We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sophia Shaw a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sophia, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I like to think of myself as the “Keeper of Spring’s Promise.” Each winter, there comes a moment when people start to question whether spring will ever come. What if it doesn’t happen this year? Even rational people wonder. What if we have to endure the dark and cold, brown and gray, forever?
When I hear people talk this way or see them carrying themselves in a defeated posture, I freely offer my promise: “Spring is coming!” It’s funny how such a simple reassurance can bring light into a room and onto people’s faces. My decade as President and CEO at the Chicago Botanic Garden brings credibility to my cheer.
My optimism comes from being a gardener. Through my connection with nature, I notice the day-to-day, even hour-to-hour, changes in plants and sunlight that begin to accelerate in late February. The snowdrops push through the frost first as the buds on the trees thicken. When my mood begins to darken–at anytime throughout the year–I think of flowers and springtime and my pulse quiets.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
While I’ve had a full and wonderful career full of new experiences and challenges, there has been nothing as novel to me as becoming a tech entrepreneur in my mid-50s. With my co-founder Adam Wolford, I am launching PlanPerfect, an all-in-one, end-to-end SaaS solution for small nonprofits to develop, review, track, and report on their strategic plans. We have had a very successful pilot with 14 customers and are looking forward to working with new small nonprofits in 2025.
I have been a successful nonprofit CEO, trustee, board chair, donor, volunteer, consultant, and professor of social impact, I have a deep understanding of how to maximize the impact of a nonprofit and through philanthropic gifts through my consulting practice. All of this now feels like the lead-up to building PlanPerfect. I believe that small nonprofits deserve to have strong strategic plans and need top-end, affordable solutions at the their fingertips.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Optimism – I always see the beauty in the world and its people (even when it gets me into trouble), and that perspective has carried me through challenges and helped me connect with others. For anyone starting out, I’d say: believe that everyone wants to do good and do well, and that everyone has their own story that’s usually more complex than we can assume.
Ability to “manage up” – Knowing how to work well with the people you report to is an underrated skill. It’s not just about keeping them informed—it’s about understanding their priorities, anticipating their needs, and helping them succeed. So, pay attention to what matters to your boss, be proactive, and don’t just bring problems; bring ideas for solving them.
Seeing the big picture destination/strategy and also, at the same time, being able to envision the steps required to get there. This has been one of the most important skills for me and one I learned from my father. It’s like being a watchmaker—you need to understand how the tiny gears fit together, but also the importance of time. Start with a strategy–a road map for where you want to go, and then figure out how to get there. You can always shift, but having a plan to start with makes everything easier. This ability to see both the big picture and details informs PlanPerfect.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes! PlanPerfect is looking for partners in the consulting world who work with nonprofits. We see this happening in two ways:
1) Consultants who want to expand their capacity or work with smaller nonprofits that typically couldn’t afford a full-service consultant. We’re looking for partners such as fundraising consultants, strategic planning consultants, or others who help nonprofits succeed.
2) Consultants who want to serve as expert advisors, helping review our clients’ plans and working with them to develop their strategies. We’re especially interested in partners with a wide range of subject-matter expertise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.planperfect.co/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-shaw/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambwolford/
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