02/02/2026
“You spent most of your career working with for-profits, sooo how could you bring value to us?”
Well, *Brenda*, I am so glad you asked. 😏
(Ahem. There is no Brenda. She is but a placeholder for a few well-meaning comments I've received.)
There's a misconception that nonprofits and for-profits are very different.
And I get that.
I myself have viewed nonprofits as Shining Beacons of 🌈 Altruistic Rainbow Light™️ while demonizing many for-profits as Red Devils in Suits.
(Which is especially funny when you consider that I run a for-profit business.)
It's true: they're motivated by different values.
It's true: I left Corporate America for a reason.
But it's also true that there are good orgs and bad ones, and good businesses and bad ones.
And when you strip away the excess, you see they have a lot in common. They:
- Need revenue to operate
- Have to convince their audience to give them money
- Often undervalue and underrate their comms department 👀
- Have to do a lot of research + analysis to understand their target audience
- Require killer management + budgeting skills
What I tell the well-intentioned Brendas of the world is that new or different experiences bring fresh perspectives to the table—something often needed in a sector that's slow to innovate.
Different lenses
Different tools
and different backgrounds
are all elements that help bring creative solutions to stubborn problems.
We should embrace them.
P.S. - Sorry to any Brendas I may have offended with this post 😎
📊 - Just a little Venn diagram I made for fun. Couldn't fit everything, so if you've got any favorites you'd like to add, I'd love to hear them!