Meet Courtney Calardo

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Courtney Calardo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Courtney, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I believe everyone has the right and the ability to realize their potential but that some unjustly lack access to essential resources and tools to do so. With this as a core belief, I always knew I wanted to be part of something big–a movement or revolution that pushed for positive change at a macro, societal level. But I also knew my greatest assets and way of contributing to building a more just, more beautiful world centered around human connection, the ability to relate to people across a variety of cultures, contexts and backgrounds on a deeply personal level and support those who were often ignored and marginalized with an opportunity to share their voice.

Storytelling seemed like a natural way to bridge my interests, which is where I started my career (in photojournalism around human rights and social movements) and led me to my current role as the Head of Communications at one of the largest and most effective NGOs in the Global South, which is committed to eradicating extreme poverty with an evidence-backed, holistic approach. I also recently joined the board of Lensational, a non-profit that aims to elevate the voices of underrepresented women by equipping them with training and tools for photography, where I will provide advisory support around strategic communications, partner relations and shaping policy dialogues through storytelling.

When I became a mom in the early stages of my career, as I was trying to carve a path and make a name for myself, I realized I wasn’t investing enough time and energy into my own wellbeing and mental health, so I started exploring ways to create space for more self-compassion. After talking with friends and other moms, I realized I was one of many who yearned for deeper connection with oneself, healthier boundaries, and a safe space to live authentically among other like-minded, open-hearted individuals. Thus, I recently decided to apply my experience in storytelling and creating safe spaces for women participants in development programs with my passion for fostering deep connection to sacred circles for female-identifying people who are interested in realigning body and soul through the divine feminine. Through meditation, journaling and storytelling, the circles create an opportunity for participants to tune into and share their authentic selves in a loving environment, which I hope will help with individual and group healing.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

There is so much pain, fear and discord in today’s world, making it particularly important to have a safe place to simply be and, for a brief time, escape the daily responsibilities and worldly issues that otherwise might consume your thoughts and how you feel. A place that enables you to hear your innermost thoughts and make sense of your feelings, what your body is telling you, so that you can live fully in your truth as your most authentic self.

When we come together and bear witness to each other’s thoughts, feelings, dreams and fears, we cultivate compassion and create an opportunity to lift one another up and learn about ourselves and one another. By doing so, by letting our lights shine, we have the power to heal our souls and the soul of humanity.

I am committed to creating such spaces for women living on the margins or in abject poverty through my work in strategic communications at BRAC, an international NGO based in Bangladesh supporting people across Africa and Asia, and through sacred circles I just started facilitating within my community in Washington, DC.

My hope is that by embracing and expressing my own vulnerability, hopes, fears, I might encourage and support others to do the same and through generously listening and deep connection, we might all walk away stronger, our lights burning more brightly amidst the darkness that surrounds us.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I love to learn and to grow– to see progress unfold before my eyes and know I played an active role in driving it, but I used to think that my best self as a result was always out ahead of me, someone I needed to become and work toward and that vision of my best self was more like being the best. I was hard on myself and I compared myself to others, relying too heavily on external validation and perception of others to feel like I was enough, so of course I never was. I struggled to see myself as divine though I had no difficulty in seeing divine light in others. More recently, I have done a lot of work on accepting myself as I am right now, and showing myself more grace, so that I could recognize that in doing my best right now with what I have, I am my best self right now, in this very moment, and that each day my best self might look a bit different than the day before and doesn’t always follow an upward trajectory. I released myself from the cage in which I held myself prisoner when I worried so much about proving my value and worth to others and refocused that energy back on me.

I started saying no to things that did not serve me or align with my values, most authentic self, versus giving too much of myself, my energy away to others to uphold unreasonable expectations and I began to let some of those go or at least become more manageable and obtainable. And with that I had more space to commit to myself, my wellbeing, to rest, to recovery, to rejuvenation, and I found that I was able to show up in a more meaningful way in places and with people that I care about most.

I started to challenge the deeply embedded notion and conditioning, that strength was an antonym for vulnerability. I started more openly expressing and sharing my vulnerabilities with others, finding that doing so was actually a superpower of mine enabling me to more deeply connect with others, empowering all parties. I gave myself permission to be more human, which was largely inspired by having two daughters and wanting to set a positive example for them, which for me meant not pretending like I was perfect or had it all together. It was important for me to show them that I was flawed, that I made mistakes, and to own them, and to simultaneously show them I was also deserving of love and acceptance regardless, as that is what I want most for them.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I believe it is through community and collaboration that we are truly able to realize our potential and share our light. I am looking to create beautiful things and spaces that inspire and encourage people to live fully in their truth and love themselves as they are, to share their voice and to see their intrinsic value and worth so that they can fully show up where they are needed and help make the world a more just and loving place. I would love to collaborate with other artists and/or publishers around creative self-expression, as I have been writing a lot of poetry around these topics lately, as well as other community organizers and healers to share knowledge and learnings with one another and support one another’s growth.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @engaging_shakti
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneycalardo/