There’s a saying in sales, “‘No’ is the second best answer you can hear.”There’s a certain power in “no” and getting to that “not interested” allows everyone to move forward and get on with their day.This holds true in the nonprofit world as well. Understanding one’s mission and selecting partners that are mission-aligned is vastly more impactful than chasing money and forming relationships with those who are not great fits. It can be challenging to turn away money or influence when the opportunity arises; however, when you can stand your ground and build connections and relationships with those who are truly playing the same game, the results can be phenomenal.Mission-alignment is just one of the many topics of this episode of Relish THIS. My guest is Teage McDaniel, the Founder and Curator of the Creative Integration Initiative here in the Denver area. They have been working in the creative space to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion into the scene and build a vibrant creative community through education, coaching, and curation of the visual arts.Teague is doing some really great work. Check out this episode to hear how they are making a difference in the art world.Links: Creative Integration Initiative Ask: Go be more creative in whatever capacity you can be creative!