You're Not Powerless: Building Agency in Broken Systems with Dr. Krystal Rawls

Описание: Feeling powerless against systems that seem too big to change? Episode 190 of The Empowered & Embodied Show will shift how you think about agency, collective power, and your role in transformation.

Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with Dr. Krystal Rawls, systems strategist, workforce futurist, and Director of the Workforce Integration Network at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Dr. Rawls breaks down why systems aren't separate from people, they're made OF people. That means you have more power than you think.

In this conversation, we explore the difference between personal and collective agency, why isolation keeps us stuck, and how finding your community isn't just nice-to-have, it's the actual mechanism of systems change. Dr. Rawls shares practical strategies for moving from feeling like a lone voice to building collective power that creates real impact.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Personal agency is the permission you give yourself to act
Collective agency emerges when your community aligns on shared values and direction
Systems aren't bigger than people; they're comprised of people, which means you have inherent power
Finding your community starts by finding one person who you align with
Belonging is about fully being yourself within community

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
04:02 Understanding Systems and Individual Agency
06:31 The Importance of Community in Systems Change
09:10 Defining Personal and Collective Agency
11:56 Challenging Individualism and Embracing Community
14:58 Navigating Systems and Personal Choices
17:24 Building Community and Collective Action
20:09 The Role of Rituals in Community Building
25:39 The Journey from Individual to Collective Impact
28:26 Finding Belonging in Community
31:04 Rest as a Strategy for Empowerment
33:29 Wrap Up and Call to Action
 
ABOUT DR. KRYSTAL RAWLS:
Dr. Krystal Rawls is a systems strategist, educator, and workforce futurist whose work centers on equity, agency, and institutional change. As Director of the Workforce Integration Network at California State University, Dominguez Hills, she leads large-scale initiatives bridging digital access, economic mobility, and community empowerment. Her expertise spans organizational behavior, change management, and digital equity with a focus on how identity and agency shape the way individuals engage and transform systems.

Connect with Dr. Rawls on LinkedIn:   / professorrawls  

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program: https://kimromain.com/rising-visionaries

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program: https://louiseneil.com/services/rise-...

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