Why coaching + social change?

Explicit content warning

02/13/24 • 40 min

Welcome to the podcast! This episode is going to be different than our usual format because I wanted to take some time to lay the foundation for the questions we’ll be exploring on this show. Questions like “How can our movement spaces actively create more opportunities for deep, internal transformation while we work for external change?”

I invited my dear friend Jess Serrante (a long-time coach for climate leaders) to help shed some light on the purpose of this podcast and our hopes for justice-oriented coaches.

Check out the episode page for the transcript and all the resources related to this episode: https://widerroots.com/1

Make sure to subscribe through your podcast app: https://widerroots.com/subscribe

Timestamps

[00:32] - What this show is about
[08:26] - Intro to my conversation with Jess
[10:14] - Jeremy's coaching origin story
[14:24] - What would it be like if we all had these skills?
[18:40] - Who this is for and what we'll be exploring
[21:29] - Coaching industry & how we don't see ourselves in it
[26:03] - Why we find coaching so powerful in movement work
[31:52] - Being in community with one another as practitioners

Connect with Jess

Connect with Jess at JessSerrante.com or @jess_serrante. Sign up for her newsletter to get notified when the We Are The Great Turning podcast (with Joanna Macy!) is released later this year.

Follow the podcast

Join the newsletter at WiderRoots.com for more resources on personal + systemic transformation.
Instagram @WiderRootsPod
Connect with Jeremy on his coaching website.

I invited my dear friend Jess Serrante (a long-time coach for climate leaders) to help shed some light on the purpose of this podcast and our hopes for justice-oriented coaches.

Check out the episode page for the transcript and all the resources related to this episode: https://widerroots.com/1

Make sure to subscribe through your podcast app: https://widerroots.com/subscribe

Timestamps

[00:32] - What this show is about
[08:26] - Intro to my conversation with Jess
[10:14] - Jeremy's coaching origin story
[14:24] - What would it be like if we all had these skills?
[18:40] - Who this is for and what we'll be exploring
[21:29] - Coaching industry & how we don't see ourselves in it
[26:03] - Why we find coaching so powerful in movement work
[31:52] - Being in community with one another as practitioners

Connect with Jess

Connect with Jess at JessSerrante.com or @jess_serrante. Sign up for her newsletter to get notified when the We Are The Great Turning podcast (with Joanna Macy!) is released later this year.

Follow the podcast

Join the newsletter at WiderRoots.com for more resources on personal + systemic transformation.
Instagram @WiderRootsPod
Connect with Jeremy on his coaching website.

Previous Episode

Introducing: Wider Roots

In order to navigate the breakdowns we’re in, we need coaches and leaders who can help us bring out the best qualities of humanity and tap into our deepest longings for the future.

This podcast is my attempt to do “research in public” and explore the questions that have been in my heart for over a decade:

How can coaching skills and practices support changemakers and social movements working for systemic change?
How can social, political, and ecological realities inform the foundation of HOW we coach? (Rather than being de-politicized and individualistic.)
What does it look like to place our commitment to the well-being of the whole at the center of a coaching conversation/relationship?

This podcast is my quest to understand more about these questions. I hope you walk away with ideas, inspiration, and resources to coach in a way that makes a difference for the world we want to live into.

I invite you to join the newsletter where we'll be sharing additional resources, links, training opportunities and more: https://widerroots.com/

Next Episode

Making space for imperfection in activist spaces (w/ Mazin Jamal)

“So how can we create such rich belonging, that there's room to challenge each other without fearing that we're going to be kicked out of the group?”

In this episode, we’ll be exploring that question and many other questions about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) with Mazin Jamal, co-founder of Holistic Underground. We dive into how we stay grounded as facilitators when we’re supporting groups to look at race, privilege, and equity.

Check out the episode page for the transcript and all the resources related to this episode: https://widerroots.com/2

Key takeaways

Bringing Levity: Use humor and lightness when dealing with weighty topics to help keep things in perspective. This allows the group to stay regulated and think clearly. [00:10:09]
Orienting Toward Love and Liberation: Come from a place of care and freedom rather than just fixing problems. This creates a generosity of spirit that is more sustainable.
Keeping Groups Regulated: Help everyone stay grounded and resourced rather than reactive. This allows for cooperation and completion of the necessary conversations. [00:15:08]
Grounding in Shared Vision and Values: Keep bringing it back to the “eyes on the prize” and the shared care. This connects to the deeper reasons people are engaged.
Living the Change We Wish to See: Model the kind of community we want to build in how we organize and work together. [00:21:25]
Making Space for Imperfection and Redemption: Have compassion for our own and others’ humanity. This reduces defensive othering when we all accept we are on a journey. [00:26:25]
Developing ancestral spiritual cleansing practices: Use techniques grounded in one's ancestry to energetically care for oneself when dealing with heavy topics over time. [00:37:14]
Helping People Find Their Niche: Support folks in locating the intersection of their experiences, skills, and passions so they can sustainably contribute over the long haul.

Resources & Links

This Is An Uprising - Book about the momentum organizing model, where Jeremy first learned about Ghandi’s idea of “prefigurative” organizing (living the world we want to see now).
Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture - Mazin mentions this list indirectly when he brings up perfectionism.
New Blue Sun - Andre 3000's new flute album
The Emerald Podcast
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Connect with Mazin

Holistic Underground - JEDI consulting, fiscal sponsorship, and impact incubator for spiritual innovation
EmbraceCommunity.co - Community events in the Bay Area that Mazin helps organize.
@mazinjamal_ - Mazin on Instagram

Follow the podcast

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.

Wider Roots - Why coaching + social change?

Transcript

Jeremy Blanchard00:00:11.545

Welcome to the Wider Roots podcast. A show about how we can use the power of coaching and personal transformation to help create systemic social change and bring about a more life affirming world. Since this is the first episode, I wanted to take some time to introduce myself and let you know what you can expect from this project and this podcast. So hello. My name is Jeremy Blanchard. I use he/him pronouns. And I am a leadership coach and