What is Contagious Vulnerability?

The origin story. Contagious Vulnerability was born in the Fall of 2016 during a CTI coaches training workshop on Values and Purpose. Our instructors led us through a visioning exercise with the prompt: “You’re on a stage. What is the impact you want to have on your audience? What are you being or doing to have that impact?'“

What came to me in that moment was: “I want to inspire greater self-love through curious self-discovery and an embracing of our perfect imperfections.” My next thought was: “No one ever sees my imperfections or thinks I have any. Maybe I’ll have to be naked on stage.” Which was quickly followed by: “But my sister will kill me!” Plus the vagina monologues had been done. And it wasn’t about me. It was about we.

What emerged was the following vision: I was on stage with one other person. I would tell them a vulnerable story from my journey. They would witness me and deeply listen. Then I would get up and invite an audience member onto the stage to be the next listener and the first would become the teller, sharing her own vulnerable story. And so on and so on until the experience catalyzed a ripple effect of Contagious Vulnerability throughout the audience.

Contagious Vulnerability 1.0. I launched Contagious Vulnerability 1.0 in 2017 as a series of transformational group experiences at the Compound of Joy. The mission: to gather people in a space of courageous and contagious vulnerability to foster deeper and more authentic connections with self, with others and with nature to heal the diseases of disconnection in our world. Diseases of disconnection like loneliness, anxiety, depression, unconscious consumption, self-harm, planetary harm, and sadly, so many others.

The first pivot. In the fall of 2018, I pivoted and launched The Contagious Vulnerability Project on Medium, giving voice to my authentic experience of transformation live as it’s unfolding in a weekly series. My intention: to start a conversation with the world about the power of personal transformation, sharing the wisdom gained through my experience in hopes of being of service to others and a catalyst for their own journeys of self-healing. I hope to give people the courage to do their inner work, journeying through their darkness to find the light, joy, and wisdom within.

Contagious Vulnerability 2020. What a long strange trip the year that was 2020 was—a long strange trip that continues to this day!! Tumultuous, transformational times that are making personal journeys of transformation universal and universal, collective transformations deeply personal. It’s been a journey of curious exploration and I’ve found and continue to find beauty in our individual and collective breakdowns. Beyond deepening my self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-love, I’ve come to more deeply understand and appreciate the thing I am bringing to life in the world, Contagious Vulnerability—the startup of me—which I’ve come to think of as a Mindfulness Practice for Mental Wellness. I’ve also added a new “I am” statement to the mix, that of the Vulnerability Doula. I am proud to say that I am the Vulnerability Doula, your trusted guide for navigating vulnerability, finding your voice, deepening your relationships, and birthing your authentic self. I’d love to have a curious conversation with you to explore what the Vulnerability Doula can do for you. :)

The Magic of Contagious Vulnerability Live on Clubhouse. During the height of the pandemic in June of 2020, I was invited to join Clubhouse, a social audio platform. I started a Contagious Vulnerability Club and was soon hosting up to 20 hours of open space a week, “rooms” where I invited people to share what’s on their hearts, to witness and be witnessed. Together with a unicorn crew of heartful moderators that I recruited from the rooms, I guided and facilitated the courageous conversations that open invitation inspires. We built a following of 30,000+ and were one of their top mental health clubs before the app fell out of favor.

The next but likely not the final frontier. 🖖🏻Contagious Vulnerability was always intended as a dialogue, a wisdom exchange between fellow travelers exploring the magic within and without. To that end, I keep my calendar open to anyone who’d like to join me in curious conversation—to swap stories of our adventures and see what magic emerges. I believe that when two or more people have the courage to meet one another in a space of authenticity, vulnerability, humility, and curiosity, alchemy happens. All are transformed, leaving with gifts and insights they would not have otherwise discovered. I hope you’ll book a curious conversation with me to explore what the Vulnerability Doula can do for you.