Executive Thought Partner

#7 Guest Episode | Building the Leaders Who Build the Campus Ft. Dr. Kevin Sanders

Send us Fan Mail After two decades as a faculty member and senior higher ed leader, Dr. Kevin Sanders launched Cornerstone Leadership Group in 2023 with one mission: bui

#6 Guest Episode | Being Desirable Is More Than Being Interesting: The 3 Hidden Brand Gaps Killing Nonprofit Growth Ft. Gianni Masciopinto

Send us Fan Mail What if your nonprofit's biggest branding problem isn't your logo, your colors, or your tagline — but something no one on your team has actual

#9 Guest Episode | From 10-Year Idea to 2,400 Subscribers: Ft. Ben Dungan on Hello Gaston

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Executive Thought Partner Podcast, Dr. Dan Freeman sits down with Ben Dungan, founder of Hello Gaston, a hyperlocal newsletter se

#5 Guest Episode | Compromised Every 31 Seconds: What Nonprofits Get Wrong About Cybersecurity Ft. Trey Tucker

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits assume they're too small to matter to hackers — and that assumption is exactly what makes them a target.  In this episode of the E

#13 | The View From the Back Row

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 13, Dan explores what it means to lead when you're not the one at the front of the room. Drawing on an experience early in his fundraisi

#4 Guest Episode | From Pipelines to People: Rethinking the Language of Fundraising Ft. Mark Dobosz

Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest barrier to better donor relationships isn't strategy, but the words fundraisers use every day?  In this episode, Daniel is joi

#12 | Radical Authenticity Beats Out the Competition Everytime

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Executive Thought Partner Podcast, Dan shares a pivotal early-career moment: being the youngest, least senior person in an execut

#3 Guest Episode | Stop Winging Your Events: Branding, Marketing & Mission Alignment for Nonprofits Ft. Hailey Jerome

Send us Fan Mail Many nonprofits pour time and money into events without ever stopping to ask whether they're the right events in the first place. In this episode o

#2 Guest Episode | Riding the Wave: Leading Through a Sudden Surge in Donor Support Ft. Ron Sykes

Send us Fan Mail If you're reading this and you're in the higher ed, collegiate athletics, or general nonprofit field, I'd love for you to take my survey.

#1 Guest Episode | Become the unique selling point of your whole world ft. Nicola Adkin

Send us Fan Mail If you're reading this and you're in the higher ed, collegiate athletics, or general nonprofit field, I'd love for you to take my survey.

#11 | How To Lead From Where You Are

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Dan Freeman draws a sharp line between two types of leadership that look similar on the surface but produce very different results:

#10 | Naming the Three Misalignments in Leadership

Send us Fan Mail Most leadership dysfunction isn't a people problem — it's a misalignment problem. In this episode, Dr. Dan Freeman introduces the Three Misali

#9 | You Can't Lead What You Can't See: Getting Off the Stage and Into the Balcony

Send us Fan Mail Most leaders aren't running their organizations — they're performing in them. In this episode of The Executive Thought Partner Podcast, Dan Fr

#8 | Carrying It Alone: The Weight Every Leader Feels

Send us Fan Mail Leadership is heavy — and most leaders are carrying that weight in silence. In this episode of The Executive Thought Partner Podcast, Dan Freeman gets h

#7 | If you put yourself out there, you'll be successful, right?

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dan Freeman reflects on a spontaneous evening at UNC Charlotte's 49-Minute Pitch Competition — an event he almost didn't atte

#6 | The Numbers Don't Lie — But Your Leadership Might

Send us Fan Mail What happens when an employee nearly doubles their fundraising goal in under eight months — and still gets reprimanded? In this episode, Dan Freeman dig

#5 | Advocacy Is More Than Speaking Up

Send us Fan Mail Advocacy is often treated like a public role, but the deepest forms of advocacy happen long before anyone sees them. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Freeman

#4 | Speed Is Overrated

Send us Fan Mail In leadership, speed is often praised, but speed without clarity can create damage that takes months or years to undo. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Freem

#3 | Stop Confusing Discernment With Decision Making

Send us Fan Mail Not every decision carries the same weight, and not every moment requires the same kind of clarity. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Freeman draws an importa

#2 | Selling Is Not About You

Send us Fan Mail Selling is often misunderstood, especially by leaders who care deeply about mission, service, and impact. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Freeman breaks dow