Finding Balance and Joy in Nonprofit Storytelling with Kishshana Palmer

In this episode of When Bearing Witness, we talk with Kishshana Palmer, a dynamic international speaker, coach, and author, to discuss her new book, Busy Is a Four-Letter Word: A Guide to Achieving More by Doing Less. 

Kishshana’s candid insights offer a much-needed pause for nonprofit professionals and storytellers navigating the relentless demands of their work. We discuss the importance of slowing down to avoid burnout and maintain the authenticity and empathy necessary for impactful storytelling. 

Through actionable advice and relatable anecdotes, she illustrates how storytellers can challenge unrealistic expectations, push back against "always-on" culture, and focus on what truly matters—crafting stories with care and purpose.

Whether you’re in the early stages of burnout or striving to lead with your values, this conversation is an invitation to embrace balance in a fast-paced world.

About Kishshana

Kishshana Palmer is an international speaker, trainer, author, and coach with a 20+ year background in fundraising, marketing, and talent management who helps leaders create high-performing teams. She’s the CEO of ManageMint, Inc., an organizational development firm focused on helping everyday leaders live well and lead well. Her firm's work centers on equity and social justice and practical solutions for today’s organizations. 

Connect with Kishshana

Busy Is A Four Letter Word Book | Website | ManageMint

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

About Host Maria Bryan

Maria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Maria has over fifteen years in marketing communications in the public sector. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, and is professionally certified in Trauma & Resilience, Trauma-Informed Space Holding, Trauma-Informed Coaching, and Somatic Embodiment & Regulation. Maria is a firm believer that storytellers make the world a healthier, safer, cleaner, and happier place.

Connect with Maria

Speaking & Training | LinkedIn | Email

Transcript

Kishshana Palmer is an international speaker, trainer, author, and coach with more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, and talent management. She helps leaders create high performing teams and is the CEO of Kishshana Palmer & Associates, an organizational development firm focused on helping everyday leaders live well and lead well.

Her firm’s work centers on equity, social justice, and practical solutions for today’s organizations. She is also the author of Busy Is a Four Letter Word.

Maria Bryan:
Kishshana Palmer is in the house.

Thank you so much for being on When Bearing Witness. Welcome to the show.

Kishshana Palmer:
Thank you for having me.

Maria Bryan:
We are here to talk about something I am so thrilled is in the world right now, your book Busy Is a Four Letter Word. Congratulations. I have followed your work for a long time. You are a powerhouse in the nonprofit sector.

Can we start with you sharing a bit about your personal journey and how busyness and balance influenced both your work and this book?

Kishshana Palmer:
The first thing I want folks to know is this. Do not trust anyone who says they have all the answers. I am still a work in process.

One of the things I had to reconcile with myself, especially during COVID, was how deeply attached I was to being busy. Even when I was forced to slow down, I just found other things to occupy my time. I was not resting. I was not sleeping. I did not suddenly pick up a hobby. I just worked more.

I realized I was not clear on why I was busy. I thought I was balanced. I would say things like, I just love to work, which I do. Work felt safe to me, similar to how school felt safe when I was younger.

But my health was failing, and I had hidden it for a long time. I joked about it. My back. My heels. I was not slowing down enough to deal with my own stuff.

Balance, for me, is not about either or. It is about integration. And to integrate, you have to be honest about the load you are carrying.

I came from investment banking, then fundraising and marketing, then executive leadership. I was often the only Black woman on leadership teams. The stress lived in my body. From microaggressions to dismantling harmful narratives while still needing to raise money, it takes a toll.

Writing this book exposed all my wobbly bits.

Maria Bryan:
I am so glad you named not just our to do lists, but the emotional toll of nonprofit work. Many listeners hold space for painful and traumatic stories.

What is at stake for us if we do not slow down and set boundaries?

Kishshana Palmer:
Our life expectancy, for one.

We like to blame food, supplements, or aging. But for many of us, it is stress and emotional labor. At work, at home, in our communities.

What is at stake is our ability to recharge. When you stay plugged in all the time, the battery does not last.

We shorten our own lifespan. We rob our families of joy. We short circuit our ability to show up fully for the missions we care about.

There is a lot at stake.

Maria Bryan:
Busyness is often normalized in the nonprofit sector, especially with urgency driven work.

How can we set boundaries and focus on meaningful work when everything feels urgent?

Kishshana Palmer:
I think of boundaries as an invitation. An invitation for how people get to be with me, and how I get to be with myself.

Many of us send out mass invitations. Come one, come all. We need selective invitations.

The first step is taking stock. What is actually happening in your life right now, professionally and personally? What is done, what is in process, what is still a draft?

Most of us are not actually doing urgent work. I had to reconcile that I am not an emergency room doctor. I am not on call. The work matters, but not everything is urgent.

I also learned to hire people who love the work itself, not just the mission. If you love the work, you can do it for different missions in different seasons of your life.

Boundaries come from knowing what season you are in and choosing accordingly.

Maria Bryan:
That resonates deeply. I have had moments where my nervous system felt like everything was life or death, even when it was not.

Kishshana Palmer:
We are doing critical work, but not everything is urgent.

If you treat everything like a fire, you never get to be strategic. And strategy, at its most basic level, is knowing your north star.

If you never say no, your creativity has nowhere to go. You cannot always be putting out fires.

Maria Bryan:
What are some early signs of burnout that people often miss?

Kishshana Palmer:
The sign I missed was resentment. I started resenting things I loved. Cooking. Driving. Being with people.

Your body will tell you. Rashes. Hormonal changes. Blood pressure. For me, it was cortisol. Stress was off the charts.

The first step is paying attention. You have a responsibility to take care of yourself.

When I reframed self care from a nice to have into a responsibility, everything changed. That framing works for a lot of high achieving leaders.

You have a duty to take care of yourself.

Maria Bryan:
Many people embrace these values, but still work in organizations with unrealistic expectations.

How do we lead up around balance?

Kishshana Palmer:
Make the implicit explicit.

Name what you need in order to do your best work. Not defensively. Not apologetically. Just clearly.

Managing up requires observation. Understanding what motivates your manager and what pressures they face.

When I removed my ego, I became very good at managing up. When I let my ego lead, I struggled.

It is about making your manager’s job easier while protecting your own capacity.

Maria Bryan:
That feels like detective work, really understanding leadership values and stressors.

Kishshana Palmer:
Exactly. It does not make the work perfect, but it allows you to work with more ease.

Maria Bryan:
If there is one message you hope readers take away from Busy Is a Four Letter Word, what would it be?

Kishshana Palmer:
You already have everything you need to be successful.

Slowing down will save you, not harm you.

You do not need another book, course, or conference. You have been rushing for so long that you have lost clarity on where you are going.

My goal is to help people slow down enough to reconnect with their direction and define success on their own terms.

Maria Bryan:
Where can listeners find your book?

Kishshana Palmer:
It is available at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, online retailers, and at kishshanapalmer.com/book. There will also be additional resources coming in the new year.

This is a lifestyle shift, not a one time fix.

Maria Bryan:
Kishshana, thank you for your leadership and for sharing your wisdom with the When Bearing Witness community.