Contagious Culture

What do people trust about you after you leave the room? In this episode, Kyle King sits down with Francesca Zampaglione, a former Deloitte executive, CPA, keynote speaker, and creator of The ACT Method™, to talk about executive presence as an everyday practice. Francesca shares how a high school guidance counselor’s doubt fueled her belief in herself, and how the professors who believed in her before she believed in herself changed her direction. She breaks down her framework for showing up with confidence and explains why presence, composure, and trust matter more than ever in the age of AI. In this episode: How one person’s belief, or doubt, can change your direction The ACT Method: Appearance, Composure, and Trust Why executive presence is an everyday practice, not a switch you flip Staying composed under pressure, from the boardroom to an ice bath What AI can’t bring into the room for you One thing you can do this week to strengthen your presence About Francesca: Francesca Zampaglione helps leaders strengthen their executive presence so they can communicate with confidence, build trust, and lead with greater impact. A first-generation college graduate and CPA, she is a former Deloitte executive, an Executive in Residence at Widener University’s School of Business Administration, and the creator of The ACT Method™ and The Stress Shield™. Connect with Francesca This week’s challenge: Think of the person whose belief changed your direction, and reach out to thank them this week. Then go be that person for someone else. - Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King

If your board were a vehicle, which one would it be? Full tank but no driver? Stuck in park because nobody wants to talk about money? Or ready to roll? In this episode, Kyle shares the board development training he leads with nonprofit boards. It's built on one big idea: you are not just a fundraiser. You'll learn the four roles every board member plays, the 5 T's of philanthropy, and a simple plan for activating your network in the next 30 days. In this episode: The board vehicle check: where your board is now, and where you want it in 90 days "Be selfish": why knowing what you get from the mission makes you a better board member Four roles beyond fundraising: expand visibility, open doors, strengthen strategy, and protect the mission The 5 T's of philanthropy: Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties, and Testimony The "share with 10 people" exercise How boards move together: direct communication, shared ownership, and consistent engagement Your next three to five steps this month Timestamps: 0:00 If your board were a vehicle 3:00 Why are you here? 6:00 The three pillars 8:00 You are not just a fundraiser 12:00 The 5 T's of philanthropy 17:30 Identify and share with 10 people 21:00 How we move together 25:00 Your next three to five steps 28:00 Closing commitment Episode History:  0:00 Cold open 1:00 Why I'm doing this out loud 4:00 Why subtraction comes first 8:00 The three things I'm leaving in Q3 16:00 What I'm making room for 18:00 Cultural clutter for teams and organizations 22:30 How to let go without guilt 25:30 Guided reflection: your two columns 28:30 Challenge and close - Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King

Most nonprofits pour everything into getting new donors in the door, then quietly lose them out the back. In this episode, Kyle breaks down a complete Partner Journey strategy for turning one-time donors into lifelong partners. He covers the five-rung Relationship Ladder, the four pillars every touchpoint should hit, a 12-month calendar with only two asks in it, and how to set the whole system up in your CRM. If you raise money, lead a nonprofit, or sit on a board, grab a notebook. In this episode: Why retention is the growth strategy nobody talks about The shift from "donor stewardship" to a partner journey The Relationship Ladder: Visitor, New Friend, Returning Supporter, Committed Partner, Mission Champion The Four Pillars: gratitude, belonging, invitation, and impact A 12-month donor journey you can copy Tiered stewardship, relationship owners, and the "upgrade engine" A four-touch plan to win back lapsed donors Timestamps: 0:00 The leaky bucket 3:30 From stewardship to partner journey 6:00 The Relationship Ladder 9:30 The Four Pillars 13:00 The 12-month journey 17:00 Tiered stewardship and relationship owners 20:30 Building it in your CRM 24:00 The upgrade engine, lapsed donors, and storytelling 27:00 The 30-60-90 roadmap and your challenge Episode History:  0:00 Cold open 1:00 Why I'm doing this out loud 4:00 Why subtraction comes first 8:00 The three things I'm leaving in Q3 16:00 What I'm making room for 18:00 Cultural clutter for teams and organizations 22:30 How to let go without guilt 25:30 Guided reflection: your two columns 28:30 Challenge and close - Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King

Data informs and logic convinces, but story moves people to act. In this episode, Kyle breaks down what a story actually is (and what it isn't), the three parts every powerful story needs, and the PACT framework for shaping one in minutes. You'll hear a before-and-after example, the five story types every nonprofit needs, and the seven mistakes that quietly kill connection. Then he shows you how to build a story bank so you never walk into a donor meeting empty-handed. In this episode: What a story is: a person at the center, a tension in the middle, and a resolution that invites someone in Why an annual report, a program list, or a mission statement isn't a story The PACT framework: Person, Action, Conflict, Transformation The hook, the bridge, and the ask, or how to earn attention in seven seconds Five story types: Origin, Impact, Crisis, Community, and Future Seven story mistakes and how to fix them Where to use your story, from email appeals to board meetings How to build a story bank your whole team feeds Timestamps: 0:00 Why story moves people 3:00 What a story is, and what it isn't 6:00 The anatomy of a story 9:00 The PACT framework 13:00 Before and after: a report vs. a story 16:00 Capturing an audience: hook, bridge, ask 19:00 Five story types every nonprofit needs 22:30 Seven story mistakes 25:30 Building your story bank 28:00 Your challenge Episode History:  0:00 Cold open 1:00 Why I'm doing this out loud 4:00 Why subtraction comes first 8:00 The three things I'm leaving in Q3 16:00 What I'm making room for 18:00 Cultural clutter for teams and organizations 22:30 How to let go without guilt 25:30 Guided reflection: your two columns 28:30 Challenge and close - Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King  

Homelessness is a circumstance, not an identity. In this episode, Kyle King sits down with Jessica Lefkowitz, Founder and Executive Director of Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition, and Dr. KT Harcourt-Medina, the organization’s Director of Impact and Development, to talk about ending unsheltered homelessness through street outreach, data, and dignity. Jessica shares why she founded the organization in 2020 and what it means to address homelessness with ethical urgency. KT explains how she turns impact data into stories that move funders and community partners. Together, they talk about supporting outreach staff, breaking down misconceptions, and how Charlotte can come together to help more neighbors find permanent housing. In this episode: Why street outreach and Housing First go hand in hand What “ethical urgency” means in the fight to end homelessness How Hearts for the Invisible served 755 people and helped achieve 198 permanent housing placements in 2025 Using data and storytelling to show nonprofit impact Supporting front-line staff and preventing burnout Misconceptions about people experiencing homelessness Another Day in Paradise, an evening of storytelling and impact on November 14 About Jessica: Jessica Lefkowitz founded Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition in 2020 and has grown it into Mecklenburg County’s lead housing-focused street outreach agency. She has served as board chair of the Mecklenburg County Continuum of Care and was recently selected for the 11th edition of Who’s Who in Black Charlotte. About KT: Dr. KT Harcourt-Medina is Director of Impact and Development at Hearts for the Invisible, with more than 15 years of experience in applied research, data, and program evaluation. She previously led evaluation of Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s A Home For All strategy at United Way of Greater Charlotte and served as an associate professor at East Carolina University. Connect: Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition Email: [email protected] Another Day in Paradise, November 14, Independent Picture House, Charlotte This week’s challenge: The next time you see an unhoused neighbor, see the person first. A kind word, eye contact, or a cold bottle of water can remind someone they still matter. - Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts 📞 Schedule Your Call Here 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King