What Works: Conversations on Nonprofit Leadership with Marla Moody

She walked into nonprofit leadership with zero nonprofit experience and built one of the most purposeful equine welfare movements in America. Melissa Kitchen, President of the Equine Network Foundation, is proving that rescued horses do not just need humans. Humans desperately need them too.🎬 What You Will Explore in This Episode🐴 The Rescue Crisis Nobody Talks About200,000 horses in transition at any moment and rescues at 95% capacity🧠 Horses as Mental Health HealersVeterans, autistic children and trauma survivors are finding breakthroughs no therapy room could offer🎯 The One Thing First FrameworkHow Melissa leads an entire foundation solo by doing less and achieving far more🌿 Building Your HerdWhy community, not burnout, is the real infrastructure of every thriving nonprofitIf you lead a nonprofit, run a rescue, work in equine welfare, or simply carry more than you should every single day, this episode will reset you. Melissa's story is proof that intentional leadership, radical focus, and a rescued horse can change what you thought was possible.You can get in touch with Melissa Kitchen here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissasauerkitchen/Website: https://equinenetworkfoundation.orgWe hope you enjoyed this episode of What Works! - Marla and the What Works Podcast team :)Are you a Leader who would benefit from Leaders encouraging Leaders, Leave a comment where we can find you of go over to https://www.skool.com/value-based-leadership-8377 and join the community there. Connect with me:LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithmarla/#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutprevention#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutpreventionWhatWorks is a bold and insightful podcast for non-profit leaders who want to go deeper than surface-level conversations. Hosted by Marla Moody, a seasoned operations executive with decades of global experience, the show uncovers what truly makes mission-driven organizations thrive. From scaling systems to building resilient teams and fighting burnout, WhatWorks goes behind the scenes of the world’s most impactful non-profits.

What happens when the world counts you out, your in-laws are breaking you down, community leaders are working to destroy your name, and you have no home to call your own but you build something anyway? Minister Dr. Maddie Cheatham did exactly that. Her story is not a motivational myth. It is moral courage made real, lived out in the darkest corners of survival with a daughter watching and a mother's dying promise fuelling every move.In this unforgettable episode of What Works, Minister Dr. Maddie Cheatham, educator, author, ordained healer, spiritual guide, and founder of Pamela's Big Heart Foundation Inc., shares the raw, unfiltered truth about what it really takes to rise from homelessness, fight a system designed to ignore the vulnerable, and build a legacy that outlives your pain.What you will explore:🕯 The Deathbed Promise That Changed EverythingHow a final conversation with her mother Pamela ignited a life mission to uplift minority women and youth🏚 Building a Nonprofit With No AddressThe untold reality of founding Pamela's Big Heart Foundation Inc. while living with abusive in-laws and surviving homelessness⚔ When Community Becomes the EnemyHow character attacks, gatekeepers, and institutional resistance could not stop a woman anchored in purpose💡 The Daughter Who Became the ReasonThe moment a single look at her child became the most powerful leadership strategy of her lifeIf you are a nonprofit leader, social impact changemaker, community advocate, survivor rebuilding your life, or anyone who believes service can coexist with struggle, this conversation will permanently shift how you see resilience.You can get in touch with Minister Dr. Maddie Cheatham here on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/minister-dr-maddie-cheatham-14516562/Website: https://www.pamelasbigheartfoundation.orgThe world does not wait for perfect conditions to need you. Neither did she.We hope you enjoyed this episode of What Works! - Marla and the What Works Podcast team :)Are you a Leader who would benefit from Leaders encouraging Leaders, Leave a comment where we can find you of go over to https://www.skool.com/value-based-leadership-8377 and join the community there. Connect with me:LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithmarla/#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutprevention#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutpreventionWhatWorks is a bold and insightful podcast for non-profit leaders who want to go deeper than surface-level conversations. Hosted by Marla Moody, a seasoned operations executive with decades of global experience, the show uncovers what truly makes mission-driven organizations thrive. From scaling systems to building resilient teams and fighting burnout, WhatWorks goes behind the scenes of the world’s most impactful non-profits.

One mother's love for her son became a lifeline for hundreds of families navigating autism, and the ripple effect is still growing. Christine turned the everyday challenge of raising a neurodivergent child into Sun, Moon, and Stars & Company, a nonprofit built on joy, community, and the radical belief that no family should ever feel alone.In this deeply moving episode of What Works, host Marla Moody sits down with Christine, a full-time medical device sales executive, elected Board of Education member, Connecticut Autism Spectrum Advisory Council member, and founder of one of the most community-driven autism nonprofits in the state. What began as a simple supper club for families craving a judgment-free dinner has evolved into sensory-friendly train rides, adaptive sports, swim safety programs, and a statewide network of nonprofits lifting each other up.🌟 From Diagnosis to Community — How One Family Changed EverythingHow a diagnosis at age three and a half sparked a decade-long movement for autism families.🤝 The Power of Nonprofit Collaboration — Grow Together, Not ApartWhy ditching competition and embracing partnership transformed Sun, Moon, and Stars & Company.🎯 Building Sensory-Friendly Events That Actually WorkThe frameworks behind capacity control, judgment-free spaces, and real family inclusion.🌊 The Starfish Swim Club — Safety, Confidence, and JoyHow Christine launched an autism-specific swim safety program and why it changes lives.Whether you are a nonprofit founder, a parent of a neurodivergent child, a community leader, or someone who believes in the power of collective impact, this episode will leave you inspired to act, collaborate, and lead with heart.You can get in touch with Christine here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/Website: https://www.sunmoonandstarsco.orgThis one is for every parent who ever felt invisible, every founder who ever felt alone, and every community that is ready to rise together. The stars are just getting brighter.We hope you enjoyed this episode of What Works! - Marla and the What Works Podcast team :)Are you a Leader who would benefit from Leaders encouraging Leaders, Leave a comment where we can find you of go over to https://www.skool.com/value-based-leadership-8377 and join the community there. Connect with me:LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithmarla/#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutprevention#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutpreventionWhatWorks is a bold and insightful podcast for non-profit leaders who want to go deeper than surface-level conversations. Hosted by Marla Moody, a seasoned operations executive with decades of global experience, the show uncovers what truly makes mission-driven organizations thrive. From scaling systems to building resilient teams and fighting burnout, WhatWorks goes behind the scenes of the world’s most impactful non-profits.

The nonprofit sector is running on a broken hiring system and it is silently destroying mission driven organisations from the inside out. Most leaders are hired to check boxes, onboarded like an afterthought, and handed a role with zero clarity about what change is actually supposed to look like. The cost is not just financial. It is cultural, strategic, and deeply human.With over 30 years across nonprofit leadership, higher education, corporate philanthropy, and executive search, J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., Director of Executive Search at Cooper Coleman LLC, has seen exactly where organisations lose the plot on leadership and what it genuinely takes to get it right.This conversation with Marla Moody is a masterclass for anyone serious about building thriving, values led, high performing nonprofit teams.🎬 The Hidden Truth About Nonprofit Hiring FailuresWhy desperation hires and box checking are quietly setting organisations back years🎬 Diversity as a Strategic Advantage Not a CheckboxHow experiential, cultural, and ideological diversity drives real organisational outcomes🎬 The Onboarding Gap That Breaks New LeadersWhy the most critical 90 days are also the most neglected in the sector🎬 Succession Planning and the Leadership Loyalty ShiftWhat long tenured executives and younger talent both need organisations to understand right nowYou can get in touch with J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D. here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmichaeldurnilphd/Website: https://www.coopercoleman.com/If you are a nonprofit executive, board member, HR leader, or organisational development professional navigating leadership transitions, talent strategy, or building cultures where high performers actually stay, this episode is your roadmap.We hope you enjoyed this episode of What Works! - Marla and the What Works Podcast team :)Are you a Leader who would benefit from Leaders encouraging Leaders, Leave a comment where we can find you of go over to https://www.skool.com/value-based-leadership-8377 and join the community there. Connect with me:LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithmarla/#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutprevention#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutpreventionWhatWorks is a bold and insightful podcast for non-profit leaders who want to go deeper than surface-level conversations. Hosted by Marla Moody, a seasoned operations executive with decades of global experience, the show uncovers what truly makes mission-driven organizations thrive. From scaling systems to building resilient teams and fighting burnout, WhatWorks goes behind the scenes of the world’s most impactful non-profits.

The nonprofit world has a broken system nobody wants to admit , passionate people are being burned out, under directed, and blindsided by leadership gaps that quietly destroy impact. Robby Burroughs, former Managing Director at NDN Collective, Pomo tribal member, college professor, and coach, pulls back the curtain on the uncomfortable reality of working inside mission driven organizations.From facilitating indigenous land back across Turtle Island and building circular revenue models that fund real change, to midnight phone calls and feedback with no direction, Robby shares what nonprofit culture gets dangerously wrong about leadership, burnout, and sustainability.This conversation is raw, real, and packed with frameworks that actually work — from protecting your energy like a non negotiable to why weekly check ins transform entire teams. If you lead people, fund causes, or fight for communities, this episode will shift how you think about impact for good.Connect with Robby Burroughs here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robby-burroughs-291234b9/NDN Collective: https://ndncollective.orgWe hope you enjoyed this episode of What Works! - Marla and the What Works Podcast team :)Are you a Leader who would benefit from Leaders encouraging Leaders, Leave a comment where we can find you of go over to https://www.skool.com/value-based-leadership-8377 and join the community there. Connect with me:LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithmarla/#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutprevention#whatworkspodcast #nonprofitleadership #missiondriven #operations #scalingimpact #nonprofitmanagement #leadershipthatinspires #nonprofitexcellence #socialimpact #teambuilding #burnoutpreventionWhatWorks is a bold and insightful podcast for non-profit leaders who want to go deeper than surface-level conversations. Hosted by Marla Moody, a seasoned operations executive with decades of global experience, the show uncovers what truly makes mission-driven organizations thrive. From scaling systems to building resilient teams and fighting burnout, WhatWorks goes behind the scenes of the world’s most impactful non-profits.