Do What Only You Can Do: The Hardest Lesson for Nonprofit Leaders

What happens when a corporate supervisor realizes she was made for more? In this episode of the Hart & Hustle Podcast, Efrain sits down with Yolanda Fields, Executive Director of Breakthrough Urban Ministries on Chicago’s West Side. Raised by a mom who ran the “Kool-Aid house” in subsidized housing, Yolanda learned early that no matter how little you have, you always have something to give. That lesson, and a defining moment on September 11th, led her to leave a 10-year career at AT&T for nonprofit work. Twenty-three years later, she leads an organization serving 20,000 people annually with 140 staff across six facilities. Yolanda opens up about the hard lessons of moving from corporate to human services, including the reality of vicarious trauma, the humility of not having all the answers, and the truth that people are the best directors of their own lives. She shares the story of a woman in her shelter whose sunny outlook on a pouring-rain morning changed how Yolanda sees her own challenges. She also gets honest about one of the toughest seasons in her leadership: navigating funding uncertainty from policy changes, and why she asked her board for a full year of strategic learning before writing the next strategic plan. If you lead a mission-driven organization and you’re feeling the weight right now, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone. In this episode: How a childhood of community generosity shaped a career in service What corporate life doesn’t prepare you for in nonprofit leadership Why leaders struggle to “do what only you can do,” especially when building from scratch Inside a one-stop campus: housing, youth education, a dignity-centered fresh market, and community violence intervention Why humility and suspending assumptions are a leader’s greatest strengths Failing forward: giving yourself grace when decisions don’t go as planned Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & the Kool-Aid House 04:20 How 9/11 Sparked a Career Pivot 08:48 Lessons from Corporate to Nonprofit 12:26 The Story That Changed Her Perspective 15:44 The People Who Pushed Her Forward 19:38 Leading While Building from Scratch 21:57 Inside a One-Stop Community Campus 25:40 Communicating with the Community 27:55 Policy Changes & a Year of Strategic Learning 30:33 Humility as a Leadership Strength 32:41 Legacy & Family 35:47 How to Get Involved 37:16 Encouragement for Mission-Driven Leaders Get involved with Breakthrough Urban Ministries: https://breakthrough.org About Hart & Hustle: Hart & Hustle features conversations with leaders of nonprofits, healthcare, and mission-driven organizations about leadership, innovation, and scaling impact. Brought to you by FRANSiS™, the SMS-powered conversational AI platform helping mission-based organizations extend their team’s capacity 24/7. Learn more at https://fransis.us #NonprofitLeadership #MissionDriven #HumanServices #Chicago #Leadership #HartAndHustle