Achieve Great Things

When the American Lung Association asked Carrie Schum and her team at Porter Novelli to develop a campaign to encourage smokers to make another attempt to quit smoking, they never expected to end up with the headline: “You’re not a failure. You’re a seven-time learner.” Although the campaign headline was different from anything that the American Lung Association had done before, the campaign tested strongly because of one key reason—Carrie and her team developed a strong understanding of their audience. On this episode of Achieve Great Things, Hattaway's new EVP Carrie Schum gives us a crash course on how to combine audience insights, smart strategy, and courageous choices to drive meaningful behavior change.

While the benefits of a world connected by the internet abound, it's harder and harder to ignore one of its most noxious byproducts - digital pollution. Knight Foundation Vice President of Communities and Impact Sam Gill joins the podcast to discuss how confronting digital pollution can help our democracy overcome a "crisis of trust." Read more on our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/discerning-truth-through-a-web-of-online-misinformation-8b8d07467082

In this episode of Achieve Great Things we're joined by Meera Mani, Director of the Children, Families, and Communities Program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She talks about the power of a shared narrative to achieve greater collective impact, and her organization's journey in lifting up their grantees' crucial work: helping children grow up healthy and ready for school. Read more about this conversation and get other great communications insights at our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/a-foundation-finds-its-voice-cb9fabaf5c7

When the Gallup organization first surveyed Americans about same-sex marriage in 1996, only 27 percent of the public supported legal recognition. Fast forward 23 years, and 63 percent of Americans support marriage equality. People changed their minds—but how? In this episode, Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry, reflects on how the movement eventually achieved a supporting majority that couldn't be stripped away. Read more about our conversation and access other great insights by visiting our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/the-road-to-durable-support-for-marriage-equality-88a796607fde

In 2005, Heather founded Caspian Agency to help purpose-driven organizations create more purposeful events. "The effects of a well-produced event," she likes to say, "are felt far beyond the experience itself." In Episode 3, we talk with Heather about the science and strategy behind making events more meaningful for sponsors and participants alike. Read more about our conversation and access other great insights by visiting our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/the-science-and-strategy-behind-meaningful-events-b5406a44980d

In the midst of an affordable housing crisis and growing income inequality, The San Francisco Foundation asked local communities how to promote equity in the region. In Episode 2, we sit down with Gail Fuller to learn what they heard. The answers might surprise you. Read more about our conversation and access other great insights by visiting our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/the-san-francisco-foundations-north-star-is-equity-what-s-yours-e201b521912b

In Episode 1 of our third season, Doug Hattaway talks to Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, about his conversations with Americans in 26 communities focusing on immigration and American identity. Read more about the podcast at our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/armchair-conversations-on-immigration-and-american-identity-ec436ce3342a

In Episode 8, Joe Goldman of Democracy Funds talks about challenges facing American democracy, from election hacking to declining trust in journalism and propaganda campaigns driven by artificial intelligence — and shares practical steps we can take to address them. Read more about the podcast at our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/checking-the-vital-signs-of-our-democracy-65f78774ab2

In Episode 7, LIFT CEO and Co-Founder Kirsten Lodal talks about using the power of aspirational thinking and communication to modernize the way America fights poverty. To read more, visit our Aspirational blog at: https://medium.com/aspirational/fighting-poverty-with-an-aspirational-message-9d16dd52bb0b

In Episode 6, we speak with journalist Ryan Bell about how to get past prevailing narratives and produce work that stands the test of time. To read more, visit our Aspirational blog at: https://medium.com/aspirational/how-to-get-your-audiences-the-real-story-c908d5900627

In Episode 5, HuffPost Executive Editor Hillary Frey explains how her the publication's Listen to America Tour revealed what's really on Americans' minds — without the political filter. For more details, visit our aspirational blog at

In Episode 4, Del. David Reid (D-VA) explains the key to winning his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates last November: listening. Will Democrats in 2018 follow his lead? For more details, visit our aspirational blog at https://medium.com/aspirational/understand-that-it-really-is-about-them-c6d7103d3b41

Episode 3 features a conversation with Joshua Ulibarri, chief pollster for the Democratic Caucus in the Virginia House of Delegates, about historic Democratic victories in 2017. For more details, visit our Aspirational Blog at https://medium.com/aspirational/a-new-day-in-the-old-dominion-700a10237457

In Episode Two, we check in with Lanae Erickson Hatalsky about Third Way’s post-2016 “listening tour” to hear what they found. For more details on this episode, visit our Aspirational blog at: https://medium.com/aspirational/no-one-in-d-c-cares-what-i-think-4b34dc692944

Season Two of Achieve Great Things kicks off by recapping the key insights that progressive communicators need to take to heart in 2018. For more details on this episode, visit our Aspirational blog at: https://medium.com/aspirational/its-a-new-year-and-the-stakes-couldn-t-be-higher-26a9ec3ed47f

In the final episode of Season One, Chad Nelsen of the Surfrider Foundation gives advice for turning people’s passions into activism.

In Episode 22, Clarence B. Jones, speechwriter to Martin Luther King, Jr., talks about America’s need for moral courage.

Episode 21, Jill Schwartz and Alex MacLennan, World Wildlife Fund by Hattaway Communciations

Episode 20, Sean Gibbons, Communications Network by Hattaway Communciations

Episode 19, Macon Phillips, CARE by Hattaway Communications