Hi Reader
Today felt important to talk about how we're consciously spending our time and energy to cultivate a community we actually want to live in.
How our actions matter, our intentions matter, and what we can do as an individual, as a community, and as a society.
What you can expect in today's issue:
- A clear-eyed look at what actually drives influence in our world right now
- A reflection on fear, capitalism, and the reality of the K-shaped economy
- What compassion, empathy, and accountability look like in practice
- Simple ways to invest in your society without burning yourself out
There is one thing that very clearly drives influence in our world right now.
Money.
We can debate values, intentions, narratives, and ideologies, but we cannot avoid the reality that we live in a capitalist society. And right now, we are living at the extreme end of it.
We are in what’s known as the K-shaped economy.
People, organizations, and systems that are already wealthy are accelerating upward. Others are falling further behind. And what makes this moment so destabilizing is that these two realities are happening at the same time, in plain sight.
You don’t need to be an economist to feel it.
You can see it in housing.
In healthcare.
In education.
In who feels safe, and who doesn’t.
And what we are witnessing, whether we want to look at it or not, is this: fear erodes society.
Fear narrows how we think.
Fear pushes us into survival mode.
Fear makes us hoard, withdraw, scapegoat, and disconnect.
History shows us this again and again.
What builds societies is not fear.
What sustains them is compassion, empathy, and accountability.
And here’s the part that matters most.
Every single one of us is investing in society every day, whether we realize it or not.
The question isn’t if you’re investing.
It’s how.
Compassion, empathy, and accountability aren’t abstract ideals. They are daily practices. And right now, they require intention.
Compassion starts with how you care for yourself.
We are not designed to consume this much negativity, outrage, and crisis in real time. Being informed is important. Being flooded is not.
- Compassion can look like setting boundaries around social media.
- Pacing how much news you consume.
- Choosing physical movement, breath, or rest to regulate your nervous system.
Taking care of your mental health right now is not avoidance. It’s preservation.
Empathy is how we show up for the people around us.
- It’s supporting local and small businesses that are deeply tied to the fabric of your community.
- It’s checking in on neighbors who may be living with real fear and uncertainty.
- It’s remembering that not everyone is experiencing this moment from the same position of safety.
Empathy doesn’t require fixing everything, but it requires not turning away and being open to learning the context of every circumstance is deeply layered.
And accountability is where many people feel uncomfortable, because this is where values meet action.
Money talks.
- Where you spend your money matters.
- Who you choose to support matters.
- Which organizations you redirect your resources toward matters.
When you invest in businesses and organizations that center on humanity, dignity, and care, you are helping shape the world you want to live in.
You may not change everything, but you are not powerless.
And your conscience knows the difference.
This is not about perfection, but it’s about alignment.
In moments like this, societies don’t collapse because people lack opinions. They fracture when people disconnect from their responsibility to one another.
Compassion keeps us human. Empathy keeps us connected. And Accountability keeps us honest.
Together, they are how we invest in a future that is worth inheriting.
Why am I sharing this with you?
Because whether you realize it or not, your daily choices are shaping the kind of society you’re living in.
So here’s the question to sit with this week:
Where might a more intentional investment of your care, attention, or money help build the kind of world you actually want to belong to?
Not through fear and not through overwhelm. But through grounded, values-led action.
What's Happening, BTS
Empathy Storyteller's Salon
Behind the scenes, I’ve been thinking deeply about how organizations actually earn trust in this moment.
More and more, it’s clear that customers, communities, and stakeholders are no longer moved by words alone. Values statements, mission pages, and marketing language aren’t enough. People need to experience what an organization stands for in visible, tangible ways.
That’s where my work is increasingly focused right now: helping organizations design experiences that connect their values and purpose more deeply with the people they serve. Experiences that don’t just say the right things, but embody them.
The Empathy Storytellers Salon is one way I’m practicing exactly what I’m sharing with you here.
A core pillar of the Salon is intentionally partnering with small businesses that represent and sustain our local communities. This shows up in the chefs we collaborate with, the gifts we give to our changemaker guests, and the businesses we choose to spotlight and support.
The goal is simple and intentional: to ensure that money circulates back into the hands of people who care deeply about the neighborhoods we live in.
Alongside this, the Salon partners with nonprofit organizations across multiple sectors, including education disparity, food inequity, mental health, prison reform, and homelessness. These partnerships are about making sure mission-driven organizations have what they need to continue their work with dignity, resources, and visibility.
At its core, the Salon isn’t just about celebrating changemakers across industries. It’s about increasing socioeconomic wealth in the hands of small business owners and delivering real impact in communities through the nonprofit work we support.
This is how we’re practicing compassion, empathy, and accountability in real time, as lived, economic choices.
More to come as this work continues to unfold.
If you're interested in sitting at this table, please submit your interest here.
How you can work directly with Dr. Beri and the RKE Team when you're ready:
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Book me to speak or facilitate a workshop at your next work event or conference.
Topics:
Navigating chaos and uncertainty with Emotional Intelligence
The Relationship Economy
The Power of an Unapologetic Woman
Learn more about it →
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Disruptive Empathy Advisory
Let's partner and design immersive, story-driven experiences for your purpose-driven organization so the customers you're trying to reach don’t just see your impact, they step into it.
It’s how movements are born: when a mission becomes personal.
Learn more here!
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Be a Brand Partner
Partner with us through The Empathy Storyteller's Salon, where we host curated immersions, dinners, and experiences to help changemakers deepen relationships, cultivate community, and elevate their emotional well-being.
Learn more by Contacting Us
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