For our second OuiShare Fest speaker interview, Stina spoke with Ariane Conrad, editorial consultant and leadership coach about the meaning of this year's theme, "the Age of Communities".
I met with Ariane in her home in Berlin, connected through our computers. The meeting was organised with typical OuiShare ease and, like with most new encounters that I have experienced within OuiShare so far, it felt more like catching up with an old friend than having a formal interview. Maybe even too much so, considering I turned up unprepared for the eventuality that normal Skype does not have a recording function, and the session hence started with Ariane giving me technical advice. However, after a few unsuccessful tries I decided to resort to pen and paper “like in the good old days” (I’m sure I was meant to be born at least five decades earlier, seeing my level of tech skills is probably closer to those of my mother than anybody in my age).
Me: So, Ariane, what brought you to the Collaborative Economy?
Ariane: Several of the books I’ve worked on as far back as 2008 hinted at collaborative consumption, resource sharing, and micro-entrepreneurial opportunities. For example when I worked with Annie Leonard on The Story of Stuff we wrote about the tool lending library in her community in the context of consuming fewer resources. And I’ve been following Shareable.net from the beginning. Then last spring I heard about the first edition of the OuiShare Fest and decided to check it out. I ended up having so much fun and falling in love with the whole organization.
Me: So I guess you’ve seen this year’s theme “the Age of Communities”? What do you think when you hear it?
Ariane: I think of people and human connections, which corresponds well to what I see as the key strength of OuiShare: sparking new connections in communities across the globe. (Pause) I’m pretty sure for some people the word “community” means things that I don’t even understand, referring to users of certain technology or something.
Ariane explains how throughout her career she has had the chance to work with many leaders building movements, and how the most successful of these manage to bridge different populations and issue areas. For example, she tells me about how in the U.S. the environmental movement and the labor movement were cast as enemies for a long time, with conflicting interests, but it was when a smart leader realized they had things in common and brought them together, that a much larger and more powerful movement was born. The leaders who end up being most successful are those who make everyone feel included.
It’s when you go from having 1000 people believing in you, to having millions behind you, that things get really powerful.
Me: Do you think that communities are brought together to a greater extent in the Collaborative Economy?
Ariane: In some aspects the collaborative economy is reaching across to include different identity groups but there are still a lot of aspects that are recreating the exclusions of the old economy. To me, inclusivity is the ultimate vision, building something together, and we should avoid being in opposition to one another as much as possible.
[click here to see a great TEDx talk by Ariane earlier this year, discussing the importance of fostering a sense of community in mega cities]
Me: I have a question related to your job as editorial consultant (which I find extremely interesting, by the way - I didn’t even know it existed”).
Ariane: Well, I kind of invented my job. I mean, there are ghostwriters out there, and leadership coaches, and I’m sort of combining both, plus some other stuff.
Me: So, my question is: When I think about writers, “community” is not the first thing that comes to my mind, but I rather think about a hermit hiding away in deserted village somewhere. What do you think about this prejudice? What is the role of communities for authors?
Ariane: Actually, all my work is collaborative, writing together with someone. But yeah, all my writer friends are like: ‘How can you write with someone else?! How is that even possible?!’ Meanwhile I’m like: how can you work all alone in your own head like that?
Ariane explains that her writing is, in first order, persuasive. That means she thinks about the people she is addressing all the time, constantly seeking to understand why certain things in culture like memes or TV shows or fashions take off, and what might be the emotional obstacles and fears to get around, or desires to meet, to help her message get through to as many people as possible.
I am constantly anticipating my audience. So although I spent a lot of time alone with my laptop, I don’t feel lonely at all!
Me: Thinking about the post you wrote at Shareable about OuiShare Fest 2013, do you think that your readers will be different after this year’s event?
Ariane thinks for a while, then says that before OuiShare her readers tended to come from her usual "niches", like environmental or civil rights activism, but that through OuiShare more entrepreneurs and tech people have joined her followers.
Me: How do we in your opinion move to "the next level" and reach a broader audience for the collaborative economy in general, and OuiShare Fest in particular?
Ariane:
I'm a storyteller, so I will always be pushing for putting more stories into the world, helping us envision and manifest the future. I think this is more important than research reports or even supporting the creation of new businesses.
We need to make sharing sexy. We need to bring OuiShare to the mainstream. We need to be talking to one billion people.
Me: So, a bit more specifically on this year's OuiShare’s Fest. What are your expectations?
Ariane: Great music, dancing and lots of interesting conversations!
She then digs deeper into the question, adding that it would be great to see half the room be women, breaking the usual male dominance at tech and business conferences.
[I can’t avoid to boast about the fact that during the Fest preparations last week, we were actually more women than men.]
Me: Finally, what can absolutely not be missing at the fest?
Ariane straight away answers that she trusts the organisers to do a great job (challenge accepted guys!), and that she is sure to have a good time.
Ariane: Maybe one thing though. I hope there will be enough milk this year, as I always have some with my coffee…
With the promise to forward this quite modest wish to the food team, we hang up the conversation. I was left with a mixed feeling of excitement and anticipation. This will be my first Ouishare Fest, but I'm pretty sure it won’t be the last.
If you would like to learn more about OuiShare Fest, check out our Fest blog and get your tickets here!
Photo credit: ©Dan Taylor dantaylorphotography.com