Digital Comfort Zone: A Super not Scary Technology Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce discuss the complexities of failure within nonprofit organizations, particularly in the context of technology. Guest Ashley Good, founder of Fail Forward, centers the conversation on the inevitability of failure and how it can be a powerful learning tool. Ashley shares personal anecdotes, professional insights, and practical exercises for nonprofits to practice healthy reactions to failure and cultivate a supportive organizational culture. Key topics include reframing failure as learning, practicing debriefs on successes, and the importance of compassion in overcoming failure's emotional impact.

 

00:30 Getting Vulnerable: Personal Failures

03:33 Transforming Failure into Learning

05:37 Introducing Ashley Good: The Failure Expert

06:28 What is a Failure Consultancy?

08:31 Ashley Good's Journey to Embracing Failure

10:32 A Powerful Story of Redemption

14:24 The Emotional Weight of Failure

20:51 Practicing Failure in Organizations

27:26 Tackling Challenges Head-On

27:44 Balancing Easy and Hard Tasks

28:51 Individual vs. Organizational Failures

32:01 The Role of Compassion in Failure

34:59 Practical Techniques for Embracing Failure

36:25 Final Thoughts and Reflections

41:45 Season Finale and Future Plans

 

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Start your digital transformation today

In this episode, Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce are joined by Victor Cordon, Director of Social Impact at Okta, they discuss the challenges nonprofits face in securing ongoing funding for technology, the importance of technology governance, and the role of trust-based philanthropy in addressing these challenges. Victor emphasizes that technology is not just an administrative cost but essential to mission delivery while offering practical advice on how nonprofits can better articulate their tech needs to funders. The episode concludes with strategies on how to align tech investments with organizational goals and mission impact, making it a compelling discussion for anyone in the nonprofit sector looking to embrace digital transformation.

00:33 Challenges in Funding Digital Transformation
03:03 Introducing Victor Cordon from Okta
03:51 Okta's Approach to Philanthropy and Technology
06:24 Successful Tech Funding Strategies
09:15 The Importance of Technology in Nonprofits
15:36 Trust-Based Philanthropy and Technology
22:10 Encouraging Open Conversations About Tech Needs
26:05 Practical Tips for Nonprofits Seeking Tech Funding

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Start your digital transformation journey here

In this episode of the Digital Comfort Zone podcast, hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce break down how lessons from rock climbing can provide valuable insights into digital transformation. Aine shares her experiences as a climbing instructor, highlighting the importance of creating safe conditions, effective communication, and encouraging calculated risks. The episode emphasizes the role of leaders in setting up for their teams for success, drawing parallels between guiding climbers and navigating digital change in nonprofit organizations.

00:51 The Importance of Leadership in Digital Transformation

03:16 Connecting Leadership and Rock Climbing

05:15 Lessons from Climbing: Overcoming Fear

11:02 Guiding Teams Through Digital Transformation

18:00 The Role of Trust and Communication

25:22 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

 

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Start your digital transformation journey here

In this episode of Digital Comfort Zone, hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce are joined by Alisa Simon, Executive Vice President at Kids Help Phone. In their conversation, they discuss how the organization adopted a mindset of possibility to radically shift how they support youth in crisis. They delve into distinguishing between invention and innovation, the effective use of digital tools and AI, and the necessity of a change-ready culture. The importance of leveraging data, involving the right leaders, and maintaining core mission values while exploring new technological avenues is also discussed.

 

01:24 Understanding Social Innovation

03:04 Case Study: Kids Help Phone

04:57 Possibility Thinking and Mindset Shifts

10:14 Implementing and Sustaining Innovation

17:42 The Role of Data and AI in Innovation 

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Read this case study done with Kids Help Phone

Description: In this episode of Digital Comfort Zone, hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce discuss how small technological changes can significantly impact small charities and nonprofits. They are joined by Chi Nguyen from Equal Voice and Amanda Munday from New Majority, who share insights on improving youth civic engagement and gender diversity in politics. This episode has two big takeaways
How it’s important to form sustainable habits in both political participation and digital transformation and;
emphasizing that small actions can lead to substantial future benefits. 

00:47 Addressing Common Tech Misconceptions in Small Charities
02:06 The Power of Small Digital Changes
04:13 Introducing Our Guests: Amanda Munday and Chi Nguyen
05:28 Insights on Civic Engagement and Political Participation
14:05 Challenges and Barriers to Voting
18:42 Motivations Behind Civic Actions
25:52 The Importance of Small Wins in Civic and Digital Engagement

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Start your digital transformation here

In this episode of 'Digital Comfort Zone,' hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce discuss the importance of maintaining a learning mindset in the age of digital transformation. Special guest Professor Nick Mount from the University of Toronto shares insights on fostering a learning culture, handling resistance to change, and the importance of new experiences in unlocking innovative thinking. 

00:47 The Importance of a Learning Mindset
01:34 Personal Challenges with Learning
03:31 Research on Learning Behaviors
05:07 Interview with Professor Nick Mount
08:05 Teaching Strategies and Learning Environments
14:08 Adapting to New Learning Methods
26:13 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

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In this episode of 'Digital Comfort Zone', hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce dive deep into the art of persuasion and obtaining buy-in for digital transformation within nonprofits. To help them do this, Philip Haid, CEO of Public Inc., brings his valuable insights including

• The role of emotions, trust, and authenticity in persuasion

• Emphasizing the importance of meeting people where they are

• And building trust slowly

00:00 Introduction to Digital Comfort Zone

00:48 Persuasion and Buy-In: Real-Life Examples

04:25 Challenges in Digital Transformation

06:37 Interview with Philip Haid: Mastering Persuasion

17:48 Emotional vs. Logical Persuasion

24:09 Conflict and Ego in Persuasion

29:11 Trust and Buy-In: Building Authentic Relationships

33:12 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

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Start your digital transformation journey here

In this inaugural episode of Digital Comfort Zone, hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce talk about how to overcome digital inertia within organizations. To better understand how to do that, they call on award-winning filmmaker Molly McGlynn to speak about

• How to manage complex projects like filmmaking. 

• How to break down overwhelming tasks

• The importance of planning and logistics

• And the necessity of starting anywhere to gain momentum. 

 

00:00 Introduction to Digital Comfort Zone

01:17 Challenges in Digital Transformation

03:28 Starting Small and Taking First Steps

04:59 Interview with Filmmaker Molly McGlynn

13:51 Lessons from Filmmaking for Charities

24:39 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

28:39 Closing Remarks and Credits

 

To start your own digital transformation journey you can visit: https://charitygrowthacademy.org/ 

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Bio for Molly McGlynn: 

Molly McGlynn is a Montreal-born writer and director based in Los Angeles

Her first feature film, Mary Goes Round, starring Aya Cash and Sara Waisglass, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017 and has screened at dozens of film festivals and won multiple awards, including the Panavision Independent Cinema Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, Best Feature Film at the Vail Film Festival and Best Narrative Feature at the Annapolis Film Festival.    The film was nominated by the Directors' Guild of Canada for awards in Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film and Best Editing in a Feature Film and won the Jay Scott Emerging Artist Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.

Her second feature film, Fitting In, (fka Bloody Hell), starring Maddie Ziegler and Emily Hampshire, had its World Premiere at SXSW in the Narrative Spotlight section in March 2023. Its International Premiere was at the prestigious Deauville American Film Festival and had its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film also won Best Canadian Feature Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival and was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film by the Directors Guild of Canada.

In addition to her feature work, Molly has directed over thirty episodes of television (Grace and Frankie, Grownish, The Wonder Years, The Big Door Prize) and was a producing director on Season 2 of Bless This Mess.

This is Digital Comfort Zone: a super not scary technology podcast. It’s hosted by Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce, the two minds behind Charity Growth Academy, who have worked at the intersection of technology and the people who make charities work for more than two decades. 

 

Every episode, Aine and Lizz will help calm your fears, validate your frustrations and answer your questions when it comes to leveraging tech for good - and ultimately make your life easier 

 

You will come away with specific ways that you can improve how you and your organization use technology. And our advice will always better than that random cousin’s who interned at a start-up in the 90's.

 

And, because Lizz and Aine aren’t techies either, you will never be patronized or made to feel dumb.

 

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Content Note: This episode contains discussions of mental health and mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

In this episode of Digital Comfort Zone, hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce engage in a deep conversation with Canadian Olympian Silken Laumann. They explore resilience, mental health, and the transformative impact of technology. Silken shares her personal journey of overcoming a severe injury to win a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics, emphasizing the importance of physical intelligence and stress management. The episode delves into the pressures faced by leaders of charitable organizations, the significance of digital enablement, and the evolution of personal motivation and self-belief. Additionally, the conversation highlights the necessity of embracing multifaceted identities, especially in women, and discusses the role of technology in fostering human connections and delivering mental health support, particularly in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Silken also talks about her podcast, Inflection Time, and the potential of storytelling platforms like Unsinkable.

 

00:00 Introduction and Trigger Warning

00:47 Introducing Silken Laumann

02:50 Silken's Story of Resilience

06:45 The Athlete's Mindset

08:33 Stress and Mental Health

11:50 Personal Growth and Motivation

21:53 The Power of Vulnerability and Storytelling

23:54 The Birth of Unsinkable

25:06 Connecting Storytellers and Mental Health

26:08 Embracing Technology for Good

27:35 Hopeful and Helpful Stories

29:59 Navigating Technology and Social Media

37:42 Digital Skills in the Nonprofit Sector

39:48 Introducing Inflection Time Podcast

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Listen to Silken's new podcast: Inflection Time

Learn more about her charity: Unsinkable