693. Despair Is Paralyzing, Hope Is Galvanizing: Afdhel Aziz's Three-Step Playbook for Stories That Move People to Action

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Afdhel Aziz, founder of Good is the New Cool, to unpack why the way most nonprofits tell their story is quietly killing their impact, and what the new playbook looks like.Afdhel has spent 30+ years advising brands like Disney, Coca-Cola, Gap, and Adidas on purpose-driven storytelling. But his most urgent work right now is closing the hope gap - a measurable 27% chasm between hope and despair in society, tracked by Yale. He believes nonprofits sit at the center of the solution. And he's here to show you exactly how to get there. 🩵In this episode, you'll hear:The Yale data behind the 27% hope gap and a reframe for your whole team A three-step storytelling playbook that any org can put to work immediatelyHow to reach the 90% of people who want to help but don't know where to start (hint: it's not another heavy documentary)Episode Highlights:Afdhel's origin story: From Sri Lanka to 30 years of brand storytelling (3:08)Why "Good is the New Cool" - and why that message is more urgent than ever (5:01)The 27% Hope Gap: What Yale's data tells us about where society is right now (6:53)The 90/10 problem in nonprofit storytelling - and the shift that changes everything (12:57)The Solutionaries: What impact storytelling can learn from Hollywood (19:09)Activists vs. advocates + the three-step playbook: Hope → Wonder → Courageous Action (24:33)Afdhel's One Good Thing: The top regret of the dying — and why authenticity is Afdhel's answer (32:41)Resources Mentioned:Explore Afdhel's work and connectChoose LoveThe Solutionaries"Hope at Work" by Barbara Perry + Harry Hudson"The Book of Hope" by Jane Goodall"The Top Five Regrets of the Dying" by Bronnie WareFull Episode Landing Page: www.weareforgood.com/episode/693Join us at The Spread!Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛We Are For Good is joining forces with GB to host in-person hackathon meetups on Friday, Oct. 2, in New York, Seattle, LA, Denver, and Indianapolis, so you can build alongside other nonprofits in the community.Learn more and save your free spot today. //Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.comSay hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter