If you haven’t heard the origin story of the Fundraising HayDay Podcast, the long story short is this: Kimberly and I were meeting regularly for lunch to discuss the grant world and life in general, we were both feeling stuck in a bit of a rut, and I had recently discovered the world of podcasts. So, in a moment of genius (or insanity, you decide), I threw out the idea that we should start a podcast together as a way to remind ourselves why we loved this profession enough to stick to it for so long. Kimberly said yes, and I’ll be forever grateful. For so many reasons.
First, Fundraising HayDay really is a passion project. We started off with zero clues as to what we were doing, but we divided and conquered. Thanks to the podcast I now have skills in social media, image design, script writing, interviewing, sponsorship requests, and more. I’m not saying I’m perfect at any of these things, but I’m not intimidated by them.
If you love the podcast as much as we do (or even just a little bit), we’d be honored if you would support our passion by joining our Patreon HERE. You’ll get some fantastic bonus content, if I do say so myself, and help fund the hours upon hours we pour into the show.
Second, the show has introduced us to an incredible lineup of individuals who have impacted our work and our lives. We’ve had the opportunity to speak with thought leaders, authors, fundraising gurus, and more. And we’ve learned so much, right along with our listeners.
Third, the podcast made us realize how much we love working together and how well our experience and knowledge complement one another. It led to the formation of HayDay Services, our training, coaching, and speaking company. If you’ve never checked out our offerings, you can do so HERE. There is nothing I love more than helping the next generation of grant professionals understand the inner workings of the grant process.
Finally, it led me to a dear friendship with one of my favorite people on earth. Kimberly is supportive, hilarious, and a fellow bibliophile, and I’m forever grateful to have her in my corner as a business partner and ally in life. If she’s standing with me, I know we can conquer it.
I write all this not to brag about anything, but to share this piece of advice: FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. If you are not loving your job, look for a new one. Or find an activity outside of your daily to do list that brings you joy. Consider starting a blog post, offering to teach a course at your local community college, or volunteering with a nonprofit whose mission you love. It’s possible to reinvigorate your love of this profession of ours – I know, because I did. And you just might get some added benefits along the way…
Check out all our episodes, and don’t miss any new ones, by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today!
