“Reminding ourselves that, that commerce is not the same thing as capitalism. Buying and selling things is a really old thing that human beings have been doing for way longer than capitalism has existed.”  

Today's episode features anti-capitalist business coach Bear Hebert (they/them). We explore Bear's definition of capitalism as exploitation for profit and discuss principles for running an anti-capitalist business. We examine manipulative tactics often used by entrepreneurs and consider more justice-oriented alternatives.

Bear and I discuss the pressure to have an "ideal" business and how to align money-making with our values. With over 20 years in social justice work, Bear brings insights as both a radical business coach and educator, highlighting how capitalism intersects with white supremacy and patriarchy.

Check out the episode page for the transcript and the full list of the resources mentioned in this episode: https://widerroots.com/11

• 03:57 - How Bear got politicized
• 10:11 - What makes us feel gross about marketing
• 18:46 - Authentic alternatives to manipulative marketing tactics
• 28:44 - Debunking the myth of the perfect dream job
• 33:47 - Rethinking niching from an anti-capitalist lens
• 36:15 - Business as a garden, not a machine
• 43:37 - Key areas to integrate anti-capitalist values in your business
• 47:58 - Aligning business policies with anti-capitalist principles
• 52:18 - Bear's sources of nourishment
• 56:51 - Closing

• Bear Hebert, Radical Anti-Capitalist Business Coach
• Tad Hargrave, Marketing for Hippies
• Kelly Diels
• Hadassah Damien
• Alternate ROOTS
• Southerners on New Ground (SONG)
• "Hild" by Nicola Griffith (book)
• bell hooks (reference to "power over power under" concept)

• WiderRoots.com - Join the newsletter for more resources on personal and systemic transformation
• @WiderRootsPod - Follow the podcast on Instagram to get a peek behind the scenes
• Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others find this show
• Connect with Jeremy on his coaching website

I’d love to hear how this episode resonated with you or any suggestions for future topics/guests. You can email me at podcast@widerroots.com.

“It takes enormous courage and enormous compassion to face reality. To say ‘I want my little contribution to make a difference. Maybe only in the lives of my colleagues, family, and community, but that's enough actually.’”

Today's episode is with author and systems thinker, Margaret Wheatley. For over four decades, she's been helping leaders show up fully in these chaotic times and find meaningful ways to serve. She’s the author of Leadership and The New Science and Who Do We Choose To Be?

I'll be honest - I find Margaret's work both inspiring and deeply confronting. Part of me appreciates her invitation to look directly at the pattern of societal collapse we're in, relieved someone's telling the truth without sugarcoating. Another part wonders if we can really predict how it'll all turn out.

We talk about facing the reality of collapse with clear eyes, redefining meaningful work and life in this context, and how coaches and leaders can move beyond individualism towards community-centered approaches.

Check out the episode page for the transcript and the full list of the resources mentioned in this episode: https://widerroots.com/10

• 02:33 - The power of clear-eyed leadership in chaotic times
• 09:36 - Embracing reality to find meaningful service
• 13:09 - Breaking free from "hopium" to see our authentic path
• 22:45 - Cultivating presence through mindfulness practices
• 25:42 - Embracing the warrior spirit in a changing world
• 30:39 - Redefining meaningful work and life in turbulent times
• 36:15 - Community as the answer to individualism
• 41:54 - Ancient wisdom we need at these times

• MargaretWheatley.com
• Who Do We Choose To Be (book)
• Restoring Sanity (book)
• Leadership in the New Science (book)
• So Far From Home (book)
• Warriors for the Human Spirit (Margaret’s training program)
• Berkana Institute
• Pema Chodron

• WiderRoots.com - Join the newsletter for more resources on personal + systemic transformation
• @WiderRootsPod - Follow the podcast on Instagram to get a peek behind the scenes
• Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others find this show
• Connect with Jeremy on his coaching website

I’d love to hear how this episode resonated with you or any...

“My invitation is just to let ourselves feel the pain. That we don't have to have the shame on top of it. It’s painful to know that I have contributed to the harm of another person and that I had no idea. I don't have to hold shame about it. I can grieve that.”

Check out the episode page for the transcript and the full list of the resources mentioned in this episode: https://widerroots.com/9

In this conversation, Andréa Ranae and I explore some juicy questions: How has the coaching industry's engagement with social justice evolved over the past 8 years? What does it look like for coaches to recognize our collective power to shape the industry?

Andréa shares stories of the breakthroughs and challenges she's witnessed as her students become politicized. We discuss the importance of taking collective responsibility as coaches and healers. We also dig into the role of shame, and how it can serve as a wake-up call but shouldn't keep us stuck.

Andréa Ranae is a coach, facilitator, and singer-songwriter who has dedicated her life to exploring how we can live, work, and relate in ways that contribute to impactful social change.

• How has the coaching industry evolved in its engagement with social justice over the last eight years?
• What were some of the key concepts and frameworks Andréa needed to introduce to coaches who were new to social justice?
• What breakthroughs have coaches experienced as they became more politicized through her teachings?
• How can coaches use their collective power to shape the industry and create systemic change?
• What questions can politicized coaches ask themselves to work toward collective liberation?
• How can shame serve as an indicator of change, and what role does it play in keeping systems of domination in place?

• Coaching as Activism (Andréa Ranae's program)
• Article: "Why the Self-Help Industry Isn't Changing the World" by Andréa Ranae
• Article: "Why the Self-Help Industry Won't Change the World" (follow up)
• The Combahee River Collective (organization)
• Sasha Heron (public figure, death doula, and ancestral healing practitioner)
• "Love Poems" by Nikki Giovanni (book)

• Andréa Ranae's main Instagram: @AndreaRanaeJ
• Andréa Ranae's website: andrearanae.com
• Andréa Ranae's music Instagram: @DRElikeSade

• WiderRoots.com - Join the newsletter for more resources on personal + systemic...