I see you Marginalized leader. You got into this work to punch injustice in the face and here you are beating yourself up.

Dear Marginalized Leader, I know your passion for social justice and liberation has led you to join a nonprofit as a gateway for you to change the world. Now you’re in a leadership role that’s given you more influence and more responsibility but something’s just not right. 

Here’s what you already know: Nonprofits are not inherently anti-oppressive just because the mission is committed to doing social good.

Here’s what’s got you fucked up right now: You see the ways that the oppressive environment AROUND you at work is also getting INSIDE you. You and I know this to be internalized oppression or what some may call, the “Wait! The Matrix is in Me!?” epiphany.

Values-Aligned Action is my offering to meet this kind of struggle.

I believe that on the other side of internalized oppression is liberatory power, and that’s where I come in!

Values-Aligned Action is a personalized 6 month, 1-on-1 coaching and consulting program for marginalized nonprofit leaders

• who are ready to get INTENTIONAL about the ways they move through the world with conscious choices
• who want to be SUSTAINABLE about how they use their energy and emotions strategically
• who want to act CONGRUENTLY with the values that will move them closer towards a collective liberatory future.

Apply Now!

“How sway!?” is what you might be asking.

I would say we gotta stop dating internalized oppression who leeches off our life force and imagination, all while repeatedly telling us we’re unable, unlovable and unworthy.

I want to introduce us to liberatory power who is out here asking about how they can meet our needs, challenging us in a way that we desire and inviting us to believe in ourselves more, all while repeatedly telling us that we are skilled, captivating and precious.

Before I get to all the in’s and out’s about this offering and how I might be your partner in struggle, let’s cover a few things first.

Who am I talking to when I say Marginalized Leader?

When I say Marginalized, I mean folx who are not White, Hetero, Cis, Men, Rich or Neurotypical. 

Personally, I want to love up, invest in and build with Black and Brown, Queer and Trans* and Neurodivergent folx committed to social justice and liberation.

When I say Leader, I mean in the way I’m redefining Leadership:

As far as I'm concerned, being a Leader is not dictated by a title or position but more so as a way that you lead by example.

Okay, so what is the struggle bus you’re on right now? Contextually.

Earlier, I mentioned that you’re experiencing the “Wait! The Matrix is in Me!?” Epiphany, so allow me to elaborate.

The Matrix I’m referencing comes from two places.

First, I’m drawing from the Matrix of Domination as articulated by Patricia Hill Collins who invites us to resist the dominant group’s influence on us (I’m looking at you White Supremacy culture!). Black Feminists like Collins suggest that we can’t just focus on oppressive situations, but that we need to uproot the oppressor that is planted within us as well. 

You’re already fighting systemic oppression with your work and so the structural analysis is present. The part you and I get to engage in with Values-Aligned Action is in the self-inquiry piece with the goal of cultivating your liberatory power through intention, sustainability and congruence.

 Second, I’m drawing from The Matrix, the movie that described The Matrix as a "computer generated dream world to keep humans under control".

Listen, am I so cocky or confident to say that I’m the Morpheus to your Neo in this metaphor?!

YES.

I.

AM!

I know that a fire in your belly to punch injustice in the face brought you into this work and over time, that fire has dwindled. It happens to the best of us. But I want to help you bring that fire and passion back into your work so that you can be more fully and powerfully alive cause we need you.

If you’re choosing the Red Pill, the one that say you want to wake up and resist the Matrix, apply with the button below.

Apply Now!

What is the struggle bus you’re on right now? Specifically.

The Matrix you’re stuck in is called White Supremacy Culture as described by Tema Okun who highlights the 14 major characteristics of dominant white, middle class, hetero-patriarchal, capitalist and colonizing culture in the United States.

Maybe you knew.

Maybe you didn’t.

We’re here now.

Here’s what a few of these characteristics looks like in action:

Example #1 - Perfectionism

• Internally, your inner critic talks shit to you like it’s a job and they never take a day off. Thoughts like "I am majorly fucking this up" zaps any inch of courage you muster up when you try to step out to do something differently.
• Externally, you have a tendency to identify what’s wrong with someone or something first or you default to focusing on mistakes and beating yourself up about how you should’ve known better instead of what you’ve learned from them.
• Internalized Oppression says be professional as defined by Whiteness or don’t be so emotional as defined by Patriarchy.
• Liberatory Power reminds you that there are many ways to get to the same goal.
• Values-Aligned Action allows you to experiment at your own speed to transform this perfection into wisdom.

Example #2 - Fear of Open Conflict

• Internally, you’re a soft and sensitive soul who wants to belong. (We all do!) and so of course you’re afraid that if you spoke up, your colleagues would be bothered, disagree and judge you for your contributions.
• Externally, you’re not speaking up during staff meetings when you disagree or you avoid sharing opinions that would upset anyone or your stomach sinks anytime someone says “Can I talk to you about something?”.
• Internalized Oppression tells you you’re safer if you’re quiet and that no one cares what you have to say anyway.
• Liberatory Power whispers you belong to yourself first and it’s better to speak the truth of your experience. 
• Values-Aligned Action allows you to build the skills to hold and transform this fear into self-trust.

Example #3 - Sense of urgency

• Internally, you’re feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin with the competing priorities and you just want a damn vacation.
• Externally, you’re making decisions without taking the time to include as many voices and perspectives as possible, your agendas are jam-packed with more bullet points than can be covered in the allotted time and you often push out lunch just to get one more thing checked off your task list.
• Internalized Oppression yells at you to go faster, to keep up and practically has time is money labeled to its forehead.
• Liberatory Power brings you a pillow and a blanket and tells you about how shit takes longer than anyone expects and that if the people are not well, the work won’t be well either (wassup quality over quantity!)
• Values-Aligned Action allows you to deepen your anti-oppression analysis so you can transform this urgency into precision.

Here’s what I wish we all knew:

The more we internalize the same systems we’re fighting against, the less we’re able to make the kind of impact we want.

But how do we resist the Matrix?

I think it starts with the willingness to try on this belief:

If you agree and refuse this as well, then let's get to work!

Apply Now!

Listen, maybe some shame or guilt or [insert shitty emotion here] came up while you read through the examples above, and I feels that. It’s hard to hold the fact that we’re holding or perpetuating behaviors or beliefs that go against our own best interest.

You are not the first and likely won’t be the last, but I bet you’re also knowledgeable, self-aware and accountable to doing the work that is yours to do.

I believe we're all swimming in an ocean of supremacy and oppression, even those of us who are working against it. This is the reality. Our duty is to make flushing this shit outta our system a daily practice so that we can feel the freedom we’re working towards, today.

Values-Aligned Action is my offering for a process like this.

In Values-Aligned Action, we would be focused on cultivating your Liberatory Power which looks like:

• Getting INTENTIONAL about the ways you move though the world with conscious choices
• Being SUSTAINABLE with our energy and emotions so that we can restore our change-making efforts
• Acting CONGRUENTLY with our values and the world liberatory future we want to be true

And because we live in a White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchal vortex, it makes all of those things reaaaallllllll haaaaarrrdddd...BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

Shit it might even be fun *GASPS*

Let's imagine a world where...

• When we fuck up, we're able to see it NOT as a moral failure but as an opportunity to model that no one "gets is right all the time" instead of avoiding or explaining it away #RadicalVunerability
• We're aligned and resourced enough to disrupt oppression and act on our values, in real time, instead of walking away from the fuckery feeling phony, regretful or inauthentic #StayReadySoYouDontHaveToGetReady
• We seek counsel and integrate feedback from others we trust because our leadership is grounded in the collective #CommunityOverCompetition
• We find peace in discerning what is and isn't in our locus of control because we are no longer interested in exploiting ourselves by believing that it's our role to do all of the things #CriticalConnectionsOverCriticalMass

THIS IS ALL POSSIBLE FOR YOU.

And it's why I created Values-Aligned Action (my 1-to-1, 6 month coaching and consulting program).

Apply Now!

Values-Aligned Action

Over 6 months, you and I are focused on transforming Internalized Oppression into Liberatory Power so that you can show up in a way that is intentional, sustainable and congruent.

Here’s a visual of what would be involved in Cultivating Liberatory Power:

What are the Core Elements? Thematically.

• EVOLVING SKILLS: Courage, Compassion and Curiosity combine to make up Evolving Skills. These skills help us shift, expand, know, deepen, trust, etc. towards greater congruence so that you can combat stuckness, doubt and shame.
• ENERGY RESOURCING: Rituals, Co-Regulation + Self-Regulation and Collective Interdependence combine to make up Energy Resourcing. These resources help us take sustainable actions and manage our energy and emotions so that you can turn up the volume on what's really important and not drown in the sea of overwhelm.
• ADAPTIVE IMPACT: Anti-Oppression Analysis, Values Alignment and Experimentation combine to make Adaptive Impact. These approaches help us iterate and partner with change so that your impact can be more precise and you'll be more willing to shift as discrepancies arise.

What are the Core Elements? Structurally.

• VALUES ALIGNMENT: If you ALREADY KNOW what you want more of, we’ll take that and develop the thoughts, behaviors, skills and inner knowing you need so that you can align your everyday actions with your values. If you KNOW WHAT YOU WANT LESS of, we’ll start there and reverse-engineer the process.
• BIWEEKLY COACHING + CONSULTING SESSIONS: You and I will meet for two biweekly, 1 hour sessions per month via Zoom (the weeks in between are important to complete next steps or to allow time for integration/ letting shit settle and move).
• AFTER-PARTY EMAILS: After each session I'll send you session highlights and note-worthy thought nuggets to acknowledge the shifts you are making in real-time. My biggest hope is to create all the opportunities I can to bring your wisdom and knowing back to you. Change will be ongoing and it’s important for you to see those things on an ongoing basis.
• CUSTOMIZED-TO-YOU: This is not an one-size-fits-all-program. My greatest desire is to tailor our work based on what will be most beneficial to you vs. fitting you into a preset thingy. I will be personally tailoring each of our sessions and co-creating next steps so that you can learn, practice, reflect or affirm in a way that will serve you most.

But who the fuck am I!?

Holllaasss! Petra here! 👋🏽 *waves*

I am a Liberatory Leadership Coach, Facilitator, Emergent Strategist and Radical Social Worker.

I want as many of us as possible to be engaged in social change work because we need as many of us as possible. I help marginalized leaders who are frozen by fear or flooded with feelings redefine a leadership style that honors their humanity and invests in the leadership of others so that they can live a sustainable and purposeful life. 

I do this by combining my trauma and healing background, anti-oppression analysis and playful possibility to support my clients in leading with intention, sustainability and congruency.

So boom, let me tell you why I give a shit about all this and why I know I can help you.

In college (over a decade ago), I learned all about the ways that the Personal is Political. Meaning that our lived experiences are much more connected to power structures and systems than we can imagine. 

All of this newfound awareness pushed me to start experimenting with what it would look like for me to show up differently.

As a baby changemaker, I went from being a CAUTIOUS observer into a COURAGEOUS disruptor:

• I called out my racist, transphobic classmates for being harmful in public.
• I found a political affinity group that helped me level up my analysis and capacity for change.
• I cut off my relaxed hair as a first step to embracing my Blackness.
• I began organizing gender-based, interpersonal violence awareness events as part of my Take Back the Night activism.
• I mentored first-year and transfer students to adjust to college life (especially as predominantly low-income, BIPOC and first-generation college students.)

The  issue I noticed real quick was...not everyone is practicing what they preach and that shit is really not helping us, our relationship or our social change efforts. Over time, I learned that that culprit was internalized oppression, oftentimes.

My experience has been grounded in unlearning the ways that internalized oppression showed up in me. My background includes over a decade of experience in community organizing, program management and leadership development. 

I have mobilized neighbors, parents and youth to create community-driven solutions.

As a Nonprofit Leader, I co-created care-centered spaces by challenging White Supremacy culture characteristics such as:

• Power Hoarding
• Fear of Open Conflict
• Perfectionism
• Sense of Urgency
• Individualism
• Either/Or Thinking

In all that time, I have practiced facilitation as an art for consensus-based decision-making and inclusive, participatory engagement which means I have a strong grasp of what it takes to get people to agree on something and move the work forward. 

Most recently, I trained the next generation of social workers to trust the people as experts in their own lives, interrogate the savior complex within us helpers and healers and commit to healing ourselves in order to heal the collective.

And I can help you do this too.

Let's get to work, homie!

Apply Now!

Let's talk shmoneys.

My coaching rates are based on an equitable, sliding scale. Sliding scale is a tool for building economic justice, encouraging resource distribution, and promotes accessibility and fair compensation for pricing of services.

If you're unsure of which side of the scale you might fall, I find Alexis J. Cunningfolk's description of sacrifice vs. hardship quoted below to be helpful.

"If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do.

If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale.

I find the idea of sacrifice versus hardship to be a very useful nuance when talking about class and access because it recognizes and respects that paying for something might still be a challenge even if it is just a short-term one, while giving appropriate space for those who are dealing with financial hardship."

Given that, please consider your financial resources or assets, levels of privilege, etc. when choosing your payment. No proof or explanation required, I trust you to pick a fair rate for both of us given your financial picture***

Below are my coaching rates for 6 months:

• $1,200 USD (Pay in Full) OR $200/month if you are surviving financially [[this is the Solidarity Rate]]
• $2,100 USD (Pay in Full) OR $350/month if you are financially comfortable [[this is the Full Rate]]
• 3,000 USD (Pay in Full) OR $500/month if you are financially abundant and can share your access and wealth with others [[this is the Redistribution Rate]]

💸Interest-free, payment plan options available + encouraged 💸

At this time, I am offering limited extended payment plans which means that you would be eligible for an 8 month payment plan, instead of 6 months.

***If you have questions about where you fall on the financial spectrum, please consider reviewing this economic justice map from The Sliding Scale: A Tool of Economic Justice by Alexis J. Cunningfolk.

If you are tiredt of contorting, punishing and tough-loving yourself into change, I'm ya girl!

This is the part where you double-check to see if this is really the thing for you:

You should totally apply if...

1. You're someone who's done lots of learning and unlearning about equity, social justice, oppression, change, trauma and people but aren't sure how to put those beliefs and ideas into everyday action.
2. You recognize that institutional change, requires personal change as well (read: vulnerability, stretching comfort zones, radical transparency and self-awareness).
3. You're looking for a space to unpack how oppressive thinking impacts our actions and decision-making without judgment or shame
4. You want to deepen your self-trust to take grounded risks and learn from imperfect action, in the right direction.
5. You are best supported by someone who uses a variety of learning tools and mediums and uses a collaborative, consent-based approach.

You might want to wait to apply if...

1. You're unfamiliar with the concept of internalized oppression. While this is ongoing work, I recognize how much time it takes to get into a habit of undoing these ways of being that I don't want to short-change our time together by providing more intensive education that would be more useful to do outside of this capacity.
2. You're uncomfortable with the metaphysical, metaphorical, ancestral or spiritual, it's just not your jam. For me, social change will require both logic and intuition, both the seen and unseen, etc.
3. You're looking for someone to give you a prescribed, step-by-step guide. While I am available to consult, provide examples and leverage my experience, I am most interested in helping you think critically, deepen your inner knowing and feel more confident about the ways you are embodying your values. 
4. You don't have access to or have not engaged in self-growth work before. This is vulnerable work and I want to make sure you have other supports in place, just in case.
5. Spending any type of money right now would endanger your livelihood. I don't want that for you and that kind of stress would not be beneficial to our work together.

If you're sure that this is the thing that would benefit your leadership and life, click that button below!

Apply Now!

You've got Q's & I've got A's

(Click the triangles to see my responses to your questions)

Are we doing this thing? 🤞🏽🫰🏾🤞🏿