In this episode, Kat interviews Dom Brassey about turning passion into a career by focusing on growing movements. This stems from a general dissatisfaction we’re seeing growing by the work force, not wanting to spin our wheels working on something that doesn’t contribute to the world. As Dom says, “You can’t see BS everywhere and not get kind of bitter, right?”

“I love that as part of the queer community—that, like, our response to trauma is, by and large, to figure out how to be incredibly aggressive in terms of inclusion…It’s one of our strengths.” A big part of the solution is to network, collaborate, and share our experiences. “When we collaborate and accumulate our knowledge, that we build routines that are not impossible to replicate, when we do the work once and we share that work with others…we can get a lot further faster.”

Dom encourages us all to not be intimidated by lofty job descriptions, but to network and find solutions anyways. Industries like tech can be incredibly misrepresented, and therefore exclusionary. “A lot of women and queer folks don’t apply for jobs because we see the qualifications and we’re just like, ‘Oh, that’s not me…that’s like a MIT, Stanford, CalTech life.’ …But the truth is a lot of people can do these jobs…You can do these jobs.”

Not only can we get those jobs, but it’s vital we do to enable our movements. Marginalized perspectives need to be in the design rooms and in the boardrooms. “There’s, like, fucking scooters on the sidewalk that blind people are tripping over. And guess what? Queer people [who are working on awareness and inclusion] don’t design that kind of bullshit.”

It can be hard to keep pushing when you meet resistance. Dom recommends, “You have to assume that everyone is your ally—they just haven’t discovered it yet.”

Get out there and put your work into the world. “When you have something to offer, offer something. But when you need to ask for something, too, like, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m not actually good at that one yet, but a lot of people ask me for things, and so I’m learning from those people how to ask up.”

“As long as you stay curious and give yourself an opportunity to build connections, you won’t be an obstacle to that transaction.”

Focus on your end goals and the best vehicle for achieving them. Dom reminds us that all businesses, no matter their non-profit status, are simply organizations. If the organization is meeting the end vision, that’s what is important. “Don’t think that your tax status in any way washes your conscience or makes your company cleaner or happier—that’s all cultural.”

In your journey to grow a movement, you’ll need to learn how to ask for help. It’s not selfish, it’s necessary, and people often enjoy being a part of what you’re doing. “It feels good to be asked—it’s like you have value and purpose in the world! …The importance of having a place in the world and being asked for things is actually really big.”