In this first episode, Mia is joined by one of the podcast producers, Alysia Tate, to explain the intention behind this season, how we chose episode topics and guests, and why justice and equity work matters in every area of life (no matter your career choice). Alysia interviews Mia and also shares how she now applies the concept of shared power within the Montessori classroom.

“There is no limit to power: The world is better when we ALL have power… and we have to recognize this, even if society doesn’t.” - Lisa Marie Pickens Why do so many DEI initiatives fall short? What does shared power look like in organizations, even the homogenous ones? Can a shared power analysis reframe and expand DEI work?  These are the questions Mia explores in this episode with Nonprofit Consultant, Lisa Marie Pickens.  Mia and Lisa Marie discuss the problems with general DEI initiatives, the day-to-day practicing of shared power through collaborative learning and modeling, why Shared Power is for EVERYONE in your organization, and how to sustain this internal shift long-term. Plus, Lisa Marie shares some inspirational examples of nonprofits that have completely transformed their understanding and practice of DEI work to embrace Shared Power.

“Starting with a relationship instead of starting with a project is foundational, because relationships will continue even as projects and organizations close or change.” -Yashna Padamsee   How do we fulfill our organization’s mission without sacrificing its people?  And how do we support our people without sacrificing our mission?    For this episode, Mia is joined by Yashna Padamsee, a consultant with over 17 years serving social movements, to talk about the importance of sharing our origin stories when working together in organizations and collectives.   Yashna and Mia discuss what it means to share our origin stories, how sharing stories fosters trust within an organization, why it’s important to prioritize relationships (even given the urgency of crisis work), plus the real cost of not prioritizing stories and relationships.

“Things don’t have to last forever in order to be successful… Sometimes we get too caught up in ‘sustainability,’ which prevents us from experimenting.” - Deborah Harrington In this episode, philanthropic trailblazer and seasoned strategist Deborah Harrington joins Mia to discuss how we can redefine leadership in ways that diversify group thought, create a culture of trust, and build mutual loyalty.  Deborah (she/her) brings to the conversation decades of experience leading in the public sector and social change philanthropy. She talks eloquently about how to reorient an organization’s leadership toward shared power. Deborah and Mia discuss what often prevents organizations from building relationships (particularly in times of challenge), how vulnerability invites connection (which actively builds trust), and why organizational change can happen more quickly than we think.  Plus, they share the story of how they organized together in their Chicago neighborhood!

“My professor and others woke me up to [injustice], but I didn’t have enough of a toolkit to really articulate what I was doing within these structures. Now the tools we have to analyze structures and to work collectively are so much stronger.” - Brian Brady This candid conversation with Brian Brady, a veteran nonprofit leader, is about his regular reflections on shared power within nonprofit leadership positions as a white man.   In this episode Mia talks with Brian about the challenge of maintaining  relationships within large organizations, why vulnerability is a key component of sharing power, and what practices Brian recommends to people with privilege in leadership roles.

“None of this would matter if we were doing it alone. We’re actively resisting the dominant culture through collaboration… which comes with, perhaps, individual risks [that are worth it].” -Lewis Raven Wallace In this episode, Mia is joined by independent journalist Lewis Raven Wallace for a conversation about accessing our Zone Of Genius and what it means for the practice of Shared Power in collaboration. Zone Of Genius can be defined as a flow state that takes you “beyond the sum of its parts,” as Lewis says in this episode.  When each of us resides within our Zone Of Genius, we’re better able to add value to the world, individually and collectively. That’s why we aspire to engage with justice & equity work from that place.  Lewis joins me to discuss how we both engage from within our Zone Of Genius in regular collaboration together, why solidarity is both a skill and a "practice", and why shared power is a long-term commitment.

“I never saw social media as opposite to what I’m doing in social organizing. For me, it’s just a tool… it always has been.” - Mariame Kaba Social media has completely transformed the way we organize, communicate, and connect. This is true in so many areas of our lives, but especially with social justice organizing and global movements for justice.  For this conversation, Mia is joined by social organizer, educator, and curator, Mariame Kaba. We consider questions like: How can we engage, collaborate, and connect on social media in ways that remain genuine and authentic? Why do so many people struggle to know what to do as social activists (especially with better access to more information)?  Mariame explains how she entered the world of social media in 2010, why she thinks virtual connection will become even more prominent in the future, and how we can expand our experience of social media in healthy ways.

“If we don’t do the internal work, our movements will suffer.” - Aarati Kasturirangan This conversation is about expanding what’s possible - even within conflict.  Mia is joined by Rebecca Subar (they/them) and Aarati Kasturirangan (she/her) from Dragonfly Partners to discuss how nonprofit organizations and movement leaders can navigate conflict from the inside-out. Together we dive deep into why our individual and collective orientations to the work make a difference, when it’s okay to walk away from conflict, and how to learn every step of the journey. Plus, Rebecca eloquently shares their definitions of “power” and “strength” and Aarati (pronounced Arthi) explains why it’s okay to be unsure about what to do in conflict.

When we share power, we don’t have to take everything on ourselves…. ‘Many hands makes light work.’” - Alicia Bell In this episode, Alicia Bell explains how slowing down to make decisions as a collective can enhance the experience of Shared Power and actually ensure the work happens more quickly.  “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” Alicia shares And we know this requires collective trust: Can we trust the slow parts of the process… and trust that the foundational work will move us toward the future we envision?  This conversation dives deep into how fear of relinquishing control can keep us from sharing power in making decisions, why realignment is a necessary part of the process, and how to navigate and change societal expectations and assumptions through collective decision-making.

“I understood that doing my work well made it possible for everybody else to do their work well.” - Morgan Mahdavi In this episode, our very own Morgan Mahdavi joins Mia for a conversation about their working relationship and how they invite accountability in relationships through transparency, genuine care, and radical trust and grace.  Morgan and Mia have worked together in a variety of ways (including here at Freedom Lifted), and they agree that accountable relationships that encourage follow -through are important to shared work and shared power within the work. Morgan shares how trust in their work opened the possibility for taking initiative on important projects, the most important ingredients for creating shared power, and how we can build a team culture that learns from past mistakes. Morgan ends with sage advice for leaders who want to focus on building teams that hold each other accountable.