Ambition Without Compromise

⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

What happens when you've spent years building a successful career, but you're tired of having to be strong all the time?

In this episode, Monique shares reflections from a retreat, where she spent a day coaching Black women in senior leadership roles. Many have worked hard to reach their positions but are now questioning whether they want to keep climbing.

Monique shares the story of one woman who spent years raising her children, building her career, and proving herself at every turn. Now she's ready for something different. She wants work that feels meaningful without sacrificing her financial security or taking on another exhausting responsibility.

Through this experience, Monique talks about why it can be difficult to imagine a different future when you've spent so long operating in survival mode. She also shares what happened when women began speaking openly about their ideas, fears, and hopes with others who understood where they were coming from.

It's a conversation about wanting more without having to struggle more, and why figuring out what's next doesn't have to be something you do alone.

GEMS DROPPED

“When ​you ​are ​trapped ​inside ​of ​fear, ​it's ​really ​hard ​to ​get ​yourself ​out. ​Especially ​to ​make ​the ​jump ​from ​fear ​to ​creativity, ​because ​that's ​the ​leap ​you ​need ​to ​make. ​Not ​from ​fear ​to ​no ​fear, ​but ​from ​fear ​to ​creativity, ​from ​fear ​to ​innovation.”

“You ​don't ​have ​to ​share ​your ​early ​ideas ​with ​a ​bunch ​of ​people, ​but ​when ​you ​feel ​paralyzed ​​and ​you ​feel ​alone, you ​have ​to ​solve ​for ​the ​isolation ​to ​remove ​or ​alleviate ​the ​paralysis.”

“We ​need ​safe ​space ​to ​be ​pulled ​out ​​and ​to ​be ​reminded ​of ​who ​we ​are, ​what's ​possible, ​​what ​we're ​capable ​of.”

“There ​are ​people ​who ​really have ​a ​mutual ​desire ​to ​see ​you ​win, ​​to ​see ​each ​other ​win. ​And ​​we ​deserve ​that. ​​We ​deserve ​it. ​We ​need ​it ​like ​we ​need ​water.”

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

In this episode, Monique explores what happens when constant noise, content, and urgency make it harder to hear yourself clearly.

After a conversation with a client who intentionally pulled back from podcasts and social media, Monique starts looking at her own relationship with noise, information, and the pressure to keep consuming. She names how easy it is to mistake constant input for learning, growth, or staying prepared, when sometimes it only leaves you more scattered. 

Monique also shares the small ways she has been taking her quiet back, from blocking apps and changing her morning rhythm to walking, reading for pleasure, and choosing silence in the car. This episode is about slowing down long enough to notice what is actually yours and what the noise has made you think you need to chase.

GEMS DROPPED

“If ​you ​feel ​over-stimulated ​and ​surrounded ​and ​really ​impacted ​by ​the ​noise ​of ​the ​world, your ​first ​priority, ​the ​order ​of ​operations, ​​begins ​with ​reducing ​the ​noise. ​You've ​got ​to ​cut the ​noise ​out ​of your ​world. And the ​wisdom ​that ​you're ​waiting ​on ​is ​waiting ​dormant ​inside ​of ​you. ​And ​it's ​probably ​not ​even ​dormant. ​It's ​just ​stifled ​by ​all ​of ​this ​unnecessary ​information ​around ​you.”

“All ​of ​this noise ​is ​stifling ​our ​inner ​worlds. ​And ​that's ​where ​our ​magic ​resides. ​​And ​we ​need ​each ​other's ​magic ​right ​now. We ​need ​each ​other's ​true ​magic. ​And ​I ​think ​that ​sometimes ​we ​might ​be ​​operating ​at ​a ​superficial ​level ​of ​what ​feels ​like ​a ​derivative ​of ​our ​magic, ​and ​it's ​not ​really at ​the ​core ​of ​what ​we ​are ​actually ​capable ​of, ​what ​we ​are ​actually ​purposed to ​do.”

“​I ​always ​try ​to ​turn ​my ​strengths ​into ​my ​strategy ​because ​that's ​where ​my ​competitive ​advantage ​is, ​and ​that's ​where ​yours ​is ​as ​well. ​And ​your ​competitive ​advantage, ​your ​strengths ​are ​not ​going ​to ​be ​the ​same ​as ​mine. So ​recognizing ​that ​you are ​getting ​advisory ​and ​influence ​from ​all ​these ​different ​places and having ​a ​filtration ​moment ​where ​you ​can ​filter ​through what ​they're ​offering ​you ​through ​your ​lens ​of ​strengths.”

“We ​cannot ​tolerate ​being ​taken ​out ​of ​ourselves ​and ​literally ​not ​being ​able ​to ​hear ​ourselves, our ​highest ​calling, ​our ​highest ​power.”

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

In this Dashboard Diaries episode, Monique reflects on wellness, and the kind of path that only becomes visible once you start naming what you really want. She shares how turning 43 has shifted the way she thinks about movement, energy, and what actually fits her life right now. 

From there, Monique moves into a coaching conversation that stayed with her: a woman who had built an impressive career, but still felt the pull toward more freedom, creativity, and self-expression. It becomes a reflection on what happens when the “safe path” is no longer enough to hold the fullness of who you are. 

This episode is for the woman who can feel another version of herself asking for room, even if the path toward her is not fully visible yet.

GEMS DROPPED

“That's ​the ​thing ​that ​we're ​talking ​about ​when ​we ​are ​​saying ​stuff ​like ​I ​want ​to ​feel ​more ​creatively ​expressed ​in ​my ​career. ​I ​have ​more ​talents ​​that ​are ​not ​being ​utilized, ​I ​want ​to ​live ​out ​my ​dreams. ​It's ​like ​it's ​not ​just ​the ​application ​of ​skills ​and ​talents ​and ​gifts. ​That's ​one ​big ​piece ​of ​it. But ​more ​so ​it ​is ​the ​freedom ​that ​we ​experience ​is ​that ​I ​get ​to ​be ​in ​an ​experience ​of ​myself ​that ​feels ​free ​because ​I ​am ​experiencing ​more ​of ​myself ​on ​a ​day ​to ​day ​basis.”

“There ​is ​something ​about ​that ​collective ​energy ​of a community that ​when ​you ​say ​ ​I ​​think ​this ​is ​something ​that ​I ​want ​or ​I'm ​not ​totally ​sure ​where ​it ​is ​that ​I ​want ​and ​I ​get ​into ​it ​with ​you ​to ​help ​you ​identify​that ​A, ​you ​do ​know ​exactly ​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​want. ​And ​B, ​it ​sounds ​like ​it's ​this ​or ​this ​or ​this. That ​the ​head ​nods ​around ​the ​room, ​the ​emojis ​that ​pop ​up ​on ​the ​screen, ​the ​chat ​cheering ​you ​on ​or ​affirming ​you ​or ​saying, ​oh ​my ​gosh, ​me ​too. ​It snaps ​the ​path ​into ​place ​and ​it's ​like. ​It's ​almost ​like ​the ​path ​that ​was. ​That ​felt ​inaccessible ​or ​invisible ​or ​something ​before ​​all ​of ​a ​sudden ​becomes ​a ​lot ​more ​concrete, ​tangible ​and ​possible. ​​And ​there ​is ​just ​nothing ​like ​that collective ​​energy ​around something ​that ​felt ​again, ​immaterial ​to ​make ​it ​clear ​that ​this ​more ​expansive ​version ​of ​yourself ​has ​a ​place ​to ​land, ​has ​a ​path ​to ​walk.”

“When ​we're ​in ​a ​stage ​of ​life ​and ​career ​​where ​we ​just ​keep ​feeling ​like, ​well, ​​I ​don't ​know. ​We ​constantly ​say ​things ​like, ​I ​don't ​know ​what ​it's ​going ​to ​look ​like. ​I'm ​not ​sure ​what ​it ​will ​look ​like. ​​And ​then ​we're ​able ​to ​show ​you. It's ​like, ​oh, ​my ​gosh, ​I ​didn't ​realize ​this. ​There's ​a ​whole ​feast ​in ​front ​of me ​and ​it's ​insane. ​It's ​sumptuous ​and ​delicious ​and ​gorgeous ​and ​​all ​of ​these ​things. ​So ​much ​more ​colorful ​and ​abundant ​than ​I ​could ​have ​ever ​dreamed ​of ​for ​myself. ​Like, ​that ​is ​what ​happens.”

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

After recent midpoint conversations with clients in her group coaching program, CLAIMED, Monique noticed a common thread: many women deeply want community, but still hesitate when it is time to post, reach out, ask for help, or let others know what they need.

That hesitation is something Monique recognizes in herself. She shares how it surfaced after her grandmother’s passing, when even reaching out to a close friend felt tender and awkward. From there, she explores what it means to get used to being held, especially when you are used to being the one who holds everything and everyone else.

Sometimes support is available, but people cannot tell how much you need it because you still sound capable, polished, and in control. This episode invites you to notice where you may be making support harder to access, imagine what being held could actually look like, and begin practicing the courage to name what you want out loud.

GEMS DROPPED

“We ​have ​to ​get ​used ​to the ​idea ​of ​being ​held. ​And ​that ​is ​actually a ​bigger ​barrier ​than ​any ​of ​the ​other ​challenges ​like ​not ​living ​close ​by or ​being ​in ​different ​time ​zones than family.”

“You ​deserve ​to ​continue ​to ​stretch ​into and ​to ​​build ​this ​new ​muscle ​of ​learning ​to ​want ​what ​you ​want, ​to ​say ​what ​you ​want ​out ​loud, ​and ​to ​let ​people ​in ​to ​your ​neediness ​because ​it's ​natural ​to ​have ​the ​needs ​that ​you ​have.”

“​I ​know ​what ​it ​feels ​like ​to not ​feel ​permission ​to ​access ​support ​that ​has ​been ​clearly ​granted ​to you, to not text ​or ​leave ​the ​audio ​message ​for ​the ​girlfriend ​when ​you are ​struggling.”

“It's ​all ​of ​the ​little ​to ​medium ​sized ​things ​that ​can ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​stack ​up, ​and ​can ​create, ​a ​lot ​of ​distance ​between ​you ​and ​the ​potential ​for ​closeness ​that ​you ​desire ​with ​others.”

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

In this Dashboard Diaries episode, Monique talks about visibility and the false rules that make being seen feel harder than it has to be.

While waiting in the car for her daughter at gymnastics, Monique shares a coaching conversation with a client who is stepping away from a full-time role and building something of her own. Her client wants growth, revenue, harmony, and a slower pace, but she is struggling to believe all of that can exist together.

Monique questions the idea that business growth has to mean constant posting, pitching, and forcing yourself into a marketing strategy that feels heavy. Instead, she asks a better question: how do you actually like to be visible?

This episode is for anyone building a brand, business, or body of work and feeling stuck because they think visibility has to look one specific way. Monique reminds listeners that their strengths can become the strategy, support is allowed, and being seen can be simpler than the rules we have been carrying.

GEMS DROPPED

“I ​think ​we ​want ​things ​to ​be ​hard ​so ​that ​we ​can ​feel ​like ​we ​are ​worthy of ​the ​result.”

“If ​we ​erased ​the ​rules, ​if ​we ​erased ​the ​assumptions ​that, ​the ​way ​that ​I ​have ​to ​build ​this is in a ​way ​that feels ​icky ​and ​hard then ​I'm ​just ​not ​doing it. ​If ​we ​released ​the ​idea ​that ​that's ​how ​it ​had ​to ​be ​done, ​and ​we ​said, ​well, ​I ​can ​do ​this ​any ​way ​I ​wish? The ​goal ​is ​visibility so, ​how ​do I ​like ​to ​be ​visible? How ​do I ​like ​to ​share my ​ideas, my ​work? ​Where ​do I ​enjoy ​and ​in ​what ​ways ​do I ​find ​easeful ​or ​pleasurable ​to ​share?”

“What ​if ​we ​aligned ​​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​are ​naturally ​good ​at ​and ​that ​you ​find ​enjoyment ​in ​with ​what ​it ​is ​that ​you ​actually ​need ​to ​be ​doing? ​We ​can ​make ​that ​your ​strategy.. ​And ​I ​think ​it's ​actually ​important ​to ​make ​our ​strengths ​our ​strategy because ​it's ​more ​sustainable.”

“We ​have ​to ​begin ​to ​sell ​ourselves ​the ​same ​way ​you ​sell ​before ​you ​build ​a ​lot ​of ​the ​times, ​and ​there's ​nothing ​wrong ​with ​that. ​I ​don't ​want ​y' ​all ​to ​get ​ready ​to ​be ​ready ​like ​you ​have ​it. ​ ​You ​have ​enough ​to ​begin ​to ​share. ​And ​right ​now, ​what ​we're ​even ​talking ​about ​is ​not ​asking ​people ​for ​millions ​of ​dollars. ​It's ​just, ​hey, ​want ​to ​learn ​something? ​Want ​to ​hear ​my ​story? ​​And ​some ​people ​will ​and ​some ​people ​won't. ​And ​all ​that ​matters ​is ​that ​you ​find ​the ​folks ​who ​are ​looking ​for ​you.”

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

In this episode, Monique shares a client story about an exciting opportunity that almost became real, then slipped away.

Her client had already begun rearranging her life around the possibility. She was making plans, preparing her family, and feeling a kind of joy she had not felt in a long time. When the opportunity went to someone else, the disappointment was heavier than expected.

Monique uses this story to explore what happens when a dream opens something in you, even if the door itself closes. Through the image of digging tunnels and a reflection on Harriet Tubman, she points listeners toward a deeper truth about freedom, possibility, and who we become when we dare to move toward something new.

The outcome is not the whole story. Tune in to Tune in to hear what the pursuit may have revealed, and why what you found along the way may matter more than the opportunity itself.

GEMS DROPPED

“It's a reward ​that ​we're ​chasing ​at ​the ​end ​of ​this, ​of ​these ​tunnels ​that ​we're ​digging, ​the ​work ​that ​we're ​putting ​in. But ​consider ​​that ​maybe ​the ​opportunity ​was ​not ​the ​gift, ​but ​that ​rather ​the ​tunnels ​were.”

“You ​have ​to ​imagine ​yourself, ​believe in yourself, ​know ​yourself ​to ​be ​free ​in ​order ​to ​create, ​to ​seek ​to ​be ​free,  ​to ​become ​free. Because ​you ​become ​a ​beacon ​of ​freedom ​when ​you ​behave ​as ​if ​you ​are ​free.”

“Opportunities ​don't ​present ​themselves ​as ​gifts ​to ​us. ​They are co-created. It's ​​who ​you ​get ​to ​see that ​you're ​capable ​of ​being ​that ​becomes ​the ​gift.”

“Who ​you're ​capable ​of ​being,​ ​is ​likely ​far ​beyond ​any ​of ​the ​fear, ​the ​doubt, ​the ​constraints, ​the ​things ​that ​feel ​biggest ​to ​you ​right ​now. ​You ​do ​have ​the ​opportunity ​to ​set ​them ​down ​and ​to ​remember ​who ​the ​f&*% ​you ​are.”

MENTIONED

Harriet Tubman

Brené Brown

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

In this episode, Monique thinks through what it means to live, work, and lead in a time when the middle feels like it is disappearing.

After reading an email titled “The Death of the Middle,” Monique reflects on her own questions around class, wealth, ambition, success, and what it means to want enough without chasing fame or extreme fortune. She talks honestly about the pressure many people are feeling as the economy shifts, AI changes the labor market, and the old promise of a stable middle-class life becomes harder to trust.

Monique also names the instinct many ambitious women have in uncertain seasons: to go inward, get more tactical, and become even more self-reliant. But she challenges that instinct by reminding listeners that the real preparation is relational.

Using the mycorrhizal networks of trees as a metaphor, Monique explains why deep connection, shared resources, and intentional community matter when the storm is here. This episode is a reminder that you do not have to hunker down alone. Depth, community, and the networks you build may be a key part of your way forward.

GEMS DROPPED

“The instinct is often to go inward and become more self-reliant, but the real preparation is always relational.”

“Deep community is the actual asset that’s going to hold us when the ground moves.”

“You don’t have to hunker down alone. Depth is likely a part of your way forward. And ​how ​you ​create, ​how ​you ​insist ​upon ​time ​and ​space ​to ​make ​that ​happen, is ​going ​to ​mean ​everything ​for ​the ​future.”

“Time ​together forges ​bonds ​in ​space ​for ​real ​talk.”

“The bar on comfort has gone up with inflation.”

“The whole point is to be able to affect one another, to keep each other going alive, through stillness and depth.”

MENTIONED

Article: The Death of the Middle

Creator post mentioned: Forming a Brain Trust 

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

This week, Monique walks us through how she designed her July slowdown and worked at 30% capacity on purpose.

She shares why the pause was not about burnout, vacation, or checking out. It was about making room to think, create, rest, play, and reset before life and work became too full again.

Monique also talks about the fears that can come up around rest, including the fear of losing money, momentum, reputation, or progress. She explains why pausing does not have to mean losing something and how planning ahead can make rest feel safer and more supported.

As she breaks down how she planned the month, Monique shares the role of vision, clear expectations, blackout dates, boundaries, and choosing what truly belongs on the calendar. She also offers practical ways to decide what stays, what moves, and what can wait.

This episode is a clear reminder that you do not need a perfect setup to design a pause. You can start by deciding what the space is for, protecting it with intention, and allowing yourself to make room for what your mind, body, and life are asking for.

GEMS DROPPED

“​We ​talk ​about ​giving ​ourselves ​permission ​to ​do ​things. ​And ​I ​think ​that ​the ​permission ​comes ​once ​we ​believe ​that ​we ​deserve ​it ​or ​that ​something ​is ​actually ​a ​necessity ​to ​us, ​and ​that ​we ​can ​have ​it.”

“Pausing for me is not about just doing nothing. It’s just making room for what matters.”

“You do need to start with a vision. Your vision, the vision you set for yourself is really the anchor, and it's what allows you to say no, without flinching. It's ​what ​allows ​you ​to move ​with ​a ​lot ​more ​confidence”

“You ​can ​design ​whatever ​you ​want ​and ​need ​for ​yourself. You ​don't ​need ​a ​perfect ​setup. It's ​a ​generative ​exercise. ​It's ​about ​cultivating ​something ​important ​within ​yourself ​and ​in ​your ​life, ​and ​you ​can ​give ​yourself ​over ​to ​it ​and ​then ​decide ​what ​it's ​for ​for ​you ​and ​protect ​it.“​

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

What happens when you stop pushing through and give yourself permission to pause, reflect, and reset?

Reflecting on her recent journey, Monique shares how easy it is to take for granted the practices that support her mental well-being amid the daily demands of motherhood, work, and personal commitments. After recognizing her own tendency to hold tightly to control, she discusses how this summer has become a season of slowing down and creating space to reassess what she needs.

Throughout the episode, Monique highlights the struggle many women face in balancing ambition with self-care. She honestly shares her own experiences with burnout and the importance of stepping back to reevaluate priorities. With practical insights, she encourages us to find our own versions of rest and challenge the expectations that keep us constantly pushing.

Because true success does not come from constant productivity alone. It also requires the courage to pause, reflect, and care for ourselves.

GEMS DROPPED

“Sometimes things just feel okay or good because they are. Like, the things on the surface or on paper are looking good. So that means you should be good. You don't feel bad. So therefore, that means you're good. ​And ​it's ​like, ​no. ​Something more ​is ​here. ​Something ​that ​you ​can't ​even ​totally ​predict ​or ​comprehend ​is ​available ​to ​you, ​but ​you​ can't ​conceive ​of ​more ​than ​what ​you ​can ​conceive ​of ​while ​you're ​still ​in ​motion in ​the ​way ​that ​you ​are.”

“We busy ourselves with stirring because it makes us feel important, it makes us feel active, it makes us feel like we're doing something. And ​that's ​because ​our ​ego ​needs ​to ​feel ​it, ​not ​because ​there's ​any ​use ​in ​it ​at ​all.”

“Just because your identity and the value that you have sort of set an expectation around, just because thus far it has been that of almost unlimited availability and the person who is the fixer, the problem solver, the handler, doesn't mean that it has to remain that way.”

“You can rest by design. You can. You can be intentional and shift this proactively, as opposed to reacting to exhaustion and waiting for exhaustion to take you down.”

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⚡️Click Here To Text Monique!

This week, Monique shares one of her most personal episodes yet, offering an honest look at a season marked by anxiety, overwhelm, and the constant pressure to protect the people she loves. As worries about emergencies, business growth, social media, and motherhood began pulling her in every direction, she realized she had been sacrificing her own peace in an attempt to control the uncontrollable.

Through deeply personal stories, Monique reflects on the hidden cost of living in a constant state of future-focused worry and the breakthrough conversations that helped her recognize the difference between productive preparation and anxiety-driven control. She shares how chasing safety was actually pulling her further away from the presence, connection, and peace she was longing for.

If you've ever felt emotionally stretched too thin or found yourself carrying the weight of every possible "what if," this episode offers an honest reminder that peace isn't found by controlling more. It's cultivated by coming back to the present.

GEMS DROPPED

“I ​have ​been ​desperately ​seeking ​control and ​it ​has ​been ​under the ​delusion ​​that ​the ​more ​we ​do, the harder we ​push, ​if ​we ​can ​break ​off ​more ​pieces ​of ​ourself ​to ​tackle ​more ​fires ​and ​to ​run ​faster, ​that ​this ​will ​increase ​our ​control. ​And ​the ​thing ​that ​I ​was ​seeking ​was ​safety. And felt ​like the ​more ​I ​do ​these ​things, ​eventually ​I'll ​feel ​more ​safe.. ​And ​it ​couldn't ​be ​further ​from ​the ​truth.”

“What ​I ​was ​losing ​in ​this ​constant ​pursuit ​of ​trying ​to ​control ​things ​and ​seeking ​safety ​was ​my ​peace ​and connection. ​You ​can't ​be ​present ​if ​you're ​always ​running ​out ​into ​the ​future.”

“You ​are ​not ​alone, ​you ​are ​not ​broken,, ​you ​are ​not ​the ​only ​one. ​Because ​I ​know ​that's ​the ​thing ​that ​I ​can ​feel ​like, ​really ​lost and ​sometimes ​I'm ​like, ​it ​seems ​like ​everybody ​else ​is ​coping ​so ​well. ​Girl, ​everybody ​else ​is ​not ​coping ​so ​well. People ​who ​are ​interested ​in ​dysfunction, ​who ​have ​been ​operating ​out ​of ​dysfunction, ​they're ​going ​to ​be ​operating ​fine. But ​if ​that ​is ​not ​who ​you ​are ​at ​your ​core, ​you are not someone ​who ​​seeks ​dysfunction, ​who ​is ​interested ​in ​chaos, ​then ​you ​don't ​have ​to ​be ​fine. ​And ​you ​are ​definitely ​not ​alone. ​You ​are ​definitely ​not ​alone.”

“So ​my ​work ​right ​now ​is ​opening ​up ​more ​capacity ​to ​stay ​present ​to ​my ​process, ​to ​be ​in ​the ​process ​of ​things ​​and ​to ​invite ​in ​more ​help.”

“There's ​no ​arrival ​point ​for ​anything ​in ​life, ​including ​safety. ​You ​never ​get ​to ​a ​point ​where ​you're ​like, ​I ​am ​safe. ​​Not ​permanently. ​ ​That ​is ​an ​active ​​process ​of ​cultivating ​safety ​and ​​seeking ​out ​things ​that ​are healthy ​and ​nourishing such as relationships, ​spaces, ​work, ​communities.”

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