#91: Fighting for connection, existing in reciprocity, and leading with self awareness
A Q&A with social impact founder Jasmine Anouna
Nothing makes me happier than one Q&A leading to another. In this week’s case, we have the wonderful Loyce Witherspoon to thank—an early Pass It On interviewee turned friend who pointed me in the direction of today’s special guest, Jasmine Anouna.
Jasmine is the founder of The Bloom, the world’s go-to platform for social impact careers. In just three years, The Bloom’s newsletter, learning platform, and events have amassed a community of 40,000+ impact leaders in search of connection and knowledge sharing. Alongside her work at The Bloom, Jasmine is a member of the Sustainable Development Goals Goalkeepers community, an initiative led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help changemakers accelerate progress towards the 17 development goals in their respective communities. There are also two books in the works, and a secret project you’ll hear about at the end of the Q&A. Impressive stuff.
One of the things I admire most about Jasmine is her openness. Building an organisation from scratch is hard, and she doesn’t glorify any of it. Instead, Jasmine strives to share what she knows, learn from her mistakes, and stay true to herself along the way.
Trigger warning: the first answer contains a reference to suicide in the second paragraph.
You describe yourself as an Italian-Egyptian-American feminist and social entrepreneur. How have your ethnic roots shaped your approach to feminism and social entrepreneurship?
First, I want to thank you for asking this question. I rarely get asked about my roots, and they’ve profoundly impacted how I see and show up in the world.
I grew up in Italy as the daughter of Egyptian refugees and immigrants. Back then, violence against women in Italy was rife. Tragic stories were spread across the news as consistently as the weekly weather forecast, and I could relate to these stories because I was living the headlines myself at home. Eventually, the abuse escalated to such a degree that, at the age of 14, I tried to take my own life.
In the years that followed, I realised my personal experience was part of a larger system that had set up certain marginalised populations to fail. I decided to become a lawyer so that I could fight for international gender equality, but my dream career wasn’t what it made out to be. By 2018, I was working from the global headquarters of the United Nations Office of Human Rights. I’d spent years conducting research at the intersection of law and gender-based violence, and I was on the verge of burning out. I was frustrated by the endless bureaucracy. I was lonely and struggling with a lack of motivation. Instead of receiving support from my employer, I was told I was close to getting fired. It was on that day I resolved to dedicate my career to ensuring that no changemaker would ever feel this hopeless, isolated, and unsupported. That was the beginning of The Bloom.
Today, The Bloom is a hugely successful platform supporting over 40,000 changemakers around the world. What’s the change you’re fighting for?
I’m fighting for connection. I think it’s the greatest problem of our time, especially in social impact. Power and oppression thrive on fragmentation. The more siloed we are, the more submissive we are. My goal with The Bloom is to create a central space of belonging for systems-change leaders. A space where these leaders can connect, share knowledge, collaborate—and ultimately, unite in their power.
I’m also trying to dismantle network privilege. The path to social change is much easier if you grow up with a strong, well-connected network that can open doors to grants, funding, mentorship, and partnerships. But millions of changemakers around the world aren’t born into those networks. At The Bloom, we’re fighting to create a world where everyone, regardless of their background or resources, has access to the connections and opportunities they need to make a positive difference.
Founding a social impact organisation is no small challenge. What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d received when you first started The Bloom?
I’ll give three ;)
First, lean into your unique quirks and leadership style rather than conforming to others' expectations. When I first started The Bloom, I felt the pressure to play to other people’s conversational and leadership styles. Now, I realise that my way of leading is what makes the difference. I can get the work done, go into the rooms of power, make the sales, do the damn deals—all without compromising who I am. I wish I’d known that was possible from the outset.
Second, own your financial empowerment. You can’t do change-making work without being adequately compensated. And you should be able to do what you love without feeling guilty for being paid properly to do so. So get out there and ask for the funds, but figure out how to ask for money in a way that’s aligned with your values.
Third, understand the difference between leadership and management. I think lots of founders are great at leading but terrible at managing. They have the vision and the passion to achieve the vision, but they aren’t necessarily the best people to execute the vision and grow individual team members. At the end of the day, none of the work matters if you’re building the “wrong team” or have a shitty work culture. So if you’re a founder leading a small team, invest the time to become a better manager. Analyse your mistakes carefully; they’ll teach you how to care for teams beyond just leading an organisation.
I’d like to expand on this last point about analysing mistakes. Would you be willing to share a personal example?
Absolutely. In early 2023, I began to involve friends and long-term allies in The Bloom as freelancers. And I made two major mistakes. One, I wasn’t clear on the terms of involvement. Two, I didn’t share candid feedback out of “compassion” and fear of hurting my friends’ feelings. In reality, not sharing feedback is the least compassionate thing you can do as a manager.
Eighteen months on, I’m more committed than ever to clear communication and candid feedback. One tangible proof point here is our 1:1 feedback sessions. I now hold them weekly to demonstrate that radical candour is an expected part of working life at The Bloom. It’s a joy to see team members speaking openly and proudly about our culture because of these changes.
This experience has taught me that building a sustainable, purpose-driven culture takes more than the passion and excitement of leadership. If you want a safe, kind, creative work environment, you need the structure and introspection of management, too.
What’s one thing that’s helped you take better care of your team?
Learning to become more self-aware. Mindfulness and meditation are two of my main tools here. They help me learn how to listen to myself so that I can, in turn, listen better to my team, my business, and the problem I’m trying to solve. The founder lifestyle can be at odds with self-reflection and self-care: you’re so focused on pushing through, on building, building, building. That’s why I find morning meditations so powerful. Every day, I ask myself, What do I truly need in this moment? What is my relationship to the outside world? Questions like this help me build a sustainable entrepreneurial journey for myself.
What else is a company but a story? That’s how I see The Bloom. It’s a beautiful story, and my team are my co-authors—just as excited to write it as I am.
Which books have impacted you most as a leader and why?
Let My People Go Surfing by the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. This book is full of leadership lessons, but one that really stuck with me was the principle of only hiring people who deeply experience the problem you’re trying to solve. Chouinard argues he would never have been able to scale Patagonia as successfully as he has without this principle. And it makes perfect sense to me. Especially when you think about it from the perspective of trying to tell an authentic story. What else is a company but a story? You found an organisation because you’ve identified an untold yet urgent story that the world needs to hear. That’s how I see The Bloom. It’s a beautiful story, and my team are my co-authors—just as excited to write it as I am.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by the Indigenous ethnobotanist Robin Wall Kimmerer. So many of us go through life without awareness of our surroundings. Kimmerer shows why sensitivity to your surroundings is a vital act of reciprocity, community, and liberation. One way to pay attention to nature is to think about names. Do you know the names of the plants you pass when walking down the street? Since reading this book, I have made an effort to find out. It’s been a beautiful, humbling process. Naming is an act of care.
What’s one question you wished I had asked you?
“How can the people who are reading this Q&A support you?”
I think every interview should end with this question, especially in the field of social change. Our work is tough, and we can’t reach our goals alone.
The Bloom is looking for support in two key ways:
Partnership. We’re looking for companies that want to collaborate with us by sharing their resources in our newsletter and learning platform. We partner with social impact/ CSR / DEI teams of corporates ready to scale social impact internally in their company. We also partner with universities looking for a thoughtful platform to support their students and provide their Alumni with access to career resources on social and environmental impact careers. We’re currently partnered with the University of Oxford Business School, Yale School of Global Affairs, University of Cape Town, Antwerp Management School, and many others.
Visibility. Even as a world-leading social impact platform, we appreciate thoughtful exposure through large media platforms or equivalent. You can also book me to speak on topics like building an engaged digital community, social impact careers, and mental health. I’ve previously given talks at Impact Festival, Impact Hub, Skoll Centre for Entrepreneurship, Cambridge University, Women’s Funding Network, and LinkedIn.
Top-secret way to support. Since you’ve made it to the end of my interview ;) I have a trademarked card game coming out in September 2024. Think of it like “UNO for meaningful connection”, with over seven ways to play. Slide into my LinkedIn DMs if you’re curious to learn more.
If anyone reading this would like to help, please get in touch!
On a broader note, creating the space for people to ask for support is a powerful antidote to our collective struggles. There’s a lot to be concerned and alarmed about right now. One of the best ways to fight that anxiety is by forming genuine connections and existing in reciprocity with others.
I’m fortunate to experience that daily through my work at The Bloom. Even the smallest moments can be transformative. So look for them. A great way to start is by focusing on the people around you. When was the last time you asked someone in your life:
What help do you need?
How could I help you feel more seen in this period of your life?
Challenge yourself to lean into the needs of others. You won’t regret it.
More questions for Jasmine? Find her on LinkedIn or email jasmine@readtobloom.com.
Thanks so much for reading,
Lauren