Episodios

  • How to Build Teams That Distribute Power & Share Responsibility

    How to Build Teams That Distribute Power & Share Responsibility
    Oct 30 2025
    If we are to have any chance of bringing forth a world in which all people have the power necessary to meet their needs, we must develop the governance structures necessary to wield our power effectively. In this episode, I speak with Ted Rau, co-founder of Sociocracy for All, about ways to govern our groups and organizations that empower people to work together well. We talk about: Why majority rules systems inevitably lead to conflict The difference between consent-based decision-making and consensus The four pillars of resilient organizations How to move from brainstorming to action How to experiment with new governance and new projects in safe enough ways And much more! Even if you love the people in your group and your mission, if you don’t share clarity about who decides what and how we decide, then problems will emerge. If you want your group to do what needs to be done, while avoiding power games, drama, and the decision-making bottlenecks, this is for you. About Ted: Ted is an advocate, trainer and consultant for self-governance. After earning a PhD in linguistics and working in academia, Ted co-founded the membership organization Sociocracy For All in 2016 and spends his days consulting mission-driven organizations, advocating and training on self-governance, and deeply immersed in the work as a member within Sociocracy For All. Ted is the author of four books on self-governance, which I link to in the show notes, and he has five children between 12 and 22 years old. Learn More from Ted: Sociocracy for All 75-Minute Free Video Primer on Sociocracy Ted’s Books: Many Voices One Song (2018), Who Decides Who Decides (2021), Collective Power (2023), From Here to There (2025) Learn More from Katherine: Episode with Donnie MacClurcan: Why Capitalism Makes Us Tense & What to do About it (Donnie’s organization, the Post-Growth Institute governs itself with sociocracy and is a great model for how this process can work) To receive new episodes along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers Katherine’s LinkedIn page Center for Callings & Courage
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    42 m
  • Appreciative Interviews: One Hour to Boost Team Joy & Pride

    Appreciative Interviews: One Hour to Boost Team Joy & Pride
    Oct 14 2025
    In this weeks episode of Conflict Decoded, I share: One reason we often get stuck focusing on what doesn’t work, How focusing on what’s good increases effectiveness, Step-by-step instructions for facilitating Appreciative Interviews, and 2 quick questions to start team meetings with immediate connection. If you long for your team to experience greater cohesion, joy, and resilience in these times, then 'Appreciative Interviews: One Hour to Boost Team Joy & Pride' is for you. Related episodes: Appreciation at Work: How to Grow Strengths, Not Toxic Positivity How to Center Radical Love in Challenging Times with Shiree Teng Why Capitalism Makes Us Tense & What to do About it with Donnie Maclurcan Learn more from Katherine: Team Coaching Katherine’s LinkedIn page To receive new episodes along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers Callingsandcourage.com
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    11 m
  • How to Disagree with People You Love: On Leaving the Mormons

    How to Disagree with People You Love: On Leaving the Mormons
    Sep 30 2025
    Do you have family or friends in the religious right or with vastly different political views than you? Knowing how to disagree with people you love is crucial in these situations. If so, this one is for you. About Sara: For the first four decades of her life, Sara was a devout Mormon. Then, a series of realizations called her to change course. Since then, Sara has helped thousands of high-achieving women as a master certified life coach to turn people-pleasing into personal power—guiding them to stop overextending, find their authentic voices, and lead with clarity and authority. Part of this journey often involves learning how to disagree with people you love. Through her signature Stop People Pleasing group coaching program, Sara has coached women into leadership roles, helped coaches grow thriving businesses, and supported women in building deeper, more vulnerable relationships. Her work weaves together feminist insight, nervous system and somatic tools, and her own lived experience of breaking free from religious “good girl” rules. Embracing how to disagree with people you love is a vital part of her teachings. Learn More from Sara: sarafisk.coach Instagram: @sarafiskcoach Podcast: The Ex-Good Girl Podcast Facebook Page Facebook Group LinkedIn Learn more from Katherine: Center for Callings & Courage Katherine’s LinkedIn page To receive new episodes along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers
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    50 m
  • Appreciation at Work: How to Grow Strengths, Not Toxic Positivity

    Appreciation at Work: How to Grow Strengths, Not Toxic Positivity
    Sep 17 2025
    Research shows that the highest-performing teams give each other about five positive comments for every one negative comment. And yet, when things are uncertain, the stakes are high, and we feel frustrated by others' actions, it can be challenging to focus on what’s good. This week, Lana Jelenjev and I discuss how to restore this balance. We explore: Why focusing on appreciation is so challenging, How to build a habit of celebrating strengths, The connection between naming strengths and sharing our full essence, How to offer feedback without alienating people, The difference between celebrating what’s good and toxic positivity, A strengths-based approach to meeting check-ins, hiring, and performance reviews, And more. If you want a deeper connection with yourself and your important people, more flow at work, and an all-around greater sense of joy, this one is for you. About Lana: Lana Jelenjev is co-founder of the Neurodiversity Foundation and the Neurodiversity Education Academy. She is the co-author of “What’s Strong With You? and “What’s Alive in You?” toolkits for coaches, teachers, leaders, and facilitators to bridge the gap for all neurotypes to thrive. Rooted in the Filipino values of kapwa (seeing ourselves in our shared humanity) and pakikiramdam (deep, attuned sensing), Lana creates spaces for people to reconnect with themselves, with each other, and to witness and appreciate what has always been sacred. She lives in the Netherlands with her husband and two children. Related Episodes: How to Address Harmful Impact with Nonviolent Communication Why Capitalism Makes Us Tense & What to do About It with Donnie Maclurcan Learn More from Lana: Lana’s Website  Neurodiversity Education Academy Neurodiversity Foundation Lana on LinkedIn Lana’s Substack: Refugia 80 Check-In Prompts for Children Learn more from Katherine: Center for Callings & Courage Katherine’s LinkedIn page To receive new episodes along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers
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    50 m
  • Why Capitalism Makes Us Tense & What to do About it with Donnie Maclurcan

    Why Capitalism Makes Us Tense & What to do About it with Donnie Maclurcan
    Sep 2 2025
    We often blame ourselves for the tensions of modernity. But we can become much more effective—and feel better—when we focus on the root causes of our problems. In this week’s episode of Conflict Decoded, I talk with @Donnie Maclurcan, Co-Founder and Director of Strategy at the Post-Growth Institute. We explore: The difference between capitalist and post-capitalist economies (which will likely surprise many listeners) How capitalism disconnects us from our bodies How that disconnection makes us susceptible to authoritarianism Governance structures that allow for a real circulation of power Simple steps to redistribute money and power away from the accumulative market And more. If you want to feel less guilty and focus more on the root causes of our collective problems, you’ll enjoy this one. About Donnie: Donnie Maclurcan designs frameworks, methodologies and experiences for creative collaboration and collective liberation. These include the Offers and Needs Market, the Post Growth Fellowship, the Post Growth Alliance, and Free Money Day, and an intuitive model for a post-capitalist market economy that builds on what's already working. Donnie lives on Mapuche lands in Patagonia, with his Argentinian wife and their three cats. Learn more from Donnie: Post Growth Institute Post Growth Alliance email alerts Post Growth Institute newsletter Donnie’s LinkedIn page Learn more from Katherine: Center for Callings & Courage Katherine’s LinkedIn page To receive new episodes along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers.
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    1 h
  • Power Literacy 101: The Key to Building Multiracial Multicultural Organizations with Karla Monterroso

    Power Literacy 101: The Key to Building Multiracial Multicultural Organizations with Karla Monterroso
    Aug 19 2025
    If we are to reclaim collective power, redistribute it equitably, and cultivate the multiracial multicultural democracies we long for. We must develop the ability to read power in our institutions and our lives. We must become power literate. In this week’s episode of Conflict Decoded, I talk with the brilliant Karla Monterroso about what power actually is. How the internet and demographic shift are changing it, our relationship to it. Methods for distribution of it, and its role in a more just society. About Karla Monterroso: Karla is a strategic power-builder, transformative leader, and coalition architect. She is dedicated to supporting the leadership of multiracial multicultural institutions across sectors. As Founder and Managing Partner of Brava Leaders, she serves as a trusted coach, advisor, and strategist to organizations, social justice leaders, academics, and artists, helping them navigate power dynamics and bridge institutional divides. With over two decades of experience scaling social enterprises, Karla’s work challenges conventional management theories that perpetuate homogeneous power structures, offering frameworks designed for integrated organizations. Hire Karla: Brava Leaders Brava Leaders’ Public Sessions Learn More: Karla on LinkedIn Brava Leaders on LinkedIn The Purpose of Power, by Alicia Garza Receive Love Letters to Changemakers: To receive new episodes to your inbox along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Organizers.
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    1 h y 1 m
  • Imagination is Political: Dreaming Together with Desiree Adaway

    Imagination is Political: Dreaming Together with Desiree Adaway
    Aug 5 2025
    We are currently in a collective battle of the imagination. While the power of the 99% may be limited. We grow our power when we reclaim our ability to imagine from dominant narratives. As Desiree Adaway shares in this episode, imagining the world we long for is one of the most powerful and radical acts there is. Even if we do not live to see the fruits of our imagination, the billionaire class does not get to tell us what is possible. We get to be good ancestors. We get to choose what we long for. If you need inspiration and a soothing balm to help you see beyond the confines of our current realities, this is for you. About Desiree Adaway: Desiree Adaway, CEO of the Adaway Group, is a trainer, speaker, and consultant dedicated to intersectional race equity. And DEI change work. For over 25 years, she has helped build resilient, equitable, and inclusive organizations across all sectors. She has educated over 50,000 people on the most crucial issues of our time. She embraces the difficult conversations required to help organizations reduce harm, center equity, and build meaningful relationships while teaching others how to do the same. Desiree supports leaders and teams in upleveling their analysis and skills around identity, power, and institutional inequities that lead to lasting culture, process, and policy change. Connect with Desiree:  Instagram LinkedIn Blue Sky Resources Desiree Recommends: A Great Starter on Time The Cycle of Liberation, by Bobbie Harro The Cycle of Socialization by Bobbie Harro The Adaway Group Resources from Katherine: Your Core Values Practice: to help you imagine and center what matters most to you To receive new episodes to your inbox along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers.
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    57 m
  • Hospicing Modernity with Giovanna de Oliveira Andreotti

    Hospicing Modernity with Giovanna de Oliveira Andreotti
    Jul 21 2025
    The daughter of Vanessa Andreotti (author of Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and The Implications for Social Activism). Giovanna de Oliveira Andreotti grew up facing the ongoing predicament of collapse. In this episode, Giovanna shares how facing the reality of collapse no longer destabilizes her. Instead, the wisdom she’s gleaned—and her commitment to inquiry—are helping her to acknowledge reality. Notice the ways it manifests within us, and do the hard work of choosing emotional sobriety, intellectual discernment, relational maturity, and responsibility in these times. By acknowledging the ways modernity manifests in each of us, we can begin to compost the aspects of modernity. We’ve internalized and create space to transform our relationships with one another, ourselves, the land, and our more-than-human kin. About Giovanna de Oliveira Andreotti: Giovanna de Oliveira Andreotti is a dancer/dance teacher, a member of the Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures, a certified Warm Data Lab host, and an online course facilitator/coordinator. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and postgraduate certifications in Climate Psychology and Embodied Social Justice. Currently, she coordinates an inquiry that maps pedagogical practices addressing complexity, complicity, collapse, and accountability. Worksheets: Rude Diagnostic Exercise House of Fear - Want - Entitlement SDMR Compass Needs List Vanessa’s Books: Hospicing Modernity Outgrowing Modernity Learn More From Giovanna & Vanessa: Rewiring for Reality Giovanna on LinkedIn Gesturing Toward Decolonial Futures Hospicing Modernity Online Course Love Letters to Changemakers: To receive new episodes to your inbox along with other nourishment for the fight ahead, subscribe to Love Letters for Changemakers.
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    1 h