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- [00:00]
A
That thing that is like making me shake is the very thing that needs to be said. Because it is the thing that is going to shift the atmosphere. It is the thing that probably is going to open up the eyes and open up opportunity for other people. A lot of times we don't get another opportunity. So if you are in that position and you have that microphone or if you are in that meeting, say the thing.
- [00:35]
B
Hello and welcome to the Politics Girl podcast. I'm your host, Lee McGowan. Let's get into it. I think right now more than maybe ever, people are realizing that no one is coming to save us. That if we're going to fix things, it's going to come down to us. And that can feel overwhelming and scary and honestly frustrating. Because how do we even do that? Where do we find the courage or the strength to even try? This administration is clearly unhinged. A government ignoring the Constitution, defying the courts, and literally snatching and disappearing people off the street. Every day they seem more brazen, more illiberal, more unlawful. And yet when we see the tide turning on people like Pete Hegseth, or the hesitation to just blindly invoke the Insurrection act, or the outrage we're seeing over the FDA not testing the safety of our food anymore, we see that public opinion still works, that we still matter. So today, instead of talking about the news or having a conversation with one of the wonderful organizations working to oppose the stripping of our rights and freedoms, we're going to bring it in back to us, the individual and where we can find the courage to show up every day and make a difference. Because it actually works. With that in mind, I've asked Alencia Johnson to join us. An award winning thought leader at the intersection of social impact and cultural change, Alencia is the founder of 1063 West Broad, a social impact agency specializing in connecting brands, organizations and people to mission driven solutions. And she works with some of the biggest names and groups you can imagine. Her work is all about where culture and purpose can unite to make the biggest impact. Alencia worked on the Presidential campaigns of President Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris as well as Elizabeth Warren. She has held national roles at Planned Parenthood and Geico and is now a sought after speaker and thought leader who I know you've seen all over TV and print media media. I'm having her on today to talk about her new book, Flip the the Everyday Disruptor's Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change. Because God knows that's what we need to do now. So without further ado, please welcome my guest thought leader, sought after speaker and best selling author of Flip the Tables, Alencia Johnson. Welcome, Alencia.
- [02:44]
A
Thanks so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
- [02:47]
B
Oh my gosh. Thanks for joining me. I really felt like all of us who are out here being bombarded with negative political news and this terrifying behavior that we're seeing from our current deserved the opportunity to kind of take a step back and focus on ourselves for a moment. Because I think this is a really good time to hone in on our courage, on our personal gifts, on the things that we have that can help in this moment. And I don't think that always comes naturally to people. Right. So sometimes I think we need a little encouragement or a little direction to find our way to those things. I feel like. That's why you wrote the book, right?
- [03:21]
A
I mean, literally. Yes, that's. That's exactly why I wrote the book. And it's so interesting because the concept of the book came in the 2020, beginning of the 2020 election, which we thought that was going to be like the end of Donald Trump. God, I wish it was. I kept getting this question from folks of how can I have impact in the world? And like, what can I do? I want to be a disruptor. And like, I've worked on presidential campaigns, I worked for Planned Parenthood, all of those things. And it was the beginning of 2020, around the time of the pandemic, when it got real. And we realized, like, oh, wait, we're not just going to be at home for a week. We're like, know how long we're gonna be home? Like, this is very serious. The murder of George Floyd. The Democratic primary was over, so my job and with Senator Elizabeth Warren was over. But we were going into the general and people are just at home frustrated and wanted to be disruptors. And I'm like questioning, like, what does that look like? I also, I'm the daughter of a pastor. I grew up in the church. I love Jesus. I love the story of Jesus flipping over tables in the temple. And I'm like, well, what got Jesus to that point where he wanted to flip over tables in the temple? And. And then I stepped back and I said, what would get all of us to that point where we wanted to flip over the proverbial tables in our lives? What I realized in order for us to do that is this point we're talking about us having the individual courage to be exactly who we were called to be, to move through that fear and to also realize that you don't have to have millions of followers or be an elected official or a name that everybody knows to have a significant impact in your community. But you do have to be deeply rooted in who you are and knowing your sphere of influence, knowing your expertise, and then also just being a courageous individual. Which means for me, I like the word courage instead of brave because brave is the absence of fear. But, like, sometimes we actually can't get over that fear. So it's like there's something that has to propel us, right? Encourage, keeps us moving, even if fear is present. And so this book is that concept of how do I give people the tools that they need to literally get into their purpose, be who they are, and be these courageous disruptors in small ways that, like, if thousands of us continue to do these small acts of daily disruptions, they add up. And so, yeah, that's the concept of the book. And also, to be honest, Lee, like, it's a book that I needed when I needed to do a career change. Like, I know people think I'm a courageous, brave individual, but I have fear too. I've got insecurities too. I question myself. I self sabotage. And so this book is very much a journey of how Alencia became more bold and authentic and understood my own gifts too.
- [06:04]
B
Yeah, I think some of the best books are actually one where the author is in many ways writing it for themselves because it becomes very personal. I know when I wrote my own book, I was like, I need to understand how we went off track and how we would get back on track. And that took a lot of, like, understanding and research and big picture concepts. You know, there were definitely moments where I was writing my own book where I was like, what am I even writing about? Like, what? Who, who cares? Why am I on Sacajawea now? Like, how did I get here? But you kind of have to understand the entire history of the country to come back and say, ah, I see. Here is where we kind of went arai and how we could fix it. And I was doing it in many ways to. To answer my own questions. And it sounds like you were sort of doing the same thing like that each one of us has this capacity for the good trouble that we've heard about, right? Whether that's from Jesus or it's from a member of Congress that we've been hearing about that. And making a difference isn't just for those people, right? It's like those people who have, like, you're saying, tons of followers or Tons of money or, you know, a big name. Right. Every one of us has it in us to make a difference. And it's just like, how do we do that? How do we tap into that? And I feel like your book is out there because it understood both yourself and others are craving this life of meaning and purpose, but we can't really figure out necessarily how to get to that. So you wrote this book almost as a guidebook to help your readers uncover these gifts that are unique to them, that we're not all the same, we're not all going to bring the same things to the table and then help overcome the things that might be holding them back from using those gifts. Like how do you align the things that you care about with the actions that you need to take to make a difference in those areas? Does that seem right to you?
- [07:46]
A
No, that's totally it. And. And when you mentioned that last piece of aligning the actions you take to the issues that you care about, what I realized is in our society, we have a values problem. And I feel as though politics is just an extension, one extension of how we show up with our values. And so how do we get rooted in our values, getting in ourselves, which is why the book is written in three parts. Before we can disrupt our community, which is the third part, we have to disrupt ourselves and then disrupt our vision because we have to have this radical imagination of a world that actually works for us individually and collectively as a North Star. But first, we have to really understand and hone in on ourselves, understand what our values are and what motivates us to do certain things, whether in our personal life and the relationships that we have. And then to, you know, the ethos of your podcast. Politics. Right, the extension of our politics. And then how then do you build community with people who, quite frankly, you may have never been part of their culture? And so how. How do you expand your understanding of humanity or capacity for humanity and grace? One, it starts with yourself, and then it also starts with people you are in relationship with and, and realizing that, like, oh, we can disagree and not always get along, but still deeply love one another and be there for one another. And then as you get to disruption of community. I love there's a chapter in there called Explore talks about when I spent a month in Mexico City working book and talks about my even evolution of understanding cultures and how we honor cultures and experiences of other people and how, to be honest, how popular culture, TV and films shapes our understanding of other people that helps us build community with one Another, I don't have to understand your experience to see that your life is worth dignity and justice. Right? I don't have to understand your full unique experience, but I do have to honor you, right? I do have to love you and be able to build with you. I talk about this all the time. I live in a new building and so I'm getting used to new neighbors and I'm speaking to some and some, like, really, to be honest, are so scared to just like, speak and talk. And I'm like, wait a minute, I don't need to go to a rally. I need to figure out why my new neighbors and I can't really have a conversation because also when like, things hit the fan, I'm gonna know and I'm gonna need for you to answer the door when I knock on it and say, hey, it's time to ride out. And so this book takes us steps back to like, really build those communities, to honor our values and know that every decision we make in our lives is based on those values. And, you know, hopefully that healing helps us understand. Now I sound like, you know, I don't know, a Buddhist guru or whatever. We're more alike than we are today.
- [10:40]
B
I've gone down a woo woo. Yeah. And like your book, I'm going to be really clear. I have read this table flip the tables, and it is not woo woo. You know what I mean? It's very specific. But I understand what you're saying because the gist is if you start talking about building a more just and compassionate world, right? To be the change we want to see in the world, all the things that we hear, it starts to sound woo woo. Because we've become so any part of, like, expecting the best from people or being the best version of ourselves, it all comes off a little bit woo woo at this point. And it shouldn't. Like, that's the thing. You're like, I don't need to go to a rally. I need to figure out why I can't talk to my neighbor who's I'm gonna actually need if all the power in the building goes out, or in case there's a crisis or like this kind of thing. Like, it's not about changing who we are. Because I think that what we're seeing right now with our government particularly is this ability to divide us for their own power, right? They want to keep us in our divided little groups. So we're not necessarily changing who we are. We're embracing who we are for change. Right? And that also Means embracing our neighbors, embracing differences. Like it's about empowering people to transform their own lives, but that will also transform their communities in very practical ways. And I think that's the thing, like you're talking about these stages of disruption, right? Like, and I think that's really the most important thing. And I think people can kind of get their head around that. So correct me if I'm wrong, it's disruption of self, right? Where you break down the barriers and fears that are holding you personally back from being like your best self, let's say. Then disruption of vision, where you reimagine what's possible for your life and that helps you maybe reimagine what's possible for the world around you. And then disruption of community, where you use that newfound knowledge and courage and vision that you've been working on internally to then go out and make a difference in the world. So it that basically to become the light in a darkening world, but it starts at self, is that correct?
- [12:41]
A
That's totally it. And what you'll find in this disruption of self is that this piece of embracing, one of the things that I had to learn is to actually embrace myself. Sometimes we are so critical of ourselves. We look at ourselves as something, as a thing to fix. Right? There's, there's a reason that like the self help industry and mental wellness, all of that has become trending because one, we are searching for meaning and healing and yet at the same time it's kind of subconsciously telling us that we are things that need to be fixed. When it's like, no, actually we are just complex human beings that need to be embraced. We need to embrace our mess. Yes, there are things that we have to work through. Our trauma. I talk about some trauma there. I talk about, there's a whole chapter. The red flag is you. Yes, we self sabotage. We build walls instead of boundaries. Like there are things that we do that, you know, we are the common denominator. But as I found in the embracing of yourself, shedding out the noise of what society and these systems are telling you who you're supposed to be, especially those of us who have any marginalized identity, that in itself is disruption. The courage to be yourself in a world that tells you what you are, what they want you to be in order to like labor under this capitalism that we live under. For you to tell them, nope, I'm going to be who I want to be and I'm called to be. That in itself is disruption, right? Like that.
- [14:08]
B
Absolutely.
- [14:10]
A
And it sounds like Such a simple concept. But when you individually are fighting for your authentic self to always lead in a world that tells you it shouldn't, that is some actual, that's not woo woo. That is some real radical work. And that's what led me to that one chapter in the disruption of vision. Goodbye to the boss. B I T C H. That is for all the women. It's for everybody. Because also the patriarchy doesn't serve men either. But it's especially for women and women of color to, you know, basically put a middle finger up to the society that tells us we are only here to either be labor or give birth to labor, as my ancestors were brought here. Or just be baby making machines. Like when women are literally, you don't.
- [14:59]
B
Want your $5,000 check for your six children that we're being offered now? What about your med? Could get a gold medal if you have more than eight children. You don't want that.
- [15:09]
A
I mean, you know, as you're taking away my birth control and access to.
- [15:12]
B
Abortion care and like, our health care costs seven jillion dollars. Like, what am I doing with a $5,000 check, Donald? Like, it cost me $45,000 to even have the baby. Like, literally, like, none of it makes any sense. But I love the idea that what you're saying is like, embrace the person you are rather than falling into trying not to be what they tell you you are. Like, we're both women. So, you know, if I talk too much, it' My voice is problematic. My age is problematic. You know, like, often when I do things in my kitchen, people are like, you're so old. How can you call yourself a girl? And I'm like, listen, first of all, I called this whole project Politics girl on purpose. Not because I think I'm 12 years old, but because every single one of us still has that girl inside us. When we go out with our friends, we call it a girls night because it's the fun part of us that's still there. If we go away as a group, it's a girls trip, right? Ladies night is for men, right? Like the ladies of the room. That's a men thing. Like, so I, I, I like embracing the girl moniker because I feel like we could embrace it. I, I don't mind people calling me shrill. I'm fine with that. Right? But you, you have a double down on that because you are a woman of color, right? So then on top of that, you probably have to deal with things like don't fall into like the angry black woman narrative. Right. And you're like, actually, I am pretty angry right now. I'm gonna embrace that. Right. That's an okay thing to do. And that's what you're saying, like, embrace the things bad. And if you feel like that, you can be like, nope, I'm okay with that.
- [16:41]
A
And you know, there's so many tropes. Well, two things here. One, I love that you are embrace intentionally embracing girl, because there's a whole chapter in the book called Childlike Dreams.
- [16:49]
B
Right.
- [16:50]
A
Literally us getting into our girl era. Or if you're a man listening, your boy era getting back to our childhood actually liberates and frees us. Yeah.
- [16:59]
B
Where your heart was before you were broken.
- [17:01]
A
Before you were broken, literally. And this piece of, like, reclaiming that. So, you know, I didn't say this specifically in the book, but to this point you're talking about. Yeah, if I am not working and decide to rest and you want to call me lazy, fine, whatever. I'm still not. I'm still going to actually embrace resting. And if you're mad at me because I'm angry, I can have a human emotion and be angry. Jesus was angry. That is why he flipped over tables. And like, to be honest, as a person of deep faith and I'm the red text in the Bible, person of faith, like, that is why I am committed to justice. Because Jesus, like, the story of Jesus is a political story story. Like, I don't understand how they've like, whitewashed Jesus that he was this benevolent, peaceful being. It's a very political story. And when I started paying attention to some of the stories of Jesus in the Bible, oh my God, he was angry, he was sad, and like, you knew it. And so we should embrace those emotions because they're indicators for us. Right? And most of the time when I'm angry, it is about something I care about. And so, so honoring that feeling allows for me to move through the feeling and not bottle it up. And like, then it's misplaced, then misdirected, and I can use it to propel me for something else. Right. I've worked through it and now I've realized, oh, that issue over there angers me. What am I going to do about it?
- [18:26]
B
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- [21:39]
A
Over there angers me. What am I going to do about it?
- [21:43]
B
Yeah, well, one of the things you seem to say in the book, and you say it when I hear you speak as well, is say the thing, right? Put yourself out there, you know, tell me what you mean by that, by say the thing.
- [21:55]
A
You know, it's interesting. I've been in so many rooms often and I have learned the power of like, you're letting your presence hold people accountable. So I'm not the one that like says the thing the first time, but I am the person who observes and listens and oftentimes, and I share this in the book that like even my voice shakes. I am on international television often, even my voice shakes, right? But like I've been around future presidents and award winning actors and actresses who also get nervous. And that thing that is like making me shake is the very thing that needs to be said because it is the thing that is going to shift the atmosphere. It is the thing that probably, probably is going to open up the eyes and open up opportunity for other people. A lot of times we don't get another opportunity. So if you are in that position and you have that microphone or if you are in that meeting, say the thing. Literally say the thing. Because there are a whole lot of people saying things that don't need to be saying things, such as the person in the White House, such as Fox News. And so there needs to be more of us who aren't silenced. Because part of the reason that they're trying to silence us is because they know when we speak up, people listen. And because they know that if they can silence us, they can win. And there are little things that we can do like speaking the thing. Whether or not you feel confident about it, figure it out in public. There are a lot of times where I'm asked about an idea and I will lead with, I actually don't know what the, you know, solution is, but I am open to figuring it out. Or I know that this migrant family deserves for us to have a very intentional conversation about their safety. Right. Like, it is important for us to take that opportunity and just say that because there may never be another opportunity and you never know who is listening to you. So many times it has been confirmation in my life that I've heard from people and they've been in rooms with me and they'll come back to me and say, hey, you said X, Y and Z in that meeting years ago. And that's the reason I took the step and applied for that promotion or whatever it may be. Right. Like, it always comes back. So a lot of times too, that thing that you feel like you need to say, it's not necessarily for you, it's for other people.
- [24:15]
B
Yeah. And honestly, I want people to understand this doesn't just mean like, like Alencia is doing huge speeches in huge rooms. But you don't need to be in a huge room to say the thing. You know, it could be at your dining room table where you hear your whole family saying something that you know is wrong and you know they've got the information wrong and you don't say anything because you don't want to rock the boat. You can say in a non aggressive way to the, the people at your very own dining room table. You know, I don't think that's right. And here's what I think. And you can say the thing even in a small environment. It's less esoteric in many ways and it's more personal. Right. It's like giving action to the things that you feel and putting it out there in a way that can start to make a difference in other people's lives. It's not just about making sure your voice is heard. It's about making sure the people who might need to hear it or who can't quite put it into words. That's what people often say with my work. They'll say, I heard you say something. And I felt so relieved because I thought I was going crazy. You know, I'm like, is no one going to do anything? And then you see someone saying, this is outrageous, that no one's doing anything and they feel like, oh my God, thank God, I thought I was going crazy. Like you're saying, often the courage to put things out there is actually for.
- [25:27]
A
Other people and it's giving other people Courage, right? Yeah, it is. The, the confirmation that you're saying is, is because you've said it, it's giving other people the courage to say it as well. This piece about disrupting some of these conversations with our family, what I found is, and I had to do this work, I had to be honest with myself. I was like, oh, wow, you can go organize thousands of people and do these speeches and conversations, but you can't really sit down and have a conversation with your family you might disagree with. Let's step back and do that. Let's model that. Because it's uncomfortable, but it is actually really important. And that's why I talk about disruption of community, the power of telling your story, and how I talk about the. During the Me Too movement. And this might be triggering for folks, and I honor that. But during the Me Too movement, I was at home with a lot of family and some members of my family women were talking about. It was very much victim blaming language that, thank God I'm in the place that I'm in. And understanding that society has conditioned so many people to believe that to be true. And there are women in my family who have had experiences with. They blame themselves. And I have compassion and grace for that. And what it led me to doing was when I got to some quiet time with my parents, I disclosed my own story of sexual assault. And my dad was like, who is he? Let me go find him. I was like, dad, this was 10 years ago. Like, you are a pastor. I like me for you not to go to jail. Thank you. And I was working for Planned Parenthood. So just understanding a lot about reproductive freedom and gender justice, but how that transformed the way my family engaged on the issue actually gave me a lot more courage to talk about on massive platforms and fast forward. In October 2024, I ended up disclosing that I'm a survivor on CNN because it was when there was another accuser of Donald Trump and I was on with an advisor to his campaign. And it was also when the National Women's Law center and several organizations put out Survivors for Har and he was calling her a radical activist. And all of the rage of millions of women was just in me. And I also put out there. I said, I too am a survivor of sexual assault. And I just went on and on and on. I didn't realize that I had disclosed that on national television until we went to break and the producer just said, hey, are you okay? And I'm getting a lot of text messages, but I couldn't have done that had I not shared the story and disclosed and set the thing and those spaces that are really transformative. And I've just built that muscle. As we continue to build that muscle, we never know when we're gonna have that opportunity that really shifts an entire conversation. And it actually brings in the voices of people who cannot use their voices in that moment. It was a huge moment for me. It was emotionally and yet get the messages and DMS and calls I got from so many women who were like, thank you for saying that. Right. But I don't think I would have had the courage to do that had I not had the courage to do it with my family.
- [28:45]
B
Yeah, you, you, you were building the muscle. You got to take the first step. And that was where you started. I think the thing is, is that you're talking about this idea that, you know, know you're using your voice for people that might not be able to use their voice and they can see themselves reflected in you. But I also think that we're at this moment in American history where I think we recognize that a lot of our leaders have let us down, that they're not using their voice when they should. Right. And that coming back from this moment where we're seeing such cowardice and such abdication of people that could really hold the worst of the worst accountable, it's saying to me that we need to build something new, that we need to change the way we've done things. Because clearly to get here in the first place and then to watch how quickly this amazing democracy and, you know, rule of law and everything is just collapsing around us, obviously we need to be doing things in a different way. And I don't think that means you need to be on CNN or the most confident or the most popular. As someone who's already powerful and successful, that every single member of this. You know, there's 330 million of us in the country and we're all just kind of watching helplessly as this happens around us. And if our leaders don't help us, then what do we do? And it's like, we're gonna have to step up. We all have roles to play in this. This episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack sponsor. IQ Bar is the best for you. Plant protein based snack made with brain boosting nutrients to refuel, nourish and satisfy your hunger. Without the sugar crack trash, IQ Bar is totally free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs and artificial sweeteners. 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I was really excited when CALM approached us to partner with the show because not only is Calm the number one app for sleep and meditation, it's an app I actually use every single day. I go to sleep every night with a sleep story from calm. I use their meditations for my varying emotions. I've even used their grounding exercise and listened to some of their expert LED talks. Calm is just an incredible app and there's so much going on right now that it's really easy, as we were saying in this episode, to get burnt out. But as they say on airplanes, we have to put our own oxygen mask on first. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of other people. And calm is one of those tools that really helps with that, and it's right there in your pocket. So you can even dedicate a few minutes to yourself every single day and give yourself a chance of living a calmer, happier, healthier life. So stress less, sleep more, and live better with Calm. For listeners of our show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm premium subscription. At calm.com politicsgirl go to C-A-L-M.com politicsgirl for 40% off, unlimited access to Calm's entire library. That's com.com politicsgirl we're gonna have to step up. We all have roles to play in this.
- [34:31]
A
We have to participate, right? And like, there's some self accountability here of like, you know, there, there are people who literally say, why vote it? And nothing happened. I said, well, did you go to the town hall? Did you call your member of Congress? Or do you actually know who your mayor, your city council member is? Like, we have to take some accountability there. And at the same time, you're leading to part of why I use disruption so intentionally in this book and in my life, the old systems did not work for us, and I am not in the business of rebuilding those. I want to build something new. I was asked this question, particularly around the dismantling of abortion rights across the country and, and how do I keep going and how do I Not feel so defeated. And I said, you know, well, I could. I could sit here and wallow in everything that we lost, or I could while acknowledging the very real implications that we are feeling and seeing of losing those rights, while also having this vision of maybe we could build something even better. Maybe this is the opportunity to build something. You know, a reproductive freedom movement that actually works for all of us. Maybe a democracy that actually will work for all of us. Right. That actually will safeguard us from a terrorist being in the White House. Right. Like, there is opportunity here, and that requires us to not give up, but it also requires us to understand that everything's not going to happen overnight. That, you know, know, watching the news, it's crazy. I'm about to say this, but, like, I don't watch that much cable news because if I watched all of that, my anxiety would be extremely high. I know I'm on it, but my anxiety would be through the roof. And I would be immobile, feeling as though it's too late. And I said that to someone who was like, well, don't you think it's too late? Donald Trump is in office. We're losing everything, I said, but if we all thought it was too late, none of us would be moved to action. None of us would participate. And so I think we have to look at this moment we're in, that multiple things can be true at the same time. I opened the book, and I'm paraphrasing the quote. I opened the book with this quote from Alice Walker that really got me out of bed. But basically, she said, you have to keep a healthy soul in the face of constant oppression. Oppression is going to always be there. And even for white men, straight white men who are listening to this, if you are not wealthy, you are oppressed, right? Like, all of us have some form of oppression that's happening or some form of injustice and equity that's happening that we have to constantly fight against. And because I understand that I have to pace myself and also tend to my soul so I can have the joy and the rest and sometimes, like, check out a little bit, like, you know what? I might not go to that protest this weekend, but I'm going to go do all of these other things and participate this way, because it is a lifetime's worth of work. And I don't want us to be burned out trying to respond to everything, immediately reacting to everything. I want us to get to this place of understanding how we have to take care of ourselves, to be in the marathon for the long Haul and, and part of that is this radical imagination of a world that actually works for us. It's really sad that like we have that, that's a radical notion that like health care for all people is like some radical idea.
- [37:59]
B
I mean it's not radical in 75 other peer nations. So I don't know why it has to be so frickin radical here.
- [38:05]
A
But it's been told that way, right? And then now I think about it too. I hope your listeners aren't thinking I'm sitting here telling white men that they are oppressed. What I am saying is that inequity is impacting everybody.
- [38:16]
B
Yeah, no, it's like you said earlier about the patriarchy, it hurts men too. Like I mean like literally unless you are a, you know, an Elon Musk level rich guy right now, you're on our side by the way, because it's not working for you. And I, I think it is really important that you address burnout in the book. You address burnout and you address self doubt. And I think that's really important too because it's something I, I was reading it and it's something I personally worry about, right? Like when you want to make change, when you're in things for the right reasons, when you feel passionately about something, there's always more to do, right? But then you find yourself working to a point of burnout. Like I find myself working seven days a week, 15 hours a day, every weekend, every holiday. And it's not sustainable, right? It's actually debilit. And then you can't even do your job as well as you want to be doing. You can't be making the change that you want to be making and you're doing it for the right reasons. So you feel like I gotta keep going because this is so terrible and I gotta keep doing it. But when you're depleted, you can't get the work done. And then also when you're depleted, I think that's when self doubt creeps in and you go, am I even making a difference? Does it even matter? So I think it's really important that you addressed that in the book. That this burnout concept.
- [39:29]
A
I had to address it because I, I found myself hospitalized before like being burnt out. And what good am I to this work if I am burned out? And even though I believe that taking care of ourselves, you know, doesn't have to be connected to how, what we can produce for other people, but I just know that we are so interconnected and that my life's work is connected to advancing our communities. But the beautiful thing that I have found over the years is that, that when I'm rested, I have the, I can hear. For me it's, I can hear God. And whatever you're listening to, you can hear those downloads that you need to move forward. When I'm rested or taking care of myself or literally saying, you know what, I'm not going to hop on this campaign or this project because I need to make sure that my finances are together so that I don't know if something happens, I can take care of my base. Not only my base level of needs, but my immediate family. Right? Like that's not a selfish thing to embrace. And the taking care of ourselves, making sure that our basic needs are met. Especially when this government is dismantling those safety net programs for when hard times come for people, right? And so I don't want us to be these burnt out women, right? Like I don't want that. I actually want us to be rested and clear, clear, clear on what we are doing. And again, back to what Alice Walker was talking about because she said a healthy soul is an unmovable soul. I want us to be unmovable. We can withstand what is coming and that comes from the rest and taking care of ourselves. That comes from also finding, you know, little moments of joy. Whether it's, you know, a call for me. I don't have children yet, so it's my FaceTime with some of my neat play nieces or it's my like, you know what? Yes, I am on the health journey of eating right and, and eating well and working out. But sometimes I really want those fries and like these like little moments of joy or it's, you know what, I actually would like to watch a little bit of White Lotus with my girlfriends and like find those moments. It's okay. Doesn't mean that we're not engaged, right? Like limit your time on social media. Get your read the news in the morning on a TR from a trusted source and don't engage on social media. And like you will find that you have so much more clarity on what you're supposed to be doing when you're cutting out that noise, when you are rested, when you have found those pockets of joy and built community. I've been on this journey of being more intentional about my personal relationships and Leah, I found so many of my girlfriends who aren't in politics, politics. I'm having deeper conversations with them about what does motivate them to actually continue to participate. Like they all vote. Right. And they all are very informed. But now I'm peeling back the layers of what is motivating them. And that's so beautiful. And then my mother, my goodness, my parents are retired, but they're doing all this work around food and housing insecurity and the rural town that they're in. And my mom has joined the board of the chamber of commerce to make sure that the community is okay. And like, those are small things that like, add up. And like, I'm finding all this out because people are finding joy and we're resting, we're building community together and that's just beautiful.
- [42:58]
B
Yeah. Well, we talk a lot on this show about taking responsibility for our people. Right. And that includes having those hard conversations at the dining room table, but also just like being responsible for the people that are in our lives. Because the work you're doing here, it seems to be that it's not just about challenging individuals to see what they have to offer, but allowing people to put that work out in the world. So it inspires other people. Because I think that's really where it comes down to. I found your book a very down to earth read. I mean, it's, you know, it could be read as a serious guidebook, how to with life lessons and business lessons and kind of minor therapy lessons, but you could also read it, you know, with a candle and like take notes and you know, journal it out. Because it seems like it's written in both ways to kind of meet people where they are. So it's neither woo woo nor all business. You know, there's sort of like this great mix and I feel like you've put it out there like the kindest kind of challenge, you know, like it's a wake up call to people to be the best version of themselves. But you're, you're not doing it in an aggressive way. There's no, there's no demanding that people meet a certain moment. You're. You're asking them to look inward and ask these tough questions like, am I doing enough? Am I using my talents in the right way? And I think a lot of us want to make sure that we're doing it, that we're using our talents, that we want to see change in the world. We just don't know where to start. And I feel like you put it out there as an invitation rather than a demand. And I think that's really important because right now I think we feel a lot of demand from our society. We need this from you, that from you like, give, give, give. And I loved Flip the Tables because I want more people flipping tables, but also because you do it in a way that doesn't feel aggressive, and it encourages people to do their own inner work. Work. But then that will allow that inner work to shine forth and make other people inspired to do their own work.
- [44:50]
A
Thank you. That was the goal, right? Because as I was writing the book, there was this again, insecurities come, and I'm like, oh, my goodness. Like, because I'm friends with so many activists and academics and people who, like, are really, really, really, really.
- [45:04]
B
Yeah, Big wigs. You're friends with a lot of big wigs.
- [45:07]
A
And I'm like, oh, my gosh, are they gonna. Like, is my book on par for them? And I very. It was very clear to me, like, no, no, no. This book is for those who feel very intimidated and want to participate. And I'm just so grateful that it reads that way and that it's a conversation. And I say a lot in the book. I'm on this journey with you, and there are. Even for me, there are times when I don't know where to start, but I just found the courage to get started. And so, yeah, that is the way that I wanted it to be received. That it is a guide, and I'm holding your hand as a friend, and that the small things are actually really important and that we shouldn't minimize them as not being significant. And, yeah, I just hope your listeners get all of that when they get the book and, like, engage with me on it.
- [45:57]
B
I hope they go and check out the book, because, honestly, it seems like you're challenging people to look at themselves and really see what they have to offer. Because we all have so much that we can offer. Like, stop letting perfect be the enemy of good. Figure out what it is that you have to bring to the table, and then go do it. Because you don't have to fit into some particular box of what a change maker is. Or, you know, like, oh, I'm a community organizer. It really doesn't need to be that. Like, you're talking about your parents working in food scarcity right now. Like, that's a huge difference that will change people's lives. And that's not them on the Internet making speeches about it. Right? Like, it's. It's completely different. You talk about it being called our fullness. Like, you know, what is our most full that we can be and making sure that we don't give up in trying to find that. Because I think you wrote in the book, if we want to live in our fullness, we have to accept our imperfections.
- [46:50]
A
Yeah.
- [46:51]
B
This reality that we cannot and are not meant to do everything, like, that's okay. Do the thing you can do and do it really well.
- [47:00]
A
Yeah. And also, also part of this, too, is for us to not live in such isolation. There is this lonely epidemic that's happening, and we are not connected to one another. And so to this piece of I can't do everything. I can't do everything. There's a whole chapter great versus good enough. I know what I'm great at. And the 500 things that I'm good enough at or can't even think about being good at. Other people can do that. And we can all, like, all of us doing the things that we are great at and passionate about, propel society forward. And that's so beautiful when, like, people are operating in their gifts and they're excited about using their very unique talent and a way that actually, you know, inspires other people. You're gonna keep doing that every single day. You're gonna be that light that begets other light. Right. You're gonna ignite other people. And there's so many chapters that are my favorite, but I. I really love the end of the book about being the salt and being light, because for me, this book is about us all finding our own light and letting it burn so brightly that it can't do anything but literally ignite other people's light as well. And that we are all moving forward and that in this dark world, there is a lot of light. And. And. And I believe that. And I know that things look really hard. And I'm not negating the hardships and the harm that's coming that all of us are going to experience. And yet at the same time, time, there is so much opportunity and light, too. Like, and. And it's all begins with us and ourselves. And the most horrific thing that that can be done to us in this moment is for us to go inward and not believe in ourselves and not believe that we are the light that this world needs. We are that light. Post that lighthouse. I'm literally looking at the ocean right now. I'm like, there's a lighthouse out there somewhere. Right? And, like, you can be that. You can be that for people that. That, you know. But you'd be surprised about how much light you can be for people you don't know. And I think of, you know, I'll tell my mother. My mom and I talk all the time. I'M the only child. My mom and I talk all the time and I'll just tell her about sometimes if I'm at like the grocery store or something and someone spoke to me and it just kind of shifted my day. Like those small acts of kindness and courage. You would be surprised how far it goes in this very dark world. And so that, that is my prayer that this book really ignites all of our light and for us to really again, I'm sounding heal the world and woo woo. But.
- [49:36]
B
But it is literally what we get some incense out. But you're not. Here's the thing, Alencia. Like we just did a project at our company on the 20 listens on tyranny by Timothy Snyder. Like this guy is not woo woo, right. He is an academic and One of those 20 lessons is look people in the the eye, go out into the world and interact with real people, make connections with people. Because it's the division and the isolation that they want from us. It's so much more easy to control us. And that's an academic saying that. Like you're saying the same thing in two different ways. I mean, honestly, I think this is the most important stuff. It's get real with yourself about what you're good at. Do that thing. You don't need to do all the things. Do that thing right? And then know that as you get real with yourself, then you get real with your community, then you'll get real with the world as it gets bigger. And that we all have a role to play in this and we don't need to be superstars, we don't need to be super rich, we don't need to be super famous, we don't need to be any of that. We need to bring our gifts to this horrible moment. And, and there really are so many more of us that have that. I want to thank you so much for joining me today, honestly. Please tell people how to buy your book and how to follow your work moving forward.
- [50:41]
A
Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me and thank you for this amazing platform that is educating we some chill over here.
- [50:48]
B
We needed to like think about ourselves a little bit, you know.
- [50:51]
A
You can follow me at Alencia Johnson. I'm mostly on Instagram and my website, Lyncia Johnson.com has all the places you can buy the book and it's available everywhere you buy books. It's also an audiobook. I read it myself. Engage with me and also sign up for my newsletter, Notes from a Disruptor. Also on my website, Alencia Johnson Dot com.
- [51:09]
B
Yeah, please do all those things. And honestly, it's an excellent website. I was very jealous. At the end of the day, day, we all want to see a difference, right? We don't like what's happening, but we have to kind of be that difference. And I think the thing is, is how do we find the strength to do that? And every single one of us has our own gifts that we can bring to flip that proverbial table. Because we can't sleep on this moment, right? And even if you've never flipped a table before, your book might be a good place to learn how to start.
- [51:36]
A
It will. And it will remind us that the people we have the power. We may not have the money, but they can't stop the people power. And it requires all of us to get in the game and flip over those tables.
- [51:50]
B
Flip those tables, baby. Thanks for coming.
- [51:52]
A
Thank you.
- [51:54]
B
So that was Alencia Johnson reminding us to cut out the noise, to listen to your own values. And when you need to, to say the thing. I know so many of us are wondering how we keep going, how we don't give up, how we fight back against this fascist machine that only seems to be growing in power. But it starts with getting clear about what we care about, who we are and what we value. As Alencia says, be unmovable in that when you know who you are and you find your purpose and your strength, it ripples out and it helps others find theirs. So don't be afraid of disruption. Make the change. Flip the table. You might not do everything right, but embrace that mess. Perfection is a myth, but the chaos around us is real. And the time to pretend it's just going to get better has passed. I want to thank Alencia for joining us today and you for caring enough about democracy to be here. Now go check out Alencia's book and embrace the radical imagining of a world that actually works for all of us. Until next week. PG Out. Before you go, I just want to say, if you're a premium member of this podcast, thank you for your support. Support. And if you're not a member, please consider being a patron of my work. We are almost completely overwhelmed by state supporting legacy media and propaganda at this point. So it's essential that those of us out here still bringing you the facts have backing. So if you aren't a member of Politics Girl Premium, please consider going to politicsgirl.com and signing up. You will get this podcast ad free, along with my rants and bonus content sent directly to your inbox. So even if my work is silenced on social media, you will get access to the the truth. There is a link to sign up in the bio of this episode, but also@politicsgirl.com and as always, please like and share these podcasts so we can grow our audience. The more people who have access to this kind of information the better. As always, thank you for your time and support. Politics Girl Podcast is written and performed by me, Lee McGowan in partnership with the Midas Media Network and produced and edited by Happy Warrior Entertainment. All rights reserved.