The Proximity Process

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

This is the one-year anniversary of The Proximity Process podcast. Thank you for listening and being part of the community that we are building. To mark this milestone, we thought we'd go back into the archives and pull clips of our guests answering the question that ends every episode. What does proximity mean to you? I also talk about what the proximity process means to me. I hope you enjoy. 

I'm going to send 5 people a small gift as a gesture of gratitude. All you have to do is share this episode on social media and tag me in your post (so I see it). The first 5 people will get a little something to say thank you for helping us get to the one-year mark. 

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

Why do we remove kids from their family and pay for foster care when stable housing is a better solution? 10% of children in foster care are removed due to unstable or unsuitable housing. Investing in affordable housing programs to prevent foster care is better for kids, families, communities, and its less expensive.

When we start to look at the child welfare system through an economic justice lens, we can gain a better understanding of the root cause issues and solutions. In this episode I share some of my own process of beginning to see myself and my work from this perspective, and why I'm particularly interested in affordable housing solutions. 
 
To learn about the data being released by Chapin Hall you can look follow this link: Family and Child Well-being System: Economic & Concrete Supports as a Core Component to Address Race Equity

To learn more about the Family Keys program in Wisconsin you can follow this link: Family Keys Pilot Puts Families First | Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

In this week's episode my friend Carol King joins me for a conversation about why she made the pivot from technology to affordable housing. The story actually starts during her childhood. Carol grew up with her father as the primary caregiver and in an environment that wasn't always safe. She eventually made the difficult decision to remove herself from the home and ultimately go into foster care. In spite of the ups and downs Carol always knew she had the respite and stability of a home to go to at the end of the day. As Carol become more established in her career, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, that she wasn't solving the right problem. She never let go of the idea that stable housing is an important factor in the well-being of families, and it's a significant problem facing many families caught up in the child welfare system. So, with great consideration she took the leap to pursue her dream of launching an affordable housing venture in her hometown of Kansas City. 

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

For this week's journal episode, I scrolled back into my photos to see where I was one year ago. I was on production of Standing with Mom's, a short film we produced for Mother's Outreach Network about their guaranteed income pilot. One of the lessons I learned from MON's founder, Melody Webb, is that we should believe in people, invest in people, and our investments should meet the need as defined by the people we serve. I talk about how this lesson can be turned into a simple framework for assessing our organizations, programs, and ourselves. And by creating the space to go through a process of answering a series of questions, I think we can see if we are in right relationship with ourselves and the people we serve.

If you want to watch Standing with Mom's and learn more about Melody and Mother's Outreach Network, you can visit their website. Standing with Moms Film - Mother's Outreach Network

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

This week's episode is the next in a series of conversations with a variety of guests on the topic of Termination of Parental Rights. The question we've been asking is, what if TPR didn't exist? In past episodes with Vivek, we've talked about two TPR cases he's been appealing and the opportunity he had this summer to present oral arguments to the Michigan Supreme Court. A few weeks ago, the Michigan Supreme Court released their decision in both cases. Vivek shares their decision, his reaction, and what's next in the fight for a world without TPR.

If you want to learn more about Vivek and the work of his law clinic at The University of Michigan, you can visit their website. Vivek S. Sankaran | University of Michigan Law School

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

In this week's episode I talk about why I'm cofounding the Imagination Factory and what I'm learning about myself and the work to advance justice. Systems change, changing the structures of what currently exists, is not enough to advance justice. We need to imagine and create a future where families and communities have what they need to thrive. While many of us have dreams and ideas for the future we want to create we don't always have the community, support, or resources we need. The Imagination Factory is building a community and offering programs to help individuals and organizations unlock their creative capacity so they can move from dreaming to taking action and ultimately having an impact. Our cornerstone program is our 8-week Accelerator where cohort members clarify their dream and intention, learn principles and practices, develop action plans, and build community. 

Please check out the website to learn more about the organization, programs, and cofounders. Imagination Factory

You can also follow us on Instagram at Imagination Factory (@imgnfactory).

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

In this episode I talk to leading trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry. I wanted to continue an ongoing conversation Bruce and I have been having about why systems don't change and the important role of storytelling in personal transformation. Dr. Perry is working on a new book about why systems don't change, and we thought it would be great to talk about what he's learning. We covered a number of topics that could be considered the right kinds of conditions for personal transformation. We started the conversation with Bruce sharing his perspective on the overall thesis of this show, that systems change starts with personal transformation.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Perry's work you can visit his website. The Neurosequential Network

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite. Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

In this week's journal episode, I talk about the practice of Right Relationship and how it has been a significant part of my process. I share a few different definitions that can be helpful in how we think about what this principle and practice actually means. I also walk through the Japanese concept of Ikigai as a tool that we can use to assess whether or not we are living in Right Relationship with purpose, joy, and justice. The episode ends with a journal prompt that we all can use to help us grow in our understanding of this principle and its application in our own lives and process. 

This is a good resource from Calm about what Ikigai is and how you can use it. Ikigai: what it is and how to use ikigai to find your purpose

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this form and we'll send you the meeting invite.  Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

I'm excited to bring you the third installment of an ongoing conversation with Ryan O'Donnell. Ryan embodies the idea of systems change starting with personal transformation. In previous episodes we hear about how Ryan went from being a tech entrepreneur, to foster parent, to former foster parent, to advocate for one parent, and ultimately advocate and activist for parents. In this episode, we get an update on what is happening with Garnell and his son (who was placed with Ryan) and what Ryan is up to now. Since our last episode, Ryan has launched a new company called Sunlight and its first product, Your Case Plan (YCP). YCP is being designed for parent defense attorneys to equip them with software that can help them better represent their clients and ultimately win in the courtroom. The first version of YCP is being launched and tested through the Oklahoma Office of Family Representation.

To learn more about Sunlight and Your Case Plan you can visit their website. Introducing Sunlight

Read Ryan's blog about founding Sunlight. Our Founding Story

To learn more about the Oklahoma Office of Family Representation you can visit their website. Oklahoma Office of Family Representation

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We have two options to make this community accessible. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and 9am PT (12pm ET). You can join the club by filling out this contact form.  Proximity Podcast Club - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Text us is you have a question for Matt or a guest. We want to hear from you.

This week's episode was prompted by a quote I read in the book, Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor. The chapter on imagination began with this quote, "A talent for speaking differently, rather than arguing well, is the chief instrument of cultural change." In other words, we create change by first seeing a different future in our mind's eye and then speaking that vision out loud. This is very different from arguing about what is or has been, it's about declaring what can and will be in the future. I talk about how this approach of speaking differently applies to our ongoing conversation about Termination of Parental Rights, and how it can apply to anything that we may be working on. I lay out five steps that I've seen work for me and others that moves us from imagining and describing the future, to taking action, and then learning and iterating. I also reference a great resource, which is linked below, that can help us develop the skills of generative communication and declarations. I end the episode with a few journal prompts. 

Journal Prompts

• What do I want to declare? 
• Who am I without the work? 
• Who am I? 

Generative Communication e-book: Generative-Language-2021

You are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a growing community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We now have two options to make this community accessible to more people. We meet every Monday at 9am ET and starting on July 26th we'll add a 9am PT/12pm ET group. You can join the club by filling out this contact form.  Proximity Podcast Club - West - Google Forms

Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn