Today’s episode of Lead with Heart is the first episode of my Series on Leadership. I believe leadership is fundamental to how we grow and it’s both a personal and external process. In this series of interviews, you’ll hear from some amazing leaders and we’ll explore together ways to become a better leader, with the best practices and the best advice out there.
To kick off this inspiring series, my guest today is Monica Horner, who is one of my coaches and has helped me on my own leadership journey. We talk about coaching in the nonprofit field, advice for those in leadership positions, burnout, the importance of self-care, and much more.
Monica Horner is one of the Executive Coaches of Orange County. She has over 13 years of experience as a professional fundraiser and leader in the nonprofit space. She was the Director of Strategic Giving at the Second Harvest Food Bank, where she personally helped raise millions of dollars.

In this episode:
- [01:06] Monica’s journey to nonprofit leadership and coaching
- [05:02] The #1 challenge in the nonprofit field
- [07:23] The importance of actively listening to yourself and others
- [15:54] Why coaching is so valuable for professionals in the nonprofit field
- [17:11] How to get the best out of your coaching sessions
- [23:04] Self-care and joy through meditation, movement, and connection
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
“My message for leaders is: great managers are people who, I think, recognize the signs of burnout, and recognize when their employees need to take a little bit of time for self-care.” – Monica Horner
“A lot of bosses are actually adopting coaching into their management style themselves. And if not, then they’re encouraging their employees to get into coaching, because they’re finding that it really, really enhances their employee’s performance, and increases longevity within the organization.” – Monica Horner
“Just remember that everybody’s going through something […] And so, just be aware, attack it with mindfulness, […] with care as well, and concern.” – Monica Horner
“People, when they think of self-care, they think of an added to-do list. But we need to think of it as a way to make ourselves better so that we can show up as our highest self, and impact other people in the way that we want to.” – Haley Cooper

RESOURCES
Do you want to receive FREE executive coaching? You can find experienced coaches from a variety of backgrounds, in both nonprofit and business, for free at Executive Coaches of Orange County.
CONNECT WITH MONICA HORNER
LinkedIn: Monica Horner
Website: ecofoc.org
CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Certified Stress Management Coach, and Certified EmC train the trainer. She is the Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, a nonprofit consulting and coaching business. She has worked in both small and large nonprofit teams in the human services, homelessness, and youth sectors; and she specializes in the EmC process, nonprofit leadership, board development, and fundraising. Haley is a passionate, impact-driven, experienced nonprofit professional whose mission is to empower, elevate and engage nonprofit leaders to build healthy, thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
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