What does it take to lead an organization where the decisions you make can directly affect people on the worst day of their lives?

 In episode 57 of Built by Margin, Laurie sits down with Justin Chase, CEO of Solari, to talk about leadership, risk, financial sustainability, and scaling crisis-response systems without losing sight of the people they exist to serve. Justin began his career as a social worker and has spent more than 20 years in behavioral health, including 12 years leading Solari. Today, the organization has nearly 800 employees and manages approximately 40,000 crisis calls each month.

Justin explains why managing risk in crisis care isn’t about eliminating risk altogether, but about identifying the factors that matter most and balancing speed, safety, outcomes, and stewardship. He shares how Solari uses transparent operational dashboards to track metrics like response times, abandonment rates, call outcomes, and whether a caller’s immediate need was actually resolved. He also discusses one of the biggest challenges of scaling across multiple states: technology may scale quickly, but trust and relationships do not.

The conversation also dives into the financial realities of running a large nonprofit organization. Justin explains how government reimbursement structures can create 120- to 180-day delays in cash flow and why nonprofit leaders still have to think seriously about margins, reserves, and long-term sustainability. His guiding principle is simple: “No margin, no mission.” Without financial health, an organization cannot continue delivering on its purpose for the long term.

Laurie and Justin also explore how Solari is investing in AI and technology ahead of demand. Rather than replacing human interaction, Justin sees AI as a way to reduce administrative work, improve efficiency, and give crisis counselors more time to spend directly with people. He shares how Solari is using technology to streamline post-call documentation, improve scheduling and analytics, and ultimately make human-to-human interactions more valuable.

Justin also opens up about board governance, organizational culture, and the philosophy behind his book, Heart-Led Leadership. He explains why strong leadership requires both compassion and accountability, and why listening to employee feedback, maintaining transparency, and setting clear expectations become even more important as an organization grows.

Finally, Justin explains what many people misunderstand about 988. Unlike 911, which frequently results in dispatching emergency responders, more than 80% of 988 calls can be resolved directly over the phone by trained crisis counselors. He argues that crisis care should be viewed as essential infrastructure, not only because it helps people in moments of need, but because effective early intervention can also reduce downstream costs associated with emergency rooms, hospitalization, and the criminal justice system.

This episode is a conversation about what happens when mission, margin, technology, and human-centered leadership all have to work together, and how leaders can build organizations that are both financially sustainable and capable of making a meaningful impact.

Laurie Chen

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriechen/

Risk Worthy: https://www.riskworthy.co/

Justin Chase

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnchase/

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