Transilience Issue #007

Hi Friend 🌿

Every time I teach a live class, I like to play a word association game. I do this for several important reasons.

First, I find it so fascinating that some words can resonate for some people while trigger others.

I think this happens because words can accumulate ‘association baggage.’

The human brain learns by association, and the initial meanings, emotions and other concepts we attach to words can be hard to shake.

About six months ago, when I was teaching a class online, it came as a huge surprise that more than half of everyone in the room didn’t resonate with the term “thought leader."

I wasn't expecting that.

What does the term “thought leader” bring up for you? What do you associate it with? Is this a term you identify with? Would you use it to describe yourself? And if not, why?

(I would genuinely love to know. Feel free to hit reply and share your thoughts on this.🧐)

The response in the room that day was so surprising, I just couldn't stop thinking about it all week.

From my perspective, there are a couple things going on here.

First, I genuinely believe the subtle yet pervasive "new age" narrative that says “embodiment is in” and “thinking is out” is a contributing factor.

Thankfully, the burgeoning field of Embodied Cognition is helping to radically overhaul our understanding of intelligence toward the more holistic perspective that it rightly deserves.

Thinking – especially high quality thinking – does not solely happen from the neck up, yet this insidious separation of mind and body is still deeply embedded into our culture blindspot.

Intelligence is a full body experience that actually extends beyond the confines of our skin to encompass the relationship we inhabit with our environment. This is a topic I love, but I'll save it for another email.

As I mentioned in my free class The Rise of the Meaning Economy we have officially entered the 4th Industrial Revolution. (And so many people still haven't received this memo.)

Some are starting to call this the "Intelligence Era."

And as we witness the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI), we are being called to go "all in" on fostering our innate human intelligence (HI).

We can do that by learning how to align more deeply with the true ESSENCE of who we are, so we can live and leave our legacy for the generations to come.

Second, after doing some online digging, I totally get why "thought leader" carries weird, associative, old-paradigm baggage.

I recently saw an “expert” on the topic offer this definition:

This explanation doesn't resonate at all. It wreaks of fake authenticity to ultimately make a sale.

In the void of the meaning crisis, we have entered a new economic and social media landscape where people are craving real connection with genuine, authentic people.

We have moved out of the staunch "expert" and "authority" era and into the "authentic expression of our evolution as flawed creative human beings on a journey of growth and expansion" era.

This is also why we're seeing the shift away from "Niching Down" toward becoming a Niche of One.

(And this fundamental shift is what catalyzed the growth of my audience on IG by over 170k in less than a year.)

Niching down tends to be topic-focused and transaction-based.

This is not a sustainable strategy for the new Intelligence Era. More and more people will turn to AI to receive the information they need or they will receive it from you and then move on.

Becoming a Niche of One is all about magnetizing an audience that loves you for you, and what you stand for, rather than what you sell. (Paradoxically, they will become your true fans and buy everything you create.)

I explain the shift from Niching Down to becoming a Niche of One in my class: The Rise of the Meaning Economy.

I want to share my definition of thought leader and offer up an alternative term, but first...this is why I genuinely care if you resonate with "thought leader" in the first place.

If a word or concept doesn’t resonate with you, it means you won’t pay attention to it.

Your brain literally won’t pick up on that particular signal amongst the noise. (I spoke about this in my issue "this is your brain on words.")

A word is like a sign on a door that opens toward the expansion of your mind and has the capacity to catalyze a profound shift in perspective.

If a word doesn’t resonate, you simply won’t open the door.

And if you genuinely care about supporting the awakening of humanity by influencing collective shifts in perspective, it would be a shame to never open the “thought leadership” door.

Walking through that door will lead you to the most essential Future Proofing skills to support you on the path of amplifying your impact by making a meaningful contribution in the new Intelligence Era.

Things are shifting exponentially. We all feel it.

We are embarking on unprecedented terrain which requires learning a new set of skills to navigate it effectively.

With that being said, this is what a thought-leader means to me...

Thought Leader (noun.)

A person who can effectively communicate novel ideas that ultimately influence a widespread shift in perspective, altering perception, and inspiring a new way of thinking and being.

Isn't this what most of us are aspiring to do?

I would bet that 99% of you reading this are extremely passionate about helping to inspire a collective shift regarding how we fundamentally live on this planet.

Sure, we all have our own version of this story, but it's the central thread weaving all of our courageous hearts and minds together.

But perhaps we do need a new, more resonant term to replace "thought leader" so we can ditch the associative baggage it carries for so many.

I think Synthesizer is a solid contender.

Synthesizer (noun.)

"A person who can skillfully connect diverse pieces of information, ideas, or perspectives into a coherent, unified whole in a way that pushes the boundaries of conventional thought, facilitating deeper understanding while introducing new ways of thinking or doing."

How does synthesizer land for you? Does it feel more resonant?

One thing I like about synthesizer is that it really emphasizes creative thinking as a central component. It's also the essence of what it means to be a sense-maker and meaning-making for the millions of other people who are struggling through these times of change.

These are the most important skillset for leading in the new Intelligence Era.

Ultimately, we could either put the "thought leader" or "synthesizer" sign on two different doors and they would both lead you to a similar place.

I call that place your Niche of One.

If you know in your bones you are meant to have a significant impact toward catalyzing positive change, I truly believe learning how to become your niche of one is the best investment you could possibly make to support your flourishing for the decades to come.

Enrollment Open for ESSENCE:
Become Your Niche of ONE

A 4-month mastermind starting August 1st
(🕊️ EARLY BIRD EXPIRES ON THE 22nd 🕊️)

If you are:

• A purpose-driven, multi-passionate entrepreneur, coach, guide, speaker, healer, content creator, creative... or a combination of all of the above.

And you are ready to:

• Build your personal brand as a thought-leader, grow your audience, and amplify a message you care about.
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• And feel a deep call to birth your legacy work and create an offering so unique it stands alone...

​ then ESSENCE is for you. ​

There is so much included in Essence. Click here to learn more about the 5 core pillars of what you will learn throughout these 4 months.

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IMPORTANT NOTE 📝

As some of you know, I am gearing up to take a year off next year.

That means this will most likely be the ONLY time I offer Essence live.

If you feel a soul-stirring call to join Essence, now is the time. (It's quite literally now or never.)

THERE ARE LIMITED SPACES...

I cap each cohort to ensure that everybody who signs up receives a healthy degree of individualized support and attention. This is what makes my programs so invaluable (based on the feedback I have received from hundreds of students over the years.)

👉🏽 Once those spaces are filled, I will close enrollment.

If you are unsure if Essence is the right fit for you, hit reply to this email with your questions, and my team and I will get back to you.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM UPDATES:

For those of you who have been following my work at the forefront of psychedelics and creativity, I have a new program coming just for you.

This new program will help you cultivate a solo medicine practice to explore and enhance all aspects of creativity, including creative cognition. This program is specifically designed for...thought-leaders on the medicine path.

I will be announcing that program soon, but just a heads up...it builds on everything you learn in Essence: Become Your Niche of One.

If you want to join my program on psychedelics and creativity, I highly recommend joining Essence.

And for those of you wondering... YES, I will still launch Transilience (my 6 month facilitator training program) one more time before I take a year off. New dates coming soon.

I previously included content around becoming your Niche of One in Transilience, but I will not include that content in the next cohort of Transilience.

I've pulled all that content (and have added a considerable amount) to create Essence as a stand alone offering.

If you are wanting to join Transilience, I still recommend joining Essence first.

In Case you Missed Friday's Free Call:
The Rise of the Meaning Economy...

Due to popular demand (and the wonderful tech glitch that kept over 800 people locked out of the Zoom room last Friday) I'm offering this class again this Tuesday morning at 8am PST.
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​Click here to save your spot. (Yes, it's free, and it's live.)
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Regardless if you join Essence or not, there's SO much value in this masterclass that can help you navigate this next chapter of human history.

Here's what people said about Friday's class...

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Music To Move You

Have you heard Elih's album called Essence? It's so sweet, and feels like the appropriate fit for today's email!

​Click here to listen on Spotify.

I love his song called Returning to Source (especially when the beat kicks in.)

Enjoy! 🎶 💜 🎶

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Once again, if you are unsure if Essence is the right fit for you, hit reply to this email with your questions, and my team and I will get back to you.

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From my inspired heart to yours,

Laura Dawn, M.Sc in Creativity Studies & Change Leadership.

Costa Rica , Diamanté Valley , 11111
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