Distilling Philanthropy
Distilling Philanthropy is a guest-driven, conversation-led podcast that explores philanthropy through the lived perspectives of the people who engage with it through their own work and lives. Set in a speakeasy, not a boardroom, the podcast dispels convention and leans into the moment. Each episode features honest, long-form conversations with guests who share how they personally view philanthropy. By understanding how they define it, wrestle with it, and experience its impact, they are able to move beyond traditional narratives. The podcast looks at the real opinions, trade-offs, and moments that shape meaningful change. Distilling Philanthropy creates space for open dialogue...
The Dollar Taylor Lewan Gives Before He Writes the Check
Taylor Lewan, former NFL offensive lineman and co-host of Bussin' With The Boys, joins Distilling Philanthropy with unusual honesty about how he came to giving. He admits he was long suspicious of athlete charity and hard-wired to protect what he'd earned, until his wife reframed what it means to help and why fulfillment follows generosity. Along the way: giving a hand up rather than a handout, teaching his kids gratitude at every red light, and saying yes to everything until you earn the right to say no. A candid hour for donors, families, and philanthropic advisors thinking about how...
Why So Much Money Just Sits There
Marisa Swystun spent her career in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector before moving into wealth management, and that crossover shapes how she counsels donors. She makes the case that giving well starts with understanding your catalysts, the reasons you actually let go of money, long before you get to values or causes. Along the way: why the rules of wealth creation don't apply to giving, why so much charitable capital sits idle at the 5% minimum, and what she means when she says giving buys happiness. A grounded hour for donors, families, and philanthropic advisors thinking about intention, impact, and...
Why Smart Giving Starts With the Outcome
Ali Harnell, founder of Live Nation Women, joins Distilling Philanthropy for a candid conversation about giving when you have the means to solve problems, not just fund them. She makes the case for starting with a desired outcome instead of a legal vehicle, and for recognition when it serves a cause better than anonymity. Along the way: the nonprofit she started and why it stalled, and the four-second decision behind her first donor advised fund. A useful hour for donors, wealth managers, family office leaders, and philanthropic advisors thinking about impact, legacy, and intention.
Why Shawn and Andrew East don't find the best charity – they find the best problem solver
Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East built a large platform through athletics, relationships, and years of storytelling, and in this conversation they turn that lens on giving. They make the case that seeing the work firsthand beats writing a check, that charities lose people when they sound like commercials instead of humans, and that the real task is finding the best problem solver rather than the best charity. Along the way: the "beautiful guilt" of getting more than you give, why they take their kids to build homes in Tijuana, and how proximity to a problem shapes the causes...
A Wealth Advisor's Philanthropy Wake-Up Call
In this conversation, Tony talks about what it actually takes to move philanthropy from obligation to intention — why the standard "know your client" framework falls short, what advisors are still afraid to ask, and how the most meaningful giving rarely begins with a check. He also shares the personal experience that reoriented his entire relationship with generosity, and what he believes is at stake as the wealth management profession faces a generational reckoning.
This is a candid, behind-the-bar conversation about perspective, legacy, and what it means to serve a client well across every stage of their wealth jo...
What Happens When It Stops Being About You
In this conversation, Ty talks about what a decade on the road with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition taught him about genuine service, why the skilled trades represent one of the most overlooked philanthropic opportunities of this generation, and how a four-day boat build with a father he barely knew changed everything he believed about what he was capable of.
He also shares what he's learned partnering with Anonymous Philanthropy and the Skilled Careers Coalition about reaching young people who are ready to do something with their hands and their lives — they just need someone to show them th...
All Giving Is Not The Same
This conversation covers what separates high-impact giving from well-intentioned giving, why fear is the single biggest deterrent to purposeful philanthropy, how the virtuous cycle of purpose-driven giving actually works, and what the coming generational wealth transfer means for anyone serious about deploying capital at scale. If you manage wealth, advise donors, or give at any level and want your giving to create the most impact it possibly can, this is the conversation to start with.
Dave Swartz is the Chief Vision Officer at Anonymous Philanthropy, and in this conversation he unpacks the thinking behind a new white...
The Gap Between "Wealthy" and "Rich"
In this episode of Distilling Philanthropy, Rob and Josh cover the distinction between being wealthy and having money, why overcommitting to a cause tends to produce better outcomes than optimizing your giving, how liquidity events can either bond a family together or fracture one permanently, and what wealth managers consistently get wrong about entrepreneurs. Rob also shares a story from his time chairing Operation Homefront — one of the highest-stakes moments in a career full of them — and what it clarified about the difference between involvement and actual commitment.
Rob Wolford co-founded Hollencrest Capital Management in 1999, building it into...
What False Consensus is Doing to Your Giving Strategy
In this conversation, Stuart and Josh explore what it takes to move from reactive giving to root cause philanthropy, why false consensus is one of the most expensive problems in family governance and donor strategy, and how the coming generational wealth transfer (potentially $170 billion in new charitable capital over the next fifteen years) demands a more intentional approach to alignment, mission, and measurement.
They also get into the fulfillment side of giving: the metric most foundations don't track, and the reason so many donors disengage from work they said mattered to them.
Stuart McClure has...
Why Wealthy Families Need Advisors Who Push Back
In this episode of Distilling Philanthropy, Kevin and Ben join host Josh Stamer for a candid conversation about what it actually means to be a trusted advisor to high-net-worth families — not just picking good investments, but knowing when to push back, how to bridge generational wealth transfer with genuine philanthropic purpose, and why the most valuable thing you can offer a sophisticated client is often the clarity to see what they already have.
They also get into the formative experiences that shaped their instincts: a gap year drilling in the Western Australian Outback, cold-calling on Dun & Bradstreet car...
The Metric Philanthropy Isn't Measuring (But Should)
In this episode of Distilling Philanthropy, Josh Stamer sits down with Kari Hernandez (SVP of Growth at Ren, Inc.) to challenge how we measure (and practice) modern philanthropy. They dig into donor-advised funds (DAFs), why "assets parked" is the wrong scoreboard, and what it looks like to move from check-writing to problem-solving with real outcomes, momentum, and fulfillment. If you're a high net worth donor or advisor trying to deploy charitable capital with more clarity and less friction, this conversation delivers a sharper framework for what's next.
Kari leads growth strategy across product, partnerships, and market expansion...
