For the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC leader who wants to
Live and lead with your authentic values
Values-Aligned Action is a 6 month, 1-to-1 experience that helps you act in ways that match your values
Embody your authentic values
You’re a passionate advocate for social justice and equity. This drive to change the world has led you to work in nonprofits or start your own impact-driven business.
Right now, you’re becoming aware of the ways that the way you’re doing your work is in conflict with what you believe and how you want to act in the world.
Trying to live and lead with your authentic values is so much harder when your values are competing with your perfectionist tendencies, fear of conflict and the urgency you feel.
Perfectionism has you:
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- Triple checking your emails to avoid mistakes
- Sitting quietly in meetings (you can’t possibly say the wrong thing when you don’t say anything at all, right?)
- Second-guessing whether your work is good enough because you have such high expectations of yourself
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Conflict avoidance has you:
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- Sticking to “safe topics” in conversation even though you find it boring AF (at least this way no one can get mad or judge you)
- Showing up in spaces where you feel like you have to pick and choose what parts of you to share (and rightfully so)
- Faking it till you make it because you’d rather appear competent than admit you need help
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Urgency has you:
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- Creating to-do lists that you’re never able to get to the bottom of
- Rushing to make decisions because you can’t stand the discomfort of waiting for your team or collaborator’s input
- Working through lunch (cause you gotta do “one more thing” before you can take a break)
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What’s possible after 6 months in Values-Aligned Action?
Wouldn’t it be dope if you could…
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- Embrace your imperfections instead of seeing them as personal failures
- Engage in tense conversations without sacrificing your values or identity
- Focus on doing a few things really well instead of half-assing all the things
- Speak up in the moment, instead of regretting what you didn’t say
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In full transparency, when you click that “YES, I WANT THIS!” button you’ll be directed to fill out the application form.
Give yourself 15-20 minutes to fill it out…it’s the beginning of our transformative work together, so the questions are thorough and deep.
After I’ve reviewed your application, I will reach out within 48 hours about scheduling an Introduction Call.
During that call, we’ll
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- get a better sense of your coaching goals,
- how you like to be coached and supported,
- draft a direction for our work together,
- decide on the coaching schedule and cost, and
- cover any wonderings you have about working with me.
Once the contract is signed, our powerful work together can begin.
Two leaders’ experiences after 6 months of Values-Aligned Action
Take on challenges even when I’m afraid
“I chose Petra because of her energy and positivity. Working with Petra includes doing the hard work, but having fun while doing it. I’m walking away with impetus to take on challenges that I’m capable of, even if I’m afraid, an about page that is descriptive of my whole person and a codification of my values –something I hadn’t even realized I needed!”
~ Maggie, Self-Employment Coach
Practice deepening alignment with my values
“I knew I wanted a container to practice deepening alignment with my values and self-trust while navigating so many new contexts, and I didn’t want to do it alone or in a clinical setting. Through working with Petra I have really deepened my self-trust into a plush, cushiony couch that I can rest into whenever I need to, filled with pillows of practices to support me in recentering and recharging.”
~ Leah, Education Consultant
Start living in alignment with your values
Values-Aligned Action is a 6 month, 1-to-1 coaching experience for BIPOC + LGBTQ+ leaders (in 9-5’s or self-employment) who are experiencing perfectionism, conflict avoidance and urgency so deeply that it’s getting in the way of their liberatory efforts and energy.
This experience is for racialized and marginalized leaders who want to be…
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- Intentional about the impact and actions you make (so you can be confident in your change-making)
- Sustainable with your energy and emotions (so you’re not running yourself ragged)
- Congruent with your self-defined values (so you’re not reverting back to the status quo’s definition of who and what gets to matter)
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Values-Aligned Action includes the core elements…
Support for your brain and body
Twelve (12) Biweekly coaching sessions to help you manage the stress of new challenges, get real time feedback and support, along with a break every other week to recharge and integrate the lessons.
Tool for Tough Situations
We will co-create a Value Rubric/Audit that includes your identities and experiences as a compass to map out your values so you can stay true to your values during crises and conflicts.
Increased Access and Flexibility
Voxer Walkie Talkie communication lets you reach out in whenever you want to talk or think-through something so you won’t have to keep a list of topics you want to cover when we meet.
At the heart of Liberatory Leadership is Self-Trust
In Values-Aligned Action, this is exactly what we are focused on—building the skills, supports and spirit of self-trust so you can start living and leading in alignment with your values.
01. Skills of Self-trust
When you build the skills of self-trust and the thought, “I have to prove myself to others” shows up, practicing…
CURIOSITY (can allow you to see a wider and clearer picture by not relying on assumptions or automatic reactions)
COMPASSION (can make it easier for the self-doubt to chill out because as Octavia E. Butler told us “kindness eases change”)
COURAGE (can give you the oomph you need to do take tiny risks, try new things, learn from them and keep going)
02. Supports of Self-trust
When you build the supports of self-trust and the thought, “Should I be doing this or that?” shows up, tapping into your…
VALUES ALIGNMENT (can give you a desirable target to focus and fuel your efforts by leading with your values)
ANTI-OPPRESSION LENS (can prevent shame spirals that lead to inaction by placing responsibility on systemic oppression)
INTERDEPENDENCE (can get you to relieve this pressure to “know all the things” by asking and receiving help)
03. Spirit of Self-trust
When you build the spirit of self-trust and the thought, “I don’t feel good enough” shows up, leaning into…
EMOTIONAL PROCESSING (can decrease how often and how intense this feeling of not-enoughness comes up by giving it the adequate space it needs to be felt and moved through by you)
SOMATIC PRACTICES (can help calm your mind by getting you out of your mind and into your gut/ intuition/ higher self through your body)
EMERGENCE (can open you up to being pleasantly surprised by the unexpected while still being intentional in-the-moment strategic as Emergent Strategy teaches)
Let’s talk shmoneys
My coaching rates are based on an equitable, sliding scale***
SOLIDARITY RATE
($200 USD/month for 3 months)
$1,200
for you if you are surviving financially
STANDARD RATE
($350USD/month for 3 months)
$2,100
for you if you are financially comfortable
REDISTRIBUTION RATE
($500 USD/month for 3 months)
$3,000
for you if you are financially abundant and can share your access and wealth with others
***If you have questions about where you fall on the sliding scale, consider choosing a rate that is on the higher end of the scale if purchasing this service would be a sacrifice, not a hardship.
I find that Alexis J. Cunningfolk’s description of sacrifice vs. hardship quoted below to be helpful in clarifying where you might fit on the sliding scale.
“If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do.
If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale.”
I find the idea of sacrifice versus hardship to be a very useful nuance when talking about class and access because it recognizes and respects that paying for something might still be a challenge even if it is just a short-term one, while giving appropriate space for those who are dealing with financial hardship.”
Sliding scales are a popular tool for building economic justice, encouraging resource redistribution (meaning if you have access to more moneys, then you contribute more moneys), and promotes fair compensation for pricing of services.
Given that, please consider your financial resources or assets, social identities, proximity to privilege, etc. when choosing your payment.
No proof or explanation required, I trust you to pick a fair rate for both of us given your financial picture.
What leaders like you have to say after working with me
All the care, connection and collaboration I needed
“Initially, I was struggling with doubt, fear of failure, and imposter syndrome. Petra helped me focus on what is important and what matters. It was all the care, connection, and collaboration I needed all in one session. I left the session feeling empowered and confident about how I want to show up personally and professionally..”
~ Patrease, Program Director, Personal Development Coach, Therapist, Consultant
Gain insight into my own judgements
“I appreciate Petra’s honesty and empathetic listening. I love that Petra was able to redirect and make connections that I hadn’t fully thought about or reflected on. I was able to gain more insights into how my own judgements impacted a situation. I was able to take a step back to depersonalize a situation and see new ways that I could approach it differently..
~ Katy, Nonprofit Manager, Social Worker and Healing Coach
Holas! My name's Petra Vega
I’m a Liberatory Leadership coach who believes…
liberation is an inside job
I have seen too many of us go into social change only to come out burned out or burned by one (or too many!) nonprofits because we aren’t doing the inner work of personal liberation.
This has been evident in my work with:
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- Peers to raise awareness around gender-based violence
- Parents and neighbors to build community-led initiatives
- Co-workers to challenge toxic workplaces
- High schoolers to develop anti-LGBTQ+ bullying projects
- Social workers-in-training to interrogate the savior complex within
I’ve seen how even though our work may be all about freeing ourselves from systemic oppression, we have often forgotten about one crucial step—to free ourselves from the ways that systemic oppression operates inside us.
I’m looking at you perfectionism, fear of conflict and urgency (which are all White Supremacy culture characteristics) that keeps us from living in alignment with our values.
But what if more of us knew that there was a way to unlearn all this internalized oppression and replace it with more humane and anti-oppressive approaches that actually embrace our whole identities and authentic values.
Before I could live and lead in alignment with my values, I had to break up with the ideas that self-doubt gave me around not being good enough, being too small to make change or that my voice didn’t matter.
Then, I had to slowly chip away at these false ideas of who I was and what I was capable of by taking tiny risks, every day.
Part of that risk was asking for help. I needed a community to encourage me when I hesitated, hold me accountable for how I wanted to change and show me love when I needed it most.
These days, I get to be that community, accountability and encouragement for leaders like you so that self-doubt is no longer the main character in your life.
“When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.”
– AUDRE LORDE-
Is this the right support for your leadership?
You’d probably love this if…
You’re someone who’s done lots of learning about equity, social justice, oppression, change and trauma but you aren’t sure how to put those ideas into everyday action.
You’re someone who’s struggled to believe your voice matters.
You recognize that institutional change requires personal change as well (ex: vulnerability, stretching comfort zones, radical transparency and self-awareness).
You are best supported by someone who uses a variety of learning tools and mediums (ex. activities, songs, podcasts, social media) and uses a collaborative, consent-based approach.
You’re ready, willing and able to carve out at least an hour a week to do this work together.
You’d probably hate this if…
You aren’t comfortable talking about how the systems of oppression like White Supremacy, Capitalism and Patriarchy shows up in the world and in your life. (If this is you, I suggest starting here).
You’re looking for someone to give you a prescriptive, step-by-step guide.
You’re uncomfortable with the metaphysical, metaphorical, ancestral or spiritual. For me, social change will require both logic and intuition, both the seen and unseen, etc.
You’re unwilling or unable to carve out at least an hour a week to do this work together.
Spending any type of money right now would endanger your livelihood and cause you undue hardship.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You’ve got Q’s and I’ve got A’s
01. What's included in this experience?
Values-Aligned Action is a 6 month, 1-to-1 coaching experience that includes:
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- One (1) Values Rubric / Audit that we co-create during coaching sessions (so that you have a tool to be in integrity with your values during crises and conflicts)
- Twelve (12) biweekly, 1 hour coaching sessions (so you can access regularly scheduled support that works for your brain and body)
- Voxer Walkie Talkie asynchronous communication available in between coaching sessions (so you don’t have to hold onto a running list of things to remember to tell me or ask me when we meet live)
- After-party emails to reflect on session highlights and takeaways (optional)
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02. What happens after I apply?
After you complete the application, I will send you an email within 48 hours where I will include a link to my calendar and you’ll schedule a time that works for you. We’ll meet at the time you selected via Zoom for an Introductory Call with me.
During the Introductory Call, we’ll
- get a better sense of your coaching goals
- how you like to be coached and supported
- draft a direction for our work together
- decide on the coaching schedule and cost, and
- cover any wonderings you have about coaching.
Afterwards, I will include everything we came up with in our contract.
Once the contract is signed, our powerful work together can begin.
03. How much does this cost?
My coaching rates are based on an equitable, sliding scale***
- SOLIDARITY RATE = $1,200 USD (Pay in Full) OR $200/month if you are surviving financially
- STANDARD RATE = $2,100 USD (Pay in Full) OR $350/month if you are financially comfortable
- REDISTRIBUTION RATE = $3,000 USD (Pay in Full) OR $500/month if you are financially abundant and can share your access and wealth with others
💸Interest-free, payment plan options available + encouraged 💸
***If you have questions about where you fall on the sliding scale, consider choosing a rate that is on the higher end of the scale if purchasing this service would be a sacrifice, not a hardship.
I find that Alexis J. Cunningfolk’s description of sacrifice vs. hardship quoted below to be helpful in clarifying where you might fit on the sliding scale.
“If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do.
If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale.”
Given that, please consider your financial resources or assets, social identities, proximity to privilege, etc. when choosing your payment.
No proof or explanation required, I trust you to pick a fair rate for both of us given your financial picture.
04. I’d love to work with you but the cost is a bit of a stretch for me right now?
My suggestion is for us to get on a Yay or Nay call so I can learn more about you, your work and how this coaching experience would support your leadership development. When I learn more about you, where you’re at and your budget, I can tailor an experience that meets you where you’re at. Let’s schedule that call.
05. How could I get my job to pay for this?
Yes, if you’re looking for a language around what you can share with your manager, feel free to make a copy of this doc and make the edits you think would be needed.
07. Should I be going back to therapy to do this work?
Some of my clients are in therapy while they’re coaching with me so it’s great for them to have that network of support.
I’ve also had clients who wouldn’t consider therapy because of medical trauma and instead have opted to engage in coaching like this person…
“One worry I had about coaching was related to the fact that I have had negative experiences (read: childhood trauma) with the medical industry, and am also deeply private and introverted, and so therapy has not been something that I have been motivated to explore yet as a form of support for my well being. Coaching with someone I trust felt like an accessible onramp to wellness support, but I was still really scared to let someone in and around my thoughts & feelings, and to have a whole series of conversations entirely about me. Working with Petra affirmed something in me around what is possible when a healer is truly committed to holding people in their dignity through tenderness & vulnerability.” Leah
I’ve also heard that some therapists aren’t familiar with internalized oppression and so they aren’t able to help their clients work through the form of self-doubt that is influenced by being a marginalized person within a White Supremact, Capitalist and Patriarchal society.
All that to say, you get to decide what other mental health supports you’d like to involve when you work with me and it’s valid if therapy is not what support would look like for you.
08. What do you mean by "coaching"?
I know there’s alotta people calling themselves coaches and I think it’s important for me to be clear about what I mean when I describe the way I help folks as coaching.
There’s a difference between “online coaches” and folks who do coaching online.
“Online coaches” are folks who give you advice and tell you what to do. There’s a particular model or strategy that they use as tried and true and their coaching sessions with you are all around getting you to execute on their model or strategy.
I am not an “online coach”, I’m someone who does coaching online and my approach to coaching really comes from my work as an organizer.
Back when I was a grassroots community organizer, my job was to find folks who were interested in making change in their communities and connecting them to efforts already happening.
Those conversations involved me asking questions about their self-interest, about what they thought needed to change to come up with solutions, about changes they had made in their life by overcoming challenges, and about what power dynamics they saw were at play in their lives and in the world.
So coaching for me is really about tapping into your biggest desires, creating opportunities for you to build the skill and will in making those desires a reality, in your own way that works for your body and brain. I’m really invested in helping you make the change you want to see, in a way that feels good to you and that you can sustain.
09. What makes you qualified to offer this support?
I know from first-hand experience where you’re starting from and I’ve helped others get to where you want to go.
My backstory is that I’ve grown up believing that I should be seen and not heard, both at home and in the world.
And when I first started doing the inner and outer work of questioning, healing and disrupting, I would be filled with so much panic at the thought of opening my mouth and saying WTF was on my heart. So when I tell you, I know where you’re at right now, I legit know where you’re at right now.
This desire for doing freedom work that actually feels free has led me to 10+ years of experience in community organizing, facilitation, capacity building and program management in majority poor and impoverished, LGBTQ+ and Black and Brown communities.
All of this means that I’ve been through this process of using your voice as power with lots of folks—from parents to youth to adults to young adults which means I know what to watch out for, what is helpful and unhelpful and how to stick with your vision, even when it seems hopeless or impossible.
10. How much time do I need for this?
I’d suggest carving out at least an hour a week to do this work together.
One hour of that week will be for our coaching sessions and one hour of the following week will be for any asynchronous communication we have outside of sessions and for you to complete any exercises or activities that come out of coaching sessions.
11. I have a question you haven't answered, how can I contact you?
OOOOO fun, yes can email me: Petra@CreateMorePossibilities.com or schedule a Yay or Nay Call to ask me your questions live
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One last thing…
There was a time in my life, when I used to berate myself over my inability to speak up during class. I was so so frustrated and often got caught up in compare and despair because it seemed like this “being in alignment with your values thing” came so easy to my peers.
Since then, I’ve been diligently honing my craft of saying it with my whole chest, feeling all my feelings, integrating feedback that is meant to help (not harm me) and recognize when I’m operating from trauma and oppression.
In a world that makes us feel like there are worthy and unworthy parts of who we are, I think the greatest thing we can each do is learn how to show up for yourself in all of your precious and miraculous uniqueness.
Defining your values is a conscious and courageous choice that requires certain skills, supports and spirit.
I’m so jazzed that I get to support you in going from a cautious observer into the courageous disruptor you’re meant to be.
Rather go at your own pace?
You might wanna check out the So You Wanna Be Less Oppressive 3-part Workshop Recording Series to start using your voice to create change by deepening your systemic analysis around power, privilege and oppression.
Too much of a commitment?
I’d suggest taking a look at my 3 month coaching experience called Steady + Ready. This is where you build the confidence and capacity to speak up in the moment, regardless of who’s in the room.