Some careers in public service start with a clear plan, while others emerge in the middle of a storm. On National Nonprofit Day, we spoke with leaders across mission-driven organizations making a deep impact to uncover the career skills that truly sustain them. Passion and goodwill can ignite change, but lasting impact requires discipline, structure, and the kind of concrete skills that turn purpose into progress.
For actress Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks, Riverdale), her daughter actress and singer Mina Tobias, the launch of their nonprofit Don’t MiND Me wasn’t a calculated pivot. It was the response to years of trying, and failing, to find help for a loved one in crisis. Mina’s brother, a college athlete, experienced a severe psychiatric break after witnessing a traumatic death. What followed was a painful and chaotic journey through a system that consistently failed to provide the care he needed.
That experience became the foundation of something much bigger. Don’t MiND Me now stands as a growing national voice for families navigating serious mental illness. At the center of their work is a 460-bed recovery campus under development in Palm Springs. However, what makes their story relevant to professionals everywhere is not just the mission they pursued but the journey and partnerships they built along the way.
The psychology of success in the nonprofit world is key to approaching sustainable impact and often becomes the glue to partnerships that can advance the shared mission of service. I spoke with the Executive Director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, Mr. Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq who shared:
Here are five career lessons from their journey that apply to anyone trying to turn purpose into something tangible.
1. Start small, stay focused
Ambitious visions can quickly become unmanageable without structure. One of the first things the family learned was to avoid overextending too soon. While interest and support poured in early, they kept their leadership team small and tightly aligned.
“You don’t need a big board right away,” Mina said.
Be careful who you bring on,” Amick added. “Make sure you keep the vision at the forefront. It can go off track fast.”
By focusing on essential roles and disciplining the decision-making process, they built a foundation that could grow responsibly without compromising their mission.
Career takeaway: Clarity beats quantity. Build with people who protect your mission, not just expand it.
2. The right opportunity at the wrong time
Timing really is everything. Understanding not only the nature of a potential opportunity but also its timing is critical in evaluating whether it is the right fit.
The team received a promising documentary offer early in their journey. It came with intense interest and a potential financial upside. But the proposed tone of the project felt off. The producers wanted to focus on celebrity breakdowns rather than recovery and resilience.
“People were interested,” Amick said. “But they wanted to make it about celebrities being broken. We weren’t willing to be a part of that.”
Instead of accepting a quick spotlight, they preserved their message and brand identity. That decision allowed them to build long-term credibility and stay grounded in their values.
Career takeaway: Not every opportunity is meant for now. Evaluate timing as carefully as quality and alignment.
3. Structure vs passion
Don’t MiND Me is deeply personal but also professionally structured. From the beginning, the team prioritized legal and financial guidance, developed clear bylaws, and ensured all major decisions were supported by expert input. One pivotal moment came during a sensitive internal review.
“We had to investigate something as a board,” Amick said. “And they said, ‘Let’s get legal advice before we vote.’ That moment told us we were doing it right.”
They created a sustainable model that could grow beyond their personal involvement by building with intention and discipline. Sometimes passion alone is actually a poor career strategy in any industry. Balancing it with skill, structure, and a deep understanding of the demands of a market you are serving are essential elements to longevity.
Career takeaway: Passion drives purpose, but structure protects it. Treat mission-driven work with the same rigor as any other serious business venture.
4. Build systems to support the story
While storytelling remains central to their advocacy, the family was clear that awareness alone would never be enough. Their vision includes a full-scale recovery campus offering psychiatric stabilization, residential treatment, outpatient support, vocational training, and nutritional and biological research.
“We had to do more than tell our story,” Mina said. “We needed to build something.”
“Most places are private-pay,” Amick added. “We want to offer high-quality care accessible through Medicaid, insurance, and scholarships.”
Their project aims to provide long-term, integrated care for people too often left behind. Building this kind of infrastructure is essential to any organization that hopes to have long-term impact.
Career takeaway: Stories inspire, but systems endure. Back your message with infrastructure built for the future.
5. Alignment over agreement
Even with a strong family foundation, the team encountered moments when values diverged. That sometimes meant making difficult decisions to part ways with collaborators who no longer aligned with the mission.
The family returned to one guiding principle throughout their work: protect the mission above all. If a person, project, or partnership wasn’t aligned, they moved on.
Career takeaway: Consensus is helpful, but alignment is critical. Surround yourself with people who share your purpose, not just your enthusiasm.
Bottom Line
Don’t MiND Me didn’t begin as a professional goal. It started as a response to pain. But through careful planning, tough decisions, and clear values, the Amick family turned that pain into a powerful platform for change.
“You almost have to mourn the life you expected,” Mina said. “But the diagnosis can be a beautiful thing. It can lead to a blueprint.”
Their blueprint now includes real services, partnerships, and a commitment to long-term systems change. For professionals in any field, their journey reminds them that careers shaped by crisis are still careers. With the right mindset and strategy, they can become their most important work.