Contagious Culture

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Lauren Riley , Executive Director of Gratitude Network , to talk about nonprofit leadership, culture, sustainability, and scaling impact. Lauren shares why passion alone is not enough to grow an organization. Nonprofits need clear systems, aligned messaging, strong leadership, and a value proposition that everyone on the t...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Peggy Doherty DeLong, Psy. D. , a psychologist, speaker, and educator who teaches practical tools for gratitude, well-being, and personal fulfillment. Peggy shares how gratitude helped her through deep grief after losing her fiancé and father within weeks of each other. She explains the science behind gratitude, why it is...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Christine Robertson, a nonprofit technology and data professional with more than 20 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations strengthen their impact through better systems, strategy, and technology. Christine explains why nonprofit data should not be treated as administrative busywork. When managed well, a...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Lina AbiRafeh , activist, author, global women’s rights leader, and founder of Better for Women. Lina explains why activism does not have to begin with a massive platform, a global campaign, or a major financial investment. It begins by looking around, caring about what is broken, and taking one meaningful action where you...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Denise Brown , caregiving educator, community builder, and founder of Caring Our Way. Denise shares how a “flashlight moment” more than three decades ago led her into the caregiving field and shaped her commitment to supporting both family caregivers and direct care professionals. She explains why caregiving is not simply...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh , educator, professor, researcher, consultant, and creator of the EQUAL Methodology. Michelle shares her journey from high-performing educator and lifelong achiever to a leader learning how to separate her identity from productivity, accomplishment, and constant busyness. She opens up about burnou...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Maddie Myers , Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations at PNC for the Western Carolinas. Maddie shares how her career evolved from nonprofit fundraising into corporate philanthropy and community investment. She explains what makes an organization ready to receive funding, why relationships matt...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Leanna Calvin , founder and executive director of Exposure Project, an innovative youth development organization helping middle and high school students explore careers, build character, and develop practical skills through hands-on experiences. Leanna shares how her natural curiosity, social work background, and connectio...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Lisa Tarkington , keynote speaker, leadership coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Lead, formerly known as Self Love Beauty. Lisa shares how her personal struggle with confidence and belonging inspired her to begin a blog that eventually became a nonprofit focused on helping people strengthen their self-esteem, leadership,...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Tracy Solarek, emotional intelligence coach, keynote speaker, trainer, and founder of Optymum Potential. Tracy explains how emotional intelligence helps leaders better understand themselves, strengthen relationships, build trust, and create environments where people feel valued and motivated. She breaks down the role of as...

Building relationships in the nonprofit world is often treated like a necessary evil, awkward networking events, forced conversations, and transactional asks. But what if it didn’t have to feel that way? In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle breaks down why nonprofit relationship building doesn’t have to suck and why the most successful leaders approach it completely differently....

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Erika Rothenberger , keynote speaker, construction industry leader, podcast host, and bestselling author of Audacious Expansion. Erika shares how surviving a violent assault in 2022 became the catalyst for a new chapter of courage, advocacy, service, and personal expansion. Rather than allowing the experience to define her...

What does it really take to become the kind of leader people choose to follow? In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King explores the difference between leadership that is assigned and leadership that is earned. Titles may give someone authority, but influence, trust, and credibility are what inspire people to truly follow. Kyle breaks down the key behaviors that define impactfu...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Dr. Caroline Brookfield, veterinarian, speaker, consultant, comedian, and self-described professional cat herder. Caroline explains how creativity and mindfulness help leaders navigate ambiguity, respond to change, and make better decisions without becoming overwhelmed by uncertainty. She introduces the DANCE Framework, a...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, we tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in professional growth: networking is not a competition. Too often, people approach networking like a race for attention, influence, or opportunity. But the most impactful relationships are built through curiosity, generosity, and genuine connection, not comparison. Kyle King explores why many profession...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, host Kyle King sits down with organizational psychologist, executive coach, and Harvard Business Review contributor Irina Cozma to explore the power of Possibility Thinking and how expanding our options can transform careers, leadership, and workplace culture. With more than 20 years of global consulting experience across startups and Fortune 100...

This episode dives into the power of leading with intention and moving with thoughtfulness in a world that rewards speed over substance. Real leadership is not just about making moves, it’s about making the right moves, with clarity, purpose, and alignment. We explore how intentional leaders build stronger cultures, make better decisions, and create impact that lasts far beyond the moment. -- Lear...

In this episode, we unpack how reactive leadership quietly destroys innovation, slows momentum, and keeps teams stuck in survival mode. If every challenge feels like a fire drill, creativity suffers, trust erodes, and real progress becomes harder to sustain. This conversation explores why the best leaders don’t just respond quickly, they respond strategically, creating the space, stability, and vi...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King and Dan Fisher sit down with Amy Aussieker, executive director of Envision Charlotte and the leader behind Charlotte’s Innovation Barn. Amy shares how her background in sales and fundraising helped her turn complex sustainability ideas into practical programs, partnerships, and community-based solutions. She explains the circular economy...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Patricia Bravo, leadership development consultant, speaker, author, and founder of Bravo For You. Patricia shares how leaders can guide organizations through disruption and transformation without losing sight of the people doing the work. She explains why empathy is not a soft leadership skill, but a practical source of hu...

Join hosts Kyle King and Daniel Freeman in this insightful episode of "Contagious Culture" as they dive into the essential steps for building and nurturing a robust network of donors for your nonprofit organization. You'll learn strategies for identifying potential donors, creating meaningful connections, and maintaining engagement. The hosts share best practices for effective communication, conve...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King and Dan Fisher sit down with Catalina Parker, co-founder and CEO of Relatable Nonprofit. Catalina shares how she walked away from a successful foundation career after realizing that the version of success she had built was costing her health, peace, and time with her family. She explains how she transitioned into consulting, built a six-...

Most fundraising doesn’t fail because the mission isn’t strong, it fails because leaders don’t know how to navigate the conversation. In this Power Session, Kyle and Dan break down how to lead donor conversations with clarity and confidence, how to handle hesitation without getting awkward, and how to move from relationship-building to a real close. We cover simple language you can use, what to li...

Events can be a fundraising powerhouse or an expensive stress fest. In this Power Session, Kyle and Dan break down what it looks like to run events done well and how to scale them without losing the human-centered experience. We share key insights from a recent Charlotte Rescue Mission event that raised the bar in storytelling, execution, and attendee experience. You’ll learn what makes an event u...

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King and Dan Freeman sit down with Mark Dobosz, a nonprofit and philanthropic leader with more than four decades of experience across education, healthcare, senior living, small business development, and nonprofit governance. Mark shares how his mother introduced him to service, generosity, and volunteerism before he ever considered fundraisi...