Off The Grid: Leaving Social Media

Mel Mitchell-Jackson, an adventure artist, writer and retreat guide who helps creatives build sustainable practices. They talk about leaving prestige for freedom, navigating chronic illness and Long COVID, resisting hustle culture, the pitfalls of monetizing creative work online, and plans for forest-based art retreats and community-focused teaching.

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a new business friend and peer that sent me into a total tailspin.The TLDR; is that they said something relatively innocuous about my podcast & membership model…And it had me questioning everything about I know about success in online business.In this Clubhouse-exclusive episode, I share more of that story and the pep talk I’ve been giving myself since. To hear the whole thing, join the Clubhouse at offthegrid.fun/clubhouseWhen you do, you'll get access to over 40 bonus episodes (and counting), curated tech + creative business newsletters, and more. Plus your own private podcast feed, comments threads, and behind-the-scenes updates on the show.Please join the Clubhouse to support the show! And find this specific episode here :)     ** This episode was recorded & scheduled before the US joined Israel in bombing Iran over the weekend. At Off the Grid, we believe in food not bombs. We support the Iran people and protestors pursuing freedom in the face of extreme violence. But we don’t believe in the US pattern of interventionism through warfare. Nor in a President who posts assassination updates on a social media platform he owns. For our US listeners, please join us in calling your representatives to stop these unauthorized military strikes. **

Jenni Gritters, community facilitator, writer, and book club leader who recently closed her Instagram, leads a lively conversation about quitting social media. They explore algorithm goals and addiction as lenses, parallels between fractured attention and financial scarcity, and practical ways to protect well-being while using platforms intentionally.

Today I’m joined by Cyrée Jarelle Johnson for a deep and thoughtful conversation about spiritual practice, small business, and social media.Together we weave through:How Cyrée crafted his career as a diviner, poet, herbalist + card readerHealing burnout when living with chronic illness and neurodivergenceWhy Instagram has no elders — and all communities are incomplete without eldersDiscernment vs extreme skepticism — and how to navigate the internet’s slop eraHow to blend online & IRL business models — including different ways to run a shopThe realities of experiencing transphobic and hateful comments on social mediaHerbal and ecological support for tending to burnout ❤️‍🩹   LINKS & RESOURCES:👋 Download the FREE Leaving Social Media Toolkit🌐 Get on the Interweb waitlist for courses + community💓 Join the Clubhouse for more episodes + emails📣 Learn more about advertising with Off the Grid  COMING UP:✨ RSVP for the FREE 2026 Astro & Biz Planning Summit, happening April 17 & 24 on Zoom✏️ Get on the waitlist for COME TO CLASS, a spring workshop on how to teach & sell online with confidence & care COMMUNITY SPONSORS:🌞 Craving a planner that's about permission not perfection? Check out Nine to Kind Planners today. Get 50% off digital planners with code OFFTHEGRID50 & 25% off analog products with code OFFTHEGRID25. Learn more & claim your discount at: https://www.ninetokind.com/pages/offthegrid 

A rundown of a privacy-first tech stack, from browsers and search engines to email and messaging choices. Discussions cover replacing big platforms with tool-focused alternatives, VPN selection, and music options free from algorithmic curation. Practical swaps and tradeoffs are highlighted for anyone aiming to reduce data tracking online.

Morgan Evans, founder of Business Casual who helps teams have real talk at work. Morgan walks through three sticky feedback scenarios in a rapid-fire clinic. Topics include critiquing a costly website, handling emails that feel like attacks, and setting collaboration terms up front. Short, practical, and refreshingly direct.

Morgan Evans, founder of Business Casual who trains teams in feedback and restorative workplace practices. Morgan reframes feedback as observation rather than judgment. She shares practical steps to give low-heat feedback, how to design systems and boundaries that invite responses, and ways feedback can be used for conflict resolution and social change.

Karolina Wudniak, founder of Paperwing Studio and host of the Indie Book Lab conversation series, explores independent self-publishing beyond Amazon. She discusses platform choices, fulfillment strategies like print-on-demand plus direct stock, distribution and international sales, and practical tradeoffs from costs to discoverability. Short, practical, and focused on real-world publishing workflows.

Discussion about choosing between tools and platforms, and how network effects create lock-in. A comparison of Shopify versus Etsy to show different business models. Four practical strategies for coping with platforms, including harm reduction and gradual migration. A personal decision point about moving parts of an audience off Substack and timing for that change.

Harry Doull, co-founder of Keap Candles and former Google and UN staffer, left tech to build a Hudson Valley B Corp making thoughtfully crafted candles. He discusses launching via Kickstarter, a subscription-first model, in-house production, choosing fewer SKUs for quality, moving toward natural fragrances, and deliberately growing without social media or Amazon.