Set Your Own Agenda

A Communications Lesson from Melinda French Gates

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Melinda French Gates‘ final stop on her book tour in Seattle. It was an evening full of honest conversations about ambition, balance, and building a meaningful life. Out of all the insights she shared, one simple piece of advice stuck with me the most:

“Set your own agenda, or someone else will do it for you.”

Melinda credited her mother with sharing this wisdom early on, and it’s advice that has guided her throughout her life. Hearing it in a room filled with many people balancing work, family, and purpose-driven goals made it resonate even more deeply.

This lesson applies personally and professionally, especially to nonprofits, schools, and mission-driven organizations. When you’re busy meeting daily demands, it’s easy to let your communications, storytelling, and brand-building efforts get shaped reactively rather than intentionally.

Without a clear communications strategy (your own agenda) others will start to set it for you. News cycles, deadlines, internal requests, and competitors can quickly define your voice if you’re not leading it yourself.

At Evergreen Communications, we work with changemakers to help them regain control of their narrative. By building intentional communication strategies rooted in their mission, they can focus their energy where it matters most, connect more deeply with their audiences, and move closer to their goals.

Melinda’s advice is a powerful reminder that setting your agenda isn’t just about staying organized — it’s about owning your voice, vision, and impact.

If you’re ready to take a more intentional approach to your communications, let’s talk. We’d love to help you build a strategy that reflects the heart of your mission, on your terms!