Latest / We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits / 279. Ethical Storytelling in Action: Developing Culturally Informed Narratives - Kristen Marston

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279. Ethical Storytelling in Action: Developing Culturally Informed Narratives - Kristen Marston · We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

• 0:01
  Jonathan McCoy: Today's episode is sponsored by feather feather provides digital marketing tools and strategies for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes, including the Humane Society of North Central Florida. Stick around for the break to hear how feather power their $300 digital ad campaign that raised nearly$6,000 In just one day. Hey, I'm John.
• 0:20
  Unknown: And I'm Becky.
• 0:21
  Jonathan McCoy: And this is the we are for good podcast.
• 0:24
  Becky Endicott: Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.
• 0:33
  Jonathan McCoy: We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
• 0:42
  Becky Endicott: So welcome to the good community, where Nonprofit Professionals, philanthropist world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
• 0:52
  Jonathan McCoy: So let's get started. Hey, Becky, what's happening?
• 0:56
  Becky Endicott: Oh, I'm just have the biggest grin on my face for the amazing human that is in our wake today.
• 1:02
  Jonathan McCoy: And we're like going into West Hollywood to hang with a person that really has her finger on the pulse of just what's happening now in the media. But in the best of ways.
• 1:11
  Jonathan McCoy: I mean, she is a Narrative Strategist and impact advisor, we're talking to Kristin Marston, She's the Chief impact officer of the league. And her experience is crazy. We're trying to hold together our imposter syndrome, she has worked to develop culturally informed narratives for companies, you know, like Netflix, and HBO, Max and MTV and Amazon, all the big players.
• 1:29
  Jonathan McCoy: And she's advised more than 100 major films and television product projects, including Grey's Anatomy. So there's so many things here. But we're really fascinated by Kristen and we've been tracking it for with her for a long time, because she is plugged in most recently to work with the league. And the league is this really incredible social impact collective. It's taking the reach and the visibility of pop culture to inspire civic engagement in the new American Majority. They're this diverse coalition that's leading America forward, both politically and culturally. And so I just feel like we just want to bask and sit in the midst and can really explore this idea of ethical storytelling to because that is a narrative that we've been lifting a lot this season and the way we tell stories and the way we represent the people that we're serving, and just being in touch in proximity with that, too, is just so important.
• 2:17
  Jonathan McCoy: And so you're just delighted to have Kristen today on the podcast. So welcome to the show.
• 2:23
  Jonathan McCoy: I'm so glad you're here.
• 2:25
  Kristen Marston: Thank you.
• 2:25
  Kristen Marston: Thank you so much for having me.
• 2:27
  Kristen Marston: I'm so excited.
• 2:28
  Jonathan McCoy: Well, it is a huge honor. I wonder if you would take us back, Chris, and take us a little Christian before you're in West Hollywood, or maybe you grew up in West Hollywood, but tell us kind of your winding path that led you to pouring into this work and really dedicating your life to this space.
• 2:41
  Kristen Marston: Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, I, I always have to start with my childhood growing up in Denver, and grew up in a predominantly white area. And there just wasn't a lot of education about people who were different, right. And so, you know, as it can often be when you're not a part of the majority, it can, it can be pretty illuminating. And what happens when the media doesn't represent people who look like you. So I was very acutely aware of the impacts of this at a pretty young age. So there was this kind of my third grade class. And he told me that he didn't like white people were black people, because black people are in gangs, and black people jump people, right, and we're living in the suburbs, mind you, right? There are no gangs, where we're from, so I'm like, eight years, you know, a year old? Like, what is this kid talking about? And that's when I really started forming my perceptions about how the media was teaching people about what I am supposed to be and what black people are supposed to be. And so it kind of sent me down this long, winding path, ending up where I was, I started out in advertising, and, you know, marketing and such and really always had a passion for arts and storytelling, and, you know, moved to LA to get in sort of the marketing space. And my first job here, I was pretty unhappy transparently. Because I realized there was just this lack of interest. And this was before, you know, Oscar still worried. And one of these conversations started moving in our way about the need for more voices at the table. And I wanted to help but the place that I was employed at didn't have any interest in and that was really sad and depressing to me. I was like, I'm a volunteer my time. So I started researching institutions and places that I could go in LA where I can make an impact on the media that we see. And I reached out to a lot of amazing people across LinkedIn started having a really amazing conversations. And they were also supportive. But one thing they said is, you're not really going to find an opportunity doing this work because there's the people at the studios who are making $500,000 a year and they're not going anywhere. So you know, this is really sweet and this is admirable that you want to do this, but there's not really a place for you to land.
• 4:52
  Kristen Marston: But you know, one thing that I can say is that I I pushed on because I knew that there was a good Crap. And so ended up learning about the industry, working to help directors in the entertainment industry and help them on the career path but quickly learned that there was more, which is very important, right? There's this this aspect of the industry that the inclusion pipeline. But then there's this other piece of inclusive storytelling quickly, we quickly learned that there was a huge gap there. And so started working with nonprofits to consult on inclusive projects and storylines. And that's it ended up landed here.
• 5:34
  Becky Endicott: Wow, I love that first question. Just understanding where someone's come from their lived experience, I have an eight year old daughter, and I just, I can't help picturing her face when you tell me that story of prejudice. And it, it just gives me such hope, when I see you sitting here, you know, looking so beautiful and empowered and strong, and what you're doing and how that experience is informing a more equitable future for all the little girls out there. And, and I love the league so much. And what you all have built here is nothing short, a beautiful, inclusive, empowering. And I think what's so wonderful about what you do, it's this great work that's at the intersection of culture and politics. And so when you're standing in this space, you're advocating and fighting for the future where everyone who makes up the new American majority can act, engage and thrive. And I love that concept of new American Majority, because, you know, we were a do good space.
• 6:45
  Becky Endicott: And we're a community of people who believe in pouring into purpose, pouring into social impact pouring into good, something as benign that we don't think is benign at all. We think it's everything, which is kindness, and compassion to each other. And what you all are doing is just lighting it on fire on the league. So I want you to talk a little bit about the league because you're working with activist celebrities, businesses, philanthropists, filmmakers, social justice, community based organizations, blah, I mean, on and on and on, talk to our listeners, kind of give them an overview of your work. And I would love to hear how you're working with nonprofits as well.
• 7:30
  Kristen Marston: Absolutely.
• 7:30
  Kristen Marston: Thank you for that introduction, I'm so excited to have joined the league about six months ago, it's such a powerhouse of the team and I, I feel so honored to be a part of the amazing work that they have, they have started and, you know, in like you mentioned, the league, we really just were rooted in the foundation that culture is powerful. Culture is power, right. And we believe in weaving together that culture with advocacy and politics to impact the communities on the ground and move the conversations that matter most out into the world.
• 8:01
  Kristen Marston: And so we are a small team of experts from different aspects, aspects of different different industries. And so that gives us kind of the flexibility and nuance to take on really creative projects and projects that we believe matter. And that will no matter based on our research based on our collaborations with other nonprofits, other other community leaders who are working on the ground, and so that work can take, you know, many forms, and we take on a multitude of different types of projects. But as you know, one thing that I'm really passionate about is the entertainment entertainment side of the work.
• 8:41
  Kristen Marston: So, you know, I'll share with you a little bit more about what we've been working on there. On our entertainment side, we really believe in strategically convening, and creating and advising the entertainment industry. And so we we do this specifically through we can we advise on scripts and rough cuts. So as you mentioned, you know, working with creators throughout the production process anywhere in the production process to help make sure that their projects have the intended maximum impacts, but also to help reduce harm, right, we want to make sure communities are represented accurately, inclusively. So that could mean like I said, reading scripts, watching rough cuts of projects, it could be down to product review. So looking at the dolls, their accessories, what products are going to go to market, it could be hair textures, skin tones, anything like that. And then they also strategically lead film impact campaigns. And so that could be leading impact campaigns on documentary films. We have one that's coming out in a month called Win con got shot actually next month now, on May 9, airing on PBS so when Clyde got shot about gun violence, and man who experienced non violence on the ground, visiting his home too.
• 9:58
  Kristen Marston: out in Milwaukee at a family or at a class reunion. And so we get to kind of strategically bring people together in these ways, and then also convening creators and experts. So we really believe in bringing people together to develop cutting edge strategies, right, we know that it's important to bring together voices from across the spectrum in the industry, and that we, you know, I believe that, like, I'm not the representation of, when I go into these rooms, I'm not the only representation of what a black woman is, or a bi racial person is right, it's important to bring other voices into the table. And, really to, to have inclusive content, we need to make sure that we're, we're bridging, bridging the gaps that existed previously in the conversations that weren't happening in the silos and, and bringing everyone together to ensure everyone has has a seat in other ways and, and fields represented, represented and seen and heard.
• 11:31
  Jonathan McCoy: I mean, it's a beautiful thing that y'all are doing. And I just love that there's a conversation happening, you know, because like I mentioned in the intro, we've, we've dove deeply into ethical storytelling this year, because a lot of the missions that listen to us, like deal with some of the most heartbreaking work on the planet, you know, and it gets hard, and it brings up Trump trauma to people that have lived it, or people that are on the frontlines of it. And I think that there's a lot of power in making sure that the way that the narrative is told and story told, and the words used, and the visuals used, wouldn't be triggering, and wouldn't, you know, come across and cause more harm. I heard you say that. And I think, what a good moniker, you know, for this. So I just wonder, like, practically speaking, what does that look like, as you push back? You know, as you're sitting in the room with the rough cut or reviewing a script, what I mean, what are the things that you're seeing that you're helping guide people along that maybe could help us as guideposts to? Yeah,
• 12:26
  Kristen Marston: I think, you know, one of the most common things that I see is that some projects are created within the industry, that have not included the communities on the ground that are most impacted. And even if the project is written well, and is seemingly very well, you can tell, you can tell that there's a there's this authenticity that is missing.
• 12:48
  Kristen Marston: And so the more that we can engage people who have been impacted themselves, or have experienced those things, the more powerful the script is. And so one thing that is taking a lot of education, because, you know, the entertainment industry, people are really, you know, these are people's creative projects, they're, they're sensitive about it as they should be right. And very protective. But one thing that we've had to do some educating on and that I've learned over the years is that, like, it's important to break down those barriers and let people into the conversation. And it's not, it's not taking away from their project, it's actually adding to, right, like, we're not, we don't have sign off authority, we're not like taking over their project. And, and, you know, but but it adds that extra layer of authenticity that, that some projects are lacking. And so So I think, you know, really bringing in communities on the ground. And that is also the benefit of working with nonprofits, because we have, we have that eye into what's going on in the nonprofit philanthropy, communities. And we know the the issues that are most pressing, and the narratives that are most pressing that we want to see in the next five to 10 years. And little, little tiny changes can impact how people are going to feel down the line, right? We look at things like like, like fresh prints, for example, because the reboot just came out. But like we think about how that conversation about fresh, fresh prints is still happening.
• 14:15
  Kristen Marston: Right, like 2020 year old shows are resurfacing. And people are still having those conversations. And if we know this content is going to exist 510 1520 years down the line, we want to make sure that you know yes, we it's going to have an impact today, but how are people going to feel about it down the line? And how is that going to shape the next generations. And so having someone at the table who can have that foresight, it has that that layer that we want to have. And we really want to be shaping those cultural conversations and be ahead of them and be able to be at the forefront of the change we want to see in this country.
• 14:53
  Becky Endicott: Okay, that was such a powerful stance and counsel that you gave right there because to me, the show is not just a show at that point any longer. It's not just entertainment, I mean, the cultural relevance in it and PS I have the Fresh Prince theme song now running in my head on auto tune was Philadelphia. But I do think the responsibility of that weighs so heavily and I want to thank you for what you just said, which I think is one of the underpinnings of how we can make storytelling so ethical is making sure that the voice of the person is the thing that's empowered, not our narratives, not our Savior ism, not what we're trying to get across with our mission, it is about a cobuild. And there is such dignity in that, and it's going to, it's going to require a little bit more hand holding, which I think is 100% worth it, to ask questions like, How does this feel to you, you know, is this is where we're planning to put this Does that feel good for you is this the photo that you feel best represents you, that puts you in the best light, so thank you for talking about just the responsibility you have in this that these things cannot just be one off. And it really, truly gives me a lot of hope that there are people out there that are leaning into it at this level, because they will feel the impact of this, our children will feel the impact of this as generations to come. But I want to kind of pivot into how to craft these culturally informed narratives. You know, you've worked with time's up and some of the biggest names in Hollywood to inspire civic engagement. You've created systemic change, as you've been crafting these culturally informed narratives. Can you kind of take our listeners into the think tank with with you?
• 16:47
  Becky Endicott: What are the key elements of crafting these culturally informed narratives? And how can they apply them in their missions?
• 16:53
  Kristen Marston: Yeah, absolutely. I think, number one, it's the piece we just explored about incorporating conversations from communities on the ground. And I'll give a quick example actually in that, so it could be something like, oh, I decided I wanted to write a script about black children in Chicago, right? I see that a lot. So well. Okay. Well, you may have never been to Chicago.
• 17:15
  Kristen Marston: Is there anyone from Chicago, a black person from Chicago involved in the project, but also what happens is when the scripts or the project gets gets crafted, and then you actually hear from people who live in Chicago, they say, Well, yeah, like, wow, like, some of these things do happen in my community, right, I did experience some violence, or I did experience some of these things in my neighborhood. And that may be true. But also, if you look at how it's set up in the film, like if you if you picture what you've seen about like Chicago, for example, just just for, for the sake of this reference, it might be like gun violence and empty streets, or like people looking like their gangs hanging in corners. And some of those things right might be true. But then also people in the community are like, but they didn't show like, kids riding their bikes, or people barbecuing, or, you know, family visiting, or, you know, people listening to music, right, like all those things that are missing from the nuance of our lives. And so when you add that nuance back in, you get so much more layers. And so in crafting the narrative, crafting the narratives, it's it's working with communities and leaders who who have that expertise, people who have lived in the community, it's being able to see the nuance, right? Like, like I said, None of us are experts on every part of anyone's identity, right? Like, not me, not anyone who does this work, right. So the more voices we can bring to the table to add that you want, always the better. And so, and then, and then like, I'm, I'm big, you know, when we think about like, nonprofit work, like coalition building, there's so many amazing people doing amazing work. And when we can all come together and share resources. I think that has been a beautiful thing. One thing that I would love to see more of is, like conversations about shared narratives. And those conversations are certainly happening. But I think the power of them is, is sometimes not discussed, as loudly as I would love to hear, to hear. So, you know, I think about and I was certainly not a part of this, unfortunately. But like, when I think about like the LGBTQ movement, and like this shared narrative of, you know, marriage equality, right was very strong, because there was kind of this shared, we, you know, like, we deserve marriage equality, you know. And, you know, that certainly was not the final step in the narrative process, right, like, but there was sort of this like, shared vision that these coalition's in these organizations were able to move forward together. And so, you know, I think that there's all these things that we can do as individuals, but also, the more that we come together, we can also do really beautiful things.
• 20:00
  Jonathan McCoy: Hey, friends, this episode is presented by virtuous and they just happened to be one of our favorite companies. Let me tell you why.
• 20:04
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• 20:20
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• 20:50
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• 21:45
  Becky Endicott: Now let's get back to this amazing conversation. Okay, I got to jump in here one time, because you said a word that I use all the time in my storytelling, and I've used this with my photographer, and I don't want anybody to miss it.
• 22:02
  Becky Endicott: And it's a nuance. And if you can capture nuance, and what I love about what you're saying is nuance is a micro moment, it is a micro moment where you can see something, you can picture it, you can feel it, you know what that experience was like, you feel like you're in the room with someone, making sure that you lean into that nuance is an excellent portrait that Kristin just threw down. Love it.
• 22:30
  Jonathan McCoy: Yeah. And I love the partnerships piece that you were talking about on that too, because we talk a lot about how nonprofits can come in from a position of power. And it's like, as we're lifting, whoever it is we're serving part of our mission is advocating for them and being this, you know, in their corner on these type of things. And so I think the way that we're portraying storytelling and, you know, in our own ways, is so important.
• 22:52
  Jonathan McCoy: And so I wonder, I'd kick it to you to ask, you know, I'd love to hear your thoughts around creating media that's reflective of the communities that our organizations are working with.
• 23:00
  Jonathan McCoy: And y'all do this at the league so beautifully. So I wonder if you just have one a riff on that for a minute. Yeah.
• 23:07
  Kristen Marston: So you know, when thinking about like, organizations who are, you know, thinking about thinking about doing this work, I think it's really important that they have someone who it right, like, it's, it's great to have someone who understands social impact, right? Like, that's very crucial. Whether it's like an entertainment studio or production company, or, you know, nonprofit, it's very important, right? And then there's this deeper level that I would love to see more of is having people who understand systems and structures, right, and that's different than just social impacts, right? Which is certainly part of my work and very important, right? Where we may look at a script and say, Oh, this isn't going to sit, right, this doesn't feel right, that's very important, then there's this layer that's a little bit deeper, or a lot deeper, where it's saying, okay, like, racism might be someone like graffitied something on the wall or says something racist to someone in passing, right? Those Those things happen, and they're valid. And it's, it's, they are, these things are, are important to tell stories of because they, they highlight tactics that are upholding the systems and structures. But when people just see tactics, it's easy for them to say, Well, yeah, I mean, they can watch that graffiti off for, you know, like, you know, words will never hurt you, you know, like sticks and stones right?
• 24:31
  Kristen Marston: And so what what we need more people in storytelling to do is highlight the the systems and structures that allow for those things to exist in the first place. And so, you know, those things wouldn't be normalized if there wasn't an underlying system of inherent racism in our political systems and at the forefront of our country's founding and policies, right.
• 24:55
  Kristen Marston: And until we start highlighting those things, it's really hard to uproot them, because people don't, people really don't have that foundational understanding of what that is. So the more that we can highlight it in TV and film, the more people say, like, they get angry, you know, they get they start to understand on a deeper level.
• 25:12
  Kristen Marston: And so some of the shows that I've worked on to do that are so for example, during my time at Color of Change, we worked on a couple seasons of the rookie, and there's such an amazing writing team. But one thing we really worked with him hard on there last season was to talk about like the systems and structures and policing and so Like, some of those things could be one thing that they did was actually showing a police officer being held accountable for his actions. And, you know, like actually being held back in the police force, and not like advancing because of something that he did like showing, showing the consequences. And like, what, what the conversations are between police and the communities and what what exploring community policing and the world we want to see, could look like, and and like, really exploring those conversations in a way that dig a little bit deeper. So so, you know, social impact, yes. But also, people who can, you know, again, look at like, how these narratives are going to impact us in five years, 10 years, 15 years, and even how they're going to impact the way that people go out and vote. The way that people think about policy, right, like one of the things we noted is that, like, for example, black women are missing highly as victims of violent crime. Well, how does that affect viewers when they go out and vote for policies that support black women? Right, like if black women are there's, there's a significant amount of missing black women and girls in this country, right, like missing. And if we think that because of the content we consume, black women aren't really victims of crime, we don't really see that as a priority when we think about policy when we think for searching for people that are missing, and we think for advocating for domestic violence for women and black women of color. And so like really thinking about the implications of what we're putting in our content, or what we're not putting into our content. I think the last thing I'll say is just Yeah, anything that pushes us past that the status quo, you know, like what we've already been doing, how can we think a little bit deeper?
• 27:23
  Jonathan McCoy: I just hear this bias toward action. It's like, how are you activating people, you know, through the power? And I love that you're harnessing that moment? Because, I mean, heck, I'm a vegetarian because of a documentary, right? So it's like things just change, like the media does shape how we can understand things in today's world. And so appreciate all of that. It's fascinating to dive into it. Yeah,
• 27:44
  Becky Endicott: it's really interesting on so many levels. I mean, we were just having this conversation with our colleague, Matt Mallory, Erickson, who is literally keeping a tally on her phone of the amount of times she sees in the media, how many times fundraisers and nonprofit is misrepresented in story where the fundraiser is abusing power, or donors are advancing the overhead myth. And these are systemic issues that keep us, you know, grounded in scarcity, and they don't allow us to live abundantly. So I just think this concept is something that everyone can pour into wherever you are, we're in social media.
• 28:28
  Becky Endicott: And and I think bravery is a key component of it and making sure that you're speaking up, when you see something that misaligned, out of alignment with you and with equity, I kind of want to dive into this meeting of the moment of right now. I mean, we're sitting in such a unique time in our world with social justice and the political divide. We're why watching Russia and Ukraine in this war, and there's so many power dynamic dynamics going on.
• 28:57
  Becky Endicott: And so many of our conversations this season have really pointed back to meeting the moment in the world today. What advice do you have for our listeners on the frontlines of the largest crises? How can they meet the moment by channeling these ideas and these themes that you're perpetuating at the league?
• 29:19
  Kristen Marston: Well, I love what you just touched on, is that, you know, no matter what our occupation or position in the world, you know, we are, we are in a time where we have social media and we have a voice outside of the workspace. And you know, a lot of these writers rooms that I work with now have their own Twitter's, you know, like, you can you can tweet at the writers, the writers rooms and give suggestions. And like you said, it doesn't have to be tearing someone down. But I've heard a lot of executives, you know, like executives at Disney, for example, put on social media that they they move the project forward, because a little girl wrote them and said, I want to see myself on TV and projects have gotten made off of letters from little girls, right. And so, you know, I think Never underestimate the power of those little things we do. And also to your point, the things that we do with kindness, you know, sometimes people need a push, right? But also like talking to people in a way that they listen, right? We're coming out of a pandemic, and people want to feel supported and seen and heard. And so anything that we can do to kind of close those gaps. And I mean, in to your point, like we're in literal wars when culture wars in this country, and this is not a time to be a fraid to expand past traditional models, this is not the time. And so I'm really big on filling the gaps. And so you know, as I mentioned, that's like how I got into my career.
• 30:44
  Kristen Marston: So I'm like, it's like, if you see a gap, you know, don't be afraid to fill it. And I think what's interesting about this culture change work is when I started, it felt like it was there was a few of us like doing the work. And there's what are some of the big players who have been doing this for quite some time, like GLAAD. And I think Planned Parenthood have been doing some work. But there wasn't, there was just kind of this little group of us who are consulting on TV shows from like, these different perspectives, like, you know, and like the domestic workers and an elder care and immigrants and black people, right. And that group is growing. And we're seeing like this interest in this, this space. And I like I so welcome this because, like I said, I mean, we all have a story to tell, like we all see things from different perspectives. You know, like, I love my job, and I go into a writers room, and I hope that I leave them with something that they hadn't thought about before. But we can learn something from everybody. And so like, how amazing is it that this space is growing, growing so quickly? And I do think that in the nonprofit space, being open to investing in culture change strategies, you know, there's a lot of nonprofits who, you know, really sit firmly in the traditional space, which we need, it's so important. But if there is interest there not to be afraid to kind of step out of that line, because sometimes there is that there's that gap that needs to be closed, because if you, you want people to vote, but they don't understand even what voter purse voter suppression is, for example, right? And that's actually that's a narrative strategy.
• 32:19
  Kristen Marston: That's a cultural strategy.
• 32:19
  Kristen Marston: Right? Like, they may know that, like, I go vote, and it's really hard. Like, why is there no air conditioning in here? Why is the line seven hours, though, may not know that, that's voter suppression, and right, like, and so there's narrative and culture shift storytelling that has to happen at the forefront of that for some people. And so like, the more we can tag team, or like ABS strategies, and tour orbs, like, the more the better.
• 32:42
  Kristen Marston: And I think it's just a really exciting time, because more people are starting to step into that space. And the little group that we started out as is really started to expand and, and I love it.
• 32:56
  Jonathan McCoy: Wow, that is beautiful. And I just think of the person that is in the writing room, the person that's holding some of the power in whatever situation that you're listening to this today, like what a call to like, be curious and to welcome and open up your table. Because we're dealing with things that are hard to figure out and to navigate. And we need voices to come through and share experiences so we can better connect and better understand and be more empathetic and all the things that we're fighting for. I know from a value and mission standpoint, so many people listening this podcast, but it's like, where can you personally do that in your area of whatever you're watching over? So thank you for that. All of that. You know, we love philanthropy, we talk about it all the time on this podcast, because we know how it just changes us from the inside out as we're involved in it not just always the impact.
• 33:44
  Jonathan McCoy: But like our own story. Would you take us back to a moment of philanthropy that's really moved you and your life that you would share with us today?
• 33:53
  Kristen Marston: Interesting question. So I will say it maybe isn't a specific act. But you know, when I was working and working at a black racial justice organization during the uprising was right. And to see the outpouring of like donations and support of black, black businesses and black owned nonprofits was huge. And so, you know, like I said, it's not a specific moment. But I was really grateful to see an amount of support that I had not seen or heard of, in my lifetime, for the black community. And so, you know, my hope after that moment, and as were like now, you know, 10 years or two years out is that, like, we we don't forget that. And we continue to reinvest into communities of color and like, not not only do those things in moments of crisis, but to support each other and bring each other forward. And so to have those right, like, it's not just going to, you know, Korean bakery because something happened, right, like actually supporting local businesses and not just, you know, donating to black community or promoting a black person because there's uprisings happening, but actually really continuing to be thinking about those things on a daily basis, but also in the for the philanthropy world, because we know, you know, a lot of black businesses aren't receiving the same funding and support and, you know, so I'll say that I was really inspired by that moment because has, people were really showing up, you know, like, people were really showing up in a strong way. And it gives me hope that, you know, people's eyes have kind of open into the opportunities and the different ways that, you know, money can be invested and the different ways that we can support our community. So I thought, you know, there was a lot of it was a really tough moment for all of us. But I think, you know, there was some beauty in people thinking about things in a new way and investing their money in a new
• 36:03
  Becky Endicott: way. I think that's such a beautiful, gentle reminder. And you know, that hope springs eternal, you know, because I think it's very easy to get caught up in the last two years, and to just feel the fatigue. And I mean, whether you lost somebody in the pandemic or not, it has been incredibly hard to endure, while also watching, you know, social justice, you know, initiatives coming out, I even think of like the stop Asian hate, and there's, there's so much going on right now. And I do agree with you, that I feel like the awakening, that's beginning to happen, at least in social settings online, gives me tremendous hope. And I think it's also a great call to action, what you just said, which is, we don't have to lean into this just during times of crises. In fact, it may be even more powerful, if we lean into it, when there are not great call to action. Christian, you're just so generous, I'm just so thrilled that you are in your position and truly influencing a lot of these movements that I'm sure we're going to see that are going to be growing on and on over the next, you know, decade, two decades that, you know, from this point forward. So gotta ask you our final question, we end all of our interviews with a one good thing. And we wonder what your one good thing is that you would offer up to our audience, it could be a mantra, or a life hack. What's your advice?
• 37:37
  Kristen Marston: I would say take care of each other. It sounds so simple. But this work isn't always easy. You know, we're dealing with a lot of tough, tough topics. And I feel like in order for us to continue thriving and making a real impact with each other, we can't we can't leave each other behind.
• 37:57
  Jonathan McCoy: Such a good person. And I love that
• 38:00
  Becky Endicott: your values are like threaded through everything that you say, Yeah, and it's
• 38:04
  Jonathan McCoy: one I will rest easier knowing that you are shepherding, you know, Grey's Anatomy to be more inclusive and all these. Enjoy. So, you know, how can people connect with the league? How can they connect with you, you're such a light and the work that you're doing really is shifting, and there's a lot to learn in the work that you're doing. Can you point us to social media and websites, all those things?
• 38:25
  Kristen Marston: Yes, you can check us out at we are the league.org. It was such an amazing team. And excited what we will be continuing to update on some upcoming projects, the film impact campaigns we have coming up. So definitely check out our website. And you can find me on on LinkedIn. I am Kristin Marston on LinkedIn. And you can also find me on Twitter Miss Kristin and my SS care is the number 10. Handle
• 39:06
  Becky Endicott: I just thank you so much for the work that you're doing. Thank you for putting it into context that I think everyone can understand no matter where they're working and living that or listening to this podcast. It just gives me a tremendous amount of peace to know that you are doing the work that you're doing. So keep going. We are rooting for the league and we'll be following you closely.
• 39:25
  Kristen Marston: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
• 39:29
  Julie Confer: Hey, friends.
• 39:29
  Julie Confer: Thanks so much for being here.
• 39:31
  Julie Confer: Did you know we create a landing page for each podcast episode with helpful links, freebies and even shareable graphics. Be sure to check it out at the link in this episode's description. You probably hear it in our voices but we love connecting you with the most innovative people to help you achieve more for your mission than ever before. We'd love for you to join our good community. It's free and you can think of it as the after party to each podcast episode. You can sign up today at we are for good.com backslash Hello. One more thing If you loved what you heard today, would you mind leaving us a podcast rating and review? It means the world to us and your support helps more people find our community.
• 40:02
  Julie Confer: Thanks friends. I'm our producer Julie confer and our theme song is sunray by Remy Boris boom