Are you leading an incredible mission-driven organization, yet you find yourself lying awake at 3 a.m. wondering why your most powerful stories aren’t raising the money or driving the engagement you need? It is a common frustration: you are doing vital work, but as you grow, your message starts to fizzle out.

In this episode, we sit down with Jordan McCormick, Executive Director of Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley. Jordan has navigated the intense ”growing pains” of taking a volunteer-led concept and scaling it into a regional powerhouse that serves 15 families a day and manages up to 300 pieces of furniture every week.

We explore the transition from ”crisis mode” to strategic leadership and the mindset shift required to help people truly start over.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Difference Between Growth and Impact: Why ”bigger” isn't always ”better,” and how to define what success actually looks like for your mission.
• Crisis vs. Noise: How to distinguish between a genuine organizational crisis and a simple problem ”dressed up” as one.
• The Power of Dignity: Why mission-driven work should focus on restoring a person's dignity rather than just being ”paid in gratitude.”
• Leading a ”Volunteer Army”: Strategies for keeping a team motivated and aligned when the logistics of growth feel overwhelming.
• Living Your Faith Through Action: How simple acts—like providing a bed or a table—can become the ultimate vehicle for your organization's values.

Key Quotes:

”Everything's impossible until you do it.””Bigger is not always better. Better is better.””We are here not to be paid in gratitude… we’re also here for the people who are struggling with that.”

About Our Guest:

Jordan McCormick is a Midwest transplant who has built a deeply local, faith-based operation centered on human dignity. Under his leadership, Furniture Mission helps families recovering from crisis—from addiction treatment to emergency shelters—by providing the physical foundation they need to start a new chapter.

About Tellwell:

At Tellwell, we believe clarity is kind. We partner with nonprofits, higher education, and community financial institutions to translate important work into clear, human-first stories that drive action. Whether through impact films, brand strategy, or web design, we help you break through the noise and turn storytelling into real-world results.

Ready to amplify your impact? Learn more about how we can help you tell your story the right way at wetellwell.com.