What would you do if 30% of your organization's revenue disappeared?

"What would you do if 30% of your organization's revenue disappeared?"

That was not a hypothetical question for Christine Nielsen, CEO of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS). In her conversation with Cherry Chan, she shares what it's like to lead an association through the loss of a major revenue stream that had been part of the organization for decades. The surprising part? Christine isn't panicking. In fact, she's remarkably optimistic about what comes next.

Cherry and Christine talk about the realities of nonprofit leadership when the path forward isn't entirely clear. How do you prepare your board for a major shift before it happens? How do you help staff navigate uncertainty? And how do you keep moving forward when you're grieving a loss while also trying to lead through it? Christine is refreshingly honest about feeling betrayed when the decision was first made, but she also shares why dwelling there wasn't an option. The conversation also explores board governance, long-term planning, and the challenge of working with a constantly changing group of volunteer leaders. Christine jokes that after 16 years as CEO she's had 16 different bosses, and if you've ever worked with a board, you'll appreciate her perspective on onboarding, governance, and setting everyone up for success before problems arise.

What really stood out to us was Christine's belief that change doesn't have to be a crisis. Sometimes it's an opportunity to refocus on what members truly need. As she puts it, CSMLS is currently in "containment mode," but fully expects to move into "flourish mode." It's a conversation about resilience, leadership, and finding opportunity in the middle of uncertainty, something every nonprofit and association leader can relate to.

This episode might leave you wondering: if your organization had to reinvent 30% of its business model tomorrow, would you be ready? And what investments should you be making today to prepare for the changes you can't yet see coming?