BetterWorld Partners

10/05/2026

We love finding new ways to listen, learn, and understand people’s experiences—and we’re excited to share this upcoming workshop from our friend and colleague, Ava Yang-Lewis from ACT Research!

Arts-Based Evaluation Methods: Collage is a hands-on workshop that explores how collage can be used as a creative, engaging way to gather meaningful feedback.

Participants will learn about arts-based evaluation, experience collage as an evaluation method, and practice making meaning of the data together.

Because not everything meaningful fits neatly into a survey or an interview. ❤️

📅 October 20 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
📍 Wilder Research, St. Paul

If you work in evaluation, research, development, leadership, or community engagement—or are simply curious about more creative ways to listen and learn—check it out!

https://cococanary.com/product/arts-based-evaluation-methods-collage/

07/31/2026

Practicing what we teach.

Throughout the month of August, BetterWorld Partners will be pressing pause on meetings, workshops, and new project work.

We're not closing our doors—we'll still be working behind the scenes. But we're intentionally creating space for reflection, learning, planning, relationships, and the rhythms of life that often get pushed aside during busy seasons.

As an organization, we talk a lot about sustainable leadership, healthy cultures, and honoring people's humanity. We believe those values aren't just things to aspire to—they're things to practice.

This intentional pause allows us to deepen our own learning, strengthen our systems, and return after Labor Day ready to serve our partners with renewed energy and focus.

Thank you to everyone who trusts us with your work. We look forward to reconnecting with you in September.

Because the way we work should reflect the world we're trying to build.

07/27/2026

The people part of work is the work.

Communication gets messy.
Conflict happens.
Feedback lands differently than we intended.

The good news? We can practice showing up with more awareness, intention, and confidence.

**The Work of Showing Up™** is a three-part virtual learning series for people who want more tools for the moments when working with other humans gets complicated.

📅 Tuesdays: September 22, October 6 & October 20
💻 Virtual
💛 Pay what you can

Learn more and register:
https://betterworldpartnersmn.com/workshop/the-work-of-showing-up/

We'd love to practice with you.

07/22/2026

Our friend and colleague, **Tene Wells**, is once again offering her Fellowship Preparation Workshops for emerging and experienced leaders who are considering applying for a leadership fellowship.

If you've been thinking about taking that next step—or know someone whose leadership deserves to be recognized—this could be a meaningful resource. Tene has a gift for helping people clarify their purpose, tell their story, and put forward their strongest application.

The workshops are held:
📅 Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.
📅 Fridays at 8:00 a.m.
Through **August 14**

Learn more and register at **tenewells.com**

Sometimes all it takes is one person saying, "I think you'd be great for this." Consider this your encouragement—and please share with someone who comes to mind.

Tene Wells helps people create new lives, transform organizations, begin, and grow small businesses and initiate new community-led solutions. though her coaching and consultant practices.

07/20/2026

**"If you want something you've never had.....you will have to do something you've never done."**

Growth can be exciting. It can also be uncomfortable.

The new conversation. The different response. The decision to pause instead of react. The willingness to ask for feedback, admit a mistake, or try again.

Those moments don't just happen. They take practice.

This notebook is a simple reminder that meaningful change starts with the choices we make every day.

🛍️ https://betterworldpartnersmn.com/product/if-you-want-something-youve-never-had-red-spiral-notebook/

A good notebook can help you with motivation to take more notes, write down ideas, or list future dreams. This custom wire-bound notebook will be a great daily companion whenever you need to put your thoughts down on paper! • Covers with soft-touch coating • Cover weight: 10.38 oz/yd² (352 g/m....

07/17/2026

Looking for a place to work that feels a little more human?

If your kitchen table has become your office (and your office has become your kitchen table), it might be time for a change.

We have shared office space available in our welcoming St. Paul office. It's a great fit for consultants, nonprofit leaders, coaches, therapists, freelancers, and small businesses looking for a professional space without the commitment of a traditional office lease.

✨ Flexible options
✨ Shared meeting space
✨ Coffee always brewing
✨ A community of people who care about making a difference

Sometimes the best part of having an office isn't the desk—it's the people you bump into along the way.

Interested? We'd love to show you around. Send us a message or visit our website to learn more.

07/15/2026

You read an email.

Someone's tone feels different.

A meeting ends awkwardly.

Within seconds, your brain has a story about what happened.

But...

**Is it the only story?**

Our latest Tool Time introduces **D.I.V.E.**—a simple framework for slowing down before assumptions become conclusions.

🔹 Describe
🔹 Interpret
🔹 Verify
🔹 Evaluate

Because better communication begins with better questions.

Interested in learning and practicing tools like this with your team? We'd love to support you.

📖 Read more: https://betterworldpartnersmn.com/blog/tool-time-4-dive/

07/13/2026

Thinking about working with a coach?

Instead of asking, "Who should I hire?" try asking a different question:

**Where is the friction?**

Where are you feeling stuck, stretched, uncertain, or being asked to show up differently?

A good coach doesn't simply give advice. They help you uncover better questions, notice patterns you can't always see yourself, and choose what to practice next.

Because coaching isn't about having all the answers.

It's support for people who are practicing.

📖 Read Athena's latest blog:
https://betterworldpartnersmn.com/blog/a-coach-is-not-a-vibe-choose-carefully/

07/10/2026

📚 **What We're Reading**

This month, we're reading *How We Show Up* by Mia Birdsong.

One idea that stayed with us:

**Community isn't just about offering care. It's also about receiving it.**

Many of us are practiced at helping others. Receiving help can feel much harder. But mutuality isn't real if care only moves in one direction.

That's a reminder we'll be carrying with us.

If you're looking for a copy, consider supporting **Black Garnet Books**, an incredible independent Black-owned bookstore in Saint Paul.

📖 Buy the book here: https://www.blackgarnetbooks.com/item/lUy-ceNRsMWs5gMd4LTgVw

Have you read *How We Show Up*? We'd love to hear what stayed with you.

An Invitation to Community and Models for ConnectionAfter almost every presentation activist and writer Mia Birdsong gives to executives, think tanks, and policy makers, one of those leaders quietly confesses how much they long for the profound community she describes.

07/08/2026

Have you ever left a conversation replaying everything you said?

Maybe you wondered:
*Why did I say that?*
*Why couldn't I stay present?*
*What do I do now?*

Those moments are part of being human. They're also opportunities to practice.

Julia's newest blog explores one of those moments—and what it taught her about showing up with greater intention the next time.

📖 Read *Hijacked*: https://betterworldpartnersmn.com/blog/hijacked-when-my-nervous-system-took-over/