What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How Zack Nicholson moved from home building into ministry and nonprofit leadership
- Why love, trust, and investment became the core of Minding the Gap
- What it takes to build credibility with schools and community partners
- How leading volunteers differs from leading paid teams
- Why consistency matters more than perfection in service-based work
- How CEOs and leaders can reconnect with frontline service
About the Guest
Zack Nicholson is the Executive Director at Minding the Gap. His career has included residential home building, church ministry, and chaplaincy, and today he leads efforts to support students, teachers, and schools through tutoring, mentoring, staff support, and Bible clubs in Title I school communities.
Learn more about Minding the Gap here
Connect with Zack Nicholson on LinkedIn
Practical Takeaways for CEOs and Leaders
- Define values in a way that can actually guide decisions and behavior
- Build trust by doing what you said you would do, especially in small things
- Serve real needs before trying to push your agenda
- Stay committed long enough to earn credibility and create lasting impact
- If you want people to keep showing up, help them connect to a deeper why
- Get back on the front lines regularly to stay grounded in the work
Key Topics & Timestamps
[00:08] Hockey, family, and an unexpected passion
Zack opens with the story of how a random childhood trip to a Wichita hockey game turned into a lifelong love of hockey that now includes coaching his kids and playing with his son on the same team.
[02:28] Zack Nicholson’s journey from business to nonprofit leadership
Dan introduces Zack and his path from residential home building to ministry, chaplaincy, and ultimately serving as Executive Director of Minding the Gap.
[04:47] A ministry calling that changed direction over time
Zack shares how he left business for ministry, moved to Kansas City, and eventually found himself drawn into serving public schools in ways he never expected.
[07:09] Why Minding the Gap was created
Zack explains how tutoring, mentoring, staff support, and Bible clubs came together into one nonprofit vision designed to surround schools with practical community support.
[09:25] What entrepreneurship taught him about leadership
A conversation on trusting good people, avoiding micromanagement, paying people on time, and how those lessons still shape Zack’s leadership today.
[11:37] Love as a core value
Zack defines love as willing the good of the other and talks about how service, gratitude, and outward focus shape the way he leads.
[13:48] Trust means showing up
Zack explains how trust was built in Title I schools by doing what Minding the Gap said it would do, even in small and ordinary commitments.
[16:05] Investment is a long-term commitment
The conversation turns to what it means to invest in students, teachers, volunteers, and schools over time instead of chasing quick wins.
[18:23] Partnering with public schools through service
Zack describes how serving practical needs opened doors, built credibility, and created strong partnerships with schools and school leaders.
[20:34] Faith in public schools and the role of 180 Club
Zack discusses the growth of the Bible club, what surprised him about school openness, and how trust created space for faith conversations.
[22:44] Why frontline service changes leaders
Dan reflects on volunteering himself and why getting back onto the front lines can sharpen leadership in ways boardroom work cannot.
[24:50] The biggest challenge: volunteers
Zack shares that while funding matters, volunteer capacity is the real limiting factor in expanding the organization’s impact.
[27:07] Leading volunteers is different from leading paid teams
A practical discussion on expectations, grace, accountability, and why volunteer leadership requires a different posture.
[29:33] Bringing work and faith together
Dan asks how Zack handles being faith-forward while running a nonprofit, leading to a conversation about calling, prayer, and daily dependence.
[31:35] A simple prayer: help
Zack offers one of the clearest takeaways from the episode: leadership, faith, and daily life often come back to a simple and honest prayer for help.
[33:55] Values that work internally and externally
Dan reflects on how Minding the Gap’s values of love, trust, and investment shape both team culture and community impact.
[36:12] How to connect with Minding the Gap
Zack shares where listeners can learn more, volunteer, and stay connected through the organization’s website, social channels, and community gatherings.
[36:12] Closing with hockey and divided loyalties
The episode ends where it began, with hockey, as Zack admits he was torn between cheering for Team USA and his favorite Canadian NHL players.
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