If you’re reading this, you have access to a computer, meaning you’ve most likely seen the Netflix-exclusive show, Orange is the New Black.
If not, go watch it – as soon as you finish reading this blog. (Priorities!)
The show is based on the true story of a woman named Piper, who was sentenced to years in a women’s prison for her very brief role within an international drug ring. Despite how that sounds, Piper’s character comes off as very sweet and “vanilla,” which make her early days in prison rather challenging, and also make the show amusing and relatable.
The real-life Piper, Piper Kerman, wrote a best-selling book about her experiences, and now serves as a communications consultant with Spitfire Strategies, where she advises nonprofits, philanthropies, and other organizations working in the public interest. While she is most famous for Orange is the New Black, I was intrigued by the idea of nonprofit consultants and wanted to learn more about what Spitfire Strategies actually does.
Their website explains:
“We share your vision of a better world and work hard to help you create the change you need to make great things happen. Our clients are working to make a positive impact on a wide range of issues including immigration, reproductive health rights, education, public health, resource conservation and criminal justice reform, just to name a few. [Take a closer look at their clients]
We see things differently, because our senior staff has walked in our clients’ shoes. Having served in policy, nonprofit and foundation leadership roles before joining our team, they bring decades of experience and insight to the active roles they play in every client engagement.
At Spitfire, we work hard and we love what we do. We’re a group of creative, diverse and down-to-earth people.”
The last sentence particularly caught my eye – from my own experience working with nonprofits, those traits do encapsulate the type of person who thrives in the nonprofit industry. It’s definitely not for everyone, but like many PR careers, it’s a rewarding, creative path that’s never boring!
Here’s to making a difference,
Callie Rose
