Episodes

  • Business Trash Talk with Tia Johnson

    Business Trash Talk with Tia Johnson
    Mar 24 2026

    Tia Johnson was a mother of three climbing the corporate ladder in 2013 when she reached a breaking point. She knew she wanted to instill something more in her children and redefine what wealth really meant beyond just a paycheck. After a frustrated argument with her teenage son about a smelly trash bin, a lightbulb went off: nobody actually wants to clean their trash cans. What started as a relatable household pain point turned into Fresh Bloom Bins, a venture that eventually blossomed into Fresh Environmental Services.

    Tia leveraged free community resources and leaned into her natural grit to navigate the challenges of the 2020 pandemic. By listening to the specific needs of municipalities and property managers, she moved beyond simple cleaning to offer a full environmental services model. Her journey is a masterclass in staying flexible, asking the right questions, and understanding that even something as overlooked as waste management is a key factor in community equity and quality of life. Today, she is helping property managers manage the complicated logistics of waste while empowering her employees to see that no one is a "throwaway" person.

    Episode in a glance

    01:06 Breaking free from the corporate burnout

    03:06 Lessons in grit from a childhood paper route

    06:23 How a smelly trash can became a business

    11:17 Winning municipal bids by asking the right questions

    17:55 Pivoting into Fresh Environmental Services

    About Tia Johnson

    Tia Johnson is the founder of Fresh Environmental Services (formerly Fresh Bloom Bins). She is a mission driven entrepreneur dedicated to improving waste management logistics for multifamily properties and communities. Through her Clean Community Program and upcoming "She Speaks Trashy" brand, she focuses on quality of life, sustainability, and empowering people through purposeful work.

    Connect with Tia Johnson and her work

    Linkedin → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tia-johnson-environmental-services

    Website → https://freshtrashservice.com
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    34 mins
  • Design Thinking for Social Impact

    Design Thinking for Social Impact
    Mar 17 2026

    Are you building your social enterprise in a "basement" of isolation, or are you developing it alongside the community you actually serve?

    Social entrepreneurship attracts people with a deep desire to solve community problems, but many of these founders fall into the trap of building their vision in total isolation. Adam Morris explores why the "perfect" plan often fails while the "messy" test succeeds. Using the cautionary tale of two underwater vehicle companies, the discussion highlights how early failure is actually a competitive advantage. One company spent ten years engineering the perfect vessel only to go bankrupt, while the other "crashed" early, learned quickly, and eventually dominated the market.

    We dive into the journey of Jerry from Renter Mentor, who bypassed high-tech coding to first sit down with landlords and discover their true pain points through focus groups and "speed dating" sessions. This approach to Applied Design Thinking isn't about colorful sticky notes; it’s a disciplined way to identify your riskiest assumptions. Whether they involve your customer, your revenue model, or your actual social impact.

    By shifting the focus from building a "car" to building a "skateboard," founders can stop guessing and start creating solutions that people are actually ready to support.

    Episode in a glance

    00:00 Defining social entrepreneurship and the two types of founders

    02:46 Learning by doing: The tale of two submarine companies

    05:33 Success story: How Renter Mentor used focus groups to pivot

    07:31 Understanding Design Thinking

    09:33 The MVP explained

    11:38 Six core assumptions every social entrepreneur makes

    16:13 Avoiding bias: The Mom Test by Robert Fitzpatrick

    17:25 Five practical tests to validate your idea

    19:03 Why revenue and pre-order tests are the ultimate signal

    About Adam Morris

    Adam Morris is the founder and host of People Helping People. He launched the podcast in 2017 with the vision to learn and share what is possible through social entrepreneurship, as well as to give individuals the tools to successfully start their own impact ventures. He is passionate about connecting people and creating a world that will thrive for generations.

    Connect with Adam and his work

    → People Helping People

    → Linkedin

    → Instagram

    → Youtube
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    24 mins
  • Social Impact Marketing with Hannah Nichol

    Social Impact Marketing with Hannah Nichol
    Mar 9 2026

    Are you just making noise, or are you actually moving your audience from awareness to action?

    Hannah Nichol, the founder and CEO of Mane Impact, joins the show to share how values-driven brands can cut through the digital clutter. Social entrepreneurs often get caught in the trap of "Frankensteining" their marketing by piecing together random social media posts and emails without a cohesive plan.

    This conversation breaks down the shift from short-term tactics to a long-term strategy that builds trust and scales impact. It explores the marathon-like nature of marketing, the importance of focusing on quality over quantity in the early stages, and the emerging movement of "digital sustainability."

    For any founder staring at a blank sheet of paper, this discussion provides a clear roadmap for turning a mission into a movement.

    Episode in a glance

    03:13 Hannah's Journey to Mane Impact

    04:57 Strategy vs. Tactics: What marketing actually means

    06:35 Nonprofits vs. For-Profits in Marketing

    09:01 Early Stage Marketing Strategies

    10:18 Budgeting for Marketing Success

    17:03 Knowing When to Outsource Marketing

    18:20 The Evolution of Nashville's Social Impact Scene

    22:33 Being a change-maker vs. a noise-maker in 2026

    26:40 Connecting with Mane Impact

    About Hannah Nichol

    Hannah Nichol is the founder and CEO of Mane Impact, an agency dedicated to amplifying the voices of brands making a positive difference. With experience spanning retail, tech startups, and nonprofits, she specializes in strategic branding and authentic storytelling for organizations that prioritize purpose alongside profit.

    Connect with Hannah Nichol and her work

    Visit the Mane Impact Website → maneimpact.com

    Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/maneimpact/?hl=en

    YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@maneimpact

    LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/mane-impact/

    Email Hannah → hello@maneimpact.com
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    28 mins
  • Welcome to Season 3 - Growing Stronger Impact

    Welcome to Season 3 - Growing Stronger Impact
    Mar 3 2026

    How do you build a sustainable business when your primary goal is social change rather than just a bottom line?

    After a two-year break, People Helping People is back with Season 3.

    This season is all about the "how-to" of social entrepreneurship, helping you bridge the gap between having a heart for change and running a business that actually scales. Building a social enterprise is a unique challenge. You aren’t just a nonprofit chasing grants, but you aren’t a typical for-profit startup only focused on revenue. You’re somewhere in the middle.

    Adam talks about why social entrepreneurs think differently and why things like marketing, sales, and finance are actually the engines that keep your mission alive.

    Adam gets honest about his own journey. He shares his transition from a 25-year tech career to launching a t-shirt brand for youth experiencing homelessness. He also opens up about being an entrepreneur and the awkwardness of finally starting a video challenge on social media.

    This season isn't just about tips; it’s about community. Whether you're tackling homelessness or building a neighborhood tool library, you don't have to do it alone. Adam previews a season full of expert guests, deep dives into business models, and the peer support you need to turn a blank sheet of paper into a thriving impact venture.

    CHAPTERS

    00:00 Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

    02:41 Navigating Business Development for Social Enterprises

    04:48 The Journey of a Social Entrepreneur

    08:11 Vision for People Helping People Podcast
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    11 mins
  • Compelling Analytics Founder Abel Koury Helps Organizations Craft Effective Surveys with the Right Questions

    Compelling Analytics Founder Abel Koury Helps Organizations Craft Effective Surveys with the Right Questions
    Mar 12 2020

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    Asking the right questions is essential for accessing insightful information. Abel Koury from Compelling Analytics helps refine questions that drive your social enterprise forward.After multiple interactions with nonprofits, Abel was inspired to combine his experience in research design and data analytics with social justice. Non-profits and smaller organizations don’t always have the capacity to create great surveys that will collect and analyze the proper data to further develop the organization’s services. Abel says organizations might be doing a wonderful job, but their data does not reflect the scope of their work.Growing up in an “underprivileged town” with “economically disadvantaged immigrant parents” also shaped Abel’s perspective.“I know firsthand how it is to grow up in poverty. I take that with me where I go, and I try to use that as a lens in my work.”--Abel KouryAbel explained his thoughts on a rule of thumb for organizations. He started by creating an example of an organization with the goal of eliminating food insecurity. Focus first on articulating what you're trying to achieve, and then sum up that end goal as a headline for a reporter. In this example, Abel said using “36% of kids are now able to eat three meals a day”. By focusing on the way you expect to present the story, and where you want the program to be when you get to the stage of sharing with reporters, you get clarity. Organizations can work backwards from that imagined headline.“Before you even start the program, you've got to think about what do you want the data to look like? What do you want to collect? How are you going to show your impact?”--Abel KouryGoing deeper, Abel talked more about deciding what to ask and what information should be presented. Questions can limit results when the research design is lacking from the beginning. This led to Abel discussing how surveys should be created with the most diverse participant in mind. Questions inclusive to the variety of perspectives within your audience are an attentive and conscious effort.Defining a question’s context is equally significant. Abel gave a great example where people need to choose between 1-5, with 1 = not very fit and 5 = very fit. These choices too much room for personal interpretation, miscommunication of the question and flawed survey answers. Unless fitness is defined through context. For example, 1 = not very fit (eg. I couldn’t run a mile) and 5 = very fit (eg. I can run a mile with no problem.)As we continued, Abel got more into the rules of thumb organizations can consider to craft more effective surveys. He gave three solid rules any organization can utilize. I could really connect, since at Wild Tiger Tees, is also still learning to craft data collection, defining measures, and amplifying impact. Abel’s work with Compelling Analytics is building the future of proven impact.If you would like to learn more you can visit the official website or Abel’s LinkedIn.Read Full TranscriptAdam: [00:00:00] Welcome to the People Helping People podcast, the podcast to inspire greater social change in the business world and give you ideas on how to take action.I'm your host, Adam Morris. And today I am here with Dr Abel Koury a personal trainer and founder of Compelling Analytics. A company which really helps you to ask the right questions to get the answers you need to drive your nonprofit or social enterprise forward. So I'm very excited to hear today. We have a treat. We're going to talk about something which has alluded me for a very long time, which is how do you write a good survey.And how do you get good information that you can actually use? We're going to get some really interesting practical information here, so I'm excited to dive in. So, Abel, welcome on the podcast.Abel: [00:00:48] Thanks so much for having me.Adam: [00:00:49] I'd love to hear a little
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    31 mins
  • Wild Tiger Tees Special: The Journey to an Idea | with Adam Morris

    Wild Tiger Tees Special: The Journey to an Idea | with Adam Morris
    Feb 13 2020

    Send us a text

    Today’s special, special guest is Suzy Bureau of GiveBackHack. If you listened to episode 50, you knew this would happen. I was encouraged to share a little more about my story, especially Wild Tiger Tees, and Suzy jumped in to share my experience starting a social enterprise.Wild Tiger Tees came together during a weekend at GiveBackHack in 2018. I, Adam Morris, am the co-founder of this social enterprise where we “empower youth experiencing homelessness with the skills necessary to gain employment through the art of screen printing.” We partner with Star House under their workforce development program called Star Works.Our talk began at a point where I did not have an idea for Wild Tiger Tees or the People Helping People Podcast. In 2006, I was out in London working at a bank after my MBA and was not connecting with my role. If anything, the most meaningful thing to me at that time was my volunteer work with Samaritans for suicide prevention. Once I acknowledged that passion I began trying to build a career around giving back and making an impact. Of course, I didn’t forget to tell Suzy about the oddly comical moment of being let go from that bank job.Until 2016, I wasn’t having any luck with ideas on how I would give back or make an impact. Then I realized that 10 years passed already. I told Suzy about the importance I found in being able to connect with people and what things mean. I discussed my thoughts on being inspired to make a change awhile “thinking into it”. Suzy gave a positive outlook on my choice to look at the strengths and weaknesses of my entrepreneur skills; whether it was looking at experience or exposure to the issue.I discovered that spending 10 years of trying to figure something out on my own was not helping much, and decided I needed to talk to people who were active and engaged in cool work. My only thought was to see where that would take me. With this approach, I was led to the conversation inspiring this podcast. Coincidentally, or maybe not-so-coincidentally, the same approach towards interaction inspired the idea behind Wild Tiger Tees. I enjoyed getting to dig back into the journey with Suzy.Another inspiration behind Wild Tiger Tees came from a staggering statistic. Out of the youth that come into Star House, 90% secure jobs. After revisiting those youth three months later, only 10% still have that job. Wild Tiger Tees began concentrating on better preparing the youth to deal with the real-world workforce. Our focus points are teamwork, communication, effort, and punctuality.The conversation with Suzy had such great momentum, so we split our talk into two episodes. Up next, we get into building an interdisciplinary team, doing the groundwork for your ideas, and making things work.If you want to learn more about Wild Tiger Tees, check out Instagram, Facebook, or the official site.
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    34 mins
  • Finding True Affordable Housing Matches With Real Estate’s Love Doctor, Renter Mentor | with Jerry Valentine

    Finding True Affordable Housing Matches With Real Estate’s Love Doctor, Renter Mentor | with Jerry Valentine
    Jan 23 2020

    Send us a text

    Jerry Valentine explains how Renter Mentor is transforming the search for affordable housing as a consulting service and tech platform. In a way, they streamlined the landlord-tenant relationship. While working through community partnerships, the organization is bringing accountability, clarity, and efficiency to the affordable housing market.Speaking from personal experience, this is not Jerry Valentine’s first run with low-income housing, and he only became more knowledgeable. He actually gives a simple description of the state of the affordable housing market. Section 8 developed into the Housing Choice Voucher Program. In the program, tenants can find housing anywhere within public housing authorities’ jurisdiction as long as the landlord is willing to accept. Jerry and I both agreed that the last part is the huge “catch” of the fine print.Low-income housing is not a simple process. Paperwork alone can create a progress hurdle. Once landlords have a glimpse of the procedures, they are more likely to back out of the process completely. Jerry also mentioned aspects like the inspection (which you only have two times to pass), bring more hurdles to the affordable housing market.He didn’t fail to admit the public sector is not exactly up to speed on tech advances either, consequently making processes slower. Facing difficulties and learning curves can turn people away, but Renter Mentor is sure this does not need to be the reality.“I'm not a developer by any means, but I do have an innovative mindset; because I do know innovation and technology is a big part of advancing into this decade.” - Jerry ValentineSimilar to his housing market familiarity, Jerry is no stranger to forging his own path. He reflects on his momentum with Renter Mentor starting at Give Back Hack. Funnily, Renter Mentor did not begin as the most popular idea, but they got the three people they needed to form a team - and have gone on to be one of the successful startups launched from the Give Back Hack weekend launchpad.They followed their Give Back Hack success by joining SEA Change. SEA Change is a 14-week accelerator supporting social enterprises in the earlier stages of their journey. Renter mentor was 1 of the 6 winners to collectively gain funding towards their venture.Jerry reassured that everything isn’t perfect. He shared lessons the team learned along the way, such as not being established as a business in the beginning and having to rewind the process of incorporating. Fortunately, the positives outweigh the negatives overall.Columbus is a challenging city with fast growth: more people moving in, more displacement, and increasing homelessness. He explains the situation is not at the point where a change can’t be made, but that addressing the situation now is more beneficial.“That's why Renter Mentor is here. It's a disruptive solution to the problem, and trying to get ahead of things...” - Jerry ValentineYou can connect with Renter Mentor on their website at joinrentermentor.wixsite.com/rentermentor or on LinkedIn. If you’re interested in learning more, attend one of their upcoming events.
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    34 mins
  • Better Shopping with ConsciousCBUS | with Heide Rembold

    Better Shopping with ConsciousCBUS | with Heide Rembold
    Dec 4 2019

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    Heide Rembold is a conscious business activist here in Columbus, Ohio. She’s passionate about reducing waste, making purchasing decisions that have an impact, and social entrepreneurship. She’s just released her holiday guide to purchasing conscious gifts. Heidi runs @consciouscbus on Instagram - highlighting small businesses doing good in central Ohio, with a real focus on conscious living and conscious consumerism.For a long time, Heidi has been digging into social issues here in Columbus. She previously worked at the Star House as a youth advocate -- the Star House is a drop-in centre for youth experiencing homelessness, aged 14-24. She would spend time with the youth to listen to their story and help them in any way that she could.She also has launched a social enterprise called Solar Bean Cafe and is currently looking for a home for her coffeehouse, where she plans to hire at-risk youth and others with barriers to employment.I love her passion for reducing waste and evaluating what you purchase to see where you can make better choices. We both love amazon but recognize that with a little planning you can make choices which support your local economy and have a better net impact on the environment and the community. She's put together this guide to help save you time on finding these opportunities.Check out what she's doing on Instagram, Facebook and on The Conscious Hive!Read Full Transcript[00:00:00]Adam: Welcome to people, helping people, the podcast to inspire greater social change in the business world and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris, and today I'm talking with Heidi rumble, a conscious business activist here in Columbus, Ohio. She's passionate about reducing waste and making purchasing decisions that have an impact, and she's also has plans for our own social enterprise.[00:00:35] She's just released her holiday guide to help you purchase conscious gifts. And I'm very excited to have her on the podcast to talk about easy ways that you can make an impact while you do your holiday shopping. So without further ado, Heidi, welcome on the podcast. [00:00:50] Heidi: Thank you. It's so nice to be here.[00:00:52] Adam: You have quite a social impact mission that you're developing in your life. And I was wondering if we could just start and talk about some of the projects that you're working on. [00:01:01] Heidi: Absolutely. So we can start with, conscious Columbus since that's my kind of most recent and most active one. I started at conscious Columbus too.[00:01:08] Really connect consumers with conscious businesses in Columbus, Ohio. so kind of a little bit of everything, social enterprises, nonprofits, even those small kind of non-classified businesses that actually are giving back with their business in some way or another. So I started that on social media, just an Instagram page, really to get with people, meet new people, and connect everybody together.[00:01:28]I always say, I'm not. Necessarily the creative one behind the scenes doing the arts and crafts, but I am a loud speaker and I'm very passionate so I can really amplify their voice and their existence. so sort of that and just started posting, started getting to meet people. Well, doing a lot of networking with it and then going from there.[00:01:48]we are slowly transitioning into a full blog and a couple of other little fun things that are coming along this holiday season to really highlight those businesses and those people and individuals doing good in Columbus. All right, cool. [00:02:02] Adam: You have big dreams as well. Plans to open a coffee shop down the road, correct?[00:02:05] Heidi: Yes. Yes. I have a social enterprise of my own called the solar bean cafe, and currently we're seeking a home in a small village outside of Zanesville, Ohio. it's an impoverished village with a lot of, social issues
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    30 mins