Woof. These are challenging times with challenging conversations always simmering between us. How can we navigate them? What does "success" mean for hard conversations with those we care about? In this episode, we talk about how we have navigated hard conversations, tools and resources for showing up with authenticity and care to these conversations, and open with silly banter about Halloween costumes.

For our final episode of our 2nd season, Malia and Julia are IN PERSON together talking about expansive visions of culture change for organizations, digging deeper into our own stories and longings, and sharing insights into the challenges and joys of being solopreneurs.

Notes:

🧘 Presence and Body Awareness (00:00 - 02:25)

• Discussion on the importance of being present in the body for business and psychology.
• Introduction to the Cozy Impact Vibe and the podcast's approach to nurturing and supportive vibes around hard topics.

🎤 Malia's Keynote Experience (02:25 - 10:02)

• Malia shared her experience of giving her first keynote on changing perceptions of ability at a disability conference.
• She discussed her preparation process, challenges, and the importance of bringing her full self to the presentation.

🧠 Preparation and Challenges (10:02 - 20:11)

• Malia discussed the stress and preparation involved in delivering a keynote.
• She emphasized the importance of alone time and talking out loud to prepare effectively.

🌊 Entrepreneurial Waves (20:11 - 31:39)

• Discussion on the non-linear nature of entrepreneurship and the importance of trusting the process.
• Malia and Julia shared their experiences with financial ups and downs and the need for resilience.

💡 Innovative Approaches (31:39 - 42:46)

• Malia shared her interest in integrating body presence into executive decision-making.

🌍 Culture Change and Authenticity (42:46 - 52:22)

• Discussion on the importance of culture change and authenticity in business. Malia emphasized the need for leaders to be curious and open to new approaches for sustainable and supportive cultures.

🌳 Belonging and Interconnectedness (52:22 - 01:04:00)

• Malia and Julia discussed the importance of creating a sense of belonging and interconnectedness among diverse change-makers.
• They shared personal reflections on navigating feelings of not being enough and the role of nature in finding peace and presence.

The Cozy Impact Pod, hosted by Malia and Julia, welcomes Mariam Matin, an Austin-based talent entrepreneur passionate about making hiring more equitable and empowering. They delve into the performative nature of job interviews and the invisible barriers that perpetuate inequities in the job search process, particularly for marginalized groups like first-generation college students. Mariam shares her journey of founding Second Day, a nonprofit aiding diverse talent in launching social impact careers, driven by her desire to redefine success and create pathways into meaningful work. They discuss the importance of breaking the cycle of rewarding those who know how to play the game in hiring, highlighting the need for changes both on the job seeker and employer sides to foster greater inclusivity and diversity in the workforce. Mariam introduces her new startup, Forward, co-founded with her sister, a product that better connects early-career professionals and the employers who hire them because the job-matching process sucks. Find out how you can get involved at https://www.forwardjobs.io/.

This week, we continue our conversation about exhaustion and burnout for activists and folks in impact fields with a very special guest, Taj M. Smith.

Taj M. Smith (he/him) is the founder of Rooted Respite, an online burnout support community serving activists, DEI practitioners, faith-based changemakers, and others committed to creating a more equitable world. As a Black transgender entrepreneur, Taj’s work amplifies anti-oppressive thinking and a worldview dedicated to bringing people back into relationship with themselves, each other, and the land.

Taj is a coach, writer, and speaker with a creative passion for music and literature, particularly sci-fi and fantasy. His written work explores the ways sci-fi overlaps with spirituality, justice, and identity to create hopeful futures.

His writing appears in Sojourners, Huffington Post, and the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. His own transition story was published in Austin Hartke’s book Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians. He holds a BA in Politics from UC Santa Cruz and an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School.

We are bringing transparency to collective exhaustion, exploitative capitalism, how hard it can be to say no, stress, overwhelm and the baseline state that we as a society might be expected to function at. Also how our value or self worth is tied to what we “do” and what happens when we actually pause. There will also be space to invite the question on what about when we are tired and other people’s jobs are at stake, or the climate, or lives. Hopefully we can find a little rest, a little joy, a little ease in how shift our relationship to rest.

This is the first part of our conversation on exhaustion and burnout. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out Episode 11 featuring Taj M. Smith!

What would it look like if we all had the support we needed? What would it feel like if we were able to self-accommodate and have more space for accessibility and adaptability in our lives and work environments? We are exploring what it is actually like to be in self-accommodation, have the conversation around disability, and ask for adaptability. How to create more space for possibility and honoring where our bodies are. We have invited our FIRST guest, Lauren Goldberg, a proudly disabled and neurodivergent social impact entrepreneur, to join us in the conversation!

Notes:

• Follow Lauren at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-e-goldberg/
• Learn more about working with Lauren Goldberg at https://laurengoldbergcoaching.com/
• Malia is co-facilitating a 4-part workshop called The Belonging Ambiguity Project: An embodied exploration of mixed race identity with Karine Bell, Dr. Leticia Nieto and Resmaa Menakem, - March-June 2024. Go to: https://www.rootedglobalvillage.com/belonging
• Julia is hosting a 1-day in-person retreat in NYC on Sunday, March 24th - The Belonging Lab. Learn more and sign up at https://www.juliafirestonecoaching.com/retreat
• Curious about Malia's Windmills Disability and Inclusion training? Reach out to Malia at malia@maliawright.com

Does it seem like everyone is doing better than you? Do you feel like you're behind where you "should" be in your career or life? Surprise! US TOO! Let's talk about it! This week, in the first episode with our new title, The Cozy Impact Pod, we'll be talking about the experience of comparisonitis - what it's like, where it comes from, and how to make it hold less power over us

Special Nods in this episode:

Taj Smith - Burnout Recovery Coach for Activists https://www.rootedrespite.com/

Belonging Ambiguity Project - An exploration of belonging for Mixed race folks with Malia Wright-Merer, Leticia Nieto, Karine Bell, and Resmaa Menakem https://www.rootedglobalvillage.com/belonging

The Belonging Lab - Sunday, March 24th

A one-day in-person retreat for do-gooders and troublemakers in NYC! with Julia Firestone.