What Grows?

After 15 years teaching fundraisers communication skills, she watched someone look up from a training session and say, "I wish you worked for us because you've got the words." That moment broke something open: She realized people weren't missing technique, they were missing access to their own capacity when fear took over.We talk about the donor who wouldn't give until one fundraiser asked him why he wanted to know about a fourth project, and about noticing your nervous system state with kindness instead of frustration. Kim reminds us that 95% of what we experience as "smallness" is just the volume of fear, and underneath it is the quiet capacity to meet people exactly as they are.Also: why your dad texting instead of calling your aunt might say something about all of us right now.Find Kim at: https://www.theviewlooksgood.com/

The social impact sector is in the middle of a massive "What now?" moment.With USAID funding being gutted and long-standing international development structures shifting, many talented people I know are suddenly facing an identity crisis. You’ve spent decades building deep expertise, but as the institutional floor moves beneath you, you’re left wondering how to package that value on your own terms.The problem? Most experts are stuck in what business coach Ellen Donnelly calls the "Expert Trap."Because you live inside your expertise every day, it feels "obvious" to you. You focus on the gap between your current work and perfection, while the market is simply looking for someone to solve a problem.I sat down with Ellen for the latest episode of What Grows? to discuss how to turn that expertise into authority—especially when the world feels uncertain. We talked about why she abandoned a fully-equipped YouTube studio to go back to her "natural wiring," and why the first $100K you earn as a solopreneur is actually about a massive psychological shift, not just a business model.If you’ve been waiting to "feel confident" before you pitch that first independent project, this conversation is for you.Ellen's website: https://the-ask.uk/

How are funding decisions actually made? Ineza shares what makes entrepreneurs fundraising-ready, why you need to study your audience as rigorously as your solution, and how your subconscious intelligence guides you toward the right moment to speak up. We also discuss her journey from working with African startups to building Funders of African Descent (FoAD), why she believes in working within systems before trying to change them, and the conviction that drives her: We're not going to save the world, but if we step up, we're going to do way more than we imagined.For more on Ineza's work, visit https://www.foadgroup.com/

Karen Runde received a vision of a water filter during meditation, and two months later, saw that design on a business plan that landed on her desk.After a decade supporting social entrepreneurs through the Miller Center for Global Impact, Karen followed the nudge to step into the arena herself, launching CoShun, a sustainable water initiative now serving students across two schools in Kenya. It's one thing to guide others through uncertainty. It's another to feel it in your bones: the self-doubt, the 5 a.m. calls across time zones, the weight of wondering if you're enough to do what you've been called to do.In this conversation, Karen shares how meditation unlocked parts of herself she didn't know existed, why she's studying Reiki alongside scaling a social enterprise, and what it means to let go of the death grip on the steering wheel. We talk about navigating power dynamics as an American woman working in Kenya, why finding your people saves you years of mistakes, and the difference between work-life balance and finding flow.Plus: crystals, Gen Z changemakers, and why doing something (even imperfectly) matters more than doing nothing at all.

Sophie Otiende believes the most radical thing her parents did was raise children they chose to have, with intention and love. That foundation—being fully accepted at home—shaped everything: her approach to activism, her refusal to be married to ideas, her conviction that healing happens through community, not institutions.In this conversation, Sophie unpacks what it means to teach from lived experience, why she doesn't believe in scaling organizations, and how real change happens in relationship rather than through debates. We discuss the power of being believed without question, why flexibility matters more than confidence in your ideas, and what it looks like to design systems that trust people's capacity for good rather than assume their capacity for harm.From poetry to policy, from survivor leadership to gentle parenting, this is a conversation about reclaiming joy in the work and remembering that community.Sophie can be found at: https://www.sophieotiende.com/

When Doreen Kessy sat in her living room during a season of intense prayer, she heard God clearly: "Help other women feel as rested as you do now." The entire concept of Eden Retreat downloaded to her brain in minutes: Retreats across Africa where burned-out professionals could find the kind of rest that actually refuels instead of just pausing the exhaustion.After nine years building Ubongo into a platform reaching 30 million families through educational cartoons and shows, she's learned that authenticity isn't negotiable. "If I have to feel like I'm cheating myself or giving you a version of myself that isn't honest, I don't want anything to do with that thing."We talk about the difference between taking a trip and actually refueling your soul, and how she navigates building something you love so much it doesn't feel like work. Plus, her perspective on operating from God's provision rather than human anxiety: "Whatever God orders, He pays for."Doreen can be found at: https://edenretreat.co/

Birth doula and lactation consultant Yasmin has supported families across the globe for over 18 years, and she's learned to see everything through the lens of birth. In this intimate conversation, Yasmin explains why it's necessary to simply trust your own body.Yasmin can be found at the Milk Doula Collective.

Learning designer and award-winning writer Megan Tennant shares how she navigates multiple callings while raising her first child. We explore the tension between true self versus false self in career decisions, the challenge of maintaining creative purpose alongside financial necessity, and what it means to parent with vulnerability instead of perfection.

Alyssa and I explore how trusting your gut becomes a survival skill when you're constantly translating between cultures, why many of her adult friendships have turned out to be with fellow neurodivergent people, and what it means to become the therapist you wish you'd had. From teaching her children that creativity can be joyful without becoming their worth, to studying decolonial approaches to therapy that honor her full identity, this conversation is about learning to distinguish between what's culturally constructed and what's intuitively true.

This conversation includes mention of sexual abuse, violence, and addiction. Please listen in a way that honors your own well-being. You are invited to pause, to breathe, or to step away when needed.Susan Pohl has lived several lifetimes—from witnessing snake handlers in her Southern Baptist childhood to working at Apple in its early days, earning her doctorate in ministry, and serving as a chaplain at a federal women's prison. Now coaching from Italy, Susan brings the kind of gentle humor and hard-won wisdom that only comes from walking through fire and finding grace on the other side.In this conversation, Susan shares what it means to discover that "there are no wrong steps"—even when those steps led her to places she never imagined. From meeting Barbara, the "Buddhist bank robber" who reminded her of her own mother's sharp questioning, to learning that her job isn't to control outcomes but to show up with love, Susan's journey is about finding "the spark of God in everyone" (even when they're scary) and trusting that wherever you're going is exactly where you're supposed to be.Fair warning: Susan's perspective on aging, purpose, and letting go of achievement addiction might just shift how you think about your own perfectly imperfect path. Plus, you'll understand why she believes we're all "in the hard part now"—and why that's exactly as it should be.

For Sylvia, a solo trip to Florida and a 14,000-foot skydive became the catalyst for one of the biggest decisions of her life: walking away from medical school after years of preparation. Sylvia and I talk about living "a vibrant life," one defined by the courage to curate the things you love and present them to the world. We explore her journey from aspiring doctor to published writer, the weight of family expectations and inherited dreams, and how sometimes the most terrifying leap leads to the greatest clarity. 

Rob Alhadeff’s journey is about choosing complexity over comfort; from anthropology student to British Army reservist, London finance professional, and now impact entrepreneur. He recounts the rain-soaked debut under a tree in Uganda that nearly lost his team—and the football match that won them back. At Jackfruit Network, his infectious joy, and commitment to using privilege for good, show that systems-level change often begins with simple moments of connection.

Bunmi Otegbade helps people see the narratives they're living in, and more importantly, discover they have the power to change them. We discuss how AI might force us into collaborative competition, why doubt is healthy, and how a foreigner can walk into rural America and get people to question what they think they know. From his work with Impact Brain—a framework that uses AI to help social impact programs understand whose version of "success" actually matters by capturing real-time narratives from all stakeholders—to his vision of anthropologists leading technology development, Bunmi reminds us that the stories we tell about the future literally create the future. This is a conversation about narrative power, the braided duality of progress, and why sometimes the most mind-changing thing you can do for others is simply ask: "How do you know this?"

Sarah Agopian-Khalifé can transform a room full of strangers into collaborators who don't want the conversation to end. As an experience designer, community strategist, and facilitator, Sarah understands that how we connect is just as important as what we're trying to accomplish together. In this conversation, we discuss how to create psychological safety from scratch, the dance between structure and spontaneity in group dynamics, and why authentic energy is contagious. Sarah shares wisdom from her decade of bringing diverse perspectives together, from virtual boardrooms to climate justice conversations, and reminds us that making gatherings truly worth people's precious time is both an art and a responsibility. Plus, we get wonderfully nerdy about Enneagram types, the magic of being seen, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is throw your agenda out the window.

Kwasi Adi-Dako has watched what happens when you put young people from 23 different African countries in the same classroom and deliberately design challenges that push them to their edges. Through his lens as an educator, father, and speculative fiction writer, we explore how play becomes the foundation for learning how to navigate conflict, build empathy, and grow courage. We also discuss the tension between embracing AI for work efficiency while instinctively protecting our creative processes from automation. What does it take to maintain enjoyment and authenticity in a world of quick outputs? From imagining endless harmattan winds in Ghana to questioning whether love might be our limited contact with another dimension, this conversation examines how storytelling, play, and speculation help us engage with tomorrow on our own terms.

Bonnie Murthy made the decision to shut down her successful vegan footwear company at its height; a choice that speaks to the play between identity, success, and authentic living.In this conversation, we explore the addictive nature of entrepreneurship, why marketing feels so uncomfortable for most of us, and how AI might actually force us to become more human. Bonnie's journey from "business firefighter" to thoughtful growth operator is about discernment: learning to distinguish between the familiar comfort of past victories and the uncertain pull of what's truly meant for you.From questioning whether everything labeled "good" actually is, to using movement as a pathway back to groundedness, this is a conversation about unraveling self-imposed definitions.

What does it mean to owe it to yourself to get to the other side? Social worker and mother of twins Keisha takes us on a journey from fast-paced London to a gentler-paced Tanzania, where she learned to question her relationship with busyness and the "shoulds" that kept her moving. We discuss intergenerational trauma, post-traumatic slave syndrome, and how patterns pass down through families - sometimes in our bodies, sometimes through the stories we tell our children about themselves. Keisha shares how becoming a mother shifted her from trying to save everyone to protecting her own emotional capacity, why she doesn't watch the news anymore, and the isolating myth that motherhood gets easier. This is a conversation about choosing what's yours to carry, designing a life based on your values, and the radical act of slowing down in a world that demands you keep moving.

What happens when your roommate slips a note in your jacket pocket that says "your passion is people"? For Sarah Pritzl, it sparked a journey from corporate training to becoming what she calls "a midwife of ideas." In this warm, wandering conversation, Sarah and I explore how ideas find their humans, the link between financial freedom and dream-chasing, and the art of knowing when to let an idea go. We discuss the power of incremental courage, and why Sarah is convinced we all need bigger lives. You can find more of Sarah's work at https://www.anomalycoach.com/

If you've ever felt stuck between who you're supposed to be and who you actually are, this one's for you.Hannah Reuter doesn't sugarcoat life, and that's exactly what makes this conversation so refreshing. A former policy director turned educator, Hannah opens up about the realities of burnout, the courage it takes to leave a "perfect" job when your body says no, and why we need more honest conversations about the paths we choose (and choose to leave). From impulsive au pair adventures in France to becoming a "lizard on a rock" soaking up summer camp energy, Hannah's journey reminds me that sometimes the bravest thing I can do is speak up when something isn't working. And then...change course.

Dianne Doherty, a Western Massachusetts legend, sat down with me to share how curiosity became her compass through decades of community transformation. Her suggestion that marketing is really just being "a little bit nosy" had me laughing, but it's also the key to understanding how she's spent decades asking the right questions and connecting the right people. The conversation travels beautifully through strategic marriage advice (separate community paths = double the impact), a love of adventure, and why gratitude transforms everything. There are deep currents beneath the fun stories. There’s also encouragement: One person's commitment to growth has rippled outward, creating a path for countless others.This is what systems change looks like up close. It’s personal, intentional, and full of joy.

Why are we so obsessed with making things that stick around forever?My sister Nancy drops this perfect metaphor about her students making intricate flower art on a windy day - beautiful creations that disappeared almost instantly. At first, she couldn't understand the point. Then she watched the kids absolutely lose themselves in the joy of creating, and it hit her: maybe the process IS the product. Maybe making art that blows away is exactly the point.We dive deep into false urgency (why do we always need an "end goal"?), teaching kids to code on actual paper (brilliant!), using ChatGPT as a parenting co-conspirator, and why "because I said so" is an inevitable rite of passage. Plus, you'll hear my adorable nephew Daniel giggling in the background because real life doesn't pause for podcasts.Fair warning: this conversation might make you question whether you're enjoying the journey or just white-knuckling toward some imaginary finish line. Nancy's flower art wisdom certainly did that for me.

Carolyn Kandusi is a bridge-builder between government, social innovators, and philanthropists. She’s figured out how to navigate complex systems by being genuinely curious about people. In our conversation, she reflects on how genuine human connection becomes a pathway to trust, and how she holds space for both motherhood and the ambition to transform systems across Africa.

Doris Chela Muigei breaks down why getting to “no” as a recruiter is often more valuable than rushing to “yes,” and how radical acceptance helps clients tell her what she needs to hear.She also shares stories about the way hiring decisions often have less to do with résumés and more to do with a company’s very specific quirks. (If someone says “culture fit” it means, they’re not ready to tell the truth yet.)This conversation is about seizing joy on squiggly life-paths, and lessons beyond hiring.PS: I’m looking for new guests for the podcast! Have you made a change that shaped you? Big or small, I want to hear your story. Send me a message at [email protected], and let’s talk.Thanks for listening!

Ann de Passos shares how understanding our biology can reshape the way we build trust, navigate work, and even rethink marketing and resource mobilization.How does slowing down actually speed things up? Ann says: “Organizations spend so much energy on politicking and frustration instead of solving actual problems. If we were more nervous system first, conversations would be clearer, decisions faster.” PS: I’m taking Ann’s Nervous System’s first course right now, and it is giving me a level of capacity in my work and personal life that I didn’t know was possible. Highly recommend.P.PS: I’m looking for new guests for the podcast! Have you made a change that shaped you? Big or small, I want to hear your story. Send me a message at [email protected], and let’s talk.Thanks for listening!

In building Jibu, Galen Welsch has mastered the art of translating, and of being a bridge between cultures.We talk about how time kills all deals, and how to manage the weight of big decisions. It’s also a conversation on rethinking our beliefs about death.Thanks for listening!PS: I’m looking for new guests for the podcast! Have you made a change that shaped you? Big or small, I want to hear your story. Send me a message at [email protected], and let’s talk.

Brandon Lee doesn't just talk about reinvention, he lives it. Five major career shifts, countless experiments, and a relentless curiosity about what makes work meaningful have shaped his path. Somewhere along the way, he built an Asian Parent GPT to help him practice conversations with his mother, prepping for the exact phrases and dynamics that had tripped him up before. "I figured rather than wait to interact with my mom, I'll just create a GPT that acts like her and learn to lean into the discomfort." Honestly? Genius.We get into the arc of reinvention, including where excitement meets reality, and where clarity slips away and comes back again. Plus, a detour into the sharp edges of integrity, and how a few hard-learned lessons in the real estate world shaped his commitment to doing right by people. And finally, the question: What shifts when you believe learning is inevitable?Brandon can be found at Genius Of You

Devika doesn’t just think about migration—she builds fantasy worlds to reimagine it entirely. For her birthday, she hosted a pre-colonial summit between the Kingdom of Magadh (her home region in India) and the Kingdom of Luganda (Uganda), complete with ocean-crossing caravans, and full regalia. “I’m tired of this mercantile relationship between India and Africa,” she told me. “I want romance, I want culture, I want drama.” And honestly? Same.We get into the faith required to integrate into new cities, the negotiations of identity that happen when no one’s looking, and the absurd fiction of expat versus immigrant. Plus, a detour into parenting in a third culture. And underneath it all, the questions: What do we give ourselves permission to access? What happens when we stop waiting for belonging and start declaring it instead?Devika can be found on LinkedIn.I’m looking for new guests for the podcast! Have you made a change that shaped you? Big or small, I want to hear your story. Send me a message at [email protected], and let’s talk.

Koye has a way of spotting patterns in the mess, whether in economics, human behavior, or the politics of implementation. “People don’t adopt solutions just because they work in theory,” he told me. “They adopt them because they make sense in their world.”We talked about the road less traveled and how it’s a commitment that shapes everything ahead. And then there was fiction and friendships: how writing, like strategy, is less about solving problems than about truly understanding them. You can find Koye on LinkedInI’m looking for new guests for the podcast! Have you made a change that shaped you? Big or small, I want to hear your story. Send me a message at [email protected], and let’s talk.