Many of us walk around trying to get by. To get through. That could have been me while living at 1235 Berna Lane, the address of my childhood home in Ohio. But instead, my mom found the will and support to pull herself and her six kids out of poverty and into the middle class.
Her ability to ultimately thrive in life—not simply survive its circumstances—inspired me to build a career advancing change that would help others do the same.
For more than sixteen years, I moved up the ranks in traditional PR and campaign firms. During my various tenures, I built and launched successful campaigns for nonprofits and foundations that changed policy, moved the needle of public opinion, shifted harmful narratives, strengthened brands, and had a positive impact on various people and causes. I loved every minute of it.
But after a while I decided to check in with myself: Am I doing all that I can to advance change and help the people and the causes that I care about? Or could I be doing more? The answer was more.
But after a while I decided to check in with myself: Am I doing all that I can to advance change and help the people and the causes that I care about? Or could I be doing more? The answer was more.
"Sometimes big is just big, and traditions are merely status quo. As I learned from my mom, it’s always better to work to thrive. So let’s begin."
— Leslie Kerns, founder
I started 1235 Strategies to fill two gaps within the social change space created by traditional consulting models.
Many mission-driven ventures want and deserve more personal attention from the most experienced strategists but rarely get it because of prohibitive cost and staffing structures. And the experienced strategists who joined and stayed at those firms to make a difference are more removed—because of those same prohibitive structures—from the work of social change the more senior they become.
Collaborative and experienced teams assembled to meet your needs, not our bottom line. Campaigns and communications designed to win out in the world, not take up space on a shelf.
This is the future of social change consulting.
Are we ambitious? You bet. But sometimes big is just big, and traditions are merely the status quo. And when that happens, you find yourself working to just keep up.
But as I learned from my mom, it’s always better to work to thrive. So let’s begin.
