The soap box
Wouldn’t you love to talk about the issues that matter to you, without feeling tongue-tied, under-informed, or combative?
Wouldn’t you love to confidently make your values part of your business? Without scaring everyone away?
Wouldn’t you love to inhabit your business more authentically?
I know you
You look around at the endless cycle of bad news and feel overwhelmed.
You wish the state of our political conversations could be different.
You’re turned off by the vitriolic us vs them of Twitter and Facebook.
You want to use your business platform to make the world a better place. To further the causes you care about.
But you don't know where to start
You feel like you don’t know enough.
You’re nervous about getting it wrong.
You don’t want to get into a blazing row.
And, by the time you’ve decided what you think and want to say about one issue…another one has reared its head.
I know how you feel. I have spent the last six months in a state of political paralysis.
We’ve gone from (Take a deep breath):
…Putin invading Ukraine, a revolving door of resigning cabinet ministers, through a ridiculously long Tory leadership competition, 2 new Prime Ministers (one of which tried to crash the economy), the death of the longest-serving monarch in British history (complete with bizarre Paddington memes), the January 6th hearings with all their revelations, a convoluted election in Brazil with the fate of the Amazon rainforest hanging in the balance, protests over China’s zero-Covid policy, more mass shootings in the US, trying to come out of the pandemic, the unprecedented Supreme Court decision on Roe vs Wade, the incredible bravery of Iranian women protesting in their country, Midterms that didn’t quite go as planned for the Republicans (or Trump), global inflation rises, a terribly named Monkeypox outbreak, floods in Pakistan, a controversial World Cup (and British comedian Joe Lycett threatening to shred £10k over David Beckham’s involvement), the cost of living crisis, to the gutting of the NHS, to earthquakes in Turkey and Syria…
And a million other important things that I’ve missed.
And that’s my point.
Every time you think you’re up to speed, eight other issues pop out of the woodwork.
Every five minutes, something massive happens. Something that directly affects our lives, our businesses, our children’s lives or the lives and the livelihoods of people that we love.
It’s exhausting.
And even I have struggled to keep up.
"I never felt fully comfortable backing myself on political opinions or other values."
“I’ve only dipped my toes in in recent years and while I know what I stand for and things that annoy me, I couldn’t have always explained why or where I got my views from. I wanted a place to sound ideas off and have open and honest discussions to feel more comfortable having important chats, so I could then relay that in my business. I also wanted to find some new sources to check out and to have my mind opened to other ways of thinking. From a personal perspective, I recently had some difficult discussions about race with my family and I felt at a loss with how to handle our different opinions. So I was also hoping to learn how to talk to people with a different opinion to me, without getting angry or upset!”
— Nikki, launch copywriter and soap box founding member
Hi, I'm peta...
What if I could make it easier?
I marched off to University with a rucksack full of naive optimism, socialistic tendencies, and a resolve to save the world (and become Prime Minister). After 4 years of studying politics and sociology, I baulked at the snail’s pace of change in government and decided I could make more of a difference on the ground. And so I spent the next 15 years working alongside teenagers, helping them make sense of the world (and the politics) around them.
I have read more books on political theory than I care to count.
I have had more debates about policy than I’ve had Fitbits (and I’m constantly having to replace those…).
And then I spent 15 years trying to make that knowledge accessible to young people.
- So they could make sense of what policies were doing to their lives.
- So they could make sense of their own beliefs and values.
- And so they could work to make the changes they wanted to see.
But why, peta?
Why not just ignore it all?
“So?” you might ask.
“What’s the big deal? It’s all too complicated anyway, why can’t I just let it run off my back and scroll Instagram mindlessly like everyone else!”
You could. I suppose. But there are several problems with this.
- These events/gaffes/catastrophes/cruel policies are actually important. The decisions politicians and cultural figures make do actually affect my life, your life, and the world we live in. If we all check out then they can get away with whatever they like… and the marginalised and vulnerable get shat on.
- There is so much choice these days. And your business operates in a crowded market. Consumers are increasingly making spending decisions based on a brand’s values. They want to know what you believe. And if you make it too hard for them to find out – then they’ll go elsewhere.
So. It’s hard. But it’s not going away.
If you want to connect to your audience at a deeper level.
And you want to really understand what’s going on in the world around you.
Then you need help.
Introducing
The Soap Box
The community for online business owners with a social conscience, who want to feel confident sharing their values.
ummm...
What is The Soap Box exactly?
The Soap Box is the community where you can:
Find out about the things that are going on in the world, so that you aren’t blindsided by it during your launch period.
Find resources that link to the particular things that you care about. So you can stay up-to-date and educated on what matters to you.
Talk to other people with businesses and social consciousness who also want to use their platforms to amplify important causes and marginalised people. And maybe start your own revolution?
Practice with them, and talk to them about what you should say and how you should say it, so that when you get a DM from a customer you’re ready.
Get support. Because if we want to change the world, we can’t do it alone.
And yes, where you can have ranty conversations about how it never seems to stop and there’s always too much and you just want to take a break and read one of those really rubbishy Chick lit novels on a beach with a margarita (Or in my case, watch National Treasure or Independence Day).
The signature course
5 Steps to Sharing Your Values Online
Based on my political framework, this course takes you from having stuff that you care about, but not knowing what to do with it without chasing all of your customers away; all the way to sharing your values with confidence and grace.
- You’ll come out of the other end being able to talk about those things that really matter to you. Whether it’s body autonomy, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, or how there is never enough cheesecake in those little Gu pots.
- And you’ll be able to talk about them in a way that not only invites nuanced dialogue without pissing off the people who buy from you, but also pulls more like-minded people into your audience.
- And you’ll be more authentically you in your business. Without having to do an Enneagram test, or post endless photos of your “authentically messy” dining room table.
The support system
A nurturing Circle community
You can’t have better conversations all by yourself. So The Soap Box is built around a Circle community space where we can support each other.
The helpline
Access to the experts
With 2 decades of experience in helping people understand politics, I’m chomping at the bit to help you unpick your messaging conundrums.
And I’ve also got a bag full of experts up my sleeve in law, inclusive language, ethical marketing, how to be a good ally, and so much more.
the resource cupboard
Templates and resources
We’re not all talk in The Soap Box – we like to give you things too! As a member you get access to an ever-growing resource cupboard to help you champion your causes:
All for a monthly subscription of $49!
(I’m not going to do a thing about how each of the elements of The Soap Box is worth X dollars, and when you add it all up that makes so many dollars that 49 sounds like a bargain. Because if you’re interested in The Soap Box, then you want to do things a little differently. And also, I’m bad at maths.)
Want to change the world with me?
The macro-economic, socio-political, anti-racist, anti-sexist, LGBTQ+ Allyship – all of that is part of you. And it should be part of your business.
And The Soap Box will support you in making that happen.
To be honest, I’d like it to completely change the face of political discourse too while we’re at it.
I’d like it to be a space where we can have conversations with people who might not agree with us, without hating them and thinking that they’re the devil.
I’d like for us all to learn how to disagree agreeably.
I’d like for us to practice having conversations with humility and an attitude of curiosity.
And then for us to take that stance that we’ve practised out into the real world and spread it amongst others.
So that when we sit down at the dinner table, next Thanksgiving or next Christmas, with family members whose political or social stances we really, really disagree with, we are able to have conversations with them that hold a space for love.
And you know, maybe we can make the world a better place in that way.
That’s what I’d like.
That’s what The Soap Box is in my head.
Would you like to help me make it a reality?
cancel any time
No long-term commitment needed
The Soap Box works through a monthly subscription. If you change your mind about being part of the community, then you’re free to cancel your subscription. (I’ll only cry a bit)
Who is this for
Is The Soap Box for me?
This is not for you if:
- You can't listen respectfully to other people's views
- You can't commit to making The Soap Box a safe place for everyone
- You can't sign up to our community guidelines (which basically ensure the safe place bit)
- You think you know everything about everything and would like somewhere to show off your knowledge
This is perfect for you if:
How it works
Here’s what happens when you buy
Join now
Click the button below and you’ll be taken to a secure Stripe page to, well, pay.
Receive an email
You’ll be sent an email from Circle with log in details to the platform, as well as a welcome email from me telling you how to get started.
Get instant access
You can jump right into the community, get started on the course, rifle through the resources, or chat with our lovely members.
Hi, I'm Peta!
Politics geek, ex-youth worker, copywriter, messaging strategist, and the person friends and family always text when they want a political issue explained in straightforward language.
I help brands make authentic connections with their audience, by weaving their values through their messaging. And politics is a big part of that.
FAQS
You've got questions? We have answers!
You get access to Circle as soon as you make your first subscription payment.
No! All you need is a passion for a cause, and a willingness to be curious.
The Soap Box isn’t a partisan space. We welcome people from most areas of the political spectrum. We don’t allow hate speech, and we do insist that everyone is treated equally and with respect.
No! We want to help you share your values online wherever makes sense for your business. That could be your email list, your website, or even in person. If it’s social media, then that works too.
Every platform has a learning curve. But Circle is really intuitive, and we’re there to help if you get stuck
Then I’ll be sad, but you pay for The Soap Box on a monthly basis, so you can simply cancel your subscription and leave us.
Get in touch
Don’t see your question in the FAQ’s?
I’m all about questions. So if you have one that hasn’t been answered above (you clever thing, you!) then send me an email at allwordsbypeta@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
© Words by Peta 2023 | TERMS & PRIVACY POLICY | DESIGN BY BLUCHIC