Leading from Being Marti Spiegelman & Todd Hoskins

 In the third episode in their series on climate consciousness, Marti and Todd are joined by Felipe Benitez, the founder of Corazón Latino. They dive into a discussion on approaches to leadership and addressing climate change through a lens of love, compassion, and engaging diverse communities. Benitez emphasizes the importance of reconnecting people, especially communities of color, with Nature in joyful and experiential ways, rather than relying on top-down messaging or policy changes alone. He shares insights on effectively inviting people into Nature, tapping into shared human experiences, and catalyzing collective action through a focus on hope and positive engagement. The three of them discuss the power of individual consciousness, the need to move beyond polarization, and the opportunity to create a more hopeful future by highlighting our interconnectedness with the natural world. 

In continuing the series on climate consciousness, Marti and Todd welcome guest Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, an Icelandic author, filmmaker and sustainability leader. Hrund discusses the Icelandic concept of "InnSæi" which means intuition or "inner sea." She describes how InnSæi represents seeing within oneself, understanding one's place in the world, and navigating life with an inner compass.
The conversation explores how modern life has disconnected people from their InnSæi and the natural world. However, by cultivating presence, imagination, and awe, we can shift our center of gravity back within. This helps us make better decisions, empathize, tap into creativity, and care for the planet. The conversation stresses the importance of understanding the complexity and interconnectedness of life. We must move from separation to participation, respecting planetary boundaries. Our consciousness and actions impact the world.

Marti and Todd welcome citizen scientists Hilde Fålun Strøm and Sunniva Sorby for this inaugural episode on climate consciousness. They discuss their eyewitness experiences with climate change in the Arctic over 19 months living in a small cabin, as well as their work educating others. Key points include the disproportionate impact occurring in polar regions, the importance of individual action, and the need for people worldwide to reconnect with Nature.
Despite having no modern amenities in Svalbard , Hilde and Sunniva engaged people globally and inspired action. They continue to share the challenges climate change poses for humanity and biodiversity worldwide, emphasizing our interconnectedness. They share of how the isolation of their experience actually better connected them to themselves, each other, and the natural world. Their story underscores how belonging to the Earth and her cycles teaches us about belonging to Life itself.

 Marti and Todd welcome guest Elizabeth Soltis, author of Authentic Collaboration, to discuss the topic of bridging—the art of connecting ideas, groups, and perspectives. They explore how to shift mindsets from predetermining connections to living into the process of exchange and relationship building. The hosts and guest share insights on attuning groups, finding common ground, embracing vulnerability, getting comfortable with not knowing, and opening up to new possibilities. Key themes include moving from static structures to emergent processes, and from transmitting expertise to participatory meaning-making. Authentic collaboration requires suspending preconceived outcomes in order to bridge diverse views, tapping into the momentum and potential that arises through open disclosure. 

From the Edge: The Coordinates of You (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Questioning the Need for Speed (Todd)  

In their final episode in the series on leadership and power, Marti and Todd explore what makes each person's expression of power unique and valuable, and how these expressions create a sense of wholeness in teams, organizations, and communities.


From the Edge: Dam Dismantling  (Todd)
Conscious Rant: In Case You Didn't Notice (Marti)

In Episode 23, Marti and Todd spent most of the hour discussing what power is not—our misconceptions and fears around power. In this discussion, they explore the relationships and experiences of being people of power.
What does it mean to be in a state of collective power? What does it feel like? What are the needed conditions?


From the Edge: The Age of Meeting Ourselves Again (Marti)
Conscious Rant: Accountability (Todd)