Business as Activism with Elijah Selby

Other titles I considered for this episode: Personal Style and Gatekeeping in the Workplace Body Image, Privilege, and Influencer Culture Breaking Free From the Matrix of the PR World and Embracing Authenticity   At one point in her career, author and coach Helen Jane Campbell was pulled into a room (along with the other women in the firm) and told what kind of underwear they should wear underneat...

Sarah Zero left corporate America to start her own business doing branding work for entrepreneurs whose work create positive impact on the world--she went solo and discovered how LONELY that was. So many of us can relate. Even if we are not solopreneurs--finding and building community as an adult can feel daunting. Feeling alone can feel like the norm. After attending networking meetings that neve...

If you wonder how to gain visibility in a very noisy world, you will want to listen to this episode. Natalie Koussa is a business development coach and Podcast Guesting Strategist who helps industry changemakers create their fully expressed, fully booked business. She's the creator of the Luminous Mastermind, and The Speakeasy - a group programme which supports entrepreneurs to clarify their thoug...

The way we lead makes a difference. Leadership can be Activism, just as Business can be Activism! Brooke Hofsess takes us on her own journey to leadership. In this episode, she shares five leadership paradoxes that invite you into your fullest expression (while also disrupting the status quo): Insecurity and trust; Competition and community; Self-reliance and sharing the load; Fear of chaos and fl...

"Speak human, win the internet" is Lara Eastburn's tagline--so I'm sure you can tell right away that she's totally awesome. She started learning about internet ads for her hoola hoop business when advertising online was still in the "bunny slope" era! And she found out rather quickly that she 1) loved it and 2) was totally good at it! I don't know about you, but advertising on FB or IG or any othe...

Hello, Loves! I'm just popping in with a quick announcement about the podcast. Have a listen! See you next week with a full length episode! xoxo, Elijah  Come say hello on IG: https://www.instagram.com/elijahshannonselby/  Business as Activism: https://www.instagram.com/businessasactivism/

"A culture fixated on female thinness is not an obsession about female beauty, but an obsession about female obedience. Dieting is the most potent political sedative in women's history; a quietly mad population is a tractable one."― Naomi Wolf. No wonder women are in a constant argument with our bodies. No wonder we are disconnected from our bodies--and we see them as "other." And yet, the relatio...

Success is right around the corner if you buy the right course, right? There's just one piece of information you're missing...and when you read the marketing copy for that course you're CERTAIN that this will be THE THING that makes is all happen.   How many courses have you bought? $2k here, $3k there...it sure adds up, doesn't it? I know I've spent multiple thousands of dollars on courses that I...

I've had many conversations with people recently where it became clear that I take a lot of my knowledge for granted--and that I assume everyone else knows what I know. NOPE! Not true. So I created this episode to share some foundational beliefs I have when it comes to creating change in this world. I am calling you all in to cozy up so I can walk you through things--how the Paradigms of the Patri...

"We must shift America from a needs, to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things even before the old had been entirely consumed. We must shape a new mentality in America. Man's desires must overshadow his needs." - Paul Mazor, Lehman Brothers (post WWI era). Chelsea Quint talks to us today about how that vision became a reality, and how we are manipulated by the mode...

We pull back the curtain on the financial industry on this one! The financial world uses language and jargon that purposely acts as a gatekeeper of knowledge so that only a select few are able to navigate these waters. Maura Madden, Certified Financial Planner witnessed this for years before she decided to start her own firm, with the aim of supporting people to truly understand and take hold of t...

"...It was a massive realization to me actually quite recently, that my idea of success was not my own...and that...story was running through my head, was holding me back from truly enjoying, and defining for myself, what success and joy in my career was, could be what the possibilities are." MIC DROP!! This episode is really special and different. As humans, we learn through storytelling--I told...

Why has there been over 525 anti LGBTQ+ laws introduced in this country in 2023? This is absolutely by design. It has become what is called a "wedge issue" by the Republican party and it has been successful in bringing back the "traditional family" narrative stronger than ever. This is, of course, by design. The fact is, democracy is under attack and authoritarianism is on the rise. I frame what's...

With so many proposed and passed laws on trans and LGBTQ+ people, and the fact that it is Pride Month, I wanted to bring this interview with Femily, Silicon Valley's Gender and Equity Advisor, front and center once more. Our conversation goes both deep and wide. The workplace is not working for women and people with marginalized identities, and we look under the lid of what's going on there. Femil...

Are you struggling to ""put yourself out there"" and build your business? Yeah. I get it. I've sooooooo been there. All my clients have been there. It's normal. It's normal because how we've been taught to market makes us feel skeevy. I've literally had clients tell me, ""I'd rather not have a business than to have to market it."" In today's episode I break down 5 lessons to help you get clear on...

This story has a very happy ending but it begins with, "I wrote Manstruation because I was so furious at men, I was so full of rage, I was so full of righteous, feminine anger, after years of building The Agenda Period, consistently interfacing with decision makers who had never had periods..."   Alyx Coble-Frakes continually ran into ignorance, sexism, paternalism and much more as she pitched her...

Y'all!!! Money is a THING. Money is fraught with need, desire, lack, judgment, confusion...and so much more. Dr. Morgana and I hopped on a call to talk about the Yin and Yang of money and (per usual) ended up talking about sooooo much more. We get into her personal money journey, what the yin and yang of money is and how it can help us with our relationship to money, and why people telling you how...

Y'all! Have you ever wondered how people become Influencers??? Well this conversation is going to give you insight to that world. Jennifer Jackson was about to sign the lease on a yoga studio right as COVID hit--and presto, it was time to pivot! Jennifer started working for an agency doing copy writing, and as they say, the rest was history. She started working for bigger agencies and ended up wor...

Recently someone asked me, "When did you start doing this work?" and although her question wasn't intended to do so, it sent me into some deep introspection about my life and what brought me here to this moment in time. There are many moments I can point to in my life that shaped me and brought me here. You have those moments, too. I share a letter I wrote to my sister (that I had forgotten about...

"The feminist future is a society of culture, and a practice of radical love, acceptance and belonging. It's a society, a culture and practice that's optimized for joy, and thriving, for flourishment of all people in the planet. It honors the individual uniqueness, and an inherent worthiness of each and every member of the society, while strengthening the collective." Dr. Dee Frayne. That's a quot...

What the heck even is patriarchy?! Is there hope for this world? What if I do or say something wrong? How should I react if I feel defensive? How is all this affecting my business? I dip into these topics in this sort episode of Patriarchy 101. As I say in the beginning, this class is basic beyond basic, however I wanted to lay a foundation that we can build on going forward. I think you'll learn...

There is a very concrete reason why contracts and legal paperwork can feel confusing and overwhelming. The legal profession is built on patriarchal ideas. As my guest, Jacqueline Horani says, "I want people to understand how our existing system is built by white men trying to hoard, gather, extract, exploit wealth, property, and maintain that position and that privilege at the expense of everyone...

If you'd enjoy a birds eye view of how systems of oppression and harm show up in traditional business, than this is the episode for you. Jessica Lackey, Strategy Advisor and Fractional CEO, was trained in the bluest blood of traditional business: McKinsey, Harvard Business School, and 7 years at Nike. She was a poster child for Successful Woman in Business. However, that did not safeguard her from...

"The way we have been taught to draw attention to our work and causes is actually a bad fit for us as underrecognized people." Chloé Nwangwu, Brand Scientist, is about to rock your world with her laser sharp critique of current beliefs on branding strategies. We are taught to 1) Give value for free 2) Over-deliver and 3) Give more more more!! But there's real, scientific reasons why this probably...

How can you help your audience see you in the way you want to be seen? In addition, how do you make sure your graphics aren't triggering or manipulative and that they are inclusive? That's what Leanne Knight, graphics designer for thought leaders, coaches, and healers, and I dig into in this episode. BUT--like all my episodes, the conversation flows into lots of interesting places--like how to mak...