Rooting for change
Discover some of the struggles and self-doubt that stem from attempting to do things differently during my journey of building IMMA so far.
Over the past 10 months of building IMMA, I found myself grappling with frustration and perhaps a touch of shame. In my previous work, I had honed the art of rapidly building businesses. Yet, when it came to IMMA, the usual approach felt off-kilter. It seemed like I was going in circles, but perhaps what I needed was to dig deeper, to allow this idea to take root.
The fear of falling back to business as usual
I also realised that asking for help and involving others was a struggle. I feared veering into conventional ways – faster, better, bigger. Perhaps, in a way, I yearned to take things slower, though sometimes it felt like ‘procrastinating perfectionism.’
Building a business that aligns with regenerative principles might be more challenging than I thought. Standard playbooks don't seem to fit. So, I turn to nature for inspiration and guidance to build and explain IMMA.
Is it a community when you are not constantly connected?
I didn't want to open yet another Slack channel without a clear purpose. I've found them to be either overwhelming or underwhelming. While people have connected through IMMA, I struggled to build a strong sense of belonging. How can one belong when it's unclear what 'it' is?
Add Zoom fatigue and the fact that everyone craves real-life connections when we spend so much time online—working, connecting, and witnessing the horrors happening in Gaza or Congo.
So, I wonder what meaningful ways to connect could look like, along with a thousand other questions, because, well, I'm an overthinker... or let’s say, a thoughtful doer.
Overthinking the silence
One of the hardest things of putting yourself and ideas in the internet is that you can’t read the room. Hundreds read or see what you do but there is very little response. So the overthinker in you starts asking 'Did I say something wrong? Does this make sense? Is what you do truly helpful?'
So how do we overcome this? I will be asking you more questions in an effort to get you more involved in shaping this work in the coming months.
✨ ✨ As a first step I’m asking you to take this short survey to help shape the future of IMMA. Thanks ✨✨
The spotlight
Talking about co-creating. Let's shine a light on the fantastic work of Alex Quattrone. He is a social innovation and coproduction consultant who brings people together to connect, learn, and generate new ideas for challenges rooted in people's lived experiences. Find out more about his work here.
Interesting opportunities for you
I've curated 24 freelance opportunities for the week from countless job boards, including a few fixed-term contracts for those seeking a little longer engagements.
Research, Design & Product
Data Analyst - Kencko
Digital Product Manager - Sonder Collective
Israel/Palestine Researcher - ACLED
Senior Research Analyst - Trilateral Research
Operations & Coordination
Regional Lead - UNESCO - Youth Report on technology in education
Project Coordinator - The Iris Project
Project Coordinator - We are TMRW
Remote Project Coordinator- We Are Tomorrow Global Partnership
Countries Coordination Specialist - World Resource Forum
Customer Support Team Lead - Climate Partner
Communication & engagement
Social Media Officer - Uplift
Fundraising Strategy Tender - Now Teach
Learning & Evaluation Partner - Company Chameleon
Community Manager (part-time) - The Bloom
Community & Content Manager - Reconsidered
🇺🇸 Digital Content Producer/Strategist - World Bank
Website Wordpress Administrator - Centre for Economic and Policy Research
Other
Specialist, Global Compensation and People Analytics - Wikimedia Foundation
Sustainability Lead - AXA
Experts & Local Partner Network - Health, Social Inclusion and Protection - NTU International
Grants, Fellowships etc.
Grants for Climate & Health initiatives - Wellcome Trust & others
Journalism Fellowship - Grist
Creatives - Glasgow - Creative Climate Futures
🇺🇸 Catalyst program for Founders - NY Blue Ridge Labs
🫶 Thanks, Katherine for sharing some great opportunities.
☕️ If you found this valuable and want to say thanks, buy me a coffee ☕️
♥️ If you found an exciting opportunity and want to share it with the community, click here.
What's happening at IMMA?
🎬 A sneak peek behind the scenes:
We just wrapped up our Get Ready to Work for Yourself' workshop. and the feedback has been fantastic. It's heartwarming to witness how it propels people on their journeys. The next edition is coming in January! ✨
Huge shoutout to Matteo and Shaleah for being our steadfast companions through IMMA's countless transformations. 💛
I've been looking for IMMA support locally in Verona and had some great chats with people from South Africa, Vietnam, and the UK.
Catch me in your inbox again next week. 👋
Take care, and hey, if you liked this newsletter, do me a favour and take the survey!
Talk soon,
Lilli