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June 3rd, 2026

How Stories Can Shift Culture – Melissa Jun Rowley, Author of "Beyond The Mic Drop: How Stories Can Shift Culture, Power & Policy"

  1. How Stories Can Shift Culture – Melissa Jun Rowley, Author of "Beyond The Mic Drop: How Stories Can Shift Culture, Power & Policy" Joan Michelson 1:20:08

“What are the stories that people can participate in and see themselves in? I think that’s one of the keys that we can unlock when it comes to the whole climate narrative is telling stories that build the scaffolding blocks to a larger narrative that people want to be a part of, and we need to make it feel inevitable….The way that justice prevails, whether it’s environmental justice or any kind of justice, I think it’s that the leaders make it feel inevitable. And that’s the climate movement’s job. And I think we have every opportunity and ability to do that.”

Melissa Jun Rowley on Electric Ladies Podcast

The movements have been struggling to connect with people to communicate the vital messages about protecting the planet and its inhabitants. How can the climate and justice movements engage people again?

Listen to Melissa Jun Rowleg, author of “Beyond the Mic Drop: How Stories Can Shift Culture, Power & Policy” and communications expert and journalist in this fascinating conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson.

You’ll hear about:

● How stories and narratives work to engage people of all stripes.

● How emotion is key to connecting with people, helping them see themselves in the story

● Tips on how to develop and tell stories and tie them into a narrative campaign to drive a positive message for the planet and its inhabitants

● Plus, career advice, such as:

“You really need to start looking at yourself differently. You’re looking at yourself as one thing, but your skills, your assets, your talents, your passion can be so many things to so many other people…Try to look outside yourself a bit.…It’s very hard to see ourselves clearly, and I don’t know if we ever really do…So, if you’re able to, just talk to other people and say…’What do you see in my skillset and in my energy and in what I’ve accomplished so far and what I could do that maybe I’m not looking at?’ Because it is so hard to see ourselves…(and) it’s important to celebrate our wins.” Melissa Jun Rowley on Electric Ladies Podcast

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Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also like:

· People Leveraging Carbon Markets to Save Their Land – with Stacey Solie, Documentary Producer of “From the Ground Up” – telling stories to show the power of carbon markets

· How To Talk ‘Climate’ To Keep People Safe – with Allison Agsten, USC Center for Climate Journalism & Communications

· How to Talk About Climate in a Polarized Culture – with Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D., Climate Scientist, Professor at Texas Tech University and Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy

· Seek First to Understand – with Jennifer Hough, Advisor, TEDx Speaker, Author

· How Do We Talk About Climate? – with Jill Tidman, Executive Director of The Redford Center, nonprofit producing environmental documentaries and media

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Joan Michelson Electric Ladies Podcast - Innovation, Energy, Climate, Careers

Joan Michelson, MBA is a highly accomplished business leader and award-winning strategic social impact and ESG – environment, social, governance – leader, who drove breakthrough results at Chrysler (in EVs), American Express and Deloitte, small businesses, and government agencies. She is an instructor on ESG issues to professionals, leaders and board members across industries. Her specialties include leveraging ESG solutions and partnerships strategically for maximum benefit, helping organizations recruit innovative, diverse women, and helping these women thrive in their careers. She is based in the Washington D.C. area.

Joan is also an accomplished journalist who has worked with top media organizations and hosts and produces the acclaimed Electric Ladies podcast (formerly known as Green Connections Radio), about innovation and leadership in energy-, climate- and sustainability-related issues across industries, featuring women experts.

She writes regularly for Forbes on these issues and has also been in the Harvard Business Review, HuffPost, TheAtlantic.com, Greenbiz, The New Economy magazine (distributed at the World Economic Forum), New Thinking magazine, regional business journals; and various other media. She coproduced segments with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC News, and “The Crusaders,” and television specials on NBC.

Joan has spent her career working in energy-sustainability-climate-ESG issues and in marketing communications, including as head of communications and co-leader of the sales and marketing team of Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), driving “best year ever” growth and significantly accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles. Prior to GEM, she led marketing communications efforts to high-net-worth and high-visibility clients in management consulting-financial services companies Deloitte and American Express. She's a native of NYC and has a BA from UCLA, an MBA from Baruch College at City University of NY, and post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School, The New School and The Aspen Institute, among others. She has a Sustainability and ESG certification from Competent Boards.