I So Appreciate You! – Details, episodes & analysis

In the season 3 finale of I So Appreciate You!, Melanie and Nadege reflect on how this season was all about badass women. Each guest was, to quote Nadege, a rockstar. To come full circle, we celebrate another badass woman: our very own Nadege Souvenir, who in this episode shares the news of her departure from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation as she prepares to take on her new role as CEO of the San Antonio Area Foundation.

A bittersweet episode, Melanie and Nadege talk not only about the guests they welcomed in this season but also Nadege’s time as a co-host. Join us in celebrating Nadege and wishing her the very best of luck with her new adventure in San Antonio, Texas! And be sure to stay tuned for I So Appreciate You! updates.

Sheletta Brundidge has done it all - she’s a mom, an autism advocate, a community activist, an award-winning broadcaster, a best-selling author and a business owner. She’s always wanted to be someone who shifts atmospheres, and when she walks into a room, it’s clear that is exactly what’s about to happen. Sheletta lives authentically and unapologetically, but has she always been this way? And how does she do it? 

Co-hosts Melanie and Nadege dig into how Sheletta taught herself to be confident and what advice she has for others who are trying to live authentically (spoiler: stop caring!). Sheletta shares her story of working in radio and being pressured to present herself differently. When she decided to stop pretending and start showing up as her full self, opportunities and success followed her. Sheletta calls herself a missionary, determined to help others find and share their true selves – but she also knows that in the process of showing up authentically, she is constantly evolving. 

Sheletta’s confidence and commitment to showing up authentically came from a place of exhaustion. After working in radio and being told by several consultants how to talk, act, and look, Sheletta decided that enough was enough – she was going to start showing up as her whole, authentic self and that people could take it or leave it. This message is what she shares with the world, whether it’s in a university class she’s teaching or with the many people she helps in what she calls her mission work.  

“I like to say I’m a missionary. Everything I do is mission work, whether it’s the autism children’s books, or the podcasts, or the activism, or the speaking, or the radio. Whatever it is, it’s all mission work, I’m on assignment: to help people.”  

Sheletta can share these important life lessons because she’s done and seen it all. In addition to being a renaissance woman, Sheletta is a mother of four children, three of whom have autism spectrum disorder. After finding success in treatment for her children, Sheletta set out to do what she does best - share her knowledge, experiences and wisdom with other parents going through the same thing. In her process of documenting and sharing her life with her family, Sheletta has helped countless people who are going through the often isolating, confusing and overwhelming experience of raising children with autism. 

Despite the confidence and vivacity she exudes, Sheletta knows she doesn’t have all the answers and feels she has yet to arrive. But it’s that exact authenticity that has gotten her so far and is what she wants to drive home with people. When asked what advice she’d give to others struggling to show up as their whole selves, Sheletta simply says “just do it.” 

“Stop overthinking it, just be real! People are coming for your story – the more people that know about your story, the better. We always wait for someone to tell our story or celebrate us – why are you waiting for someone else to tell your story?” 

Links:  

Sheletta and her son Andrew, promoting his book on Morning in America

Sheletta’s website

Follow Sheletta:

Instagram

Facebook 

Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert take a Seinfeld approach to their final episode of the season by unwinding and talking about nothing; well, nothing in particular and “doing” nothing. 

Instead of tackling sometimes tough and complex issues that arise in the workplace and philanthropy, they take time to address the commonalities their guests had this season. One theme that emerged is the pressing need for creative people to create time to rest and decompress.

In this episode of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation with Anishinaabe artist, advocate and cultural educator Adrienne M. Benjamin. In addition to Adrienne, they also take time to discuss this complex topic with another surprise guest, Dr. Eric Jolly, president & CEO of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

As Reconciliation Advisor for Minnetonka, Adrienne is working to bridge the gap between the Indigenous community and a white-owned business by internally shifting its culture.

As a result of her work, the company is creating opportunities for Indigenous artists among several other restorative actions.

Links

Adrienne Benjamin’s Website

Follow Adrienne on Instagram

Follow Adrienne on Facebook

Minnetonka Website

In a time when the information we consume is often curated or reinforced by what we like on social media or the news outlets we follow, Mukhtar Ibrahim is working to shift the narrative by giving immigrants and communities of color the kind of committed, responsive news coverage that we all deserve. 

In this episode of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert explore the complexities of journalism and the importance of intentionally changing the dominant narrative with the publisher and CEO of the Sahan Journal.

“The way you shape and frame a story really matters. And who tells the story matters. That’s why I founded the Sahan Journal, so we won’t have to have that tension or questioning of how we put together a story, because as long as we’re following the basic journalistic skills and principles, everything will just move on.” - Mukhtar Ibrahim

Links

Sahan Journal website

Sahan Journal on Facebook

Sahan Journal on Twitter

Sahan Journal on Instagram

Mukhtar Ibrahim on LinkedIn

Mukhtar Ibrahim on Twitter

Mukhtar Ibrahim on Instagram

In season 2, episode 5 of I So Appreciate You!, we discuss the value social media has as a tool for connection while also having implications on private life. Our special guest is Sarah Edwards, CEO of Some Great People and co-founder/CEO of Fashion Week Minnesota.

Sarah is obsessed with the word “sonder” – the profound feeling of realizing that everyone has a life as vivid and complex as one’s own – and it makes sense given that she loves community and bringing people together. As a connector, a creative, a storyteller, an influencer and a self-described empath, Sarah uses her skills to bridge people together. She views social media as her main tool to stay connected, all while sharing her life — the good and the bad — with countless followers. But making herself so approachable and accessible has its drawbacks. 

In this episode, Sarah and co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss the pros and cons of being a public figure on social media, the lure of connection and even the power that fashion has to start conversations.

Links

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Some Great People website

Follow Some Great People on Instagram

Fashion Week MN website

Lulete Mola’s passion for activism and social justice stems from her love of her family and community. Before co-founding the Black Collective Foundation MN as a result of the pandemic and social uprising in Minnesota, Lulete started her own youth-led organization, worked for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and participated on many boards including Minnesota Council of Foundations and the VoteRunLead National Advisory.

In episode 4 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert chat with this special guest and Facing Race Award recipient about her roles as an activist, organizer and philanthropic leader in the community.

With the Black Collective Foundation MN, Lulete and fellow founders Chanda Smith Baker and Repa Meka are shifting the landscape of philanthropy by creating a space for Black-led change.

“The reality is that when Black people lead, all people benefit,” said Lulete. “There is nothing that reassures me more than the work Black folks have done across this globe, time and time and time again. And if someone asks me what is my theory of change, my theory of change is the brilliance of Black people.”

Links

Black Collective Foundation MN

Facing Race Awards

What makes a brilliant app? Is it entertainment value, offering a critical service or something that has social impact? For Andre Creighton, co-founder and chief financial officer of the groundbreaking app TurnSignl, it’s providing drivers with real-time legal guidance from an attorney during traffic stops while a camera records the interaction.

Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss entrepreneurship and the importance of using technology for social change with the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer Andre Creighton.

Many times, leadership transitions are unexpected, and if a succession plan is in place, the process is handled behind closed doors. In contrast, Jamie Millard, executive director of Pollen Midwest, is leading her own transition out of the organization she has been leading for the last nine years with a years-long, transparent and participatory transition process that can offer many organizations a new way to think about leadership transition.

Co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss the importance of having intentional conversations about leadership transitions, trust and transparency in the workplace with special guest Jamie Millard.

Executive Transition Models - Harvard Business Review

Article referencing the quote from Jeanne Bell: What does an equitable executive leadership transition look like? - Race to Lead

Trading the Glass Ceilings for Glass Cliffs: A Race to Lead Report on Nonprofit Executives of Color - Building Movement Project

A Reading List on Nonprofit Executive Transition - Pollen

Pollen Midwest

Follow Pollen on Instagram or Twitter

Follow Jamie on Twitter

Episode 1 opens up with an introduction of new co-host, Chief Marketing Officer Melanie Hoffert, before she and co-host Nadege Souvenir dive into the episode’s topic. This week they discuss the importance of a heart-based approach to giving, with special guest Margaret Wurtele.

Margaret Wurtele has been giving and raising money for the arts for years. Her parents were also supporters of the arts. Margaret has worked for Walker Art Center, the Saint Paul United Arts Fund and Dayton Hudson Foundation (now the Target Corporation). She was a co-founder of Hungry Mind Press (now Ruminator Press). As a volunteer, she has served on many boards.

Margaret is also a vineyard owner and author. She wrote two memoirs: Touching the Edge: A Mother’s Path from Loss to Life and Taking Root: a Spiritual Memoir, as well as a novel, The Golden Hour.