Social Change Leaders Podcast

"Questions bring us together. Answers keep us apart."

— Peter Block

What does it mean to lead change in a fractured world? In this powerful episode, Traci Warnberg-Lemm sits down with Peter Block — humble citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio and author of the newly updated third edition of Community: The Structure of Belonging — for a rich conversation about what it really takes to build civic culture, restore belonging, and activate the common good in complex times. Peter's concept of the connector — someone who brings people together horizontally, across difference and distance — offers a fresh and urgent alternative to traditional top-down leadership models. This episode is essential listening for public sector leaders, coaches, community organizers, and anyone committed to systems change from the inside out.

🎧 Tune in to:

✅ Discover why connectors — not traditional leaders — are the heart of systems change and civic life

✅ Explore how coaching questions and small group conversations can rebuild trust, belonging, and community

✅ Hear why virtual connection is a logistical convenience — but not a substitute for real community building

✅ Learn practical tools for transforming any room — from government meetings to neighborhood gatherings — into spaces of genuine belonging

✅ Understand why opinions divide us and values-based questions unite us

✅ Explore the link between accountability, collective leadership, and the common good

✅ Hear Peter's vision for the Age of Connectors — and why this moment calls all of us to step up

About Peter Block: Peter Block is a consultant, author, and civic activist whose work focuses on stewardship, community building, and activating the common good. His books include Stewardship, The Abundant Community, and Community: The Structure of Belonging (Third Edition). He writes a regular Substack column and hosts events focused on relational activism and civic renewal.

Resources & Links:

👉 Work with Traci: 1:1 Coaching for Public Sector Leaders 

👉 Join Civic Reset Chats — Free Monthly Community Conversations with Traci

👉 Explore Peter Block's Work and Books

👉 Connect with Traci Warnberg-Lemm at Social Motion

🌎 Connect with Traci Warnberg-Lemm → www.socialmotion.co

Key themes: connector leadership · systems change · civic life · community belonging · coaching questions · public sector leadership · relational activism · the common good · equity-centered leadership · well-rounded generalist leaders · inner ecosystem · civic engagement · government leadership development · coaching skills for leaders · social change

“Take courage, friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone.”
— Wayne B. Arnason

In this joint episode of the Social Change Leaders Podcast and Spark Good Podcast, longtime collaborators and friends Stephanie Malon-Rufi and Traci Warnberg-Lemm reunite to name the moment we’re living in — and talk honestly about how we need to keep showing up.

This podcast discusses what it’s actually been like living and working in Minnesota during recent ICE activity and community disruption — from the perspective of two people embedded in civic life, small business, and community leadership — and how this moment is reshaping their work in 2026.

This episode is a conversation about:

Both hosts also share how their thinking has evolved since last year — and why they believe new civic muscles, leadership capacities, business practices, and connections are essential for this moment and into the future.

About Traci’s Work — Social Motion
Drawing on 20+ years in government, coaching, training, and civic engagement, Traci is focusing her 2026 work through Social Motion on:

Monthly podcast conversations on social change leadership, democracy, race, resistance, and systems change

Monthly “Civic Chats” — part civic education, part community, part re-imagining what building up democracy means now and into the future

Coaching for individuals, teams, and organizations inside public systems (education, health, government, nonprofits)

Coaching skills training to build leadership capacity, trust, and momentum across systems

🔗 Social Motion

About Stephanie’s Work — Spark Good
Through Spark Good Consulting & Coaching, Stephanie works primarily with small business owners who want to build sustainable businesses that positively impact their communities. In 2026, she is focusing on:

Consistent podcasting and weekly communication to support business owners

High-touch 1:1 coaching to help owners build financially and emotionally sustainable businesses

Supporting leaders to move from reactive to proactive leadership

Focus + Flow — a virtual community for accountability, strategy, and sustainable CEO habits

🔗 Spark Good

The Social Change Leaders Podcast is back! Host Traci Warnberg-Lemm returns with fresh insights on the intersection of leadership, civic engagement, and coaching. In this episode, she explores how coaching skills can enhance civic dialogue, and what practical tools leaders can use to strengthen their impact. Plus, Traci shares reflections from listeners on how their passions contribute to social change and provides free resources to help leaders navigate complex times with resilience and clarity.

🎧 Tune in to:

✅ Hear listener insights on skills they have that contribute to solving our biggest challenges

✅ Explore self-care, joy and nervous system regulation needed for resilient leadership

✅ Learn why leadership and civic engagement need a coaching approach

✅ Discover how deep listening and meaningful questions can bridge differences, foster collaboration and transform all types of conversations

✅ Gain practical coaching tools to engage more effectively in civic life

✅Hear how practicing better communication and inquiry can improve personal and professional relationships.

Resources & Links:

👉 Grab your FREE download, Civic Action without the Burnout - HERE

👉 Quiz: Should You Consider Hiring a Coach – Link to 5 minute quiz HERE

👉 1:1 Coaching with Traci - Link HERE for more information

👉Learn more about Civic Remix Conversations (in March 2025) – HERE

🌎 Connect with Traci Warnberg-Lemm → www.socialmotion.co

Episode Summary:

The Social Change Leaders Podcast is back! After a hiatus, host Traci Warnberg-Lemm returns with renewed purpose, fresh insights, and a deep commitment to supporting social impact leaders like you. In this episode, Traci shares personal and professional updates, reflects on the challenges shaping our world today, and offers a powerful coaching question to help you clarify your impact. Plus, she extends an invitation to build a thriving community of change makers as we navigate 2025 together.

🎧 Tune in to:
✅ Discover the evolution of the Social Change Leaders Podcast over the past five years and its exciting future
✅ Gain insights from Traci’s personal and professional journey—stories of loss, travel, and transformation
✅ Understand the biggest leadership and social impact challenges emerging today
✅ Explore how a strong community of equipped, empowered change leaders can shape the future
✅ Reflect on a powerful coaching question designed to help you refine your purpose and contribution
✅ Learn how to get involved in a growing network of like-minded leaders ready to make a difference

🔥 Ready to step into your full potential as a leader in social change? This episode is for you.

Resources & Links: 🌎 Connect with Traci Warnberg-Lemm → www.socialmotion.co
Listen to the Spark Good Podcast by Stephanie Malon-Rufi → www.sparkgood.net

You can't see the whole picture when you're stuck in the middle of it.

- Anonymous

More information can be found at  www.socialchangeleaders.net 

The Social Change Leaders Podcast is back after a 6 month break! In this episode, Stephanie and Traci share reflections, lessons and reminders during the ‘pauses’ in their lives.   They discuss what has helped them sustain their efforts and expand their vision. In their conversation, they discuss:

What Stephanie and Traci have been up to the last 6 months

What Traci and Stephanie have discovered /  re-discovered for themselves

What is next for Traci, Stephanie and the Social Change Leaders Podcast

Mentioned in today’s conversation:

Social Change Leaders Quiz

Traci, Social Motion

Stephanie, Spark Good

We are weaving the future on the loom of today 

- Grace Dawson

Do you see and think about the different systems impacting your social change efforts?  With the current challenges we face now as we emerge from a global pandemic, social change can feel even more out of reach.  It is important to understand the integration of systems when addressing our biggest community challenges.  Co-host Traci Warnberg-Lemm shares some observations about the emerging landscape of system change and how to maximize your impact as we move into 2023. 

 In this episode you will: 

In this episode we reference:

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net

As a social entrepreneur, do you find sales challenging?  Does setting prices and then talking about them make you cringe?  Take a listen to this episode where co-host, Stephanie Malon-Rufi, has a conversation with Kat Luckock, founder of Share Impact,  about her work with social entrepreneurs specifically in the area of sales.  Through the conversation with Kat you will:

More about Kat Luckock: 

Kat Luckock, Founder of Share Entrepreneur Coach, is passionate about helping social enterprise Founders & Leaders achieve their vision for social + environmental change with sustainable income streams, confident sales and a clear strategy. She is expert at helping you communicate your purpose and social impact in a way that attracts ready-to-buy customers, clients and partners.

She provides coaching, mentoring and training to help women generate revenue and sales in a fully aligned way to who they are and build their business with a strategy that works for them and the way they want to live their life (which is often not “conventional”).

She hosts the Creating Social Impact podcast.

Kat Luckock, Share Impact

“What really draws me to this business

is the power we have as women to change the world.”

- Casey Gromer

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net

As you continue to grow your business, do you struggle with how to grow your team?  Do you know how to use team members the most effectively? How can you build an effective team even for a small business?  We get into all of these topics and more on this episode with C-Suite Boutique Founder and CEO, Casey Gromer.  Co-host, Stephanie Malon-Rufi, has a conversation with Casey about her work building a business catering to women CEOs by offering a custom business blueprint, strategic growth planning and fractional integrator services.  Through our conversation with Casey you will:

• Learn about what a fractional integrator does and how it may benefit your business
• Understand the difference between a visionary leader versus a fractional integrator style leader
• Hear Casey’s unique approach to delegating, something many entrepreneurs often get wrong
• Learn tips for making you first hire(s) and how to set them up for success in your business
• Listen to best way to use your team even if you are a start-up business
• Understand how part-time expert help can be invaluable as you grow your business
• Hear Casey’s passion to changing the way we ‘do business’ recognizing that many of the systems supporting business growth are broken and don’t support  the additional responsibilities many women have within their households and communities 

More about Casey Gromer: 

Casey is host of Female Founders Breaking Boundaries podcast where she encourages women to ditch traditional, male-dominated business advice in favor of more realistic, workable ways of running their business while still achieving success. As founder of C-Suite Boutique, Casey and her team currently serve women entrepreneurs as Fractional Integrators. 

Casey Gromer, C-Suite Boutique

Casey Gromer on LinkedIn

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net 

Do you experience entrepreneurial burnout? Are you constantly running around wearing all the hats and putting out fires? This episode is a replay of a workshop that co-hosts Stephanie Malon-Rufi and Traci Warnberg-Lemm presented as part of Twin Cities Start-up Week.  In this episode, they  walk you through an assessment tool that will help you identify:

• areas in your business that need better systems in place
• the types of support you need to keep the business on the right track
• good time management skills that work and how to maintain good boundaries
• if you are properly managing your health and well-being

In this episode we reference:

• Free download: Building a Business That Doesn’t Burn You Out
• Spark Good, Stephanie - Spark Good
• Social Motion, Traci - Social Motion

“The number-one thing that you will have to sacrifice to be great, to achieve what you are capable of, and to execute your plans, is your comfort.”

-Brian P. Moran & Michael Lenningston, 12 Week Year

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net 

Have you started to think about planning your 2023?   Now is the time to decide when you will be doing this important part of getting ready for the new year.   In this episode, co-host Stephanie Malon-Rufi goes solo and talks about the annual planning process she does for herself and with her clients. In this episode, you will:

• Understand why reflection is a powerful planning tool
• Learn about the importance of reconnecting and refining your vision
• Hear about the book 12-Week Year and some of the key takeaways Stephanie recommends implementing in your planning and execution process
• Understand the necessity of setting goals along with a detail action plan
• Hear key tips to stay on track with your action plan and how to measure your progress
• Learn about the personalized annual planning package Stephanie is offering to listeners this year!

In this episode we reference:

• 2023 Annual Planning Package with Spark Good
• Spark Good, Stephanie - Spark Good