How to Change Systems from the Inside Out with Dr. Krystal Rawls

Feeling powerless against systems that seem too big to change? Episode 190 of The Empowered & Embodied Show will shift how you think about agency, collective power, and your role in transformation.

Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with Dr. Krystal Rawls, systems strategist, workforce futurist, and Director of the Workforce Integration Network at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Dr. Rawls breaks down why systems aren't separate from people, they're made OF people. That means you have more power than you think.

In this conversation, we explore the difference between personal and collective agency, why isolation keeps us stuck, and how finding your community isn't just nice-to-have, it's the actual mechanism of systems change. Dr. Rawls shares practical strategies for moving from feeling like a lone voice to building collective power that creates real impact.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Personal agency is the permission you give yourself to act
• Collective agency emerges when your community aligns on shared values and direction
• Systems aren't bigger than people; they're comprised of people, which means you have inherent power
• Finding your community starts by finding one person who you align with
• Belonging is about fully being yourself within community

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

04:02 Understanding Systems and Individual Agency

06:31 The Importance of Community in Systems Change

09:10 Defining Personal and Collective Agency

11:56 Challenging Individualism and Embracing Community

14:58 Navigating Systems and Personal Choices

17:24 Building Community and Collective Action

20:09 The Role of Rituals in Community Building

25:39 The Journey from Individual to Collective Impact

28:26 Finding Belonging in Community

31:04 Rest as a Strategy for Empowerment

33:29 Wrap Up and Call to Action

ABOUT DR. KRYSTAL RAWLS:

Dr. Krystal Rawls is a systems strategist, educator, and workforce futurist whose work centers on equity, agency, and institutional change. As Director of the Workforce Integration Network at California State University, Dominguez Hills, she leads large-scale initiatives bridging digital access, economic mobility, and community empowerment. Her expertise spans organizational behavior, change management, and digital equity with a focus on how identity and agency shape the way individuals engage and transform systems.

Connect with Dr. Rawls on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorrawls/

Download pre-release chapters Dr. Rawls' upcoming book -
Ambient Learning Models: Civic Learning in a Post AI Pedagogy: https://myseconddraft.notion.site/What-Education-Becomes-2e3057aab8728032a637ee2aa00b0a95

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