EP 333 — One Ripple Can Change the Tide
- Govindh Jayaraman
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction: The Power of a Small Stone
Sabine Hutchison has lived a life shaped not by grand plans, but by small, courageous moments — moments where she spoke an idea out loud, asked for help, or chose possibility over certainty.
Sabine is the author of Beyond the Ladder, the founder of the Ripple Network, and a longtime leader working at the intersection of science, leadership, and advocacy for women. Born in the U.S. to a German mother, her life has unfolded across countries, industries, and identities — from chemistry labs to the world tour of David Copperfield, from corporate science to building platforms that amplify women’s voices.
When Sabine sat down with me, her napkin was deceptively simple:
“One ripple… can change the tide.”
What followed was a conversation about how change actually happens — not through force or perfection, but through presence, asking, awareness, and the courage to release an idea into the world.
The Napkin: One Ripple… Can Change the Tide
At first glance, the idea of a ripple feels almost poetic.
But Sabine reminds us it’s not abstract at all — it’s deeply practical.
A ripple begins when something moves. A question asked. A need spoken. A kindness offered. A decision made without knowing how it will turn out.
Sabine shared that one of the most significant ripples in her life came during her senior year of college. Working two jobs while studying chemistry, she casually voiced a thought to her employers: “There has to be some rich person out there who wants to help me finish this year.”
It was said half‑jokingly. Lightly. Without expectation.
That small stone changed everything.
Her employer didn’t dismiss it. He didn’t correct it. He carried it forward — quietly — and found a way to support her final year financially. Only later did Sabine discover that the person helping her was him.
One ripple.
A tide changed.
Focus: Ripples Begin With Expression
One of the most powerful themes in this conversation is that ripples cannot form in silence.
Sabine points out that many people hold their ideas, needs, and dreams too tightly. They wait for certainty. They wait for permission. They wait until they feel “ready.”
But stagnant water creates no ripples.
When Sabine spoke that thought out loud in college, she wasn’t crafting a strategy. She was expressing a truth. That expression created motion — and motion invited possibility.
As she put it, the person you speak to doesn’t need to be the solution. They only need to be part of the current.
Ideas travel.
Help compounds.
Ripples converge.
Align: Safety Changes What We’re Willing to Try
Another defining ripple in Sabine’s life came from her parents.
When she decided to leave a stable career in chemistry to join the touring world of David Copperfield — quite literally “running away to join the circus” — she bought a one‑way ticket.
Her parents didn’t discourage her.
They didn’t frame failure as an outcome.
They simply said: “You always have a place to come back to.”
That assurance created psychological safety — and safety fuels boldness.
Sabine reflects that when we remove the label of failure, exploration becomes possible. Decisions no longer carry identity‑level risk. They become experiments.
This mindset carried her across continents, into new industries, and eventually into Germany — a country she moved to without speaking the language.
Another ripple.
Another tide shift.
Act: Awareness Is a Daily Practice
One of the most grounded insights Sabine shared is that ripples are always happening — but we often miss them.
We’re busy. Distracted. Rushing.
Sabine believes awareness is what allows us to see — and respond to — the currents around us.
Her daily practice is simple: - A moment of breath - Writing one thing she’s grateful for - Writing one intention for the day
Recently, her daily intention has been the same:
Be present.
Presence sharpens intuition. Presence reveals subtle invitations. Presence lets us notice when someone says exactly what we needed to hear — or when we’re the one meant to speak.
Ripples don’t always announce themselves.
They require attention.
The Ripple That Keeps Moving Forward
Sabine eventually learned that the man who supported her education had himself been helped years earlier. His father had been supported by a wealthy woman who asked for nothing in return — except that he pay it forward.
That request became a lineage.
Today, Sabine carries it forward through her work: - Supporting women in leadership - Creating platforms for women’s voices - Naming inequities that still exist - Refusing to let progress slide backward through silence
She shared a recent story of a female physician being asked in an interview, “Why are we talking about salary? Doesn’t your husband make enough?”
That wasn’t decades ago.
That was last year.
Which is why Sabine believes the work isn’t finished — and why ripples still matter.
Five Key Takeaways
1. Ripples Start With Speaking Action begins when an idea leaves your head and enters the world. Take Action: Identify one idea, need, or question you’ve been holding quietly. Speak it out loud to one trusted person this week — without polishing it or knowing the outcome.
2. The Listener Doesn’t Have to Be the Solution Ideas travel through people. Trust the current. Take Action: Share an aspiration with someone who may not be able to help directly. Pay attention to where the conversation flows next rather than trying to control it.
3. Safety Enables Bold Choices When failure isn’t an identity, courage expands. Take Action: Ask yourself, “What would I try if I knew I could come back safely?” Take one small step toward that decision this month.
4. Awareness Reveals Opportunity Ripples are everywhere — presence lets you see them. Take Action: Begin or end each day by writing one thing you noticed — a comment, interaction, or moment that felt meaningful but easy to overlook.
5. Paying It Forward Creates Tides Small acts, repeated across generations, change systems. Take Action: Perform one quiet act of support this week with no expectation of recognition or return — and consciously release the outcome.
A Final Thought
You don’t need a grand plan.
You don’t need certainty.
You don’t need to know how the story ends.
You only need to release one honest stone into the water.
Because one ripple — truly — can change the tide.
More About the Guest
Sabine Hutchison is the author of Beyond the Ladder, founder of the Ripple Network, and a leader supporting women in finding and using their voices across science, business, and life.
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabinehutchison/ website: https://sabinehutchison.com/
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