Dear Reader, The Catalyst Perspective You could change the names, change the state, change the seat, and the patterns would still show up. Because they’re not personal. They’re systemic. I’ve worked with women mayors, city managers, and municipal directors across the country. Brilliant leaders navigating crises with skeleton teams and relentless public pressure. And let me be clear: I’ve lived it too. As mayor, I didn’t have a dedicated communications team. I was writing press releases myself...
17 days ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader, The Secret Weapon for Women Leaders No One’s Talking About The Catalyst Perspective She’s a first-time mayor, a mother, and officially a “part-time” elected official—if you can call leading a city of over 20,000 people part-time. Spoiler alert: it’s not!!! She was juggling a full-time job, a young child, and a city that expected her to be everywhere. She carried the guilt of missing events she was invited to because if she wasn’t at every event, did she really measure up? Sound...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, The Catalyst Perspective A few weeks ago, I joined award-winning journalist Robin Hamilton on her upcoming podcast, Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook. I was honored to be featured as her first guest and look forward to following her work once she launches during August. As we wrapped up, she asked: “What can people do right now, when everything feels out of control?” She could’ve meant the violence against rights, the unraveling of the social safety net, the lawlessness at...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
But We Damn Sure Can Change Their Seats. Dear Reader, The Catalyst Perspective I cried when I read the headline. The bill passed. Not because I was shocked, but because I know what’s coming. People will die. Families will suffer. Not in a vague, abstract way but in real, measurable terms: Fewer hospital beds. Closed clinics. Reduced suicide prevention resources for veterans. Gutted public education funding; stripping hope from our kids. And when basic human needs aren’t met, crime rises....
2 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader, Now He Has Followers with Guns and They’re Killing Women in Office The Catalyst Perspective This past week, we witnessed something unthinkable, but not unpredictable. Melissa Hortman, the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and her husband were assassinated in their home by a man dressed as law enforcement. He was carrying a kill list of public officials, abortion-rights advocates, and lawmakers. He had a plan. And he followed through. I knew people who knew...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Dear Reader, You Can’t Have a Standard of Excellence and Penalize Black Women for Meeting It. The Catalyst Perspective It's hiring season. And like clockwork, I’m hearing it again. “You’re overqualified.” Really? Let’s name it: Black women are the most educated demographic in the United States (NCES, U.S. Dept. of Education). We don’t just exceed expectations; we embody excellence. But somehow, when we show up prepared, credentialed, experienced, and aligned; we become a liability. Let’s be...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, Leadership isn’t about being seen. It’s about being aligned. The Catalyst Perspective The closer we get to a new election cycle, the louder the calls become…for candidates, for campaigns, for fighters. Especially for Black women, the pressure is constant:Be the fixer. Be the face. Be the one to take the hits and carry the fight, no matter the costs. And when we don’t run toward the chaos? They say we’ve bowed out. They say we’ve lost our edge. They say, “She’s not a fighter.” Let...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, Alignment in Local Leadership Isn’t Optional – It’s Urgent The Catalyst Perspective Let’s stop pretending we’re waiting for the federal government to save us. Washington is in crisis. Supreme Court rulings are being defied. Leaders are being mocked, not respected. Institutions once held sacred are now political battlegrounds. And in the middle of all this dysfunction, your community is looking for leadership. Not slogans. Not ceremony. Leadership. United States Capitol,...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, What happens when the Supreme Court makes a ruling… and the President refuses to follow it? The Catalyst Perspective Let’s be clear: This is no longer politics as usual. The Trump administration is openly defying the Supreme Court—again. He recently deported a legally protected immigrant to El Salvador in direct violation of a court order. This man had legal status in the U.S. and was never to be returned to his home country, due to credible threats to his safety. The court said...
5 months ago • 3 min read