Hi friend,

Where. To. Start.

Do we talk about politics? Burnout and self care? My take on the election results As a Black Woman™️?

This entire moment feels like when someone asks you in passing, “How are you doing?” and rather than unload all of your thoughts, hopes, dreams, and fears on the spot, you just say, “…….Fine.”

Like anyone, in or out of the impact space, I have many thoughts and feelings about what’s transpired politically and what lies ahead.

In some moments, I’m more motivated than ever to help lessen divides and create a more supportive world for everyone (my other job).

But, if I’m being honest, I also need a little time for myself. To build confidence in the face of uncertainty. To hone in on what I can contribute that’s both additive to the moment and sustainable for me.

There’s what people need to hear, what I have to give, and somewhere in between lies the truth this newsletter.

Luckily, there are more vibrant, brilliant, life-giving voices in this space besides my own. It’s my pleasure to curate a few of them for you.

Here’s some of what you’ll find ahead:

• Two impact career points of view from women who just worked on the election

• A job search agency’s take on how to nurture your creative side to build resiliency

• A discount code for a deck of cards meant to spark constructive conversation (seems necessary!), plus an FYI about a book whose premise might make some of you go “Same.”

• Good quotes from the podcast, of course.

I feel like we’re being inundated with content at every turn, which makes me even more grateful that you would take the time to explore the Issue Space letter this month. You are appreciated! I’m rooting for our clarity and peace every way we can get it.

In community,

Podcast Gems

We’re still thinking about…

✨ When advocacy strategist Jason Rzepka offered feedback on movement messaging. The heart and mind are won or lost, in part, through narrative, and if important messages aren’t connecting, it’s time to edit, experiment, and evolve for the win. (Episode 7: “On & Off the Ground”)

✨ When creative director Janna Pea said – twice – that there’s enough room in this world for everybody to win. What does this work look like when we really believe that? Will our stories, goals, teams, and coalitions become ones that more and more people can see themselves in? (Episode 6: “Equitable Expectations”)

✨ When social entrepreneur Natika Washington shared that she still gets goosebumps thinking about her name being immortalized on policy documents at the U.S. Department of State. The work you choose really does make a difference, and on a bigger scale than just you. (Episode 8: “From the Office to the Hill”)

…

You can catch up on the Issue Space podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and these other fine platforms.

One Path to Impact

This month, with many in our community having contributed to the recent U.S. presidential election, we spotlight not one but two Paths to Impact — meet Lucille Wenegieme and Yeji Cha-Beach of Headcount, a nonpartisan organization that registers people to vote at concerts, festivals, and community events.

In one sentence, what is your job?

LW: I am the Executive Director at Headcount, which is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization where we turn music fans into voters.

YC-B: I work with recording artists at Headcount, helping them understand the importance of leading young people to flex their democratic muscles.

What job(s) did you dream of having when you were younger? Why?

LW: I wanted to be like Sanjay Gupta. My parents said I could be a doctor, but I also loved to yap, loved to converse with people, and loved the idea of a high-stakes job where I could share and receive ideas. So, to me, being like Sanjay Gupta was a way to be a doctor without really being a doctor. But I also saw myself as a comic book writer, a costume designer, a fashion editor. I saw myself in a variety of things, which has always been my blessing and my curse – I have a ton of different interests, and I’ve been that way since I was a kid.

YC-B: I grew up with music always around me. My mom was an artist; I was playing violin. I moved to New York City right after college and wanted to work in the performing arts space. I ended up at Carnegie Hall, and then the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Then over the last ten-and-a-half years, I was a music producer at Late Night with Seth Meyers. So to now be in this really unique and special space of entertainment-meets-social-and-civic-impact, I feel really grateful about all my experiences in the past.

What's the most unexpected skill you use in your social impact job every day?

LW: Deductive reasoning and curiosity. There are a ton of things where every day I’m going, ‘Why does this exist? Who would know why this exists? Is this something that is useful for us?’ I've worked in so many different industries, and that curiosity has led me through all of them.

YC-B: Being able to have real conversations with people, like artists and their teams. They’re real people. They’re like us. I think no matter who you’re talking to, it’s about being able to have organic, genuine conversations toward a collective goal.

How do politics inform your approach to your work in this space?

LW: It's the chess board. So while we are not partisan and we're not telling people who to vote for or where they should stand on any issue, we operate in a field of politics in the same way that, quite frankly, we all do in our daily lives, regardless of how much we choose to engage with it. The choices made by the American people set the chessboard for how we engage young people and music fans about being civically minded. What is available to them in terms of accessing democracy? What is the environment in which they’re using their civic power to create change?

YC-B: Working in this space has opened me up to the fact that, no matter what happens out in the world and how the world may feel, it's about putting out the signposts in our organization that the work we do matters. Whether it's 5 people at a festival or 30,000 people online, we are creating the space for people to be opened up to a new civic process and creating change.

What do you think is misunderstood or under-discussed about working in the social impact space?

LW: What I did not understand is that there's unfortunately a huge difference between the people who work in nonprofit and/or social change work with institutional wealth and institutional networks and the people who organize people in their affected communities. The resource divide, the network divide, the visibility divide, the wealth-building, the outcomes – if you grew up working class and are doing impact work, there will likely be a ceiling on how big a reach you can have, how much capital you can raise, and what your locus of impact can be. When you look across the landscape, do not assume that all impact organizations are starting with the same building blocks.

What do you hope to accomplish through your work in social impact?

YC-B: One of the things we want to work on is having a more diverse array of partners. I’d love to help dig into the Asian pop space or more in the R&B and hip-hop space. Representation matters and we’d love to engage young music fans everywhere.

What guidance would you give to someone looking to enter professional changemaking work?

LW: That you really can do anything. I didn't come up through changemaking as a career. I benefitted from being curious about how all of it worked, what was available, what were the nodes of power and influence in changemaking. And I really just followed the next most interesting thing.

YC-B: I remember asking different friends, colleagues, peers, and mentors for conversations. And at the end of each conversation, I would ask them to link me with somebody else who I could learn from. And so I organically broadened my network and, through that, was able to meet people in this unique space. I eventually met a woman in an equivalent role to mine now and I was so encouraged by our immediate bond. The only way to progress further is to work together.

…

Know an impact pro we should profile? Drop us a note!

Opportunities to Watch For

• Your Space. I am dying to know what makes you feel seen, heard, and inspired (or not!), and how this can inform the future of Issue Space. Keep your eyes peeled for input opportunities in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, take our basic Welcome Survey if you haven’t already!

• A ‘nu’ source of impact work – with creative inspiration, to boot. 💫 It can be challenging to stay energized as an impact professional, especially in times of uncertainty, as we’re in now. But did you know that cultivating creativity can help build resiliency for whatever challenges come your way, from burnout to big efforts? NuWave Talent, a recruiting and executive search agency with a focus on impact and roots in the advertising industry, helps job seekers find opportunities to do meaningful work with values-aligned organizations and brands. Read on for their tips on how to embrace your own resilience-building practice. 

Things People Shared

• ‘One More Question’ Conversation Cards. Remember Dr. Jocelyn Logan-Friend from the “Distance & Difference” podcast episode? She’s designed a deck of conversation cards to inspire teams and individuals to “embrace equity, ignite creativity, and spark change.” Issue Space community members can order the cards for a discount using the code SAVETHEWORLD2024 (isn’t that cute??) Get the cards ↗

• You Deserve the Truth, a memoir by Erica Williams Simon. At 27 years old, Erica walked away from her very public persona as a rising political advocate, commentator, and media star to authentically redefine her life. Read the synopsis ↗

• Waging Nonviolence is a nonprofit media organization that tracks social movements around the world. They’ve published a guide for navigating the next presidency based on its signals, with tips on everything from avoiding cycles of reactivity to being realistic about how to approach power in this era. See the guide ↗

Something I Said 🗣️🗣️ 

Join the Space

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