Being ‘Difficult’ Might Be the Key to Change. Alencia Johnson on the Power of Disruption

In her new book Flip the Tables, she argues that the labels meant to silence us - too aggressive, too emotional, too much -are often proof we’re doing something right.

America loves disruptors, at least in theory. We love the stories of people who refuse to accept the status quo, who challenge power, who shake things up for the greater good.

Isn’t that what the entire revolution was based on?

But when that disruption is actually happening in real time? When it’s messy, when it’s uncomfortable, when it’s being done by people we know, women and people of color, people who have been marginalized since the founding of this country, instead of the historical figures we’ve sanitized in our history books?

That’s when a lot of people stop loving it.

Alencia Johnson knows distruption better than most of us. She’s been behind the scenes on major presidential campaigns including including President Biden, VP Harris and Elizabeth Warren, worked to protect reproductive rights at Planned Parenthood, and advised some of the biggest brands and movements on turning values into action. Now, with her new book Flip the Tables, she’s stepping forward with a message of her own.

Her book Flip the Tables is more than just a call to action, it’s a manifesto for those who are ready to stop waiting for permission to start creating real, lasting change.

It’s also a reality check: disruptors don’t get celebrated in the moment. They get called difficult. They get shut out of rooms. They get told they’re too much, too fast, too aggressive. But, as Alencia argues, that discomfort is often the sign that you’re on the right track.

In this conversation, we talk about why self-doubt is part of the process, how to sustain the fight when burnout is real, and how even though disrupting the status quo will always come at a cost - it’s worth paying the price for.

I have learned so much from Alencia and I know you will too.

Emily: Your new book, Flip the Tables, comes out today, congratulations! The book is a manifesto for those itching to challenge the status quo. It’s such atimely message. You start the book by talking about moments of self-doubt, which I think is so relatable. A lot of people think disruptors are fearless, but you’re honest about the fact that even the boldest change-makers struggle with insecurity. Can you share a time when you had to push through those doubts and trust yourself to take action?

Alencia: So many of us struggle with insecurities – I’ve worked with too many high profile people to know this to be true! My very first cable news appearance was on MSNBC’s AM Joy with Joy-Ann Reid. A lot was at stake – this was January 2017 around the time of the Women’s March. I was working at Planned Parenthood's national office and was serving as a spokesperson for the organization. I was comfortable talking on stages and other media outlets about the work, but this appearance was not only my first live cable news show – I had to go on with an anti-abortion activist! I prefer to organize apathetic people than try to persuade extremists – but I couldn’t back down from this appearance. I was nervous I’d screw up on air as well as doubted myself and all of my media training/expertise. However, I knew this was a moment I was waiting for. And, as a young, Black Christian woman from the South advocating for abortion rights, I knew my presence would have a significant impact and create space for people who too often don’t see themselves in the movement – let alone having their faith co-opted by right-wing evangelical nationalists. So I pushed through – and clearly it worked out well as I’m still on TV (and sometimes debating those extremists).

Emily: The title Flip the Tables is such a powerful image, it suggests more than just making change, but actively challenging the status quo. What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it capture the essence of what you want people to take away from this book?

Alencia: The phrase Flip the Tables is about more than just making change—it’s about boldly disrupting the status quo. Flipping tables symbolizes reaching a breaking point where you can no longer accept the world as it is – the title comes from my favorite story of Jesus when he flipped tables in the temple. There are always tables that need to be flipped, destroyed, rebuilt for better. It’s the moment when you recognize the need for something new, something better, and take action—whether that’s within yourself, in your community, or on a broader scale. I’ve always loved Shirley Chisholm’s quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair.” But what if the whole table is completely full? What if the systems we’ve been told to work within are fundamentally flawed? That’s where Flip the Tables comes in. It’s not just about participation—it’s about transformation.

Emily: In the book, you break disruption into three stages: Self, Vision, and Community. I love this framework because it acknowledges that big change starts internally before it ever reaches the world. Can you walk us through each stage and how they build on each other?

Alencia: I had to work backwards from the question I’m constantly asked: “How can I create impact in the world?” People want action steps, which is understandable. But when you look around, you see so many people who are broken, hurting, and disconnected from their values. This nation itself needs a values check. Changing the world takes courage, and that courage comes from being authentically ourselves.

That’s why the first stage is Self. Each of us has a divine purpose, and that purpose is connected to other people. If we don’t do what we’re meant to do, the person next to us can’t fulfill their purpose either. So before we can disrupt the world, we have to disrupt ourselves—confronting fears, unlearning limiting beliefs, and embracing our full, authentic identity. Once we do that, we move into Vision. Because in order to build something new, we have to reimagine what’s possible for ourselves. Too often, we shrink our dreams to fit within what already exists, instead of boldly shaping the future we actually want.

And finally, Community. When we are full of courage and bold vision, we can take action—daily, small or big disruptive steps that add up over time. The biggest lie we’ve been told is that change will come from one magical figure saving us. The truth? We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. And when we embrace that, we stop asking for permission and start creating the world we want to see.

Emily: The second stage, Disrupting Vision, really resonates with me. So often, people don’t even allow themselves to imagine something different, they assume the world just is the way it is. What do you think holds people back from thinking beyond the status quo, and how can they start breaking through those mental barriers?

Alencia: The status quo is comfortable. And I get it—there’s so much happening in the world that people just want something constant, something reliable. So, stepping into the unknown feels terrifying. A community agreement I always impart when I’m training or working with groups is this: Just because you’re uncomfortable doesn’t mean you’re unsafe. I originally used that in organizing spaces, but when I took the time to slow down, go inward, and push through my own fears, I had to remind myself of the same thing. Discomfort and the unknown aren’t inherently unsafe—they’re just unfamiliar. Reframing my mindset in that way, while confronting things in my past that I didn’t think still impacted me, helped me move forward.

And let’s be real—we are not projects that need fixing. Today’s self-help culture can make us feel like we’re broken, but we’re not. We’re beautifully complex humans meant to be experienced and accepted. That shift in thinking alone can help break through some of those mental barriers.

The reality? Part of the reason the world is in its current state is because too many of us on the right side of things are holding ourselves back. Yes, there are systems that continue to oppress us, but we are in control of how we confront them. One of the goals of this book is to give people the courage to step fully into who they’ve always dreamed of becoming—because when we do that, we don’t just disrupt our own lives; we disrupt the systems that were designed to keep us small.

Emily: One of my favorite ideas from the book is that change doesn’t have to come from a big stage or a viral moment, it starts right where you are. That’s such an empowering message, but I know a lot of people struggle to believe they can make an impact without a platform or a network. What does being an ‘everyday disruptor’ look like in practice for someone just starting out?

Alencia: It’s overwhelming to think about everything that needs fixing in this broken world. But real change happens when we start chipping away at it with small, intentional actions. And by the time someone gets to the Community section of the book, they’ll have so much courage that those small acts of disruption will feel exciting, not intimidating.

Being an everyday disruptor looks like speaking up in a meeting to create space for new voices at the decision-making table. It’s joining and participating in your workplace’s union. Some people don’t think calling their members of Congress makes a difference—but look what happened when people flooded congressional phone lines and town halls recently! The GOP got so scared, they shut them down—because the people were disrupting their plans.

It also means pushing yourself to understand another community’s experience—especially if you’ve never had direct access to it—and actively unlearning the propaganda that the media and mainstream society have conditioned us to believe. And one of the most powerful tools an everyday disruptor has? Telling their own story. When we own our experiences and speak our truth, we disrupt the narratives that are designed to silence us—and that, in itself, creates a ripple effect.

Emily: People love disruptors… in theory. In real life, we often get called ‘difficult,’ ‘too much,’ or my personal favorite, ‘not a team player.’ Have you ever had a moment where someone tried to make you feel bad for speaking up or pushing for change? How do we deal with that and keep pushing forward?

Alencia: Oh goodness, all the time! But what’s that saying—well-behaved women rarely make history? My grandmother had a version of that too: “You might slow me down, but you can’t stop me.” That’s how I move through the world.

I’ve been bogged down by endless “processes” when the reality was, the organization or candidate I was working for just needed to move. We can process things to death and completely miss the urgency of the moment. I know some people don’t like this, but I’m very comfortable asking for forgiveness later instead of waiting for permission. The world we’re living in demands that we sprint forward and learn as we go. Of course, we need to be mindful of cultural differences, but we also need to recognize that many marginalized communities don’t have the privilege to wait for a process to shake out or for some trickle-down solution to finally reach them.

So when it comes to liberation, justice, and issues that are literally life or death, I will be too much, too fast, too difficult—as long as I’m creating solutions. And let’s be real: these labels get thrown at young people, women, Black and brown folks—the list goes on. People who don’t fit into the wealthy white male-dominated society are constantly told they’re "too difficult" simply for existing in their full power. As someone who sits at the intersection of multiple underrepresented identities, I take those labels as a badge of honor. If I’m disrupting a system that was never meant to serve most of us, then I know I’m doing something right.

Emily: We’re living in a moment where so many people feel exhausted, politically, socially, emotionally. A lot of folks who care deeply about change are feeling burned out or disillusioned, like no matter how hard they push, the system just pushes back harder. And I get it, when you see the same fights happening over and over again, it’s easy to wonder, ‘Does any of this even make a difference?’

Your book lays out a roadmap for disruption, but change isn’t just one big moment, it’s a long, relentless process. For people who feel like they’ve given everything they have and are running out of hope, what would you say to them? How do we stay in the fight when progress feels so slow? And what’s your vision for the future of grassroots activism, where do you see the next big opportunity for disruptors, and how can people make sure their impact doesn’t just fade out, but actually grows?

Alencia: Alice Walker said, “We must have a healthy soul in the face of constant oppression.” That sentiment continues to give me permission to take care of myself while staying in the long pursuit of justice. Overwhelm and exhaustion are tools of the oppressor. They don’t want us to have joy, to rest, to love one another, or to build strong communities. Why? Because when we are joyful, rested, and interconnected, we are powerful.

Flip the Tables lays out how to heal and navigate ourselves so that we create an immovable soul—one that understands rest is necessary, not something to feel guilty about. We have to take a beat, catch our breath, and care for ourselves, because if we want to do this work for a lifetime, we need to be healthy and whole. And in this moment, as we’re all figuring out what this iteration of the resistance looks like, we need to build strong foundations. When it’s time to ride out, we need people who are ready, not running on fumes.

I hope my book gives people the permission to take care of themselves, to love one another better, and to stay informed without getting trapped in the anxiety spiral (ahem—doomscrolling and rage-watching 24/7 news!). Advocacy is like a race—there are moments when we sprint, and others when we have to slow down, grab water, and breathe. That’s the work of disruption. But before we even start the race, we have to train. Resting, taking a break, healing our relationships and building community—that’s the training ground for the battles ahead. When we move with strategy and sustainability, our impact doesn’t just last—it grows.

Emily: Thanks for joining us, Alencia!

You can find Alencia’s new book Flip the Tables at Bookshop or wherever you get your books!

With love and rage,