In this week’s Leadership for the Common Good episode, host Jennifer McDowell sits down with Ruth Farfel, a Baltimore-based coach, facilitator, and solopreneur, for an honest and deeply resonant conversation about curiosity, creativity, and collective well-being.

Together, Jennifer and Ruth explore moving from feeling stuck to stepping into purpose—slowly, intentionally, and with care. Ruth reflects on her journey toward solopreneurship, the impact of societal pressures on curiosity, and the radical act of asking good questions. They discuss how survival mode suppresses exploration, why perfectionism is a threat in the do-good space, and how leadership can and should model vulnerability.

This episode is a heartfelt call to embrace experimentation, redefine self-care, and build a community rooted in authenticity. It invites listeners to reflect on their values, lean on others, and imagine a version of leadership that makes space for the messy, beautiful work of collective growth.

Key Themes:

• The power of small steps in creative processes

• Burnout, perfectionism, and the self-care industrial complex

• Leadership is honest modeling, not having all the answers

• Why curiosity is critical to thriving communities

• Building a culture of support in a world of individual pressure