Note sull'episodio
Guest: Jocelyn Macurdy Keatts — Political Communications Specialist
Based: Nomadic
Jocelyn Macurdy Keatts spent ten years trying to save the world from inside Washington, DC. She worked as a political consultant, produced events for politicians, reported on protests, and built a career in progressive activism. But the system swallowed her whole. Networking became performance. Activism became about who you know, not what problems you're solving. The power center's ambient narcissism and daily energy tax drained her creativity.
So she left. She told herself she just wanted to travel, write media advisories from Greek islands, take a break. But what she discovered was something deeper: distance gave her clarity that insiders never have. Being outside the US made her more effective at US politics, not less. She could think long-term instead of chasing viral moments. She could focus on problems over profit. She could build stability instead of reacting to whatever Twitter was talking about that week.
Now she runs political campaigns from co-livings across Europe, more effective than she ever was in DC. She produces Resistance Labs with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, teaching nonviolent resistance tactics. She's discovered anti-fragility, collective nobility, and that curiosity compounds exponentially when you're surrounded by courageous people.
This conversation explores how leaving a power center can make you better at changing it, why comfort is the enemy in the modern economy, and what happens when you stop assuming everyone else is right and just try things.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:33 Guest introduction
01:37 Political consultant for ten years
02:08 Burnt out on Washington DC power center
02:52 Activism distorted by power networks
03:48 Left to travel, discovering deeper reasons
05:08 Daily energy tax of maintaining normie existence
06:24 Creative liberation from leaving
07:36 Berlin and different assumptions
09:51 Anti-fragility concept and building resilience
11:28 Comfort is the enemy, disruption is the law
13:32 Nomadic mindset and capitalizing on opportunities
14:52 American left's problem, replicating failed strategies
17:18 Problem over profit mindset shift
18:42 Solving problems vs making money
20:42 Objectivity from distance
23:56 Resistance Labs with Congresswoman Jayapal
26:26 Building stability vs chasing viral moments
28:38 Surrounded by people you respect
30:18 Courage and collective nobility
32:31 Curiosity compounds exponentially
34:47 Closing
Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/jocelyn-macurdy-keatts
Watch: https://youtu.be/tuJIZKaTcOU