Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin

Triple Bottom Line, Radical Collaboration, & Dismantling Systems of Oppression with Anna Burrell, Co-founder of Twiggs & Co., 2023 Denver Mayoral Candidate

August 16, 2022 Karen Bartlett Episode 17
Now & Center: Entrepreneurial Voices from the Margin
Triple Bottom Line, Radical Collaboration, & Dismantling Systems of Oppression with Anna Burrell, Co-founder of Twiggs & Co., 2023 Denver Mayoral Candidate
Show Notes Transcript

Episode Description:  

Karen talks with Anna Burrell, Co-founder of Twiggs & Co. and 2023 Denver Mayoral Candidate, about the triple bottom line, sourcing solutions to community challenges from within the community, and using her campaign as an opportunity to “call in” folx.  They discuss the importance of dismantling internalized oppressive beliefs and conditioning, as well as creating operations within business aligned to a transformed context.  They have a coaching conversation around how to scale by working on your business instead of only in your business.

Links:

Schedule an Exploratory Call with Karen: https://calendly.com/karenbartlett/30min

Learn more about Kite + Dart Group:  www.kiteanddartgroup.com

Register for an upcoming event:  https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-kite-dart-group-16435043586

Connect with Anna:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-burrell89/

Learn more about Anna’s campaign:  https://annafordenver.com/

Connect with Carin Huebner at Public Good Media:  publicgood.media

Original music credit goes to DJ Ishe:  https://soundcloud.com/ishe

00:00.00

kitedart

Hello everyone and welcome to today's session of Now & Center. I'm super excited about my guest today. This is a human who literally every single time we've shared space since we met. Feel like we could talk and talk and talk for hours so you are in for a treat. I am here today with Anna Burrell, co-founder of Twiggs and Co. and Denver mayoral candidate in 2023. Hello anna.


00:27.55

Anna Burrell

Hi Karen, it's such a pleasure to be here.


00:30.64

kitedart

Yeah. Thanks, this is gonna be fun. I'm excited for this. So let's just jump in. How about would you please share for me, you have a business and then you have this other political thing you're doing I know they're kind of connected. So Will you just share a little bit about Twiggs and Co. the work you do there and then I'd love for you to kind of from there to the wider impact that you're really committed to having on the world.


00:54.78

Anna Burrell

Absolutely I would love to. So Twiggs and Co. we are a sustainability consulting and implementation firm and what that big group of Buzzwords means is basically we are here to open up the conversation around sustainability and we start first with organizational sustainability. What is a business doing to keep its people around to make sure they know what's going on how how are they engaging and keeping them engaged and then we capture that return on investment that comes from investing in your people and then we apply that to more traditional sustainability areas solar Panels Waste management. The things that you would need. Employee engagement for anyway. The idea is is to broaden up the conversation and start thinking a bit larger because if we have businesses that are doing Good. We want them to keep doing good.


01:43.11

kitedart

Yes, totally and then and then what would you like to share about running for mayor in Denver and how I'd even love to hear I have some guesses but I'd love to hear how you feel like that even relates to. To what you're doing in Twiggs and Co. already.


02:03.78

Anna Burrell

Absolutely I would do you mind if I go on a little bit of a history of why Twiggs and Co.s Twiggs and Co. so it all really starts there. Um, when I was in None grade I wanted to be the None woman president and then by high school I realized there was no power in the presidency a little power in the presidency.


02:19.94

kitedart

Ah.


02:23.66

Anna Burrell

So and I was like all right? So I'll just earn enough money to buy congress in None of the senate on college I figured out how investing works and figured out that those were awful ideas. So I kind of the the idea is is this fundamental shift in how things are done is needed. We. I think at this point it's pretty easy to say that we live in a very extractive capitalistic system a system that doesn't allow the whole human to be able to exist and show up. We can see this statistically with rising mental health issues with. Rising health issues with environmental issues. These are all implications. These are all assist symptoms of this dysfunctional system at its core. Now the thing that sustainability provides is this lens that broadens a bit and. What I think of the beauty of we're just going to use triple bottom line language right now which means instead of just focusing on profit. You're also focusing on impact on the community and the society and the environment as well. Those are equally important measures. So. Business has not traditionally operated from this lens in thinking about it logically because I did start as an international business student in college back in those days. Um, profit does not just measuring your your success or your failure based on profit does not give an accurate depiction of what's actually going on in the systems and so.


03:30.59

kitedart

Um.


03:49.55

Anna Burrell

Having had the systemic lens from a very early age I started thinking about how what are the actions that I can take that allow me to show up be the change that I would like to see in the world and then also have this broad range of impact across Industries across nations Across. All of these other barriers that come into play and try to keep us siloed to ourselves so then in thinking about where impact could be made and the most resource where most of the resources are mismanaged. At this point I think it's pretty safe to say as well.


04:21.78

kitedart

Um, yeah.


04:23.70

Anna Burrell

Ah, there's a growing movement of properly managed things. But it's a it's a growing movement. We're getting there. We' got this come on um a consulting firm made sense because businesses can cross Borders businesses can cross socioeconomic status as businesses can can cross a lot of things that other areas of industry can't.


04:29.10

kitedart

Um, and then.


04:41.95

Anna Burrell

Well, we've been calling for change for a while right? we've had all these great projects that start and then fail. Well I'm not really interested in doing that you know quite frankly I would like to make money not just for the next quarter. But for generations to come and to do so in a way that. Not just doesn't destroy the things around me but actually nourishes and regenerates because just fundamentally taking something from None place. It needs to regenerate otherwise I can only take so much. It's just strikes me as logic at this point. Um, and so with Twiggs and Co..


05:14.99

kitedart

Fair.


05:20.23

Anna Burrell

The full model actually has five pillars to it right now we've started with existing with consulting with existing businesses managing how those assets are are managed quite frankly that is where money is at this point in time. So we're starting there built into the model is a We are also doing this.


05:30.74

kitedart

Are.


05:37.97

Anna Burrell

Actively as well. But it's an active community engagement protocol and doing so in a way that doesn't perpetuate saviorism that doesn't perpetuate the oppressive systems that can very easily be found in the nonprofit world. Um, there's a book by Edgar Villa in Aueva Decolonizing wealth if you haven't read it yet. Highly recommend it. But he talks about some of how foundations and charities can perpetuate these issues that keep people separate keep people down and and keep us from acknowledging the gifts and the talents that are inherent in so many people around us I would venture to say. Most to all people have some sort of gifts and talents and treasures that they can you know contribute if they so choose. Um, so in that in that community engagement piece. We then have and this we're building out is it's an incubator an accelerator program that's based on triple bottom line metrics.


06:17.75

kitedart

Absolutely.


06:32.60

Anna Burrell

So you're in entrepreneurship. The success rates are fairly abysmal and like I wouldn't be able to pass kindergarten if I had those kinds of grades so in looking at expanding the lens you know we measure what matters. Let's measure more of the things that give us an accurate perception of what's actually going on in our business and around our business. So the idea is you engage with a business who already has resources you authentically connect that business with stakeholders in the community. Um, and it's a triple bottom line stakeholder so people places and things air quality. Always matters if people aren't breathing. They're probably not spending money in your business out of that engagement with community comes ideas and these ideas can be run through a triple bottom line incubator accelerator program to then create a business that has that that. Community engagement built in and that creates a virtuous cycle of engagement. That's not all that controls are built world though we have these None other things that we get to play with one of them is waste what are we doing with resources because that is what waste is resources and then policy whether we like it or not. Policy controls literally everything around us and the president and the senate and congress only the tip of the iceberg are built worlds are built by city officials. They're built by city planners. They were built by these lower lower quote unquote lower positions and offices that tell us.


07:57.18

kitedart

Um, ah.


08:03.18

Anna Burrell

How high windows can be off the ground in our houses. They literally control our built world so in working with Twiggs and Co. in this authentic community Engagement. We're in the food space so we sit on the alliance Center has a regenerative recovery coalition. There is a sort of. We sit on a number of task forces and working groups and policy groups. Um, and in in working with these groups. What I have been seeing is really good ideas and really good programs that have been sourced from Community. Ie. Sourced from the source sourced from the experts that actually know what's going on. They build these plans. They spend all this time putting all of this effort into this plan that then makes it to administration and then it disappears it doesn't get funded. Or I think possibly even Worse. It gets underfunded because the position that that then puts the people who are doing all that good work and who are doing all that good work and it puts them in this position where they can't focus or they have issues or are unable to focus on. The task at hand What they're here for the passion the change they want to see in the world because now they're spending their time working to find money now they're spending their time worried about if they can pay their bills because that's where this is in certain points and so the.


09:21.50

kitedart

Um, and.


09:31.35

Anna Burrell

Impetus the connection is we are here to make true impactful change for the better dismantling the systems of now here comes my fun. My cocktail party words. Um. We are here. We're dismantling the systems of the patriarchy because they're oppressive and they're exclusive and they're Awful. We're we're dismantling and working to dismantle the systems of extract an extractive capitalistic nature and quite frankly, we're working to dismantle the implications of what it means to have a white supremacy culture. Because those are the implications that keep us apart are the implications of those things or the things that keep us apart. They keep us depressed. They keep us feeling powerless. They keep us feeling overwhelmed and under under capable. Yeah, we don't have we can choose.


10:16.70

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah.


10:20.16

Anna Burrell

We get to choose our metrics for success. So let's choose metrics that make sense and actually stand for the success of the people. So this continuation Denver has a strong mayor here meaning that the mayor has a lot of control over the budget. The mayor has a lot of control over a lot in Denver and so. Um, I've been asked why I'm not running for city council and doing that normal route thing quite frankly I don't think we really have that much time anymore. Also it doesn't really make sense to me because we're in a city that has a strong mayor. So unless there's political will for community-driven.


10:41.40

kitedart

A.


10:57.77

Anna Burrell

Projects for you for we do studies all the time in Denver, let's take that knowledge and then put city resources behind it. Let's empower the frontline community members who are spending all of this time coming up with these amazing ideas. And let's be the change that we need to see in the world and not only that but let's be a leader like we have organized there. The c force c forty cities is an organization of mayors from across the world working together to intentionally and impactfully address climate change in their cities.


11:24.23

kitedart

Ah.


11:32.92

Anna Burrell

We can be a gold standard. The the bar is really not actually set that high. We can do it I mean kind of but also like it speaks to the amount of hope and opportunity. That's there. Um, so it is.


11:37.20

kitedart

Yeah, Sadly yeah. Are. Yeah, yeah, no, That's great. That's great and I mean it makes perfect sense to me. But I know you decently? Well so I want everybody to know this like um and it does.


11:48.73

Anna Burrell

It's all very connected. Thank you for that question. It was quite the Monologue and thank you.


12:07.33

kitedart

It does make a lot of sense and I you know as you were sharing that I guess this is just a follow up question that I'd love to ask about it because when I saw you I don't know a couple weeks ago when I found out that you were running for meer. You were also even just talking about the campaign. So would you even be willing to talk a little because it's because win or lose right? So okay, you win mayor right? You're getting in there. You've got this vision. This is what you're doing but like win or Lose. You're also even looking to.


12:27.27

Anna Burrell

3


12:37.62

Anna Burrell

Um.


12:43.75

kitedart

Bring all of this to how you're running and so I'd love to even just ask if you'd share a little bit about that because I think that's super important as well.


12:50.73

Anna Burrell

Absolutely and I will try to keep it to a little bit so in this all right? So we talk about now common. Ah, it thankfully in my circles. It's a common vernacular to talk about inclusion and leadership. It's an.


12:54.42

kitedart

Okay, that's why.


13:04.18

kitedart

Chair.


13:08.80

Anna Burrell

Thankfully people are seeing the strength that comes from the resilience that comes from having diversity on your team and in your organization. So then and thinking about this so politics. Oh my gosh exclusionary thing if for nothing else then the chasm that has been created between normal people. And politicians. It's set up so that way it's scary to go into because oh you're a politician you're automatically dirty. There's no way you could be a good one stuff like that. How are we as a citizen a citizenship supposed to get involved in this thing. That's inherently terrifying to jump into well. 1 of the ways that we get to address fears by experiencing directly storytelling these other things. So the a large piece of my campaign is a call in and also kind of ah join my journey in running from air I am not perfect I am not trained to be a politician. I'm trained to be a change maker I'm trained to create not just collaboration but radical collaboration I'm trained to build bridges and translate and break down silos so I can use those powers to run my campaign as a call-in and instead of saying stuff like. Oh vote for me and homelessness will be fixed or stuff like that. Um I get to say hey we have an issue here in Denver with the unhoused but there are organizations that are here. There are people that are here that care deeply about these issues and they're already working with. Proven solutions that make impact. So yes, we have this thing that definitely has room for improvement now here's how you can improvement and it doesn't have to wait until I'm in office we can do this right now and so it's talking about using the campaign as a platform to bring. None bring visibility to these organizations already doing incredible work here in Denver, that's one of the reasons why I want to run and why you know why? Denver because the people here are incredible I run into people every single day that inspire me I've got this podcast called they give us hope. That dear I just I can't produce fast enough because there's so many people that give me hope and so the trick is is in addition to them giving me hope I'm like oh well, why don't you run for something I get visceral reactions people pull back from me and they're like who know and I'm like well do.


15:25.71

kitedart

Um. I.


15:34.96

Anna Burrell

Shoot like if I'm if my only opportunity for civic engagement is to vote but I don't have anyone that I believe in voting in there in and of itself is yet another issue to pile on the pile of issues. So that's what a large part of this this campaign is is like. Let's change the way that we campaign and quite frankly in order to run from mayor you have to be a citizen of Denver. So no matter how this election goes. We're all going to be neighbors anyway. So it doesn't make sense especially because some of the other candidates running. Have incredible backgrounds and knowledge about the issues that they're passionate about environmental issues criminal justice reform to alienate those kind of people that care enough about their community to jump across the giant black void that is getting into politics sometimes because that's how its position. That's what it feels like. It's the purpose of why we're here in the none place. We're here to actually make progress and build the society that we can actually functionally not just live in but thrive in. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.


16:40.14

kitedart

It's great. Yes, but no I think it's great. But I and I just I wanted to call it out because as I was listening and just thinking about right and and you and I share this very much in terms of our commitment to. True inclusion and belonging and having all voices in the room to looking at what power dynamics look like hierarchies. Um and and just like all of the different things that go into dismantling a white supremacist patriarchal culture right? and so it's like.. It's not like you can run for Mayor using all of the old tactics and then get into being Mayor and be like you know I'm going to do things different now you know what I mean like it just that that that you know.


17:21.27

Anna Burrell

Are.


17:31.33

kitedart

From an integrity standpoint from a like we are literally building the plane while we're flying it right? like we are I mean just like you said, right? be the change that we want to see it's like we have to do that from this point.


17:38.13

Anna Burrell

Um, time.


17:48.52

kitedart

And from this point and from this point and right and it's ah it's such a journey and um and I think that you know for me as soon as I start thinking about politics right? It is just like oh people have to compromise people have to do Xy and Z to get elected and. And you're like no, that's not how this is going to go. So I think that that's super important important to to call out. Um that it isn't just about what would happen when you get in office but it's about everything that's happening on the journey on the way.


18:20.15

Anna Burrell

Oh and then absolutely and then functionally once I'm in office Community partners are the only way that we're going to get this kind of vision done is empowering Community partners. So I can build those relationships now while it's a little bit more clear about what intentions are and I can get to know people a little better.


18:28.58

kitedart

Um, yeah.


18:37.83

Anna Burrell

And then I've I've got community partners built in same with twis like our community engagement with Twiggs and Co. has put me in contact with people doing amazing frontline work changing the language of how we approach philanthropy and nonprofit work building those really like it's massive. Um I would like to say I do need to.


18:44.85

kitedart

Um, yeah. Um, yeah.


18:56.69

Anna Burrell

Address this because I am a white woman talking about dismantling a white supremacy culture. There was there was a Denver startup week panel in 2019 that happened um the name is escaping me right now but it was something about diversity and entrepreneurship and we're.


19:00.22

kitedart

Um, yeah.


19:16.29

Anna Burrell

The conversation around being an ally and then being an accomplice came up and one of the things that was said is one of the ways that white people can leverage their privilege is by opening doors or kicking down doors and inviting as many people in as possible before those doors closes again. Well I'm looking to.


19:19.14

kitedart

Is it.


19:35.43

Anna Burrell

Kick the door off the hinges possibly remodel the House. You can do a little bit more than that. But that's one of my driving forces is because I see myself in the mirror and I'm like okay how can I leverage this to create the world that makes more sense That's more inclusive that has this honestly like I just.. It's gorgeous like diversity of thought that itdadada like it's incredible.


19:56.36

kitedart

Oh yeah, yeah, totally totally? Um, so true. So true we it's been so severely lacking and yes I'm guess.


20:10.50

Anna Burrell

Go on my God So if I can like if I can get into the mayorship and then appoint an incredibly diverse and knowledgeable team of people to everyone every office that the Mayor has to appoint positions to like. How cool would that be literally placing people where they can operate from a place of not only abundance because no way am I going to underfund them like if I can help it.


21:16.49

kitedart

So I'm super excited for what you're trying to do with this. What not trying I'm I'm gonna take that back I'm super excited for what you are doing with this mayoral run I think it's really. Um, inspiring and ah it It's like it's just it has to happen right? So Bravo Um I'm super excited for that secondly or not secondly but I would love to kind of switch gears a little bit because most of my listeners are. They're getting to hear about you which is great but also like their business owners I would love to talk a little bit about business and I do think that probably there's a lot of um correlation between things you've learned in entrepreneurship and things that you will or have learned already through Politics. So. Some of this may you know be crossover but I would definitely love to hear what has been the most challenging part of starting and running your own business.



22:38.29

Anna Burrell

So some of the challenges. So the idea is is that it was the the whole impetus of Twiggs and Co. is to create the space where sustainability is accessible. It's. Applicable and it makes impact that doesn't perpetuate these foundational issues that have created the ecosystems built systems that we're in now and we're currently having to deal with whether we like it or not as business owners. The global climate change. Let's you know, just call it change. These shifts are causing disruptions in supply chains that impacts our ability to deliver products to our to our customers. You know services. That's the whole thing in and of itself. Um, so in looking to. Create this business that shifts function into being able or and looking to create these programs with Twiggs and Co.de that facilitate the shifting of businesses from these old non-functional ways of doing things into this new new. Way of operation that is more cohesive is more representative of the things that are actually impacting us as business owners and as operators as employees all of these things. None of the very one of the many very foundational pieces is being able to identify these deep set. Habits things tendencies lenses through which we see the world value systems that have created the problem in the none place so in that um, you know honestly, if we we haven't we haven't done fundraising. We're bootstrapped our. We so we approach our marketing from a show up in the community do the work word of mouth and happens and people tend to refer us to None or 6 of their friends so that's really cool. So the the thing that has been the biggest labor has been working on dismantling those. The internalized patriarchy the internalized extract of capitalistic nature. You know, even even broader than that. Just this internalized scarcity mindset of there's not enough like None of the things that we talk about in entrepreneurship in business is oh who is your competition. We're in sustainability. There is so much work to do. We do not have time or space or energy for this traditional just capitalistic like competitive mindset I can sit across the table from someone and that person can tell me that they do exactly what I do in the exact same way.


26:23.70

Anna Burrell

And iably thank God I've got a teammate now because my personality is gonna be different from that person's personality. Our perspectives are gonna be slightly shifted and so now we can work together as referral partners because we have this collaborative space now to get to that spot because there have been.


26:24.00

kitedart

Um, yes.


26:42.51

Anna Burrell

Ah I speak like this it. It comes so easily off the tongue but for a while as I've sat across the table listening to people who do similar things to what we do because we're kind of filling a market gap right now. So if you want to do something like we do come on through. Um.


26:58.17

kitedart

Especially with me.


27:02.00

Anna Burrell

My my like I I remember the feeling that happened in my chest I remember the feeling that happened in my gut because it's like oh no I've I've internalized that I was raised with this competitive mindset kind of thing and it's a little bit of an ego blow. Well. That takes embodying to knowledge to acknowledge that then takes the ego work of like oh no, let me shift this mindset because it's not actually reflective of the reality that we sit in with 8000000000 something people on this planet tons of market gaps like we can start looking at the circular economy as. New spaces to build out products and services that we desperately desperately need but it takes overcoming that and that competitive mindset. So it's it's really that internal work of like all right sussing out my own.


27:43.33

kitedart

Um, yeah.


27:50.50

Anna Burrell

You know my own internalized white supremacy culture. How am I perpetuating the problem and taking a solid look in the mirror and being like Nope no more and then beyond. That's like all right? How do we not like functionally what are the standard operating procedures that don't perpetuate I'm just going to say extractive Capitalism again is.


28:06.88

kitedart

Yeah, no I'm with you I yeah.


28:08.56

Anna Burrell

Um, well it's like it's the idea of the cog in the machine like you're treating like treating people like cogs in a machine instead of the incredible multifaceted beings that are there.


28:22.48

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, so true I and I I Just agree so much with with what you're saying around that internal work and how important that is right like I'm a business development consultant right? People come to me. To figure Out. You know what? they're selling and how they're pricing it and you know how do they get the word out and how do they you know market and all of these things and it's like so entrenched in capitalism right? and.


28:54.97

Anna Burrell

With and.


28:57.99

kitedart

And it's so funny because like we're over here sitting here like yeah, we're anti-capitalists as well like you know and it's so it is so interesting and and I think that there's there's all of the internalization that we have right? that was. We've been conditioned in this way to keep us down to keep us small to keep us in the box to keep us Xyz to keep us quiet all of the things and um I mean I think None thing that that being an entrepreneur does give us such an opportunity. To be able to like dig in on that personal work and uncovering those places where we're where that internalization has happened where we're reinforcing the the systems that are problematic and that we can do something about it because we don't have. Ah, boss over here like constantly undermining what we're doing you know? So I think I love that. That's what you pulled out because yes, that's like literally I think the most important well I shouldn't even say the most important because to me it's both and it has to be the internal.


30:05.16

Anna Burrell

Can hit.


30:06.99

kitedart

And then to your point it has to then be infused in how we're running our businesses but they have to happen at the same time we can't just change how we're running our business without doing the internal work. It's impossible.


30:19.63

Anna Burrell

Yeah, no exactly um I want to make us a quick clarification I'm actually not an anti-capalist. Yeah, nice. Um.


30:26.25

kitedart

Um, yeah, well that's fine I am but that's okay, yeah, yeah.


30:34.10

Anna Burrell

But it takes all types you know diversity of ah thought diversity of all these things and you're going to have perspectives on capitalism that I'm going to miss because I don't know I might be jaded by the internalized capitalism I've got going on I'm here for like it. It has to be in balance. It has to make sense systemically with all these other things like when the jokes says you can't eat money.


30:47.40

kitedart

Yeah.


30:53.38

Anna Burrell

Well yeah, but we also you know money makes trading and services and moving resources much easier. So it's like all right? Well, how do we figure out how to do this without just being awful about it. Um.




00:00.40

Anna Burrell

So the other piece to the question that you asked was the similarities between are like what I've learned in entrepreneurship and how that's translating over to the campaign. And it's been interesting I have 2 campaign advisors officially on board and one of them's been in politics his entire life so he shadowed me yesterday to an entrepreneurial pitch event and this pitch event in the entrepreneurship world. It's pretty you know certain spaces it's pretty common ask for none stuff like that and so these we've been talking and these guys I could tell there was a little glint in their eye. They were getting a little worried that I didn't understand what a million dollars was because I wasn't reacting to oh, it's probably going to take $1000000 to run this campaign. Or to successfully run this campaign and get the reach and and whatnot as I get more into it. We'll see what that's about because that's you know the whole money thing and then expanding what money actually is like currents stuff like that. Um. But after my advisor came to this pitch event with me he understood better the realms that I come from of entrepreneurship you have this idea right? Whether it's a business a campaign idea a change that you'd like to see in the world. And then you wrestle with this idea's like oh is it actually good and then that internalized stuff starts going. It's like oh who are you like? do you even know anything like are you sure this is even a good idea. Note that ah like the little voices right? same thing who am I to have the audacity to stand up and say I think I can do good for the city I know I can do good for this city. That's a ton of audacity. It's kind of same with starting a business.. It's like oh this market shares massive and I can make positive impacts in the market. Okay. Not saying it was easy to make the decision to run from Air. It was not I have agonized over this for a long time So Please don't take this as it's being flippant but but it's the same thing kind of with twigs and go like I didn't want to start a business because I wanted someone else to do it and I just wanted to rest and work for someone else and I was like no actually this is.


02:00.75

kitedart

Yeah.


02:12.51

Anna Burrell

This is purpose. This is what I'm here for this is what gets me out of bed in the morning. So let's go and let's do this? Well then we have the pitches we have to pitch our idea. How do we talk cohesively in thirty Second you know the none elevator pitch. How do we? How do we actively win in conversation with someone else. Recognize when their eyes are lazing over because they're not as excited about this particular nuanced detail as I am or this isn't the right language same thing same thing in politics like how do I get people engaged and how do I make sure that I'm agile enough in conversation to speak to what actually matters to the person in front of me.


02:49.22

Anna Burrell

Then be able to hook them well enough or call them in or inspire them or or whatever belongs here. That's not yeah, whatever belongs here that is from an abundant space of recognizing identity on autonomy of the person across from me like how. Yeah, shifting that messaging on the fly and still being true to what that messaging at its core is spans both of them and then asking for money Dear God The number of the number of phone calls that I have to make every day asking for money as a candidate.


03:10.70

kitedart

Um, yeah.


03:24.33

Anna Burrell

Is actually very similar to the exact process I went to or I went through when I had None started Twiggs and Co. I was trying to I was selling my coaching and my consulting cold calling all day. Oh hey you know.


03:36.46

kitedart

Um, a.


03:37.54

Anna Burrell

How do we make a connection over a phone. We can't see each other. Don't have any of that stuff. But I'm asking you to trust me enough to either hire me right out or bring me in for a meeting. So then you know you can give me money and I can provide a service same thing and then the numbers are actually significantly and well.


03:48.80

kitedart

Yeah, yeah.


03:55.55

Anna Burrell

Depending on where in entrepreneurship you are and some of the tech medical spaces. Those numbers get real big. Um that the number is actually small. It's like oh I only need to raise a million in capital to get this thing off the ground. Heck yeah I mean the numbers are some part of the fair elections fund which is. It was just pretty cool. Um, but I need to get None donations of $50 from Denver residents properly to have the funds matched by the city. So the numbers are a bit intimidating um and the time crunch I do have external time crunches. But um. You know it's all it's amazing I just keep sitting back and I'm like wow this is way more similar than I thought it'd be like even down to the current even down to the crotchety people who just want to like trip you up.


04:39.70

kitedart

Um, yeah, interesting.


04:48.60

kitedart

Ah I Love that? Yeah yeah I think it's interesting I mean it. It makes sense to me because literally it's all people. It's all economy. It's politics. It's I mean like it's all like to your point earlier. We're holistic beings right? and so it's just humans and it's just it. Slightly different. You know, playground or sandbox or whatever I mean I was in education for so long education and entrepreneurship not necessarily so different right? like it's just not. You know so like did I have to go sell things to my students. No but I had to get buy in every day you know like.


05:22.30

Anna Burrell

That Zoom.


05:25.83

kitedart

Same thing. So Yeah I think that it's all people so that makes sense to me. Um I'm curious about another piece of your experience that I'd love to ask you about is just like thinking about the impacts on you as a business owner as ah, a um. Candidate in terms of your different identities and what impact particularly any marginalized identities have have or have had on you.


05:55.49

Anna Burrell

Okay, so my marginalized identities are as a woman and then I am also in the some of us calls ourselvesves the alphabet mafia lgb t lg b t q I a plus community I'm a member um it has been fascinating so I'm also six one I've been an athlete all my life. So I have ah a pretty commanding presence when I walk into a room and I think that. That influences the feminine identity that I carry now the thing about being a woman in a world built by and for patriarchy is sometimes men just think that they can get away with really atrocious things. Um. So your none guest she mentioned getting messages on Linkedin from men that were not professional by any means. So I've gotten that and that's an added stress that's something that I worry about there have been instances where I thought I was going to business meetings and it was not a business meeting.


07:07.38

kitedart

Um, ah.


07:09.25

Anna Burrell

And so I look at the guy and I was like oh do you do this to your male counterparts too is this a thing I don't know and now I have no desire to work with that with anyone who's done that and it's it's it's like it just makes it. Harder to try to do something that's already fairly difficult. You know there's a reason why not everybody's an entrepreneur. There's a reason why this isn't just completely commonplace because it's a difficult journey and then just to add layers to that because of because of. So many things. Um the impact that it's had on me at this point is I'm very aware of the balance in the room and who's given who's given voice and who's allowed to speak who's interrupted who's talked over.


07:59.44

kitedart

Are.


08:04.99

Anna Burrell

Because all of these things have happened to me and it doesn't feel great I know I have good ideas and I know I can provide a perspective that other people don't and. If I if I don't have the space to share that then the conversation or at least question that out loud amongst the group and do that beautiful brainstorming thing and the conversation is less valuable for that. But if there are other people in the room that are taking up all of the space that doesn't appreciate the opportunity now I'm an extrovert i'm. Big I'm boisterous I'm into that whole kick down the door and bring everyone you can with you kind of thing. Um, so how this has impacted me today and tomorrow and so on and so forth. I'm very aware of the balance in the room and who's getting space and who wants to speak up who's making that physical gesture that people make when they want to say something and and then who's getting ignored when that happens and then I can use my presence to be like no so and so.


09:01.83

kitedart

Are.


09:11.40

Anna Burrell

You had something like let's make some space and if someone interrupts I will look them in the eye be like excuse me. No.


09:18.85

kitedart

I Love that I Love that? Yeah and I do think I mean intersectionality matters right? And so right I I appreciate hearing about like here are these ways that being a woman has impacted you and at the same time. Just the acknowledgement of a certain amount of privilege that also allows you to um, step in and use that use the privilege that you do have privilege and or just personality and willingness to be like.


09:45.22

Anna Burrell

Um, yeah.


09:50.59

kitedart

Screw it I don't really care because other people's voices matter you know like I love that I think it's great right? Like whether you have privilege or not in those spaces. Ah that you're willing to do that is fabulous.


10:01.84

Anna Burrell

Oh Absolutely and I'm glad that you mentioned intersectionalities because you mentioned like different personalities or different aspects of my personality and that's one of the things that I made a very conscious decision about of and it's one of the things that I'm hoping to change in politics and I'm working to change in politics is we are humans. Our leaders in business in politics in the World. We are all human and to only see one dimension and only acknowledge one dimension of that Person. We are now losing out on their their treasures their time their talents and we.


10:31.29

kitedart

Um, yeah.


10:36.43

Anna Burrell

We skewer them? No, we are all these complex individuals who are probably really traumatized honestly at this point, everyone's pretty traumatized So let's see the entire human for what it it? What what? it is I guess and move from there.


10:48.91

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, so true I deal with that all the time you know with my clients because I'll have clients who just just because we we are complex and we contain multitudes. Like that sometimes they're like well this thing this thing and this thing and how can I possibly bring that together into one business and it's like because you right because we're humans and we're complex and we have lots of interests and and talents and gifts and all ah and passions and.


11:15.26

Anna Burrell

Where.


11:25.28

kitedart

So I I think that that is it's really important to be keeping that in mind and that's not like that's not what school tries to do That's not what employment tries to do right? They're like get in your box and stay in your box already like come on like I'm putting the lid on you know and and.


11:35.40

Anna Burrell

Who.


11:41.92

Anna Burrell

Who.


11:44.46

kitedart

So I I love digging around with sort of the messiness so to speak of just all of the facets of who we are So I think it's great, very cool. Yeah seriously.


11:50.13

Anna Burrell

Um, oh it's fun. There's so much treasure there. There's so much richness there to deny that we're denying the human experience which is everything It's all of the words at the same time.


12:01.66

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, yes, yes, always yes, my my partner gets very tired of me being like both and like instead of either or that I'm just like both and all the time like with everything so at a conversation with someone this morning right? like.


12:10.28

Anna Burrell

Um.


12:20.59

kitedart

Um, just with what's going on in the world right? and you know with Roe V Wade being overturned last week and just you know containing even just emotionally holding 2 really different.


12:32.75

Anna Burrell

Um.


12:38.56

kitedart

Emotions at the same time and thoughts at the same time and you know either or is not working for us the binary. No no, no so I love that okay I'd love to have like 1 more little conversation with you I would love to have a bit of a coaching conversation.


12:45.10

Anna Burrell

Um.


12:55.37

kitedart

And you brought something that you're sort of grappling with right now in business. So will you share a little bit about that and we'll dive in.


13:02.64

Anna Burrell

Absolutely yes I get a Karen Bartlett coaching session. Um, so I have I have 2 things that are really top of mind. So I'll say them and we can go from there. Um, so. We're asking about business struggles. The thing that's really top of mind is making sure that Twiggs and Co. is it in and of itself intrinsically sustainable so getting the systems in place that allow it to keep running while I'm campaigning and while I'm in office because it. When I'm campaigning campaigning takes up an incredible amount of time. There's None people in Denver I'd like to meet as many as possible. Um, and then twiggs and co just does incredible work and my co-founder Vicki Davis does incredible work and so I want to make sure that that continues. Because technically I'm the Ceo of this organization. So that's a bit of my job and then the other thing is ah my focus I'm having I'm having issues because of my focus being split between Twiggs and Co. and the campaign both fire me up. Ah, the campaign's a little more people-facing at this point in time and being an extrovert I just I love just getting out and it again the the circles I get to run in are just filled with inspiring people who are functionally doing things to shift the world into a more functional place of being so it's very easy to get distracted by it. Hope bringers for sure. Um, so those are the None things in kind of systems and focus.


14:32.82

kitedart

Yeah, okay and when you say let me just ask a follow-up question on the focus when you're talking about that focus. Are you talking about the focus like when you're talking to people or just more like from a time standpoint.


14:51.62

Anna Burrell

Ah, from a time standpoint and actually the trick is when I'm not talking to people so when I'm sitting down at my computer to do the emails or any of the administrative business stuff that is kind of low on my passions list anyway.


14:52.12

kitedart

Or maybe both.


14:56.79

kitedart

Got it.


15:06.11

kitedart

Yes, gotcha okay got it. Gotta got it. Okay, so let me think about where to start with this. Um I think that the 2 things are tied together.


15:09.64

Anna Burrell

And.


15:25.10

kitedart

To some extent and I love that you said it's actually not when you're talking to people because I was gonna say when you're talking to people. It is kind of all the same thing because it's all about moving. It's all about your values and your vision and moving things forward. So it's less.


15:25.62

Anna Burrell

Are.


15:32.15

Anna Burrell

I mean.


15:37.64

Anna Burrell

With you.


15:41.72

kitedart

I Mean yes of course you need to be out front like I'm running for Mayor vote for me, give me money do the things but like it's it. What's the piece that fires people up is the why and that's the same. So um, sounds like that you've got all that.


15:52.98

Anna Burrell

Um, ah to yet.


16:00.59

kitedart

So I think that as you look at how you're making Twiggs and Co.-sustainable and right now in the moment you're figuring out how to focus I think some of those are the same things so when you were talking about like when you have to sit down and you have to. Do some of the admin tasks or email or yadda yadda yadda right? like and they're low on your passion list. What I coach my clients to do in those situations is that you're spending 80 to 90% of your time doing the things that you're great at.


16:23.78

Anna Burrell

A.


16:36.66

kitedart

Are those gifts and that do fire you up and that are your passion and so anytime that passion is not there. That's where you start looking for. How can you create the systems to take that off your plate whether it's hiring someone outsourcing it creating automations like whatever that may be. That in turn will end up making your company more sustainable and being able to function without you there because you didn't want to do that stuff to begin with. So I think being super like aware of.


17:03.31

Anna Burrell

Um, yeah.


17:12.98

kitedart

All of the things that you need to do within the business I mean and both of you right? like you've got a partner and so um, looking at everything that you and Vicki do in the business. What needs to get done whose zone of genius is that in whose passions is that in.


17:23.00

Anna Burrell

Here.


17:32.60

kitedart

That's their thing to do and those places where it's neither of yours then how can you bring in some other system to get those things done or or are they things that you can just let go of like okay your email inbox. Yeah I'd kind of love to let go of mine but Ai n't happening anytime soon.


17:48.92

Anna Burrell

Um.


17:51.90

kitedart

But are there ways that you you know can you hire a va who helps sort through your emails can you you know? whatever, whatever system works for you Automatic you know, stick them in folders kind of things or whatever that may be um, how can you limit that as much as possible.


18:07.84

Anna Burrell

Um, okay.


18:10.20

kitedart

Um, when well let me stop there because I've got a little more to say but tell me like if you have questions or comments about that.


18:19.38

Anna Burrell

I like paying attention to where when the passion isn't there and I have I'm technically also speaking about marginalized groups I'm technically also neuro divergent I have AdHD that makes it a little tricky.


18:35.28

kitedart

Um, yeah.


18:36.71

Anna Burrell

Mean I've leveraged it do a superpower at this point because I can think about 13 different things at the same time. But then I'm also thinking about 13 different things at the same time so paying attention to those moments and then creating systems or hiring that out kit and dart has an an activity around this doesn't it finding that zone of genius.


18:43.70

kitedart

Um, right.


18:50.77

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah, totally Yep Yeah, we can talk about that when you smirk I mean it's great because it is it does right? like it does um it does help to have some real sort of data around that.


18:56.46

Anna Burrell

Okay, cool dasher.


19:07.41

Anna Burrell

Then.


19:09.36

kitedart

Um, to be really clear and and the other part of it I'll say is that So I think sometimes it shows up as procrastination right? or just like oh I don't want to do this right? Also keep in mind that reluctance may be discernment right? so.


19:25.30

Anna Burrell

Who.


19:27.20

kitedart

It may be low because you you know your energy for it may be low because you don't want to do it and if that's there like really take a look at like does it need to happen. Is it something that you can let go of because there's so many again back to the internalization. There's so many shoulds and supposed who's out there around business right? I've been I was told by a business coach for a year that I had to be on social media or I was not going to be able to have a business that would grow I don't do social media. Nope if I if you see me on social media. More than very very rarely. It's because I'm paying someone to be there for me to to do that for me. Um my engagement is like miniscule because oh my gosh I go on social media and I'm lost for an hour and I literally have no idea what I was doing and I'm like oh look at this Oh look at that Like. It's fine for that and it's just not. It's overwhelming like whatever. So I let go of it right? So So really looking at like is the reluctance usually reluctance is discernment and what is the discernment about.


20:25.19

Anna Burrell

Are.


20:37.80

kitedart

Is it because you just don't want to do it or you don't want it to be part of your business but you feel like you have to or it's just not your gift. Um, the other thing I'd love to say is so the other thing that you've.


20:45.80

Anna Burrell

E.


20:57.68

kitedart

Got going on is that the places where it is your zone of genius you're going to feel more passion for doing that you're going to feel more pulled into doing that. But if you when you get elected as mayor of Denver.


21:13.68

Anna Burrell

Correct.


21:15.58

kitedart

Right? You can't operate in the business anymore for that term So who's going to do what you've been doing and bringing to the table all along that then becomes kind of a conversation around scaling right? and and to your point the sustainability. But again I think they're kind of.


21:28.71

Anna Burrell

And hit.


21:35.61

kitedart

Tied together one is more immediate and one is a little more looking down the future but you know I don't know what your plans and intentions are for scaling Twiggs and Co. but I think that that starts to get into. It's a similar conversation but a little bit bigger of. Who can you bring in who has a similar zone of Genius to you that can fill that gap while you're campaigning or leading the city.


22:04.28

Anna Burrell

I'm actually really glad you brought that up because I am looking for those people and I am looking for the team so we have Twiggs and Co. it's myself. My co-founder Viki Carey Davis and then we have our merry band of radical collaborators because sustainability is such a broad field. It makes sense to.


22:16.29

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah.


22:19.15

Anna Burrell

Like my zone of Genius is not spreadsheets so I have someone who loves spreadsheets and I love the spreadsheets that she creates. They're gorgeous, fantastic. That's really powerful. Reluctance is discernment.


22:27.35

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah.


22:34.80

Anna Burrell

And then also the sustainability piece. That's one thing I've been thinking about from the beginning of Twiggs and Co. because if if Twiggs and Co. fails because I'm not there then I have fundamentally failed as a founder of the company here to shift and make change because.


22:49.28

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah, right? Yeah well.


22:51.32

Anna Burrell

Yeah, it needs to be able to operate outside of me without me like what if I just died someday I don't want the dream to die too like don't have time to that either.


23:02.39

kitedart

And I think that I think that that's where it starts to get into that realm of working in the business versus working on the business and as Ceo and as a person running a campaign and as a person who's going to go often lead a city into.


23:09.44

Anna Burrell

You.


23:18.30

kitedart

You know a new era of radical collaboration and regenerative recovery right? Like yeah it now is the perfect time to step into those shoes of being a Ceo versus being sort of a service provider or a consultant right.


23:35.60

Anna Burrell

Are pretty.


23:37.41

kitedart

Doesn't mean you have to totally say no but like sometimes we'd need to take that bit of a step back and build that infrastructure build that the systems the processes the whatever it is but really leading the company so that when you're stepping back. It. It doesn't all fall apart. So now sounds like the time to do that and and as you think about how you're spending your time. That's probably going to be None of the major areas you're going to want to be spending your time on because this election is going to go fast right? like.


24:09.46

Anna Burrell

Here.


24:11.70

kitedart

From now in until when the election actually happens is going to be like the blink of an eye. Yeah yeah, um, 1 other thing I wanted to say too just like you brought in being neuro divergent and um I work with a lot of clients who are neurod divergent. My.


24:17.89

Anna Burrell

It's less than a year at this point. Um.


24:31.34

kitedart

Business partner is right that that um, you know it is important to kind of come up with those systems that will work for you and so you know whether it might be things like time blocking. Um, it could be something as simple as time blocking right? and being like okay for these. 2 hours or these 4 hours I'm working on this thing. Whatever it is this day or this half of the day is twiigs and co or these 3 hours every day is Twiggs and Co. and the rest is mayoral stuff. Whatever but it could also be things like um, how do you work like. If you have things that just need to get done and you're not holding yourself accountable to them because there isn't someone else to hold you accountable. How can you bring in some accountability to that whether it's going and scheduling a meeting where you're just going to sit down and get shit done. You know.


25:21.95

Anna Burrell

Is it.


25:24.42

kitedart

And be accountable to the other person you're with or you know whatever those sort of systems are that allow you to be focused on what you need to be focused on when you need to be focused on it I said focus a lot.


25:36.60

Anna Burrell

Definitely and hire someone with a stick smack me every time I get off task. Ah.


25:45.00

kitedart

There's those swords back there can now let's not do that that could that could result in the the early death that you were just mentioning. So no yeah, so is that helpful or any follow up questions on that.


25:53.46

Anna Burrell

Um. Um, that yes, that was really helpful for sure and I found I actually have ah on Friday I have a co-working session with someone who's a founder of a different company. We found that working together and purposefully tacking those things that have been. On our to do list for months sitting in the same room and like we set goals beforehand we work together and and in hearing you talk about it and and remembering the feeling of how effective that is and like ah yes I need to do that more.


26:18.52

kitedart

Um, yeah.


26:30.14

kitedart

Yes, yeah, yeah, and that also invite to that you look at those you look at those things that have been on your to do list for months. There's a really good chance that they just need to go away and let it go right? like.


26:39.58

Anna Burrell

Are.


26:46.87

Anna Burrell

Um, yeah.


26:48.75

kitedart

And maybe that can't be right? but but I do think that that so or pay someone to do it if it really has to happen but a lot of times if something's been on our to do list for a month and we haven't made time for it. It means we probably just don't want to do it. So.


26:58.40

Anna Burrell

Um, yeah, so it's either let it go in general that it gets done or let it go for delegation. But it's like that relief.


27:09.62

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, either way, Yeah, how how inrical in Trickle integral. Oh my gosh. Why kind of think that word how important is it that it has to get done at all right? and I mean yeah, do you need to to have bookkeeping and pay your taxes in the business. Yeah, you do if that's not something you want to do pay someone to do it.


27:21.51

Anna Burrell

And.


27:29.41

kitedart

But if you don't want to be on social media then go figure out a different way to create relationships with people um to to build up your business right? simplified examples. But yeah, exactly right? Yeah, okay.


27:34.63

Anna Burrell

Um, yeah, yeah, we could just go volunteer somewhere. Yeah.


27:48.98

kitedart

Thank you for that. Um I have 2 very quick like lightning round things to ask you the first one is will you tell my listeners what entrepreneurial activism means to you.


28:01.21

Anna Burrell

Oh ah, just the light questions right.


28:04.49

kitedart

Just a light question. You don't have to go into the whole thing but just to you know? what? what? what does that is the idea mean to you.


28:13.91

Anna Burrell

Entrepreneurial activism wow what a great phrase to I honestly I love it because it speaks to what we were talking about in the beginning this triple bottom line metric of success for the business. This is how can I use my business not just to make money. But to make meaningful impact on the environment to make meaningful impact in my community to make meaningful impact on society entrepreneurial activism I feel like despite its very nature has that broader than money and because it's still a business. You still have to deal with that. But you have all these other really cool things and actually in Colorado where luckily we have a. A designation for organizations called a public benefit corporation which legally allows our organizing documents to hold us up to not being beholden to that financial bottom line but we get to have a mission as well. Very cool.


29:03.00

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, totally great. Thank you for sharing that? Um, the last thing is I would just love I will put this in the show notes for our folks who want to go click. But in case folks are just listening We you share how people can learn more about what you're up to get connected to you.


29:22.48

Anna Burrell

Hi yeah, so the first way is ah to learn more about me definitely hit up my Linkedin anna a in an a borrell b and boy you are RELL please don't type that in if you're driving the second way.


29:22.96

kitedart

Maybe donate some money to your campaign.


29:40.48

Anna Burrell

Um, is I have an Ana for Denver site anna fo r Denver it is currently at wordpress. It's about to be shifted over to a full domain name. 1 of the things that I was looking to dismantle was the money aspect of political campaigning and then one of my advisors told me that. Ah.


29:53.42

kitedart

Um, ah.


29:57.90

Anna Burrell

The opposition has been known to buy domain names. So go ahead and lock those down so I did so it's gonna be anna o r Denver you can also find me on Instagram Anna for Denver. Yeah yeah.


30:09.54

kitedart

Cool, great well Anna thank you so much for being here today I appreciate your time and your story and I wish you well in your your political race. Thanks for being here.


30:21.32

Anna Burrell

Oh it's my pleasure I Love talking to you. You are just such a cool person and human you are one of the hope ringers that I look to in times of darkness and it is an absolute honor to be here.


30:31.50

kitedart

Awesome! Thank you so much.