Confessions of a Sector Switcher

I am no longer a nonprofit professional.

There, I said it.

Over the past year, it’s been a bit difficult letting go of that identity. It’s hard not having a job title . . . or a job description, for that matter. It’s tough not having a water cooler. And, sometimes, I even miss sitting in a cubicle.

But it’s time that I face the music. I’m officially a “sector-switcher,” or one who transitions from one field to another. Where I once had both feet firmly planted in nonprofits and philanthropy, now I am steeped in the world of small business and entrepreneurship. I own my own company, and these days, more and more often I am helping others learn how to start or sustain their own businesses as well.

I suppose you could more accurately call me a “sector-straddler” since I provide speaking, training and coaching services for nonprofits as part of my work. I run the Nonprofit Roundtable’s Future Executive Directors Fellowship. I love do-gooders and I always will. I’m proud that I get to work with people who want to change the world.

But over the past year, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that nonprofits do not have the monopoly on social change. No ma’am. Business types are radical dreamers, too. Believe it or not, most of us just want to help people. In fact, some of the most successful for-profit enterprises are founded on meeting a real need.

Sound familiar?

Falling in Love With Entrepreneurship

This semester, I’m teaching Theory and Practice of Marketing in the undergrad business program at Trinity Washington University. And LOVING it. My students all want to run their own nonprofits or businesses and some of them have already launched these new enterprises. I get an incredible sense of energy and growth from working with them as they begin the process of creating new organizations that will hopefully contribute something worthwhile to the communities they do business in.

Until now, I hadn’t taught for Trinity in about a year, partly due to my travel schedule and partly due to the fact that not enough nonprofit grad students were enrolling for our courses. I had been teaching nonprofit marketing and fundraising, which grew naturally out of my role as a development director. But as I quickly realized . . . nonprofit marketing and business marketing are not really that different! And in general, nonprofits and small businesses are pretty similar.

Business As Leadership

When I was working full time as a nonprofit employee, I had mostly isolated myself within the sector when it came to my colleagues and continuing education. There was already so much to keep up with in our own little community, that I rarely ventured out to conferences, trainings or even blogs that dealt with more business-focused topics.

Boy, did I miss out on some good stuff.

Now that I’m in business for myself, there’s so many new things I’m learning about management, sales, marketing, finance, social media, etc. And leadership.

Yes, leadership. However you want to define it.

Helping people. Exerting your influence. Teaching others. Making sh*t happen. That’s what it’s all about. For me, at least.

I don’t work for anyone. But I also work for everyone. This is my new world and I’m having a blast. I’m finally embracing the “e” word and integrating my eight years of nonprofit experience with this new world of business. Just like my students, I’m working to create my own financial freedom, with the intention to help others in their journeys along the way.

In business, the good news (and the bad news) is that no one tells you what to do next. That’s YOUR job, every day. You have to be the one to create, implement and lead . . . or else you don’t eat. And, as most of you know, I LOVE to eat

In the meantime, you just try to learn as fast as you can, contribute as much as possible and try not to lose yourself in the process. At least, that’s been my experience in going from nonprofit employee to business entrepreneur.

Any other sector switchers out there? Sector straddlers? Consultants? What’s been your experience in navigating the shift?

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Paul Jolly

I guess I am technically a straddler since I went into business for myself as a consultant. But since all my clients are all non profit organizations, I still feel like that is my home. And I LOVE the freedom to define the parameters of my market, to say NO to tasks that are outside of my skill range, to work solo or team up with other consultants. Most precious is the feeling that I am creating an enterprise that is an expression of my values — definitely an entrepreneur’s sensation.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

Yes! That is how I felt when I first started consulting. But now that I also work with small businesses, my “tribe” has expanded and I have multiple professional “homes,” I suppose. They all feed my values, though, which is the important thing. Thanks for sharing that bit of your journey with us!

Anonymous

Really enjoyed reading this post Rosetta. It’s kind of how I think of myself right now. I’m all about making change and doing good in the world through public health, but I feel that the traditional public health world is broken right now and it’s not as effective as it once was. Which is why I’m thinking up “outside the box” ideas on how to make an impact on the public’s health and yes they might even be for-profit ideas. This is something that rang true when I was honored to chat with Robert Egger last year. He believes in the same thing. Kudos on all your achievements and keep up the great work!

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

Yes, I love the way Robert Egger is able to talk about the dot.org vs. the dot.com – and his organization is a perfect example of that. When you talk about impact, like what you’re doing in public health, maybe it becomes easier to see that the business structures we use help people don’t necessarily matter so long as they are helped.

Tom

After working solely in the nonprofit sector for the entirety of my 10 year professional career, I just took a job at a small I.T. business. Currently I’m working half time at a nonprofit and half time at this small business, planning to go full time with the business at the end of this month. I guess that makes me the quintessential “sector straddler.” The decision to take this job didn’t come lightly, and the necessity of a paycheck did play a part, as my formerly full time nonprofit position lost its funding.

This change has caused me to reexamine how I view my own identity. Being a very active member of the nonprofit community, including my current position on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities (MN), I’ve always been quick to define myself to people as a “nonprofiteer.” Aside from my actual love for the work, I’ve always liked the reaction I get when I tell people that I work in the nonprofit sector, and I’ve always been proud of the associations and stereotypes that often come with it (regardless of whether they are true). It may seem egocentric, but I liked people thinking of me as someone who cares about “making the world a better place.”

Once I move to full time employment with this small business, things will change. I can’t say that I work for a nonprofit anymore. People won’t initially look at me with the same automatic level of interest and good-will when I tell them I work in Information Technology. I will need to find a new strategy for building that initial connection with people.

I probably should look at this experience as an opportunity to experiment with some new ways to build a connection with people in the ways I want, but I will miss that look I receive from people when I first tell them that I work in the nonprofit sector.

I’m interested to know if others have had these same feelings when they transition out of nonprofit work, or if I am just looking at everything in a way that’s unique to me. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

http://www.rosettathurman.com/ Rosetta Thurman

Tom, I totally get you on the identity shift in becoming someone who works for a business vs. someone who works at a nonprofit. I built my entire brand around being a young nonprofit professional, so it’s been very challenging for me as well. I’d also gotten used to the immediate awe and interest from others both inside and outside of the field. I think part of the discomfort we feel now is because we’ve invested so heavily in the dichotomy of nonprofits vs. business in that you can’t really be a do gooder if you don’t work for a nonprofit. Now, we can probably see that as a false either/or and perhaps begin to talk about our work differently.

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http://asummermoon.com asummermoon

I’m not sure if I would call myself a sector switcher, but I am on the hunt for more financial independence. I don’t feel like I’ve worked with non-profits long enough to call myself an expert so I didn’t think non-profit consulting was for me. However, that doesn’t disqualify me from building upon the skills I’ve gained and working towards one day getting paid to do what I truly love. As I build those skills and gain better confidence, I became an Independent Gift Consultant to help prepare myself for that “something great” on the horizon. My side business has nothing to do with non-profit but it enables me to embrace my entrepreneurial spirit by being more proactive in marketing and social networking. BTW I love you blog thanks for the tips.
http://twitter.com/wildwomanfund Mazarine

Rosetta, Thank you for writing this post. i think you’ve just given me the courage to name and claim this role of sector straddler as well, as entrepreneur, as dreamer, thought leader, visionary, not nonprofit professional only. I’ve been helping businesses and individuals more than I’ve been helping nonprofits in this past year, and I’ve found it immensely fulfilling. You articulated my dichotomy! I salute you!
Andrea Kihlstedt

A few years ago, I read a book called Composing a Life by Mary Catherine Bateson. (She’s Margaret Mead’s daughter.) In her book she used the phrase “living a seamless life” which stuck with me for a long time. Your great post about switching sectors and Mazarine’s comments about sector straddling brought it back to mind. I love the sense of fluidity that comes with moving freely in life and work in many areas and downplaying the distinctions between them. When I do that my life feels rich and full. Thx Rosetta for shining a light on the topic.
http://www.artsjournal.com/jumper/ Diane Ragsdale

Rosetta, great post. I recently moved from the US after 15++ years as a ‘nonprofit arts professional’ and am now in academia studying cultural economics. At first, I experienced some anxiety. At the moment it feels like my role is no longer to produce or advocate as much as to understand, which feels somehow insufficient in these times … it may be years before I have anything to show for my research. On the other hand, it is liberating to let go of the ‘role’ of nonprofit professional. To be honest, I’m tired of advocating for ‘nonprofit-art-ness.’ I want to figure out what really matters in the ‘arts’ (maybe even need to re-think that term for myself) and the best way to move things forward … whether via ‘nonprofit’ or ‘other’ channels. Thanks for the post and I’m glad that you are reaping rewards from your sector straddling.
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