wave goodbye to stomach-knotting arguments, and say hello to a better understanding

The soap box

Confidently make your values part of your business

Without worrying about saying the wrong thing and getting cancelled.

I know you

You look around at the endless cycle of bad news and feel overwhelmed.

You want to use your business platform to make the world a better place. To further the causes you care about.

You wish the state of our political conversations could be different.

(Well, let’s face it, you wish the state of your everyday conversations about things like immigration, race, gender, and poverty could be different)

You’re turned off by the vitriolic us vs them of Twitter and Facebook.

Maybe 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.

Or maybe you’ve been in the comment section for a while – standing up for what you believe in – but it doesn’t seem to be making an impact.

You just end up in a pointless argument – with strangers on the internet, or sat around the table with your own family.

No one’s mind gets changed. And you’re a little bored of banging your head against a brick wall.

Surely there’s a better way?

"I never felt fully comfortable backing myself on political opinions or other values."

“I know what I stand for and things that annoy me, but I couldn’t always explain why or where I got my views from. I wanted a place to sound ideas off and have open and honest discussions, 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. The Soap Box helped me 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.

And now I help business owners do the same things in their business – in a way that makes sense for their brand, and their audience.

But why, peta?

Why not just ignore it all?

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.
And, also, there are always going to be those around us who disagree with us on some issue or other. We need to find new ways of nurturing relationships with those people, of better understanding them, rather than writing them off for good.

So. It’s hard. But it’s not going away.

If you want to connect with your audience at a deeper level – without getting cancelled, or being labelled as performative.

And you want to really understand different perspectives so you can engage with actual humans.

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:

Learn how to weave your values into your messaging without being cancelled or labelled as performative, so that you can be an effective ally or campaigner.

Find out about the things that are going on in the world, so that you aren’t blindsided by it during your launch period.

Talk to other people with businesses and social consciences who also want to use their platforms to amplify important causes. 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 roadmap

A year-long programme to help you build your advocacy skills

Based on my political framework, my advocacy work with young people, and my research on how we can have better conversations, The Soap Box Roadmap 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 – in person and online.

The support system

A nurturing community

You can’t have better conversations all by yourself. So The Soap Box sits in a purpose-bubilt community space where we can support each other.

The tea

Up-to-date resources on current affairs

With 2 decades of experience in helping people understand politics, I’m chomping at the bit to help you unpick the latest happenings around the world.

And there’s always something new going on (sigh) for us to talk about and respond to.

A 12-month roadmap to being a socially conscious business owner

A nurturing and supportive community

Up-to-date commentary on current affairs

All for a monthly subscription of £23!

(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 pounds that 23 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:

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 the Soap Box’s page on The Portal Colelctive – our home.

Pick a yearly or monthly subscription, and pay!

Receive an email

You’ll be sent an email from The Portal Collective 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, introduce yourself, and start to feel at home.

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!

When do I get access to the community?

You get access to the community as soon as you make your first subscription payment.

Do I need to know everything about politics?

No! All you need is a passion for a cause, and a willingness to be curious.

Do I need to be left-wing/right-wing/somewhere in the middle?

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.

Is The Soap Box all about social media?

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.

I've never used The Portal Collective before, is it confusing?

Every platform has a learning curve. But The portal Collective is really intuitive, and we’re there to help if you get stuck

What if I join and don't like it?

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 peta@wordsbypeta.com and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Bringing you and your audience together