F*ck ‘Business As Usual’
a group exploration of doing business during the times of the polycrisis
Nothing is normal.
And yet we are expected to act as if it is.
We are expected to continue our launches, our marketing, our sales pitches as if nothing is happening, and not even acknowledge the many crises facing us – from the climate collapse driven by capitalism, to wars and genocides… driven also by capitalism. We are expected to stay politely silent for fear of alienating our audience, or losing representation, of jeopardising our incomes, for fear of not knowing what to say, for fear of… being human.
We are also conditioned to think that there is no other way, that we have to do it this way, or else.
If you’re a human who cares deeply about the world, you feel like you are in the Matrix. You can no longer sustain the extreme compartmentalisation that’s required to keep up with the charade.
But what if we didn’t have to?
What if we said, “f*ck this, let’s imagine otherwise!”
(An aside / context: I have been deeply inspired by Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest MP, who went viral after performing a haka to protest a proposed law that would re-interpret New Zealand’s founding legal document, the Treaty of Waitangi. If you haven’t seen it, find the full clip. It’ll move you.)
This is not a course.
I do not claim to have all the answers. I don’t think there are one-size-fits-all answers.
I also believe in conversation, not instruction. A creative anarchy of ideas each of us will bring to the table to take us beyond what any single teacher / guru / leader can provide.
What I will do, however, is guide our collective discussion by providing selected readings, prompts and reflections based on my own exploration of this topic over the past 18 months. Worry not, you will not have to read a whole bunch of books for this. I will make it as managable as possible while still providing plenty of substance.
Let’s come together to be in the soup of the uncertainty, the soup of creativity and imagination, to move from “what is” to “what if”.
What will we explore?
This is the first time I’m running this group and I’m still finalising the structure and the prompts, but as a general guide, this is what it will most likely look like.
Week 1: Where are we at?
We will get to know each other and discuss the issues facing us right now as humans running businesses and needing to earn a living while existing within a toxic capitalist system. What feels icky? What is no longer serving us? What are we yearning for? What are we afraid of?
Week 2: Unlearning
Guided by selected readings and prompts, we will interrogate what we think we know and challenge existing “wisdom” around marketing and running a business. What can we take and repurpose for our own needs and what should we leave behind?
Weeks 3, 4 and 5: Imagining otherwise
We will continue unlearning while also getting inspired by feminist, anti-capitalist, anarchist and indigenous thinkers such as Robin Wall Kimmerer, Kate Raworth, David Graeber, Naomi Klein, Jason Hickel, and others. We will seek out examples of businesses and artists doing things differently, and discuss what we could borrow to apply in our own businesses.
Week 6: From ‘what is’ to ‘what if’
What have we learned? What will we do going forward? How will we support each other in doing things differently when the going gets tough?
The Logistics
The group starts on 10 June 2025 and will run for 6 weeks, with our last session on 15th July. We will meet on Zoom every Tuesday evening, 7-8.30pm BST (London, UK time). I need a minimum of 6 people to run this, so please sign up early to enable this to happen. All sessions will be recorded so if you miss a couple, that’s not a problem!
If there’s enough interest I can also add a Thursday morning group (11am-12.30pm BST) so please message me if you’d like to join but can’t do Tuesday evenings.
Will you join me in this exploration?
The standard rate to join this 6 week container is £95. This is a one-off fee. If that’s unaffordable for you, you are welcome to the SupportED Rate of £45.
No questions asked or proof required, I only ask that you consider your financial situation, earning potential, and financial support from your network before utilising this option. I’m offering it not because I don’t need to earn money from my work – as a working artist and a single parent I very much do. I’m offering this as a small act of resistance against the capitalist norms that tells us that some people are more worthy of support than others.
If you are in the position to support others, I invite you to enrol at the SupportER Rate which will help me balance the books and accommodate people who are unable to join at the Standard Rate.
Payments are handled by Stripe. Once you’ve secured your spot, I will be in touch at the start of June with further details, Zoom links and so on.
P.S. Everyone is welcome… however this space is NOT for you if you are racist, ableist, ageist, Islamophobic, antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic… you get the idea.