The woman behind The Militant Altruist, Joanna Sides

I remember when I my mother I wanted to pursue a degree in Marketing; she replied, “business of sharks and if you do that, you will become one too.” At the same time, my religious teachers warned that when I went away to college no one believes in God so they would be having sex in the hallway, and would probably also force cocaine up my nose if I walked by. Best to stay away. Although no on has ever, to this day, forced cocaine into me, my mother may have been onto something about the business world.

After spending more than a decade as a market researcher in corporate America, many of the agencies and organisations I have worked for have housed countless manipulative, Don Draper types. I’m tired of the company, but studying humans never ceases to inspire me. Together we are an intricate human tapestry and I am drawn to the mechanics of its weave, the detail of its pattern, the sacredness of its stories, and the stray threads asking to be pulled.

My philosophy is human first. In work. In life. In politics. We are all on a journey of betterment. Life is a game of constant improvement (and frequent pitfalls) and a fierce and ongoing battle against entropy.

Here, I will use this space to reflect on my own journey to be a better human (and human representative). I hope this space inspires.