“Never underestimate the power of one. And to know that you don’t have to change the world to change the world. You can change your own world to change someone else’s.”
The soul piercing words from guest, Katie Liew who features in this episode.
So often we see a problem yet feel helpless to do anything about it. Katie on the other hand, saw a problem and decided to focus on it and help break the cycle.
That problem is homelessness.
She hasn’t always spent her time in this space and the seeds were only sown after a two-month trip to Africa where Katie witnessed poverty and life through a new lens.
Katie returned to Australia feeling deflated at the state of the world. And at this point she didn’t quite know what to do about her feelings of helplessness.
Her travels had changed her perception and ignited her passion for life and especially those less fortunate.
Katie managed to find her way out of the overwhelm of the problem, following her heart to offer support to women and young people who are at risk or experiencing homelessness.
Since 2017 Katie has been the CEO and Founder of a social enterprise called The Underground Collaborative supporting the homeless, assisting the marginalised in the community and providing education, employment and empowerment so they can increase their quality of life and live free from poverty.
I’ll leave you with her words of advice, “you don’t have to change the world to change the world. You can change your own world to change someone else’s.”
Connect with Katie Liew
Website https://theunderground.org.au
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theundergroundcollab/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theundergroundcollab/
IN KATIE’S WORDS
“Intelligence isn’t just through academics. Intelligence is other social skills.”
On working in a corporate role
“When I was working in a corporate role I didn’t really know where my place was.”
“I felt like an ant on a big mound and didn’t have much contribution to what I was doing. I Felt quite small.”
On travelling through Africa
“that really opened my eyes to what I thought poverty was like and even just in terms of tourism and how westerners have sort of impacted those countries and communities.”
On returning to Australia from Africa
“I was completely deflated at the state of our world. I was angry. I was frustrated. I was sad. I didn’t really know what to do. I felt quite helpless but I think the silver lining was it really reignited my passions for life especially of those less fortunate.”
“I wanted to help and while I didn’t necessarily know how I was going to do that I really felt like I was brought back to life in a sense and it demonstrated to me this is where I needed to be.
On starting something your passionate about
“Surround yourself with people who understand the space and spend some time talking to them and understanding what it is that you want to do and how you go about doing it.”
“Talk to people and understand the problem you are trying to solve.”
Katie’s message of hope to others
“Never underestimate the power of one. And to know that you don’t have to change the world to change the world. You can change your own world to change someone else’s.”
“It might seem small and ineffective but I think education is a huge part of knowing about the social issues we are facing as a community. Of course education is one thing but we can’t make an impact without funding. Donations are always a great place and makes a huge difference to us.”
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Is there an issue you feel called to do something about? Don’t know where to start? Start with what you have. You may not have a lot but when you choose to start that’s when things begin to unfold.
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With Love,
Annie
