Podcast appearances and mentions of erin weed

Erin Weed is the founder of Girls Fight Back, a women's safety education company. After teaching live self-defense seminars to over 1 million people worldwide, she sold Girls Fight Back in 2013. Since then, she has been working as a speaker, author, and communication strategist who helps people seek their purpose and speak their truth. Today, we'll hear her Talk at TEDxBoulder about how to connect with one another by communicating authentically. On International Women's Day 2018, she joined Women@BLD to share a technique on how to lead and communicate authentically, from the head, heart and core. Originally published in May of 2018. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

When she asked me this question, I had to pause… “Think of the tasks you aren't feeling confident about—are you clear?As our businesses grow, it's common to feel stuck—not because we're not making progress, but because we lack clarity on the direction we should be moving in.This right here is exactly why I invited Erin Weed to be a guest on the podcast today.Erin believes that we'll be able to connect the dots (and connect with others) when we take the space to gain CLARITY.So, here's my gift to you today: a framework to uncover your core motivations and align your actions with your true purpose.This process has transformed my life, and my hope is that after this episode, it starts transforming yours too!Click play to hear all of this and:(00:07:09) How clarity sparks confidence and builds powerful connections.(00:15:29) The 'Resonance-Meter' (aka, your new favorite tool for making aligned choices.)(00:16:44) How to hone in our intuition and make savvy business moves.(00:18:21) The framework to balance hard data with gut feelings for stellar decisions.(00:18:43) Erin's “head hardcore” formula for crystal-clear decision-making.(00:25:01) The power of clarity in boosting confidence and connections in business.(00:27:56) A heart-to-heart about the personal toll it took when I was chasing the wrong kind of success.(00:29:34) The real cost of living out of alignment with your true self.(00:38:03) Erin's “Word of the Week” practice (and how it can help us stay motivated).(00:41:32) The science of human vibrations and how they impact our business.(00:43:39) The reveal of my OWN core word.Listen to Related Episodes:Taking Strategic Risk in Business: How to Determine Whether a Decision is the “Right” OneBuilding Confidence with Ease: How I'm Becoming the 3X Version of MyselfFive Mindset Shifts For Business GrowthConnect With Erin Weed online:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinweedFacebook: http://facebook.com/erinweedWebsite: http://erinweed.comFor full show notes, visit jasminestar.com/podcast/episode498

Can you define your business' purpose in just ONE word?  That's exactly what Erin Weed, founder of The Dig, does with her clients every single day. She is a branding and messaging expert, and she is all about getting clear – EPICally clear – on your message. Erin joins us on this special episode of the HerBusiness Podcast (co-hosted by the lovely Michelle Falzone!) to dive deep on finding your core message and purpose. Listen to Discover:  -> It's not just about finding clarity but achieving what Erin calls EPIC Clarity, which makes you unstoppable in your communication. -> Erin explains how to feel confident and passionate about your message, transforming how you present yourself and your ideas. -> Learn Erin's Grounding Question to quickly recenter and reconnect with your true self whenever you feel triggered. -> Discover Erin's concise 10-word operating system that can guide your actions and decisions, keeping you aligned with your core values. -> Erin discusses the single most important intention to have when presenting to an audience, making your message more impactful. -> Understand the real reason behind the resistance to being more visible, which is probably not what you think! -> Erin emphasises that self-help isn't about changing who you are but rediscovering and embracing your truest self. -> Find out how to create content that is uniquely yours with ease by tapping into your authentic voice. -> Explore the three truths that are always running in the background of our minds and how understanding these can enhance your communication. -> Erin dives into the roles of facts, emotions, and gut feelings in discovering your purpose and core message. -> So much more! For more stories of remarkable women entrepreneurs, subscribe to the HerBusiness Podcast. Mentioned in This Episode: -> HerBusiness Marketing Success Mastermind ->HerBusiness Network -> Erin Weed -> Erin's FREE Head-Heart-Core Video Training

Finding the best way to get to the core of your authentic message can be a frustrating and difficult journey for many content marketers. That's why, in this episode, your hosts, Suzi Dafnis and Michelle Falzon are speaking with messaging expert, Erin Weed about how to find your core message and express yourself in a powerful and authentic way. Erin helps leaders excavate and distil their truth through her unique method called The Dig®. She says “I created The Dig to help you remember who you are, what you stand for and how to share it with others.” Listen to This episode to Hear More About: -> Why it's not just clarity we are looking for, but EPIC Clarity (and how to get it!) -> How to feel so confident and “on fire” about your message that you're not only ready to tell people about what you do, but you're unstoppable! -> The straightforward “Grounding Question,” Erin recommends we ask ourselves when we are triggered, to quickly re-centre ourselves and bring us back to who we are. -> Erin's 10-word operating system. -> The one intention we should all have when making a presentation to an audience The real reason you might be feeling resistance to being more visible (and it's not what you think). -> Why self help is not about changing people, but rather helping them get back to the most true version of themselves. -> How to find the most powerful ways for you to create your unique content with ease. -> The 3 truths we have running all the time (and why understanding this can unlock your communication). -> The role of facts, emotions and gut-feelings in your finding your purpose and what your core message is. -> How to access Erin's FREE Head-Heart-Core Video Training. -> And much more… Also Mentioned in This Episode: -> HerBusiness Marketing Success Mastermind -> HerBusiness Network -> Erin Weed -> Erin's FREE Head-Heart-Core Video Training -> EP 228 - When and How To Offer a VIP Ticket Option for Your Online Course, Challenge or Program -> Belinda Weaver - Copywrite Matters

“The biggest mistake people make is that they're not themselves,” says today's guest authenticity expert Erin Weed. Using a process she created called “The Dig,” Erin helps entrepreneurs and thought leaders discover and cultivate their most authentic selves in order to most effectively communicate with their audiences. Through a series of questions, she helps her clients discover their message on both the macro and micro levels, the ‘why' behind the ‘how,' so that they can clearly, confidently and concisely deliver their singular message to the world in a way that makes audiences sit up, listen, engage and trust. On today's episode of Conscious Entrepreneur, Erin talks to host Alex Raymond about getting to the head/heart core and the biggest mistakes most leaders make with their messaging. Drawing from her own experience in founding a personal safety and self-defense company Girls Fight Back, she'll share how you can get started on your own process of discovering your true self and the unique story you have to share with the world.    People are craving human connection beyond the facts and figures. We all have three core truths running within us at the same time, Erin says. She reveals what these truths are, what they mean, and how to plug into all three to begin expressing your fullest, most honest and most genuine self.    The journey to the core isn't an easy one, but where entrepreneurs lead, the rest of the world tends to follow.    Quotes “Things started to shift over time, where audiences started appreciating the polish and the perfect less and they started craving the authenticity and the realness more.” (3:41 | Erin Weed) “I just think it's our responsibility to be communicating our truth. It's not up to other people to be mind readers or heart readers or gut readers. We have to, as conscious leaders, one of the things that I feel really passionate about is encouraging conscious leaders and entrepreneurs to be the ones to go first. To be willing to go into maybe the more uncomfortable of the three dimensions of your truth.” (9:32 | Erin Weed)  “There are all these different bypasses to get to the truth, based on how a person is wired and what's important to them.” (14:04 | Erin Weed) “I realized I would create the best talks of my life when I was simply telling a story, and then finding the bigger meaning in the story so that everyone else in the room could get something from what I just shared.” (16:16 | Erin Weed)  “A lot of people don't like their dig words because it's your biggest life lesson, it is your path, and sometimes we can be very resentful of what we've been dealt. But I'd like to believe, on some spiritual level, that we picked it for ourselves for a very big reason.” (28:28 | Erin Weed)  “One of the things that holds conscious entrepreneurs back is we do not know or accept the fact of how unique, special and needed our voices are.” (32:49 | Erin Weed)   Links Connect with Erin Weed: Website: https://www.erinweed.com/   Connect with Alex Raymond: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/ Website: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/   HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What do you do when a business area becomes energetically draining, or the income isn't flowing? Today's guest has many intuitive superpowers, and one of them is “following the data points of truth.” In this episode, Erin Weed and I discuss why you shouldn't just stick with something that is no longer aligned; the tragic event that launched her journey into entrepreneurship; the moment she knew it was time to release her first business; how she came up with her unique process, The Dig®️ (then later trained a dozen facilitators to help conduct sessions); volunteering as one of the best ways to try on new business ideas; and setting intentions with a word of the week and for the year, in addition to your core word at the center of who you are. ⛔️ For listeners who wish to avoid sensitive content: This episode contains a story about violent crime. More About Erin: Erin Weed is an intuitive communications expert with a passion for truth and storytelling, dedicated to helping leaders discover their purpose and express it succinctly. With a background in PR and documentary production, she has a wealth of experience. Erin's journey took a transformative turn when the tragic murder of her sorority sister inspired her to launch Girls Fight Back!, a global women's safety education company. Erin is also renowned 22-year professional speaker who coaches TEDx and TED speakers using her unique approach, The Dig®, to distill their messages down to simple words.

Erin's super power is getting your purpose to one word, but there's a lot more: teaching self-defense, coaching Tedx speakers and mostly pursuing and facilitating unabashed authenticity.

Erin Weed is an expert helping people align their WHY with their WORDS. As an author, speaker and message strategist she helps individuals and organizations to clarify their purpose, simplify their message and amplify their truth. Formerly Erin was Founder & CEO of Girls Fight Back - a company that conducts women's safety seminars across the world. It was founded in 2001 in response to the murder of Erin's college friend and sorority sister, Shannon McNamara. She has spoken to over 1 million people at live events worldwide and has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and was named CosmoGirl of the Year. ​Erin helps people understand the unique power of our stories, the lessons we learn from them and the universal truths that tie humanity together. She is here today to help us seek our purpose, and speak our truth. ​ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Speaker and strategist Erin Weed does a takeover of the podcast and interviews Jennifer Brown on a variety of topics, including Jennifer's new book "Beyond Diversity," the importance of self-care, and the need for allyship. Jennifer also reveals what has shifted in her work over the years, the increasing awareness of various diversity dimensions at work, and shares her thoughts about the future of DEI work.  To learn more about Erin and her work visit:  https://www.erinweed.com

Krista explores the subjects of identity, creativity, and self-expression with the creator of The Dig Method, Erin Weed. For Krista, Erin is a mentor, a friend, and a vision-holder, and she describes how ‘doing The Dig' with Erin has shaped her business and been a guiding light in her life. Erin talks about the experience of preparing for her first art show, “Purpose and Words,” and reveals how grief inspired her to create artwork from the colorful sticky notes she uses to record her clients' life stories. They also discuss the meaning of authenticity and emphasize the importance of finding new expressions and outlets for their creativity. Links from Episode: The Dig's Website: thedig.comErin's Website: erinweed.comAustin Eubank's Ted Talk: ted.com/talks/austin_eubanks_what_surviving_the_columbine_shooting_taught_me_about_pain?language=enElizabeth's Gilbert's Ted Talk: ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_your_elusive_creative_genius Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erin is the founder of The Dig. In this interview you'll learn about how to be more authentic in your conversations at work and at home.  Highlights from the episode: Our operating systems have a team captain.Understanding why we are here.How she started helping people understand their operating systems.Helping people feel seen.The difference between an operating system and personal values.Understanding how we relate to each other at work.How we navigate our shadows.Digging into your truth.How we can begin to see how our stories can hold us back.Honor when we feel violated.Building inner compassion.Creating a grounding question.Getting to the core of the truth.Remembering versus creating.Peeling away layers to get to the truth.Not getting sucked into a situation so it drags you down.Dealing with a loss of her brother.Finding opportunities in our struggles.Understanding what pushes and pulls us in our lives.Infinite amount of mental doorways to open, which ones to open and walk through.Head - Facts we deal with.Heart - How you feel.Core - Desires. What do you want?Do you want to your authentic self to be seen or do you want to only show people this creation of yourself?Blocking off weeks into sections.Favorite podcast - We can do hard things with Glennen Doyle Favorite Speaker - Ash Beckham “Coming out of your closet”Favorite Book - The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity (Amazon Link) You can learn more about Erin Weed over at The Dig. You can learn more about Erin over at LinkedIn. And as always if you have any questions or want to submit a guest for the podcast that you think would be amazing just reach out on Dig to Fly and I'll do my best to get them on.

In this week's episode, Lori and Erin Weed go deep on "The Dig!"  If you want to skip straight to her interview, 7:30 is your spot.Today's episode is an awesome deep dive into one of the coolest techniques to get to your core message! We are STOKED to have Erin Weed back on the program!If you don't know Erin, you need to add that to you to-do list, it just might change your life. Erin is a PR, Media, and Television veteran, who has spent her career "playing in traffic at the intersection of truth and communication" (for the greater good!)She's the founder of Girls Fight Back helping young women protect themselves, Is a TEDx speaker and TED coach, and is the creator of The Dig! What is the Dig? Well, you're gonna see it today. Our own Lori Lantz peels back the layers, gets vulnerable, and shares her story so you can see how this amazing process works.Erin has spoken to over 1 million people at live events worldwide. She has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and was named CosmoGirl of the Year. Last fact, Erin always wanted to be Wonder Woman, and I'm not entirely sure that she isn't.TCB Layout0:00 - Open1:18 - Show Start2:28 - #BoulderStrong7:30 - Erin Weed Part Deux10:02 - The Dig with Lori46:26 - Funny Stuff & Close___Links:Erin Weed website: https://www.thedig.com/TCB Mighty Network: https://the-corporate-bartender.mn.co/So, what is TCB?In these crazy days, I felt like we could all use some support, some community, some innovative people-side-of-the-business ideas, and of course, some cocktails. What started as a response to COVID19 has evolved into something much more meaningful. It's become an amazing group of people leaders from various industries who have come together as the world is changing to share ideas, some best practices, to learn from our mistakes, and build connection with others who are facing similar issues.We are all about sharing at TCB. We share Learning & Development tools. We share updates to the legal landscape. We talk about issues facing our employees and our leadership teams. We interview innovative People Leaders who have cutting edge ideas. Oh, and we laugh. A lot!I know what you're thinking. What is this thing? Is it another Zoom meeting? Is it a Podcast? Is it a show? What in the world am I getting into? It's all of those things and none of those things. Think of it as a video podcast with a live interactive audience. It's a community. It's a forum for ideas, meeting similar folks, and finding a little bastion of sanity in an exceedingly complex world. It's a breath of fresh air, and a respite from your grueling schedule - where you'll be in great company, and probably take away a few things that you can use at work...and in life each episode.If you are an HR or People Leader in your organization, this is the place for you. You are welcome here!

Krista interviews the other half of Authentic Audience, her husband, best friend, and business partner, Clay Ripma. This month Krista and Clay are celebrating four years of being in business together, and they talk about the twists and turns their lives have taken along the way. They reveal how losing one of their major clients due to the pandemic forced them to diversify their business and reshape their vision for the future. With encouragement from their mentor, Erin Weed, Clay has decided to pursue his own entrepreneurial opportunities. He is now the co-owner of Vestmap, an app that provides real estate investors with data to make informed decisions about their property investments. Even though his focus has shifted, Clay will still be around to help with the big projects, and in the meantime, Krista is doubling down on all things Authentic Audience. During his rapid-fire questioning round, Clay reveals he likes to daydream about the economy, is scared of bears, and is resistant to the prospect of participating in a Full Moon Share Circle. Links from Episode: Vestmap's Website: www.vestmap.comClay's Instagram: @clay_the_ripper Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Lori and the TCB Crew chat with Authentic Communication, and speaking from your "head, heart, and core.".  If you want to skip straight to her interview, 14:06 is your spot.If you don't know Erin - she is an expert on Authentic Communication. As a keynote speaker, message strategist and presentation coach, she helps individuals and organizations to clarify their purpose, simplify their message and amplify their truth.Formerly Erin was Founder & CEO of Girls Fight Back - a company that conducts women's safety seminars across the world. It was founded in 2001 in response to the murder of Erin's college friend and sorority sister, Shannon McNamara. Erin has spoken to over 1 million people at live events worldwide. She has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and was named CosmoGirl of the Year. Erin helps people understand the unique power of our stories, the lessons we learn from them and the universal truths that tie humanity together. She is here today to help us seek our purpose, and speak our truth.Links:Erin Weed website: https://www.erinweed.com/Eryc Eyl TCB Interview: https://youtu.be/0O1YQfEWeU8Eryc Eyl Website: https://www.eryceyl.com/Ben Whiting Website: http://www.benwhiting.com/TCB Mighty Network: https://the-corporate-bartender.mn.co/So, what is TCB?In these crazy days, I felt like we could all use some support, some community, some innovative people-side-of-the-business ideas, and of course, some cocktails. What started as a response to COVID19 has evolved into something much more meaningful. It's become an amazing group of people leaders from various industries who have come together as the world is changing to share ideas, some best practices, to learn from our mistakes, and build connection with others who are facing similar issues.We are all about sharing at TCB. We share Learning & Development tools. We share updates to the legal landscape. We talk about issues facing our employees and our leadership teams. We interview innovative People Leaders who have cutting edge ideas. Oh, and we laugh. A lot!I know what you're thinking. What is this thing? Is it another Zoom meeting? Is it a Podcast? Is it a show? What in the world am I getting into? It's all of those things and none of those things. Think of it as a video podcast with a live interactive audience. It's a community. It's a forum for ideas, meeting similar folks, and finding a little bastion of sanity in an exceedingly complex world. It's a breath of fresh air, and a respite from your grueling schedule - where you'll be in great company, and probably take away a few things that you can use at work...and in life each episode.If you are an HR or People Leader in your organization, this is the place for you. You are welcome here!

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview renowned speech coach, Erin Weed, on the proven approach to building authentic connection. Erin is the Founder of Evoso and has worked with hundreds of famous speakers to clarify their message so they can speak their truth with power. On this episode, Erin goes a step deeper by exploring how finding our truth (and holding the space for others to find theirs) enables us to connect at a deeper level when we’re all living and working remotely. For leaders looking to cut through the noise with a clear and compelling message and for managers who want to build authentic relationships with the people around them, Erin outlines a 5-step process to tap into truth. Erin is hosting a Dig Workshop on June 19th. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-workshop-june-2020-tickets-107101441294 About ErinFor almost 20 years, Erin Weed has used words to inspire, to learn, to grow and to evolve society. Her quest is finding human connection at the intersection of truth and communication. At age 22, Erin's college friend was murdered at college. This inspired her to launch Girls Fight Back (GFB), which produced women's safety seminars at schools across the world.  Between 2001-2013, Erin was in the spotlight as a leading women's safety and empowerment expert. She wrote books, was a columnist for CosmoGirl, was an expert on live TV shows, scaled GFB internationally and spoke to over 1 million people at live events. Erin learned the key to making true connection with others is to show up as yourself...and to always speak your truth.  Today Erin is a speaker, author, coach and strategist who works with individuals and companies like Google, NFL Super Bowl champions and University of Colorado.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview renowned speech coach, Erin Weed, on the proven approach to building authentic connection. Erin is the Founder of Evoso and has worked with hundreds of famous speakers to clarify their message so they can speak their truth with power. On this episode, Erin goes a step deeper by exploring how finding our truth (and holding the space for others to find theirs) enables us to connect at a deeper level when we’re all living and working remotely. For leaders looking to cut through the noise with a clear and compelling message and for managers who want to build authentic relationships with the people around them, Erin outlines a 5-step process to tap into truth. Erin is hosting a Dig Workshop on June 19th. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-workshop-june-2020-tickets-107101441294 About ErinFor almost 20 years, Erin Weed has used words to inspire, to learn, to grow and to evolve society. Her quest is finding human connection at the intersection of truth and communication. At age 22, Erin's college friend was murdered at college. This inspired her to launch Girls Fight Back (GFB), which produced women's safety seminars at schools across the world.  Between 2001-2013, Erin was in the spotlight as a leading women's safety and empowerment expert. She wrote books, was a columnist for CosmoGirl, was an expert on live TV shows, scaled GFB internationally and spoke to over 1 million people at live events. Erin learned the key to making true connection with others is to show up as yourself...and to always speak your truth.  Today Erin is a speaker, author, coach and strategist who works with individuals and companies like Google, NFL Super Bowl champions and University of Colorado.

On this episode of Uncharted Territory, we interview renowned speech coach, Erin Weed, on the proven approach to building authentic connection. Erin is the Founder of Evoso and has worked with hundreds of famous speakers to clarify their message so they can speak their truth with power. On this episode, Erin goes a step deeper by exploring how finding our truth (and holding the space for others to find theirs) enables us to connect at a deeper level when we’re all living and working remotely. For leaders looking to cut through the noise with a clear and compelling message and for managers who want to build authentic relationships with the people around them, Erin outlines a 5-step process to tap into truth. Erin is hosting a Dig Workshop on June 19th. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-workshop-june-2020-tickets-107101441294 About ErinFor almost 20 years, Erin Weed has used words to inspire, to learn, to grow and to evolve society. Her quest is finding human connection at the intersection of truth and communication. At age 22, Erin's college friend was murdered at college. This inspired her to launch Girls Fight Back (GFB), which produced women's safety seminars at schools across the world.  Between 2001-2013, Erin was in the spotlight as a leading women's safety and empowerment expert. She wrote books, was a columnist for CosmoGirl, was an expert on live TV shows, scaled GFB internationally and spoke to over 1 million people at live events. Erin learned the key to making true connection with others is to show up as yourself...and to always speak your truth.  Today Erin is a speaker, author, coach and strategist who works with individuals and companies like Google, NFL Super Bowl champions and University of Colorado.

Erin Weed, creator of The Dig, talks with host, Drew Horning. In this uplifting conversation, Erin shares deeply personal stories of both great loss and great success. Erin Weed helps people clarify their purpose, simplify their message, and amplify their truth. Erin created The Dig, a process for unearthing your purpose and distilling it to just one word. She also founded EVOSO, which trains conscious public leaders to be authentic public speakers. Formerly Erin founded Girls Fight Back, conducting women’s safety seminars across the world. Find out more about Erin here. Subscribe on iTunes

Kick off 2020 with digging deep and finding your truth. I certainly did! Erin Weed just opened Speaker School. An 8 course class on finding your truth and learning how to deliver it. Learn how Erin found her own truth and decided to start speaker school. To get started with Speaker School, visit www.speakerschool.com. Connect with Erin Weed on LinkedIn.

Jennifer Brown is a crusader. Her life’s mission is to help give a voice to people who have felt marginalized. And she’s doing it in so many ways. From her own personal experience – her openness and vulnerability give so many others comfort and hope. To her community outreach through her podcast, her books and her speaking. And finally on a huge platform, as a consultant to huge fortune 500 companies that know they need to do better, to make change and to become more inclusive. I met Jen Brown through our friend Erin Weed (episode 114 Erin Weed Digs you). Jen and I were seeking our truths – trying to put a finger on our greater messages and how to get them out into the world in a more powerful way. I have to say that Jen has definitely found her truth. She is leading the tidal wave of diversity and inclusion work that can and is changing the way we view each other in this crazy world. You know what she’s really doing? She’s creating a more loving world. Today we talk about: Today's world of Diversity & Inclusion: how do we help others (& ourselves) feel less marginalized How you can make change to become more inclusive Using your voice on behalf of others Businesses have the power to lead: Gillette ad about toxic masculinity How to be an inclusive leader How to speak in a way that doesn't offend or exclude people Covering: What this means and how to avoid it Compassion Fatigue And so much more! Check out Jennifer's Inbound Bold talk about the "iceberg." Don't miss her TedX Presidio Talk "Finding Your Voice in the Workplace" I'm sure many of you wish I would do a full marathon session because we could listen to Jennifer all day long! One of my favorite Jen quotes from this episode is, “Let’s not make diversity about the pain Olympics!” We all have a diversity story; and most of us are covering in some way. There is no winning at the pain Olympics. Instead I think the overriding message is that it’s important for us to help elevate each other in our quests for happier, healthier lives. To use our voices not only on our own behalf, but on the behalf of others who we see as being treated unequally. I hope you loved this episode as much as I did. For more Jennifer Brown:  Jenniferbrownspeaks.com "The Will To Change Podcast" Preorder her new book on Amazon called “How to be an Inclusive Leader” Twitter Instagram Facebook

In this episode, Krista talks with Erin Weed, creator of The Dig and founder of Evoso Academy about public speaking, marketing, and authenticity. Erin is a powerful speaking coach and mentor. She has coached hundreds of speakers and leaders, including some of the most successful Ted Talk speakers, and has her own Tedx talk: Dare to be Authentic. In this episode, they dive into Erin's programs, why they are so powerful for people, how she created them, and how she helps people speak their truth confidently on stage. They talk about Krista's transformative experience going through The Dig and Evoso Academy and what it was like for her speaking on stage for the first time. Erin shares how stepping into her authenticity changed her life and the power in knowing your word. For anyone interested in public speaking, or just curious how to share your message and speak your truth, this episode is for you. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first experience I had with Erin Weed was sitting in her office in Boulder for two days sharing the stories of my life with the goal of getting to the heart of who I am and what I was meant to do – in one word. One powerful word. Erin calls this process The Dig. She has administered countless DIGS in her professional life. I wouldn’t say I was lost when I did The Dig, but I was unsure of exactly where I was and where I should be going. I needed some clarity. I had created an identity as the founder of Skirt Sports, but I was SO TIED UP in my business that I couldn’t see myself outside of that beautiful thing I created. In fact I was at the point of resenting that beautiful thing I created and that’s the last thing I wanted. So I did The Dig. Erin has many magical gifts. One of which is to help people remember. This is no small feat as many of us want to push some of our often very important memories deep down into the darkness and pretend they didn’t happen. Erin helps us bring them out and then her next magical gift surfaces. She helps people see memories that are important – memories that we may discard as not formative or helpful. Basically over two days, she creates a storyline of your life’s important events illustrated by sticky notes on her wall. This storyline is whittled down to one word that forms the foundation for who you are. My word is Relationship. I went in thinking my word would be compassion or connection, these words support my final word. But in the end, it makes sense. I’m about Relationships – with my body, my family, my community, with people I don’t even know yet! It became more clear that whatever I did in the future, I needed to allow myself to sink into this word. Think about this podcast. This was a direct result of my Dig. I knew that I needed an outlet to connect and form relationships not only with my guests but to allow my listeners to also form this relationship. To help them grow from others’ stories. So we can thank Erin Weed for Run This World! Side note: Erin has helped nurture my love for the stage. It all came full circle when we sat side by side at eTown for the Truthtellers Tour (when I came out of the closet with my history with alcohol). Erin means a lot to me and I'm so honored to finally have her on the show. So now you have an understanding of the kind of work Erin does. Today you will not do a literal dig on the pod, but you will gain a new way to think about your purpose as we discuss the following: Girls Fight Back: the nonprofit Erin founded after her college roommate was raped and killed in her dorm room Divorce & Motherhood Confronting hard situations The PURGE Protecting your inner spirit Check out the Boulder Psychic Institute in Boulder if you're intrigued! Learning to tap into your innate gifts The Dig: ins & outs & more Challenge! Post your word! Or at least what you think your word is. Tag @nicoledeboom and @erinweed & then challenge yourself one step further. What’s on the other side of that word? If you think it’s one thing, push a little further to see if one final word surfaces. For more Erin Weed: I highly recommend that you check out Erin’s TEDx Boulder Talk – she mentioned it today – imagine the pressure of the speaking coach putting herself out there to speak. Her talk is everything she helps other people be. Open, honest, vulnerable, and powerful. You can find a link on the show notes. And finally, take a breath and absorb Erin’s final nugget: You have no idea how beautiful the most real version of you is. And if you don’t believe that, borrow her belief. Find and connect with Erin here! Website: https://www.thedig.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinweed77 Instagram: @erinweed Twitter: @erinweed

Erin Weed, the Founder of Evoso, joins the program to discuss how she helps people speak their truth and change the world. Erin reveals the powerful process that she uses to help people find epic clarity about who they are, and how they can show up in the world more authentically.

In this episode, we discuss the topic of allyship and sit down with Author, Public Speaker, Educator, and CEO of Lead at Any Level, Amy C. Waninger to discuss what allyship looks like practically in the workplace.Length: 45:09Hosts: Zach | Ade#LeadatAnyLevel #Favethings #PatreonOur Patreon (and other links): https://linktr.ee/livingcorporateAmy C. Waninger's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycwaninger/Buy Amy's book here: https://amzn.to/2ztwZaUTRANSCRIPTAde: “First, I must confess that over the past few years I’ve been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action;” who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” This excerpt from Martin Luther King’s letter from a Birmingham jail highlights a point in his movement where he was particularly frustrated, and as he wrote here, his frustration was not with those who were very clearly against him but were with those who were, in his words, lukewarm to his cause of social equity. From my perspective, I realize that I probably will constantly face opposition. My real question is “What does true support look like?” This is Ade, and you’re listening to Living Corporate. Zach: Whoo, that was a heavy quote. Ade: Yeah. It’s--I mean, it’s kind of weird that so far we haven’t quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., I think. But, you know, whatever. Considering our show. Zach: Fair enough. So today we’re talking about effective allyship in Corporate America, and honestly I’m really excited we’re discussing this today. When you talk about Living Corporate and the fact that we’re trying to highlight the views of under-represented people in Corporate America, a lot of that has to do with how we partner and get partnership from people that don’t look like us. Ade: Right. And honestly, just the world and the context in which we’re living, it’s so weird. Like, it’s, you know, simultaneously more diverse than ever, and more voices are popping up and, you know, demanding to be heard, but at the same time there is this relentless push back, and it feels like the more voices pop up, the more there’s this, like, push to maintain the status quo, just whatever against the idea of recognizing the truth and reality of all of these different experiences. Zach: Oh, you’re absolutely right. I mean, honestly, when you talk about, like, the reality of different experiences at work, right? So at all of the different places I’ve been, every job I’ve had so far had some type of ERG or employee resource group or affinity group or whatever you want to call them, but that’s kind of where they just group people by their identities, right? Or by how they believe people identify themselves primarily, and 99% of the time--I’ll say it this way. I can count on one hand how many discussions I’ve had at work around race that weren’t like, “Oh, you’re black? Well, yeah. We have, like, this black stuff over here.” Like, “You can just go over there with all the other black people, and y’all can be black - together.” Ade: Okay, so I’m curious. Ever, over the course of your professional career, just an instance really of someone being in your corner--someone obviously being someone who did not have a marginalized identity within that context, someone who really practiced effective allyship, who had your back in tense situations. Zach: That’s a really good question. You know what? I think so. So one time I was at work, right? And every time I would be in these meetings, like for a particular project, I would get ignored. Like, I would speak up, and I’d say something. I’d give a point, I’d ask a question. I’d say something, and it would get ignored. But then the people on my project, my colleagues, they would then say what I just said, and then they would get applauded, right? Yes, and it happened all the time. Ade: Ugh. Been there. Zach: So finally this white knight--and no pun intended considering the quote that we gave at the top of the show, it was actually a good thing--this paragon of parity, this champion, he approached the project manager at the end of one of these meetings and in a hushed but direct tone said, “Hey, the way you’re treating Zach seems odd.” Ade: Uh… is that it? Zach: Yeah, that’s it. Ade: Okay. So, um, that sounds nice, and to be real, like, I am not necessarily expecting, you know, knights to come up and, you know, duel people to the death for our honor or throw on their capes and leap from one building of oppression to the next to try to save us all. I just--I feel like it’s hard enough being, like we’ve said multiple times on this show, one of the onlys in a work environment. It’s hard enough when you feel like you’re just at it by yourself. Sometimes, all it really does take is that one quiet conversation to feel like you’re not alone, and I really want to focus on the concept of people who are dedicated, not just, you know, having the idea of allyship but dedicated to using their privilege and their space and their social capital and their power in ways that benefit the people around them who lack that same social capital, and, you know, sometimes a little bit of the coded language, a little bit of the flexing of social capital muscle, goes a really, really long way. Zach: I mean, it would be great if we could speak to someone, perhaps someone who is not an ethnic minority. Someone who maybe they wrote a book about unconscious bias and diversity and inclusion in the workplace? Someone who’s had many public speaking engagements and who’s the CEO of a firm that promotes in the trenches leadership, diversity and inclusion and career management through mentoring, public speaking engagements and other offerings? Ade: Are you talking about our guest, Amy C. Waninger? Zach and Ade: Whaaaaaat? Zach: [imitating air horns] Sound Man, come on, you know what it is. Give me [inaudible]. [Sound Man complies] Ade: Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. Zach: We’re gonna get into our interview with our guest, Amy C. Waninger. Zach: And we’re back, and we said before, we have Amy C. Waninger here with us on the show today. Amy, thank you for joining us today. Amy: Thank you for having me, Zach. I’m excited to be here. Zach: Absolutely, excited to have you here. Would you mind--for those of us who don’t know you, would you mind sharing a little bit about yourself? Amy: Absolutely. I started my career in 1999 as a software developer and, you know, kind of went through all of the bubbles and bursts in the early 2000s in IT. For about the last 10 to 12 years I’ve been in the management space, so progressive management roles in and around information technology, and in the last 10 years I’ve focused on the insurance industry. I recently started my own company, Lead At Any Level, LLC, and through Lead At Any Level I do authorship of, you know, a blog. I have a book out, as you know, and public speaking engagements, training sessions, coaching, individually consulting around career management, diversity and inclusion, and leadership skills. Zach: You have written a book called Network Beyond Bias. Can you explain the title? Amy: Okay, sure. So that--it’s kind of a long story, but I’ll try to make it as quick as I can here. So the word Beyond was really important to me. I did a--I went through a process with a woman named Erin Weed. She has a company called Evoso, and she does this process that she calls a dig, and she helps you get to a word that is powerful for you. It’s this very structured, important, detailed process around how you get to this word, and the word that I chose for myself at the end of this was the word “beyond” because beyond has a lot of power for me, you know? The idea that wherever you are today, you can get beyond. Whatever horizon you can see, you can go beyond it, and so the title comes from the need to network with diverse populations and with people, you know, with all different perspectives, and I don’t believe that we can undo our biases necessarily, and we shouldn’t ignore them. We need to accept that they’re there and then move beyond them, and the subtitle, Making Diversity A Competitive Advantage For Your Career, came from what I saw as a gap in the diversity and inclusion consulting space and even in the writing about diversity and inclusion in the corporate world that we tend to target organizations or senior leaders in that conversation and not engage people at the everyday level. You know, just everyday individual contributors that are maybe trying to move ahead in their careers, and that was important to me for a couple of reasons. Number one, I think people who--by the time they’re in the C-Suite or they’ve got the VP titles or, you know, they’re pretty high up in these large companies, I think they’re very entrenched and engaged in the way things are and not necessarily looking to change because they know how to play the game as it exists today. And, you know, for people who are struggling to get into that in-group that can be really challenging, so I wanted to focus on people who maybe haven’t made it as far as they want to go yet and want to get there but get there in a very inclusive way, and so how can individuals engage in the diversity and inclusion conversation in a way that feels authentic for them? And there’s some element of--I don’t know how to explain it. There’s some element of just because it’s the right thing to do, right? Not altruism, but doing the right thing, but also in a way that helps them move forward in their own careers, because I really feel like if we can engage tomorrow’s leaders today--and I kind of wrap up the book with this--if we can engage tomorrow’s leaders today in being more inclusive and kind of changing the way we network and changing the way these conversations happen for our careers, we can make lasting changes that will get us to, you know, get more diverse representation in the C-Suite. Zach: You know what? It’s interesting that that’s your answer because it leads me into my next question, which is actually--I’m gonna lead in by reading an excerpt from your book, okay? So I’ma read this excerpt. “In the United States, few words are more polarizing than race and racism, yet Americans suffer from constant racial tension, race-based economic disparities and institutionalized racism. If we are to change this, white Americans must listen to those experiences and perspectives that could inform and enlighten us. Our blindness to our privilege is oppressive. Our sense of entitlement is embarrassing.” So I’ve read your book. Really genuinely enjoyed. Amy: Thank you. Zach: Like, as a black man I was like, “Wow, I’m really surprised there’s a white person saying this.” Right? Like, I was very surprised. I’ve read content in the past, like from various authors, who have a similar tone, but they’re typically not white. In this you allude to allyship, so could you first expound on this excerpt and then help us understand what you mean by being an ally and being someone who listens and learns and things of that nature? Amy: Sure. So I’m gonna start by saying that I’m really grateful that you’re calling attention to this chapter. This chapter, writing that chapter about race, was the hardest part of writing the book, and the book almost didn’t get written because I knew that I couldn’t write a book about diversity and inclusion without acknowledging that I’m white, and I didn’t--I struggled so much with how to write about that in a way that was from my perspective but not exclusive of other perspectives, and I struggled with how to write it in a way that was genuine and authentic without--you know, there’s a lot wrapped up in the word “race” for everybody, and, you know, as a white woman I think that, you know, I’ve heard other white people say it’s important for us to talk about this because white folks have access to conversations and audiences that people of color do not, and I think until I wrote about this, on my blog and in my book, I didn’t really understand what that meant. So getting back to your question though, I think allyship is important because as you noted, I--you know, I exist in a white world. I mean, that’s just--that’s my reality, right? The environment that I grew up in--I grew up in southern Indiana in a rural community that was 99.9% white, non-Hispanic, and I was--you know, I was kind of the ethnic one in the room most of the time because I wasn’t German and Catholic, you know? I was different, and I wasn’t that different, right? So, you know, it’s been hard for me to get to a place where I can understand my role in the race conversation, and it wasn’t that I grew up necessarily thinking that--I didn’t grow up thinking that racism was okay. I mean, that was, you know, very ingrained in me from an early age, but what racism meant in an all-white community, it was still racism, right? Even if you weren’t racist, like, it was still a racist environment because there was no--there was no one different. So it’s been an evolution for me over, you know, the course of time, and when I wrote the chapter on race and the blog post on race, I actually reached out to a couple of people of color in my network, and I said, “I would like some feedback on this. I would like some help with this,” and Sabrina Bristow, a friend of mine from North Carolina, she does social justice work in the human services space of government, and she helped me with that chapter. And I actually--I kind of had started a little too advanced, she thought, for most white people, so I had to backtrack a little bit and include, “Okay, here are some things I’m getting right already,” right? By including people of color in my network and, you know, having genuine relationships, and going out of my way to find people and to build relationships across racial boundaries, because it’s very easy for us, for anyone, to stay in their neighborhood, to stay in their enclave, right? And we’re a very segregated society, especially--you know, I think--in the northern states I think we’re a little more segregated even because of public policy that drove segregation kind of under the--you know, under the covers. It wasn’t explicit, right? But it was perhaps--and I hate to use the word effective because it sounds positive and it’s not, but, you know, it was perhaps a more lasting segregation in the north because it was policy that was guiding it, and it was subversive policy at that. You know, in the south, where it was very explicit, it was easier to undo. So I’ve had to learn all of this because this isn’t what we’re taught in schools, and it’s not--you know, if you pick up the newspaper or magazines or, you know, if you read white bloggers, you don’t read about this. What I’ve had to do is I’ve had to expand where I get my information and who I listen to and what those people learn. So, you know, you get a much different perspective if you--I’ll get outside of the black and white, you know, racial categories for a moment--if you read books for Asian-Americans written by Asian-American authors, for example, about the corporate landscape, what you read sounds much different than, you know, what you might get if you are in a meeting with a bunch of managers and there’s, you know, a 5-minute section on how to include Asian-Americans in your work [inaudible], right? It’s just different. It’s a different perspective. Zach: Yeah. Amy: And so, you know, I started listening and learning that I need to go where I’m a fly on the wall listening to how people talk amongst themselves about the problems that they’re facing, and then I need to figure out how I can--when those perspectives are not represented in a room that I’m in, how can I bring those perspectives to light so that the people who are in the room understand that their perspective isn’t the only one that matters just because they’re the only ones in the room? Zach: As an ally, how do you balance being vocal while not, I don’t know, talking too much? Like, do you have any type of rules that you follow to not, in a sense, colonize the movements and spaces you want to support? Amy: Yeah. So I knew that you were gonna ask me that question, so thank you for that in advance, and I struggled with it originally because I don’t have hard and fast rules. I think the guidelines that I try to follow are--I’ve come to the realization that when people are in the majority in a room, any room, they’re very candid, and perhaps too candid sometimes, right, that they divulge things that they probably shouldn’t. People tend to be very candid when they’re in--like, especially in a super majority in a room. People who are in a minority in a room tend to be very emotionally intelligent, right? Because speaking up can be threatening, and so what I’ve found is if I’m in a space where I’m a minority, if, you know, maybe I’m the only white person in the room--maybe I’m the only non-Hispanic in the room, maybe I’m the only woman in the room. That happens quite a bit. You know, I tend to be more in listening mode and receiving mode, and I try not to ask a lot of questions because I don’t want other people to have to educate me, but I think about those questions, and then I can go research them later. I can contemplate or I can read and, you know, not stop the conversation because, you know, the white lady has a question, right? Let the conversation continue as it is, and I can absorb and kind of take that away. But then when something comes up where I feel like someone else is being dismissed, that’s when I speak up. So I have a hard time speaking up for myself. If I’m feeling defensive about--you know, like I said, I grew up in technology, and I started in ‘99, and I was frequently told, you know, “Oh, you’re really analytical for a girl,” or, you know, “Wow, you code really well for a woman,” you know? And I would just kind of roll my eyes, and if I said anything back it was usually not--it was usually not work-appropriate if I said something back. Let’s just leave it at that. And so I got to the point where I was like, “You know what? I’m not even gonna address these things,” but where I have learned that there’s power and where I think you build respect and you can become an ally--I don’t think you make a decision to be an ally and you are one, and I would never use the word ally to describe myself without first saying, “I aspire to be an ally,” because I think it’s ongoing work. I don’t think you can give yourself that title. I think someone else has to give it to you. Zach: Wow, yeah. Amy: But the ways in--I’m sorry, go ahead. Zach: I was just saying wow. Like, yes, absolutely. I’m listening to you. Amy: Yeah. So the way I aspire to be an ally and the way I aspire to do the work of an ally is to recognize what perspectives are missing, and if those perspectives were in the room and had a voice, what would they say? Or if those perspectives are in the room and don’t feel like they have a voice, can I make space for that? Can I stop the conversation so that someone else who is maybe not in the super majority in the room can speak up? Or, even more importantly, can I say “Hold on, I think if we look at this from a different perspective,” and then I can share what I’ve learned by being in those spaces, right? In those spaces that are predominantly of color or, you know, in different ways so that I can help bridge that gap and sort of make that translation so that it doesn’t always fall on the one black person in the room or the one Hispanic person in the room or, you know, the one Asian-American in the room to speak up, right? To me that’s allyship, not making people advocate for themselves all the time. You have to advocate in a way that includes them. Zach: Yeah. You talked a little bit about gender diversity and you being the only woman in the room, and I can empathize. I can’t sympathize, right? But I can empathize, and let me confess something, like, with that in mind. For me, it’s deeply frustrating when I see diversity and inclusion programs only focus on gender diversity, right? So, like, if you look at the tech space, and if you ask, like, the common, average person--we have this app called Fishbowl, which is, like, an anonymous posting app for consultants, and there are times when I’ve seen people post questions like, “What do you think about the diversity and inclusion at your work?” And most people--typically people tend to be a little bit more honest on these anonymous online threads, for good or bad--they’ll say, “Well, it’s good for white women,” right? And so for me, I agree with that, right? Outside looking in as a black man, like, just my perspective, it seems as if these programs are very much so focused on gender diversity but don’t really look at the cross-section of the ethnic diversity or the sexual orientation diversity, right? So in your book you talk about representation in the C-Suite, in chapter 33. Can you talk more about that particular chapter and the things that you wrote around that topic? Amy: Sure, and I don’t have the book in front of me so I’m gonna not speak specifically to the numbers… Zach: Sure. [laughs] Amy: [laughs] Because I don’t have the numbers memorized. That’s why there’s a book. You know, the representation of women I think--of white women, and I want to be clear that we’re talking--and I think you and I spoke about this before we did the interview, right? Zach: Right. Amy: We talked about we get these numbers about, you know, pay disparity, and we say it’s 83 cents on the dollar for women, and that’s not true. It’s 83 cents on the dollar for white women. The numbers for, you know, women of color get worse and worse, right, as you start going down the list. So, you know, black women make less than white women, Latina women make less than that, indigenous women--you know, I don’t even know if they collect the data on that, right? It’s ridiculous the disparity between white women and women of color, and when we talk about women, right, we tend to talk about women as if that’s all women, and it’s not. It’s white women, so let’s be very clear about that. White women make up--and I want to say it’s less than 6% of the C-Suite, right? Of CEO positions in the United States, and I think there were, like, 27 this year out of the Fortune 500. So we’re talking, like, itty-bitty numbers, right? But white women have better representation in the C-Suite at their 4 or 5% or whatever it is, have better representation in the CEO spots of the Fortune 500 than do all people of color, and so I agree with you. I think that it’s a missed opportunity when we--you know, I think ERGs are important, and I talk about that in the book too, employee resource groups and how it can help you connect in spaces that are affinity groups for you, and it can help you connect in spaces that are not affinity groups for you so you can understand different perspectives, but I think one of the things that that can do if we’re not careful is it can kind of divide people up where the employee resource group for women ends up being all white women because women of color identify as, you know, Latina or, you know, African-American first and women second, and the pride ERG is the same way by the way. I think, you know, a lot of times the LGBTQ community is the white LGBTQ community and ignores the perspectives of people of color and, you know, assumes, right, “Well, if they’re here they’ll find us because they’re gay,” and that’s the most important thing to the LGBTQ community that’s white is that they’re gay, but, you know, for--you know, for Asian-Americans or Hispanic-Americans or black Americans that may also be LGBTQ, that’s not the first thing people recognize about them, and so their primary identity is in the racial--you know, in the racial or ethnic category. So all of that to say I don’t think we should cut people up. I think what we should do instead is, you know, recognize that feminism has been white feminism for a long time. You know, white women have benefited a lot from not just their own advocacy but also from the civil rights movement and the African-American civil rights movement of the ‘60s, and instead of claiming ours and then hoping that other people will follow or, you know, “Once we get there we’ll reach out our hand,” I think is the absolute wrong approach. I think what we need to do instead is when white women hear that, oh, we make 83 cents on the dollar, I think it’s incumbent upon us, it’s imperative for us to say, “That’s not the number for women. That’s the number for white women,” and we need to be the ones, white women need to be the ones to stand up to say, “Look, this is not an inclusive conversation just because you’re talking about me. That doesn’t mean you’re being inclusive of everyone.” And, you know, we all face the same systemic issues, right? White women face a lot of the same issues that people of color face that, you know, people who are immigrants face, but the way we’ve carved up the problem it’s like we’re each trying to get our own seat, and what my book seeks to do is to get everybody, like, wherever they are, to start reaching out. So it’s almost--instead of one person trying to break through, it’s more like a game of Red Rover, right, where we’re all holding hands, we’re all moving forward together, and then when we get there we all get there together. And then our C-Suite isn’t, you know, 10 white men and two white women and maybe a person of color, it’s, you know, this whole Red Rover game of black, white, Hispanic, gay, straight, you know, Asian, men, women, non-binary, cisgender, transgender, you know, abled, people with disabilities. You know, it’s all these things, and we all get there together and we all lift each other up. Zach: Hm. So talk to me a little bit about Lead At Any Level. So I know that you intro’d with that, about the company that you’ve started, and you’ve shared that you’re from Indianapolis and that you engage in predominantly white spaces. So I’m not trying to be pessimistic, right, but I’m looking at… Amy: [laughs] Zach: [laughs] I’m looking at American history, and I’m also looking at the words that you wrote in your book, and I’m curious, like, how do you expect to break through and work past, as you’ve described it, the entitlement of white folks? I ask because I’d say any time we as Americans talk about race--so, like, if you want to look at the situation around kneeling, if you want to talk about even how we talk about diversity, and we say, “Well, it’s about thought diversity,” and if you want to talk about--any time that we’ve in the past I would say 54--really the past 400 years, but just looking at, like, our most recent era of just, like, the past 50, 60 years, we talk about race within the context of making sure that the majority is comfortable with the ways that we engage topics around race. So I’m curious as someone who’s starting a company, or rather who has started a company really tackling this subject, how do you plan on breaking through and navigating that? Amy: Sure. So people of color can’t fix racism, right? People of color can--there are all of these--you know, there’s, like, respectability politics, and I know that there’s a lot of code switching, and there are all of these things that happen within communities and within just the mindset and the sort of the self-censoring people of color, right? And no matter what happens, right, whether it’s a protest--you know, someone kneeling for the anthem because of, you know, the pain in this country that’s happening, right, or, you know--it’s one of those things where it’s kind of like you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t, right? If you march, it’s the wrong march. If you speak, it’s the wrong words. If you protest, it’s the wrong protest. If you’re quiet, it’s the wrong thing. You know? We’ve tried every combination of people of color doing things to try to end racism, and where racism needs to end is in white America. Like, white folks are the ones who are gonna have to step up and fix this because we’re the ones that are perpetuating the problem. So I want to be clear. My company is not--the stated purpose of my company is not “end racism in the United States,” and I know there are people for whom that is their mission, right? That is their work. What I want to do is I want to help individuals at all levels of organizations see that if they’re not accepting and welcoming and doing hard work around their own biases and their own privileges and understanding that maybe--you know, maybe yeah, you’re really qualified for this job that you’ve gotten, but you probably got there not just based on your qualifications but also based on, you know, your relationships and based on the network that you have and your ability to say and do the right things and to look a certain way, right? So if I can help people understand, and particularly white folks, right, that hey, if you really want to be a leader, being a leader means standing up for those who don’t have a voice. Being a leader means being courageous. Being a leader means moving beyond where you’re comfortable into where you really need to go. That’s what leadership is, and, you know, through the work that I’m doing, whether it’s, you know, consulting or coaching or classroom training, yeah, I do--some people might say that I soft-pedal it in a way that makes it more palatable, but I think that in a lot of cases unless you can get your foot in the door you can’t even have a conversation. And so, you know, I talk about privilege in terms of, like--in kind of silly terms to start, but it opens people’s minds to the conversation you can have about privilege, you know, if you can just start laying those--you know, putting those seeds in the ground, and then you can build the conversation from there. I think the great tragedy, and I think where privilege is, you know, just at the most basic level, is that, you know, I grew up white. I grew up talking a little bit about race, but it wasn’t an everyday conversation in my household growing up, right, because it wasn’t that my family needed to worry about, and I think that’s the experience of a lot of white folks is that, you know, we--you know, they tell us, “You just treat everybody the same and you’ll be all right,” and that’s not enough, and I think it wasn’t until just the last couple of years where I realized that treating everybody the same and treating everyone respectfully isn’t enough. Like, we have to take steps to undo some of the damage, and we--you know, I don’t think any one of us can do it all, but, you know, if we can all do it in our own way in a way that’s authentic, in a way that gives us life, and not in a way that--and that’s different for everybody, right? There are ways for me to do this that are energizing and there are ways for me to do this that leave me in a crumpled heap on the floor, and so I’ve had to find my own way to have this conversation that I feel is energizing and that I feel is productive and that I feel like is authentic for me, and that won’t be the same for everyone. So I’m not sure I’ve answered the question, but I think because I’m white I can talk about racism without being labeled as angry, you know? But on the flip of that, because I’m a woman, if I talk about sexism or I talk about, you know, gender disparities, or if I call out someone’s micro-aggressions, you know, where they’ve referred to me as a girl, or--you know, people--one of my favorites is when I’m traveling people are like, “Well, who watches your kids?” I’m like, “You have never asked a man that question. Ever.” [laughs] “You have never asked a man who watches his kids when he’s traveling for work.” Like, nobody does that, right? Zach: Right. Amy: But if I call that out as a woman, and not just a white woman but as a woman, I’m too sensitive, right? So I need--in the same way that I need to stand up and say, you know, “Whoa, hold on.” You know, “Don’t insult a person of color by telling them they’re articulate.” You know? Like, why wouldn’t they be art--like, that’s not a compliment, right? That’s a slap in the face. I need to stand up for that because I’m not angry, I’m just pointing out, you know, somebody’s ignorance, right? Whereas if you did that--you could have the exact same conversation, use the same words, the same tone of voice, but then you’re gonna be labeled as angry, right? “Why are you so angry?” And I think in the same way, you know, women need men, not just white men but men of color, and women of color need this as well, for men to say, “Hold up.” You know? “She’s not being sensitive. You’re being a jerk.” Zach: [laughs] Amy: [laughs] And kind of tease that out, and that’s kind of the point of the book about--you know, the whole part about allyship is if you want somebody to stand up for you, you have to be willing to stand up for somebody else first, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Zach: That’s powerful. No, this is amazing, and I’ve really appreciated our conversation. So before we wrap up I want to know, do you have any shout outs? Anybody that you want to recognize and thank? Amy: Oh. Well, first of all I want to shout out to Jennifer Brown. Jennifer Brown is a consultant, a TEDx speaker--or maybe a TED speaker--she’s amazing, and she wrote the foreword to my book. She is one of the most internationally-recognized diversity and inclusion experts in the country, and I want to thank her. She was the first person to encourage me in this work. I just want to thank her for that. She’s been amazing. And I want to shout out to you guys. You guys are doing something--the Living Corporate podcast is doing something that I think is wonderful, where you’re giving a voice and you’re giving kind of the inside scoop to folks who maybe feel like they’re on the outside, and you’re creating a sense of community that is beyond corporate borders, beyond--you know, you’re knocking down walls and reaching out and holding hands, and I think that’s amazing, and I’ve been so impressed with the quality and the insights that you guys provide on this podcast. I think it’s amazing, so I want to shout out to all of you. Zach: Oh, my goodness. Well, thank you so much, and let’s make sure that we link your book, Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity A Competitive Advantage, in our show notes, and we’ll put it on our Favorite Things so that-- Amy: Oh, thank you. Zach: No problem, ‘cause I really enjoyed it, and I think everyone who’s listening to this should read it. I don’t care where you’re at in the diversity and inclusion discussion or--if you’re listening to this, you should read it. It is a great read. Amy C. Waninger. Thank you so much for your time today. We definitely consider you a friend of the show, and we hope to have you back. Amy: Well, thank you, Zach. I’d love to come back. Zach: Awesome. Peace. Ade: And we’re back. Wow, that was an amazing interview. So real talk, right next to our Preston Mitchum B-Side, that was top 5. Top 5, top 5, top 5. I know Drake’s cancelled, but whatever. [laughs] Zach: That was a really real talk, yeah. I mean, honestly, it was refreshing to have someone who doesn’t look like you empathize with your experiences and be so honest about the reality of the world that we live in, right? Ade: Seriously. I truly appreciated her comments around, you know, gender diversity and LGBTQ diversity. I think that intersectionality is just such a big thing, and it’s very easy to get lost in the sauce, but also we just have to keep in mind the multi-faceted nature of being and also the fact that under-represented and marginalized identities in general experience very, very different things in the spaces we occupy. Zach: Absolutely. And I think ultimately, when I think through my interview with Amy, the biggest step revolves around courage and just speaking up. It’s not like she had some secret formula. She was just speaking truth to power. I mean, we had a section even on there where she said, “Look, there’s a point as a white woman where I have certain privileges where I can speak to race and I can speak to ethnic and diversity, and at the same time, Zach, even though you’re a person of color, as a man you have the opportunity to speak to items around sexism,” right? And patriarchy and things of that nature. So there’s opportunity for us to speak up. Ade: Right, and I think the abiding truth of Living Corporate as a whole is we’re challenging our listeners and ourselves--we’re holding ourselves responsible as well--to live authentically but also with courage, you know? And what the conversation with Amy reminded me of was the fact that--and she sort of alluded to this--we have more power than we believe we do. In a lot of ways we empower each other, we empower ourselves, when we speak up for others, when we utilize our privilege in ways we never have before. When you group with people who look like you and ERGs, affinity groups, happy hours, whatever, all of these things exist because they are necessary and there is a space for them, but even beyond those resources and beyond those spaces, figuring out ways to, you know, plant your roots and insist that you will not be moved, in a lot of ways figuring out how to collaborate with others, support each other, challenge other people, and bringing your whole self--in a professional fashion--to work. Supporting others honestly and truly is really your call to action, I suppose. Zach: Absolutely. Okay, so let’s go ahead and get into our Favorite Things. Ade: Oh, that’s like my favorite. My favorite, my favorite, my favorite. My favorite section. All right, so I hate to sound like the book nerd but I can’t help myself. I’m on, like, my 80th read-through of a book called Sister Outsider by this amazing writer by the name of Audrey Lord. If I ever, ever, ever am blessed to parent a kid, I’d probably name one or several of them Audrey, and yes, I am absolutely willing to have an Audrey 1 and an Audrey 2 in my household just for the sake of having a child named after Audrey Lord. Anyway, that said, if you’ve never read Sister Outsider, Audrey Lord basically has this collection of essays in this book, and if you’re at all interested in black feminist literature she’s a really great place to start. My other favorite thing at this point? I’m really living for thunderstorms. I think I’ve mentioned a couple of times--again, like, I’m a very predictable person so, like, books and water, those are, like, my things. So I’m really into thunderstorms right now. I sleep to the sound of thunderstorms, and this is a complete aside, but there’s this app on my phone and it’s the only thing that gets me to sleep. It’s called Tide, and there is a thunderstorm sound setting on there, and it puts me right to sleep, and it’s the greatest thing ever. So I’m here for actual thunderstorms. I’m here for thunderstorm sounds. I’m here for thunderstorm playlists. So if anybody out there actually has a link for a thunderstorm playlist, hook me up. I’m here for it. That’s all I got. What about you, Zach? Zach: Wow. So first thing is--[laughs]--definitely I love Audrey Lord as well. You know, great work. Beautiful work. The point around thunderstorms is interesting. Technology is crazy. So you’re telling me there’s an app now that actually simulates thunderstorms? Ade: An app. It simulates thunderstorms. It simulates ocean sounds. You can do, like, a focus period. It does naps. It’s frickin’ amazing. Sponsor us, Tide. Zach: Sponsor us, Tide, and we’ll [inaudible]-- Ade: I’m here for you guys. Zach: Ah, yeah. That’s something I’m--I’m trying to get into this. That’s great. [laughs] Ade: [laughs] No, but seriously. Zach: Yeah, no, that’s awesome. Okay, so Tide is the name of the app? Okay, I’m gonna check that out. Ade: It does forest sounds. There are forest sounds, my guy. Zach: Forest sounds? Okay. Well, cool. Look, my favorite thing right now has to be Amy C. Waninger’s book Network Beyond Bias, right? So I shouted it out during the actual interview with Amy, and I told her that I was gonna shout it out during Favorite Things because I really enjoyed it. I read it. Very thoughtful, very frank, very approachable. Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in learning about diversity and inclusion, leadership development, unconscious bias, effective representation, and a slew of other things. It’s very, very thorough. It covers so many different topics in very--just, again, approachable and transparent ways. Ade: Oh. Well, okay. Great. As a reminder, to see all of our Favorite Things, very, very simple. You just want to go to our website, www.living-corporate.com, and click “FAVES” right across the top. Zach: Yes, and as another reminder, we have a Patreon. In fact, you-- Ade: [imitating air horns] Zach: Okay… Okay, so Sound Man, go ahead and add those horns. [Sound Man complies] Zach: [laughs] As another reminder, we have a Patreon. In fact, Sound Man--so I know you just hit Ade with the horns, but go ahead and hit me with some of that royalty-free jazz music. I mean, I don’t know, you can probably find some tracks from, like, 1970 or something. Just give me something smooth. [Sound Man complies again] Zach: Okay. You playing it? Okay, here we go. So listen, I know you want exclusive content, right? But you can’t get it for free. But guess what? We got it. You want giveaways? We got that. You want extended interviews? We got that. You want exclusive writing written by guests? We got that, and guess what? It only costs a dollar to get in, baby. Just a dollar. Ade: [laughs] Zach: One dollar. So do me a favor, do you a favor, do us a favor, and become a patron. Become a patron today. I got the links in the show notes right there. Open up your phone and press details. You’re gonna see the links all right there. All right, that’s it. I’m done. Sound Man, cut it off. [Sound Man dutifully complies] Ade: I wasn’t ready… So we just got to go home. Okay, guys. That was our show. Thank you for joining us at the Living Corporate podcast. Please make sure to follow us on Instagram @LivingCorporate. We’re also on Twitter at LivingCorp_Pod, and subscribe to our newsletter through www.living-corporate.com. If you have a question you’d like us to answer and read on the show, please make sure you email us at livingcorporatepodcast@gmail.com. Also, don’t forget to check us out on Patreon at LivingCorporate as well. We’re all over Al Gore’s internet. And that does it for us on this show. My name is Ade. Zach: And this has been Zach. Ade: A pleasure as always. Ade and Zach: Peace. Latricia: Living Corporate is a podcast by Living Corporate, LLC. Our logo was designed by David Dawkins. Our theme music was produced by Ken Brown. Additional music production by Antoine Franklin from Musical Elevation. Post-production is handled by Jeremy Jackson. Got a topic suggestion? Email us at livingcorporatepodcast@gmail.com. You can find us online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and living-corporate.com. Thanks for listening. Stay tuned.

My guest today is Erin Weed. After a tragic death of a friend, Erin founded Girls Fight Back! A women's self-defense and personal safety organization. Erin traveled the U.S. speaking on college campuses and keeping the memory of her murdered friend alive through awareness. Erin wouldn't consider herself an entrepreneur, but an activist that built a business out of her passion project. During today's episode, Erin tells me about the growth of Girls Fight Back and how she was able to take the business internationally. She also shares why she made the decision to sell the company and move on to the next stage of her life. Businesses can easily become the cornerstone of someone's identity or purpose. Erin's story is a great example of out-growing a business and knowing when to let it go. What you will learn about: Why Erin founded Girls Fight Back. How partnerships with martial art and self-defense programs helped get Erin her audience. The personal effect her friend’s death had on Erin. How Girls Fight Back became international. How Erin structured one of her seminars and presentations. What exactly did Erin sell to her buyer? The danger of letting your business become your identity. The process Erin went through to sell her business. The personal changes she went under during this process. Mistakes that Erin made early on in the business. Erin's new business Evoso and her DIG process. Erin's advice to our listeners. What are you passionate about in your life? What social issues ring near and dear to your heart? What if a past tragedy is the exact impetus you need to get your enterprise up and running? Today's guest shows us exactly how you can be both a social justice warrior and still run a cash-positive business. Erin Weed talks about making a legacy out of her friend's tragic murder by building a business devoted to helping women live a life without fear where they can defend themselves if necessary and have the tools they need to succeed. What has your business done for others today? Enterprise by Surprise So many entrepreneurs don't choose this path. Most fall into entrepreneurship by accident. If there's an exposed market niche or an under-serviced segment, you can bet an entrepreneur will find a way to fulfill that need. One trend we don't see enough of is businesses that are created to help a social issue or injustice get resolved. Today's guest did exactly that: created a business to resolve a social injustice (women who live life in fear that they will be attacked and therefore pass on major life opportunities that their male peers do not have to due to considerations of personal safety). In Erin's own words, “Girls Fight Back gives women’s safety and self defense seminars at high schools and colleges across the world. We also have a product line that all supports that messaging.” So not only did she establish a business that would help thousands of women across the globe, but she also managed to make it a profitable business that could be sold to another like-minded ‘activist entrepreneur'. The lesson here is that you never know who has been affected by a tragedy like yours and who could benefit from your healing process. While Erin has extrapolated this experience and grew beyond her initial need to be

My guest today is Erin Weed. After a tragic death of a friend, Erin founded Girls Fight Back! A women’s self-defense and personal safety organization. Erin traveled the U.S. speaking on college campuses and keeping the memory of her murdered friend alive through awareness. Erin wouldn’t consider herself an entrepreneur, but an activist that built a business out of her passion project. During today’s episode, Erin tells me about the growth of Girls Fight Back and how she was able to take the business internationally. She also shares why she made the decision to sell the company and move on to the next stage of her life. Businesses can easily become the cornerstone of someone’s identity or purpose. Erin’s story is a great example of out-growing a business and knowing when to let it go. What you will learn about: Why Erin founded Girls Fight Back. How partnerships with martial art and self-defense programs helped get Erin her audience. The personal effect her friend’s death had on Erin. How Girls Fight Back became international. How Erin structured one of her seminars and presentations. What exactly did Erin sell to her buyer? The danger of letting your business become your identity. The process Erin went through to sell her business. The personal changes she went under during this process. Mistakes that Erin made early on in the business. Erin’s new business Evoso and her DIG process. Erin’s advice to our listeners. What are you passionate about in your life? What social issues ring near and dear to your heart? What if a past tragedy is the exact impetus you need to get your enterprise up and running? Today’s guest shows us exactly how you can be both a social justice warrior and still run a cash-positive business. Erin Weed talks about making a legacy out of her friend’s tragic murder by building a business devoted to helping women live a life without fear where they can defend themselves if necessary and have the tools they need to succeed. What has your business done for others today? Enterprise by Surprise So many entrepreneurs don’t choose this path. Most fall into entrepreneurship by accident. If there’s an exposed market niche or an under-serviced segment, you can bet an entrepreneur will find a way to fulfill that need. One trend we don’t see enough of is businesses that are created to help a social issue or injustice get resolved. Today’s guest did exactly that: created a business to resolve a social injustice (women who live life in fear that they will be attacked and therefore pass on major life opportunities that their male peers do not have to due to considerations of personal safety). In Erin’s own words, “Girls Fight Back gives women’s safety and self defense seminars at high schools and colleges across the world. We also have a product line that all supports that messaging.” So not only did she establish a business that would help thousands of women across the globe, but she also managed to make it a profitable business that could be sold to another like-minded ‘activist entrepreneur’. The lesson here is that you never know who has been affected by a tragedy like yours and who could benefit from your healing process. While Erin has extrapolated this experience and grew beyond her initial need to be

This episode features a conversation with Erin Weed, a speaker, author and social entrepreneur. Erin shares how she came to found her first company, Girls Fight Back, after the murder of her friend in 2001. Erin discusses how that journey led her to form her current company, Evoso, which helps people seek their purpose and speak their truth. Erin discusses what she sees as the next evolution in leadership and speaking and what it will take to succeed moving forward.

Erin Weed is the founder and CEO of evoso, a consultancy firm that helps people to develop speeches. She has been an entrepreneur since college, when the murder of one of her sorority sisters motivated her to scrap plans to … Continue reading → The post Digging Your Freedom – Erin Weed (Founder Evoso Inc, Author, Speaker) appeared first on Paper Napkin Wisdom - Blog and Podcast For Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Difference-Makers.

We all have a story and destiny and you may not even realize how well you're working toward it. Life has funny ways of guiding us in the right direction, even when everything seems to be going terribly wrong. Listen as Erin Weed describes how a life changing event actually helped her realize her true destiny.

In this episode, I speak with Erin Weed of Girls Fight Back. Erin shares her story of how she lost her best friend and how that tragedy has become her mission and business. This is one social entrepreneur you want to know!