Like many non-profit leaders, National Geographic photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier were experts in their field. But new to running a growing organization. I joined them for a year to help them build their systems and team, define their roles as leaders, and come up with an impact strategy for their ocean conservation mission.
As their trusted advisor, I helped them clarify their purpose, articulate their vision and develop a roadmap with clear conservation wins that served as their impact strategy. Together, we also developed a series of impact stories that we embedded in everything we did – from grant proposals to conference presentations to social media. These stories not only brought their values and vision to life, but they also demonstrated the team's expertise and credibility, showing would-be funders and partners what SeaLegacy could do with their support.
In less than a year, the non-profit doubled its revenue, reach and impact, ultimately building a following of ~15 million people across its channels. Paul and Cristina became recognized as global conservation leaders and now attract funding from giants like Amazon and Adobe to support their work.
