Grant Writing 101: How to Forge Connections with Funders [Video]

Struggling to figure out how to gain traction as a nonprofit grant writer? Feeling like you’re lost in the shuffle and your efforts aren’t paying off? Burnout doesn’t have to be the norm. 🤯 Learn how the Organic Networking Framework can change the game for you as an in-house nonprofit grant writer. 🗝️ You’ll transform from feeling overlooked to being on the path to winning more grants and never having to doubt your impact again. 💡 Stick around to uncover the secrets to making your efforts count and truly excelling in your grant writing role. Curious how you can support as an in-house nonprofit grant writer? Here is a training on how to win more funding while writing less proposals:👉 https://www.learngrantwriting.org/nonprofit-grant-writer/More videos like this?➡️ 7 Grant Writing Tips For Nonprofit Organizations New to The Grant Scene & Looking to Win Funding👉 https://youtu.be/D77eU327jD0➡️ Funder Panel Discussion: The Full Scoop On Insider Advice For Writing Winning Grant Proposals 💯🙌👉 https://youtu.be/VYleuRGghYMSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnGrantWriting?sub_confirmation=1 Once upon a time, a grant writer unearthed a big problem: there were no options for learning to write grants in a modern, refreshing way. Existing options were “old school” and expensive.The idea? Create an online learning experience that makes grant writing approachable and fun.Learn Grant Writing was founded on the belief that our time should be spent adding real value to our communities and leading fulfilling lives.You’re in the right place if you want to…🔸 explore your curiosity🔸 change careers🔸 freelance grant write🔸 volunteer, or🔸 improve an existing skill.No sugar coating it! Grant writing is hard work. But, if it fits your personality and goals, it can be life changing. Getting professionally trained in grant writing can save you years of mistakes and lost grants, make you indispensable, and give you wonderful lifestyle flexibility. You can become a grant writing unicorn 🦄 faster than you might realize. Learn more: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/Subscribe for new weekly videos: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnGrantWriting?sub_confirmation=1 Watch this video about Grant Writing for Beginners: https://youtu.be/MBRrCwOuM00Learn the 7 Steps to Writing a Grant: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLdG9L-lMwx_iCIOdD4oKpTXjpivrLClp-Free Grant Writing Course: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/free-grant-writing-course/Write Grants. Get Paid: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/webinar-videos/discover-grant-writing/Let’s Connect…Website: https://www.learngrantwriting.org/Podcast: insert linkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/senecaworks/IG: https://www.instagram.com/learngrantwriting/FB: https://web.facebook.com/learngrantwriting.org/🧡 The Team at Learn Grant Writing00:00 Introduction01:03 Why You NEED To Build Relationships With Funders01:22 How Meredith Learned A Lesson the Hard Way02:08 Takeaways from Meredith’s Experience02:53 Learn the Organic Networking Framework03:12 STEP 1: Build a Contact List03:33 STEP 2: Reach out for Informational Interviews04:35 STEP 3: Take Action When There’s Opportunity04:54 STEP 4: Talk About Yourself Effectively05:06 Tangible Transformation Sentence (TTS)06:33 Powerful AI Tools in Store For You

Amplifying Impact: Grant Writing’s Role in the Life of an Executive Director, Abbigail Cool’s Story [Video]

📢 Tired of struggling to secure funding for your nonprofit organization? 🤔 We dive into the inspiring journey of Abigail Cool, an Executive Director who shares her journey of combining grant writing with her passion for helping others, and how it has transformed her organization’s impact. 💪 Executive Director’s wear a lot of hats. Interested in how you can find more balance in your role as an Executive Director? Check out this video on less chaos days: 👉 https://youtu.be/PU9hATSFnZwAbbigail Cool didn’t take the traditional path. She cared for her children, focused on family, and headed back to get her degree in 2022. After graduating, she felt called to give back. She landed her dream job as the Executive Director of a Women’s Respite Care Center after dabbling in grant writing with the Global Grant Writers Collective. Abbigail talks about the challenges of getting an organization “grant ready,” and how it’s not just about writing grants, but also about building relationships. You need to position your organization for success. 🤝 Finding her footing as an Executive Director for the first time, she shares the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive individuals to grow and learn. She now has the confidence to know her role and think creatively when securing funding. 💪 Abbigail also discusses the impact of grant funding on her organization, including the expansion of their services and the ability to help more women in need. 🌟 Abbigail has a unique perspective on grant funding being in the Executive Director position. She shares her top secrets to managing her responsibilities and securing funding:1️⃣ Start by educating yourself and building your tool belt of skills. 📚 2️⃣ Surround yourself with a supportive network of people who believe in you. 🤗 3️⃣ Focus on building relationships and positioning your organization for success. 🏢 4️⃣ Stay confident in your abilities and never stop learning. 💡 Interested in the secret sauce of getting more grant funding? Here is a free training on how to win more grants while writing less: 👉https://www.learngrantwriting.org/nonprofit-grant-writer/ 💥00:00 Intro03:47 Small organization transitions becoming an Executive Director08:39 Building relationships, and networking for success10:23 How to jump into a new role, transition careers12:30 It’s all about who you hang with15:59 Advocating for others18:45 Using past experiences to help others18:53 The Global Grant Writers Collective as empowerment19:56 Support and resources20:20 Rapid fire “get to know you” questions23:43 The collaboration and community effort needed to achieve the dream

Burned Out From A Government Job, 😩 Maria Transitioned To Grant Writing To Put Her Family First [Video]

Meet Maria Beotegui a grant writing unicorn who didn’t want to sacrifice her wellness and ♥️ her family’s quality of life for a paycheck. Maria left a well paying career with the federal government because she was burned out. A year later she reflects on motherhood, intentional work, and meeting financial barriers from a practical approach. 🌟Burned out from your career? Want to know if grant writing is a good fit for you? Take our career fit quiz here: ➡️ https://www.learngrantwriting.org/successful-grant-writer-quiz/Maria’s first love was connecting children to themselves through nature discovery and inquiry. She worked as an environmental educator for county parks, non-profits and the National Park Service. She worked tirelessly, nurturing partnerships, leveraging resources and managing grants. With dwindling budgets she was pushed to be more and more creative to meet not only program goals, but also the goals of numerous initiatives. Maria experienced first hand how chasing grants and bending to fit grant requirements lead to burnout. 😩 She left her career with the federal government to focus on her family and her own wellness during the pandemic. In that time, she went back to the drawing board to determine how she could put her professional skills to good use. After a lightbulb, “candy bar” conversation, she realized her expert project management, creative problem solving and thoughtful writing skills could serve the greater good, as a grant writer. 👏 Maria shares how she’s taking the journey one day at a time focusing on work that lights her up and supports her family. ⭐ She speaks on the practical approach of “backing in” to the financial needs of her family to set realistic goals with her consulting business (Lantern Strategy). 💡 She now measures success through connection and wellness instead of financial gain. Want to explore a career in grant writing? Start with a training on how to create recession-proof opportunities without prior experience. Training here: ➡️ https://www.learngrantwriting.org/become-a-paid-grant-writer/Timestamp:02:00 What did success look like when you joined and how it’s changed.04:45 Aligning with your work goals with your financial goals and intentional visual reminders07:26 How to meet financial examples with consistent action10:50 How to come through challenges with eased, picking yourself up from the bumps13:16 Most proud of being able to not sacrifice my wellness and quality of life14:40 What has come from facing financial fears 18:20 Rapid fire get to know Maria

Ready, Set, AI: New tech & fall updates to help grant writers reach success faster! [Video]

Did you know a group of unicorns is a blessing? The blessing has spoken. When we asked grant writing members how they wanted us to allocate resources this year, their #1 vote was for “Money Makin’ Interventions.” So let’s pull back the curtain on new tech, strategies, and curriculum updates this fall. Ready to build a life you love through the grant writing profession? Join the Collective here: https://app.learngrantwriting.org/offers/dtzLVzwQ/checkoutYou’re here to learn. And you’re here to earn. 🔸 Make $15,000 freelancing alongside your full-time job and busy home life.🔸 Experienced? Scale to pay yourself double.🔸 Don’t want to freelance? We have a path for you too.We are obsessed with your success. Tech is only one piece of the equation to get you where you want to go faster. It takes a roadmap and we’ve updated ours.We cover: 🤖 Sneak peek at our build of new AI software🦄 Unicorn chat buddy (like a search function on steroids)🧠 3 mindset strategies (curious conversations, soul care, belief upgrades)💰 Updates on what to charge and how to contract💡 NEW Earn & Learn acceleratorHave questions about the Collective? Come have digital coffee with me here: https://forms.gle/pp98iJ4zKPb4ubW48Timestamp: 00:00 Intro00:30 Technology adoption curve04:15 Can AI help our members05:00 AI Copilot demo 06:30 Finding clients with AI (thinking differently about outreach)10:32 Informational interviews, Toolkit, and contracts14:45 Courtney’s story, getting up to speed with a new client (saving 5 hours)23:13 Key takeaways from AI24:15 What to charge and how to contract (cake pricing)29:05 3 keystone activities that make your goals a forgone conclusion30:20 Unicorn chat buddy (a search function to efficiently find answers to your questions)38:49 What is the Global Grant Writers Collective41:59 Are these themes keeping you on the fence?42:50 Our juicy guarantee48:00 Belief upgrades50:56 Wins from the Collective JUST today52:16 Bonuses if you join before 11/15/2355:50 Q & A

$hit or get off the pot 🍯 I will unsubscribe you! [Video]

Have you been lurking? 👀 I see you. You’ve done your homework, binged our spotlights and reviews, but you’re still on the fence thinking this won’t work for you. Sound familiar? Let’s get into the three questions you should be asking yourself if you’ve been lurking on the Collective! Ready to turn all your DIY learning from the outside into real action? Get your booty in the Collective by clicking here: 👉 https://app.learngrantwriting.org/offers/dtzLVzwQ/checkoutMy lurkers out there, you can likely relate to “Lucy’s” story. At first glance, Lucy was doing the right thing. She found a local mentor to apprentice under and was advised to volunteer to gain experience. The mentor told Lucy we were off our rockers promising you can get paid to find grants without prior experience. 🤦‍♀️ ​Just as I warn against,​ the volunteer gig was going nowhere. 18 months had passed and Lucy had only grown frustrated, without new experience and certainly no earnings.Fast forward, Lucy shows up to a group Q&A call in September, and it was déjà vu! Yep, Lucy had come to one of our group Q&A calls a YEAR AGO! Lucy had done her homework. 📚 She knew the ins and outs of the Global Grant Writers ​Collective​. Triple checked the reviews. Binged YouTube content. Showed up to live events. And yet was still on the fence. 🤺At that moment, I realized the issue…There was no other proof I could hand over that would change her beliefs that our method would work for her, because she had not yet addressed the limiting belief in herself that she could do it. We all have limiting beliefs. Yours truly included. 😉 That’s why you are supported on mindset upgrades throughout your time in the Collective, but I can’t help you from the outside. ⚠️ If YOU ARE lurking, I want you to do three things 👉 TODAY to decide if you’re all in or all out! ONE…Write down your limiting beliefs of why you think this won’t work for you. Straight up paper and pen your beliefs. ❌I don’t know what I’m doing. ❌ I can’t make $$$ doing this. ❌ I won’t find any clients. etc.) Then, write down an incrementally better belief for each. ✅ I can learn new skills. ✅ I have done hard things before. ✅ With a roadmap, I can make money doing mission-driven work.TWO…Ask yourself, who am I taking advice from? Only consider taking advice from people who are where you want to go! Seriously, the peanut gallery is opinionated. Find yourself a mentor that can actionable show you how to build a life you love because they’ve done it themselves. THREE…Calculate the cost of inaction. Lucy above, joined the Collective. In her first month, she made 💸 $3k. Yup. Multiple that by the 18 months she spent lurking and you have only a fraction of her cost of inaction. ⚡ You can’t afford to know what you don’t know. NOW…It’s time. Come out of the shadows, my friend. Let’s get this show on the road! Building a life you love takes action, not tire kicking.So are you all in or all out?For you magical unicorns all in, here’s the link to join the Collective: 👉 https://app.learngrantwriting.org/offers/dtzLVzwQ/checkoutTimestamps: 00:00 Intro00:27 Lurkers among us01:13 Meet Lucy who after 18 months of old school grant mentorship made no progress01:47 Doing your homework vs. limiting beliefs02:17 Why you believe this won’t work for you02:49 Take advice from those who are where you want to go03:24 Calculate the cost of inaction03:58 Our juicy guarantee for joining the program05:15 Get your booty in the Collective

15 Grants to Support Youth Football Near You [Video]

COMPLETE walk-through of 15 popular grants for youth football. Watch for bonus info on MORE grants for youth sports. Music and sound effects, via subscription to Epidemic Sound:Stadium Crowd 3, https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/AOALZWAjJg/Links mentioned in video(1) NFL Foundation grants (a) Player Matching Youth & High School Football Grants https://www.nflfoundation.org/applications/grant_programs/view/8 (b) Youth Football Camp Grants https://www.nflfoundation.org/applications/grant_programs/view/2 (c) NFL Club Community Grants https://www.nflfoundation.org/applications/grant_programs/view/4 (d) Nike Youth Football Grant https://www.nflfoundation.org/applications/grant_programs/view/19(2) USA Football grants, https://usafootball.com/resources-tools/commissioner/grants/(3) Good Sports Equipment Donation, https://www.goodsports.org/apply/(4) Dick’s Sporting Goods Sponsorships and Donations https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/s/marketing/sponsorships-and-donations (5) Retired Professional Football Players of Chicago, https://www.rpfpc.org/about-8Related Grant Chatter Videos5 Pro Tips to Submit a Grant Application Online, https://youtu.be/xLiKfOqlRCMTimeline00:00 Complete Guide to Popular Youth Football Grants00:19 NFL Grants Huddle07:43 USA Football Grants09:42 Good Sports Equipment Donation11:39 Dick’s Sporting Goods Grants13:56 Retired Professional Football Players of ChicagoSubscribe to Grant Chatter, to learn how to find grants, write grants, and win them! Thank you for watching. See you in the next video!

Whoops first recording had no audio! 🤦‍♀️ How about this? BIG NEWS! 🥁 Join me LIVE Nov 8th! [Video]

ChatGPT became mainstream in December of last year. We immediately wondered, “Can AI help our grant writers win work faster? Deliver better work? Write more winning grants?”Through lots of failed attempts 🎢 and a serendipitous encounter, we’re pleased to report – yup, we sure can!!!Grant writers, picture this: Less grind, more brainpower for research & strategy. No more burning the midnight oil! Inspired by AI’s game-changing efficiency in various fields, we leaned into curiosity.Join us for Ready, Set, AI: New Tech For Grant Writing Unicorns and level up your skills before the year’s end.Discover how our AI-Copilot:🚀 Supercharges your deliverables🌟 Crafts your funding roadmap📞 Generates contact lists for interviews📧 Whips up killer email copyBut wait, there’s more! 😉 I (Meredith) have been on a creative rollercoaster, transforming your curriculum for even faster success. Get the scoop on the autumn updates live.EVENT DETAILS:Nov 8th – 11 am PST/ 2 pm ESTGet registered here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registrationSEATS ARE LIMITED because we have this open to members of the Collective (600+ members deep). 🌟 This is your chance to unlock the ultimate grant-winning arsenal if you join in November! 🌟🤖 6 Months FREE of our AI Co-Pilot Software!💲 Instrumentl – Best Pricing from any Partner✨ From Pen To Polished: Learn To Write Well and Say What You Mean In Grant Applications – $750 value💰 Salary Negotiation Training from Emily Liou – $400 value🧠 Victoria Song’s Mindset Workshop on 11/10 – $400 valuePlus, be part of our FIRST Earn and Learn Cohort for onboarding and accountability – 30 days to MORE success! 🚀Party starts here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registration

Free Nov 8th? Join me to get the full scoop on what we’ve been quietly building for you! 🤫 [Video]

ChatGPT became mainstream in December of last year. We immediately wondered, “Can AI help our grant writers win work faster? Deliver better work? Write more winning grants?”Through lots of failed attempts 🎢 and a serendipitous encounter, we’re pleased to report – yup, we sure can!!!Grant writers, picture this: Less grind, more brainpower for research & strategy. No more burning the midnight oil! Inspired by AI’s game-changing efficiency in various fields, we leaned into curiosity.Join us for Ready, Set, AI: New Tech For Grant Writing Unicorns and level up your skills before the year’s end.Discover how our AI-Copilot:🚀 Supercharges your deliverables🌟 Crafts your funding roadmap📞 Generates contact lists for interviews📧 Whips up killer email copyBut wait, there’s more! 😉 I (Meredith) have been on a creative rollercoaster, transforming your curriculum for even faster success. Get the scoop on the autumn updates live.EVENT DETAILS:Nov 8th – 11 am PST/ 2 pm ESTGet registered here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registrationSEATS ARE LIMITED because we have this open to members of the Collective (600+ members deep). 🌟 This is your chance to unlock the ultimate grant-winning arsenal if you join in November! 🌟🤖 6 Months FREE of our AI Co-Pilot Software!💲 Instrumentl – Best Pricing from any Partner✨ From Pen To Polished: Learn To Write Well and Say What You Mean In Grant Applications – $750 value💰 Salary Negotiation Training from Emily Liou – $400 value🧠 Victoria Song’s Mindset Workshop on 11/10 – $400 valuePlus, be part of our FIRST Earn and Learn Cohort for onboarding and accountability – 30 days to MORE success! 🚀Party starts here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfu2hrD8pHtG9XFyo43akC_ithC-4jn_a#/registration

3 Ways to Conquer Appeal Writing Anxiety: Nonprofit Podcast Ep86 [Video]

Tweak your appeal letter writing with these three tips to create appeal letters that overwhelm your donors’ emotions and not your creativity! Cara shares 3 keys to unlocking powerful, personalized appeals that reach the hearts and minds of your donors. Tweak your year-end appeal letter writing with these three tips to create appeal letters that overwhelm your donors’ emotions and not your creativity!▶️Watch these videos to completely own fundraising appeal writing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=immAeYm-CXghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZQLXGmCqkchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcm7mJTE7pgDon’t forget that The Nonprofit Podcast, plus great tutorials, advice from industry experts, tips, and tricks, is available on the Donorbox YouTube channel, subscribe today and never miss an episode: https://tinyurl.com/2jfktatx00:00 Introduction0:50 Writer’s Block in appeal writing02:25 Tip One: Be a Friend03:58 Tip Two: Know your Donor Audience04:47 Tip Three: Make it easy for Donors to want to give07:16 Additional Resources08:34 Wrap-UpUse Cara’s promo code ‘PODCAST’ to sign up for the Donorbox Academy “30 Days to Your Year-End Campaign” Masterclass at 20% off here Donorbox Academy and banish appeal anxiety this Giving Season. Actionable resources from our Nonprofit Blog: 📔 5 Must-Dos for Engaging Fundraising Appeal Letters [+ Samples]https://tinyurl.com/43dmdxns📨 How to Devise the Perfect End-of-Year Appeal (Free Samples)https://tinyurl.com/hr72scaw🗓️ 2023 Giving Tuesday Calendar (Downloadable)https://tinyurl.com/mpsy33yuThe Nonprofit Podcast is available every Thursday on all your favorite podcast platforms:🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-important-podcast/id1483848924 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fj1bk0PHws7kn6CMwzhLQ 🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://thenonprofitpodcast.buzzsprout.com 🎙️ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3oppTeO Find out more at: https://donorbox.org/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=86 #TheNonprofitPodcast #TheNonprofitBlog #nonprofit #Donorbox #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday2023 #GivingSeason #FundraisingToolkit #SocialGood #Nonprofit #Charity #Donation #Volunteer #Impact #Gratitude #donationappealletter #nonprofitfundraising #year-end campaign #donorengagement #donationrequest #fundraisingtips #fundraisingletterexamples #donationappealtemplates

The Tonka-Truck Of Proposals 🚛 How To Edit Your Federal Grant Narrative To Score Higher Points [Video]

Federal grants are their own beasts! But if you follow the funding guidelines and with plenty of time, you can tackle 💪 federal grant writing. Meredith deconstructs a federal grant narrative in a coaching call to show you ways to score the highest points. Looking for coaching and mentorship as you write grants? Follow the link for training relevant to where you are on your grant writing journey (new / inhouse / experienced). https://www.learngrantwriting.org/Maria is a member of the Global Grant Writers Collective. As part of the Collective, we host 2x monthly coaching calls. During these live sessions members get 1:1 feedback from a professional grant writing coach. Maria brought a draft of her federal grant narrative. No easy task to compile and write. No easier task to edit. She had all the pieces and content (the most difficult part). The structure, however, needed a tune up. Meredith drops in some killer advice: ⭐ How to use the funding guidelines to calculate narrative length and points per section. ⭐ How to target key language for responses⭐ How to cut lengthy sentences (37 words) to be clear and direct (10 words)The federal grant narrative tear down is a sneak peak into what coaching looks like in our community. Interested in professional mentorship as a grant writer? Email us at info@senworks.org so we can send you personalized resources. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:25

Do You Have to Pay Grants Back? Sometimes, YES! [Video]

5 grant pro tips to keep all of your grant dollars! More at Grant Chatter, https://www.youtube.com/@grantchatter/featured. Send a SuperThanks! Link is under the video, near the Like button. Thank you for watching. See you in the next video! Chapters:00:00 Survey results on this question00:24 Pro Tip 1: Read the rules00:34 Pro Tip 2: How to spend grant money00:55 Bonus Pro Tip: If the unexpected happens01:15 Pro Tip 3: Reports are mandatory01:34 Pro Tip 4: Keep good records01:50 Pro Tip 5: The grant funder’s viewpointResources used in video:https://www.clowesfund.org/where-and-what for image of funders’ ruleshttps://pixabay.com/videos/subscribe-animation-like-animation-35433/ for “Subscribe” image

Spencer’s Dream To Become A Grant Writer: A Mindfulness Journey Balancing Complex PTSD [Video]

When Spencer joined the Collective, he’d been brewing a dream since 2013— to become a grant writer. As a technical writer, 📝 he saw the value in helping people find funding with a well-worded proposal. He wasn’t sure how to turn his trade into a career. Spencer joined the 🦄 Global Grant Writers Collective in 2022, hoping to manifest his long-time dream into his life. Spencer’s journey to becoming a grant writer was also navigating multiple priorities, health being a big one. After being diagnosed with Complex PTSD, Spencer had greater obstacles to bringing his dream to life. “One of the biggest hindrances to achieving your dreams when you have mental health issues are (the fears) ‘I’m too overwhelmed’ or ‘I’m too depressed.’ But mindfulness gives you the space to step from all that.” Spencer instead sought help, connected with others, and prioritized self-care with grace. ♥️ Spencer brings a whole new level of what self-care looks like to the Collective community, being an advocate for those in the community who want to achieve their goals. “Some people want to make self-care all glitter and rainbows and feel good, but sometimes self-care does not feel good. Sometimes the best things you can do for yourself feels like crap in the short term… but the work is worth it for the long-term effect.” Spencer shares that to balance mental health & grant writing, you should find a daily mindfulness practice you can lean into (meditation or intentional breathing) and prioritize connection to have support (maybe seeing a therapist to work through baggage for better social skills). “Those two things in combination can empower just about anyone!” Spencer has grounded himself in doing the work. 💪 He worked through the steps to setting up a business–relationship building, branding, creating a website–and even found a unique way to reach clients. A way more suitable to his personal mental health goals for connecting with others. Spencer put a slit twist on how the Global Grant Writers Collective teaches Information Interviews to reach new clients. Instead of cold emailing, Spencer wanted to explore good old-fashioned cold calls. ☎️ The personal nature of a phone call, a different approach to connecting, has led to crazy amounts of success, he says. Leaning into this new reality of success, he says, is vindicating. “It’s very surreal… things can happen if you just keep trying. If you keep pushing forward, things can happen if you keep trying and believe in yourself.” Spencer continues to grow his consulting business and connect mindfully with the Collective community. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:25 The dream of becoming a grant writer 02:18 What does success look like 03:16 Success in the next 3-6 months 04:15 Breaking from cold emails 06:57 Wanting the dream and begin living the reality 08:43 Keeping the dream going while balancing Complex PTSD 11:22 Defining self-care 15:05 Advice on pursuing a dream with mental health 17:25 Rewarding aspects of the grant writing journey 20:48 Rapid fire questions