Kelsey Nielsen first traveled to Uganda to “love on babies” at an orphanage as a self-described “White Savior.” Then she started to ask questions about privilege and power and how best to help people. She is one of the founders of “No White Saviors” an Instagram account that has turned into a movement.
Our conversation on the Good People podcast went so long that I broke it into two parts. I could’ve asked her more questions. You can listen below or on Apple Podcasts or probably other places too. (I like doing the interviews, but not so much the administrivia a podcast or life requires.)
Part 1
Part 2
Show notes:
No…
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Yesterday I chatted with a documentarian in Scotland who is working on a film on where food comes from. We chatted for an hour about chocolate, bananas, and coffee.
I think journalism is like science in that community members build on each other’s work. I always take the time to help out a fellow journalist. I think it’s part of the responsibility of this work.
I had a chat with Elizabeth Cline very early on in her process of writing Overdressed. I even introduced her to my friend Dalton, who appeared in WHERE AM I WEARING. I also chatted with Marcus Stern who did a really great piece on child labor in coffee for The Weather Channel and Telemundo.
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Check out this note from a student who read WHERE AM I EATING a few years ago:
Hi Kelsey! Thanks for the invite for The Facing Project. Can’t wait to look into it more! You spoke to my sociology class with Máel Sheridan at Hamline university after we read your book in 2015. Funny story, and long story short: I’m a Peace Corps health volunteer in Ethiopia and was trying to explain in local language the idea behind your books as it relates to my community (where are all these goods coming from? How did they get here?). A couple weeks later the live-in guard at my health center appeared with a pet baboon. It was then named after you in honor of your books. “Kelsey” spelt differently in afran Oromo…
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Plastic straws! Recycling! Composting! Wishcycling! Climate Change! Fast Fashion! Products tested on animals! Micro-plastics!
Ashlee Piper examines all of these topics and more in her book on sustainable living “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.”
Ashlee Piper is a political strategist turned vegan and eco-lifestyle expert, writer, and TV personality whose work has been featured in GLAMOUR, Refinery29, Apartment Therapy, Reader’s Digest, and on pretty much every network.
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(Wrote this 10 years ago. You can tell because I was still using two spaces after a period.)
“I was told I was going to die nine years ago. Are you religious?”
My mind raced, what went wrong? Standing beside the road waiting for someone to give me a lift I had considered myself quite lucky when Don pulled over in his BMW. He sported a Rolex and was dressed nicely. Our conversation was interesting and pleasant and abduction was the farthest thing from my mind when he asked if I wanted to take a tour of his kiwi fruit farm and join him for tea. In hindsight, a Rolex and a nice car do not mean that a man is of…
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Nick Gross is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He signed with a major recording label in his teens, was on a hit MTV show, and has worked with Ariana Grande. Nick chatted with me on the Good People podcast about helping students find their way, where drive comes from, and how social media inhibits self-discovery.
Learn more about Nick and his Find Your Grind initiative.
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As a teenager in the 90s, Liz Boltz Ranfeld, trekked up mountains in Nepal carrying a leather bound Bible, intent on planting a church and winning souls. She looks back on the experience with regret, shame, and anger. Liz joins Kelsey and Jay to discuss mission trips, responsible travel, racism, and even the controversial work of Mother Teresa.
Liz in Nepal in 1999:
The description of her trip:
If you’d like to exam mission trips more, I recommend reading Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help, And How to Reverse It by…
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Heidi Ganahl has faced extraordinary adversity in her life. But her entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills helped her focus on others allowing her to build a $100 million brand, found SheFactor to empower young women, help kids (Fight Back Foundation), run for office, and a whole lot more.
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Laura and Bill Grindle, co-founders of See Kids Dream, empower kids to give back to their own communities, and in the process, teach us all how to be better givers….
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Julie Austin had it all–big job, big salary, big house–and then she left it all behind to work as a social worker. Kelsey and Jay talk to Julie about her journey, happiness, and purpose.
In the conversation we mention:
The Social Worker Code of Ethics
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
When Helping Hurts…
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