{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"230: Small Acts, Big Impact: Rethinking What Community Service Looks Like in 2025","description":"As we enter December and close out the final month of 2025, this episode brings our year-long exploration of restored, intentional female leadership full circle. We\u2019ve spent the past twelve months talking about presence, friendship, boundaries, nervous system health, community spaces, and the internal work that helps women lead sustainably. This month, we\u2019re turning our attention outward\u2014to the communities we belong to. In this episode, Molly shares a deeply personal story of her own evolution as a community volunteer: from an enthusiastic, overcommitted \u201cyoung mom with a mission\u201d to a thoughtful, seasonally-aware leader who has learned how to give back without losing herself (most of the time, anyway). I talk about the boards I have served on, the projects I've helped lead, the burnout that followed, and the moment I finally gave herself permission to step back. You\u2019ll also hear how to bring your gifts, energy, and leadership into your community in ways that honor your capacity, why service doesn\u2019t have to be huge or flashy to be meaningful, and how even small acts of care ripple out more than you think. What You\u2019ll Hear in This Episode Molly\u2019s personal stories of serving on local boards, capital campaigns, and community revitalization projects What I learned from burnout, resentment, and stepping away Malcolm Gladwell\u2019s 3 criteria for \u201cmeaningful work\u201d and how they apply to volunteering The shift from \u201clifelong service clubs\u201d to \u201cshort-term, high-impact\u201d volunteer models Ideas for serving your community in ways that fit your season of life Real examples of women who made big change through small acts (cookie fundraisers, concert series, park lighting, youth leadership) Why your leadership belongs\u2014even if your gifts look different than someone else\u2019s Practical questions to help you discern where and how you are called to serve right now Key Quotes \u201cYou don\u2019t have to change the world for your service to be meaningful and valuable.\u201d \u201cSome seasons are for rolling up your sleeves. Some seasons are for amplifying others. Both are service.\u201d \u201cWhen women bring ideas into community spaces, change happens faster and it sticks.\u201d Resources & Links Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers (for the three keys to meaningful work) Previous Found Podcast episodes on community, leadership, and intentional living Connect with Molly on Instagram: @mollyknuth Share this episode with someone doing good work in your community ","author_name":"The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth","author_url":"http:\/\/www.mollyknuthmedia.com\/podcast","html":"