Pause On The Play

Erica and India discuss their intentions for the shows Pause on the Play® and Flaunt Your Fire®.  After nearly 300 combined episodes, they pause to explore how to use them as continued resources and how to stay in the loop about future projects.Ready to dive deeper?Keep in touch and find out what we're up to at pauseontheplay.com

Diet culture is everywhere.What we consider healthy. What we consider unhealthy. The foods that we're taught are good for us and the ones that we're told to stay away from. How we think about food, health, and wellness is shaped by a culture steeped in white supremacy culture.There is so much more nuance available to us around food, health, wellness, and culture–not to mention enjoyment–when we break down the binary of good vs. bad foods, healthy vs. unhealthy people.Dalina Soto, MA, RDN, LDN joins Erica for a conversation about diet and wellness culture, why ancestral and cultural foods too often get left out of the conversation, and the policy and systemic influences on what we think of as “healthy” food.In this discussion: Why we need to expand binary thinking about nutrition and health How nutritional guidelines in the US leave out large swaths of cultural and ancestral foods The impacts of stress and other social determinants of health on the body, and why that's a policy failure not a personal one Taking guilt and shame out of doing what you can with what  you have when it comes to food Connect with Dalina Soto, MA, RD, LDN: Your Latina Nutritionist Instagram: @your.latina.nutritionist TikTok: @yourlatinanutritionist Resources: "Anotha One" Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall Fearing the Black Body, Sabrina Strings Ready to dive deeper?Connect with values-aligned entrepreneurs and employees across titles and industries inside The Pause on the Play® Community. Join a network of individuals committed to making their values explicit, evolving the way they show up for themselves and each other, and growing their influence together. Get access to community conversations, live Q&As and workshops, and our whole library of evergreen resources.Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

​So often, our goals and the way we feel about success come from what we're supposed to want, what we're supposed to do, and how we're supposed to act and feel once we achieve those goals.But being truly satisfied with our achievements means defining success outside of the “shoulds.”Amanda McKinney joins Erica for a replay from a live conversation within The Pause on the Play Community about success, accidental entrepreneurship, and maintaining a balance between your business and your life.In this discussion: Why it's essential to pause and consider what you actually want from your business Why you can't separate your values from the way you do business How to bring your values into the way you build your business Connect with Amanda McKinney: Website Why Not You?: An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success FREE Guide to Defining Success Instagram: @theamandamckinney Resources:173. Diverse Perspectives: Reconsidering the Meaning of SuccessReady to dive deeper?If you want to participate in live conversations like this one with Amanda, join us in The Pause on the Play Community.Inside the Community, you'll get access to live conversations, workshops, community conversations and Q&As, plus our whole library of evergreen resources.Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

How do your identities impact the way you show up at work and how you interact with work culture?How we move through the world is influenced by white supremacy, colorism, and capitalism, and it can have profound impacts on our working life and our physical and mental health.And while none of us can extract ourselves entirely from these systems, it may be possible–even necessary–to say enough is enough and forge a new path.Gabi Day joins Erica for a conversation about identity, work, capitalism, and her journey out of the corporate world to entrepreneurship.In this discussion: How toxic educational and work environments impact mental and physical health How tokenism and gaslighting uphold systems of oppression Making the personal political by showing up with your values in life and work Connect with Gabi Day: Bright Body TikTok: @itsgabiday Instagram: @mybrightbody Resources: What is gaslighting? Examples and how to respond. Mind in Motion Therapy on Instagram: @minds_in_motion_therapy Blair Imani on Instagram: @blairimani Imani Barbarin on Instagram: @crutches_and_spice Ready to dive deeper?How do I share my values when they aren't related to my work? We've been conditioned to show up to work as our “professional” self and leave our personal beliefs behind. But the truth is, values inform every area of our life, so why try to compartmentalize?Each month in The Pause on the Play® Community, we explore one specific way to make your values more explicit. Our curated connections and learning experiences will help you challenge harmful norms, show up as an imperfect ally®, and live in alignment.Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Have you ever felt like you betrayed yourself?We live in a culture that teaches us to forsake our own wants in favor of serving others. We operate from a place of “I'm fine,” and get stuck in functional freeze, even when from the outside it appears we're successful.María-Victoria Albina joins Erica for a discussion about resentment and obligation, setting and holding standards, and tending to your nervous system as you pursue embodiment and change.In this discussion: Changing the narrative on obligation Why setting standards and boundaries is a part of a self-reclamation How our nervous systems get stuck in functional freeze Why pushing too hard for ourselves to change can backfire Connect with María Victoria Albina: Website Instagram: @victoriaalbinawellness Feminist Wellness Podcast Anchored: Overcoming Codependency Resources:Embodiment, Agency, and Choicefulness with María-Victoria Albina Download María-Victoria's Free Meditations and Exercises Ratchet and Respectable Podcast Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, Susan Cain Ready to dive deeper?Change happens best when you have support. Find a community of like-minded individuals committed to helping each other show up and own their values in The Pause on the Play Community.Members get access to community conversations, office hours, Q&As with Erica and India, live workshops, our library of resources and replays, and more.Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

As seasons shift, our thoughts may turn to growth and transformation.And it's worth taking a pause to consider what you might need to let go of in order to continue to grow.Erica shares her thoughts on releasing the ideas and narratives you no longer want to hold, creating space to grow, and affirmations to support you along the way.In this discussion: Identifying and releasing the ideas and narratives that you no longer want to hold Integration and gratitude as you evolve and grow Affirmations to support you as you identify what you need to release Ready to dive deeper?Considering how you want to evolve and grow happens best with support. You can connect with values-aligned individuals across titles, industries, and experiences inside The Pause on the Play® Community.Evolve the way you show up for yourself and others while growing your influence and amplifying your impact on your journey of Imperfect Allyship®.Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Goal-setting can bring out the perfectionist in many of us. When our goals don't account for our imperfect humanity, it leads to burnout and feeling like a failure. Getting stuck in the mentality that there is one course of action or one right way to do things doesn't honor what we learn and experience along the way, even when things don't go to plan.Betsaida Lebron joins Erica to discuss setting J.A.N.K.Y goals that allow for imperfection, changing course, and getting outside of your comfort zone to make real change.In this discussion: How improv and play can help you manage fear and get outside your comfort zone Setting goals that account for your humanity and capacity How perfectionism in goal-setting holds us back Why changing course doesn't mean starting over How making sure your goals are aligned with your values helps you shape real change CONNECT WITH BETSAIDA LEBRON: ImprovEQ Instagram: @playfulleader Connect with Betsaida on LinkedIn READY TO DIVE DEEPER?We've been conditioned to show up to work as our “professional” self and leave our personal beliefs behind. But the truth is, values inform every area of our life, so why try to compartmentalize?Each month in The Pause on the Play® Community we explore one specific way to make your values more explicit. Our curated connections and learning experiences will help you challenge harmful norms, show up as an imperfect ally®, and live in alignment.Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Goal-setting can bring out the perfectionist in many of us.  Getting stuck in the mentality that there is one course of action or one right way to do things doesn't honor what we learn and experience along the way, even when things don't go to plan. Betsaida Lebron joins Erica to discuss setting J.A.N.K.Y goals that allow for imperfection, changing course, and getting outside of your comfort zone to make real change.   In this discussion: How improv and play can help you manage fear and get outside your comfort zone Setting goals that account for your humanity and capacity How perfectionism in goal-setting holds us back Why changing course doesn't mean starting over How making sure your goals are aligned with your values helps you shape real change Connect with Betsaida Lebron: ImprovEQ Instagram: @playfulleader Connect with Betsaida on LinkedIn Ready to dive deeper? We've been conditioned to show up to work as our “professional” self and leave our personal beliefs behind. But the truth is, values inform every area of our life, so why try to compartmentalize? Each month in The Pause on the Play® Community we explore one specific way to make your values more explicit. Our curated connections and learning experiences will help you challenge harmful norms, show up as an imperfect ally®, and live in alignment. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Your values are the foundation for every single thing that you do. Yet sometimes, we think we have to leave those values at the door when we go to work, whether in our own businesses or as team members for others. But your values come with you wherever you go. Erica and India discuss rethinking how your values show up in your business, getting explicit about them, and why being clear on your values helps you build lasting relationships with your team, your clients, and your audience. In this discussion: Why it's important to understand how your personal values show up in other areas of your life Building the foundations of company values and brand values How using psychographics allows your audience to evolve with you and build real relationships with your business and your brand Ready to dive deeper? Take a pause with your team to consider how your values can be infused into your work and company culture with the Implicit to Explicit Masterclass. Get clarity on what your values are, why they matter, and how you can move forward integrating them into your work.  Learn more about the Masterclass and how to sign up at pauseontheplay.com/explicit

Doing the work of shifting systems toward equity and equality can take a massive toll physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It's easy to feel like you're not doing enough when you're working against systems that existed long before you. But it's important to remember that it's not your debt to pay. Erica shares a reminder about the debts that we owe, and the importance of doing the work in community. In this discussion: Why you can't internalize the debts created by preexisting systems Honoring both your capacity and responsibility as you do DEI work Why community and interdependence are vital to paying the systems' debts Resources: Tabitha Brown's Instagram post   Ready to dive deeper? None of us are meant to do this work alone. And not only should we not do it alone, we need to do it in community. Inside of The Pause on the Play® Community is a space for interdependence and support as you navigate your Imperfect Ally® journey. The Community offers member discussion, workshops, resources, Q&As, and more to help you along the way, and so that you can witness others' journeys as well. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

When you're working toward creating more equity in your business, it can be tempting to use demographic labels to diversify your client list and work with underrepresented communities. But assessing a potential client for fit is about more than labels.  Guest host Cher Hale discusses why she chose to shift her business to working exclusively with underrepresented voices, how she sets and keeps her boundaries around client fit, and how she supports clients on their DEI journeys. In this discussion: Cher's process for evolving her ideal client and how she vets for values alignment Why demographic labels and DEI awareness aren't enough to make someone a client candidate The combination of criteria and direct questions that Cher uses to assess for fit Why Cher says it's important to acknowledge the limits of your ability to support your clients Connect with Cher Hale: Gingko PR Ready to dive deeper? We've been conditioned to show up to work as our “professional” self and leave our personal beliefs behind. But the truth is, values inform every area of our life, so why try to compartmentalize?   Each month in The Pause on the Play® Community, we explore one specific way to make your values more explicit. Our curated connections and learning experiences will help you challenge harmful norms, show up as an Imperfect Ally®, and live in alignment. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Getting involved in the speaking industry is one way to build your thought leadership and support yourself or your business.  But that journey isn't the same for everyone. There is more work that needs to be done to make the speaking industry more equitable. Danielle Tucker joins Erica for a conversation about the speaking industry, building thought leadership, and how people of color can be more visible and get paid well for what they do.   In this discussion: Where more accountability and responsibility are needed to bring equity to the speaking industry Why making change in the industry requires collaboration between speakers of color and allies in positions of influence How to build your visibility in ways that feel good and support your goals What it means to be a thought leader in a beneficial and impactful way Connect with Danielle Tucker: Professional Speaker Websites Expansive Thought Leadership Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn Resources: Danielle's 25 Speaking Essentials Checklist   Ready to dive deeper? If you want support in broadcasting your brilliance join Danielle and the other amazing members of The Pause on the Play® Community. Get the knowledge and support you need to bring your voice to the world in a community that is working together and invested in each other's success and wellbeing.  Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

We tend to think of being a leader as something someone is or isn't. But a concept of leadership that focuses only on the individual misses the inherently social nature of being a leader. Erica discusses what it means to be in leadership, why leadership is social, and why leaders must consider the collective whole. In this discussion: How the common conception of leadership reinforces white supremacy culture Why leadership is inherently social Why leadership requires acknowledging and working toward the collective good We tend to think of being a leader as something someone is or isn't.   But a concept of leadership that focuses only on the individual misses the inherently social nature of being a leader.   Erica discusses what it means to be in leadership, why leadership is social, and why leaders must consider the collective whole. In this discussion: How the common conception of leadership reinforces white supremacy culture Why leadership is inherently social Why leadership requires acknowledging and working toward the collective good Resources: What Is Leadership? Kevin Kruse Understanding Leadership, W.C.H. Prentice Ready to dive deeper? The Pause on the Play® Community is a space where we come together and share with one another what we are experiencing, what we're feeling, and what we're doing to be different and do better. Sharing these stories and experiences gives us an opportunity to connect on a deep human level and be reminded of the hope and the possibilities in humanity.  Learn more about our community at pauseontheplay.com/community What Is Leadership? Kevin Kruse Understanding Leadership, W.C.H. Prentice Ready to dive deeper? The Pause on the Play® Community is a space where we come together and share with one another what we are experiencing, what we're feeling, and what we're doing to be different and do better. Sharing these stories and experiences gives us an opportunity to connect on a deep human level and be reminded of the hope and the possibilities in humanity.  Learn more about our community at pauseontheplay.com/community

While many business owners want to do business differently, there is no one-size-fits-all checklist for building a business that supports collective liberation. But there is plenty of shame, guilt, and expectation around how to do business. Yet shame and guilt can actually stifle our growth and perfection is neither a reasonable goal nor expectation. Jeffrey Shiau joins Erica for a conversation about building a liberatory business, what it means to honor your capacity and the humanity of your team, and why we need to reclaim pleasure and care as we work toward liberation.   In this discussion: How small business owners' identity and values are impacted by white supremacist, patriarchal culture Why we have to let go of shame and expectations of perfection for ourselves and others What it means to honor your capacity and the capacity of your team Why we need to re-humanize our business relationships Connect with Jeffrey Shiau: Unconventional Agency Instagram: @UnconventionalAgency Resources: Read Emergent Strategy, by adrienne maree brown Ready to dive deeper? If you want to support change, break barriers, and vote with your dollars, you can make a financial contribution to support the show. Your contributions help offset the costs of production, show notes, and article writing, and keep the Pause on the Play® podcast a free resource for 200 episodes and counting.  Take action toward being part of a more equitable future by making your donation at pauseontheplay.com/show

Many of us live lives that are disconnected from the land and our environment. The process of learning about the traditional stewards of the land you're on, and honoring the environment can have impacts that go beyond land acknowledgments. India joins Erica for a discussion about acknowledging and honoring the land, what Erica has learned about gardening, and how she's evolving in her work and relationships. In this discussion: What Erica and India have learned since researching whose land they're on How growing and tending plants has evolved Erica's relationship to the land and her ancestors How Erica's professional training has impacted her personal relationships and the way she shows up for her children Ready to dive deeper? When we're thinking about topics that aren't widely discussed, it can be challenging to know where to search for information, or even the right questions to ask. And that's where the power of community comes in. In The Pause on the Play® Community, we ask questions, and share our journeys, resources, and knowledge. There is so much power and opportunity for growth in being in community with people who share your values and allow you to reconsider your normal. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Find out whose land you're on: https://native-land.ca/ Learn more about caring for plants with Hilton Carter, The New Plant Parent, and The Plant Rescuer

Labels like co-dependent, perfectionist, and people-pleaser get used constantly. We're told we shouldn't be those things. But for many of us, those labels stem from survival skills we learned in our early lives. And reliance on labels can actually undermine our ability to heal from these behavioral patterns. María-Victoria Albina joins Erica for a discussion of survival skills, authenticity, embodiment, agency, and choicefulness within the systems of white supremacist patriarchy, colonization, and capitalism.   In this discussion: How labels like codependent, perfectionist, and people-pleaser undermine healing Why problematizing the survival skills many of us learned as children is problematic in itself How white wellness's emphasis on authenticity diminishes the multi-faceted nature of being human How our nervous systems impact embodiment, agency, and choicefulness  Connect with María-Victoria Albina: Website Instagram: @victoriaalbinawellness Feminist Wellness Podcast Anchored: Overcoming Codependency Resources: Download María-Victoria's Free Meditations and Exercises Ready to dive deeper? Joy and connection can provide powerful counterbalances to the systems of white supremacy. We need reminders that it is possible to recenter, repair, and restore what has been stolen, damaged, or degraded by white supremacy. Counterbalances that remind us that we never have to allow our humanity to be on the table for negotiation provide us access to action that move us further away from white supremacy. We are addressing these counterbalances and navigating change together in The Pause on the Play® Community. If you're looking for a supportive, centering space on your journey, learn more about The Community at pauseontheplay.com/community

There are words that we use so often that we rarely stop to consider the impact that they can have. The word but is often used when we discuss things like Black History Month. “It's important but, it's the shortest month of the year…” The word but negates what comes before it. When you use the word but you may be negating the lived experiences and realities of others without even realizing it. For the final episode of Black History Month, Erica discusses why we need to be more conscious of when we use but.   In this discussion: How the word but negates experiences and realities A case for keeping history, heritage, and cultural months on the calendar Why using the word but doesn't soften the impact of your words How to use language as a clue to how you're processing Resources: Learn more about land acknowledgments at native-land.ca Listen to Erica and E.K. Powell on African American Vernacular English Ready to dive deeper? Any time that we discuss language and word choices, it's important to consider how it impacts people and the intended or unintended harm that can happen when we are not mindful with one of our most important resources: our words. Inside The Pause on the Play® Community, we have our guide to problematic language and alternatives, which is a crowdsourced document that you can learn from and contribute to, so we can all work on recognizing that our language is powerful. This is one of the many resources available to Community members, along with community conversations, office hours, workshops, and more. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Black History Month often curtails the true scope of Black history to a few key periods of time, but Black history is much more than the history of enslavement or the Civil Rights Movement. Black history is full of innovation and joy, and it's being made all around us. Erica and India discuss the importance of recognizing and celebrating Black joy during Black History Month, and all year long. In this discussion: Why it's vital to recognize the throughline of innovation and joy in Black history in America Why it's necessary to amplify Black innovators and creators working in spaces outside of music, movies, or sports Why allies need Black friends, not just educators How to witness, support, and share Black joy Resources: Listen to POTP Episde 94. Celebrating Black Joy for Black History Month Learn more about Ron Finley, the Gangsta Gardener Ready to dive deeper? Podcasts, books and articles are the places that we start, but they have to become a part of how you take action, part of how you learn and unlearn so that you can live, lead, and love in a more equitable way. You can support change, break barriers, and vote with your dollars via a financial contribution to the Pause on the Play® podcast. Your contribution goes towards podcast production, show notes, and article writing expenses necessary to continue providing this free resource to those seeking to take action and create a more equitable future. You can learn more and submit your contribution at the dollar amount of your choice at pauseontheplay.com/show

Getting clarity on how you want to be in community–whether one-on-one, in a group, or taking time to process on your own before coming back to the group–helps create interdependence by fostering a community of choice that benefits that collective whole.   Erica digs into showing up as yourself and how fostering interdependence creates counterbalances and safety nets as we navigate liminal spaces, planning for the future as we understand the present.   In this discussion: Why you need clarity on how you want to show up in community How interdependence founded on active choice benefits the collective whole How interdependence creates counterbalances and safety nets that support our forward movement Resources: Listen to Ixchel Lunar on Decolonizing Time and Relearning Indigenous Cyclical Time Ready to dive deeper? The Pause on the Play® Community is about more than just business, it's about connecting with people in a holistic landscape, where you are allowed to show up exactly as you are in that moment. The community fosters interdependence and provides support as we navigate counterbalances and create safety nets, as a way of life. Join the conversation at https://pauseontheplay.com/community

Systemic biases can have profound impacts on how we receive medical care and support.  Members of marginalized communities may be brushed off, misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated within the medical system, sometimes with catastrophic effects.Andrea Nakayama joins Erica for a discussion about bias, medical gaslighting, a systems approach to health, and how to advocate for yourself in medical settings. In this discussion: The three tenets of functional medicine How systemic and implicit biases show up in medical care The sometimes subtle impacts of medical gaslighting Three steps to advocate for yourself in medical settings   Connect with Andrea Nakayama: Website Instagram: @andreanakayama Meet Andrea Nakayama | Founder and Lead Instructor for FxNA The 15-Minute Matrix Podcast   Ready to dive deeper? When we're confronting biases and gaslighting, it can be easy to second-guess ourselves based on what we've been conditioned to think. That's where having a space to navigate what's happening, what you're thinking, what you're feeling, and having a soundboard can be immensely helpful. The Pause on the Play® Community can be that place. Learn more at https://pauseontheplay.com/community

A new year is often a time of reflecting on the past and planning for the future, but it's important to remember that where we are right now matters.   And as content creators, it matters that you share what's going on with you and not forget yourself in the process of interviewing others or providing value through teaching.    Erica and India get together to share where they are right now and why it's important for content creators to let their audiences get to know them.   In this discussion: Why content creators should share their personal experiences Erica and India's experiences becoming homeowners How Erica put her values into action through her recent move A different take on boundaries and how that's helping Erica navigate online dating   Resources: Watch The Banker  Use OfferUp Buy Nothing Project Ready to dive deeper?   If you've enjoyed the conversations on this podcast, you may want the chance to ask Erica or India your questions, and you have the opportunity to do that in The Pause on the Play® Community.  You'll also get to meet and be in community with a global group of values-driven individuals and join conversations and get feedback on situations in your work like hiring or marketing and in your life, like voting with your dollars or the messy middle of moving or online dating. Learn more at https://pauseontheplay.com/community

“Charge your worth.” It's a common refrain, but it can carry a different weight for members of the BIPOC Community in ways that make it difficult to resonate with. And unpacking it isn't always an easy process. In this replay from Elaine Lou Cartas's Color Your Dreams podcast, Erica, India, and Elaine unpack what it means to charge your worth as women of color and allies, the importance of women of color and allies working together, and how charging what you're worth impacts how you can give back and be accessible to your community. In this discussion: Why “charge your worth” gets complicated for members of the BIPOC community Why accounting for your needs in your pricing is about more than literal costs How being clear on your values supports your offers, content, and knowing when it's time to make a shift How “cancel culture” misses the nuance in accountability and Imperfect Allyship®   Connect with Elaine Lou Cartas: Elainelou.com Color Your Dreams Podcast Join the Color Your Dreams Newsletter Instagram: @elainelou_ Ready to dive deeper? Listening to conversations is passive. World-changing impact and transformation happen when you take part in the conversations, get feedback, share your stories and experiences, and get support in integrating your values and discoveries into your life and business. The Pause on the Play® Community is a space to do just that. Learn more at https://pauseontheplay.com/community

Sometimes it feels like you have to know everything. Or at least pretend that you do. It takes self-awareness and vulnerability to admit that we don't know what we don't know. But adopting a beginner's mindset, and reminding ourselves that there is always something out there to learn, keeps us open to opportunities and connections along our journeys. Parker Stevenson joins Erica for an honest conversation about approaching the world, your business, and your clients with a beginner's mindset. In this discussion: Defining a beginner's mindset How ego and fear get in the way of leading with a beginner's mindset How balancing confidence and a beginner's mindset can help you navigate challenges The positive impact of approaching client relationships with a beginner's mindset Connect with Parker Stevenson: Instagram: @evolvedfinance Financial Foundations Audio Course - Evolved Finance Ready to dive deeper? When you're considering brand visibility or your Imperfect Allyship® efforts, your mindset will show up. Having a beginner's mindset and being open to what's possible really does make a difference. In The Pause on the Play® Community, a beginner's mindset is a focal point of our community. We're all beginners. We're always learning. There's always something valuable for each and every one of us has that we can learn from, and there's so much beauty in doing it together in community. Learn more at https://pauseontheplay.com/community

In the United States, we live with a cultural narrative of hyper-independence. We make it on our own. But there is nothing we do that isn't in some way supported by someone else. The often invisible labor of others allows us to perpetuate the lie that we are independent. Humans are interdependent by nature and communities can't exist without interdependence.  Erica and India discuss how interdependence shows up in The Pause on the Play Community, in their work, and in their lives, from collaboration to compost. In this discussion: How concepts of community, collaboration, and interdependence have shaped The Pause on the Play® Community The myth of American exceptionalism and the truth of interdependence How fostering interdependence also supports equity and inclusion in your DEI efforts How interdependence can show up in your community Ready to dive deeper? The Pause on the Play® Community is creating an environment where interdependence is fostered willingly and joyfully through community conversation, workshops, Q&As, co-working sessions, resources, and events like Collaboration Speed Dating. Our members thrive through sharing with and supporting one another on their personal and professional journeys, where their experiences and perspectives are valued, and where no one is reduced to an elevator pitch. Learn more at: pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: OfferUp ShareWaste Too Good to Go

Participating in modern society is interdependent by nature.  But in the United States, individualism and exceptionalism are part of the dominant narrative of how we relate to success, failure, and each other.  Erica discusses how the winter holidays can be a useful illustration of how interdependence and individualism show up for us in school, work, and in our relationships and communities. In this discussion: Defining individualism and interdependence How the holidays provide a foil for observing these paradigms in our lives Three questions to help you define where and how individualism and interdependence are showing up for you   Ready to dive deeper? Interdependence does not have to be cumbersome or heavy. In The Pause on the Play® Community, you can join us for Collaboration Speed Dating, our answer to traditional networking events where we connect the diverse membership of the community with people seeking guests and collaborators, to share opportunities with each other, and to support each other's work. These fun, fulfilling, and supportive events are just one way that we explore interdependence within the community. Join us for full access to events, conversations, Q&As, workshops, and our library of evergreen resources and replays. Learn more at: pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: White Supremacy Culture, Minnesota Historical Society Individualism - White Supremacy Culture

If you've taken in the last few episodes, you may be aware that inside The Pause on the Play® Community, we have a curated exploration called Create Space to Take Care of Yourself. This month, we're leading by example and taking some time to care for ourselves, so the podcast will be on pause until January 3, 2023. In the meantime, dig into the archives, continue to vote with your dollars, and you're always welcome to connect with us inside The Pause on the Play® Community.

Fall and winter holidays are steeped in traditions for many of us, from Thanksgiving turkey to Christmas lights. Whether they came into our lives with our families of origin or through later relationships, it's worth considering how those traditions do or don't align with our values, and if we can reshape them, or shape new traditions that honor our values and the history behind these celebrations. Erica and India discuss Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in the context of history, in the lives of children, and how they're reconsidering traditions in their own lives. In this discussion: Why we need to consider the histories behind holidays like Columbus Day and Thanksgiving How schools perpetuate holiday myths and Christian narratives Balancing childhood wonder with transparency and honesty in our relationships with children Giving context to Indigenous People's Day and Thanksgiving   Ready to dive deeper? When you're in the process of reconsidering your normal and questioning how your values show up in your life and work, it's always helpful to have support. The Pause on the Play® Community was designed to foster these kinds of conversations and considerations with office hours, Q&As, community conversations, and resources available to members on the Imperfect Ally® journeys. Learn more at: pauseontheplay.com/community

Creating space to pause is vital to our well-being and to the ability to make the impact we want to create by participating meaningfully in change. But pausing isn't accessible in the same ways to everyone. In many ways, the ability to pause is a privilege. Erica and India discuss the intersection of pausing and privilege, with some key examples of how those concepts have shown up in their lives and in the lives of people around them. In this discussion: Why the word “pause” is central to the Pause on the Play® brand and podcast What it means to pause in our lives How privilege shows up in the ability to pause The intersection of pausing, privilege, and generational trauma  Ready to dive deeper? Join The Pause on the Play® Community for our newest curated exploration, Create Space to Take Care of Yourself. This evergreen collection of resources and workshops, including Ixchel Lunar's “Decolonizing Time: Centering the R.E.S.T. Recipe,” journal questions and prompts, and the Allyship Meditation Sound Bath to help support you in taking care of yourself.  Creating space to pause and care for yourself is a privilege, but it is so important when we do have the ability to create it. Learn more about this curated exploration and all the benefits of Community membership at: pauseontheplay.com/community

Many of us struggle to give ourselves time and space that isn't taken up with work, family, friends, television, music, anything to distract us from silence. But reconsidering your normal, and living with your values and the impact you want to create, takes time. It requires that we learn how to get comfortable with stillness, and to care for ourselves. India and Erica discuss how they make space to reconsider their normal and to care for themselves, and share their thoughts on handling their schedules, getting comfortable being by themselves, and honoring your nervous system when things are tough. In this discussion: How India and Erica approach taking real time off for rest Why doing nothing and staying in the present with ourselves is so hard What the culture gets wrong about our nervous systems How to build in time to live your values   Ready to dive deeper? In The Pause on the Play® Community, members have on-demand access to Ixchel Lunar's workshop called “Decolonizing Time: Centering the R.E.S.T. Recipe.” Ixchel shares how our concept of time has been colonized, stolen, commodified, and outsourced, and how we can liberate our flow and create conditions to partner with time rather than getting caught in the hustle. This workshop is just one of the evergreen resources available to Community members, along with live workshops, Q&As, co-working hours, and conversation with others on their journeys of Imperfect Allyship®. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

While many of us are familiar with discussing consent in the context of sexuality, consent shows up in so many other areas of our lives. Consent may seem like a simple yes or no, but there are layers to what makes up true consent, and access to it can be a privilege.  Shannon Collins interviews Erica about how consent shows up in everything from health to hair to raising kids, even in our entertainment. In this discussion: How Erica defines consent in this moment How Erica is reprogramming consent in her life and in the lives of her kids through modeling imperfection and accountability When consent is an illusion or a privilege How consent shows up in DEI work, entertainment, and in the salon Connect with Shannon Collins: www.shannoncollins.com www.youthphoria.org Instagram: @shannoncollinsphoto Ready to dive deeper? Members like Shannon Collins make The Pause on the Play® Community what it is. Community members have on-demand access to the replay of Shannon and Stacie Lampkin's workshop, “Sharing about kids online: Do you have their consent?”  In this workshop, Stacie and Shannon cover the basics of consent and boundaries when posting about kids online, and encourage participants to re-examine their approach to how they share about children in online spaces. This is just one of the evergreen resources available to community members, along with our conversations, screenings, Q&As, co-working hours, and more. Resources: Read Don't Touch My Hair!, Sharee Miller Read You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, Phoebe Robinson

Many of us are accustomed to viewing time as a resource we never seem to have enough of. The pace of our lives pushes us to constantly “make the most” of our time. That pace has a profound impact on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But other ways of relating to time, outside the colonial paradigm, are possible. Ixchel Lunar and Erica discuss decolonizing time, relearning Indigenous cyclical time, and how to build a relationship with time where it is a friend, rather than a pressure. In this discussion: The four categories of colonial time How colonization and dominator culture separate people from place How to begin to build a friendship with time through prioritizing joy, pleasure, and connection to the natural world Why we have to accept the discomfort of liminal spaces as we journey toward decolonization Connect with Ixchel Lunar: Ixchel.Love Subscribe to Dragon Letters Instagram: @ixchel.love Ready to dive deeper? Actions that create the impact you seek happen when you are in community, when you are in conversation with others, and you allow yourself to be open and willing to discuss what's possible. It's not always easy, but it is necessary. Having conversations where you are learning, unlearning, and relearning alongside your community are why The Pause on the Play® Community exists.  And sometimes on your journey to Imperfect Allyship®, it's also necessary to pause and take care of yourself. That's why we offer resources like our Allyship Sound Bath Meditation to help rest and soothe your nervous system. Resources like this and our whole library of evergreen replays and workshops are accessible on your schedule as part of your membership in The Pause on the Play® Community. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Watch Dr. Brittney Cooper on The Racial Politics of Time, and read Eloquent Rage Learn more about Australian Indigenous thinker Tyson Yunkaporta

People talk about imposter syndrome all the time, in relation to how they feel at work or in social situations or just in life. But do you know where the term comes from? Erica revisits episode three of the podcast and gives her perspective on what imposter syndrome really is and how it can show up in our lives. In this discussion: The popular conception of what imposter syndrome means Why imposter syndrome may have more to do with who you've had to be than who you're becoming How imposter syndrome shows up in the journey of allyship Ready to dive deeper? In the next curated exploration within The Pause on the Play Community, we're discussing creating the space to take care of yourself. Real self care goes way beyond a hashtag and a bubble bath. We'll be in community conversation about integrating taking care of yourself into your values and how you want to create impact in the world. Join us and get access to the community conversations and support, Q&As with Erica and India, live office hours, and our library of evergreen resources and replays. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Read “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention,” Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes

There has been a lot of conversation about dismantling systems of oppression over the last few years. But too often, this conversation stalls before turning into action.  It's not enough to have language to explain concepts and systems of supremacy, disrimination, and exploitation or to simply take in information. Kim Crayton joins Erica for a wide-ranging conversation about why she's done with call outs, why dismantling systems isn't enough, and how she's envisioning and creating alternative systems through Profit Without Oppression. In this discussion: Why Kim is no longer interested in calling out harm How academic theories like white guilt and fragility inhibit action Why Kim doesn't use the term ally How Kim is envisioning a future that is supremacy free, coercion free, discrimination free, and exploitation free Connect with Kim Crrayton:  Linktr.ee Preorder Profit Without Oppression: A Blueprint for Building an Antiracist Organization Ready to dive deeper? Inside The Pause on the Play® Community, action is really the thing. While conversations are essential to understanding what's happening, reconsidering your normal, and envisioning what's possible; it has to translate to action. If you want to be in community with others committed to taking action to create impact, join us in The Pause on the Play® Community. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Read Audre Lord Read The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith Read the Powell Memo: Attack on American Free Enterprise System

Business and work culture are always changing. And with more people pursuing entrepreneurship, whether they're following their passion or because running their own business is the only way to juggle work and life, there are more opportunities for us to impact how we do work. To create the change we want to witness, and cultures that are more inclusive, more supportive, and more adaptable, we have to learn to reconsider our normal in work and in life. Racheal Cook joins Erica to discuss the impact on her business of reconsidering her normal and getting explicit about her values. In this discussion: How reconsidering your normal supports your business in being proactive, not reactive How a society-wide shift toward self-employment and entrepreneurship creates opportunities to dramatically reshape work culture How integrating her values into her business created more ease for Racheal and her team Why we need to stop relentlessly scaling up and putting celebrity entrepreneurs on pedestals Connect with Racheal Cook:  The CEO Collective Promote Yourself to CEO Podcast Instagram: @racheal.cook Ready to dive deeper? Providing space for people to Reconsider Their Normal is one of the reasons we started The Pause on the Play® Community. Having a place, and community support, to be able to reevaluate and decide what feels like the best next choice for you, for where you want to go, the kind of impact you want to create, and the legacy you want to leave behind is what The Community is made for.  Community members get access to conversations, Q&As with Erica and India, office hours, workshops, and our entire library of evergreen resources and replays. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Racheal recommends Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons Listen to Racheal on the definition of success on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast Listen to Pause on the Play® Community members on their definitions of success on the Pause on the Play® podcast

Many of us are familiar with affiliate partnership programs and how they can help market our businesses and grow our audiences.  And partner programs can be an appealing way to bring your offer to a wider range of people without having to use marketing methods that aren't in alignment with your values. But advice about building an affiliate program can be disingenuous, making it sound overly easy or even exploitative. Laura Sprinkle interviews Erica and India about the development of the Pause on the Play® Community, why they chose to have a partner program rather than focus on traditional marketing, how they designed a values-driven affiliate program, and what they've learned in the process. In this discussion: Why Erica and India developed Pause on the Play® as a podcast and a community How their affiliate program built off of the organic sharing they already had in order to form partnerships based on values and equity Common practices and misconceptions for affiliate programs that Erica and India wanted to disrupt How the program reinforces reciprocal relationships of giving and receiving Connect with Laura Sprinkle:  LauraSprinkle.com Rock Your Affiliate Program Instagram: @imlaurasprinkle Ready to dive deeper? We often discuss integrating our personal values into our businesses. We've been conditioned to show up to work as our “professional” self and leave our personal beliefs behind. But the truth is, values inform every area of our life, so why try to compartmentalize? Each month in Pause on the Play® The Community we explore one specific way to make your values more explicit. Our curated connections and learning experiences provide a space where you can ask questions, challenge assumptions, and process current events in real time. Members get access to monthly curations, workshops, live Q&As, community discussion, and our full library of evergreen resources and replays. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

When it comes to our businesses, there are a lot of rules and “right” ways to do things that we're told are just how it's done if we want to succeed. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can choose to do things differently. Brooke Monaghan joins Erica to discuss how she shows up in her business, reconsiders her normal, and rejects the rules in order to create sustainable, values-driven businesses for herself and her clients. In this discussion: How to begin to differentiate what narratives are yours and which aren't Why we need to decouple success and sacrifice How embodying your values combats hustle culture How perfectionism shows up in the way we commit to narratives that aren't working Connect with Brooke Monaghan:  Instagram: @Briggsmonaghan Transcend Your Dichotomy Podcast Free self-guided workshop Ready to dive deeper? The conventional thinking that says your values are separate from your business doesn't serve anyone who is in business, or even us as consumers. Values are the underpinning for the actions you take, the conversations you have, and the impact you create in your business. If you're ready for more conversations about reconsidering your normal in business and in life, join us at Pause on the Play® The Community. Members get access to community conversations, Q&As with Erica and India, live workshops, and evergreen access to our whole library of resources and replays. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Erica recommends The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Michael A. Singer Listen to Pause on the Play® Ep 3: Is It Imposter Syndrome? Listen to Pause on the Play® Ep 153: Truth, Self-Worth, and Imposter Syndrome

Many of us are aware of how our business values can get co-opted by the values and structures of capitalism. What may be less obvious is how our personal values can also be influenced by capitalist thinking. Capitalism is more than an economic system. Capitalism is a fundamental part of our politics, culture, and how we navigate our personal and professional lives. Tara McMullin joins Erica to discuss the far-reaching impacts of capitalism on our lives, the gamification of our values and goals, how our values get co-opted by imperatives for efficiency and productivity, and how we can begin to cultivate awareness and make choices that truly align with our values. In this discussion: Why capitalism is more than an economic system How the gamification of our lives keeps us striving for more “points” How capitalism creates the lens we use to shape our values How the system impacts how we view ourselves and our work How to build awareness and begin deconstructing the narratives of the system in your life Connect with Tara McMullin:  What Works Instagram: @tara_mcmullin Twitter: @taragentile Preorder What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting Ready to dive deeper? We all have things we think we “should” be doing, and those influences can get in the way of acting in alignment with our values, especially when we aren't sure how to take our values from static words to actions. Taking action with your values allows them to become guiding principles on how to respond, make choices, and create impact in your life and with your brand. Members of Pause on the Play® The Community have evergreen access Erica and India's Jackson's workshop, Reconsidering What You Know About Values, where you'll find support in understanding how leading with your values can shift your brand and your life. Get access to the workshop and our entire library of evergreen resources by joining at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Tara's thoughts have been influenced by Games: Agency as Art, C. Thi Nguyen Listen to C. Thi Nguyen on the Ezra Klein Show Listen to C. Thi Nguyen on the Conspirituality Podcast Listen to What Works Ep 372: What is Money? With Paco de Leon Listen to What Works Ep 357: Building a Business Based on What Matters with Coach Mara Glatzel

Every one of us has an inner child, where our subconscious minds store emotional experiences from childhood. And those experiences and emotions shape the lens we bring into the present. For members of the BIPOC community, inner child wounds often intersect with the ancestral and generational traumas of the community. Healing is not easy work, especially when healing hasn't always been accessible or normalized in the community. But it is possible. Evelyn Huynh and Erica discuss inner child wounds, ancestral trauma, and possibilities for healing. In this discussion: Why comparing, downplaying, and minimizing your inner child wounds impedes healing How inner child wounds intersect with ancestral trauma, especially in the BIPOC community Where inner child wounds and generational trauma most often show up in our lives How inner child wounds impact our Imperfect Ally® journeys Connect with Evelyn Huynh:  Evolve with Evelyn Tiktok: @evolvewithevelyn Evolve with Evelyn Podcast Book a Spark Session with Evelyn Ready to dive deeper? Healing is no small feat. It requires time and effort, but it also requires that you allow your body, mind, spirit, and soul to rest. Giving your nervous system a break allows you to be able to continue doing the work of healing. Members of Pause on the Play® The Community have evergreen access to our Allyship Sound Meditation Concert, created by Natasha Freeman of Lucid Living RVA. A sound meditation helps your nervous system relax and supports you in being able to access restorative rest. Get access to the Meditation Concert and our entire library of evergreen resources by joining at pauseontheplay.com/community

Most of us understand the concept of consent when it comes to bodily autonomy and permission. We know what it means to agree to or decline physical interaction. But consent has implications in many areas of our lives and businesses, and it can become confusing to consider how a broader definition of consent impacts the actions we take in relationship to each other. Autumn Witt Boyd joins guest host India Jackson for a discussion of how consent applies to legal agreements and contracts that we make in our businesses and how approaching your agreements through the lens of consent impacts your relationships with your clients for the better. In this discussion: How the cultural conversation about consent has increased and expanded Why getting informed consent for your agreements improves your client relationships Why it's key to get consent and set expectations through values-forward community and group agreements  How to handle an agreement you didn't consent to Where to begin auditing your contracts and agreements for values and consent Connect with Our Autumn Witt Boyd:  Instagram: @awbfirm How to Write Your Own Contract Guide Use code PLAY for 20% Off Templates Ready to dive deeper? Expanding our concepts of consent is part of the journey of an Imperfect Ally®. If you're looking for support and community for your journey, Pause on the Play® The Community has resources, conversations, office hours, live Q&As with Erica and India, live workshops, and recordings.  Members also have evergreen access to the replay of a workshop on consent facilitated by community members Shannon Collins and Stacie Lampkin. Learn more at  pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Autumn recommends Consent (for Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You, Rachel Brian

Communication in the workplace can be fraught.  Bringing together groups of people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can create situations ripe for conflict and miscommunication. But we can shape workplace cultures where people feel witnessed, appreciated, and respected. Elaine Lou Cartas joins Erica and India for a discussion about creating space for difficult conversations in the workplace, the importance of behavior modeling from leaders, and how conscious communication deepens our relationships. In this discussion: How our backgrounds inform our communication styles Why it's important to obtain consent and create context for providing feedback  Why leaders need to be aware of the communication styles they model to their teams How conscious communication deepens our relationships at work and in life Connect with Our Elaine Lou Cartas:  Elainelou.com Color Your Dreams Podcast Join the Color Your Dreams Newsletter Instagram: @elainelou_ Ready to dive deeper? We all need access to support on our Imperfect Ally® journeys. In Pause on the Play® The Community, we strive to create a space where members have the ability to be open, honest, and transparent, to share their experiences and expertise, to amplify others, and receive support from the community. Join us to get access to conversations, community, office hours, Q&A with Erica and India, live workshops, and our entire library of recordings and resources. If you are ready to be part of the Community, we are ready for you. Learn more at  pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Listen to India and Erica on the Color Your Dreams podcast, discussing Charging Your Worth and Imperfect Allyship®

Tone policing is a way of invalidating what someone is saying because of how they're saying it. It goes beyond literal tone–too loud, too brash, too animated–and extends to using slang or African American Vernacular English and beyond. It often assumes that the speaker is uneducated, rendering their opinions or experiences as null and void. EK Powell joins Erica to discuss tone policing and respectability politics, how content creators are pushing back and influencing media, and why you can't address everybody. In this discussion: How respectability politics and tone policing create an obligation to assimilate How content creators are pushing back against respectability politics How calling words slang or jargon applies different implied value to language Why showing up authentically means you can't address everybody Connect with Our EK Powell:  Instagram: @whatsgoodenglish  TikTok: @whatsgoodenglish YouTube: What's Good English Support EK Powell on Patreon Contact EK Powell Ready to dive deeper? Pause on the Play® The Community has the resources that support you and other values focused individuals in creating change and impact in our world together. Join us for conversations that address the questions and challenges that come up as you're navigating visibility and values, Imperfect Allyship®, and the impact you want to create. Membership gets you access to live office hours, Q&A sessions with Erica and India, workshops, and our entire library of evergreen replays and resources. Learn more at  pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Listen to EK Powell on African American Vernacular English The origin of the term “Sea-Lioning”

Success is difficult to define. Everyone has their own take on what it means, and there is often a difference between how we think about success and how it shows up in reality. India and Erica discuss how they have defined success in the past, how the meaning of success has evolved, and share the perspectives of members of the Pause on the Play® Community. In this discussion: How the definitions of success we're exposed to early in life create narratives of how we perceive ourselves and others Why we need diverse perspectives on the meaning of success Eight community members share their working definitions of success Connect with Our Contributors: Elaine Lou Cartas  Mim Jenkinson  Kim Wensel  EK Powell  Jetty Nieuwenhuis  Sean McMullin Emily Souder Shannon Collins Ready to dive deeper? The last thing we need is another echo chamber, perpetuating a single perspective on how we should live, love, and earn. If you know there's more than one definition of and path to success, but haven't found a place that encourages this diversity and divergence, good news: your search is over. READY TO FIND YOUR PEOPLE? Join us inside The Pause on the Play® Community Where entrepreneurs and brands reconsider “normal” in life and work. Learn more at  pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Subscribe to the Pause on the Play® Newsletter Listen to Kim Wensel and Erica discuss the evolution of Pause on the Play® Listen to E.K. Powell on African American Vernacular English Listen to Jetty Nieuwenhuis on Unlocking Your F*ck It Factor Read Emily Souder on Defining Success at Mother Hustle Listen to Shannon Collins on Using Your Visibility and Influence from Behind the Camera Listen to Shannon Collins on the Wedding Industrial Complex Listen to Amenah Arman on Bad Art Read Laziness Does Not Exist, by Devon Price

When you decide that you want to make an impact and create change with your brand and your platform, you have to get clear on your values.  And those values have to be explicit to you, your team, your clients, and your audience. Amy Jacobus reconnects with Erica to reflect on how refining and implementing her values throughout her company has impacted her business, and how it continues to grow and shape her brand. In this discussion: How reconsidering her normal allows Amy to create sustainable, and effective marketing plans for her clients How making her values explicit has impacted Amy's relationships with her team and her clients Why you have to be willing to question, reconsider, and shift your values over time How reconsidering the norms of your industry helps you align with your values Connect with Amy Jacobus: Amy Jacobus Marketing Instagram: @amyjacobus Ready to dive deeper? Values have been touted as something you should have, but no one has really told you what to do with them. Taking a static word and turning it into action is the sweet spot where values become guiding principles on how to respond, make choices, and create impact with your brand. Join Pause on the Play, The Community, and get access to Erica and India's workshop, From Implicit to Explicit: Reconsidering What You Know About Values and learn why identifying your values can change everything in and around your brand, you'll uncover ways that traditional ideal client workshops and tools aren't helpful and how leading with your values can shift the way you approach your brand. Learn more at  pauseontheplay.com/community

There is so much history that we don't learn in school. Colonial and white supremacist historical narratives rarely acknowledge the history of Black resistance and rebellion, or the free Black communities created by Maroons, some of which still exist to this day. Dr. Crystal Menzies joins Erica to discuss the past and present of Maroon communities, what they have to teach us about communal care and collective responsibility, and why we need accessible, intergenerational education. In this discussion: The history of Maroon communities and how they sustain their cultures to this day How Maroon communities implement communal care and accountability Why we need to learn about the resistance and rebellion of Black people Why education needs to be intergenerational and in community Connect with Dr. Crystal Menzies: EmancipatED Instagram: @emancipate_ed Ready to dive deeper? Pause on the Play, The Community was created as a space to be able to share information, to allow people to connect with one another, to amplify what is important to them, and support one another in becoming the change that we want to create. In the community, we have conversations where you learn about something that you were unaware of, and how you can shift what's possible, what can come up in the future if you allow yourself to dream a little bit bigger, to be willing to listen a little bit more intently. If you would like to be a part of these conversations, if you would like to be in a room with other people that are values-aligned and looking to reconsider their normals, this is the place for you. Learn more at  pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Learn more about Queen Nanny of the Maroons Watch In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven

We often discuss misconceptions that people have around various topics like marketing, community, visibility and branding, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. And it's important to regularly revisit these topics, to dig in, debunk, and recenter the myths and misconceptions that come up with them. India Jackson joins Erica to discuss common misconceptions about DEI work, from getting stuck on the right way to engage to why it's vital to move from consuming information and into action. In this discussion: How perfectionism shows up when we get attached to there being one way to do DEI Why community is vital to moving DEI work from consumption to action Why DEI efforts require deep internal work and tangible action How a diversity of lived experiences, history, and culture impacts DEI globally   Ready to dive deeper? Being in community is one of the cornerstones that can support your DEI efforts. This is what can take you from consuming information to having conversations about what you've learned and forming powerful and intentional actions that you can move forward with. This is how we create change, and this is how we can do it in community with one another. Pause on the Play, The Community facilitates a space for these powerful conversations, being able to reconsider your normal, learning from one another, and knowing that you're not alone in your journey. If you're ready to join, visit pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall Eloquent Rage, Brittney Cooper Kimberlé Crenshaw Listen to Kay Fabella on DEI in the US and Abroad Listen to Erica on Why You Can't Operationalize DEI

Reconsidering your normal is essential to clarifying and living your values. But it isn't a one and done process. Reconsidering your normal is a journey that holds space for where you've been and what's possible in the future. Amenah Arman joins Erica to discuss how reconsidering her normal has impacted how she shows up in her business, in her values, and in her mission. In this discussion: How getting clear on your values helps you evaluate belief systems and come into alignment with your mission Why reconsidering your normal is an ongoing process that will evolve over time Why we have to normalize suspending judgment and not oversimplifying the lived experiences of BIPOC individuals Why some systems need an overhaul not an update Using anger and frustration as a generative force Connect with Amenah Arman Sane in the Membrane TikTok: @sane.in.the.membrane  Instagram: @sane.in.the.membrane Ready to dive deeper? If you're ready to reconsider your normal and what you know about values, join Pause on the Play, The Community for Implicit to Explicit: Reconsidering What You Know About Values. Erica and India will discuss why you have to establish shared meanings and definitions, how behavior modeling showcases your values through your actions, how common business practices like ideal client profiles contribute to dehumanizing who you want to attract to your business, and more. Community membership gets you access to this workshop and our full library of past workshops and Q&As, along with community discussion and support. Learn more  pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Listen to Amenah Arman on Flaunt Your Fire® discussing Bad Art: Challenging the Negative and Perfectionist Narrative Reconsider Your Normal T-shirt

Most business owners have been told at some point that they need to have an ideal client profile. These profiles are meant to be tools to figure out who we're marketing to and who we're selling to. But in practice, they create a Frankenstein of demographics that don't reflect real people. These amalgamations of traits are also heavily rooted in white supremacist structures, ignoring whole humans for what we think are the most desirable pieces. India Jackson joins Erica to discuss how these profiles go wrong, and why rooting your marketing in your values allows you to attract the customers, clients, and collaborators you really want. In this discussion: How ideal client profiles reinforce stereotypes and biases by forcing us to make assumptions based on demographics Why ideal client profiles are inherently exclusionary and racist How using your values to guide your client relationships gives you freedom to evolve Why values-based ideal clients are better customers and collaborators Ready to dive deeper? If you're ready to be in action with your values, Pause on the Play, The Community is offering an opportunity to dive deeper and question what values really are, and what's really happening when they're touted as something you need to have, but you're not sure what to do with them.  Join us  for From Implicit to Explicit: Reconsidering What You Know About Values. Erica and India will discuss why pausing to establish shared meanings and definitions is an important part of understanding what your values are across your team and your life, as well as why personal values are so important for leaders. Get access to this workshop, replays, community discussions, and more by joining the Community at pauseontheplay.com/community Resources: Listen to Chelsea Stevenson on using your values to inform your ideal client

When we are the only person working for our brand, we can have a false sense of not having anyone to answer to, no reasoning that needs to be vetted before we make decisions. But if we don't create culture for ourselves, are we deprioritizing the importance of having an understanding of our company culture? Erica shares her perspective on why it's important to establish a company culture, even when you're a company of one. In this discussion: How to define the scope of your team Why your values are the foundation of your company culture How defining your values and company culture eases decision making How being explicit in your values positively impacts your growth Ready to dive deeper? If you're ready to shape your company culture for yourself and the team you'll create, Pause on the Play, The Community is a place to explore what's possible. Get access to Q&A sessions, workshops, and a supportive community as you define your values. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/community

Learning for the sake of learning is never the thing. Talking for the sake of talking doesn't do it either. Conversations and content are the places we start, but they have to become part of how you create action, how you learn and unlearn, so you can move through the world in a more equitable way. India interviews Erica about what she's integrating in her life and her practice of Imperfect Allyship®. In this discussion: Why confronting perfectionism means digging into the narratives you have about yourself and your work How reconsidering your normal extends to Erica's parenting Why community is essential to integration Ready to dive deeper? If you want to be in conversation with others committed to integration and being Imperfect Allies®, Pause on the Play® The Community, gives you the opportunity to show up, learn new things and new ways of being that you can integrate into your allyship. Join a supportive community who are in action to change themselves and the world around them for the better.  Learn more at PauseOnThePlay.com/Community Resources: Listen to Erica interview India about what she's integrating on the Flaunt Your Fire® Podcast Listen to Amenah Arman on Bad Art: Challenging the Negative and Perfectionist Narrative on the Flaunt Your Fire® Podcast

What can happen when we take the time to actually talk about the challenges that we're experiencing at work, the way that we're feeling, the things that we're experiencing, and ways that we can do it differently?  We need to bring forward the experiences that we're told, implicitly or explicitly, that we shouldn't discuss if we want to make progress. Damion Taylor joins Erica and India to discuss how we talk about challenges at work. In this discussion: Why discussions of DEI need to go beyond the theoretical How zero-sum games keep marginalized people from pursuing collective action Why we need to be okay with asking for help Why we have to play to the gray areas in order to improve workplace culture Connect with Damion Taylor: Professional Confession Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Prometheus Digital Studio Connect with Damion on LinkedIn Ready to dive deeper? Conversations are the cornerstone of connection and change. When we learn, unlearn, and support one another, we can become part of creating equity and impacting the world in a positive way. Pause on the Play®, the Community is a space where people who are seeking to change the world, to learn from each other, and to reconsider their normal come together for conversation and accountability. Be part of creating the outcomes you want to see by joining us at pauseontheplay.com/community

As we move away from some of the urgency that surfaced in 2020 around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, it remains vital to continue doing the work. DEI isn't a box you can check and say you're done. You can't schedule learning and unlearning. Erica discusses why DEI is an ongoing project that requires emotional investment and openness and why it can't just be operationalized. In this discussion: Why DEI has to be the lens through which you do all things Why DEI can't be an intellectual exercise How committing to learning and unlearning requires an emotional investment How noticing when you're defaulting to ingrained assumptions creates opportunity for growth Ready to dive deeper? Being clear on your values and the impact you want to create helps you use diversity, equity, and inclusion as a lens. You need to be explicit about who you support, what you support, why you support it, and how your actions are aligned with that. If you want support in getting that clarity, so that you can get closer to embodying your values in your life and business, join the Implicit to Explicit Masterclass. Learn more at pauseontheplay.com/explicit. Resources: Jennifer Voss of Martha Beck, Inc discusses the process of transitioning from scholarships to awards in Episode 141: Making DEI Values Explicit in the Coaching Industry