Leadership Cafe

About Leadership Cafe

Leadership Cafe Podcast is where marketing leaders in nonprofits, rural health, and small businesses gather to brew bold ideas and roast the competition. Hosted by Marketing Strategist and CEO, Sally Mildren, this show delivers bite-sized strategies, candid conversations, and industry insights for leading with confidence and making real impact. Whether you’re a solo marketer or part of a small team, pull up a chair…your community is here.

Publisher

The Leadership Cafe

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Aug 2025

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Building Trust With Stakeholders Before You Need Them

   There's a version of stakeholder engagement that is just a bunch of schmoozing and wasted spend. And then there's what Bradley Harris does. Bradley has spent more than 13 years operating behind the curtain in some of the most complex, regulated, and high-stakes environments: utilities, healthcare, economic development, nonprofits, and government. He has been in the boardroom when multimillion dollar decisions got made in minutes. He has handed talking points to heads of state. He has managed relationships between organizations that had no business working together, and made it work anyway. And his philosophy is simple: listen first, meet people where they are, and build the relationships you need before you ever need them. In this episode of the Leadership Cafe Podcast, Bradley unpacks what stakeholder engagement looks like in action, why it is more critical now than ever for nonprofit and healthcare organizations, and some simple tactics that small and solo teams can use to build trust, influence, and buy-in with the people who matter most to their mission. Episode Highlights: The difference between your audience and your stakeholders. Why you should never spend a single dollar on marketing or stakeholder engagement until you know your vision, your mission, and your positioning. Low-budget stakeholder engagement tactics any small or solo team can implement. Why most strategic plans gather dust and why the most impactful thing a leader can do is stop brainstorming new ones and start executing the one already sitting on the shelf. About our guest: Bradley Harris is the founder of Bradley Harris Strategic Advisory, where he helps executives and organizations navigate complex stakeholder environments, build trust, and turn strategy into action. With more than 13 years of experience across utilities, healthcare, economic development, and nonprofits, Bradley has spent his career operating behind the scenes in some of the most high-stakes decision-making environments in West Virginia and beyond. He currently serves as president of the largest medical school foundation in West Virginia and is a passionate advocate for lifting the next generation of leaders. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Bradley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-harris-a4649360/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-harris-a4649360/) Bradley Harris Strategic Advisory: thebradleyharris.com (http://thebradleyharris.com) Commonwell Marketing: https://commonwellmarketing.com/ (https://commonwellmarketing.com/) The Leadership Cafe:  https://theleadershipcafe.com/ (https://theleadershipcafe.com/)

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   The Neuroscience of Marketing - Part 1

   You have two to eight seconds. That's it. Before you lose your audience to something else. Unless you tap into what makes them look at, choose, and trust you. In this solo episode of the Leadership Cafe Podcast, Sally Mildren — CEO of Commonwell Marketing and host of this podcast — breaks down the neuroscience behind why nonprofit and healthcare marketing can fall flat, and what to do instead. Let’s talk about why your impressions are up but your donations aren't, why your emails are getting opened but nobody is clicking, or why your message feels clear to you but seems to disappear into the noise. Get ready to dive into the science-backed proof about how the brain actually processes information and how to use that to create marketing that gets through, builds trust and converts. Episode Highlights: We are wired to feel before we think, which means leading with data, facts, and mission statements is working directly against how the human brain makes decisions. The neuroscience behind why one size fits all messaging isn’t effective. Impressions and clicks mean nothing without conversion, and the path to conversion runs straight through trust and authenticity. Marketing that makes your audience feel genuinely seen before you ask them for anything. About our guest: Sally Mildren is the CEO and founder of Commonwell Marketing and the host of the Leadership Cafe Podcast and online community (The Leadership Cafe). With decades of experience in healthcare and nonprofit marketing, Sally brings a rare combination of strategic depth, neuroscience-informed thinking, and genuine heart to every conversation. She created the Leadership Cafe to give nonprofit, rural health, and small business marketers a safe (and free!) space to learn, connect, and grow. This is her first solo episode, and it won't be her last. Resources Mentioned: Commonwell Marketing: https://commonwellmarketing.com/ (https://commonwellmarketing.com/) The Leadership Cafe:  https://theleadershipcafe.com/ (https://theleadershipcafe.com/) Listen to the Leadership Cafe Podcast on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

3. 

   2 Sept 2026

   When Work Becomes Your Identity - Facing Transitions and Dealing With Burnout

   Many of us let what we do become who we are. And most of us don't slow down and recognize that until something forces us to. For Bitsy Hamilton, that something was a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2017. It took her out of the classroom she loved, redirected her future, and ultimately led her to where she is now. A full-time life coach specializing in change management and transitions, Bitsy helps people do the thing that is genuinely hard for most of us… figure out who we are when the identity we built our life around shifts or disappears entirely. In this episode of the Leadership Cafe Podcast, we enjoyed an honest and practical conversation about burnout, identity, transition, and what it actually looks like to find yourself again on the other side of a major life change. We cover it all, right down to the simple every day practices that can help you re-align and get back to yourself. So nonprofit leaders running on fumes, healthcare workers who care for everyone but themselves, and solo marketers wearing twelve hats… if any of that resonates, this episode is for you. Episode Highlights: The common foundations of life change and transition How our professional identity becomes enmeshed with who we are, and why that makes layoffs, career shifts, and retirement so much harder than just losing a job The framework Bitsy uses to help individuals and organizations move through change Burnout prevention strategies Misguided advice for stressed leaders and how to avoid it About our guest: Bitsy Hamilton is a certified life coach, speaker, and author of the book, OwnIt, specializing in change management, life transitions, and burnout prevention. After a career in education and advising, a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2017 redirected her path entirely, and she officially launched her full-time coaching practice in 2022. Bitsy works with both individuals and organizations, helping people navigate the uncertainty that comes with major transitions, reconnecting with their identity beyond their job title, and building a life and leadership practice that is sustainable, authentic, and theirs. She blends nature-based coaching methods with her proprietary OwnIt Framework to meet clients exactly where they are. Resources Mentioned: OwnIt by Bitsy Hamilton: https://www.amazon.com/Own-Confidence-Clarity-Unshakable-Self-Trust/dp/1971949280 (https://www.amazon.com/Own-Confidence-Clarity-Unshakable-Self-Trust/dp/1971949280) Bitsy's website and coaching services: https://www.coachbitsy.com/ (https://www.coachbitsy.com/) Connect with Bitsy on Instagram: @coachbitsy Love and Work by Marcus Buckingham: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Work-Find-What-Rest/dp/1647821231 (https://www.amazon.com/Love-Work-Find-What-Rest/dp/1647821231) (referenced by Sally around red thread activities and burnout prevention) The Leadership Cafe:  https://theleadershipcafe.com/ (https://theleadershipcafe.com/) Listen to the Leadership Cafe Podcast on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

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Apple Podcasts (US)

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.