As August races toward September and Labor Day with alarming speed, I’m here with a couple of timely updates.
The podcast
I recently had the pleasure of joining Ron Rapatalo on his podcast, Ronderings (great name, right?), for a conversation about leadership, boards, and leadership as a creative practice (my favorite topic of the whole conversation). Ron is such a great human and thoughtful interviewer (even I couldn’t help but have a few good ideas). You can listen to the full episode here: Leadership Is a Creative Practice: Nonprofit Boards, Trust, and Saying Yes to Possibility with Gary Bagley
The conference
Next up, EARLY BIRD alert.
You CANNOT miss Nonprofit New York’s 2026 Annual Conference: Stay Relentless. The conference is November 5th at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The sessions, speakers, and chance to connect with colleagues are the boost we all need to stay relentless in this important work.
Come get informed, connected, and energized together with 1,000 nonprofit pros (I guess that’s 999, minus you, really).
I'm writing today (as a proud board member) because early-bird pricing runs through August 31st.
You can see the full agenda and buy tickets HERE. And, if you’re not already a member – why not change that? You can learn more on the site as well (or email me).
The blog posts
I’ll be back after Labor Day with a new series of Bagley-ism blog posts (the podcast with Ron has me noodling on some new ideas). In the meantime, these are the three most-read blog posts of 2026 (so far). Check them out and let me know what you think.
They're All a Mess (Why It’s Always a Cleanup Job)
Are You Flying at the Right Altitude? (Is It Big Picture or All Weeds?)
The Blurry Third (Where Boards and Staff Get into Trouble – and Do Their Best Work)
I’ll see you after Labor Day with more Bagley-isms. In the meantime, rest and rejuvenate as much as you are able.
Until next time
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