S1: E19 - Breaking the Hiring Mold: How Bus Stop Mamas Is Redefining Work for Moms with Mary Kay Ziniewicz
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
Release Date: 08/31/2025
S1: E20 - Bringing People Together for a More Sustainable Future with Carrie Vollmer-Sanders
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
Soil health. Sustainable ag. Regenerative practices. These topics are no longer niche. They're front and center in conversations about the future of food, farming, and resilience. This week on Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, I sit down with Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, president of Field to Market, a nonprofit coalition of nearly 200 organizations working to advance sustainable agriculture. Carrie is a sixth-generation farmer, coalition-builder, and lifelong learner who is passionate about helping farmers thrive while stewarding the environment. We explore what it means to lead in a...
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S1: E19 - Breaking the Hiring Mold: How Bus Stop Mamas Is Redefining Work for Moms with Mary Kay Ziniewicz
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
Too many hiring systems are broken, and moms are often the ones getting left behind. But what if there was a better way? In this inspiring episode, I talk with Mary Kay Ziniewicz, founder and CEO of Bus Stop Mamas, about how she’s radically reimagining what work can look like for mothers. From her early career in law firm marketing to building a national platform that connects talented women with flexible, meaningful jobs, Mary Kay is a force for challenging outdated assumptions and rebuilding the hiring process with humans at the center. You'll hear how Mary Kay’s personal transformation...
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S1: E18 - Shared Prosperity, Capital Truths, and Letting Go of the Ego: A Conversation with Alfredo Mathew III
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
What if the path to real social impact began with letting go? In this episode, I sit down with Alfredo Mathew III, founder and CEO of SPCC One—the world’s first Shared Prosperity Community Corporation. Alfredo is a former public school educator turned social entrepreneur who’s building a bold, transformative model that reimagines capital, ownership, and community. Alfredo shares how his work empowers small businesses—especially Black and Brown-owned enterprises—to band together, unlock capital, and drive systemic change through shared prosperity models rooted in economic...
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S1: E17 - 3 Nonprofit Operations Bottlenecks That Are Costing You Growth (and How to Fix Them)
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
Do you ever feel like you're encountering a series of neverending bottlenecks within your nonprofit? Here at Silver Maple Strategies, we see this all the time - and it's nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it's part of the natural growth of any purpose-driven organization. The best part? There are tremendous solutions available to any leader looking to break through bottlenecks and deliver increasingly higher levels of impact. In this episode, I'll teach you how. It really boils down to focusing your attention and strategy in three key areas: Mindset: Erase doubt, stop denying your own...
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S1: E16 - 5 Grant Strategy Systems Every Nonprofit Leader Should Know
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by fundraising while trying to avoid burnout, you’re not alone—and this episode is for you. This week, I’m sharing five proven systems that can help nonprofit leaders like you build a more sustainable and scalable grant strategy. These are practical, field-tested approaches that will help you fund your mission without draining your energy. Here’s what you’ll learn: Strategy First – Why reviewing your plan beats chasing every shiny funding opportunity. More Pathways, Less Panic – How to diversify your revenue and forecast with confidence. ...
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S1: E15 - Invisible No More: How to Build a Nonprofit Brand That Funders and Partners Remember
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
Are you struggling to get noticed by funders and strategic partners — even though your nonprofit is doing critical, impactful work? In this episode, I'll walk you through the essential keys to making your nonprofit brand unforgettable. Drawing on insights from more than 17 years in communications and 8+ years advising nonprofit leaders, I share the most common branding challenges nonprofits face today — and the exact steps you can take to rise above the noise. You’ll learn how to shift your mindset from “surviving” to “thriving” and build a brand that funders remember, partners...
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S1: E14 Five Fundraising Diversification Strategies Nonprofit Executives Need to Know in 2025
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
In this episode, I walk nonprofit leaders through timely strategies for building fundraising resilience in a complex and fast-evolving 2025 landscape. You'll walk away with actionable ideas, renewed confidence, and a powerful framework to tackle today’s toughest fundraising challenges. I introduce our team's proprietary Resilience Leadership Model, crafted to help nonprofit organizations navigate change with purpose and strategy. You’ll learn why so many nonprofits struggle with silos, underutilize AI, and fall into reactive patterns—and how to break free. Plus, I share behind-the-scenes...
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S1: E13 - How To Partner With Family Philanthropy And Strengthen Messaging To Advance Climate Action with Eva Goulbourne
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
In this episode, I sit down with , Founder and CEO of , for a fascinating discussion of why this is a historic moment for addressing climate change via food and agriculture. Eva's food systems and sustainability strategy firm focuses on using food systems transformation as the climate solution. She brings extensive expertise serving both for-profit and nonprofit executives including food business technology companies, venture capital, nonprofits, and family philanthropy. Eva's passion for food and its ability to connect people and transform lives began before the age of 10, when she...
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S1: E12 - Elevate The Humanity Of Your Social Impact Organization With Jan Barlow of Better Job Fit
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
In this episode of Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, I welcome Jan Barlow, founder of , for an insightful conversation on career transitions, leadership, and purpose-driven work. Jan shares her incredible journey from a successful corporate career in pharmaceuticals to creating an organization that helps vulnerable populations such as veterans and foster care communities transition into civilian work. Jan opens up about her own career challenges, including the burnout that came from working outside of her strengths and how it led her to rethink her path. She now uses her extensive...
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S1: E11 - Building Climate Resilience And Advancing Equity with Cytandra Hoover
Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt
In this episode, B3C Global CEO and Founder Cytandra Hoover shares her fascinating experiences building climate resilience in local communities and advancing equity across the world. Cytandra is a seasoned expert in global social impact and inclusive insurance. You'll learn something new and be inspired in equal measure, I promise! In This Episode: Cytandra's Background: Discover how her childhood experiences traveling with her botanist father and witnessing global disparities in conflict zones and places devastated by natural disasters shaped her career path. The Power of Microinsurance:...
info_outlineToo many hiring systems are broken, and moms are often the ones getting left behind. But what if there was a better way?
In this inspiring episode, I talk with Mary Kay Ziniewicz, founder and CEO of Bus Stop Mamas, about how she’s radically reimagining what work can look like for mothers. From her early career in law firm marketing to building a national platform that connects talented women with flexible, meaningful jobs, Mary Kay is a force for challenging outdated assumptions and rebuilding the hiring process with humans at the center.
You'll hear how Mary Kay’s personal transformation led her to purpose-driven work, why remote work isn’t the silver bullet we think it is, and the untapped business case for hiring moms. We also explore how employers can be part of the solution, saving money, increasing retention, and building stronger teams by hiring differently.
Whether you're a nonprofit leader, a social impact entrepreneur, or a working parent yourself, you’ll walk away from this conversation encouraged, challenged, and ready to take bold steps forward.
In this episode, we cover:
- The origin story of Bus Stop Mamas and why it’s changing lives
- Why 43% of women still leave the workforce after having children
- How social conditioning and hiring algorithms marginalize moms—and how to fix it
- What employers get wrong about childcare and workplace flexibility
- The power of vulnerability, creativity, and community in leadership
- Why being wrong might be the best thing for your career
- Fast-cash gigs, pinch hitters, and how Mary Kay is redefining modern hiring
Links & Resources:
🔗 Connect with Mary Kay on LinkedIn
📝 Read our related blog post: The Courage to Ask: Rethinking Sales and Your Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy
📩 Subscribe to Secrets of Social Impact Communicators newsletter: Join here
Thank you to Mary Kay and the team at Bus Stop Mamas for this powerful conversation.
Thanks as always to Lee Williams for editing and producing this episode!