And What it Has to Do with Sponsorship & Business Development Written by: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE The Moment Everything Slowed Down I was on a flight last week from Cleveland to DC for a client meeting and had quite an experience that stayed with me long after the arrival. We had landed and began taxiing to the gate. Like most flights, people were ready to get the heck out of that plane. You could feel the shift almost immediately. Phones came off airplane mode. Screens lit up across the...

By Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE and Rob Kalwarowsky There’s a moment many founders and mission-driven leaders know too well. You ’re confident through the entire conversation. You can talk about your mission for hours. You know your impact. You’re clear on the problem you’re solving. And then you approach the ask. Your voice drops. Your cadence changes. You suddenly feel smaller in your own body. You rush your words, or you soften them so much they barely land. You feel a flush of heat....

Written by: Lori Zoss Kraska, MBA, CFRE You have a good meeting with a potential sponsor. The conversation is thoughtful. The sponsor asks smart questions. There is clear alignment between their interests and the work your organization is doing. Or perhaps you have already sent a proposal and walked them through it together. Their response sounds encouraging. They thank you for the conversation. They acknowledge the value of the opportunity. Then, sometime after the meeting or proposal...