Hey heyyyy Reader,

This is a very niche email so big ups to you for being interested!

I was sitting here thinking of what else I might be able to say for those of you who are on the fence about signing up for Liberatory Leadership 101 and here's one of the ideas that popped into my mind:

"Fuck the nonprofit I work at, Petra, why would I sign up for a webinar to help make it better!?"

Is this your reason for not registering yet?

If so, I get it.

Fuck that job.

But it's not even about the job, Reader, not really.

What I'm talking about in Liberatory Leadership 101 is how we can take these environments where many Marginalized folks with a passion to do good in the world have found themselves still:

1. Feeling alotta self-doubt about their efforts or themselves and
2. Not feeling the kind of freedom that this form of change-making promised to you

For me, it's not about WHERE you work but understanding WHY things are so hard and fucked, a lot of the time, and HOW you might be able to do things differently because whatever you're doing to cope is likely not changing the conditions of the environment you're in and that's the thing we need to do in order change some shit.

And just to underscore how much I resonate with your "fuck this job" sentiment, let me tell you about how cults are a special interest of mine.

[[Stay with me, Ima make it all connect by the end of this email]]

So I see aaaaaa lllllloooootttt of connection between cults and social justice (particularly the kinds of social justice that happens at the nonprofit level).

• Waking up to the fact that you’re in a cult feels similar to waking up to living an oppressive + oppressed life.
• Many people who join cults are looking for purpose, connection and to create a better world-- sound familiar?
• Loretta Ross said “A group of people thinking the same thing and moving in the same direction is a cult. A group of people thinking different things and moving in the same direction is a movement.”
• Collectively we might think that we’re “too smart” to fall victim to a cult and I think that belief is hella misguided.
• Cults appear collectivist but they are actually run by a small handful of people who hoard power-- sound familiar?
• Some cult followers become cult defenders because they honestly believe: “I am helping this person”-- sound familiar?
• The level of commitment found in cults can also be found in nonprofits--we are willing to die for the cause.
• I’ve worked at nonprofits who’ve used cult tactics like deception, love bombing and time control.

See how I brought it back to nonprofits in the end!?

Thank you for reading this far.

I say all this to say, YES, the nonprofits we work at ain't shit buuuttt you and I came into them with a passion. Perhaps that passion has dwindled over time. That's okay.

And there's an opportunity to rekindle that flame, to add a little tinder or perhaps a fresh breath of air to re-ignite that fire you have for leaving the world a little better than you found it.

I'm someone that believes in taking tiny risks, in creating your own evidence for the world you want to see and in understanding that liberation is a process, not a destination. Doing this work at my lil nonprofit jobs was possible for me, and maybe it'll be possible for you too.

Soooooooo If you've walked off the fence and are wanting to see what I've got to say, register for the webinar, here's what we're covering:

If you still DON'T give a shit about this webinar, maybe you would rather listen to this episode called "The Cult of Nonprofits" by the Sounds like a cult podcast. My favorite parts were the clips of people around the world sending their responses to "What is the cultiest thing about nonprofits?".

Personally, I resonated with the people who said:

• "The cultiest thing about nonprofits is the gaslighting in salaries where you're constantly told that there's no money but you see how much the CEO is making." +
• "The cultiest thing about nonprofits is the fact that they exist to convince staff, donors, people they serve that their mission aims to fight against social injustice but because of the nonprofit industrial complex, it makes nonprofits dependent on corporate and government funding but those systems directly contribute to the inequities the nonprofit is fighting against."

Literally, same.

Ima go get ready for this webinar now.

Talk soon,

Petra Vega

Liberatory Leadership Coach, Emergent Strategist, Social Justice Facilitator & Radical Social Worker

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P.S. I'll soon be announcing that enrollment for Steady + Ready (a 3-month, 1-to-1 coaching experience for BIPOC and Queer nonprofit leaders who want to develop the skills, support and spirit to speak up powerfully and consistently) is open during the Liberatory Leadership 101 webinar. If you're thinking about working with me, I'd highly encourage you to attend the webinar and learn more about my approach to bringing more power, agency and choice into your leadership.

Want more liberation in your leadership? I'd love to help!