Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: The Smart Communications Podcast
Episode: 199 – How can you find the best parts of your brand?
Host: Farrah Trumbeter (Big Duck, Co-Director & Worker Owner)
Guest: Lynn Weinman (Kid Glove, Founder, President, Chief Strategist, and author of "Untangling Spaghetti: A Branding Fable")
Date: November 12, 2025

This insightful episode explores how nonprofits can identify and leverage the most valuable aspects of their brands. Guest Lynn Weinman, a branding expert and author, discusses her unique approach encapsulated in her book “Untangling Spaghetti,” emphasizing authenticity, strategic process, and stakeholder alignment in nonprofit branding. The conversation also offers practical advice on engaging boards, staff, and audiences—with a dose of stories, memorable metaphors, and actionable tools.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Storytelling in Branding (03:32–05:26)

• Why a Fable?
  Lynn explains choosing a fable format for her book because “stories produce emotion. Emotion produces trust. Trust leads to action.” (04:00)
  • She remarks, “We started the book as a series of eight blogs. … I read them and I was like, you know, this is kind of boring, right? So let's go back and make this something really relatable, really memorable.” (04:13)
• Practical Tools:
  The book includes a downloadable, 55-page companion guide, allowing readers both narrative and checklist approaches.

2. Diagnosing Brand Needs: Rebrand, Refresh, or Awareness (07:10–12:30)

• Brand Compass Tool (07:40)
  Lynn introduces the "Brand Compass," a tool to clarify whether an organization needs a full rebrand, a brand refresh, or simply heightened awareness:
  • “It starts with really like getting aligned with what's your mission as an organization? Who are your most important audiences, and why are those important?” (08:16)
  • The tool runs through a series of yes or no questions, helping leadership align on next steps.
• Clarification on Rebranding
  Farrah and Lynn discuss when a name change is appropriate—“We only recommend a name change in 15 to 20% of situations at most.” (10:22)
• Rollout & Internal Buy-in
  Lynn recounts brand launches gone wrong when stakeholders were not engaged early. For instance:
  • “The executive director, on the day they approved the name and the logo, got so excited. He walked out of the meeting, held up a sheet of paper to his entire staff and said, ‘This is it.’ … But they had not been brought along on the journey. … It was a whole groundswell that set the whole project back two years.” (13:15)

3. The Role of Staff & Stakeholders in Branding (14:20–15:44)

• Staff as a Priority Audience
  Farrah: “Your staff are one of, if not the most important audience when it comes to your brand. And it's often not named.” (14:42)
• Surveying Staff
  Lynn: “Staff is always the first group to be surveyed… you played a big part in creating what we're going to reveal today. And I love that part of the equation.” (15:04)

4. The Essential Elements of a Nonprofit Brand (16:02–17:46)

• Lynn’s Checklist:
  A. Based in authenticity
  B. Clearly communicated
  C. Differentiated
  D. Resonates with your audiences
  • The process moves from clarifying vision, gathering perceptions, analyzing the competitive set, and creating a brand archetype—all before any visual/creative work begins.

5. The Board’s Place in Branding (17:55–23:03)

• Inclusion vs. Overreach
  Lynn advises involving select board representatives early—“They need to be along the way… But then once that's approved, I like the board to step back and then that's the time that the staff takes on the work.” (19:23)
• Pitfalls of Voting on Creative
  “If you have people vote for one thing, you will always have a percentage of people that will be a loser…” Lynn warns against democratic voting on names/logos to avoid factionalism and derailment. (22:02)

6. Nonprofit vs. Business Branding (23:03–25:50)

• Similar Process, Different Navigation
  • The differences stem mainly from governance structures and end goals—“Helping navigate through the process, like are we working with a board structure or are we working with an ownership group or an investor group?” (23:38)
  • The biggest distinction: communication nuances for audiences like funders, donors, vs. investors.

7. Accessing Branding Tools & Support (26:37–28:35)

• DIY Masterclass
  Lynn introduces her new online masterclass, making the “untangling spaghetti” process accessible to smaller organizations:
  • “This year more than ever get calls every week from nonprofits who know they need some attention on their brand but don’t have the resources to do one-on-one work.” (26:48)
• Sum Is Greater Than Its Parts:
  “The value is greater than the sum of the parts. … And I think that’s the deal.” (28:14)
• Branding Impacts Everything:
  Good branding “boosts recognition and recall… lifts fundraising efforts… helps [organizations] reach the people they serve and even… recruitment and retention because branding makes a big difference… when it comes to employment.” (28:19)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Stories produce emotion. Emotion produces trust. Trust leads to action.”
  — (Lynn Weinman, 03:59)
• “People, our cheese is moving. Time to move the cheese. It's time to make the donuts.”
  — (Lynn Weinman, recalling "Who Moved My Cheese?", 06:31)
• “You have a history… How do we build upon that and take you to the next step?”
  — (Lynn Weinman, 11:13)
• “Your staff are one of, if not the most important audience when it comes to your brand. And it's often not named.”
  — (Farrah Trumbeter, 14:42)
• “If you have people vote for one thing, you will always have a percentage of the people that will be a loser, and if they're the loser, they're not going to be able… You need everybody to eventually come on board and get together behind this new brand.”
  — (Lynn Weinman, 22:02)
• “The value is greater than the sum of the parts. Slightly tangled. But you get what I'm saying.”
  — (Lynn Weinman, 28:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction of Guest and Book: 00:16–03:32
• Storytelling & Book Format: 03:32–05:26
• Diagnosing Brand Needs (Brand Compass tool): 07:40–12:30
• Staff as Stakeholders: 14:20–15:44
• Essential Elements of Nonprofit Brands: 16:02–17:46
• Role of Boards in the Branding Process: 17:55–23:03
• Nonprofit vs. Business Branding: 23:03–25:50
• Masterclass & DIY Resources: 26:37–28:35

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Book: "Untangling Spaghetti: A Branding Fable"
• Masterclass: Online, on-demand branding course at kidglov.com
• Podcast: Agency for Change (Lynn’s podcast)
• Blog: Connection between branding, recruitment and retention (Big Duck)
• Website: bigduck.com and kidglov.com

Tone & Takeaway

The conversation is warm, practical, and peppered with personal anecdotes and humor (spaghetti and cheese metaphors abound), but it’s also deeply strategic. The takeaway for nonprofit leaders: branding doesn’t have to mean starting over, but it does require clarity, authenticity, stakeholder alignment, and a plan for both rollout and internal engagement. Tools and stories—alongside community buy-in—are key to creating a brand that’s not only seen, but truly felt and championed.