Stephanie Matthews on Storytelling, Jazz, and Building a Mission People Join | MLIH Ep. 45

The answer isn't louder marketing or bigger budgets. It's better storytelling, stronger community, and experiences that connect people to your mission in a meaningful way. That's the case Stephanie Matthews makes in this episode.Stephanie is the Executive Director of A Tribe for Jazz, a nonprofit redefining what arts education can look like. After more than 20 years as an award-winning photographer and creative director, she moved into nonprofit leadership, where she's using visual storytelling, cross-sector partnerships, and programs like Jazz Lab to connect jazz, STEM, and creativity for the next generation.In this episode, we get into how her background in visual storytelling changed the way she thinks about marketing a mission, what nonprofits often miss when telling their own story, and how to market something people might not immediately understand. We also talk about what makes one nonprofit's brand memorable while another fades into the background, how to inspire people emotionally without it feeling like a constant ask, and what jazz's principles of improvisation and listening teach us about leadership and marketing. Plus, the one storytelling principle that's held true across documentaries, campaigns, live performances, and nonprofit work, and where a nonprofit with almost no visibility should focus their time over the next year.Connect with Stephanie Matthews: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemmatthews/Learn more about A Tribe for Jazz: https://www.atribeforjazz.org/Need help with your marketing? Visit us at https://thecultofrebel.com/Subscribe for more conversations on marketing, branding, and business.