“The goal in life is not to attain some imaginary ideal; it is to find and fully use our own gifts.” -Gay Hendricks More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Have you noticed that some types of work keep you energized and other types totally drain you? What if you could always feel energized from the work that you do? In this episode listen to hosts, Traci and Stephanie as they talk about Zones of Genius. You will learn: A brief overview of the book The Big Leap by Gay Hendric...
Apr 29, 2021•10 min•Ep. 85
Here’s the truth about racial injustice: It is not just a Black America problem or a people-of-color problem. It is a problem for every American. It is keeping us from fulfilling the promise of liberty and justice for all. And it is holding our nation back from realizing our full potential. We are all a part of George Floyd’s legacy. And our job now is to honor it and to honor him. -Vice President Harris The Podcast is based in the Twin Cities and we wanted to take this episode and acknowledge t...
Apr 22, 2021•13 min•Ep. 84
“The best way to have social impact and generate revenue, is to strategize, collaborate, break some rules, and operationalize your passion.” -Traci Warnberg-Lemm and Stephanie Malon-Rufi More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Have you wondered how you can create social change and make money? Can you really do both? The corporate world of making money and the nonprofit, charity and government world of social change are coming together in unique ways. There is a lot of room f...
Apr 15, 2021•20 min•Ep. 83
Be the Change You Want to See in the World. Gandhi More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net The city of Minneapolis is going through a challenging time as the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer charged in the killing of George Floyd, is underway. Community members are grieving, hoping, and many are fearful and anxious. Today, we hear from Don Samuels about the founding of the ‘Healing our City’ initiative and Don’s thoughts on what social change leaders should be aware of, t...
Apr 08, 2021•27 min•Ep. 82
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Many of us are creating trainings or learning events for colleagues, coworkers or even for clients. Are you engaging the correct people prior to planning? Have you identified why you are doing the training? Do you know how much planning goes into a learning event? In today’s episode, co-host Traci Warnberg-Lemm walks us through 3 important ...
Apr 01, 2021•23 min•Ep. 81
Leaders must build ecosystems that support learning and ones that create safe places for trial and error during the implementation of learning. - Traci Warnberg-Lemm More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Are you confident that your learning efforts help you achieve your organizational goals? Are you as a leader supporting ongoing learning for colleagues and team? In today’s episode, Traci walks us through why and how leaders can build ecosystems and cultures for learning. ...
Mar 25, 2021•29 min•Ep. 80
What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. -Dwight Eisenhower More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Do you run around putting out fires each day? Do you feel like you are on the hamster wheel and not sure when you will get off? When you are letting the days run you, instead of you running the day, you most likely are not getting to the important work. The important work is what is going to get you ahead and keep your organization or business...
Mar 18, 2021•17 min•Ep. 79
We all do better when we all do better. - Paul Wellstone More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Are you taking some of the important steps needed to support diversity, equity and inclusion goals in your organization? Do you review & actively live into your organizational mission, vision and values? Are you leading by example and doing your own deep work to effectively lead and build a culture of equity? Today, our guest is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant Fele...
Mar 11, 2021•44 min•Ep. 78
A leader’s most important role is supporting the development of others to better equip them to scale their impact and create social transformation. Traci Warnberg-Lemm More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Do you wish you had a leadership superpower that created results and impact? Do you incorporate learning into your work and that of your team? Do you ever struggle with having training or learning opportunities that are effective? Today we explore learning as a leadershi...
Mar 04, 2021•28 min•Ep. 77
When you change the things you look at, the things you look at change Wayne Dyer More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Do you know when you need to shift your mindset? What tools do you have that help you quickly do that? This week we are going to talk about 4 simple ways to shift your mindset and how to know when you need to use them. On today’s episode we: Discuss how a positive mindset sets us up for success Define some of the common ways to identify if you need to shif...
Feb 25, 2021•12 min•Ep. 76
Do you find yourself inspired on a consistent basis? Do you inspire others? Do others inspire you? Inspiration can be the catalyst of great ideas and forward movement to achieve them! Knowing where we get our inspiration can be helpful on our journey to create innovative social change. In this episode we examine inspiration, especially how it can be a key component to great leadership. In today’s episode, you will: Understand what inspiration is and where it comes from Hear about why inspiration...
Feb 18, 2021•24 min•Ep. 75
You have to work on a sustainable business model first so your social enterprise will have the impact you want. More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Do you know if your social enterprise is sustainable? Do you know what you need to strengthen? Where do you start? In this episode we answer these questions. Co-host Stephanie Malon-Rufi takes her experience and expertise to provide a tangible 6-part framework to increase your sustainability. The Social Enterprise Check Up wi...
Feb 11, 2021•31 min•Ep. 74
More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net “The only way forward is through, together” - Nichelle Smith It is February 2021 which in the United States is also Black history month. With humility and respect we do recognize Black history is actually American history. This month serves as a reminder of that history and the contributions Black Americans have made; many of these contributions under challenging and impossible circumstances, and many of them unacknowledged and unappre...
Feb 04, 2021•50 min•Ep. 73
It is exciting to see innovation, equity, and investment finally converging for the change we need in the energy industry. -Nina Axelson More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Are you curious about how you can better engage and support clean energy efforts in our communities? What is the democratization of energy and what does that mean for everyday citizens? What innovations are having an impact on the energy industry? Today, our guest is Nina Axelson, vice president of su...
Jan 28, 2021•46 min•Ep. 72
If liberty and equality, as it thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost. - Aristotle More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Do you want to support good governance and good government? What can you do as a social change leader to effectively partner with government agencies on shared community goals? Join us and hear 7 strategies to partner with the government and create change....
Jan 21, 2021•35 min•Ep. 71
Be insane or be the same! - Brenden Kumarasami More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Are you communicating effectively to best scale your ideas and have more impact? Communication is a critical skill of social change leaders. Today we are talking with Brenden Kumarasami, the founder of MasterTalk. Brenden helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs and changemakers improve their communication skills to have more impact. Join us as Brenden discusses the work he does and shares some ...
Jan 14, 2021•26 min•Ep. 70
Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. - African Proverb More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Have you started planning your 2021? Today Stephanie and Traci continue the conversation about transitioning from 2020 to 2021. In this episode, we discuss how to create a powerful vision statement and how to get started setting goals & action steps for 2021. In this episode, we: Learn about vision statements, why they are important and how to create one of ...
Jan 07, 2021•18 min•Ep. 69
From quiet reflection will come even more effective action. Peter Drucker More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Have you taken time to reflect on 2020? The new year is a time many reflect on the year that has passed and begin planning for the one ahead. Listen as Stephanie & Traci share some year-end rituals and activities to consider as 2020 comes to an end. This episode also walks through 12 year-end reflection questions for social innovators, social entrepreneurs an...
Dec 31, 2020•21 min•Ep. 68
This is the season when people of all faiths and cultures are pushing back against planetary darkness. We string bulbs, ignite bonfires and light candles and we sing. - Anita Diamant. More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Did you know that the term “Holidays” actually refers to “Holy Days?” So, when we wish someone Happy Holidays we are acknowledging and respecting their preferred holy days - in an inclusive manner. It is the time of year when many holy days are celebrated...
Dec 24, 2020•20 min•Ep. 67
Bring your gifts to the work, dig in and enjoy it. Jason Sole More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net “Defund the Police” has become a popular phrase used this past year and elicits strong reactions. In this episode we move beyond this phrase to talk about what abolitionism and transformative justice truly means in a powerful conversation with Jason Sole. Jason is the co-founder of the movement Humanzie My Hoodie, a criminal justice professor, author, activist and abolitioni...
Dec 17, 2020•46 min•Ep. 66
If you call and no one answers, go anyway. - Rabindranath Tagore More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is an international human rights crisis. How do girls and women that have been exploited overcome the trauma and create a livelihood? Today we talk with Sarah Symons, Founder and Executive Director of Her Future Coalition, an international non-profit and social enterprise fighting human trafficking and other severe gender viole...
Dec 10, 2020•44 min
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net There has been a growing ecosystem to support social entrepreneurs and social businesses in the U.S and beyond. What does this support system look like? What resources are available for those who are wanting to launch or scale their social enterprise? Today we talk with Connie Rutledge, CEO of FINNOVATION Lab. FINNOVATION Lab laun...
Dec 03, 2020•26 min•Ep. 64
May we grow back not to what was, but instead toward what we can become. More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net This episode is being released on the third Thursday in November of 2020 which is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Many of us will be preparing large meals with fewer people around the table due to the increased social distancing practices brought on by the increase in COVID cases. As with many things that have happened in 2020, this holiday is a good time to reconsider a...
Nov 26, 2020•8 min•Ep. 63
More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Be grateful for the hard times too. They have opened your eyes to the things you weren’t paying attention to. - Anonymous Has it felt hard to be grateful in 2020? As you end the year are you thinking about all the things that did not happen because of 2020? Today we want to challenge you to think about 2020 differently. Gratitude is important! We want to share experiences and things in 2020 that we are grateful for - not just despite t...
Nov 19, 2020•26 min•Ep. 62
We all do better when we all do better Paul Wellstone More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net As social change leaders work to be more inclusive and address structures and systems of racism and oppression in our communities, we take a look at one of the important ones to tackle - health care. This week we discuss bias, leadership and health equity with Dr. Veronica Svetaz. Dr. Svetaz is a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center (where she also works in the Center for Hea...
Nov 12, 2020•40 min•Ep. 61
The reason we do what we do is because everyone matters. More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net How does the U.S. Healthcare System compare to other countries? Can we really improve care and cut costs at the same time? Who is the best advocate for our own healthcare? In part 3 of our civic series, we discuss health care policy, health costs and care, leadership and generational social change with Dan Pelino. Dan will walk us through our role as health care consumers, the ro...
Nov 05, 2020•22 min•Ep. 60
We fight for lost causes not because we always think we are gonna win, but because someone needs to keep the battle going. More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Election season always brings to light important civic topics and this year, big questions. Is voter fraud a real threat? Is the voting system still reliable? Will we know the election results on election night? How do we know what information to trust? And, perhaps even more importantly, how can we better improve ...
Oct 29, 2020•36 min•Ep. 59
Good Governance Depends on the Ability to take responsibility by both administrations as well as people. - Narendra Modi More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net As we approach the U.S. 2020 elections, where many big elections are occurring in all levels of government (including presidential), it is important to think about the role and responsibilities we have to American democracy. We are not born being good citizens or participants in democracy. Being an effective member o...
Oct 22, 2020•32 min•Ep. 58
Pursuing purpose Is less about skillset and everything about your mindset. Believe bigger - Junita Flowers Social change leaders and More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Specifically, in our conversation we: Hear about Junita’s early fascination with entrepreneurship, her passion for baking and her experience being in an abusive relationship all led her to find her purpose in founding Junita’s Jar in 2015. Learn about the social entrepreneurial model Junita followed to la...
Oct 15, 2020•25 min•Ep. 57
One year = 365 Opportunities More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net The Social Change Leaders Podcast is one year old! We look back at some of our episodes, share our reflections and what we have learned. In our conversation, we discuss: The importance of getting started and why now is the time to dive in and get out of your comfort zone The value of partnering and doing things together How keeping focused on our passion and our why has been helpful Being flexible The impor...
Oct 08, 2020•21 min•Ep. 56
