The Brave and Balanced Fundraiser

When Anxiety Drives the Bus: How Fundraisers Lose Their Power — and How to Get It Back

Understanding your body’s stress response so you can fundraise from clarity instead of panic.Anxiety shows up loudly in fundraising… tight chest, clenched gut, racing thoughts, shrinking creativity. In this episode, Erin shares a deeply personal story of fundraising during a budget crisis — and how her body’s ancient fight-or-flight wiring took over, narrowing her focus, driving unsustainable actions, and ultimately exacting a physical cost.You’ll learn why anxiety feels so overwhelming, why it isn’t evidence that something is wrong with you, and how your nervous system is simply trying to keep you safe. Most importantly, you’ll discover how to recognize the signs, interrupt the panic cycle, and return to a grounded state where creative solutions, agency, and clarity live.In this episode, you’ll hear:How fundraisers accidentally let anxiety run the show — and the cost of thatWhat your fight-or-flight system is designed to do (and why it misfires at work)The physical symptoms that signal your body is asking for helpWhy anxiety is a feeling… not a factA guided check-in to reconnect you with your body and breathThe truth about fundraising from scarcity — and why it leads straight to burnoutThis conversation is especially for fundraisers who feel like their work is “life-or-death” for the mission, their jobs, or their team. You are not alone — and your body has been trying to talk to you.If this episode stirred something in you, keep an eye out for the companion meditation episode designed to help you regulate and return to center.Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

Transcend Fundraising Guilt Like a Rockstar

Trading guilt for curiosity so you can fundraise with more ease, energy, and self-trust.That nagging voice that says you should be doing more? Most fundraisers know it well. In this episode, Erin unpacks fundraising guilt—the kind that shows up at 3 a.m. with a running list of everything you didn’t do—and why using guilt as your main motivator quietly drains your energy, creativity, and joy.Instead of beating yourself up for “not enough,” you’ll explore what happens when you switch from guilt to curiosity and start treating your body’s signals as feedback, not failure.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why almost every fundraiser feels like they could be doing more—and why it’s not just youHow guilt masquerades as “motivation” but actually leads to exhaustion and paralysisHow to use your body’s signals (tight chest, sleeplessness, dread) as information, not indictmentSimple ways to practice curiosity in real time—especially before meetings and big tasksJournal prompt: Where does guilt show up most in your fundraising—and what might shift if you experimented with curiosity instead?Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

Pouring Out & Filling Back Up: A Fundraiser’s Guide to Renewal with Melody Wells

How a major gifts fundraiser prevents burnout by planning emotional refills on purpose.Fundraising asks a lot of your brain, your heart, and your nervous system. In this conversation, Erin sits down with major gifts fundraiser Melody Wells to talk honestly about what it costs to pour yourself into donor relationships—and how she intentionally fills back up so she can keep doing the work she loves.Melody shares how integrity and alignment (her version of ikigai) fuel her fundraising, why she refuses to take donor “no’s” personally, and how anxiety work and therapy unexpectedly prepared her to stay steady in the yes/no roller coaster of major gifts. She also walks through the three personalized “refill” categories she keeps on a written list—so when she’s emotionally depleted, she doesn’t have to think about how to recover.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why caring deeply about the mission both powers your work and drains your emotional reservesHow Melody separates her worth from donor decisions—seeing both yes and no as not about herThe concept of ikigai and how it helped her pivot from celebrity journalism into meaningful fundraisingWhy planning post-campaign recovery in advance is as important as planning the campaign itselfMelody’s three renewal buckets: staycation/retreat, energy release, and empowerment & mental strengtheningJournal prompt: Where does fundraising most “drain your cup” right now—and what would go in your own three categories of renewal to intentionally refill it?Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

Fundraiser or "The Help?"

What to do when your expertise isn’t respected—and how to stop making it mean something about you.📘 Episode SummaryWhat happens when you bring solid fundraising expertise—and someone with less experience dismisses it? In this episode, Erin explores a common but rarely discussed dynamic: being treated like “the help” instead of a strategic professional.She shares a personal story about having her work overruled, the emotional spiral that followed, and the deeper pattern underneath it. You’ll learn how early messages about money and worth can shape your reactions at work, why certain comments sting more than others, and how to stop letting others’ opinions define your value.If you’ve ever felt dismissed, underestimated, or sidelined as a fundraiser, this episode will show you how to reclaim your power and stop shrinking in the face of pushback.💡 Key TakeawaysSomeone else’s inability to value your expertise says more about their patterns than your worth.Your worthiness is innate—not determined by which ideas leadership approves.The part that gets hurt is often the part that already believes a version of the painful story.Your idea is not you; separation creates freedom.Try on the energy of the fundraiser who knows they’re worthy—who bends but doesn’t break.📝 Journal PromptHow would you stand, speak, and decide if you deeply believed your worthiness wasn’t up for grabs?Send Erin a text Book your 1:1 Brave and Balanced Breakthrough Coaching Session here: https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright

Meditation: Making the Ask

A somatic, compassionate practice to regulate your nervous system before making the ask.📘 Episode SummaryThis bonus meditation is a guided somatic practice designed to support you before donor meetings, fundraising conversations, or any moment when anxiety begins to take over. In this practice, Erin gently guides you through grounding in your body, noticing your felt experience, and working with Byron Katie’s inquiry process (“The Work”) to loosen the grip of anxious thoughts that often show up before making an ask.You’ll explore a real fundraising memory—at a level that feels manageable—and uncover the belief fueling your anxiety. Then, through awareness, inquiry, and compassionate self-forgiveness based on the Spiritual Psychology tools from the University of Santa Monica, you’ll shift into a regulated, steady internal climate.This meditation helps you:understand your body’s signalsrelease pressure around specific donor outcomesreconnect with your inherent worthstep into donor conversations with grounded confidenceUse this practice anytime you want to regulate your nervous system before fundraising, asking for support, or stepping into leadership.💡 What This Meditation SupportsNervous system regulation before the askReducing anxiety in donor interactionsBuilding somatic awareness of your emotional patternsLoosening the belief that your worth depends on a donor’s “yes”Creating spaciousness and grounded presence in your body🛑 Important NoteThis meditation includes checking in with your body and revisiting memories. If you know you carry Big T trauma, or if certain memories feel overwhelming, please practice this with a licensed therapist or trained somatic practitioner. Your wellbeing comes first. If at any moment you feel flooded or unable to stay in the present moment, you have full permission to stop, drink water, step outside, or do whatever helps you return to safety.📝 What You’ll NeedA quiet place to sitA journal and penWillingness to slow down and meet yourself with compassion🎧 When to Use This MeditationBefore donor meetingsBefore crafting a fundraising appealWhen procrastination or avoidance kicks inWhen your body feels tight, pressured, or anxiousWhen you want to reconnect with your own regulated presence👥 Join the CommunityCome share your experience with this meditation inside The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group, where fundraisers support one another in cultivating emotional mastery, nervous-system regulation, and grounded leadership.➡️ Ready for deeper support?IfSend Erin a text ✨ Stay Connected & Continue Your Fundraising Growth Listen to all episodes + subscribe: https://thebraveandbalancedfundraiser.buzzsprout.com Join the community: The Brave & Balanced Fundraiser Facebook Group 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/braveandbalancedfundraiser Book a Brave & Balanced Breakthrough Call: A personalized 1:1 session to support your inner clarity and fundraising wellbeing. 👉 https://calendly.com/vitalistcoaching/brave-balanced-breakthrough Learn more about Erin’s coaching & nervous-system based support: VitalistCoaching.com Connect on Instagram: @erinmcquadewright