Strands of Genius: Sidewalk Fridges + Free Food, A Life-Affirming Obituary, The God Mod
Guest curated by Chelsea Leader Fuller
This year we’re aiming to highlight 50 creative thinkers that have inspired us, by giving them the opportunity to guest curate this newsletter, Strands of Genius. Rosie and Chelsea met while working as camp counselors together at Camp Blue Ridge in Clayton, GA — reconnected in the advertising world in NYC — and then again through Campowerment.
:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, CHELSEA LEADER FULLER ::
LOCATION: New York
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Campowerment
Hey there! I’m honored to have the mic here, with almost 15 years of friendship with Rosie under my belt and lots of incarnations of both of our lives in the rear-view. Rosie and I met while working at a summer camp in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains back in the day (I was 16!), and as I know you all can understand, I knew right away I was keepin’ her for a long time coming.
Fast fwd to 2013, and via a Rosie connect, I landed a strategy gig at 360i a few months after she left there, to be a citizen of the world with Faris. I loved following in her footsteps at the agency, until my side hustle with my bossmom — a former TV Producer of 30+ years — took off, and brought me with it.
I now run that side hustle as a (very) full-time gig: it’s called Campowerment, and it started as a women’s retreat co but grew into a transformational community for women to learn, connect and grow together. Rosie’s one of our “campers,” in fact, and she’s ridden with us through big pivots, including our latest: a natural foray into digital, with a stacked slate of live, expert-led content in community with the best women (ever). It’s dope to get to dedicate my career to how I want to be remembered: helping people see what they’re made of. With that, I’m also in early stages of building a brand to bring death to life, for those who care what they leave behind.
Anyway, enough about me. Let’s get you some links, ya?
Editor’s Note: I am beyond proud to know this wonderful woman, full of spunk and encouragement, exciting ideas and grand plans, compassion and kindness. I’ve raved about Campowerment here, and in-person, ever since I attended, and I’m so excited for Chelsea’s latest company, Grand Exit, as well. Some inspiring reads below to carry you through the weekend — Thanks, Chelsea, for sharing with us!
:: THE LINKS ::
SIDEWALK FRIDGES + FREE FOOD
I don’t think I probably have to tell you about the plaguing issues of food insecurity and waste that face us globally, right? This is my favorite grassroots approach to connecting the dots of both. Meet: Freedge, the community fridge organizers that are finding their footing across the world…and perhaps even in your neighborhood?
Bonus for the women on this list: Ernst Bertone, the founder of Freedge, is joining Campowerment for a listening session on November 13th. Join us? (New York Times)
A LIFE-AFFIRMING OBITUARY
With the second brand I’m building — Grand Exit — my (amazing) partner and I are set on inspiring a more connected culture of legacy. During these COVID times, which have brought life’s fragility top of mind for so many, we led a series of community conversations about thinking, planning and talking about death as the grandest chance to honor life. Following one of our conversations, a participant sent us this viral obituary for Arizona’s late great Randall Phillips aka Uncle Bucky, who left behind loved ones who seemed to really get what he was most about in his lifetime. This is my favorite. (Legacy)
THE GOD MOD
I’ve been growingly interested in alternative medicine and the intersection of mysticism with…well, everything…fueled by my interactions with incredibly inspiring and provocative thought leaders I get to work with via Campowerment. Totally outside of that work but as another step in that interest, I’ve been especially interested in the findings coming out of Johns Hopkins and the burgeoning field of psychedelic studies. This one’s about psychedelics with spiritual encounters. If these things pique your interest like they do mine, read this. (Apple News)
Looking for more from Chelsea Leader Fuller? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from her in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.
:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::
:: Game :: One Night Ultimate Werewolf - shout out to Shankar Gupta Harrison and Whiskey Weekend (at large)
:: City :: Vail, Colorado // Brooklyn, New York // national parks anywhere
:: Book :: Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom
:: Magazine :: The Juniper Books catalog
:: Grown-Up Kids Who Met at Summer Camp in 2006 ::
Grown-Up Kids Who Met at Summer Camp in 2006…at Campowerment in the Poconos, 2017
Thanks for hanging! Would love to get to know you via Campowerment (ladies) and/or Grand Exit (everyone).
If you’re a woman looking to live life to the fullest, in community: check out Campowerment.
If you’re a human who cares about what you leave behind in this lifetime, sign up to join the conversations about living fully and dying well at Grand Exit.
Chelsea Leader Fuller
chelsea@campowerment.com
Strands of Genius is currently read by 12,000 subscribers. Support us by sponsoring an issue, becoming a member of The School of Stolen Genius or encouraging friends or colleagues to subscribe.
It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.
Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.
Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)