Catherine Alonzo

Catherine Alonzo Everyone can make change | Learn how to start your journey

At a keynote, I asked for a volunteer to join me on stage. What happened next surprised me.I recently spoke in front of ...
11/17/2025

At a keynote, I asked for a volunteer to join me on stage.
What happened next surprised me.

I recently spoke in front of 350 people who work at the Arizona Department of Child Safety about how to drive community impact in our current world.

Midway through, I led one of my favorite exercises – the one where I ask for a volunteer to join me on stage and explore what their personal core values are.

Someone raised their hand. I asked her: What’s a pivotal moment that changed the trajectory of your life?
Her answer was deeply personal and I felt the whole room shift.
You could hear a pin drop, and everyone leaned in.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen this happen.
But something about this moment felt different.

Usually, the volunteer talks to me, locked in on me and ignoring the watching attendees
This time, she spoke directly to the crowd.
This was her moment to share something that matters.

She used it to connect with her coworkers, to share something deeply personal that shaped who she is and why she shows up the way she does.

And it hit me… people self-select for vulnerability.
Anyone who raises their hand in a room of 350 people is ready to take risks. It might take a deep breath and thinking to yourself “why not?” but it’s a conscious choice to be courageous.
And when this person got courageous, she opened up and showed everyone in the room what it looks like to connect the person you are with the work you do.

What it reminded me is this:
the parts of us shaped by loss, by growth, by healing don’t wait outside the office.
They’re the lens we bring to every decision, conversation, and challenge.

It might seem unexpected to share something vulnerable at work.
But that’s the heart of the core values process.
It’s designed to bring the whole person into the room and to help us to connect who we are with how we lead.

And I’m forever grateful to the brave souls who take the risk to try it out.

Regret is easy with new information. Perspective is harder… and more important.During 2020, like many small businesses, ...
11/14/2025

Regret is easy with new information. Perspective is harder… and more important.

During 2020, like many small businesses, (@) Javelina took out an SBA loan.
At the time, it felt like a lifeline. The world had turned upside down, clients were pulling back, and we had no idea what the next week — let alone the next year — would bring.

Having that safety net felt like the only way to protect our team and keep going through the unknown.

Fast forward five years, and we’re still paying it off.
And I’ll admit, I’ve had moments of frustration where I’ve thought, why did we do that?

But then I remind myself: I’m judging 2020 me with 2025 information.
And that’s never fair.

Back then, the decision wasn’t reckless; it was responsible. It was what leadership looked like in a moment of crisis: making the best choice you can with the information you have at the time, for the people who rely on you.

Now, with distance, I can see what I’d do differently.
But that’s not failure. That’s growth.

And that’s all any of us can do.
You can’t judge yourself for what you didn’t know.
But you can learn from it.

That experience taught me what to ask next time, how to weigh risk differently, and how to lead through uncertainty with both heart and pragmatism.

Because that’s the real lesson of leadership:
Not perfection, but perspective.

Two sides of me were at war. The planner vs. the “life is short” voice.Not long ago, I faced a decision that split me in...
11/12/2025

Two sides of me were at war. The planner vs. the “life is short” voice.

Not long ago, I faced a decision that split me in two.

One side of me wanted to seize the moment: buy the ticket, take the trip, say yes.
The other side wanted to be practical: save the money, stay home, rest, and plan for what’s next.

And for days, those two voices went back and forth.
The dreamer whispering you only live once.
The planner reminding me you can’t do it all.

Both were right.
Both were me.

I kept weighing the trade-offs: the cost, the exhaustion, the joy I might feel if I went and the regret I might feel if I didn’t.

And eventually, I realized something simple but freeing:
You can’t live every version of your life.
You can’t do it all, and you’re not supposed to.

Sometimes, you just have to pick, knowing either way, you’re saying yes to one truth and no to another.
And that’s okay.

Because peace doesn’t come from getting it perfectly right.
It comes from trusting yourself once you’ve chosen.

11/11/2025

Real change doesn’t happen when one side “wins.”

It happens when both sides choose to listen, negotiate, and find balance — even when no one walks away perfectly happy.

This moment at the Arizona Capitol showed what’s possible when changemakers put progress over pride.

🎧 Hear the full story → https://youtu.be/zPOkIv36DZw

Some things don’t change...even in a rapidly changing world.Last week, I joined a marketing mixer with ASU students host...
11/10/2025

Some things don’t change...even in a rapidly changing world.

Last week, I joined a marketing mixer with ASU students hosted by the W.P. Carey School of Business. More than 20 marketing professionals — from agency heads to corporate marketing directors — were there to talk with students exploring careers in the field.

The marketing world is in flux right now.

AI is reshaping how we work and raising new ethical questions about creativity and originality. The economy is tight, budgets are shrinking, and many are uncertain about the future.

The students feel this acutely. Many told me about the struggle to find internships their programs require.

I was expecting a flood of questions about the future: AI, automation, and the viability of marketing careers.
And those topics did come up.
But the most common questions were about how I got my start, how I made decisions, and how I found my path.

It made me realize that 25 years after I was in their shoes, some themes are timeless.

We’re all still wondering:
✨ What am I good at?
✨ Where can I have the most impact?
✨ How do I get started?

And honestly, I think the answers haven’t changed either:
🔹 Try as many things as you can, skills and passions don’t always overlap.
🔹 Decide if you’d rather be a cog in a big machine or the ruler of a small kingdom.
🔹 Find your people. They make or break any job.
🔹 Take it one step at a time.
🔹 Remember: no one else has it all figured out, either.

At 40, I find these lessons just as true as they were at 20 — and I suspect 60-year-old me will agree.

It’s easy to use ChatGPT to save time without thinking about the wildly biased data behind it.At last month’s How to Cha...
11/07/2025

It’s easy to use ChatGPT to save time without thinking about the wildly biased data behind it.

At last month’s How to Change the World Book Club, we read Unmasking AI by Joy Buolamwini, a searing exploration of how biased data shapes the technology that increasingly shapes us.

It sparked a big conversation about what AI can and can’t do in the work of social change.

Here’s where I’ve landed:
AI is both an incredible tool and a complex ethical challenge.

For some, it’s seen as revolutionary – a must-use time-saver that can generate ideas, edit documents, analyze data, or summarize complex information in seconds. For others, it’s viewed as a flawed system that reproduces the biases of those who built it – largely white, Western, male technologists.

And the truth is… both are correct.

AI can help changemakers work smarter and faster.
What it can’t do is apply judgment, ethics, or strategy.
It can’t tell us whether something is true, equitable, or aligned with our values.

That’s the part that still belongs to us (and I think, always will).

What we need is thoughtful, comprehensive policy that will guide the intentional application and development of AI (links in the comments below to a snapshot of the current policy landscape). But we all know that ground is being broken and the rules are being set by big tech.

Which creates a challenge – and an opportunity – for those of us working in social change every day.

Start by:
✨ Trying the tools – and naming the limits.
✨ Building shared guidelines for use.
✨ Creating space for dialogue about ethics and impact.
✨ Learning from leaders like Joy Buolamwini and the Algorithmic Justice League.

There are currently as many limitations on what it can do as there are possibilities, and our job is to fully investigate the former. Not to stop it, slow it down, or avoid it, but to maximize its usefulness for the advancement of your cause.

What do you think? How are you handling AI in your work?

I wrote my first book by practicing high-stakes skills in low-stakes ways. And it’s how you can conquer any overwhelming...
11/06/2025

I wrote my first book by practicing high-stakes skills in low-stakes ways.

And it’s how you can conquer any overwhelming or intimidating goals.

This is something I learned in my hot yoga class, where we follow the same sequence every time.

You’d think it would get repetitive, but it doesn’t.
The more I do it, the more I notice: tiny shifts, small improvements, new awareness.

Recently, I noticed something that stuck with me.
Early in the flow, we move into a pose in a relatively easy way.
Later, we do the exact same pose, only moving into it in a way that is much harder to master.

And I realized: the first version isn’t just a warm-up.
It’s practice. It teaches your body what the pose is supposed to feel like so when it gets harder, you already know what you’re reaching for.

It’s the same with leadership, creativity, and change-making.
The low-stakes moments are practice for the high-stakes ones.

When I started writing on LinkedIn three times a week, it was a low-stakes way to share reflections and see what resonated.
Over time, it became my writing practice — a space to test rhythm, tone, and stories.
By the time I sat down to write my book, I already knew what it felt like to shape a story, find my voice, and connect with readers.

That’s what “recognize the feeling” means to me.

The goal isn’t to skip the small stuff. It’s to use it as training.
Because when the bigger challenge arrives, you’ll already know what it feels like to be there.

P.S. I talk more about lessons like this in my upcoming book. Stay tuned to sign up for book updates!

Most organizations have an unnamed audience.And it’s quietly killing your impact.At , when we do branding and messaging...
11/03/2025

Most organizations have an unnamed audience.And it’s quietly killing your impact.

At , when we do branding and messaging work, we always start with one question:
Who are your target audiences?

Most organizations can name three pretty quickly:
1️⃣The paying audience — donors, clients, or customers.
2️⃣The influencer audience — community leaders, elected officials, or decision-makers.
3️⃣The beneficiary audience — the people who directly benefit from your work.

And then comes the fourth audience.

It sounds like this:
“Oh, and the community.”
“People who need to know about us.”
“Really, just… everyone.”

Whatever the description, that fourth audience is always code for “everyone else”.

And here’s the problem:
If you talk to everyone, you’ll reach no one.
The “fourth audience” doesn’t make your message more inclusive.
It dilutes it. It stretches your team too thin and waters down what your first three audiences most need to hear.

So how do you avoid this costly mistake?

Think of your message like throwing a rock into water. It creates one large splash and then ripples outward.
You want to write for the inner circle — these are the people at the center of your mission.
When you get that right, your message will naturally ripple outward and reach others too.
But if you write for the outside ripples, the message never reaches the most important people at the center.

The most powerful messages don’t try to reach everyone.
They speak clearly to someone.

K-Pop Demon Hunters might be trending. 🎃 But Elsa? She’s timeless. And there are five really good reasons why. Despite t...
11/01/2025

K-Pop Demon Hunters might be trending. 🎃 But Elsa? She’s timeless. And there are five really good reasons why.

Despite that, it’s been twelve years since Frozen came out, Elsa’s icy blue dress has outlasted a thousand cultural moments and trends. I’m betting I’ll still see plenty of Elsas (like my friend's daughter pictured above) knocking on my door tonight. Why?

Because she’s a masterclass in brand power — and there’s a lot that social change organizations can learn from her.

1️⃣ A powerful story.
Elsa isn’t waiting to be rescued; she’s saving herself (and others). Her story is about independence, identity, and courage. It connects deeply because it’s the kind of narrative rooted in our deepest values and aspirations.

2️⃣ An unforgettable message.
“Let It Go” became a global anthem of freedom and self-acceptance. It’s emotional. It’s memorable. And it’s endlessly repeatable. It’s the dream combination for any powerful message.

3️⃣ A beautiful and consistent visual identity.
That sparkly blue gown, the snowflakes, the shimmer — instantly recognizable and emotionally evocative. In the social change world, this is the power of a strong logo, color palette, and design language that brings your mission to life.

4️⃣ Cultural presence and consistency.
Disney didn’t let Elsa fade. From sequels to park rides to plush toys, she’s everywhere, reinforcing the story and the feeling over and over again. For social impact brands, that’s a reminder: stay visible, stay consistent, stay creative.

5️⃣ A deep emotional connection.
Elsa stands for self-acceptance, courage, and love — themes that never go out of style. When people feel personally connected to your cause, they become superfans who carry your message forward.

So sure, there may be a few K-Pop Demon Hunters out tonight.
But there’ll also be plenty of tiny Elsas belting out Let It Go on the sidewalk, probably for many Halloweens to come.

And that’s the kind of brand endurance every changemaker should aspire to. 💙

Most leaders overlook their most important audience.Their own team.When we talk about marketing and communications, we o...
10/29/2025

Most leaders overlook their most important audience.

Their own team.

When we talk about marketing and communications, we often think about external audiences — donors, clients, partners, the public.

But your internal audience matters just as much.
Your staff.
Your vendors.
Your people.

They’re the ones who put your message into practice every single day.

Here’s how I think about it:
I go to a lot of concerts. And the best performers?
They find a way to connect with every person in the room, from the people in the front row to the ones in the highest and furthest away seats

But every so often, you’ll see an artist who only performs to the first few rows, or one section of the venue
They ignore the people in the cheap seats… who are very often the fans who love them the most.

That’s what it’s like when organizations forget their internal audience.
You can’t just perform for the people in the front row (your donors and clients).

The people behind the scenes — your team — are your most loyal fans.
They’re the ones who make sure the show goes on.

So don’t overlook them.
Make sure they know the vision.
Keep them inspired.
Remind them they’re central to the impact you’re creating.

Because your most important audience isn’t always out there.
Sometimes, they’re already right beside you.

What do you do when you receive mixed feedback from the people you’re trying to reach? The conference was too long.The c...
10/27/2025

What do you do when you receive mixed feedback from the people you’re trying to reach?

The conference was too long.
The conference was too short.
And the parking? “Could be better.”

This was the loudest feedback received by the organizer of a conference I spoke at recently.

When they told me, I couldn’t stop laughing — because it’s the perfect summary of what it means to lead anything.

When you ask for feedback, you’ll almost always get contradictions.
Half the room wants more detail, half wants less.
Some people love your pace; others wish you’d slow down.

The weight of contradictory feedback is that you can’t please everyone.
But the gift of it is freedom: the reminder that you don’t have to.

Feedback isn’t a finish line to race toward.
It’s a data point to inform your next decision.

Take it in. Learn from it.
But don’t let it steer the whole ship.

FYI: if you like things shorter, hire me for a keynote. If you like things longer, book a workshop 😉

You feel sad because you care. And that’s not something to fix — it’s something to honor.A musician I love named Cat Bur...
10/22/2025

You feel sad because you care. And that’s not something to fix — it’s something to honor.

A musician I love named Cat Burns sings in her song All This Love that,
“grief is love with no place to go.”

That idea has been sitting with me recently.

Because lately, so many changemakers I know are carrying a heavy sadness — about the state of the world, the pace of progress, or the weight of the work.

And it’s easy to mistake that sadness for burnout or disillusionment.

But what if it’s neither?
What if sadness sits right next to love?

The sadness we feel watching the world struggle isn’t weakness.
It’s love, with nowhere to go.
It’s love for our work, for people, for community.
It’s the ache that comes from wanting things to be better and having to watch when they’re not.

And I’ve realized… I don’t want to feel less sad.
Because that would mean I care less.

Caring hurts sometimes.
But I don’t want to stop caring.

Because that ache?
It’s proof that your heart’s still in it.

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