Episode Details

Jamie Merrill — President & CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida — walked across her college graduation stage six months pregnant, on Medicaid, living paycheck to paycheck. Today she leads 15,500 kids across 40 clubs in five counties and was just named Orlando Magazine's Woman of the Year.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

✅ How Jamie built a leadership identity rooted in calling — not title-chasing — and why that made her more effective as a CEO

✅ The mentorship philosophy that helped a nonverbal child speak for the first time in two years — and how it translates to leading any team

✅ Why the best feedback she ever received came from people who reported to her — and how to create that kind of psychological safety

This episode is for mission-driven leaders who are navigating the tension between who they are personally and who they're becoming professionally — and wondering if they have to choose.

👤 ABOUT JAMIE MERRILL:

Jamie Merrill is the President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, overseeing 40 clubs across five counties serving 15,500 young people annually. The first female president in the organization's history, Jamie was named one of Orlando Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business and was recently recognized as Orlando Magazine's Woman of the Year. She currently serves on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America President's Advisory Council and National Growth Council.

🔗 Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-merrill-47859067/
🔗 Organization Website: https://bgccf.org

🎙️ ABOUT HART & HUSTLE:

Hart & Hustle brings you weekly conversations with mission-driven leaders solving real problems in healthcare, education, and community services. Every week, host Efrain Lozada sits down with nonprofit executives, operations directors, and innovators to uncover practical strategies you can implement in your organization.

Subscribe for weekly insights on nonprofit leadership, operations, and scaling mission impact.

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