Betsy Cohen’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Betsy Cohen shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Betsy, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I have moved into a new career that is entrepreneurial after having a corporate executive career and a non-profit organizational career. I have started to get new clients! I feel very proud of elevating my knowledge into “wisdom work” as the second Philanthropic Futurist in the country, joining forces with Trista Harris, the first Philanthropic Futurist and founder of the consultancy FutureGood.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
At FutureGood, we work with visionary leaders of foundations, nonprofits, educational institutions, family offices for wealthy families and wealth advisors to help them see the future of philanthropy. The skills and thinking of Futurism were traditionally used by governments and businesses to develop long-term thinking and planning, and we bring these tools to the social sector and those in philanthropy that fund many nonprofit needs and causes. We bring insights about long-term trends to help leaders and their teams consider alternate futures and then bring that thinking back to a three-year operating plan that can be adjusted. And we are hired to speak to organizations and associations to share future visions and the current ways people and organizations can use these ideas to have more hope built into their current operational plans. People in the social sector need more hope than ever right now to keep supporting the issues and causes that are fragile and critical for society to advance. Since I had prior work as a corporate Futurist, it brings me joy to share this thinking as a Philanthropic Futurist with leaders who fund and work in the social issues of our times.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Having been raised by a single mother, financial security and a strong work ethic were deeply ingrained in me. I worked in full time jobs in both corporate and governmental/nonprofit work that satisfied my career goals and my need for a reliable paycheck. Having earned a salary and saved money, I can now release that need for full-time work and start a more entrepreneurial path that has more financial variability. I am building a new book of business with wonderful clients that is a totally new kind of journey for me, one that excites me at this time.

Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
In 2024 I felt that I had accomplished all the goals I had set out to accomplish leading a public-private partnership within our World Trade Center. I was struggling to determine what my next work path would be. I had a weekend with two of my long-time dear friends and they listened to my dilemma of whether to keep on a good but known path or to try something very new and entrepreneurial. They truly listened to me and encouraged me to break out into a new venture, knowing that I had built a secure financial and personal base already and could take that risk. It was so empowering to have them understand and share their insights about my strengths and my possible futures with me. The gave me the courage to move forward.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I think the public version of me is the real Betsy. I make myself available to many different people who are in different stages of their lives. I have coffee with them, I do virtual meetings with them, I make connections for them. I open up my thinking and my optimism for each of them. I share on social media about events and people I care about. I work hard to “be present” when I am with family members, with work associates, with community members. They know that I show up and that I do what I say I will do. I work hard to have one persona, the real me, that I carry with me everywhere.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, there is nothing I would stop doing immediately as I have used that as a guide for myself as I make life decisions. Even if I had one year left, there is nothing I would stop doing immediately. Now that I am a more mature and older professional, I see clearly that time and the way I show up today are what exists. I don’t delay very long if there are people I want to be with or conversations I want to have. When I was young it felt like there was all the time in the world. Being over 50 it is clear that time is precious and I want to be sure that I spend the work and personal time very mindfully. A friend gets sick or a family member gets a bad diagnosis. My own father passed away at the age of 38 when I was 10. I am very aware of spending my time in the way that means the most to my life, my values, my work and my family. In fact, each year I write out a list of my priorities for the next year for my work, my health, my family, my community. This list sits next to my desk, and I review it monthly to be sure I am valuing my life plan.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.WeAreFutureGood.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsyhcohen/

Image Credits
Jarrett Jones