We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits 541. Real Talk: How to Build Authentic Relationships with your Donors and Team + The Story of Thoughtful Human - Maya Enista Smith
Meet Maya. She’s a kindness champion, mental health advocate, and thoughtful human, and she’s obsessed with thank you cards💌She’s the president of Thoughtful Human, an eco-friendly greeting card company. These unique cards, founded by Ali O'Grady in 2017, plant seeds of empathy, offering genuine support during life's toughest moments. Tune in as we discuss the power of small acts of human connection and the ripple effect they create🫶
💡 Learn
- The overwhelm humans are experiencing + what we can do about it
- Thoughtful Human’s story
- Building Authentic Relationships
Today’s Guest
Maya Smith, President, Thoughtful Human
Episode Highlights
- Maya’s story and journey to where she is today (4:55)
- The overwhelm humans are experiencing and the role of hope as an antidote (8:30)
- Thoughtful Human’s origin story (14:50)
- The impact and ripple of Thoughtful Human cards (19:15)
- Becky’s story of the impact of sending handwritten cards to donors year after year (23:15)
- Maya’s experience creating cards (28:00)
- Authentic relationships, empathy and stewardship in nonprofit work (32:45)
- The duality of human emotions and experiences (37:00)
- A powerful moment of philanthropy in Maya’s life (41:30)
- Maya’s One Good Thing: If you're thinking of someone, tell them immediately. + Take more naps. (51:20)
- How to connect with Thoughtful Human and Maya (55:37)
📅 Don't Miss These Free Upcoming Events! 👇
APRIL 29: Working Session Live: Forecast Your Monthly Giving Growth in 2026 with Dana Snyder (and the pathways to get you there!)
MAY 14: ImpactUp: Story This quarter, we're going deep on your most powerful (and underused) tool - Story. Local meetups happening worldwide. Find one near you.
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