How Patricia Burlaud Is Connecting Good Hearts and Smart Strategy

Pathfinders For Good
Jun 13
3 min read

The Moment Everything Changed

The numbers hit Dr. Patricia Burlaud like a cold wave. Florida ranked 49th out of 50 states for baby survival rates. For Black mothers, the statistics were even more devastating. She stared at the research spread across her desk, feeling the weight of two decades working in Africa with underserved communities.

"You cannot turn your eyes the other way," she whispered to herself, remembering the faces of women she'd worked with across continents. What happened next changed everything.

When Good Hearts Meet Broken Systems

Patricia discovered something that many changemakers face but rarely discuss openly. Giving money feels good. It's the easy path. But when systems themselves create the problems, money becomes a bandage on a broken bone.

She'd seen it firsthand in her work with 100 Women Strong in Central Florida. Women would fight their way above the poverty threshold, only to lose all government support overnight. They'd actually have less money after getting promoted. This "benefit cliff" trapped families in cycles they couldn't escape.

"There are so many initiatives coming from wonderful hearts and goodwill," Patricia explains. "But if there's a systemic issue at the heart of these difficulties, it will be without any end."

Like many experienced changemakers, Patricia faced a choice: keep applying bandages or dig deeper into uncomfortable truths about systems that weren't working.

The Breaking Point That Sparked Advocacy

The breaking point came during a late-night strategy session with her 100 Women Strong team. They'd just helped another group of women navigate mental health support for their teenagers. The peer-to-peer programs were working beautifully. But Patricia kept hitting the same wall.

"Isn't it better to go to the root of the system?" she asked her colleagues. "Sometimes you're facing resistance because systems benefit certain people who set those systems."

That question changed her approach entirely. Patricia realized she needed to stop being just a helper and start being an advocate. The work required something more uncomfortable than writing cheques or organizing programs. It meant challenging the rules themselves.

"You have to brush your ego away because you are representing those communities," she reflects. "You're not yourself when you're working on that."

Building an Advocacy Bridge

Patricia's insight transformed into a practical method that other changemakers can adapt. She's building an advocacy task force within 100 Women Strong - not another nonprofit, but a bridge between community needs and policy makers.

Her approach combines three elements: deep research into what works elsewhere, direct partnership with affected communities, and bipartisan engagement with state representatives. "There's no left or right involved in that. It's just how can we work together?"

The results speak to scalable impact. Her team's financial literacy program partnered with major firms like Chase and Edwards to support women navigating benefit cliffs. Their teen mental health initiative works through existing Boys and Girls Club networks, reaching students in every school.

"Collaboration is the only way," Patricia emphasizes. "But for that, you need intention and planning as well."

Your Advocacy Pathway

For changemakers reading this, Patricia's story offers both mirror and map. Her journey from helper to advocate reveals a pathway many of us must eventually walk.

Three questions to guide your own systems thinking:

What broken system keeps recreating the problem you're trying to solve? Look beyond symptoms to root causes that generate ongoing need.

Who has the power to change those rules? Identify decision-makers who could address systemic barriers, not just individual cases.

How can you represent community interests without ego? Consider what authentic advocacy looks like in your context.

Patricia's work reminds us that sustainable change often requires us to move beyond our comfort zones. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is challenge the systems that create suffering in the first place.

Ready to explore more of Patricia's insights?

Patricia's full conversation with Pathfinders host, Kay Lock Kolp, reveals specific strategies for building advocacy partnerships and navigating systemic change. She's actively seeking connections with state representatives and examples of successful programs from other regions.

Full Conversation on YouTube