Is your organization stuck in its ways, or evolving with purpose?

In this special Season 6 finale of the Purpose & Profit Podcast, co-hosts ⁠⁠Dave Raley⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Carly Berna⁠⁠ return to the mic — just the two of them — for a deep, candid conversation about one of the most important (and misunderstood) dynamics in any mission-driven organization: the difference between your mission and your model.

Whether you're leading a nonprofit, scaling a startup, or rethinking your business strategy, this episode is a must-listen. Dave and Carly unpack why confusing your mission with your model can lead to stagnation, and how the most innovative leaders learn to pivot without losing purpose.

Key Topics Include:

• Mission vs. Model: Why your mission should be timeless, while your model must evolve. Using examples like Subway, Krispy Kreme, and Apple, the hosts explore how outdated models can undermine even the best intentions.

• The S-Curve of Innovation: Dave explains the S-curve lifecycle and how organizations must continually create new curves to avoid decline, and ultimately, irrelevance.

• Blockbuster’s Big Miss (and Other Cautionary Tales): What leaders can learn from once-dominant brands that failed to adapt, and why even beloved nonprofit models may be overdue for reinvention.

• Barriers to Change: From founders clinging to “what used to work” to sacred cows and organizational blind spots, they reveal the most common reasons leaders resist necessary change.

• How to Know When It’s Time to Shift: It’s not just about revenue decline. Learn the key internal and external signals that it's time to rethink your model before it's too late.

• Practical Innovation Frameworks: Dave shares a four-step method — Identify, Prototype, Launch, Scale — to help organizations test and implement new models with confidence.
  

This is a powerful conversation for leaders who want to future-proof their mission and spark new growth. Don’t miss it!

Discover more at purposeandprofitpodcast.com/podcast.

And stay tuned for Season 7, coming soon with something new: video! We’re adding a visual layer to the podcast, so you'll be able to watch conversations with guests on YouTube. We can’t wait to share what’s coming next!

Purpose & Profit Podcast is brought to you by:

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⁠⁠⁠FAITHSEARCH PARTNERS⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠IMAGO CONSULTING⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠AVID AI⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠DICKERSONBAKKER⁠⁠⁠

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Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

What if the key to nonprofit success isn’t just more funding, but better systems, leadership, and innovation?

In this episode, hosts Dave Raley and Carly Berna sit down with Dan Bentley, Managing Director of Impacto Consulting and host of the Innovate for Impact podcast.

Dan’s work helps nonprofits break free from “survival mode” and become high-performing, impact-driven organizations. Drawing from both his for-profit background and nearly a decade of consulting in the social sector, Dan shares practical strategies for building resilient, innovative, and empowered teams, especially in the face of limited resources.

Together with Dave and Carly, Dan outlines the critical mindset shifts and organizational changes required to create meaningful, scalable impact.

Key Topics They Cover:

• What “survival mode” looks like in nonprofit organizations,and how to break out of it

• Why resource constraints actually fuel innovation in the nonprofit sector

• The four pillars of innovative organizations:

• 1. Ambition Focused

  2. Creative Leadership

  3. Client Centricity

  4. Empowered People

• Why “Empowered People” is often the weakest link, and what to do about it

• Lessons nonprofits can teach the for-profit world about adaptability, systems, and solving real-world problems

• The power of systematized innovation and frontline empowerment, with examples from organizations like the Starlight Children’s Foundation

• Dan’s personal journey – from corporate insurance to international travel to founding Impacto Consulting

Plus, don’t miss the lightning round, where Dan shares the most random item on his bucket list, his surprising past in Australian hip hop, and the one cause he’d donate a million dollars to.

Purpose & Profit Podcast is brought to you by:

⁠⁠VIRTUOUS⁠⁠

⁠⁠FAITHSEARCH PARTNERS⁠⁠

⁠⁠IMAGO CONSULTING⁠⁠

⁠⁠AVID AI⁠⁠

⁠⁠DICKERSONBAKKER⁠⁠

⁠⁠SHARE⁠⁠

⁠⁠SYNERGY⁠⁠

Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

What does it take to tell stories that truly move people and move them to action?

In an era flooded with misinformation and short attention spans, how do brands and causes break through the noise with truth, authenticity, and impact? In this episode of Purpose & Profit Podcast, we explore those questions and more with a journalist who’s spent her life on the front lines of global storytelling.

Dave Raley and Carly Berna welcome to the show award-winning journalist and host of Big [If True], Molly Thomas. Known for her fearless reporting on humanitarian crises and her drive to expose disinformation, Molly brings deep wisdom on what it means to tell authentic stories that resonate across cultures, causes, and contexts.

From refugee camps to misinformation rabbit holes, Molly shares her experiences bringing attention to stories the world too often forgets. This conversation is a masterclass in how brands and causes can build trust, communicate with emotional intelligence, and inspire action without manipulation.

Key Topics They Cover:

1. Purpose Over Trends: Why brands should align with causes that reflect their deepest convictions, not fleeting headlines.

2. Building Trust in an Age of Misinformation: Practical ways for organizations to maintain credibility and clarity.

3. Emotional Entry Points: How to help audiences connect personally to distant or difficult issues.

4. Spotting the Fake: Lessons from Big [If True] on navigating scams, hoaxes, and disinformation, and how this shapes public trust in brands and causes.

5. Discovering Your "Holy Discontent": How to identify the issue that keeps you up at night, and use it as a compass for impact.

6. The Role of Sensory Storytelling: Using sounds, smells, and context to craft immersive, relatable stories.

7. Empowering vs. Exploiting: How to avoid manipulative storytelling by highlighting agency and dignity.

8. Why Being Present Matters: The value of slowing down, observing deeply, and leaving room for unexpected human stories.

9. Repurposing Powerful Narratives: How to get long-term value from emotionally rich stories without overexposure.

10. Music & Messaging: How background music shapes emotional response, and the ethical weight that carries.

Purpose & Profit Podcast is brought to you by:

⁠VIRTUOUS⁠

⁠FAITHSEARCH PARTNERS⁠

⁠IMAGO CONSULTING⁠

⁠AVID AI⁠

⁠DICKERSONBAKKER⁠

⁠SHARE⁠

⁠SYNERGY⁠

Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.