*leaders meaning: you don’t have to be (or call yourself) a coach or healer. If your work is service-based and facilitates any kind of transformation for people, businesses or communities, this program might be for you!

“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

– an Aboriginal activist group in the 1970s

Hearing this for the first time changed me.

If you’re reading this, you probably chose the work you do because you want to make an impact on your community and the world around you. Me too. We want to help and alleviate the suffering we see and feel everywhere we go. We wish for happiness, freedom and peace.

I absolutely believe that these dreams are possible *and* I’ve seen that there’s something vital missing in the mainstream conversation about what it takes to heal and grow and step into our potential as human beings.

there’s been a disconnect in our approach.

We’ve taken our complex humanity and our interconnectedness and simplified it. We’ve chosen to believe and teach that the only obstacle in our way is the person we see in the mirror. In some cases this is true – in many others, it’s not and sometimes it’s both.

As leaders – who work directly with the mind, body and soul of a diverse group of people – we’ve denied, for far too long, the role that our culture(s) and the institutional systems we live within play in our ability to heal, grow and be free.

I’ve spent the last few years really digging into where personal growth and social justice intersect – trying to find a bridge.

Instead of finding a bridge, I’ve realized that they’re actually deeply intertwined. That’s easy to miss when we choose to only focus on the individual and not the cultures and systems that the individual both affects and is affected by.

Here’s what i’ve come to believe:

Our capacities to listen, hold space, guide, support, envision, heal and acknowledge the greatness in others are profoundly needed in our world.

Because we’ve chosen to use those capacities to transform the lives of those we serve, we also have a responsibility to transform the systems we live within that do not serve the whole.

The potential of humanity lies within the systems that we navigate every single day. Our belief systems, our family systems, our educational systems, economic, cultural, institutional, etc.

We, humans, created and sustain those systems and we’re way past due for some wide-scale transformation.

The sadness, rage and grief we feel when watching the news is valid and should be expressed and harnessed for change rather than avoided.

“Justice is what love looks like in public.” – Cornel West

Our individual wellbeing is directly tied to the wellbeing of us all.

Social change cannot happen without healing and healing cannot happen without justice.

Activism is not only about protests and petitions, it’s also about how you show up in your everyday life.

If you went “YESSS” to any of these, stick around. You’re in the right place.

Do you see yourself in any of these statements?

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“I’ve had such a hard time bringing my whole self into my work. It feels like my culture/beliefs/activism doesn’t fit.”

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“I feel like I can’t talk about politics as a business owner, coach or healer. It’s unprofessional.”

“These problems are so big! I feel so overwhelmed and exhausted. Does my work even matter?”
“Recent events woke me up to all of this and there’s obviously a problem going on in our world, but I have no idea what I can do to help.”
“I’ve been involved in activism or organizing work for a while and I want to bridge those concepts with my business.”
“I want to work with people who have specific marginalized identities but I’m unsure of how to make my work relevant to them.”
“I don’t want to say the wrong thing or offend anyone, but I don’t want to stay silent in times of injustice.”
“Every time I approach someone who’s said something racist/sexist/…ist, they shut me down and I can never get anywhere with them.”
“I don’t see myself as an activist, but our world needs change and I want to be a part of it.”

if any of this feels like you, i’d love to invite you into this program.

But before I give you all the details, I want to share my intention with you: I hope to influence you and support the impact you wish to make in your communities. I also expect to learn from you – to be influenced by you. My goal is for you to sign up for this experience and conversation – only if it feels aligned with your vision. My overall intention is to infuse my commitment to justice and liberation for all into everything that I do. I want to support you in doing the same!

The vision + intended outcomes for this program*:

Connect + cultivate relationships with other socially responsible coaches, healers and leaders.
Get a better understanding of how systems of injustice play out in your own life and in the lives of the people you serve so that you can actively take steps toward developing a practice and business that is available to all regardless of their social identities.
Add more tools to your metaphorical toolbox for your work and life, i.e. activities, resources, strategies, questions, etc.
Strengthen your capacity to lead and confront these issues within your community + with your clients and hold space for those who are also learning and unlearning.
Develop non-icky, ethical practices for business like: marketing, selling, copywriting, legal contracts, etc.
Create a true ripple effect by using your work as a tool for social change.

*This is all a process and it’s truly lifelong work. You won’t reach enlightenment through this program, but you will receive a framework to draw from that you can continue to integrate into your work and life way after this program is over.

Who’s leading this program?

Hey! I’m Andréa (she/her pronouns).

I created this program because I love the transformative work that we do. And if we’re setting out to change lives and change the world, I don’t want anything to be left on the table.

I’m a coach and facilitator who holds a B.A. degree concentrating on just this: the connections between personal growth, social justice and entrepreneurship. I wrote a blog post last year that tells the story of what led me to this point (you can check that out here). I

You might be coming to the program looking for clear answers – I don’t have those. What I do have, is an intention to facilitate the kind of experience where you can find your own answers to your questions (or maybe find more questions) and connect with other people with common values. This work isn’t easy, but it is oh so worth it and when we can come together around our visions for healing, justice and liberation, making that happen becomes that much more possible. So join us!

For some nitty gritty details: I’m from in Chicago, IL (and I love my city fiercely). I’m a Leo, an E/INFJ, a Projector in Human Design and I lovelovelove: Beyoncé, sunsets, mint tea, elephants and my trusty water bottle.

To find out more about me visit my about page!

What does this program look like in practice?

You have three options for engaging with this program: The Collective, The Intensive and One on One.

Andréa’s Coaching As Activism course was one of my favourite investments of 2017. It went above and beyond what I was hoping it would be. I was looking for a course that could help me find the missing pieces between my work as a mentor and my deep interest in issues of social justice. I was also looking for a place to do my personal work of understanding and healing my own internalised oppression, and understand the history and background of the current social issues we are facing. Andréa delivered all of this and more. I highly recommend this work to anyone in the personal development field.

– layla saad (wildmysticwoman.com)

I was inspired to undertake Andréa’s Coaching as Activism course after beginning to follow her on social media. I was learning so much from her in that way that that I knew this was the next step to developing a greater understanding and action plan relating to social justice matters. The CAA course was life and business changing for me in so many ways. It has changed my coach training academy and the way I personally show up in the world for the better. I cannot recommend it or Andréa highly enough.

– Julie Parker (Beautifulyoucoachingacademy.com)

The Collective //

(Formerly called Self Study)

This option allows you to dig in to the program at your own pace while in community with others.

When you join the Coaching as Activism Collective, you’ll get access to 7 content-rich modules where we’ll go over topics like: how racism shows up in our work, privilege as power, the beliefs that support systems of oppression, taking liberatory action, self-care vs. collective care, and so much more!

These modules include:

writings and videos from me related to the topic of the module
curated lists of resources (pdfs, articles, videos, audio from other educators)
interviews from guest teachers like Desiree Adaway (coach and diversity educator), Adisa Stewart (somatic healer and practitioner) and more fabulous peeps!
reflection prompts and experiential assignments – ways for you to bring the questions and ideas we’re considering in this program into your work and everyday life
and I’m working on adding downloadable transcripts to all original audio and video content!

You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with other like-minded coaches and healers who have participated in or are currently taking part in Coaching as Activism through a private Facebook group where you’ll also be encouraged to check in and share about what you’re learning or new resources you’re coming across!

Aaaaand you’ll get access to Live, Monthly Community Calls via Zoom where we’ll be able to chat about the challenges, questions and ideas that are surfacing as you move through the content and build deeper relationships with others in the same process.

Did I mention that, after you sign up, we’ll hop on the phone 1:1 to connect and set some intentions as you head into this experience?!

How do I join in?

Choose the payment plan below that works best for you and we’ll be on our way!

$47 / month

$137 / quarter (3 months)

$500 / Year

*For every 7 people who join, I’m offering a “pay-what-you-choose” scholarship spot specifically for someone who is committed to this work, but doesn’t have an abundance of expendable resources available to them. Those who hold marginalized identities (black/POC, disabled, indigenous, low-income, LGBTQIA+, etc.) will be prioritized. If you’re interested in taking me up on this opportunity as scholarship spots become available, email me at [email protected] with “CAA Scholarship” in the subject line!

The Intensive //

(Formerly called Community Study)

If you’d like to take deep dive into this work OR if you know that you integrate knowledge best through talking with and being with others, this is for you. The Coaching as Activism Intensive is a 10-week-long immersive group experience that offers you structured support as you move through the content of this program and integrate your insights into your work and life. We can do so much by ourselves, but when we’re connected to our community, the possibilities are endless and the work we’re doing becomes more sustainable.

You’ll get access to everything within the Collective option (detailed above) for the duration of your participation in the Intensive, PLUS:

(10) weekly live group calls (about 2-hours long with a Nourishment Break) – these are part mastermind, part group dialogue, part group coaching
(1) 75min 1:1 Integration Session – can be used anytime during or up to 2 months after the program

Live group calls

The next Intensive starts Tuesday, September 11, 2018 from 7:00-9:00pm ET (via Zoom) and we’ll continue to meet at the same time on:

September 18th
September 25th
October 2nd
October 9th
October 16th
October 23rd
October 30th
November 6th
November 13th

The Intensive is capped at 10 wonderful peeps (5 spots left!) because I don’t want you to get lost in the mix, so make sure to sign up soon!

The last day I’ll be enrolling folks into the September Intensive is September 7th, 2018 at 11:59pm EST. If you’d like to join early, you’ll get access to the program materials as soon as you sign up!

The cost: $900 (or $940 with a payment plan)

Ready to make your work your activism?

For a four-part payment plan (4 payments of $235 (4) weeks apart) click here.

The next rounds of the Coaching as Activism intensive will take place in 2019.

If you’re interested in joining future rounds of CAA, zip me an email (hel[email protected]) to find out more info and/or save your spot!

One on one //

This is for you if:

you thrive on individual attention and accountability
you’re at least 2-3 years into your business and have a foundation to build off of
you’re totally committed to making some big shifts in your work and how you show up as a leader

Together we can take a deeper look at your work, your leadership and your life, unpack where your power resides and discover opportunities for you to influence your communities in service of collective transformation.

This option includes:

An initial visioning session to get clear on where you’re currently at and how you wish to grow
Two 75-minute sessions per month
Access to everything within the Collective (program materials, private FB group, monthly Community Calls, etc.) for 3 months
Bi-weekly challenges and experiential assignments in support of your vision and leadership (remember when I mentioned action?)
Fierce and loving accountability (aka if you tell me what you want, I will hold you to it)
Occasional email support, coaching and affirmation from me
Private, confidential recordings of each session

Email me at [email protected] with “CAA One on One” in the subject line if you’re interested in this option. My pricing for this level of support is $500/month for three months or $1400 in full.

Frequently Asked Questions //

Is this like Activism 101? I have some knowledge of racism, sexism and other injustices in our world, but I’m not up to date on the lingo…

Is this like Activism 101? I already understand a lot about oppression and social justice…

This program is open to all no matter what level of understanding you have on these topics. This program takes a different approach to “activism” than what is often shown in popular culture. In this we’re taking an approach of seeing your work and life as your activism and your contribution to our collective liberation (whatever that may look like). This program will not teach you how to protest or organize your community effectively but this program will provide support, insight and resources to help you not only change lives, but change cultures and systems as well through the way you show up.

So yes and no. The content of this program does contain some basic social justice education AND the purpose of the program is to not only get a better grasp of those topics but to also be able to take it deeper by connecting the dots between oppression, liberation and your work. It’s one thing to know; it’s another to live out and embody what you know.

Can I get a refund?

I very rarely get refund requests, so I take them on a case by case basis. But my general answer to this question is NO.

If you join the Collective and you’re unsatisfied or it’s not quite what you’re looking for, you can end your subscription any time.

If you join the Intensive and sometime before we start or a week or two in, a serious personal or family emergency arises, I’m open to a partial refund. Please reach out to me and let me know if this is the case. (This opportunity for a refund ends 3 weeks after our first group call).

If you’d like a refund for any other reason, (for example: “I just realized I needed that money for something else,” “Something came up that will keep me from being able to put time into this program,” “My intuition is telling me this isn’t a good fit,” “I thought this would be something it wasn’t,” “I’m offended by the content of this program and would like my money back,” “The cow jumped over the moon and took my wallet with it,” etc.) I’m sorry, you won’t be getting a refund.

FAQs Specifically for community study:

What will our calls be like?

At the beginning of each week, you’ll receive an email from me detailing the content that we’ll be digging into that week.

Once on the call, we’ll do individual check-ins with the group and then get into the rest of the call (which is largely led by the questions, challenges and experiences your bring to the call and wish to unpack). This could look like: discussion/dialogue on the implications of the content on your work/life, storytelling of personal experiences or practicing an exercise related to the content. Small groups and paired-shares may be used often (because building community is one of the most important takeaways of this program). Each call will also include a 5-10 minute Nourishment Break because we’ll be talking about some tough subjects and self/collective care is part of what makes this work sustainable.

In-between calls you’ll be encouraged to connect with other group members 1:1 and show up in our private Coaching as Activism Community Facebook group as well as the Monthly community-wide calls.

Is it required to be on every call during the 10 weeks?

I do expect that you show up live for at least 7 of the calls because your presence or lack thereof makes a difference not only for you but for the group itself (aka you matter!) Obviously life happens, but please communicate clearly with me about any calls you might miss!

If you miss a call or want to listen back on one of them, all calls will be recorded and will only be made available to your group.

If you know you won’t be able to make it to at least 7 calls, the Collective may be better for you until the next Intensive comes around! So if you’d really love to get into this program, make sure to take all of this into account!

What’s the time commitment per week?

The time commitment for the Intensive will be anywhere between 3-6 hrs per week (including the 2 hr long call each week). This is the kind of experience where what you put in is what you get out of it.

Coaching as Activism Program