraising going to look like in 2024 56:44 - Outro and where to find Patrick

    1h 6m

  5. 11/10/2023

    SEASON FINALE: The Impact Roadmap (Reactions to Alison Canavan, Shavanna Spratt, Andrew Biggs, Mallory Erickson, & Rhea Wong) - #021

    Today we’re trying something a little different! To wrap it up, we sat down as a team to reflect on some of our favorite moments from this season. We had so many meaningful conversations with SO many incredible people; it was hard to choose just six. We’re thankful for everyone who’s appeared on our podcast, but the people featured in this episode—Alison Canavan, Shavanna Spratt, Andrew Biggs, Mallory Erickson, and Rhea Wong—deserve a special shoutout. If you haven’t listened to their episodes, go check them out. Links are included at the end of this description. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Teaser 0:22 - Graphics 0:36 - Introduction 1:30 - Bryan’s experience as a guest host 2:11 - Joey’s experience as the host 4:27 - Difference between being the host vs. being a guest 6:34 - Were there any guests who surprised you? 8:09 - Difference between being the host vs. being a guest (continued) 9:08 - Psychological safety 11:19 - Introducing the highlight clips 12:10 - Clip 1 (the myth of no time) 13:29 - Clip 1 Discussion 18:04 - Clip 2 (the benefits of being uncomfortable) 18:37 - Clip 2 Discussion 20:50 - Clip 3 (don’t get stuck IN the business) 21:46 - Clip 3 Discussion 26:03 - Clip 4 (mallory’s ai notetaker) 26:55 - Clip 4 Discussion 29:21 - Clip 5 (4,000 weeks) 30:12 - Clip 5 Discussion 35:08 - Clip 6 (one degree shifts) 35:50 - Clip 6 Discussion 40:22 - Wrapping up 43:02 Outro LINKS: Check out what else we do Be a guest on season 2 Ep. 8 (with Alison Canavan) Ep. 19 (with Shavanna Spratt) Ep. 17 (with Andrew Biggs) Ep. 14 (with Mallory Erickson) Ep. 10 (with Rhea Wong)

    44 min

  6. 10/31/2023

    Tamara Keefe: What They Won’t Tell You About Being an Entrepreneur (The Importance of Education, Sacrifice, & Integrity) - #020

    This episode is a real treat. We were able to sit down with Tamara Keefe, the CEO and self-proclaimed “Flavor Temptress” of Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, to talk with her about her journey from food insecurity to starting one of the most iconic businesses in the St. Louis area. What does it really take to be a successful entrepreneur? What has she learned along the way? What can other entrepreneurs learn from her experiences? Tamara has a wealth of knowledge to share, and her straightforward, honest approach to answering questions made her a ton of fun to interview. Enjoy the episode! TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Highlight 0:30 - Introduction 0:43 - Introducing Tamara 3:25 - How Tamara got to her emotional rock bottom; what was missing in her life 6:05 - The increased anxiety that comes with being a business owner 7:45 - Where does meaning come from? 8:56 - Manifestation, creating the future you want 10:18 - The importance of education 12:23 - What finally made you decide to leave the corporate world? 14:20 - Ice cream changes lives 15:56 - Events need to be about community 17:25 - What’s your most significant memory with ice cream? 20:51 - The experience of developing a team-first mindset 23:12 - What is Clementine’s origin story?  26:54 - What sets Clementine’s ice cream apart 30:17 - Talking about sugar, sourcing ingredients, Clementine’s philosophy 33:41 - Unpacking labelling regulations, the problem with artificial dyes 38:58 - The cost of integrity 39:47 - How is Clementine’s committed to community? 41:23 - Clementine’s experience during the pandemic 44:59 - What advice would you give to other small business owners? 45:40 - When do you think you’ll have found what you’re looking for? 48:24 - Do you have a favorite charity? 50:05 - What it means to be a woman in business 51:25 - Where can people find you? 53:10 - Any new flavors coming out? What’s your current best-selling flavor? 54:31 - Favorite book, movie, or podcast? 55:45 - Favorite place you’ve travelled? 56:05 - Who’s someone else you think we should have on the podcast? 57:40 - Outro USEFUL LINKS: Clementine’s: https://www.clementinescreamery.com/ Utopia Experience: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

    58 min

  7. 10/31/2023

    Shavanna Spratt: National Policy, Local Burden (Roe v. Wade, Centering Marginalized Voices, & Thoughtful Storytelling) - #019

    We recently had the privilege of talking with Shavanna Spratt, the founder of “Da Hood Talks Podcast” and a passionate advocate for community voices in the St. Louis area. Shavanna has been working for years to raise awareness about the racial disparities in the healthcare system, focusing especially on the unique challenges faced by black mothers and babies. We talked with her about her perspective on some of the major challenges her community (and the country) is facing, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the need for more people with lived experience in places of power, and the misuse and abuse of storytelling. The work she’s doing is incredible, and after listening to this episode, definitely go check out her podcast! TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Highlight 0:31 - Intro 0:44 - Introducing Bryan and Shavanna 1:29 - What’s it been like starting your own podcast? 2:53 - Comparing a panel of guests to a single interviewee 3:49 - How do you find all of your guests? 5:23 - What has living in Ferguson, MO for the last 10 years been like? Have things changed? 8:00 - Reflecting on the effect of the national spotlight after Michael Brown was killed 10:13 - Trying to determine the path forward 11:37 - How did you get so involved in the community? 18:09 - The power and importance of storytelling 19:12 - The misuse and abuse of storytelling 23:27 - Learning to be your authentic self 25:42 - How do you keep your head above water while juggling motherhood, work, your podcast, etc.? 29:35 - How has the overturning of Roe v. Wade affected your community (and the country at large)? 33:48 - A lot of decisions are being made from a place of ignorance 36:05 - You can’t help others if you aren’t thriving 38:47 - What help are you looking for right now? 40:51 - How can listeners support you? 41:55 - Outro USEFUL LINKS: 1) Da Hood Talks: https://www.dahoodtalks.com/en/ 2) Support Shavanna and Da Hood Talks: https://ent.dahoodtalks.com/ 3) Utopia Experience: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/

    44 min

  8. 10/27/2023

    Live From Raise 2023 (with Deborah Barge, Bobby D., Barbara O’Reilly, & Josh Meyer)

    We recently attended Raise 2023 in Nashville, TN, and had the privilege of being able to interview some of the event's speakers. We sat down with Deborah Barge (CFRE, Chief Development Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America), Bobby D. Ehlert (Chief Inspiration Officer, Inspire Hearts Fundraising), Barbara O’Reilly (CFRE, Founder and Principal, Windmill Hill Consulting), and Josh Meyer (Vice President, Demand Generation, Bloomerang) to talk about some of the unique challenges facing fundraisers today. LINKEDIN PROFILES: Joey Goone Deborah Barge Bobby D. Barbara O'Reilly Joshua Meyer USEFUL LINKS: Raise 2023 On-Demand Stage Appeal Fundraising – There’s No Final Frontier: How Tech and Trends Address Evolving Donor Expectations How to Use Data & Segmentation to Retain More Donors

    1h 43m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Impact Roadmap is a podcast for people who want to make an impact. It highlights the stories, values, and wisdom of leaders in both the small business and non-profit worlds. It showcases incredible individuals committed to building community, paying it forward, and helping others. What motivates them? What helped them succeed? What have they learned from failure? Join the conversation and learn how to more meaningfully focus on what makes a life well-lived.

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