Why I Built Better World Strategy

For most of my career, I sat inside large, complex organizations watching how strategy works. Or doesn’t. I paid attention to the patterns: what helps teams thrive, what quietly erodes momentum, and why some strategies take root while others fade or fail. I didn’t know it at the time, but all that learning was preparing me for something better.

Before I tell that story, here’s what I want you to know as you advance your goals:

• You don’t need to figure everything out alone.

• You don’t need a huge budget to build an incredible strategy.

• You can make meaningful progress faster than you think.

• You can inspire your funders want to contribute even more.

Those truths come from years of watching organizations, big and small, struggle, adapt, and transform.

How I Got Here

For more than twenty‑five years, I worked inside corporations where strategy, culture, and operations collide every day. I learned how decisions get made, how teams align (or don’t), and how culture quietly determines whether a strategy succeeds or fails. I also saw the other side: strategies that looked good on paper but never connected with the people expected to carry them out. One organization I supported folded within a year because the strategy lacked differentiation and buy-in. That experience stayed with me.

Over time, I realized I wasn’t collecting these lessons for the corporate world alone. I was collecting them for teams trying to make the world better: nonprofits, mission‑driven small businesses, community groups, and teams doing the work that matters most.

Better World Strategy grew out of that realization.

Why Mission-Driven Teams Need Strategy Too

Nonprofits and small teams face pressures that corporations rarely do: limited budgets, unpredictable funding, lean staffing, and deep emotional investment in the work. These realities make clarity even more essential.

When teams understand what matters most (and why), morale improves, collaboration strengthens, and donors and partners gain confidence to invest more. I’ve seen organizations move from low morale and financial uncertainty to renewed energy simply by clarifying their strategy and making a few cultural shifts.

Why This Work Matters to Me

Raised in rural Alaska and spending decades in fast-paced Seattle shaped how I see the world: wide‑open thinking, grounded practicality, and a deep connection to both culture and the natural world. Volunteering with organizations like Seattle Humane showed me how much good mission‑driven teams can do, and how much more is possible with the right support.

For me, this isn’t just meaningful work. It’s purpose‑driven. It's the broad contribution, to organizations like yours, that I want to give to the world.

If your team is navigating strategic, cultural, or operational challenges, or if you're simply looking for a meaningful boost toward your goals, a conversation can help illuminate the next step—and I’d love to help you succeed.

Cheers!

-Erik