In order for you to write that stunning, world changing memoir or personal essay you’ve been working on, you need to surface your most profound, most majestic stories.
Your deepest vows, turning points, biggest lessons, inherited dreams...whatever you want to call them. All the stuff going on in the background all these years. All the subconscious material that has been calling the shots in your life (for "better" or for "worse").
[re]membering is a 6-month writers' group and experience for women. It will invite you to check out your own memories, thoughts, felt senses, emotions, body sensations to find the wisdom within. We'll call on our grandmothers, grandaunts and ancient mothers to help us on our journey. And we'll discover what stories want to be told through us.
Masculine and feminine energy exist in all things—including people. In a world dominated by masculine energy, our group will tap into the feminine, the 'yin' energy.
This container will be full of the sacred feminine. You will reconnect with your feminine energy, and embody ancient wisdom, one compassionate act of [re]membering at a time, while discovering that within you who is:
A COLLABORATOR ... who leads her own internal system by being appreciative, empowering and vulnerable with all of her parts, actively supporting them and hearing their contributions to the shared effort. She is self-affirming, trusting of self and others, interdependent and cooperative as an equal.
A CREATOR ... who expresses the personal and the universal in her writing, and knows that creative energy is not only a form of self-expression but also a modality for healing and transformation. She is inspired, self-renewing and regenerating: able to transform her experiences into something valuable.
A NURTURER ... who is empathetic, compassionate, feeling for herself and others. She is caring and concerned about her own needs, and the needs of her readers. Thoughtful, warm-hearted, forgiving and sincere. Feels it is a privilege to be in the lives of her community.
A SUSTAINER ... who is deeply receptive, accepting, unselfconscious, emotionally stable and serene. As such, she can be a source of support and strength for others. This gives her a deep sense of fulfillment and a kind of benevolent pride in her ability to have a positive impact on the world and on others.
It’s time now….
to pause and dive deep into your glorious personal history
to discover a different way to create that honors your rhythms and is structured around ritual
to bring your left and right brains together
to witness and transform your memories
to channel strong feminine energies at your back every step of the way
Member:
noun.
a constituent piece of a complex structure.
"you treated me like a member of the family."
[RE]MEMBERING is a sacred time to call your parts together like a convocation of eagles, for you to:
Source your root stories. In our guided writing sessions you’ll learn and have space to surface the moments that impacted you so you can create meaningful connections and conversations with your readers, that bring people to your book or piece to say “I really need to read this” or “I see myself in this story” and “I wonder what my own root stories are.”
Be supported and accountable to do the writing work. You’ll have the opportunity to receive support for where you’re getting stuck and cultivate your confidence in what you alone have to say to the rest of us. Regular community moments will have you sharing your stories out loud, and practice accepting them for what they are without needing to change anything at all.
Uncover your uniqueness: This work unveils the truth of who you really are and that you are your essence as well as a collection of your experiences. You will reclaim the disowned parts of yourself and access your wisdom, so the creativity can flow.
MEET YOUR GUIDE
I’m Jill Barrett, an award winning innovator, writer, CEO and executive Integral Coach®.
I was the kid who loved to be outside, sing and dance with my little sister, play the piano by ear. Who banged the keys at my gospel church services by the time I was 13 years old and composed and performed my high school graduation song. The young woman who went to 3 different undergraduate schools because I had a baby in the Spring of my junior year, and who graduated just 6 months after my peers. The woman who experienced 2 marriages and 2 divorces by the time I was 40, and who represented myself pro se in one of the divorce trials. The woman who never stopped learning, never stopped growing, never stopped exploring. Who is now learning the deep restfulness of grace.
I was the professional whose truth telling disrupted big organizations -- leading to a director being removed from a government agency and the EEOC shaking up a prestigious nonprofit (more on those stories another time). I'm also an entrepreneur who got so sick launching two organizations at the same time that I nearly burned out. I am known for my big heart.
My experience includes: coaching more than 100 leaders to include more of themselves in their journeys, holding space for teams to become more collaborative, recruiting more than 30 exceptional, diverse executive coaches into my company and leading our new focus on Impact Coaching® to advance more nature, people and planet positive solutions.
My custom online programs have helped people own their stories and communicate from a place of authenticity, openness and dignity to sustainably grow their impact.
I have a proven record of guiding clients to self-discovery and transformation…
"[Working with Jill] has been life changing! I am now more comfortable with who I actually am instead of who everyone else wants me to be. I have more resilience and an expanded, well-rounded self-confidence as a leader. Thank you for helping me be me!"
Executive Director
"[Working with Jill] was different, and more powerful, than I expected. It’s been more of a journey, trial and error, and trial and error, all leading to practicing things like letting go, trusting my team, using my voice. I am so grateful that I have finally learned what authentic leadership looks like.”
Vice President
"[Jill] creates a safe space for everybody on our team to share openly. I had no idea how powerful this could be until I experienced it. People say what they need to say. Process whatever. Get it out. We are stronger, happier and more productive because of it."
Creative Director
And more...
“You created something real. There was no right or wrong. You held a safe space for everyone to share freely. Everyone could say whatever they needed to say without judgment. You balanced sharing and passing along to the next person. You included head and heart. You worked in partnership with the group, aligning with and flowing with the strengths of the people.”
“You were spacious and calm enough to hold everything that showed up.”
“You created a sense of safety.”
“You asked beautiful questions that helped everyone go deeper.”
“I’m really touched by you receiving me that way. Helps me give myself permission to just be with it all as I am.”
“Thank you, Jill. You facilitated that so beautifully and I have a much deeper awareness of how to hold something like this.”
“You did a great job Jill, thank you for helping each one of us to bring our positions and to connect to our feelings.”
“You brought balance when you showed up as you were holding the space."
[re]membering is an energetic container to surface your stories while healing from your experiences so that you can bring all of you to your memoir or personal essay writing.
[re]membering 2023 INCLUDES:
Core Development Teachings from Internal Family Systems, Five Personality Patterns, Compassionate Inquiry, Focusing and the Enneagram. Worksheets will be available in an online library complete with inspiring and practical support to reclaim your parts, access your essence and be a better leader. Topics include: Getting Bigger Than Your Feelings; Empathy Guide: Connecting with your Customer; Mission Vision and Values; Stress to Calm Guide and much more.
3x/month live virtual sessions Tuesdays 1030am-12pm EST where you will be supported to dive deeply, share vulnerably and experience mutual support. Every session includes:
Mindful transition to access your collaborator, creator, nurturer and sustainer
Bit of talk, led by Jill (or guest speaker) to evoke your deepest writing
Free writing, to capture your story sprinkled with support from Jill
Group witness, (we will rotate participants) where you can share a story and be seen and heard by the group
Completion, including sharing of homework and resources and check outs to reinforce learning
Homework that will support you in deepening your insights and developing your pieces.
BONUSES:
3+ Amazing Guest Facilitators who will inspire and support your exploration and expression, including:
National Geographic explorer with her own podcast
Founder of a Yoga school that spread across the United States
Ballet dancer, somatic healer and student of the Alexander Technique
Acknowledgement: I was inspired to design this course for you by the work and presence of Cara Jones, a Story Coach for the truth-tellers, who has helped me excavate my own stories, and continues to be my guide. Cara, my life wouldn't be the same without you. Thank you for being yourself and showing us the way.
Each session provides its own opportunity to remember and reclaim a unique part of you through mindfulness, music, movement, writing prompts and community sharing.
We will also go through the 12 stages of the Writer's Journey, created by Hollywood's Christopher Vogler as an adaptation from Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces.
Select readings from Clarissa Pinkola Estés' Women Who Run With the Wolves will help us access our feminine wisdom throughout the course.
Here’s a glimpse at what we'll cover (I will be adding more distinctions as the group forms, to meet our unique needs):
We meet 9/12, 9/19, 9/26
Theme: Early Childhood (Infancy to 5 years old)
Teaching: The Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call
Writing: Exploring your earliest memories, stories of embodiment, stories of saying 'no'
We meet 10/3, 10/17, 10/24
Theme: Coming of Age (5 to 13 years old)
Teaching: Meeting with the Mentor, Crossing the Threshold
Writing: Exploring your school memories, stories of saying 'yes', stories of discovering a talent
We meet 11/7 11/14, 11/21
Theme: Teen Years (13 to 18 years old)
Teaching: Tests, Allies & Enemies, The Approach
Writing: Exploring stories of your transition through puberty, stories of falling in and out of love, stories of finding an area of interest
We meet 1/9, 1/23, 1/30
Theme: Young Adulthood (18 to 25 years old)
Teaching: The Ordeal
Writing: Exploring stories of your transition to young adulthood, stories of continuing education or work, stories of new places, new communities, new practices
We meet 2/6, 2/13, 2/27
Theme: Finding Our Stride (25 to 35 years old)
Teaching: The Reward, The Road Back
Writing: Exploring stories of using your voice, stories of deepening in community, stories of learning and service
We meet 3/5, 3/12, 3/19
Theme: Owning Our Stride (35 years old and older)
Teaching: The Resurrection, Return with Elixir
Writing: Exploring stories of resilience, stories of becoming more like you, stories of charting your own path
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this for?
This course is for any writer, coach, creative, entrepreneur (at any stage of business) or leader ready to take your expression to the next level. The people who most appreciate and benefit from this work are those prone to deep inquiry and growing your self-leadership.
What if I can’t make the live calls?
Live call attendance is highly recommended as nothing replicates the writing and sharing the happens in real time. And, when you can’t make it, all classes will all be recorded and accessible.
Will I be getting tips on how to write my memoir, send articles, build my audience, find a publisher, etc?
Not this time around. This course is designed to focus on excavation and transformation principles and practices that will not only change you from the inside out, but will also become your most foundational tools for any successful writing. These are the tried and true, any season, sourcing strategies. You need this in place before you can begin writing a memoir or personal essay that will resonate with your audience.
Who we are
Evolve Impact® is a coaching services firm that increases business impact by creating new possibilities for people.
We design, engineer and deliver state-of-the-art development programs for a better world. We do this through 1) Executive and Founder Coaching 2) Team Accelerator Programs 3) Scaled Coaching for Middle Managers and 4) Management Due Diligence to aid investment decisions.
Our clients range from growth stage startups to fortune 100 companies. As award-winning innovators, we know what it takes to turn lead into gold and have been helping people and teams transform for more than two decades. Through a combination of rigorous solutions, world-class coaches and advanced research, we help clients break through old structures and design a modern system of support.
With offices in Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, PA and Cleveland, OH, we support leaders and companies that are a force for good. Whether they build software, manufacture products or provide services, Evolve clients meet critical needs for all of us. They are entrepreneurs, technologists, designers and inventors. They work hard to bring something new and valuable into the world. They know that their workforce is everything and they take care of their people.
Our mission is to discover and develop the power of people and teams. We are the energy behind new kinds of business growth.
What we believe
We believe in ourselves. We believe the answers can be found in our brains and in our bodies.
We believe in you. We believe the answers can be found in each other.
We believe in the real world—shaping it and letting it shape us. We believe in porous boundaries.
We believe in expanding our capacity—in the adventure of trusting ourselves, in having fun and enjoying everything we do.
We believe in great companies. We believe in innovation. We believe we can change the world.
We believe in employees and leaders who lift each other up, who become what they always planned and never imagined.
We believe in becoming, that we are always turning toward balance. We
believe in the gifts of the artist, the entrepreneur, the reformer, the helper, the protector, the peacemaker, the innovator—especially the innovator.
We believe in something so much larger than ourselves—the quiet voice, the inner knowing, the origin of our genius.
We know one thing to be true: Everyoneis brilliant.
Coaching is nothing short of evolution and, like Gandolf said to Frodo, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
Like Frodo, our adventures stretch us beyond our wildest imagination. When we answer the call, we end up crossing raging rivers, climbing steep mountains and fighting our demons. And there is something else. By the end of our journey, we are different somehow. We have transformed. To go on the hero's journey is to evolve.
