Podcast
How to Change the World
Hosted by Catherine Alonzo · EN
Welcome to our podcast, How to Change the World, where we dive deep into the world of changemaking leadership! Whether you're leading an organization, a political campaign, or a community cause, this podcast is your go-to resource for creating impactful change.
We'll bring you engaging stories and actionable tips from our team and inspiring guests who are making waves in their communities. Tune in for clear takeaways and practical advice to elevate your impact through powerful storytelling. Stories change the world - let's help you tell yours.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 202 - Why Isn't Our Marketing Working? (And How to Make It Work Without Doing More)
6d ago00:16:46Tap to summarizeIf your marketing isn't working the way it used to, it's easy to assume the answer is to do more. More posts. More emails. More campaigns. More everything. In this episode, host Catherine breaks down why that instinct often leads to burnout instead of results and offers a clearer way to diagnose what's actually going on. She introduces the two root issues behind most marketing challenges: a brand clarity problem or a marketing reach problem, and explains how they can feel the same but require completely different solutions. Catherine walks through how to identify which problem you have, what it looks and feels like inside your organization, and what to do next. She also shares why more effort isn't always the answer, how to focus your time and energy more effectively, and why choosing what not to do is just as important as what you do. If your team is working harder than ever but not seeing the results you need, this episode will help you understand where to focus so your efforts actually move the needle. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 201 - Write a Book That Changes the World: A Conversation with My Publisher, Jesse Finkelstein
3w ago00:55:09Tap to summarizeWriting a book can feel overwhelming, with so many paths, so many unknowns, and no clear place to start. In this episode, Jesse Finkelstein, co-founder of Page Two (the publisher of Catherine's new book) pulls back the curtain on the publishing process and what it really takes to create a book that matters. They explore the different publishing paths available today, why hybrid publishing is gaining traction, and how authors can think strategically about their goals, their audience, and the kind of impact they want their work to have. They also talk about what makes a book effective, why clarity and audience focus matter more than length or complexity, and how books can be a powerful tool for shaping ideas and driving meaningful change. If you've ever thought about writing a book, or want to better understand how ideas move from concept to impact, this conversation is for you. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 200 - The Fight for Immigrant Rights: Then, Now, and What's Next with Luis Ávila
Apr 1500:47:46Tap to summarizeIf you've ever wondered what it takes to keep imagining a better world while everything around you feels on fire, this conversation is for you. For the 200th episode of How to Change the World, Luis Ávila returns to the podcast to talk about immigration advocacy, power-building, and what this moment demands of changemakers. We explore the long arc of immigrant rights work in Arizona and across the country, what has shifted in the movement over the last two decades, and why Luis believes every major leap forward in human rights begins with someone imagining a world that does not exist yet and deciding to fight for it anyway. We also talk about what communities need right now, why being in community matters as much as strategy, and how leaders can hold both defense and vision at the same time. If you care about immigration, movement-building, and how to keep going when the work feels overwhelming, this episode is for you. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 199 - Ending Homelessness Starts with Housing: A Conversation with Mike Shore
Apr 100:52:16Tap to summarizeChallenges related to housing and homelessness can feel too big, too complex, or too stuck to solve. This conversation offers a clearer view of what real progress can look like. Mike Shore, President and CEO of HOM Inc., joins me to talk about what it takes to move one of our most urgent community challenges forward. We discuss why housing is the solution to homelessness, what people often misunderstand about the crisis today, and how HOM Inc.'s work helps thousands of families move into permanent housing across Arizona and Los Angeles. Mike also shares how Threshold, the initiative featured in Catherine's new book, The Changemaker's Toolkit, brings property owners into the solution through intentional partnership, targeted storytelling, and a clear focus on excellence at every level. If you care about housing, systems-level change, and what it looks like to bring your strengths to an issue you care deeply about, this episode is for you. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 198 - A Look Behind The Book: The Making of a Social Changemaker with Claire Louge
Mar 1800:58:37Tap to summarizeIf you've ever wondered how leaders keep going when the work never feels finished, this conversation offers a look behind the curtain. Claire Louge, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, joins me to talk about what it looks like to lead change today. In this movingly honest conversation, Claire shares her personal journey moving from chronic self-doubt to developing self-trust, and why transparency has become one of her core values. We explore how her personal journey shaped the way she leads and why she believes leadership should be more accessible, human, and honest. Claire also breaks down what prevention of child abuse actually looks like, including why "the root cause of child abuse and neglect is unsupported people" and how we shift from a culture of surveillance to a culture of support by getting families what they need, when they need it, in their own communities. If you care about building a world where families flourish and children can be who they are and offer their strengths to the world, this episode is for you. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 197 - Behind The Changemaker's Toolkit with Guest Host Veronica Aguilar
Mar 400:40:29Tap to summarizeIf the world has started to feel like it's falling apart—and you're wondering what change can realistically look like right now—this episode is for you. Guest host Veronica Aguilar turns the mic on Catherine Alonzo, regular podcast host and author of The Changemaker's Toolkit, to talk about what led her to write a book "for the frustrated changemaker" and why it feels more timely than ever. Catherine shares the personal story that shaped her drive to make a difference, the three forces making this moment feel uniquely overwhelming (and why they also create unprecedented opportunity for change), and the four tools at the heart of her "toolkit": vision, systems, core values, and conviction. Along the way, she offers a grounded reframe for anyone feeling heavy or powerless: don't ask how to solve everything—ask, "What are my five yards?" 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 196 - From Disaster to Dignity: Building a Luxury Fashion Brand in Haiti
Feb 1800:44:06Tap to summarizeIf you care about ethical fashion, women's leadership, and what it looks like to build change that lasts, this episode is for you. Julie Colombino-Billingham, founder of luxury fashion brand Deux Mains, joins me to share how a background in disaster response and a life-changing season in post-earthquake Haiti led her from short-term aid to focusing on long-term economic freedom for Haitian people through incredible craftsmanship. We talk about the moment a Haitian woman told her, "I don't need water, but I need a job," and how that single sentence reshaped her understanding of what people actually need to rebuild. Julie walks me through how Deux Mains grew from tire sandals made in a tent into a fair trade, women-led brand now selling in Nordstrom and creating stable jobs for Haitian artisans. We also unpack what redefined "luxury" can mean when it's rooted in transparency, living wages, sustainable choices, and partnerships that adapt without compromising core values. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 195 - How to Use Politics to Change the World with Neil Thanedar
Feb 400:42:26Tap to summarizeIf politics has started to feel like nothing but noise, this conversation offers a different way in. Entrepreneur, investor, and author Neil Thanedar joins me to talk about his new book Positive Politics. We discuss why politics, messy as it is, is still one of our most powerful tools to create lasting social change. We unpack why negative politics dominates our attention, what positive politics looks like in practice, and how changemakers can get involved without burning out. From supporting a local issue to influencing a bill or stepping into leadership, there are more entry points than many people realize. Neil also shares his long-term vision for a "Y Combinator for politics" style accelerator that helps ambitious optimists move from caring to building real solutions, faster. If you care about the future, feel disillusioned by the status quo, and want a more grounded path from frustration to action, this episode is for you. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 194 - The 2026 Political Cycle: What to look out for (and some bold predictions)
Jan 2100:51:34Tap to summarize2026 is poised to be a chaotic year in politics and elections – with high-stakes consequences. So, what better time to analyze and predict the year ahead with Javelina's resident political experts? In this episode, I'm joined by Javelina political strategists David Waid and Justin Plumb to unpack what they're already seeing in early 2026 — from fractures within both parties, to how campaigns are thinking about authenticity, to the role AI will (and won't) play in reaching voters. We get into voter turnout, midterm dynamics, wedge issues, and why some of the most effective candidates may be the ones who blend heart with strategy. We also share our own bold predictions (some serious, some not-so-serious) about the races, actors, and surprises that may define this cycle — and what this moment is signaling about politics more broadly. If you've been trying to make sense of the political landscape, this conversation offers insight, context, and a reminder that even unpredictable cycles have patterns worth watching. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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Ep. 193 - The Year's Best Books on Changing the World
Jan 700:49:13Tap to summarizeWhat a year of changemaking books taught us about how to drive meaningful impact. In this special second annual How to Change the World Book Club episode, Catherine is joined by book club regulars Maggie Bauer and Eric DeMarco to share the standout reads of the year, the themes that kept surfacing, and the "book awards" they handed out along the way. From most hopeful to most likely to shift your perspective, they dig into big topics like AI bias, climate resilience, disability justice, emotional labor, and the role of community in creating real change — and reflect on the surprising ways reading together can move you from awareness to action. Here are the 12 books we read in 2025: January - Atomic Habits by James Clear (personal growth) February - Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau (disability/advocacy) March - What the Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales (nature/environment) April - Factfulness by Hans Rosling (society/economics) May - Emotional Labor by Rose Hackman (workplace/gender) June - Murder the Truth by David Enrich (government/politics) July - Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (economics/technology) August - Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman (society/change) September - We All Want to Change the World by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (society/politics) October - Unmasking AI by Joy Buolamwini (technology) November - Medicine River by Mary Annette Pember (Native American history) December - Hope Dies Last by Alan Weisman (environment) 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on changemaking. 🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube now!
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