Cultivating an Intentional Community: The Shifts that Create Deeper Connection and Belonging with Nancy and Amy Harrington
05/07/25 • 47 min
2 Listeners
Cultivating an intentional community is a powerful and critical antidote to the disconnection fed by our current societal structures and now is the time to cultivate. I say that because we’re living in a time where those structures are breaking down. Our individualistic, hierarchical culture is hitting its limits, and it feels rather like it’s composting itself. But compost makes great soil, and with intention, we can use that breakdown to grow something new.
In this episode of Unlimited , I invited sisters Nancy and Amy Harrington to join me in a conversation about cultivating intentional community and the shifts that support connection, collaboration, and care.
Some of what we talk about in this episode includes:
- Rebuilding trust in relationships with other women
- Redefining leadership—from hierarchy to a circle of self and co-leadership
- Developing community agreements rooted in consent, care, and shared responsibility
- Practicing the power of asking, receiving, and mutual support
Through this episode, you’ll gain inspiration and ideas for building community rooted in belonging, consent, and care.
LINKS TO REFERENCES MADE IN THIS EPISODE:
262 Women’s Project with Deb Drummond
Dia Bondi – Communication Coach
Cher Hale – On the Death of Mentorship
CONNECT WITH AMY AND NANCY:
The Passionistas Project Sisterhood
CONNECT WITH VALERIE:
Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter
Apply to be coached on the podcast
Cultivating an intentional community is a powerful and critical antidote to the disconnection fed by our current societal structures and now is the time to cultivate. I say that because we’re living in a time where those structures are breaking down. Our individualistic, hierarchical culture is hitting its limits, and it feels rather like it’s composting itself. But compost makes great soil, and with intention, we can use that breakdown to grow something new.
In this episode of Unlimited , I invited sisters Nancy and Amy Harrington to join me in a conversation about cultivating intentional community and the shifts that support connection, collaboration, and care.
Some of what we talk about in this episode includes:
- Rebuilding trust in relationships with other women
- Redefining leadership—from hierarchy to a circle of self and co-leadership
- Developing community agreements rooted in consent, care, and shared responsibility
- Practicing the power of asking, receiving, and mutual support
Through this episode, you’ll gain inspiration and ideas for building community rooted in belonging, consent, and care.
LINKS TO REFERENCES MADE IN THIS EPISODE:
262 Women’s Project with Deb Drummond
Dia Bondi – Communication Coach
Cher Hale – On the Death of Mentorship
CONNECT WITH AMY AND NANCY:
The Passionistas Project Sisterhood
CONNECT WITH VALERIE:
Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter
Apply to be coached on the podcast
Previous Episode
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What Is Draining My Energy? Inside an Energy Leadership Index Assessment Debrief [coaching]
1 RecommendationsWhat’s really draining your energy isn’t solely the stressors in your life but the patterns you’ve learned to deal with them. If you’re feeling emotionally drained, constantly second-guessing yourself, or stuck in a cycle of over-responsibility and burnout—you’re not alone, and there’s nothing wrong with you. The ways your unconscious has learned to help you may no longer support the life you want. While the state of the world is undeniably overwhelming, many of the most persistent energy drains come from within—especially in how we respond to stress, pressure, and high expectations. In this real-life Energy Leadership Index (ELI) debrief, I walk through a coaching session with a creative, purpose-driven client who’s feeling depleted. Together, we explore how her energy is shaped by both external stressors and internal beliefs, including guilt around setting boundaries, fear of letting others down, and the pressure to always get things right.
In this episode of Mindset Unlimited, you’ll hear Valerie use the Energy Leadership Index Assessment Debrief to help a client explore the question: “What’s really draining your energy and how can you reclaim it using your strengths?”
Some of what we engage in this episode include:
- What the Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Assessment is and how it works
- The 7 levels of energy and how they influence stress, mindset, and behavior
- How your energy levels can lead to exhaustion, motivation, and or both
- Identifying practical strategies that fit you when it comes to supports like setting boundaries and honoring your capacity
If you’re navigating stress, fatigue, or emotional exhaustion and want insight into how to reclaim your energy and feel more empowered, this episode is for you.
LINKS TO REFERENCES MADE IN THIS EPISODE:
Sign up for the Energy Leadership Index Assessment Use Code APRILELI for $150 off!
Unlocking Your Leadership Energy episode
You’re More Than Your Personality Test episode
CONNECT WITH VALERIE:
Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter
Apply to be coached on the podcast
This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective
Next Episode
Where Do We Go From Here – Reflections on this Podcast & Layoff Uncertainty
“Where do we go from here” is a common question when we encounter a crossroads in life. Whether a transition is big or small, each point is an invitation learn more about yourself and choose what is aligned for the person you are becoming. This episode engages two types of transition reflection. First the riptide transition point, when you realize you’ve unconsciously slid back into ways of being you thought you’d moved away from. Second the seismic transition point, when something outside your control cracks your stability. Though vastly different levels of outward impact, they both impact who you understand yourself to be in relation to your life. Radical self-compassion and connecting with trusted others for support allow the room to intentionally answer where do we go from here.
In this episode of Mindset Unlimited, I explore ways we answer the question “Where do we go from here” through reflections on this podcast and speaking to federal workers facing layoffs.
Some of what I explore in this episode includes:
- Why I started this podcast
- My relationship to podcasting & perfectionism
- My background in Sociology
- A letter to Federal Workers
LINKS TO REFERENCES MADE IN THIS EPISODE:
Assigned Reading by Becky Mollenkamp
CONNECT WITH VALERIE:
Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter
Apply to be coached on the podcast
This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective
Mindset Unlimited: Tips, Tools, and Inspiration for Women in a Time of Change - Cultivating an Intentional Community: The Shifts that Create Deeper Connection and Belonging with Nancy and Amy Harrington
Transcript
Hello, my friends and welcome to another episode of Mindset, unlimited. Mindset tips, tools and inspiration for women leaders. I'm your host. Valerie Friedlander, ICF certified coach, sociologist, intersectional feminist artist, mom and nerd. Today we are talking about cultivating intentional community, the shifts that create deeper connection and belonging. This episode is so special. I am interviewing two amazing sisters before I shar
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