Jamie McDonald, J McDonald Strategies
Jamie McDonald, MPH, leads J McDonald Strategies, which helps mission-driven nonprofits build resilient systems before crisis strikes through operations, transition, and succession planning and implementation. She spent a decade as an executive director and now also teaches future public health leaders.
Who are you, who do you serve, and what are you focused on right now?
I help mission-driven nonprofits build resilient systems before crisis strikes, through operations, transition, and succession planning and implementation.
What led you into this work?
Curiosity and interest in many things have led me to my current position. I started my career as a public health professional, which led me to work in the nonprofit sector. That work led me to nonprofit management and then leadership as an executive director for a decade. Now, I am taking these experiences and giving back to our future leaders in public health (through teaching) and nonprofits (through consulting). As rewarding as my past experiences have been, nothing really compares to being able to share my learned lessons with others.
What was one of the hardest parts of building your career or business?
The second hardest part of building my consulting business was knowing what to do and understanding what was essential and what was not necessary. Finding Relatable Nonprofit at the beginning of starting my business was the most fortuitous find and has led to the success I have experienced.
The HARDEST part of building my business has been all in my head. I needed to develop the confidence in myself. I needed to believe that I was capable, knowledgeable, and would be sought after for the help I could provide. I don't think I would be as far in building that self-confidence were it not for the mentors and peers at Relatable Nonprofit. I have learned and grown so much in this time!
What's a project you're proud of?
I recently developed a presentation on board member roles and responsibilities for an organization that was challenged with motivating their board to get more active in mission-centered activities. In my discussions with the client, I learned that many of the board members were new to service, or were not completely aware of what their responsibilities were. I created more specificity in the board roles documentation and will be developing an onboarding manual for them moving forward. Even in a short amount of time, the board members seem more committed and ready to get to work!
What are you building right now?
I developed an assessment tool for my clients to complete when they begin working with me. It gives me information on where their current operations are, what gaps exist, and what challenges we need to tackle first. I would like to develop operations plan templates in the same manner, something that I can use as a framework for an operations or succession plan for clients. The plans would still be customized based on the organization's needs, but would also be more efficient to put together in a timeframe that works for the clients.
What belief about consulting or nonprofit work has changed for you?
I believed that as a consultant, I would be challenged with the isolation and loneliness of working for myself. It has actually been the opposite. I have been deliberate in finding opportunities to connect with others working in the field and have experienced such a wonderful world of supportive people learning and growing in their work as well. I have been able to connect with former colleagues, and that has led to work in new ways. While I still work hard, the work is rewarding and challenging, and strangely less stressful. I have been a surprisingly kind and compassionate boss! :)
What advice would you give someone earlier in their journey?
This is the order they came out of my head:
Find your support team and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Spend time working on your self-confidence. Know that you have the skills and expertise to help others. And that expertise is valuable!
Be patient and kind to yourself. This is a new journey. You may be learning new skills (I definitely was), and skill building takes time. Enjoy the learning process and the lessons from your successes and failures.
Get out and tell everyone what you are doing and how they can receive your help. You never know who you know who may know someone who could hire you. Some of my clients have come from indirect opportunities, simply from talking about what I am doing with a friend or acquaintance. You don't have to be selling, but spend time letting people know (in person, online, social media) that you can be hired.
Enjoy the benefits of a consultant schedule. You are able to be flexible, so make sure you take advantage of spending time with family or friends, traveling, and practicing self-care. These were all things I was not able to do to the extent I needed to when I was an executive director. This is now a perk of my work, and I make sure that it is a priority in my life.