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Showing episodes and shows of
Jonathan Hicken
Shows
Break Fake Rules
Fund Like You Want to Win with Ludovic Blain
“It's only when you show your own courage that the performativeness of being inspired by others moves to allied-ness.”Ludovic Blain returns to Break Fake Rules, this time at a live recording at California Donor Table’s 20th anniversary convening and celebration! Last season, Ludovic delivered a master class in philanthropic giving across tax statuses. Now he’s back to urge us to play offense — by funding bold, long-term investments to counter the well-coordinated efforts of conservative groups and donors that harm our communities. How can donors fund initiatives that not only defend democracy but also create a better g...
2025-10-15
38 min
Break Fake Rules
On Grantee, Not Grantmaker, Survival with Farhad Ebrahimi
Farhad Ebrahimi: “What utility is it for grantmakers to survive this political moment if none of the organizations we believe in survive?”In this episode, Farhad Ebrahimi—Philanthropic Transformation Strategist and co-founder at Solidaire Network—joins Break Fake Rules to deliver a total takedown of philanthropy’s most pernicious fake rules. And he comes with receipts! Hear why Farhad spent down the Chorus Foundation’s endowment in 2023 and what it really means to organize and mobilize funders to support a just transition to a regenerative economy that no longer feeds the philanthropic industrial compex. In a period when fear an...
2025-10-02
43 min
Break Fake Rules
On Grantee, Not Grantmaker, Survival with Farhad Ebrahimi
Farhad Ebrahimi: “What utility is it for grantmakers to survive this political moment if none of the organizations we believe in survive?”In this episode, Farhad Ebrahimi—Philanthropic Transformation Strategist and co-founder at Solidaire Network—joins Break Fake Rules to deliver a total takedown of philanthropy’s most pernicious fake rules. And he comes with receipts! Hear why Farhad spent down the Chorus Foundation’s endowment in 2023 and what it really means to organize and mobilize funders to support a just transition to a regenerative economy that no longer feeds the philanthropic industrial compex. In a period when fear an...
2025-10-01
43 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
How to Sell a Vision Before It’s Real
Social impact leaders are visionaries — but getting others to see what you see isn’t easy. When your work hasn’t caught up to your ambitions, how do you win over funders, staff, and partners who need proof before they commit?In this episode, Eric and Jonathan explore what it really takes to sell a bold new vision — even when the work is still taking shape.➔ Why internal conviction is the first — and most underrated — step to building external trust. ➔ How to frame your future vision when your current reality doesn’t match it (yet). ➔ The po...
2025-05-13
33 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
What to Do When Funders Say "No"
Not all “no’s” are equal—and if you’re in fundraising, you know that firsthand.In this episode, Eric and Jonathan unpack the three types of objections every social impact leader will face: the silent no, the vague no, and the hard no. They explore why each shows up, what it’s really signaling, and how to respond in a way that transforms rejection into relationship. Whether you're navigating donor hesitancy or partner pushback, you'll walk away with practical tools to shift conversations from confusion and avoidance to clarity, trust, and—yes—sometimes even a yes.
2025-04-15
27 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
The Sector Is Shifting: Here's How to Lead
Social impact leaders are scaling back, funding streams are evaporating, and public trust is eroding. In this candid kickoff to Season 4, Eric and Jonathan hold space for what’s really happening in the field—and why this moment demands courageous communication, community resilience, and reimagined leadership. This isn’t a time to shrink. It’s a time to show up.The surprising parallels to early COVID-era chaos (and how that can inform today’s crisis response)Why you might need to ‘scale back’ strategically—and how to do it without losing your sense of purpose.The key to rallying donors...
2025-04-08
25 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Social Impact in the Era of Misinformation & Media Chaos
We are living through the biggest shift in media and marketing of our lifetimes. Misinformation spreads faster than ever, trust in institutions is crumbling, and social impact leaders are left navigating a fractured, chaotic digital landscape.So how do you build credibility, mobilize communities, and create real impact when attention is scattered and trust is eroding?In this episode, Eric and Jonathan break down the new realities of marketing and media—the rise of digital tribalism, the fine line between authenticity and performance, and why the old marketing playbook no longer works.Ep...
2025-03-11
28 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
The Last Messaging Framework You’ll Ever Need
If you’ve ever felt like your messaging isn’t quite landing — like people don’t get it or aren’t inspired to take action — you’re not alone. We hear it all the time: “We’re struggling to tell our story.”But here’s the thing: your story isn’t the story that matters most. The real question is: How do you craft messaging that actually moves people?In this episode of Designing Tomorrow, we’re breaking down the last messaging framework you’ll ever need.We cover:The biggest messaging mistake most nonprofits and...
2025-02-11
33 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
The Changing Work Culture in Social Impact
The way we work is changing — fast. Remote work, shifting boundaries, and evolving expectations have reshaped what it means to work in the social impact sector. But are nonprofits keeping up?In this episode, Jonathan and Eric dive into the unique challenges mission-driven organizations face in building a sustainable, healthy work culture. From balancing remote flexibility with team cohesion to tackling burnout in a sector known for overwork, they explore what leaders must do to attract and retain top talent while staying true to their mission.Plus, Jonathan issues a challenge to nonprofit leaders: Can we...
2025-02-04
37 min
GTM AI Podcast with Coach K and Jonathan Moss
How AI Surveys are Revolutionizing Sales Pipeline Generation
https://www.gtmaiacademy.com https://www.theysaid.io/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lihonghicken/ Here's a clean breakdown of the interview: I spoke with Lihong Hicken, CEO and co-founder of Theysaid.io, about revolutionizing sales pipeline generation through AI-powered surveys. Lihong's journey from an intern building desks to becoming a CEO shapes her practical approach to sales technology. The conversation centered on transforming traditional surveys into intelligent sales tools. Theysaid.io's platform creates natural, conversational experiences that simultaneously qualify leads and gather market insights. This...
2024-12-10
34 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
When Your Purpose Becomes a Problem
Is your organization's purpose secretly undermining its impact?In our latest episode of Designing Tomorrow, Jonathan and Eric tackle a provocative question: When does your purpose become a problem?We explore the hidden mistakes that can trap even the most well-intentioned social impact organizations, including:• Relying on wishful thinking instead of hard facts• Letting processes become more important than outcomes • Falling into dogmatic, crusade-like thinking• Overvaluing passion at the expense of skills when hiringThese traps can slowly erode your effectiveness and relevance without you even real...
2024-10-29
22 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Why Social Impact Brands Under Invest in Brand and Marketing
Social impact orgs aren’t known for being great at branding and marketing.But it's NOT just about limited resources — there's a deeper story here.There’s some big obstacles in the way, like:→ The "overhead myth" that just won't die (KILL IT WITH FIRE)→ A false dichotomy between choosing to invest in fundraising OR marketing (you need both)→ The "scrappiness fallacy" worn as a badge of honor (you don’t look more “authentic” because your brand sucks, sorry!)→ Challenges connecting the ROI to the mission (not always easy!)...
2024-10-08
19 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Cosmetic vs. Strategic Branding
Branding is about far more than just slick, eye-catching aesthetics.What truly transforms an organization is a brand built on vision and strategy. Without a clear strategy, positioning, and messaging, the aesthetic elements like logos, fonts, and colors won’t do anything to create lasting impact.Branding goes beyond visuals. It’s about aligning every aspect of the organization with its purpose, values, and audience.A successful rebrand requires more than just a great logo—it demands a strategic mix of:→ Brand Strategy→ Positioning and differentiation→ Messaging→ And, of course, the...
2024-10-01
23 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
How to Get Your Social Impact Flywheel Turning
Do you ever feel like you’re just STUCK?Like no matter what you try or how hard you work you just can’t seem to get traction?We’ve all been there before, and it’s NOT a fun space to be in. Here’s the thing: there are going to be sticking points in your social impact journey. That’s pretty much guaranteed. What worked on day 1 — or year 1 — won’t necessarily work for year 3, or year 5. What worked when you were brand new and had a $500k annual operating bud...
2024-09-24
26 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Are You Using Your Power or Giving it Away?
Far too many social impact orgs are giving their power away — and they don’t even know they’re doing it. There’s a fundamental tension in the social impact space. A tension between the generosity that powers this sector and the need for social impact brands to leverage their power so they can make a true impact. But when this healthy tension strays out of balance — in either direction — the results can be disastrous. Relying solely on the generosity of your supporters leads to the common “hat in hand” position that leaves many inc...
2024-09-17
21 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Core Values That Actually Work
Core brand values aren’t just fluffy words you put on posters. But without the right approach, that’s all they’ll ever be. Core brand values — when done right — can be absolutely transformative for your organization’s culture, effectiveness, and impact. But you can’t just come up with 5 words that all start with the letter “R” and call it a day. So how do you create core values for your brand that ACTUALLY make a meaningful impact for your team? Jonathan and Eric have some ideas — and some things to watch out...
2024-09-10
16 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Core Values That Actually Work
Core brand values aren’t just fluffy words you put on posters. But without the right approach, that’s all they’ll ever be. Core brand values — when done right — can be absolutely transformative for your organization’s culture, effectiveness, and impact. But you can’t just come up with 5 words that all start with the letter “R” and call it a day. So how do you create core values for your brand that ACTUALLY make a meaningful impact for your team? Jonathan and Eric have some ideas — and some things to watch out...
2024-09-10
35 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
What Makes a Great Social Impact Marketing Team?
What makes an EXCEPTIONAL social impact marketing team?Often, when we get this question from clients, they are trying to determine what ROLES to hire for. But that’s putting the cart before the horse. Instead, it’s best to think about the QUALITIES and CULTURE of a successful marketing philosophy for your brand. Because you can build a highly-skilled marketing team and still totally flop if:↳ You don’t have vision as a brand↳ You don’t let them create BOLD, scroll-stopping content↳ You micro-manage and add arduous approval processes...
2024-09-03
35 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
A HUGE Designing Tomorrow Update
In this bonus episode, we're kicking off Season 2 with a new co-host, Jonathan Hicken.Learn about Jonathan’s path to social impact, from being raised by peace corps parents in Venezuela to his current role as Executive Director at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, a marine science museum. You can also learn a bit more about Eric's journey from design school dropout to accidental entrepreneur and what sparked his decision to focus his work at Cosmic fiercely on social impact. Jonathan and Eric cover a lot of ground in this season, and we can’...
2024-08-06
10 min
Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Designing Tomorrow — Season 2 Trailer
We’re back with Season 2 of Designing Tomorrow, and we’ve got an exciting update. This season, we’re joined by our new cohost, Jonathan Hicken. Jonathan has extensive experience as a leader in the social impact sector, and brings a practitioner’s point of view to the show as he tests Eric’s ideas about brand building and marketing, and introduces ideas of his own. This season, we’ll continue to explore the question that frames our show: “Why do some social impact organizations thrive, while so many others fail to get traction and reach their true...
2024-08-06
01 min
Silicon Curtain
418. Robert Hicken - GPNow CrisisCare is an Essential Service Helping Ukrainian Families in 5 Continents.
Ukrainian CrisisCare Telehealth Service "It's infinitely easier to take a life, than save a life” --------- ABOUT GPNOW UKRAINE GPNow Ukrainian CrisisCare is helping Ukrainian families in 5 continents - Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South America and Europe. Today, we hear from Robert Hicken – President of the PII Foundation who will provide an update on their GPNow Ukrainian CrisisCare “hospital in the cloud” Telehealth Service which provides free medical advice, comfort and care for thousands of Ukrainian citizens to provide FREE medical advice, comfort care for thousands of Ukrainian families in Ukraine (including occupied territory), across Europe & around the world. T...
2024-05-20
31 min
Silicon Curtain
272. Robert Hicken - “Hospital in the Cloud” Service Provides Free Medical Advice for 1000s of Ukrainians
Ukrainian CrisisCare Telehealth Service "It's infinitely easier to take a life, than save a life” --------- ABOUT GPNOW UKRAINE Today, we hear from Robert Hicken – President of the PII Foundation who will provide an update on their GPNow Ukrainian CrisisCare “hospital in the cloud” Telehealth Service which provides free medical advice, comfort and care for thousands of Ukrainian citizens to provide FREE medical advice, comfort care for thousands of Ukrainian families in Ukraine (including occupied territory), across Europe & around the world. Together with John Spiteri & Kirsty Macaulay who are about to release a song “Party-Z” to raise awareness and funding to s...
2023-10-25
49 min