The Strength Catalyst

Sue May, founder and Executive Director of Love & Cornbread, joins Colleen for a candid conversation about building an organization from the ground up — and the shift required as it grows. What began as a simple act of service has evolved into a complex operation with employees, structure, and new demands on Sue as a leader. As she reflects on this next phase, Sue shares the challenge of movin...

Tammy Leone, Executive Director of Cape Kid Meals, joins Colleen for a candid conversation about stepping out of a structured corporate environment and into the complexities of nonprofit work. Even several years into the role, Tammy reflects on how different the day-to-day reality feels — with limited structure, competing priorities, and many voices to consider. As she works to advance important i...

In this episode of the Strengths Catalyst Podcast, Kathleen Leary, Executive Director of Canine Partners for Life, joins Colleen for a candid conversation about growing into a new role while building and supporting a developing team. Kathleen shares the challenge of stepping back from doing, learning to delegate more intentionally, and navigating the pull of a mission that never really turns off....

Liz Milner, Executive Director and facility chaplain at the Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy (CIC) in Northern California, joins Colleen for a conversation on resilience, leadership, and the quiet power of leading with deep purpose. As the head of an organization providing spiritual and emotional care to incarcerated individuals, Liz's work demands extraordinary compassion and steadiness...

Brett Donelson, founder and CEO of The Cycle Effect, joins Colleen for a candid conversation about leading a nonprofit organization built through innovation, experimentation, and growth. Brett shares the pressures of scaling without a clear roadmap and how his strengths help him navigate uncertainty, visibility, and differing perspectives as a leader.  This episode explores confidence, resilience,...

Natalie Small, founder of the nonprofit Groundswell, joins Colleen for a live coaching conversation on navigating leadership, transition, and purpose-driven work. As Natalie prepared for motherhood and stepped back from day-to-day operations, she reflected on the realities of leading a mission-centered organization at the intersection of women’s, mental, and ocean health. Together, Natalie and Col...

Lauren Baker, Founder and CEO of The Wonderfund , joins Colleen for an unscripted coaching conversation on what it truly means to lead a mission-driven nonprofit with both heart and discipline. Together, they explore the realities of nonprofit leadership — building and supporting a small team, learning to delegate while staying deeply connected to purpose, and navigating the ongoing demands of fun...

In this episode of The Strength Catalyst , Colleen Boselli sits down with Jeff Kimball, co-founder and Chief Program Officer of Empower Change, for a coaching conversation about leading through grief. Jeff shares how his personal experience with loss informs his leadership, and how intentionally using his strengths helps him navigate complexity, compassion, and decisive action. Together, they expl...

In this episode, Colleen speaks with Sharon Polli, Executive Director of the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Sharon shares how she leads highly creative teams while managing constant context switching—from budgets to donor relationships to staff coaching. Together, they explore how self-awareness, intentional use of strengths, and deep listening support sustainable leadership...

Welcome to the Strength Catalyst Podcast, in this Episode 00, Colleen Boselli introduces the vision for the first season of the podcast.