Tania speaks with her one-on-one coaching client and friend, Kel Haney. You'll get a sense of how their work has developed over the past two years and continues to challenge and transform them both. They cover the issues surrounding Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility, how "bad ideas can't wait," approaching DEI with a "humans first" mentality, how white supremacy is rooted in all of us, and what we can do about it.

Listen to Lead 3.8: Kel Haney, Fundraising Expert, On "Ick" Free Asking

Kel helps me tackle my greatest fear: asking people for money. If you're challenged to ask in any way, this conversation's for you.

Follow and review Listen to Lead to help reach more connected leaders!

In this podcast episode, Jennifer chats with Kel Haney all about fundraising. Kel shares what led her from being a theater director in NYC to becoming a fundraising coach, consultant, and trainer. She gives insights on transforming the often uncomfortable process of fundraising into an opportunity for building meaningful relationships, emphasizing that anyone can fundraise successfully, even without a background in sales or fundraising, by passionately sharing what they love. Kel offers tools on navigating the complexities of fundraising, including handling rejection, building genuine connections, leading from abundance and finding a comfortable stretch, and embracing the power of storytelling. They discuss the importance of leading from vulnerability, curiosity, passion, and confidence.

Kel Haney has over 17 years of experience as a fundraiser, coach, and consultant.

She began her journey as a theater director, taking on fundraising calls as a means of supplementary income.

Over time, she transitioned into becoming a full-time Outbound Fundraising Expert.

The outcomes of thought leadership can feel a little abstract compared to other marketing methods. So, I’m bringing Kel Haney onto the podcast to share a case study of what can be possible in your impactful small business after building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn. Kel is an outbound fundraising expert who’s all about “Taking the Ick out of The Ask.” While she’s been in the fundraising field for 18 years, she’s now actively sharing her stories and building community to grow her personal brand and nonprofit coaching and consulting business. (And of course, for self-actualization and personal creative fulfillment, which we get into!) If growing YOUR visibility & influence on LinkedIn is a priority, I want you to bookmark this episode for any time you need a reminder that this work works, plus a behind-the-scenes look at HOW it works.

Asking for money can be intimidating. But if you are a non-profit or if you are an entrepreneur who needs funding for your business, asking for money is a necessity.

Asking for money can feel icky, but if you apply these strategies you will feel more confident and you may have more positive results.

"Our dream changes and that's okay." - Kel Haney

After spending twenty years as a theater director, Kel developed a fundraising methodology that’s based on how she led a rehearsal room: focusing on what makes each of us unique and engaging. In this conversation, she shared powerful and useful fundraising tips and why artists are great fundraisers.

Most often you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your response to it and what you make of your circumstances. So instead of waiting for life to happen, Kel and her husband made the decision to create a life for themselves that was more in flow.

This included leaving New York City, changing careers, and making more space for the things that she loves.

In this episode of The Life Design Podcast, Haney discusses what led to the decisions she made, how relationships should be a place of expansion, the value in finding calm within yourself, and why you should follow those things that fuel you.

How do you take the “ick” out of the ask? Kel shares her process leading outbound fundraising efforts for non-profit theatres.

In this episode are the usual segments: Name the Emotion, List of the Week, corresponding quotes, etc. I also have a guest--Kel Haney--who shares great insights on empowerment, including her own story of pivoting to a different career after the pandemic. Kel coaches individuals/organizations regarding fundraising. In this episode, you'll also learn how a little bit about "taking the ick out of the ask" in fundraising.

Kel empowers individuals with the knowledge that they already possess the most critical tools needed to be skilled fundraisers (empathy, candor, vulnerability, enthusiasm, and storytelling). Kel uses her skills acquired as an accomplished theater director and how she leads a rehearsal room,… as her fundraising methodology – Kel’s methodology - focus on what makes each person unique and engaging. The results: Kel has raised over $10 million dollars for various performing arts organizations and other business and nonprofit organizations.

Kel Haney, a senior consultant for fundraising, shares her journey from theatre director to fundraising – such a ride!

Some of the magic we covered:

- Fundraising tips & pitfalls

- Journey from theatre to fundraising

- Building relationships, not transactions

And so much more!

About the Interview: Kel says: I’m planning to share my thoughts on how to make a fundraising ask over the phone. I’ve developed a 4 step method that creates The Arc of the (Phone) Call. My methodology empowers fundraisers to have genuine, personalized, relationship-building interactions–all without a script.