What are you doing to actively build up your community?

If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we really do need each other. In our personal and professional lives, we depend on our community not just to survive, but to thrive.

Today's guest is Naomi Hattaway, an experienced world traveler and current City Council candidate. Naomi is passionate about community building, diversity, and accessibility in online and personal spaces.

That community-building includes people who don't always agree with what she stands for.

Naomi is a biracial woman in the Midwest who doesn't even try to conform to societal norms. She has met her fair share of resistance and rejection. But her unconventional education and experience in the international community have taught her to view the world through a unique lens.

Referencing Nilofer Merchant, author of The Power of Onlyness, Naomi states,

"There's a spot in this world only you can stand in."

Naomi strives to show up every day and interact with her community with intention and compassion. She's learned not to be restrained by others' ideas of how the world works and how she should exist within it. And she's here today to share some of that hard-earned wisdom with us.

How do we bring together people of diverse experiences, beliefs, and political leanings to achieve a common goal?

Is it possible to build up our community even in times of social distancing?

What does it look like to be true to ourselves while fulfilling the roles and responsibilities demanded by our professional lives?

Join me in today's episode, where we explore the power we have to transform our communities and build a kinder, more accessible, and more equitable world. Listen now.

In episode 44 of Small Stage, Big Impact we discuss:

• [7:15] A simple step you can do today to support the community where you live
• [8:10] What is means to "leave well" when you experience changes in your life
• [9:28] How the practice of "leaving well" applies in a professional setting
• [16:10] Strategies Naomi has used to reach across party lines to bring her community together
• [20:27] How Naomi has struggled to balance heart and empathy with politics
• [25:12] Naomi's method for being authentic while still operating within the boundaries of her professional roles
• [29:19] How to choose who makes up your inner circle so you are supported in achieving your goals
• [35:34] Why Naomi is running a "slow campaign" to best honor herself, her team, and her community
• [40:24] What Naomi would do if she had a magic wand

Resources mentioned by Naomi and Renia in the episode:

• Learn more about Naomi Hattaway
• Follow Naomi's campaign on Facebook and Instagram
• Follow Naomi on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Purchase The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Wild Ideas Mighty Enough to Dent the World
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact