As market realities and consumer attitudes shift and evolve, often at breakneck speed, businesses that remain adaptable, and never lose sight of the brand’s heritage and true purpose, can deliver bottom-line growth, even in times of economic uncertainty.

It’s an argument that is not lost on Alison Clark. The brand management and marketing expert, who has worked for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, has a long history of employing what she calls “structured flexibility” to drive sustained brand awareness, ensure brand health, and achieve targeted outcomes.

Most recently, as a senior director at United Services Organizations, she led a successful, enterprise-wide brand transformation to drive the nonprofit’s mission, reach new generations of donors, and build a future-ready revenue stream.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Alison joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the importance of brand and its alignment with purpose, her great work at the USO and the lessons learned, and whether the ideals of brand purpose are still relevant today.

Over the past several years, organizations both large and small have taken significant steps to prioritize diversity and inclusion, understanding that these efforts not only drive sales and business growth but attract top talent.

That momentum, however, is beginning to slow, thanks to DEI blowback from conservative lawmakers and activists, as well as miscommunication, misinformation, and fear. In fact, a number of brands and agencies have announced that they are scaling back or cutting their DEI programs and, in some cases, eliminating the chief diversity officer position.

This news does not sit well with Jordan Weiss, who has been a leading voice for advancing diversity and inclusion. As cofounder and president of Diversity in Action, a digital and print magazine, he is committed to supporting and promoting diversity in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM). His inspiring publication examines topics and profiles people who bring a diverse array of views and who nurture innovation regardless of how they identify themselves.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Jordan joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the essence of his magazine and how it has shaped his personal view of diversity, his assessment of the building backlash over DEI, and how he will continue to champion diversity at every turn.

Helping visionary leaders disrupt the status quo that too often hinders purposeful efforts is the essence of The Macfarlan Group. Led by founder Deb Macfarlan Enright, the firm works with both nonprofit and social impact organizations to create solutions to social challenges that seemingly grow by the day, including hunger, homelessness, justice inequities, and mental health.

Deb is also cofounder of the Leadership After Dark practice, which trains executives to actively engage as board members and elevate corporate responsibility and community leadership within the organizations they serve. As Deb has shown throughout her distinguished career, she is guided by the principle of doing good with others for others.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Deb joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss her work with social impact leaders, the importance of board leadership, how organizations can make a meaningful difference, and much more.

Charitable giving in the U.S. last year dropped 2.1 percent after inflation, attributable in part to the decline in individual donors, according to Giving USA. This followed a 13.4 percent dip in giving in 2022.

Though the news is not surprising given the elevated cost of living and other economic uncertainties that Americans face today, nonprofits are cautiously optimistic about 2024 and beyond as the country moves further away from the pandemic and record inflation and new technology and creative programs take hold.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Aila Malik, founder and co-principal of research and practice at the Venture Leadership Collective, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the nonprofit landscape, and what may be holding the sector back, as well as how nonprofits can drive success through marketing, manage leadership expectations, reach new donors, and advance their missions.

Venture Leadership Collective, a women-owned management consulting firm, serves more than 60 nonprofits annually, including schools, municipalities, and philanthropies. Aila has trained retired for-profit executives to successfully lead nonprofits in the boardroom and within nonprofits at the C-Suite level.

Advocating for the health, wellbeing, and rights of children has long been core to the missions of the global nonprofits Save the Children and Children International.

Working in more than 100 countries, Save the Children strives to give today’s youth a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm, while Children International helps kids get the education, life skills, and confidence they need to break free from poverty.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu casts a spotlight on these distinguished organizations with his two guests: Teresa Gaffney, senior director of global marketing at Children International, and Nicole O’Connor, managing director of supporter development at Save the Children. They discuss the myriad challenges they face today in driving their missions, how they are reaching donors through the art of storytelling and design, the importance of reaching the next generation of donors, and more.

Do you feel your life is like Groundhog Day, endlessly trapped in the same old same old from one day to the next? Breaking free from the mundane routine of everyday life, and unlocking your full potential in a purposeful way, is not only possible but attainable with simple behaviors that can be readily applied to daily habits and actions.

That’s the central premise of the inspirational new book, Do This Daily: Secrets to Finding Success, Happiness, and Purpose in Work and Life. According to author Lan Phan, CEO of the purpose-led consultancy Community of Seven, living life based on other people’s rules and expectations is the surest way to get stuck, like a car in deep mud.

To move forward, she maintains, you must discover your personal purpose, break free from limiting barriers, and embrace your worth, among other secrets. Do This Daily provides a boatload of exercises, tools, practical strategies, and stories to help you achieve positive transformation for career success and personal fulfilment.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Lan Phan, a highly regarded consultant, master trainer, and speaker, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss key aspects of her book, including shifting from self-doubt to self-acceptance, finding consistency in life, and overcoming the fear of change.

There is ample evidence suggesting that a happy workforce can help a business increase productivity and innovation and reduce turnover and absenteeism. Additionally, happy people tend to live longer than unhappy people and are full of hope.

But striving for a state of happiness and building on it can be a tall order. In fact, Dr. Alphonsus Obayuwana, a longtime leader in the happiness space, argues that to increase happiness for yourself, you must first find a way to measure it. And he has done just that.

In his book The Happiness Formula: A Scientific, Groundbreaking Approach to Happiness and Personal Fulfillment, Dr. Obayuwana lays out a simple but groundbreaking equation for measuring happiness: hope divided by hunger equals happiness. The formula not only offers individuals a demonstrated way to self-assess their levels of fulfillment but provides happiness seekers with a proven routine for achieving and sustaining a flourishing life.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Dr. Obayuwana, founder and CEO of Triple-H Project, which trains and certifies happiness coaches, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss the complexity of happiness, the affects of unhappiness in the workplace, why happiness should be measured, and much more.

There are many attributes of great leaders, including the ability to motivate and inspire, make decisive decisions under pressure, show empathy, drive innovation, and build a trustworthy and respectful work environment.

But there’s another key trait that largely goes overlooked: The willingness to embrace vulnerability. In fact, by letting their guard down and acknowledging their fears and weaknesses, the best leaders come across as more relatable and human, and that can lead to personal growth, stronger relationships, greater trust with staff, and the courage to take risks.

But while vulnerability is viewed as a strength and should be embraced by workers at every level of an organization, it does require a leap of faith and belief in oneself, as well as the confidence to work through one’s emotions for the greater good.

In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, Monica Rowe, chief marketing officer at CARE, one of the largest NGOs in the world, joins host Ken Beaulieu to discuss vulnerability at length, including the importance of marketing humanity, empathy, and caring with purpose at the core.