About Chandra Nicole
There's a gap between the world we've inherited and the world that's possible. I live in that gap.
I'm a ravenous researcher and a systems thinker with a creative, existential soul. My work traces hidden patterns of power and explores alternative economic systems that center dignity and freedom. I'm endlessly fascinated by human behavior and deeply obsessed with understanding the roots of money and power. One of the questions I'm hyper-focused on is: How do we create change that actually transforms rather than simply rearranges the pieces?
For most of my life, I believed I could outsmart the system by way of rebellion. I became a life and business coach long before it was in vogue to do so and branded myself as the outsider, the rule-breaker, the one who "sees through it all." But the system is clever—it doesn't just crush rebellion, it commodifies it. I wasn't outside The Machine; I was just feeding it in a new way.
That realization changed everything.
Now, I explore the dynamics of economics at both the personal and collective levels– asking how they're entangled and what patterns connect them. I question the stories we've inherited about power, worth, and possibility. I trace patterns between seemingly disconnected systems and continuously search for spaces where new futures are already being seeded.
My work sits at the intersection of research, art, and activism—questioning old systems while imagining alternatives that center:
- Dignity for all beings
- Interdependence and collective liberation
- Regenerative rather than extractive principles
- True freedom that doesn't require others' exploitation
I don't have simple answers. What I offer instead is a commitment to asking better questions and creating spaces where we can explore them together.
I don't know much for certain, but I do know this– liberation is not an individual project. If our paths to success require us to turn away from those being crushed by the system, then it is not freedom at all... it's complicity.
I currently live on a little island in the Indian Ocean with two of my soul mates: Syntha, my so-fluffy-and-cute-it-hurts ginger kitty, and M, my grown daughter who also happens to be my "sister" and best friend.
I often consider the concept of Momento Mori (Latin for Remember you must die). This may seem grim to some, but for me, it's the flip side of living that we deny at our own peril. Decay and renewal remind me that transformation is not only possible but inevitable; two sides of the same coin that must be embraced if we wish to participate consciously in creating what emerges next.
The only question is, will we?
LET'S CONNECT
This work isn't meant to be done alone—that would contradict everything I believe about liberation being a collective project.
Exploring these questions together
If these ideas resonate, I invite you to join my newsletter. It's where I share thoughts too complex for soundbites, questions I'm wrestling with, and occasional glimpses into what I'm learning. No optimization tips, no "5 steps to success," just honest exploration of how we might create something beyond what is.
Share your thoughts
Have a question, insight, or just want to continue the conversation? Send me an email. I read everything that comes through, and the unexpected connections that emerge from these exchanges often become the most meaningful.
SUPPORT THIS WORK
This work exists outside the usual metrics of success. It's not optimized for algorithms or designed to maximize conversions. It's an attempt to create something genuine in a world that rewards the synthetic.
If what I'm doing resonates with you—if you believe in the importance of independent voices questioning the systems we inhabit—consider becoming a financial supporter. Your contribution isn't buying content; it's sustaining the space where these questions can be explored without compromise.
I offer this work freely, but the reality is that living within The Machine while working to imagine beyond it requires resources. Your support helps ensure this work can continue without being captured by the very systems it questions.
Become a Paid Subscriber and support with a monthly contribution
OR
Make a One-Time Contribution and support us as you're able
