UPDATE: Celebrating one year of the Productive Executive Director Membership
It’s been one year since I launched the Productive Executive Director and in that time the membership has evolved into exactly what I’d hoped for.
One space where you can build the basic foundations of your organization, acquire the skills you need to run an efficient organization, and gain confidence as you grow as a leader. Plus, you become part of a supportive community of EDs—like you—who get what it’s like to be an Executive Director in a small shop.
In this incredible community, you learn that being consistent takes a plan. You learn how tiny habits, small changes, and imperfect actions will help you see truly remarkable results. And you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. I’m here every step of the way.
I’m loving being able to live by my life motto: teach everything you know.
In this post, I’m going to share some of my favorite wins from the last year, walk you through some changes coming to the PED membership, and share the number one thing I’ve learned in the past year.
3 Wins from the Past Year
Before I jump into the changes I’m making, I want to share with you some of the amazing wins that have happened over the last year. There have been quite a few, but I narrowed it down to a few of my favorites.
1. Finding determination in the face of your doubts.
Throughout the pandemic, organizations that provided basic needs naturally raised to the top as far as support and what was most needed. On one particular coaching call, Trent, who is the ED of a symphony, was having a particularly tough time and was struggling with the importance of his organization. How could he fundraise for music when communities were struggling to survive?
Now, there is no doubt music is important, but we are all allowed to have doubts sometimes. The other EDs on the call were having NOTHING to do with his doubts. They each took a turn in talking about how important music was to their organization and beneficiaries. One ED commented that she wasn’t sure if some of her youth would still be alive without music.
This moment was incredibly impactful for Trent: he realized just how much his work truly matters. Without a community around you, it can be hard to bring yourself out of those times when you’re filled with doubt and feeling like an impostor. Having other EDs to lift you up is powerful. You don’t have to do this alone.
2. Seeing your tiny habits pay off.
Jehan, who runs an international organization focusing on after school programs and women's literacy programs in Nepal, sent me a text letting me know that she had just received an unsolicited $13,000 gift—an amazing win! But it wasn’t entirely a surprise gift. Over the last several months, Jehan had been in communication with this donor, sending updates about the program and sharing personal stories. By taking these additional steps and genuinely investing in a relationship with the donor, a relationship was formed. Trust was built gradually and led to a surprise donation.
3. Doubling your donations.
Reframing can have a huge impact on your fundraising.
One of my favorite things about the PED program is that you can submit what you’re working on to me for review. Marilyn had sent over her spring appeal. Since they usually raise about $17000 from ticket sales, that’s what she was hoping for. It was a fine letter and would have definitely resulted in some gifts, but I knew it could be better.
The letter was like most letters I see from organizations, a lot about how great the organization is and not a lot about the problem the organization is trying to solve. We reworked and reframed the letter and it went out to donors. The theater raised over $34,000 and people are still bringing in gifts and talking about the letter.
There are so many stories like this and I can’t wait to share more, but for now, let’s dive into what you can expect going forward.
Updates to the Productive Executive Director Program
To celebrate 1 year of this amazing membership, we’re making some changes:
1. Setting enrollment periods.
The Productive Executive Director will no longer have open enrollment. When I launched the membership I thought that it made sense to let people come and go whenever they wanted. But I realized open enrollment throughout the year meant I was constantly promoting. I want to spend most of my time focusing on the members in the community and creating new and awesome content inside the membership.
Now, I’ve decided to only open enrollment a few times a year. Enrollment is currently closed but I will be opening it back up in early November, but then I’m not going to open enrollment until sometime in 2022. I’m not sure when.
2. Updating the structure.
This year, everyone was in the same cohort regardless of size and experience. Because each ED and organization is in a different developmental place, when you join, your coaching call cohort will be based on where you are in the nonprofit growth cycle: start-up, growth, sustain. This will allow you to move through the cohorts as you grow as an organization.
The curriculum will change in that instead of it being a massive curriculum, there will be a collection of modules that you can pick and choose from based on your specific needs.
3. Adjusting the price.
Monthly membership is INCREASING to $97/month on December 1st. If you are already a member this WILL NOT affect you, members will stay at your current price until you cancel. But all new members after Nov 31st will enroll at the new rate.
Which means if you’ve been thinking about joining the membership aka THE PRODUCTIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (!!) then when I open enrollment in early November you’re going to want to get on it and lock in the original $79/month rate. You can even get 2 months free when you enroll for a year.
And, a little secret, if you sign up for my workshop on Tuesday, October 26 — How to maximize the final 60 days of your year, I’m going to be talking about the Productive ED and giving away some crazy bonuses, so you might want to check it out.
If you’re feeling burned out and you’re over being overwhelmed, overworked and underfunded, then come be part of a community. Add yourself to the waitlist here.
The biggest thing I’ve learned since I started this membership
When someone joins the program, I have them do an intake form and ask them a bunch of questions. I ask what they need, what they would like to get out of the program, and on and on. They all answer the questions pretty much the same way:
“I need to build systems, learn to manage my time, find time, and be a better leader.”
But I just did a TON of interviews with current members and each one of them said that what they love most about the community is that they felt lonely in this role, and the PED program is where they found people who understood what they were going through. A place where they could safely share their thoughts and concerns and get real honest feedback.
For many, they said it was a lifesaver.
When I started the Productive Executive Director, I never could’ve imagined the incredible connections and community EDs would build together. I learned that this program is about more than being productive: it’s about giving EDs a space to share ideas, build meaningful relationships, and find some camaraderie in the struggle that is leading a small shop.
It’s an honor to walk alongside EDs and share everything I know to help small shops be more effective, efficient, and feel a sense of belonging. Thank each and every one of you for an amazing year!
