Changemakers Collective

We’re taking a little holiday break to rest, reset, and reflect – but in the meantime, we’re counting down your favorite episodes of 2025! This one took the top spot. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of the Changemakers Collective this year. It’s no secret that many kids are slipping through the cracks of the education system, but with the right engagement, we can turn this ship ar...

We’re taking a little holiday break to rest, reset, and reflect – but in the meantime, we’re counting down your favorite episodes of 2025! This one took the top spot. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of the Changemakers Collective this year. Anybody can point out problems and call out what’s not working, but fewer people actually take the time to meaningfully solve those problems....

We’re taking a little holiday break to rest, reset, and reflect – but in the meantime, we’re counting down your favorite episodes of 2025! This one took the top spot. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of the Changemakers Collective this year. What happens when your dream job isn’t hiring, AI’s doing half the work, and your degree feels outdated before your student loans kick in? In...

Growth can be intoxicating… until it threatens the very thing that made your business meaningful in the first place. In this episode, we unpack what it looks like to scale without losing your identity, whether you’re transitioning leadership across generations, bringing in a partner or investor, or simply expanding your reach. We talk about impact thesis vs. revenue thesis, how to communicate cult...

When you’re the leader, everyone’s looking to you – even when you’re barely holding it together. You can’t avoid the storm, but you can prepare for it. In this episode, we’re getting real about what happens when the pressure ramps up, the team’s looking at you for answers, and you feel like everything’s on fire. From stress-testing your business to slowing yourself down in the middle of chaos, we’...

You’re stuck -- too big to keep doing it all yourself, too small to afford full-time executive hires. So you Google a “fractional CFO” or lean on a buddy who used to consult… and still find yourself doing most of the heavy lifting. That’s the trap of misfiring on your leadership gap. And in this episode, we’re naming it. Fractional doesn’t mean part-time advice. It means rolling up sleeves, sharin...

Fear doesn’t clock out. When fear enters the workplace, whether from immigration raids, racial tension, or political rhetoric, leaders face a choice: ignore it, or lead through it. In this episode, we’re sharing raw, personal insights on how the current immigration enforcement climate is impacting employees across industries, and what it looks like to lead with clarity, compassion, and courage whe...

Being your own boss sounds like freedom – until the burnout kicks in. You’re doing the work and finding the work. Managing invoices and building systems. Serving clients and planning the next move. There’s no room left to grow, much less rest. That’s the hidden trap of solopreneurship – and in this episode, we break down why collaboration is the only way to scale your mission sustainably. We unpac...

You’re showing up early, staying up late, and still feeling behind. What if the grind isn’t the answer, and never was? In this episode of Changemakers Collective, we call out hustle culture and make a bold case for a better strategy: wisdom. From time-blocking to team-building, we challenge the myth that being busy means being effective . A surprise guest appearance from Kristen Stegall of Novice...

What if the scariest boss you ever had didn’t just haunt your memories, but quietly shaped how you lead today? In this special Halloween episode, we dive into our real leadership horror stories, from intimidation and gas‑lighting, to passive‑aggressive culture and fear‑driven control. What’s behind the fear? Lessons you need as a leader: how to read the room, lead with humility, build psychologica...

What would change about your leadership, your life, or your business if you only had one year left to leave your mark? In this episode, we challenge you to zoom out from the day-to-day grind and rethink success through the lens of legacy . From redefining success beyond money and milestones, to exposing the fear-based decisions that keep us small, this episode is a mindset shift for impact-driven...

What if your leadership habits are quietly holding your team back? In this episode, we unpack the subtle ways even the best-intentioned leaders can erode trust, stifle innovation, and slowly drain morale. If you’ve ever promoted a top performer who flopped, avoided tough conversations with toxic team members, or shrugged off feedback because you were overwhelmed, we see you. These moments compound...

We've all been in one: the meeting after the meeting. It’s where real opinions surface and decisions get rehashed, often outside the room where they belong. In this episode, we break down why it happens and how leaders can eliminate it for good. If you're tired of the side conversations, unclear agendas, and “Was I supposed to know that?” moments, this one’s for you. These breakdowns aren’...

You’ve probably left a strategy meeting feeling fired up, only to watch progress stall a few weeks later. It’s not a people problem. It’s a rhythm problem. In this episode, we unpack the essential difference between strategic planning (the long-term vision) and agility planning (the short-term execution engine). If you lead a team, run a nonprofit, or are building an impact-driven business, this c...

Strategic planning is something leaders talk about all the time. But when priorities shift, tech disrupts the market, and teams change, how useful is a long-term plan? In this episode, we challenge outdated models and unpack how to make strategic planning relevant, agile, and truly transformational for your business. Whether you're a startup founder or leading a legacy org, this one’s for you. Lin...

What happens when your dream job isn’t hiring, AI’s doing half the work, and your degree feels outdated before your student loans kick in? In this episode, we sit down with recent college grad Kailyn Kelly to talk about the job hunt in the age of automation, and how today’s young professionals are making big choices in a fast-changing world.  Kailyn Kelly is a digital content producer at Novice St...

10,000 Americans turn 65 every day in 2025 and hundreds of CEOs are retiring. What does this historic leadership shift mean for your business?  From Boomers to Gen X, Millennials to Gen Alpha, we break down how each generation leads, communicates, and clashes – and what your organization can do to bridge the gaps with clarity and cultural intelligence. What do Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen...

AI isn’t the future. It’s already changing everything from payroll to people management, whether we’re ready or not. As leaders, we’re facing a choice: let the pace of innovation pull us off course, or build organizations that use AI without losing our soul.  In this episode, we dig into what it really means to lead with heart and purpose in a world where automation and technology are speeding ahe...

Some weeks feel like a sprint on a treadmill with a broken slow down button! In this Wind Down episode, it’s just me, Steff, joined by podcast strategist and Novice Studios founder, Kristen Stegall. We’re talking about what happens when life floods your carefully time-blocked calendar ( or your kid’s daycare ) with chaos – and how to lead through it anyway. If you’re a solopreneur, a parent-preneu...

This week, we’re unpacking a question we ask every client and ourselves: What would break first if everything went right? If your business doubled tomorrow, would your systems hold up? Would your team? We talk through what it looks like to pressure test your business for growth, not just survival, and why too many founders plan for failure but not for success. Because if you’re serious about scali...

Every changemaker has a few bloopers. Our first workshop flopped. The website said too much. And yes, we paid way too much for software we barely used. In this episode we’re looking back at Silverback Ventures’ early missteps that helped shape who we are—and how we lead.  If you’ve ever launched something that fell flat or second-guessed your strategy after the fact, this one’s for you. You’re not...

In this episode of The Changemakers Collective, Scott and Steff dive deep into the foundational role of core values in building sustainable, purpose-driven businesses. They challenge the idea that values are just buzzwords on a wall, and instead reveal how they are practical guardrails for decision-making, hiring, leadership, and company culture. Drawing from personal stories and real-world client...

It’s easy to treat mission statements like decorative plaques—nice words tucked away and rarely revisited. But what if your mission statement was your daily compass, shaping every decision, client interaction, and team conversation? In this episode, Scott and Steff break down how to craft (and actually live) a mission statement that fuels your organization’s journey. Whether you’re leading a nonpr...

You’ve heard Scott and Steff talk strategy before… but this time, we’re switching it up. In this episode, Steff sits with Kristen Stegall to pull back the curtain for a candid conversation about the realities of being a woman entrepreneur, provider, and powerhouse in today’s business world. From making more than your partner to unlearning productivity guilt, they talk through the often unspoken ex...

Everyone talks about the breakthrough. But the truth is, the in-between is where grit is built. In this episode, Scott and Steff unpack what it really means to have grit in business - and how it’s often not about pushing harder, but staying present. Grit is what carries you through the pain of progress. It’s what keeps you going when you don’t feel strong, but you are faithful. And it’s what remin...