“It’s not enough for a nonprofit to just be thinking about the mission, vision, values of your organization. You need to think about how you can engage your employees so that they are also in alignment and helping you drive that forward because it’s helping them live their own individual life purpose.”

Patrice Tanaka

In this edition of The Beacon Podcast, Margaret Gardner speaks with Patrice Tanaka, co-founder of Joyful Planet, a consultancy that helps people discover and live their life’s purpose and unleash their greatest success, fulfillment and joy.

Patrice discusses life and organizational purpose and how they can work together to create successful nonprofits and nonprofit leaders. Patrice answers questions including:

• What is “life purpose” and “organizational purpose,” and what is the difference between them?
• Why is it especially relevant for nonprofits to an organizational purpose?
• How should nonprofits communicate their organizational purpose with their donors? 

About our Guest

Patrice Tanaka is co-founder of Joyful Planet, a consultancy that helps people discover and live their life’s purpose. This is the subject of Patrice’s best-selling book, “Beat the Curve,” co-authored with renowned management consultant Brian Tracy and other business leaders. 

Patrice’s book, “Becoming Ginger Rogers … How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner and Smarter CEO,” chronicles how her joy of ballroom dancing led to her award-winning track record in creative problem solving for some of the most successful global brands. 

Patrice was co-founder of PadillaCRT, the largest, employee-owned PR agency in the United States, and  co-chair for CRT/tanaka, which she helped found in with Richmond, Virginia-based Carter Ryley Thomas.

Patrice has been honored by many PR, marketing, business and civic organizations, including the PRWeek Hall of Fame 2016, PRSA Foundation, Public Relations Society of America, New York Women in Communications, the Association for Women in Communications, Girl Scouts of Greater New York, Asian Women in Business and the University of Hawaii.

Patrice is the immediate past co-chair and now executive board member of the Diversity Action Alliance and serves on the boards of nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping women and children, including the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, Dancing Classrooms and the American Friends of The Phelophepa Train of Hope (South Africa).