Speaking Human-First Mary Knox Miller

Personal narratives have a unique power to help us connect to ideas and issues despite disparate backgrounds.

Courtney Martin has been channeling her “uncomfortable gift” for recognizing hypocrisy and seeking the truth into stories since high school. She’s an author, journalist, podcast host, speaker, and cofounder of organizations who uses words to grapple with contentious topics like race, education, activism, and motherhood.

Today, she shares why she returns again and again to personal narrative in pursuit of change, how writing helps her make sense of the world, and how she holds her values close while making a living as a writer.

Listen to the full episode to hear:
How seeing her white, progressive friends avoid their local public school sent Courtney down the rabbit hole of what would become her memoir, Learning in Public.How Courtney uses her social and material capital to shape systemic change through collaboration with organizationsWhat taking a sabbatical taught Courtney about the throughlines in her body of work and reclaiming space to be aloneWhy she avoids getting overly precious about her writingWhy change advocates need to be willing to show up for the long haul
Learn more about Courtney Martin:
The article she wrote after our conversationWebsiteThe Examined FamilyInstagram: @courtwrites
Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:
Thought Leader MediaConnect on LinkedIn
Resources:
Solutions Journalism NetworkFRESH SpeakersThe Holding Co.Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's SchoolThe Wise Unknown Podcast

Can you be a leader of an organization and publically share your personal views? Ami Dar, Executive Director of Idealist.org, is currently threading that needle after going viral for his commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

Driven by a long-held desire to create positive change and inspired by the possibilities of the nascent web, Ami Dar launched Idealist.org in 1995 to bring together nonprofits and social impact professionals to maximize their potential to do good.

Over the last thirty years, Idealist.org has grown from a directory of links to become an essential resource for social impact professionals and 150,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
How Ami’s multinational childhood and experiences in the Israeli army drove his desire to create changeHow his post-military travel and the dawn of the internet inspired the eventual creation of Idealist.orgWhy Ami says it’s vital for leaders to recognize mistakes, learn from them, and course-correct How going viral surprised him and why he says that commenting on the Israel-Palestine war wasn’t a choiceHow Ami sees Idealist Days as bridging the gap between connecting online and connecting with your community to make a real-life difference Why saying yes and getting started, even imperfectly, is how we make change 
Learn more about Ami Dar:
Idealist.orgX: @amidarWatch Ami’s appearance on TED, "An Israeli and a Palestinian Talk Peace, Dignity and Safety"
Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:
thoughtleadermedia.coConnect with Mary Knox Miller on LinkedInFollow Thought Leader Media on LinkedIn

Our world is increasingly data-driven, especially when understanding our audiences, but what if the metrics we’re using are incomplete?

David Allison, a renowned marketing strategist and the innovative mind behind Valuegraphics, argues that, at best, demographics only provide a partial picture of a person and, at worst, reinforce biases and stereotypes. This is where values fill the gaps and offer a more comprehensive understanding. 

David and his team have not just identified 56 universally shared values, but they've also made them actionable. By adopting a values-based approach to communication, we can challenge our unconscious assumptions and gain predictive insights into what truly engages, motivates, and inspires our audience. 

Listen to the full episode to hear:
How our values drive everyday choices, large and small–How demographic data perpetuates stereotypes and hinders social changeHow acknowledging our common values helps build consensus and move us forwardHow the core 56 values break down into nuanced and actionable definitions and interpretationsThree key questions to begin uncovering people’s values 
Learn more about David Allison:
WebsiteValuegraphicsConnect on LinkedInThe Death of Demographics: Valuegraphic Marketing for a Values-Driven World
Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:
Thought Leader MediaConnect on LinkedIn

How do we make change that scales and replicates beyond our immediate sphere?

For Denise Brosseau, founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Lab, thought leadership is a transformative path, a way to not just expand our influence and impact for good but to reshape the very fabric of our industries and ecosystems.

It’s not about personal branding or superficial success. It's about being the 'pebble in the pond', the one who, with unwavering determination, uses their knowledge, experiences, and networks to push industries or ecosystems forward, even in the face of adversity.

During our conversation, Denise shares practical tips on how to become a thought leader, including the importance of finding your niche and building a network of support ready to jump in when the waters get rough.  These insights can be invaluable on your journey to thought leadership.

Listen to the full episode to hear:
What it actually means to be a thought leaderDenise’s two key inflection points in her career and the different choices she made each timeWhy thought leaders need to cultivate allies along with their ideas and convictionsEssential questions to ask yourself when finding your thought leadership nicheThe importance of making your experience and processes tangible 
Learn more about Denise Brosseau:
Thought Leadership LabConnect on LinkedInReady to Be a Thought Leader?
Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:
Thought Leader MediaConnect on LinkedIn
Resources:
Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement, Tarana Burke

In a world inundated with information and brands vying for our attention, how do you not only get seen and heard but also inspire others to take action?

Brand scientist and director of NobiWorks, N. Chloé Nwangwu believes brands and visibility strategies must be built with power dynamics and biases in mind to break through cognitive biases, especially for underrecognized  people.

Chloé’s Visibility Engineering process, a transformative approach that draws on her experience as an international conflict mediator and social and behavioral science, empowers social impact leaders to navigate past their stakeholders’ brain filters and ensure their ideas  are retained and spread long term, thereby shaping social change. 

Today, Chloé underscores the urgency and importance of mastering the science of being noticed. This skill is not just a tool for personal branding, but a crucial element in shaping social change.

Listen to the full episode to hear:
How Chloé’s experience in international mediation led her to create brands that help underrecognized  players get a seat at the tableThe critical difference between being seen and being noticed amid the never-ending bids for our attentionWhy it’s essential to shape messaging advocating for social change in a way that facilitates behavior changeHow Chloé developed her Visibility Engineering process to get past the cognitive hurdles of getting ideas seen, remembered, and proliferatedAnd why it’s essential to have an understanding of the stakeholders and gatekeepers in your sphere
Learn more about N. Chloé Nwangwu:
NobiWorksInstagram: @nobiworksConnect on LinkedInThe Visibility Clinic
Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:
Thought Leader MediaConnect on LinkedIn

When leaders wholeheartedly embrace our shared humanity and foster empathy, we unleash a transformative power that can reshape the workplace and beyond.

Daisy Auger-Domínguez, a distinguished HR and DEI C-Suite leader, renowned speaker, and author, brings her unique perspectives to the table. She delves into the importance of a human-first approach to leadership, the need to challenge the status quo, and the significance of dismantling barriers and power dynamics to foster more inclusive workplaces. 

Our conversation also explores practical strategies. We delve into the power of self-awareness and vulnerability to foster connection. We also discuss the importance of intentionally designing time and space for rest and recharge, crucial for navigating and shaping a future where inclusion is not just a goal but a fundamental reality.

Listen to the full episode to hear:
How Daisy’s is driven by a vision of workplaces as sites of dignity, respect, value, and joy The impact of Daisy’s upbringing and education in both the Dominican Republic and the U.S. on how she views and experiences the tension, biases, and limitations around identity in U.S. cultureWhy it’s necessary to interrogate our personal intersections of identity and authority when we seek to change the status quo of power dynamics in our worldsHow Daisy has used sharing her mistakes and experiences to build connection and an audienceDaisy’s long road to taking a “radical sabbatical” and giving herself the space and boundaries to actually rest, recover, and reclaim the joy in her work 
Learn more about Daisy Auger-Domínguez:
WebsiteInclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the WorkplaceBurnt Out to Lit Up: How to Reignite the Joy of Leading PeopleInclusion Revolution TEDxPearlStreetThe Visibility Clinic Lab Pass 
Learn more about Mary Knox Miller:
Thought Leader MediaConnect on LinkedIn