I’m in Pasadena, California and I absolutely loved my conversation with Natalie Patterson. Natalie is a poet, teaching artist, and the president of the nonprofit, Sister Support, an organization committed to the advancement of women through community, connection, and sisterhood.

Natalie is well known for her poetry, sharing it publicly since 2002 with many adventures including slam poetry, working with Da Poetry Lounge, starring in a very popular SoulPancake series, and being hired by companies like Sephora.

She speaks about important ideas and issues, like bias, including gender and ethnicity, culture, body image, empowerment — and she’s eager to help us grow, to see past our blind spots.

Something unique to Natalie, she translates her ideas and poetry into tangible action by leading the nonprofit Sister Support, with programs to empower women and change narratives, and recently an opportunity to help Syrian Refugees.

This interview is definitely more of a conversation. Not only do we understand more about Natalie’s story, we learn a lot of what guides her and informs how she shows up, in her work and as a person. I kind of think of our conversation as gaining new perspectives, and why change, advocates, and poetry are needed.