Podcast Summary: We Are For Good Podcast – Ep. 637

Title: Building Movements, Not Campaigns: Agency, Belief + Community for Nonprofits
Guest: Eric Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of Whiteboard
Date: August 18, 2025
Hosts: Jon McCoy & Becky Endicott

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jon and Becky talk with Eric Brown, co-founder and CEO of Whiteboard, a purpose-driven creative agency, about the transformative power of community, the true meaning of "agency," and building lasting movements—not just campaigns—for nonprofits. The discussion centers on empowering both organizations and individuals to act with intention, invite stakeholder co-creation, and root their work in shared agency, belief, and values. Eric shares stories from his journey, actionable advice, and inspiring moments that reveal how movements begin with people who know who they are and why they serve.

Guest Introduction & Origin Story (03:41–07:19)

• Eric’s Upbringing and Background
  • Grew up in a log house in rural North Georgia; parents were deeply engaged in special needs education and transportation.
  • “So much of my upbringing was about watching mom and dad... the catalyst for a ton of empathy around these families they would serve...” (Eric Brown, 04:15)
  • Childhood passion for baseball: “I was a leadoff center fielder... now I coach some nine year olds, which is a blast and hilarious and stressful...” (Eric, 05:13)
• Founding Whiteboard
  • Met co-founder Taylor in college; early partnership stemmed from love of design and digital storytelling.
  • “We sort of saw this evolution of Mac... just sort of started to fall in love with digital-first storytelling.” (Eric, 06:07)
  • Bootstrapped from a four-person shared space to a 40-person, globally distributed agency.
  • Whiteboard now serves visionary organizations, translating mission and story into meaningful action.

Community as Carrier & Co-Creation (07:19–11:55)

• Community’s Role in Mission
  • Jon connects Eric’s story to the We Are For Good ethos: “Community is everything.”
  • Eric describes community not just as a recipient but a “carrier” of mission.
  • Early client story—Legacy Box: Invited customers into product development via feedback loops, transparent tracking, and empathetic communication.
  • “How can our customers actually help us build the thing we're chasing in the world? ...Eliminate as much best guessing as humanly possible.” (Eric, 10:10)
  • Stresses importance of co-creation, not just control.

Shared Responsibility vs. Self-Obsession: Redefining 'Agency' (13:05–17:38)

• Defining ‘Agency’
  • Inspired by mentorship, Eric and Taylor wrote "Agency" to explore the word beyond the marketing industry.
  • “To embody what agency actually means... it is embodied in tension.” (Eric, 13:35)
  • Introduces the “Agency Axis” model:
    • Horizontal: Self <-> Others
    • Vertical: Mission <-> Mastery
  • Warns against the “traps” of vanity, isolation, burnout, and ineffectiveness that come from overemphasizing only one quadrant.
  • “If I only focus on myself... and have forgotten... mastery... the vacuum is vanity... you see the stats—1 in 4 want to be a social media influencer.” (Eric, 15:02)
  • “That tension... is a good thing.” (Eric, 17:21)

Building Movements vs. Campaigns: Strategy Rooted in Vision and Community (17:57–23:07)

• Visionary Clients and Adaptive Strategy
  • Hosts highlight Whiteboard’s reputation for helping visionary leaders—broadly and inclusively defined.
  • Eric: “How do we embrace the visionary journey?”
  • Critiques agency obsession with rigid, linear processes; “A plus B doesn’t always equal C.”
  • “Our job is to actually come alongside the visionary leader... no matter what they're facing.” (Eric, 20:47)
  • Draws lessons from both nonprofit and corporate sectors for best practice crossover.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright quote: “Form and function... should be joined together as a spiritual union.” (Eric, 21:19)
  • Focus on alignment of vision, culture, operations, and storytelling as the backbone of movements.

Action Steps: Small Moves Lead to Big Impact (23:07–25:30)

• Practical Takeaway for Nonprofit Leaders
  • Becky asks for a concrete weekly action.
  • Eric’s advice: “Choose belief, not cynicism.”
  • “In a day and age where it’s so easy to get swayed... one of the easiest things to do is just sway towards cynicism without challenge... so many [clients], regardless of challenge, are choosing belief anyway.” (Eric, 24:15)
  • Highlights the difficulty of “belief” amid exhaustion and challenge, but insists it’s foundational.

Philanthropy in Action: Stories that Move Movements (26:15–29:45)

• Notable Philanthropic Moments
  • Whiteboard’s early project, Build a City, in Cambodia: Displaced families spurred a campaign that inspired major giving.
  • “When [a high-net-worth donor] saw the rollout of these creative assets, he immediately committed a seven-figure sort of moment...” (Eric, 27:14)
  • Emphasized the power of intentional, creative storytelling to inspire transformational gifts.
  • iamthatkid.com: Campaign connecting adoptees with birth moms to shine a positive light on hard choices; well-known figures contributed stories.
  • “You just never know when people are going to cross paths with your work... are we actually pushing our best foot forward to inspire people to give to big ideas?” (Eric, 28:20)

One Good Thing: Write It Down (31:07–32:23)

• Eric’s Closing Advice
  • From a mentor: “If you haven’t written it down, it doesn’t exist.”
  • Encourages nonprofit leaders and teams to articulate their culture, vision, and goals in writing—don’t leave it in your head.
  • “Don’t let anything live in space and certainly not in your head.” (Eric, 32:15)
  • Cautions against over-reliance on AI for this foundational work. Do the real internal work of naming and sharing the vision.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Community is not just the recipient of mission, but the carrier.” – Jon (08:11)
• “It’s co-creation, not control.” – Eric (11:15)
• “Agency... is embodied in tension.” – Eric (13:35)
• “The biggest thing is, regardless of challenge, [movement-builders] are choosing belief anyway.” – Eric (24:24)
• “If you haven’t written it down, it doesn’t exist.” – Eric (32:15, mentor advice)

How to Connect with Eric Brown & Whiteboard

• Main website: whiteboard.is (32:52)
• Book: Agency: The Antidote to a Culture Obsessed with Self by Eric Brown and Taylor Jones

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Eric’s Background & Whiteboard Origin: 03:41–07:19
• Community as Carrier/Co-Creation: 07:19–11:55
• Redefining Agency & Agency Axis: 13:05–17:38
• Visionary Strategy & Adaptive Process: 17:57–23:07
• Practical Advice—Choose Belief: 23:07–25:30
• Philanthropic Stories: 26:15–29:45
• One Good Thing—Write It Down: 31:07–32:23

Tone & Takeaways

This episode blends warmth, humility, and actionable insight. Eric Brown is both candid and motivational, focusing on how messy, relational, and rewarding movement-building truly is:

• Reject cynicism, embrace belief and tension.
• Prioritize collaboration and co-creation over hierarchy and control.
• Use storytelling to unlock generosity and empathy.
• Write down and share your vision—don’t just let it float in your head.

For nonprofit professionals, this episode is a masterclass in embodying agency—shifting from campaigns to movements by putting humans, co-creation, and belief at the center.