On Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m., GivingCity Austin founder Monica Maldonado Williams will speak with YWA about making an impact, being brave and creating opportunities through being involved with what motivates you. With more than 20 years of experience in communications, marketing and journalism with a focus on content that activates social good, the talk should inspire and activate our members.
Young Women’s Alliance: What can YWA meeting attendees expect from your speaking event with us on the 21st?
Monica Maldonado Williams: I hope to inspire members to find their own path to engagement and fulfillment. In my work creating GivingCity Austin, I’ve met so many people whose lives have been changed for the better because they decided to follow their passion for a cause. I’ll share some of their stories — and my own — with the purpose of letting them know that there’s no one way to have an impact. I’ll also share with them strategies to find the time, connect with the people and follow the causes I care about.
YWA: Why is it important to you to be involved with cause organizations?
MMW: Everyone’s motivation is different and one person’s motivation isn’t better than another person’s. I say that as a way to apologize for my own motivation, which is half from anger and half from the need to feel useful. I’m an avid reader of the news and all the stories of injustice, missed opportunities, and limited action make me frustrated and angry. In fact, GivingCity was born from that moment after you read a story about a solvable problem and think to yourself, “Why isn’t someone doing something about this?” I wake up every morning with that as my first thought. Then I think about coffee.
The other half of my motivation to get involved is that, once you start doing it, you get addicted to the gratitude from others. When they can show you what your donation has done or what your work has done, it makes you feel like, at least just for a minute, the world couldn’t have spun without you. Everyone loves that feeling.
YWA: What’s one thing you wish you could’ve told yourself when you first started your career?
MMW: Be brave about who you are. Unfortunately, a lot of the situation I grew up in made it easy for me to isolate myself. Nothing tragic, just that being a band geek and a nerd and an athlete with this little Mexi-fro and an obsession for magazines and New York City … well, we all grow up misunderstood, I guess. But instead of making it me against the world, I wish I had sought out more people to connect with, people who shared my interests and my background. And I think that means being brave about what you love and care about. Let people know, wear the T-shirt, start a blog, attend those Meetups, etc. I realized that later than I wish [I had] and I’m making sure to act on that now as much as possible.
—
Register to come hear Williams’ inspiring dialogue at YWA’s regular third Wednesday meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. RSVP at youngwomensalliance.org/our/events/october_general_meeting
