We recently connected with Alexis Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Alexis, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I’ve witnessed the power of words to inspire change, bring people to tears, part with their time or money to support a cause or others in need, and make a difference. After a decade of working in content and communications, from magazine editorial to corporate communications, and later development and marketing in the nonprofit sector, I realized that I care more about doing meaningful work with great people than climbing the corporate ladder. So, I quit my day job and created Sprig, where the mission “do good with words” reigns supreme.

Now, I get to write for good, threading storytelling into every aspect of an organization’s communications, marketing, and campaigns.

As a teen, I was more likely to be found sorting baby clothes in the basement of a nonprofit or singeing my eyelashes starting a propane heater at a food bank’s empty bowls event in the wintertime – both true stories! – than at a bonfire or party. And I’ve always enjoyed writing. It’s no surprise to me that I’ve ended up here, Sprig and this mission feel like they’ve always been in the making.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I provide big-brand marketing and communications support specifically tailored for small nonprofit organizations.

I typically collaborate with small to mid-size organizations, assisting them in outsourcing parts or their entire communications program. This encompasses creating communication plans that support fundraising or event campaigns and collaborating with internal teams—such as executive directors, nonprofit boards, or development directors—to develop stories, emails, appeals, promotional materials, and more to ensure campaign success.

For my longer-term retainer clients, I help them formulate a content and communication strategy that aligns with their growth objectives and assist in executing that plan through copywriting, content creation, and public relations support. I excel at translating complex concepts and jargon into clear, digestible content, often using storytelling to engage audiences. My true superpower lies in my passion and determination to advance plans effectively and efficiently.

My services include copywriting and content creation to support ongoing communications and content efforts across a nonprofit’s existing channels (e.g., email, social media, mailers, etc.) and storytelling for fundraising and event campaigns (e.g., impact stories for event programs, annual reports, etc.).

I’m proud that I’ve been able to stay true to my business mission to “do good with words.” I’ve had the opportunity to support organizations of all sizes, sectors, and levels of maturity and helped them achieve their goals. In 2024 alone, campaigns and events I supported raised a combined $338K for operational expenses and project investments.

My greatest accomplishment to date has been the execution of a 4-week annual fundraising campaign where I raised $265,000, exceeding the organization’s fundraising goal by 18%. During that time, I organized 8 community events of varied sizes and purposes that appealed to the wide donor base. This included give-back events; intimate, in-home gatherings; an indoor bike-a-thon; and a 100-attendee finale celebration. The campaign used an omnichannel communications approach, leveraging weekly emails, social media, word-of-mouth communications, printed materials, and letter appeals to secure donations.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Perfection is mandatory. This “lesson” feels like it was thrust upon me from a young age, starting with competitive athletics and later in school. As I started my career, like any other person, there was a learning curve. I rarely gave myself grace, I rarely trusted the process and assumed if I didn’t get something the first time, I was doomed to fail. It used to eat me up if I made a mistake, and with communications and content work, it’s often public because it’s published somewhere or goes out in an email.

In one of my last roles before starting my own business, I had a supervisor who was extremely detail-oriented and who had built their self-image around this image of perfection. Members of our team would often fall under their scrutiny for small errors or indiscretions. One day it was my turn. A colleague had entered some data in an internal email I was sending to more than 100 leaders within the organization. Unfortunately, one of the numbers on their keyboard was notoriously sticky, and neither of us noticed, until it was too late, that the data was incorrect. When one of the recipients of the email responded, questioning the data, my supervisor told me to lie. “Tell them the data in the dashboard is incorrect,” they said. I said no, responding to the leader with an apology and explanation and then preparing a brief email with the correction.

I’d known for a long time that my tendency toward perfectionism took a toll on my mental health, but it wasn’t until that moment that I realized it had the potential to undermine my integrity. My integrity is more important than the optics of a mistake. It’s been a slow process, but I’m learning to let things go and give myself grace. Every time I receive a “whoops, wrong link” type of email from a company, all I can think is “good for you.” We all make mistakes. And while I still try my best, I now know it’s not the end of the world and that the right people will forgive me. And those who don’t? I probably won’t enjoy working with them anyway.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Referrals! I wish I had some magic formula. More than 90% of my current clients have come from existing relationships, either because I’ve worked with them before, used them as a source for articles I’ve written, or they’ve been recommended to me by someone I’ve worked with. I don’t have a fancy referral program, and maybe I should, but I’ve been very fortunate that the people I’ve interacted with see the value of my work and feel comfortable recommending me to individuals and organizations that need help.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sprigco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprigcommunications/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sprig-a-communications-company