Reel leadership: Directing change with Liz Bloomfield

Liz Bloomfield:
The real connection I have with people is in the more imperfect spaces. It’s when people are speaking in a way that really brings out their passion. And that only comes when you’re talking to a human being.”

Lee Wochner:
If you’re committed to making a difference in the world, and if you’re maybe feeling a bit burnt out trying to do that, Liz Bloomfield is here to help. Liz is a nonprofit leader, storyteller, and coach passionate about creating a more just world where everyone thrives. As a former British Army officer serving in Iraq, executive in the corporate sector, and humanitarian responder,

Liz has experienced first-hand the importance of paying attention to what’s already working and elevating local leaders in addressing global challenges. As Executive Director for the nonprofit Ripple Effect Images, Liz leads a world-class team of photographers and filmmakers shining a light on solutions, empowering women and children globally. In addition to that, Liz works with nonprofit leaders and individuals

to help them shift from the exhaustion of seeming impossibility toward more energy and making a bigger impact, which is something all of us want and need.

Jaclyn Uloth:
Welcome to the podcast that lightens the tension when things sort of get hard…
That’s What C! Said, the Counterintuity podcast, featuring interviews with leaders and doers who have helped to make our world a better place through their actions — and especially through marketing, communications, and embracing change. Here’s host Lee Wochner.

Lee Wochner:
Hi, Liz. Well, thank you for joining us today. I’m especially interested to speak with you given the amazing, wow, panoply of things you’ve done in the field, but it’s nice to meet you.

Liz Bloomfield:
Lovely to meet you. Thanks for having me, Lee.

Lee Wochner:
You bet. So, boy, I spent a lot of time watching the films on Ripple Effect Images, where you are the executive director. And I was struck by those films, I have to tell you, in a very busy week. I’m like, no, I need more time to watch these. I wanna watch these. So let’s talk about Ripple Effect Images for a little bit, if we can. Can you help people understand what Ripple Effect Images is and what it does.

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, Ripple Effect Images is a nonprofit, so a charity, that uses visual storytelling, so photography, film, animation, other visual mediums, to shine a light on programs empowering women. And we go out and we find these incredible programs that are working, proven things that are implemented and are having an incredible impact. And we make films about them, so that we can tell the rest of the world what’s possible. With the goal that those programs attract the resources and the attention to be replicated and expanded so that they can have even greater impact. The rationale behind this is that, so much of our news feeds, the media is consumed by the bad news stories, the problems, the challenges, the poverty, all of the things that are very real challenges. But that actually, if we only focus on what’s not working, we take some of our energy away from the possibility of making a difference. And the reality is there are people out there on the ground at a local level, driving change, making a difference, really transforming their communities. And so by shining a light on that, by amplifying and elevating these extraordinary change makers, Ripple really seeks to have a ripple effect that we can pay attention to the positives and in doing that have a multiplier effect. So we have a wonderful cadre of visual storytellers, a number of national geographic photographers, filmmakers, some really world-class visual storytellers who bring their expertise into what we’re doing and really help us to take these stories to audiences that aren’t paying attention. And you know, that’s where the magic happens. You can keep saying the same things to people who are already sold on them, this concept. But if you find the people where they are, if you help people understand through by educating and also entertaining them, then there’s real opportunity to bring about change in the world. So that’s what we’re all about, at Ripple Effect Images.

Lee Wochner:
Last night, coincidentally, I happened to be on a congressional fundraising Zoom meeting with the climate activist Bill McKibben, who is trying to get more climate activists in Congress. And so the meeting led with all of the problems and challenges that most of us are well aware of. And finally, I said, well, Bill, can you tell us what gives us hope? And then he rattled off all of the positive developments and he said, you know, we’re going to do this anyway. We’re going to clean all this up. The question and move toward a better climate future. The question is, are we going to do it now? What’s better? Is it going to take 40 years? And after he painted the positive picture, all of the donations went up because everything seemed achievable.

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah. I mean, let me transport you to Chad and tell you the story of Hindu Umaru Ibrahim. She’s this incredible woman who grew up in an indigenous community in rural Chad, and she’s really gone on to become a true change maker, bringing together indigenous knowledge with modern technology to map water sources in a region where water scarcity is a huge source of conflict and challenges for the people living there. And she’s such a force of nature Hindu, because against the odds she got an education. You know, it was not a popular decision for her mother to make to send her daughters to the city to get an education, but she did. And Hindu and her sister went to school. They came back in the vacations to spend time with their tribe, learning the traditional techniques. And she has gone on to really become a huge voice on the global stage. She’s spoken at the UN General Assembly. She’s spoken at the climate change conferences. She’s an ambassador for her community, but also for the possibility of what’s working, what happens when you bring together these different techniques and the fact that indigenous knowledge and modern technology can coexist. They don’t, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. And I think it just speaks to the importance of paying attention to what’s going on all around the world, really listening to what people are saying is affecting their communities, having the humility to accept that not all the answers are gonna come from Western cultures. Indeed, most of them will not, but then also being willing to amplify those voices, giving the stage to Hindu and the millions of other people like her who were making the difference within their communities. That’s where the change will happen in my view.

Lee Wochner:
Well, I watched that one and I love that one and I was very moved by it. And I appreciated that the president of Chad assigned the minister of the environment to work with her on the issue. And then she takes that back to the tribes and they’re very impressed by that, of course. And then you can see that they sense something’s actually going on here and they will contribute. And then she actively engages them in doing the water map. So really good leadership on her part. It’s that she, you know, she connected the dots. It wasn’t a coming from on top, handed it down to you kind of solution. She involved everyone in it. There’s a great leadership lesson for everyone in how she approaches that.

Liz Bloomfield:
There really is. Yeah.

Lee Wochner:
I also, so I’m a tree hugger, I have to tell you. I love trees. I grew up out in trees where I grew up. I’ve planted many trees myself and I’ve supported organizations that plant trees. So you can imagine, you can imagine, I was very struck by your story about the village in India. Can you tell us a little bit about that one? Because I think also people should watch that.

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, so you’re talking about the village of Piplantri. And again, where some incredible visionary thinking from key people within that community saw an opportunity to transform mindsets around perceptions of the birth of a girl in those communities. And… To cut a long story short, they celebrate the birth of every girl child with the planting of 101 trees. And over the course of many, many years, it’s seen a real shift within that, within Piaplanchy for two reasons, well, probably more than two, but two key reasons where the birth of girls is now celebrated. It’s now a really positive celebration. You see it in the dancing and the singing and the ceremony that they have around the planting of those trees. And that is just remarkable. It’s something that’s happened organically, but it’s now really shifted those mindset about gender. But also the impact that that’s had on the environment and the actual planting of the trees and the ripple effect that has had in the you know, the quality of the soil and the other elements of the positive impact that planting trees has. And, you know, I love that story because, again, it seems like a small thing, but the ripple effect is huge. It’s not just one thing. It’s that it has it’s really shifted the way that community thinks. And also for other communities looking in, they see a model, they see possibility. And I think that’s so powerful. And I think that’s true of so many tree planting initiatives. Ripple has covered a number of different programs that focus in some way on tree planting. And they always have wider benefits beyond the actual planting of the trees. They all come with some different combination of improving livelihoods, whether that’s because the quality of the soil is better. Whether that’s because it provides opportunities for revenue that didn’t exist there before, particularly with things like carbon offset initiatives that are available globally. But also it brings a sense of community and a shared ownership that actually is so visible in a tree, you know, it represents so much in terms of growth, renewal, energy.

Lee Wochner:
On October 19th, 2003, see I remember the date, my then young son and I planted a tree in my front yard that was just like a stick with a ball of earth on the bottom of it. And now it’s this huge glorious tree that shades the entire house and is the marvel of the neighborhood. And I look at it every day. And then when I was on a nonprofit board here in Los Angeles some years ago, about 10 years ago, I guess, we decided to plant 100 trees in a park. And I pass those trees every day. And I look at those and you can see the progress and it becomes metaphoric for the other progress you can make in the world. When you look how a tree you have planted, how much it’s grown and what it provides.

Liz Bloomfield:
You’re so rightly. And it’s that patience element also that I think it’s important to acknowledge because we live in a society today where we want things now. We want to place an order on Amazon and for it to come by the time we’ve hung up the phone. We’re in a very urgent need to see results type of society. And there’s reasons for that. But I think when we’re seeking to make real change in the world,

Lee Wochner:
Indeed.

Liz Bloomfield:
There’s a lot to be said for investing in initiatives that will take some time to deliver rewards, but that actually when those rewards come, they’ll be much more enduring. And so I think that balance, particularly the nonprofit development in the humanitarian world is facing is, how do we balance the need for quick results with the need for kind of sustainable progress? I think of an organization that one of the very first films that Ripple made was for an organization called TIST, another tree planting initiative, but I mean, so much more than tree planting. It’s very locally driven by the farmers, initially in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and now they’ve also expanded to India. But they started their program 25 years ago, and it’s taken, you know, a long time for it to come into fruition. The progress that they’ve made now is staggering. What was, you know, when we covered their program 10 years ago, they’d planted 5 million trees and it’s now closer to 20 million trees. But in those early days, it would have been so easy for them to say, oh, this just isn’t delivering results, let’s try something else. But they stuck with it and that enduring kind of sense of sense of keeping going with something, which is very much the case with trees. You don’t see results from trees straight away. You have to, like you said back in 2003, 20 years ago, you never would have imagined the tree that it grew into. And I think, again, that’s another metaphor, especially when we try to do hard things, is that hard things take time. And there’s so many points along the way when you could give up. Often, when you’re very close to being successful. And I think that’s just something important to remember that the patience, the endurance, the resilience to keep going is incredibly powerful.

Lee Wochner:
That’s why we talked to people about short-term goals as well as long-term goals because you need that little hit of dopamine that comes with some sort of success. You know when my when my stick ball tree survived for a couple of weeks that felt pretty good and the first time it started To bud that felt pretty good and etc. Etc And now it now it just thrills me to look at that and everybody else as well. So I wanna, you know, I could talk about trees and all of these things for a long, long time. But let’s back up a little bit and find out some more about you and your own story. So I find your bio fascinating. I mean, you were a British army officer serving in Iraq and then a corporate executive, and you’re obviously a humanitarian. What led you from those positions to being a humanitarian responder and then to ripple effect images. What, how do we plot Liz’s course? What led to all this?

Liz Bloomfield:
I’m really fortunate that I’ve always been in roles that have been very impact driven. I was drawn to the military initially because I wanted to be a force for good in the world. And I was very fortunate in the experience that I had when I deployed to Iraq in 2003, probably around the same time that you were planting your tree, which makes me feel very old that it now shades your entire house. But I You know, that was the start. It was right at the start of what proved to be a protracted and devastating armed conflict that went on for many, many years. I was there during the very early stages, and I had the real privilege of working alongside the local Iraqi rail workers. We were charged with reestablishing the rail infrastructure in Southern Iraq, and it had been heavily bombed, damaged, and there was a lot of work that needed to be done, but I think it- That early experience for me was a real insight into the importance of paying attention to the people at the local level. And I think that was the first experience for me of how you’re not gonna have all the answers. As a leader, it’s easy to think that you need to be the one that comes up with all the answers. And yet that is, you know, it’s often the real opportunity in leadership is when you have the humility to listen, to pay attention to what you’re being told, what the different perspectives are. And I think that’s not to say that leaders don’t need to be decisive and provide direction when the time requires it, but I think that leadership element of it and being really paying attention to the local voices, that’s what that experience gave me. And I think that’s why I feel very lucky that I had that opportunity so early in my career. From there, going to the corporate world, again, a very kind of impactive role. I was very, I was working for Siemens Energy, which was installing wind farms. And that green energy piece has always been very important to me, in terms of sustainability and creating a world for future generations. And I think although the emphasis is different in the corporate world, I think when you’re part of an organization that’s very driven by its purpose, the why, then it makes it much easier to get up in the morning. There’s a real sense of what we’re trying to achieve together. And again, being part of a team that was really very values of mission focus was again, a real kind of common thread across those different roles. And that made it a natural transition to me, for me to want to be even more kind of field trip. Field-based in terms of humanitarian response. And that’s where I circle back to more of the work that I’ve been doing in the military sense, but in from a humanitarian perspective. And I was working initially on the protection of civilians trapped in complex situations, which is a particularly challenging area. And then in the logistics of disaster response, getting responders, experts, as well as supplies to people when they need it, when often the logistics infrastructure has been damaged or disrupted in some way. And although they seem very different, there’s some real common threads that ran through all of those experiences for me about being really focused on a mission and a purpose, but also paying attention to people at the local level, not just coming in expecting to have the answers, but really wanting to listen to what you’re being told from the people that live and breathe that existence every day. And all of that together, the storytelling dimension to that, the stories we tell ourselves, each other, the world about what we do really matters. And that is something that we hear a lot about the word storytelling, but what does that mean in practice? What does that mean? Does that mean making kind of Oscar-winning films, documentary films? Well, sure, that’s a part of it, but that’s not the only part of it. We all engage in some kind of storytelling every day, even if it’s just the stories we’re telling ourselves. And I think the opportunities that exist when we’re seeking to make change in the world, to leverage storytelling are really powerful.

Lee Wochner:
Um, uh, wow, that’s a great segue to the next thing I want to talk to you about, which is storytelling. But first I want to go back about half a minute and essentially what you’re talking about is collaboration and partnership and we’ve been doing a lot of writing here the past couple of weeks about collaboration and partnership. We’re a collaborative agency and we have clients who are collaborative. We want to put out the benefits of that. And it reminded me this week, I was reading a cover story of a magazine about a billionaire who chose a town in Missouri that he happened to stop in and then he decided to fix all of their problems and they resent him because He came he came in from LA with here’s my billion dollars and here’s what i’m gonna fix and i’m doing all of this And then all of the locals meet at the local bar and talk about him and his hoity-toity ways. And the woman he changed by putting her in charge and et cetera, and there wasn’t a lot of collaboration and partnership, there was a lot of here I am with my riches dropping solutions on you when I don’t live here or really know anything about it.

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, I mean, what you’re saying there really resonates with me from, especially from my time in humanitarian responses. I think sometimes we can, with the very best of intent, seek to help people, but in a way that’s actually, can be quite patronizing and can actually create more problems than it solves. And there’s often all kinds of reasons why we justify to ourselves, we do things in a certain way, whether we’re a humanitarian worker responding to a hurricane, or indeed, if we’re a CEO of a company and we’ve just made a decision that’s not very popular. And I think that’s where collaboration is a word and partnership also. They can be problematic because they’re very easy to say. And the reality is we have to constantly be challenging ourselves around whether our intent and the reality are marrying up. Because, you know, we can really go into something believing that we’re doing the right thing, but unless we’re willing to constantly kind of circle back, whether we’re willing to listen to the other people who may not be the obvious, well, they may not hold the power, but they often are the key stakeholders in a particular initiative. They’re the ones that whatever it is you’re doing has the most impact on. Unless we’re making the time to intentionally pay attention to what is being said, then we shouldn’t be surprised if sometimes that collaboration is interpreted in a different way. And so I think that’s where we have to accept that it’s an imperfect science, but that also it just requires constant, constant attention and effort. And what would have been viewed as kind of collaborative and positive the day before, the next day might be that might have changed entirely. And so, you know, paying attention to that. You know, one of the things I talk about sometimes when I’m thinking about is listening, is that actually we all know we should be, we should listen. We all, if we were asked, would say we were good listeners, I think. I don’t think very many of us are. It is a skill and often a reason that people cite listening to all the voices is that, oh, we don’t have time. We had to make a decision. We had to keep it moving forward. And there’s often a lot of truth in that, but also what I’ve noticed in teams is that when you develop the habits for listening, that and behaviors, that, that process can become much quicker. When people are not used to being listened to, if you ask them a question, they’re going to like take the stage. They’re going to tell you everything that’s on their mind. And then suddenly, you know, it’s taking longer. We needed to make a decision yesterday. Oh, we’re just going to have to push ahead. But if that becomes something that’s woven into the fabric of your team or the partnership that you have with another organization, it gets quicker, it gets easier. People, you know, flows better. And so I think that’s where we have to, again, be willing to commit to collaboration and partnership over longer periods of time. You’re not gonna suddenly be able to walk in to that kind of relationship and it will flow perfectly from the start. It’s a real investment of intention and time.

Lee Wochner:
One of the nonprofits we work with has become very, very successful in manifesting significant improvement in the communities they serve. And I think part of it is because when they go into those communities, they always identify the other nonprofits that are already there and they partner with them with all those community services and community people so that they are additive and not subtractive. They’re not gobbling them up or their budget or their donations or anything, they work in partnership. And the amazing thing about partnership, I’ve always had a business partner. As an example, I have a wonderful business partner now for a very long time. I believe in partnership. And what happens is you amplify your own capability by finding the skills, talents, and thoughts of partners. And so I and I’m a theater person. Theater people are by nature collaborative. You know, whereas novelists just go write their book. Or they may have an editor. Theater people are, you know, let’s do an improv. Let’s do brainstorming. It’s all the same sort of thing. We’re gonna take a short break here, but when we come back, Liz and I will be talking about storytelling and why it’s important and how to tell a good story. We’ll be challenging the notion that artificial intelligence can do any of that. That’s my bugaboo. And we’ll be talking about marketing and how nonprofit people can achieve more and avoid burnout. So stick with us.

Jaclyn Uloth:
Hi, this is Jaclyn with Counterintuity.

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Lee Wochner:
And we’re back with Liz Bloomfield. So I wanna go back to the things we’ve seen in Ripple Effect Images and the films, which really made an impression on me and so much of the photography. Actually, let me start by asking you the ugly question that I hear all the time, right? So here it is. Well, why should I care about those people over there? Why aren’t we doing more here? And I hear that here in America all the time. And sure, I want things done here as well, but it makes my heart sink to hear this. So Liz, help us understand, we’re talking about Chad and India, Africa, all sorts of other places. Why should we care about their stories?

Liz Bloomfield:
I think we should care about the stories because there’s so much we can learn from different parts of the world. But the same principle about paying attention to what’s working is just as applicable here in the US or your other Western developed countries. That there’s so the dynamic of these are the established countries that, you know, have got it all figured out. And these are the countries that are still figuring it out is so outdated. You know, in this global economy, this complex world that we live in today, I think we just have to get past that mentality. And so the things that I, you know, that we see in the communities that we go out to, there’s so much that we can learn as a humanity, as a human race in all of these parts of the world. So, you know, that would be my first observation, you know, solutions to solutions, and there’s something we can all learn. I think the second piece of it is that we do live in a hugely interconnected world. And so everything that we do has an impact on everyone. And so it’s in everyone’s interest to create a world where everyone can thrive. And, you know, I don’t think of I don’t think of the world as well. It’s it’s not pie. You know, if I have a bigger slice, you have a smaller slice. I think we just have to think about making the pie bigger.

Lee Wochner:
Thank you.

Liz Bloomfield:
And I think that is the mentality that we’re trying to promote, is we have to get past this them and us, because if we stay in this mentality, nothing is going to change in the world. We need to shift to a mentality where more people in the world can thrive. And so that doesn’t have to be an either or. And so I think you’re always going to have people that are going to have a focus a stronger focus on their community. I do too. I do a lot of volunteer work in my immediate community, the area where I live here in the United States, because these are the people that I want our community to thrive. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want the world to thrive also. And so I think there’s a place for all of those things to coexist. And I think there’s so much that we can learn from different, from other cultures, from other people that have come at a problem from a different perspective. And I think it’s that curiosity to learn from different cultures that I think would be, you know, a lot of the reason why I think that there’s real positives in sharing more of those stories more broadly.

Lee Wochner
You happen to hit the metaphor that drives me craziest of all of them, which is this idea of pie and there’s only so much pie. And I say to people, have you ever ordered pie in a restaurant? Because what happens is when the pie is gone, they bake more. There’s an unlimited supply of pie. It’s a distribution problem. It’s not that there’s a limit on pie. And my other response to what you said, well, in addition to yes to all of that, is that we’re all connected. We’re all the same people. And yes, the globe is economically interconnected and the environment is interconnected, but also as people, we are interconnected, especially through the internet. And I have to tell you, the films that I watched on your website made me cry because I can see they’re relevant to me and I was cheered by them. I was so inspired by them. Other people’s stories can be inspiring. And I started my career in newspapers. I was a newspaper reporter and then editor for years. And you are correct when you say we lead with the bad news. Yes, we lead with the bad news. And now we’re at a point, we need some offsetting good news so that people don’t despair. And I find that that’s what you’re sharing through Ripple Effect. So let me ask you. Because we’re talking about storytelling now essentially why and I think we just Undergirded why it’s important. I mean, I think we can hear why it’s important Are there what makes it what makes a good story a good story? Is there a process or a methodology that you and Ripple Effect have to? Putting a story together so that it makes a better impact

Liz Bloomfield:
We write a lot of stories and narrative and social media and messages and such for clients out in the field doing impact-oriented work. And occasionally, recently, some clients will try to feed us things crafted by artificial intelligence. And I’m not against technological development, but I… What we’ve discovered here is it takes us longer to pull all of that apart because it is by nature inhuman than it would be to start without that. So I guess my question is, and I happen to see a poem here in my hometown yesterday written by artificial intelligence, and everybody was very excited about it on social media. And I’m like, have you read the great poets? Because this isn’t it. I mean, this is…Read some Shakespeare sonnets and then let’s talk as an example, right? So the things that you do, can artificial intelligence do any of that? Is there any role for artificial intelligence?

Liz Bloomfield:
So I would say in part, and I’ll tell you why, because I think there’s elements of any kind of storytelling, whether it’s written, whether it’s video, whatever it is. I think there’s elements of pulling together the initial material that enables you to start telling that story that probably artificial intelligence could play a role in. Research, you know, the initial drafting of language, things like that. So I certainly wouldn’t dismiss it. I have certainly used it for like, getting started on things, breaking through deadlock if you’re a bit stuck on something. I was working with a client this week, this month, and they were playing around with stuff and they got some good material that got us started. And so, but that was just the start. And I think when we’re talking about really telling stories that have a human dimension to it, then we have to have humans at the center of that. And I think that’s where communications is so interesting. I’d be interested in your perspective on this Lee because sometimes I think with all the tools that we have at our disposal these days, we’ve become too focused on perfection. We want the perfectly crafted sentence. We want Grammarly or some other tool, you know, AI to correct our sentences for them. So we don’t make any mistakes. And you know, there’s pros of that. Pros of that, but actually the real magic, the real connection I have with people is in the more imperfect spaces. It’s when people are speaking in a way that really brings out their passion. And so they might not be speaking in full sentences. They might be just speaking from the heart. And that only comes when you’re talking to a human being.

Lee Wochner
Thank you.

Liz Bloomfield
And you created the safety and the trust and the environment where they feel heard, where they feel that they can speak their mind. And that just comes through good old relationship building, trust, investing time, listening, all of those things that a robot’s never going to be able to do. So I think we’re probably in a similar place. I definitely don’t dismiss it. I think there’s a place for it. But at the end of the day, you get the best stories from people when you sit down and listen to.

Lee Wochner:
Carl Jung used tarot cards, not because he thought they had any mystical power, but because it would help people unlock the unconscious and make connections they hadn’t been thinking about. So in a way, he was using tarot cards as a prompt. And that’s what you essentially what you’re saying about the role of artificial intelligence. And that I can see. But there’s a big difference between being able to hammer two boards together with a nail and being a master carpenter. And everybody can tell stories, but there’s an elevation of capability there with humans that I doubt that any artificial intelligence writer will ever achieve. And actually I hope they don’t, because I’m more interested in human stories for all the reasons you just shared rather than artificial intelligence stories because I’ve seen Hollywood movies that seem cobbled together by artificial intelligence and they’re relentlessly dull.

Liz Bloomfield:
Right. Well, and yeah, and I think all the planning in the world, you know, you’re a journalist, so you would have gone through huge amounts of research. And we, when we’re creating our films for Ripple, we go through a very long and comprehensive pre-production process, you know, in terms of planning before we even go to the field. But without exception, every single film we’ve ever made, our team has got to the field. And they’ve just something has arisen that was on nobody’s radar. Some amazing person that just wanders out of a house and starts saying incredible things and wow, get the camera on them because they’re just magical. And I think that’s where, again, being willing to give the time and patience to waiting for those stories to arise that might not even be the stories you’re expecting. It might not even be the film, the storyline of the film you’re planning to make or in your case might not have been the article you were planning to write, but being willing to kind of be flexible enough to see that shift. It’s like, ah, that’s not the story. This is the story. And I think that’s where human connection is the only way that can happen.

Lee Wochner:
There’s so much I’d love to talk to you about. I wanna make sure we have time for two last things that I’m eager to dig into with you. And so the first is, I’d like to talk about marketing. Like, how do you spread the word about Ripple Effect Images? How do you spread the word about the topics and the work that you’re shining a light on? What have you found works well? What has changed? Let’s talk about marketing.

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, no, that’s a great question. And it’s something that we wrestle with regularly because I think one of the things Ripple has, we’ve developed a pretty good following. We have a great kind of combination of people that are interested in our work, some around the visual storytelling, the photography and filmmaking, some perhaps more about the issues, whether it’s kind of women’s empowerment, economic empowerment, nutrition, healthcare, education, the different issues that we cover. Most of the people, it’s both. They have an active interest in the issues and the storytelling. The thing that we’re very aware of is for as long as you keep telling your story to the people that are already sold on what you’re saying, you’re probably not going to move the needle. And what we need to do is find more ways to reach the people that are paying attention. But that’s also where we have an incredible opportunity, because I think film perhaps more than many other mediums, offers that opportunity to bring together education and entertainment and reach people where they are, who may not be being a paying attention. So, somebody who would never click on an article and read 2,000 words about bringing together indigenous knowledge and modern technology to map all the sources, yeah. Are at a film festival and see the film and are entranced, totally drawn into it. I think that’s where, with our marketing, we’re really trying to be intentional about creating films, but also doing the outreach for our films in a way where we’re reaching a wider audience of people. And that’s easier said than done. But I think that’s where, if we keep telling this telling this story to the people that are already completely sold on it. We’re not going to change anything. And I think that’s probably the story of marketing, really. But in terms of what you’re, who you’re trying to reach, how you reach them, you know, that’s something that we’re, you know, we’re very mindful that there are different ways to do that. The advantage being that film, especially when you can kind of cut it into a two minute version that someone can watch on their phone and then be drawn to then watch the longer version. But you know, there’s some of the things that we’ve been experimenting with to reach wider audiences.

Lee Wochner:
It’s always good to, when it comes to people and widening the circle, I think in general, it’s good to look at the potential rather than the problem. I mean, I’m reluctant to write anyone off. You never know what growth someone is capable of or what allegiance you might gain from someone you would think you would disagree with. So I applaud you for that. So this…

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, one quick example I would have there, I gave a talk at a school, a high school recently, and at the end, I was, a number of kids came up to talk to me afterwards and ask me questions, but I was struck how many boys came to speak to me. An organization that’s very focused on women’s empowerment and I just was, it really, it warmed me to think. And as a mother of a son myself and being focused on raising a generation of men who are also going to be advocates for women’s empowerment, it reminded me that it’s important, as you say, to be paying attention to everybody, that nobody is off limits and that actually the more we can extend these stories and engage people who aren’t necessarily the obvious audience, the more opportunity there is.

Lee Wochner:
So the final thing I was hoping to discuss with you for a couple of minutes, and boy, we could talk about this for a long, long time. But I just want to hear you on the topic. You are also a coach, and that to me does not begin to explain the level of importance of what you’re doing here. And you say that you specialize in helping change makers increase their impact without compromising their own well-being So I have been involved with various nonprofits I have to tell you for and political efforts and all of these sorts of things for over 40 years and I know a lot of people in these sectors and And it can be draining it. And you understand, you know, you want to clean up the environment, you want to help animals, you want to do something about the incarceration crisis and on and on and on and violence and etc. Can you talk a little bit about your work as a coach with people who work in these sectors and how that works and what you do?

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, absolutely. And it’s just something, it’s a pattern that I noticed that’s kind of been accumulating over many years, but I think has really reached serious kind of levels. And that’s, spending time walking alongside impact-driven people, you realize how much of themselves they give to others, that they’re so driven on in wanting to help others, to be in service of others. So often that comes at the expense of their own wellbeing. And people often reach this breaking point where they just think, I just can’t do this anymore. My only option is to leave, leave the field, leave the industry, leave the career, whether they’re a healthcare worker, many of whom have gone through one of the most extraordinarily difficult periods of their careers in a global pandemic, whether it’s educators, similarly, that are having to do more with less day in, day out, my own experience with humanitarians, this real kind of sense of always having to be on, always having to be given. But I think it’s similar in people who are parents or carers of elderly relatives, just always having to give a lot to others. And what I noticed is that people kind of get into this downward spiral, which means that they can disconnect with their sense of purpose. What they really deeply were passionate about, suddenly, it’s like, oh, I don’t really even know why I’m bothering. I’m just a tiny drop in a big pool. But also their physical wellbeing can deteriorate rapidly because they’re not sleeping, they’re not exercising, they’re making food choices that are having a detrimental impact on them. And then that also impacting on their mental wellbeing. And it’s this kind of downward spiral that I was really, really struck me as being something where we needed to support these people better. And so… The coaching that I do, I have a program called Energized Impact, and it’s really focused on three key areas. Reconnecting with your purpose. So going back to what caused you to want to do this work in the first place? What are the drivers? What are the values? What is the outcomes that you’re seeking to influence? Because for most people, they’re still there. They’re just a bit buried, a bit deep amongst a lot of other stuff. And supercharging their energy. And that’s their physical and their mental energy. I work with people. So I have, I’m a personal trainer and a nutrition coach. So also they’re training people. I help them get a better routine for themselves. How can I take better care of my body so that my body can serve me to do amazing things in the world? But the third bit, which I think is the really important piece is the mental fitness. Because I think mental fitness is at the core of the resilience that we need to do hard things. Now, it’s important to make the distinction between mental fitness and mental health. People who are facing mental health challenges should of course get the right support from a mental health professional for their diagnosis and treatment. But mental fitness is something we can all work on because working your mental muscles is a lot like working your physical muscles in the gym. It’s about reprogramming your brain so that you spend more time in a positive mindset than a negative one. Being able to identify when you’ve been triggered and you’re kind of going to a place where you’re thinking of all of the things that are wrong, that are difficult, and how you can reset that into a more positive mindset. So I work with people on all three of those areas because they all have an impact on one another. But with the goal, and I’ve worked with loads of clients who have had some great outcomes, with the goal that actually when you can turn that tide and you can help people feel more connected with their purpose, when they’ve got more physical and mental energy, then they can have even more impact in the world. And goodness, we need that.

Lee Wochner:
I always root for everyone I see at the gym. People complain, cause you know, January all the new people show up at the gym and other people complain and I’m like, I’m glad to see them there because I think it’s better for all of us and I hope they stick it out.

Liz Bloomfield:
So true, so true, right? And I think what you’re speaking to there also is how actually developing the habits and behaviors is kind of easier said than done. And we all do things that we know we probably shouldn’t, but somehow you rationalize it. You’re like, well, I’m tired or, oh, good. There’s always a reason. But I think once you can help people see by taking these steps, actually it will result in them having more energy, it will result in them feeling better, therefore more able to engage with their lives. Then it’s an upward spiral then. And I feel such an affinity to people who live their life in service that I just want to make sure that they’re getting the support that they need because they’re giving them so much of themselves to others.

Lee Wochner:
And because we need them, we need them to keep doing the things they’re doing. So, so Liz, boy, this has been illuminating and a lot of fun and a real, a real uplifter. How can people learn more about ripple effect films and the other work you do?

Liz Bloomfield:
Yeah, so definitely check out Ripple’s website. That’s rippleeffectimages, all one word,.org. You’ll find loads of great films there. You can click on them. You can be inspired just as you have been, Lee. If you want to find out more about Energized Impact, you can go to liz-bloomfield.com or energisedimpact.com. They both go to the same site. And you can find out more about some of the different programs that I run for purpose-driven people seeking to have more of an impact without burning out.

Lee Wochner:
If there’s one thing that you hope listeners take away from this conversation, what would it be?

Liz Bloomfield:
I just think there’s so much value in focusing on what’s working. Whether that’s on a global scale, whether that’s on an individual scale, is that you’re important, you matter. There’s so much that you can contribute to the world. But you have to believe in yourself to be able to do that. And so I think the focusing on the positives is the only way we’re really going to turn the tide in addressing some of the challenges that we have. So be the change.

Lee Wochner:
Thanks, Liz. A real pleasure.

Liz Bloomfield
Thank you, Lee.

Jaclyn Uloth:
Thanks for listening! We’re glad you came. That’s What C! Said is produced by Lisa Pham and engineered by Joe Curet. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Please like and follow the show. Visit Counterintuity.com to sign up and learn more.