August 2024 Newsletter

A special tribute in this newsletter to Authentic Relating writers! See below.

For the rest, it’s happening times all around. Yay team!

What’s happening in the community?

• I am enrolling now the August cohort(s) of Practical Relational Leadership through Authentic Relating (PRL). Still priced at just $100, this may be the best-value Relational Inquiry (similar to Circling™) training that you can buy. We work in a small group of 6 people over 4 weeks, pretty consistently going very deep together. The PRL format has been time-tested and works beautifully for creating AR community among your friends, in your city, or in any kind of work team. To read some of my recent great successes (and spectacular failures!) there, check out the article on my new substack 2024: The year I finally landed in my life, and subscribe there if you like.
• In partnership with Jason Digges, the Global Eco-Village Network, and the Federation of Intentional Communities, we are launching a number of courses targeted specifically to people already living in, or wanting to start an Intentional Community (IC). We have a series of 5 free webinars which Jason is leading, with one upcoming on Wed July 31, 7-8:30pm Eastern US. Register there to get the Zoom link and reminder.
  We just finished a first run of courses, Authentic Relating in Community and Practical Relational Leadership in Community, and they were both fantastic. They are also very affordable at just $295. I have to say as well that for me personally, it is very exciting to unite my two great passions, AR and IC.
• Authentic Revolution has a lot going on. The Authentic Life Course is back, but live! 7 weeks of transformation in community, and priced at only $450 for a mid-September start. You can also buy the Self-Paced  course. Also offering The Art of Difficult Conversations – An 8-week course designed to turn tough chats into opportunities for success and growth; and a Relating Games Bootcamp on how to facilitate AR games.
  Finally (I signed-up for this!), check out the new BETA Community Building Course – Created in collaboration with Kael/a Atleework, this is a 6 week Beta course designed for our early-adopters and community enthusiasts who are ready to start NOW.
• Jason Digges is also on the move. In addition to the upcoming IC-focused courses and free webinars, he will be offering another round of Empowered Offerings: Business and creativity coaching for facilitators and change makers. 10 weeks /  $750 / Sept 23th; and Facilitation: On the Path to Mastery / 12 weeks / Sept 5th / $1750. For more information about this, write to him directly from his website.
• I read Jordan Allen’s 3 Things Thursday newsletter pretty regularly. Perhaps I am just attached to my Alma Mater, the Level Up program (which I recently re-upped my membership). But objectively, I do think what they are doing there is amazing. And every time I join a circle at Relateful Company I leave happy and inspired. It’s really incredible that they continue to offer the free, 2-sessions per month membership plan (sshh.. don’t tell anyone or they may have to cancel it).
  It sounds like the recent Relateful Camp was a home-run. Other upcoming events include: Austin, TX, Relateful Immersion Labor Day Weekend Aug 30 – Sept 1 with  Valerie Daniel and Stephanie Soma Hagemeister; Level Up ⬆ in-person four-day in Austin, TX, Sept 12-15, with Valerie Daniel. And Hood River, Oregon, Sept 21 – 22 with Annabeth Novitzki and Tristana Pirkl
• My friends in New Zealand, Peter S. and team, have started an interesting project called The Connection Project. It’s a grassroots social laboratory and free, peer-led practice platform. Thanks you Peter and company! The world needs more projects such as this.
• In this context, a [very] honorable mention to SeekHealing, of which I talk about to anyone who will listen. They are starting a new cohort of Social Health Facilitation Training (SHFT) soon.
• I just learned that ART International has a free community portal offering twice-weekly community circles / AR games. It’s called ARTland. You would expect that a quality free offer such as this would be restricted to ART graduates, would you not? But No! It seems to be open to everyone.
• Circling Europe (CE) continues to amaze me with their momentum. Just to note here a new Drop-in Circling offer at a cost of 20 Euros. There is also a free weekly session led by newly-certified SAS graduates. If you are interested in exploring CE-style Circling, here is your opportunity!
• The next AR Community Mastermind Call & Circle is happening this month (one-off timing as I am traveling) on Wed. July 31, 2pm Eastern. This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow AR leaders for support and brainstorming!
• Last but not least: a big shout-out to the amazing Shayne Berry and Tressa Yonekawa Bundren Intentional Dating project in Portland OR. This gets me turned-on 🙂 . If you are in or near Portland, get there. They also offer some online programs.
  PS: if you are interested in working AR into dating and sexuality, please check out my new project Authentic Singles. 

Who knows an Authentic Relating writer?

Well, you do know me! But I am not alone, far from it. 

Bansi Buckley just published a new book Evolving Human Consciousness: An Experiential Handbook for Personal and Collective Development.

“A thoughtful and engaging exploration of consciousness, rich with insight and a pleasure to read.” —Gay Hendricks, Ph.D. author of The Big Leap and The Genius Zone

In addition:

Daniel Ek and friends published last month The Power of Friendship. This occurs as a significant topic. Keep it coming, Daniel!

Sara Ness continues to write regularly on Authentic Revolutionary (uh oh I love that brand! Sign me up) including her latest What is a “Community”?

Susan Campbell has a new substack Getting Real with Susan Campbell

Jason Digges continues to write informative and inspiring content on TechLess CreateMore, including a ton of interviews / podcasts at This Authentic Life Podcast Archives. Well-done, Jason!

And, as mentioned already, check our my two maiden substack articles 2024: The year I finally landed in my life and Trauma is good for you: Authentic Relating and “karma acceleration”

People I like

My favorite person this month is Miki Kashtan, founder of the Non-Violent Global Liberation Community. It’s an NVC approach to applying relational intelligence to the problems of social justice, sustainability, personal / social change and empowerment. Moreover, it’s a gifting revenue model which is still able to attract roughly $25k/mth which is used to support people who are active in the organization. NGL is a personal- and political empowerment platform run by volunteers. WOW.

I recently found a course offered by NGL (in partnership with the NVC Academy) called Experiments with Truth: A Path of Applying NVC in the World, got quite excited reading about it and signed-up. It’s for people wanting to apply relational intelligence practices (especially NVC) to real-world problems. This fits in very well with my model, that to call ourselves “relational leaders” we have to be working out on the front-lines. The world needs us!

Way to go, Miki!