What is your topic?
One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is transforming the marketing function of a small, underfunded environmental nonprofit into a clear, strategic system that produces measurable outcomes. When I stepped into my role as Marketing Director at Save the Water, the organization had decades of history, but its communications were fragmented and abstract.
What was your life like BEFORE you addressed this issue in your life?
Before addressing this issue, I felt constantly busy but not always effective. I was putting in long hours, producing content, coordinating people, and responding to immediate needs, yet there was a lingering sense that effort was not translating into tangible progress. The organization was doing meaningful work, but our messaging did not reflect it clearly, and as a result, engagement and funding felt unpredictable.
What emotions were you feeling BEFORE you dealt with the issue?
I felt frustrated and restless. I cared deeply about the vision of the organization, but I also felt constrained by limited resources, lack of structure, and the pressure to “do more” without a clear path forward. There was also a sense of responsibility, knowing that poor communication can be just as limiting as a lack of funding.
How was this issue affecting your life?
Professionally, it pushed me to question whether I was truly creating impact or just maintaining activity. Personally, it forced me to confront my own tendency to overwork without always stepping back to design systems. I realized that without structure, even passion can become exhausting.
What primary strategy or practice did you implement to address the issue?
I rebuilt our communications from the ground up with a focus on clarity, systems, and outcomes. This included redefining our messaging, creating a comprehensive brand book, introducing KPIs, and aligning our storytelling across departments. I also integrated data dashboards and AI-based tools to support decision-making, content creation, and internal coordination. Most importantly, I shifted the organization from abstract awareness-based messaging to a project-first strategy. Instead of asking people to support a broad cause, we focused on a flagship project with a clear objective: the Everglades Clean Drinking Water Initiative.
Where did you hear about this strategy or practice?
The approach came from a combination of my background in computer science, public relations, and storytelling. I have always believed that complex systems, whether technical or social, need clear architectures to function. I applied that same logic to communications, treating it as infrastructure rather than promotion.
Please provide our readers with the individual strategic steps you took.
1. Identify where complexity is creating confusion. If people cannot explain what you do in one sentence, start there.
2. Define one tangible outcome instead of many abstract goals.
3. Build messaging that clearly connects actions to results.
4. Create simple systems to track progress and outcomes.
5. Repeat the same clear narrative consistently across all channels.
6. Document what works so it can be improved and scaled.
How long did it take before you saw or felt changes occurring?
Within weeks, the results were visible. Donations started coming up, sponsors and partners began to show interest, and the organization began operating with a level of clarity and coordination it had not experienced before. More importantly, conversations shifted from awareness to action.
What challenges did you face along the way of your personal transformation?
The biggest challenge was working without an advertisement budget, which forced me to be resourceful and creative at every step.
How did you address those challenges?
I invested what I had: time. I used data to guide decisions and mentored volunteers to understand not just what to do, but why it matters.
What is life like for you now?
Now, my work feels more intentional, where the effort is directed toward clear outcomes. The work feels sustainable and scalable.
From a broader perspective, what you have learned about yourself through this experience?
I learned that I am most effective when I build structure in uncertain environments.
What advice would you give others facing this challenge?
Do not confuse activity with impact. Take the time to step back and design the system before scaling the effort. Clarity is not a luxury, it is a prerequisite for meaningful change.
What would you tell your younger self if you could go back?
I would tell my younger self that clarity is more powerful than perfection. For a long time, I believed that working harder, saying yes to everything, and constantly producing would eventually lead to impact. What I learned is that impact does not come from doing more, it comes from doing the right things with intention. Designing systems, asking better questions, and slowing down long enough to define a clear objective creates far more change than endless activity.
I would also remind myself that working with limited resources is not a disadvantage. Constraint forces creativity, discipline, and leadership. Some of the most meaningful progress I have made came from moments where I had to build structure out of ambiguity and find solutions without a safety net.
Finally, I would say this: do not wait for external validation to take ownership. Leadership is not granted, it is practiced. The moment you start acting as if the outcome is your responsibility, things begin to move.
If others reading this would like to connect with you to ask questions, are you open to that?
Yes, feel free to reach me at marianalema at savethewater.org