10 Lessons from 200 Wave Reports
I'm a firm believer that wisdom comes from a multitude of counselors.
So when I was founding what is now The Center for Sustainable Giving, I sought out people who would tell me the truth – not just cheer me on. One of them was Tom Harrison.
Tom helped build and lead one of the most successful agencies serving nonprofits our industry has ever seen. He's also one of the most gracious people you'll meet and one of the straightest shooters – in the same breath, he'll hand you a genuine affirmation and a hard piece of truth.
So when I was getting to launch, I sought Tom out. When I visited him at his Southern California home, I had just decided to write an article every week called The Wave Report. I showed him an early draft.
He was blown away. Then he said something I've never forgotten. I don’t remember his exact words, but it was something like:
Dave, this is incredible. But I don't know how you're going to keep this up – with everything else you've got going on, building an organization, setting up systems, serving clients, and speaking. It’s a lot.
I took that feedback seriously! I had my own doubts – would I keep this up? Would it be worth all the hours and effort? But I was committed to giving it a go.
That conversation was almost four years ago, and this week, I published the 200th consecutive Wave Report. Nearly four years. Every single week.
I've been reflecting on what made that possible and what it's taught me. Because it turns out that the writing was never really the point, it was the engine for something bigger.
As I’ve reflected, here are 10 lessons from 200 Wave Reports.
1. A good forcing function is a gift.
When I committed to a weekly cadence, I wasn't sure I could keep it up – or even that it was wise. Tom's question was the right one.
But I committed anyway, on purpose. I knew that a commitment to produce something of value every single week would force me to do a lot of things I might otherwise let slide: collect ideas, organize my thinking, sharpen my writing, and show up even when I didn't feel like it.
That's the magic of a forcing function – committing to something before you feel like you are ready. It doesn't wait for you to feel ready. It forces you to get ready, and it pulls the work out of you.
Nearly four years later, here we are.
2. Anything this hard should serve more than one purpose.
Before I committed, I asked myself what I wanted something like this to accomplish. Not one thing – several.
I wanted to write more, so this would sharpen my writing. I was starting a company and needed to build an audience – and to own it, not just rent it on social media (building only on a platform you don't control is notoriously unwise).
I also wanted to do more research and explore ideas about how leaders could grow charities through innovation, sustainable giving, and leadership. And I needed to communicate what we do to leaders who might be interested in working with us.
But here's the one that matters most, and the one that's easy to miss: the Wave Report is where I sharpen ideas that I can bring into the rooms where we actually help organizations grow – our advisory work.
I think of it this way – I spend half of my time learning, researching, writing, and communicating, so I can spend the other half applying those lessons and insights to the organizations we advise.
Any one of those purposes alone would not have justified the hours and the discipline. Together, they make it more than worth it.
💡 Takeaway: If something is going to be hard, make sure it serves multiple goals. It’s worth the work only if it can justify the commitment.
3. Be who you are.
When I started, I thought I’d copy formats that worked for other people – the "five links every Friday" kind of thing, or maybe a newsletter with multiple articles on different topics.
Then I wrote my first Wave Report, and realized I’m not wired that way.
I'm wired to take a single idea and go deep. So I leaned into that, and the Wave Report became what it is because it plays to how I'm built – not how someone else is built.
Figure out your wiring. Then build the thing that fits you. Look for where your audience responds, but you can’t build only for audience reaction, or you won’t have the stamina to keep after it week after week.
4. Create healthy rhythms.
If you're going to keep something up for the long haul, it has to fit into a sustainable rhythm.
For me, that means early mornings – usually from 6:45 to 8:15. By most Sundays, I've chosen the week's topic. Two or three mornings a week, I'm writing.
In the first morning session, I typically research and write what I’ve learned, which I call the “crappy first draft” (just get the idea out and don’t judge it too much).
The second morning, I do what editors would call a structural edit – I review the draft, restructure, delete some things, expand others, and get the overall post into a place that I would consider a solid first draft.
The third morning session is for polish. I do one final pass, then use an AI tool called Grammarly to tighten the language and fix obvious errors. Finally, I draft a couple of LinkedIn posts based on the original content with the help of an AI tool – Claude – which has been that I've fed all my prior Wave Reports and my LinkedIn writing style.
When I travel, I have to plan ahead – writing two issues the week before, drafting on the plane, or starting early.
Creating a steady rhythm is what makes 200 possible – rhythm and discipline.
5. Do the parts only you can do — and get help with the rest.
For the first year, I did everything: ideas, copy, images, editing, building it in HubSpot, testing, scheduling. Then we added website articles, LinkedIn newsletters, and posts – even more steps to get each issue into the world.
After year one, I brought on a part-time marketing ops person. Now I only do the parts I'm uniquely gifted to do – write the copy and choose the images – and our team handles the rest. (Special thanks to Victoria! 💜)
6. Keep a swipe file.
Every writer, comedian, and idea person I respect keeps some version of a swipe file – a place to capture ideas as they come.
When you have to produce something original every week, you learn fast that some weeks inspiration shows up and some weeks it doesn't. A growing list you can draw from is everything.
Mine is a simple note on my phone. I add to it anytime something strikes me as a good topic – on a train, at the airport, after a conversation with a friend.
I just checked, and my current list contains 85 ideas at the moment. Some are a few words ("Is recurring giving good for donors?"). Some come straight out of conversations with the people I work alongside, while others are quotes or links to research or articles I want to write about.
A lot of what ends up here starts with a real conversation or is based on real challenges the clients we advise are facing. The list is where the advisory work we do and my writing feed each other.
7. Don't hesitate to remix and reuse.
I routinely take a past Wave Report and remix it – reusing the idea, but editing it with the benefit of time. Sometimes it's largely the same piece with better language, because I almost always see ways to improve something when I come back to it months later. Other times, I change it significantly.
At this point, maybe 10–20% of Wave Reports are remixes in this way. And it turns out that's good for readers. Given the growth we’ve had, many of my readers weren't on the list when the original ran. And others have emailed to thank me for bringing an idea back – they appreciated the reminder, or caught an angle they'd missed the first time.
8. Ask people to subscribe.
This might be the most uninteresting advice on this list, and the most overlooked: you have to actually tell people what you're doing and ask them to join.
Nearly every Wave Report ends with a request – if this helped you, would you share it? If I’m doing the work, I want people to benefit from it. In the first couple of years, I made a habit of saying on Zoom calls, "Hey, I write a weekly column on leadership and sustainable giving – if you'd like, I'd be happy to add you."
And because I knew even well-meaning people get busy and never get around to it, when they said "sure," I'd go sign them up myself.
That's it. One reader at a time.
9. Challenge yourself.
I’ve found that I’m at my best when I’m challenged, and I have to “play up” another level. It turns out this is a proven phenomenon known as eustress – the kind that happens when a challenge sits just above your current capacity. Not so easy that you coast. Not so hard that you shut down.
I’ve written about it several times, most recently in a Wave Report titled “Raise Your Game: The Power of Playing Up”.
When the work stretches you, it keeps you engaged and pulls a higher level of performance out of you. It's more rewarding. And growth feels good.
Two hundred weeks of self-imposed deadlines have been exactly the kind of stretch that keeps me sharp and growing.
10. Do the work. Show up.
Don't get too caught up in the numbers. Numbers are helpful indications of progress – but if you're creating anything (writing, podcasting, whatever it is) and it becomes only about the numbers, that's not just unfulfilling – it'll discourage you right out of the game.
Plus, early on, growth can be notoriously difficult and slow, so you’ve got to have motivations other than numbers. Know why you do it.
Then show up and do the work.
I don’t do this for the writing.
It would be easy to look at me and think “author and writer.” But writing for me has never been the destination. Writing is the lab. It’s a forcing function. It helps me sharpen and communicate ideas, connect with others, and fuel the main work we do to advise organizations to help them grow sustainable funding.
Ideas get pressure-tested in the real work of advising organizations and helping them grow recurring revenue – and the best insights flow back the other way, from those rooms into these pages. I spend half my time researching, writing, and communicating precisely so the other half is sharper when it counts: when we are serving charities to help them grow.
💡 Takeaway: The Wave Report is where I sharpen and share the insights. Helping organizations grow is where those insights go to work.
Thank you.
I'm grateful for you. Whether you've read every issue from the beginning or joined us recently – thank you for trusting me with a few minutes of your week. I don't hold that lightly.
My life's goal can be summed up in two words – inspire generosity. If I can do that by sharing ideas, connecting leaders, and helping organizations grow sustainable funding, I'll be satisfied.
I see the Wave Report as one expression of that – generously sharing ideas I believe can help leaders grow themselves and their organizations. I'm grateful you're along for the ride.
Here's to the next 200.
Until next week… Surf's Up! 🌊
- Dave