I hold a systemic analysis and my feminism is inclusive and about justice (no white feminism, thankyouverymuch).
I’m here for love and JUSTICE, not love and light.
I’m more excited about building and sharing power + resources than I am about “empowerment“.
I believe that empowerment is a collective practice and a collective outcome; empowerment is not when one exceptional women gets financially successful (please note, however, that I’m 100% committed to building all of our livelihoods, because we deserve to thrive).
I am dreaming of a world where all bodies are cherished, so I do not work with TERFs nor do I work with people or companies promoting diet culture, weight loss and fat phobia.
I believe that we are all culture makers and that we can use our culture making power deliberately, to create new realities for ourselves and our world.
Here are a few of the ways I try to do that in my own life and business:
Hiring + Money
- I have a LOT of financial responsibilities — children, elders, extended family — so I need to earn a lot of money. I do this unapologetically.
- I pay everyone — nanny, research assistant etc — a MINIMUM of a living wage or at least $30 an hour. (That’s the floor.)
- If people are collaborating with me on a full-time basis to launch a program, I revenue-share with them
- I believe in investing in our community which means I hire and contract from within our community, first, and prioritize the hiring of people with non-dominant identities
- When I look for guidance or coaching in my own life I look to my clients and community first; I often hire my own former clients
Accessibility
- There are many low-cost options for working with me or learning from me, including live monthly workshops that are $100 each (You might also get a lot out of my free weekly Love Letter)
- 20% of the spots in my programs are scholarship, trade or pay-what-you-can arrangements
- For every four full-price 1:1 coaching clients, I take on one coaching client for free
- When all of my needs are met, I coach for free. In January through April of 2019, for example, I had a organizational contract that met my financial needs, so I offered free mentoring sessions to anyone who wanted them
- I tithe or redistribute 20% of my income to charities, causes or individuals
- I sometimes run sales or special offers where I donate 50% or more of my gross revenue to an urgent cause
- I offer payment plans; I believe payment plans are a form of financial accessibility AND they’re good for my own personal income stability (h/t Bear Hebert)
- Currently I don’t charge any extra fees or interest for accessing payment plans to work with me; before 2019 I charged between 8-10%, which was a number based on the actual costs for software, time and processing fees it took for me to administer payment plans
Solidarity, Self-Preservation, and Culture-Making
- I have pledged not to speak at events or on podcasts where the speakers are or have been disproportionately white and encouraged other leaders to do the same
- I believe in signal-boosting and sharing the work of the people influencing me (Citation is a feminist practice; I’ve even footnoted a sales page!). There is so much brilliance in our community and it’s a joy to be part of it.
- I strive to use apps and software that are made by companies founded by feminists and women and BIPOC (and, and, and)
- I do not to use mental/social triggers in high-risk sales situations
- I do not engage in money-shaming as a marketing tactic (or any kind of tactic!)
- When I’m critiquing, I name patterns, not people, because
- I’m not here to destroy anyone’s livelihood or build my brand by tearing other people down
- We are all in the water so we are all wet
- I value critique and feedback and will take the time to process it, learn from it, and integrate it (thank you!!!)
- I won’t tolerate attempts to erase me or my work nor will I accept intellectually dishonest or personally malicious “arguments”. I believe in my body of work and I will protect it, and myself. That’s part of being a culture-maker.