Podcast appearances and mentions of jennifer brown consulting

We need to weld DEI into the business, embedding DEI in every relevant aspect that we can. When you think about welding something into the business, it's an incredibly powerful word because you think of welding as kind of these two pieces, the merging or fusion of these two pieces coming together.You're listening to episode 41 of the Happy Space podcast. Today we're exploring keeping DEI initiatives strong in challenging times by welding them to your business - with Seramount's Managing Director Katie Mooney.Seramount's Managing Director, Katie Mooney, discusses how she began her DEI journey, her view on "welding" DEI initiatives to organizations, the value of community, and what it means to “pass the baton” as a DEI practitioner. Managing Director of Seramount, Katie Mooney talks about the importance of sustaining efforts for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. She shares her journey from a young professional in financial services to becoming deeply involved in DEI work, sparked by a visit to an exhibit called “Struggle for Justice,” as part of Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. She also prefers the term “welding” DEI to organizations as opposed to embedding it and shares practical ways of doing so. With the downturn of the economy and a concerted effort by some to dismantle DEI efforts, these are volatile times, and keeping DEI strong is more important than ever. Katie emphasizes that slow progress is not an option due to the demand for transparency and the need for proactive processes. As DEI practitioners, carrying the baton forward is necessary. I hope you enjoy this illuminating discussion about DEI and where it's heading next. Katie Oertli Mooney is a Managing Director at Seramount, an organization with over 40 years of experience supporting and advancing women in the workplace. She is an accomplished DEI leader and thought partner with expertise in driving strategy and growth of diversity and inclusion change management, planning and programs. Prior to joining Seramount, she was responsible for overseeing the client delivery, staffing, operations and growth as Vice President of Jennifer Brown Consulting. She was accountable for the firm's successful consulting project delivery to clients from the Fortune 1000, government agencies, startups, to nonprofits.Before that, she managed the DEI enterprise learning and development strategy at Capital One specializing in differential investment programming to support historically underrepresented talent and communities of color. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the GSBA; the largest LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce in North America and is supporting the organization in 2020, by advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion for the Board of Directors, for the benefit of GSBA staff, members, partners, and the LGBTQ+ and allied community of Washington State. Katie has a Master's degree in Human Resource Management with a concentration on Diversity and Inclusion Management from Georgetown University. She is based in Seattle, WA.CHAPTERS02:34 Katie Mooney: A DEI practitioner's journey03:52 The importance of DEI in business strategy08:00 The power of DEI in driving business outcomes12:50 Challenges and opportunities in DEI work15:18 The role of research in DEI work15:57 Welding DEI into business outcomes26:44 The impact of DEI on consumer behavior and attracting talent29:29 The role of DEI in navigating through polarity36:44 Future of DEI workLINKSNational Portrait Gallery - Struggle for JusticeSeramount Website

In today's episode, we're joined by Jorge Quezada, Chief Diversity Officer and VP of People and Culture at Granite Construction. He delves into the multifaceted world of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), sharing his journey of understanding and the key figures who influenced his approach. Jorge highlights the importance of individual contributions to organizational change and offers practical strategies to overcome challenges like distance bias in the workplace.Key Takeaways:(06:34) Jorge's in-depth learning about DEI, influenced by key figures and literature in the field.(08:48) The critical role of team diversity in enhancing engagement and productivity.(09:25) Understanding individual team members' unique talents is a crucial aspect of DEI.(17:38) Comparing DEI to driving illustrates how our views affect how we implement DEI.(19:45) The cost of losing employees underscores the importance of an inclusive work culture.(21:07) 'Inclusive diversity' focuses on embracing all types of diversity, now and in the future.(32:05) Unconscious bias and the SEEDS model in DEI.(44:59) The challenge of engaging the right individuals in change management.Resources Mentioned:Jorge Quezada -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jquezada/Granite Construction -https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-construction/Ted Childs -https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-childs-llc-500821132/Jennifer Brown Consulting -https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/Judith Katz of The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group -https://kjcg.com/judith-h-katzAndres Tapia of Korn Ferry -https://www.kornferry.com/about-us/consultants/andrestapiaDr. Roosevelt Thomas on DEI -https://www.jstor.org/stable/40214558This episode is brought to you by Content Allies.Content Allies helps B2B tech companies launch revenue-generating podcasts and build relationships that drive revenue through podcast networking. We schedule interviews with your ideal prospects and strategic partners so that you can build relationships and grow your business. You show up and have conversations, we handle everything else. Learn more at ContentAllies.com #B2B #BusinessLeaders #Leadership

This episode features a conversation with Ray Arata, Founder and CEO of the Better Man Movement, and Joe Rafter, Vice President at Capgemini about masculinity, partnership, and institutional transformation. Discover the pivotal role of support and accountability in the journal of allyship. Jennifer, Ray, and Joe also discuss the complexities of privilege, the power of vulnerability, and the potential for growth through discomfort. You'll also hear details about the upcoming Better Together conference, which is presented in partnership with Jennifer Brown Consulting.

Summary:Jennifer Brown is a champion of DEI, a best-selling author, and the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting. Jennifer draws from her 20 years of experience of doing DEI work with countless organizations and leaders to bring deep insight into the challenges organizations and leaders face today. Through keynote presentations, executive coaching, and senior leadership sessions, she educates and equips leaders to step into their role in the ongoing pursuit for a more inclusive workplace. In this episode, Jennifer discusses benefits and challenges of inclusive leadership.Chapters:[0:00 - 7:00] IntroductionWelcome, Jennifer!Today's Topic: How to Be an Inclusive Leader[7:01 - 18:16] What have inclusivity initiatives gotten right?Inclusivity serves as the foundation for diversity and equity and it's on full display to the public via social mediaAffinity groups/ERGs give employees a voice where they may not have historically had one[18:17 - 29:55] Why is inclusivity difficult to measure?Identify what is being measured and, importantly, who is doing the measuringWhat optimal inclusion looks like for leaders[29:56 - 36:44] How can HR practitioners help leaders with inclusivity?Encouraging leaders to share stories of overcoming adversity from family membersIt's important to not forget the truths shared and lessons learned in the last couple of years[36:45 - 39:35] Final Thoughts & ClosingIf you're not uncomfortable, you're not leadingThanks for listening!Quotes:“If I had a magic wand, we'd have a way of measuring according to those on the receiving end of inclusive behaviors. . . and I think that would yield so much more information.”“I worry about backsliding and forgetting some of the most poignant and powerful lessons and truths that we've heard from people who are really in pain the last couple of years. We have to carry that forward and continue to heard that, as hard as it is.”Resources:Jennifer Brown ConsultingHow to Be an Inclusive LeaderInclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To ChangeBeyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways To Build A More Inclusive WorldInclusive Leadership AssessmentThe Will to Change PodcastContact:Jennifer's LinkedInDavid's LinkedInDwight's LinkedInPodcast Manger: Karissa HarrisEmail us!Production by Affogato Media

“I want to challenge the comfortable in all of us and in myself. I want to invite us to walk that path together because the comfortable amongst us is needed in the change equation so desperately for change to be sustainable, to be at scale, to be accelerated, to address the real pain and inequities in our society.” In Episode 31, I am joined by Jennifer Brown, Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), to discuss the challenges of being an inclusive leader, how to overcome these challenges, and what inclusive leadership means. Jennifer's DEI journey has spanned for over 15 years in public speaking, entrepreneurship, consulting, thought leadership, and writing. She is an acclaimed keynoter and podcaster, with her podcast The Will to Change, which has 15,000 listeners per month. She has received several recognitions, having been named Woman of the Year, Social Entrepreneur of the Year, one of the Top 40 Outstanding Women and so much more. Her sincere commitment and determination to DEI have led to her numerous successes as a best-selling author of two books, a shortlist winner of the O.W.L. Award, and a winner of the 2019 Nautilus Book Awards' Business & Leadership category. These achievements drawback to her mission of creating inclusive organisations where all of us can thrive, and, encouraging leadership and allyship at all levels with concrete behaviours and actions. Jennifer offers insight into her DEI journey, and her shift from focusing on DEI representation to ensuring that diverse individuals are respected, understood, hired, and retained in their respective organisations. She shares her personal story, and delves into the importance of this, as an authority figure and as an LGBTQ woman advocating for her community. As she explains, there is an ease in hiding, and seeking what is comfortable but what we actually need is to challenge what is comfortable. Setting that tone and creating psychological safety will normalise open conversations about things that frighten us and are not so often spoken about. These include questions about privileges and invisibility, and the significance of utilising that as a way of fuelling our allyship with others. Lastly, she speaks about the inclusive leadership continuum, which features in her book – How to be an Inclusive Leader. She describes that leaders tend to get stuck at each transition stage: 1) Phase 1 and 2, that is between ‘I don't know what I don't know' and ‘now I know what I don't know'. This is complex as they have to overcome resistance, apathy, cynicism, and skepticism.. 2) Phase 2 and 3, from the ‘I know what I don't know' to ‘deepening my knowledge'. They will have to experiment and fail a lot to learn, which is quite overwhelming, and shame and guilt-inducing for leaders. 3) Phase 3 and 4, here the issue is being stuck in the perfectionism trap between aware and active ‘not knowing' and ‘not having mastering of how things will turn out'. Leaders will find that they are more vulnerable, they will hold themselves accountable and train themselves to notice bias around them and speak up. In Phase 4, leaders are advocates and that can be difficult to achieve. As such, leaders require support, patience, flexibility, resilience, forgiveness, and graciousness. It's not about having a short-term focus on calling people out and canceling them when they make mistakes, but about having a long-term view of nurturing the journey of others. This holds more power than pushing people out from contributing to the DEI conversation because of their privileges. Links: Jennifer can be found on: -       Instagram -       LinkedIn -       Linktree For more from Jennifer Brown Consulting, you can visit their website at: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/

When you purchase an item after clicking a link from this post, we may earn a commission.Devin: What is your superpower?Adrienne: One of my superpowers is being able to have difficult conversations with people, being able to talk about issues and appreciate people's discomfort and help them see them from a different vantage point so I can reach them. Unfortunately, our society is set up with a lot of issues in a taboo arena that [make] people automatically feel uncomfortable. Being able to disarm them and connect with them such that they are ready to grow and that they feel that they can confront and tackle these issues that come across their plate—it's really rewarding. So I would say that that's my superpower.Adrienne Lawrence, author and consultant for Jennifer Lawrence Consulting, works to empower companies and thought leaders to adopt workplace diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and helps them avoid trending on social media.“I specialize in keeping people from trending on Twitter because they stepped in it,” she says, adding a key for success in this area: “Be humble and recognize that, ‘hey, I'm not going to have all the answers and I am going to step in it.'”AI Summary1. Adrienne Lawrence is a VP and consultant at Jennifer Brown Consulting.2. She helps workplaces become more inclusive, and individuals become more inclusive within their work. 3. She works in anti-racism to help organizations understand diversity's uniqueness and value.4. One of the fundamental principles for creating a more inclusive workplace is being humble and hungry for information.5. She is the author of Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment. 6. Her book offers guidance on navigating workplace sexual harassment. 7. Sexual harassment in the workplace is not just a women's issue; men can also be impacted.8. She offers tools and strategies for individuals to navigate and combat workplace harassment.9. Lawrence emphasizes the importance of having difficult conversations to break down barriers and improve communication. 10. She provides information on her consulting firm, Jennifer Brown Consulting, and how individuals can learn more about her and her work.Adrienne says we should all be aware that “There may have been things that occurred historically that our parents' generation, grandparents or even hundreds of years before had created that situation. And the legacy lives on today. I'm not responsible for that, but I am responsible for this relationship.”Given the essential nature of interpersonal relationships in the workplace, she says that understanding “you're not going to have all the answers, you're not going to see the landmines—but that's okay. When you step in it, there is an opportunity there to mend that relationship, to grow and to exercise greater self-awareness.”Too often, she says, people think of diversity too simply as being exclusively about race. She sees DEI as a broad umbrella covering a range of “isms,” including sexism, homophobia and transphobia. She sees sobriety status, religion and neurotype as also needing representation. “It's all of the little things about each one of us that makes us unique.”She sees The Walking Dead as a model for valuing diversity. Every member of the core cast had a unique skill that, combined with the others, allowed the group to fend off the zombies successfully. Earlier in her career, Adrienne took an on-air position with ESPN. After surviving sexual harassment there, she wrote Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment. “The book is the first of its kind guide, largely for employees to help people understand and navigate this form of bullying,” she says.Adrienne uses her superpower, her ability to have difficult conversations with people, to help her in her work.How to Develop the Ability to Have Difficult Conversations As a Superpower“One of the things I do is executive coaching and mediation,” Adrienne says. “Sometimes you might have people who are great at what they do, but when they come together, they clash, which is often the case when you have type A personalities, people who are go-getters.”She offers guidance for resolving conflicts and having difficult conversations.To ease conflict, it's essential to remove yourself from the equation. Centering yourself and worrying about how others perceive you can hinder progress. Instead, focus on the goal and recognize that other people's responses are not necessarily about you. By de-centering yourself, you can approach the situation with more power and effectiveness. Ask yourself, “What is my focus here?” and consider different dynamics to reach your goal. This mindset will allow you to do your best work.By following Adrienne's example and advice, you can develop the ability to have difficult conversations that enable you to resolve conflicts and grow as a human being, enabling you to do more good in the world.Guest-Provided ProfileAdrienne Lawrence (she/her):Vice President, Jennifer Brown ConsultingAbout Jennifer Brown Consulting: Workplace InclusionWebsite: www.jenniferbrownconsulting.comTwitter Handle: @jbcinclusionCompany Facebook Page:Other URL: www.adriennejlawrence.comBiographical Information: As an impactful workplace equity educator and devoted inclusion advocate, Adrienne Lawrence does more than just talk. The former big law litigator-turned-VP and Consultant for JBC is passionate about reaching professionals through informative, thought-provoking conversation. In addition to delivering memorable keynote speeches, Adrienne crafts effective and forward-thinking diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and strategic plans that serve her clients' needs in the now and equip them to succeed well into the future. Leveraging her range of knowledge, she also thoughtfully coaches executives, conducts informative workplace assessments and offers a DEI experience that is truly unmatched. Adrienne has had the honor of working with an array of organizations—from NASA to Toyota to the American Red Cross. After becoming the first on-air personality to sue ESPN for gender discrimination, Adrienne wrote a first-of-its-kind business book in 2020 titled Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment, which won several awards and was heralded as a must-read for every woman in the workplace (Penguin Random House, 2020). When not speaking on workplace inclusion, Adrienne shares her insight as an award-winning legal analyst and commentator. Her voice has been heard on platforms like NPR, and her words featured in outlets like Harvard Business Review and The Washington Post, among others.Adrienne holds an M.A. from the University of Southern California, a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, an M.A. from CUNY-John Jay College, and a B.S. from Cal State Sacramento.Twitter Handle: @adriennelawLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/lawrenceadInstagram Handle: @adriennelawrence Get full access to Superpowers for Good at devinthorpe.substack.com/subscribe

When Jennifer Brown sizes up business and organization leaders on how well they address today's ever-increasing demand for inclusive workplaces, she describes them on a continuum of four stages: unaware, aware, active, and advocate. Jennifer is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a strategic and diversity advisory firm. She has spent more than two decades helping CEOs and other executives look inward so that they can be more effective in creating a safe and productive work environment for every employee. Among those companies that have sought Jennifer's insights are Google, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, CapitalOne, IBM, Disney, and Coca-Cola. You needn't be a FORTUNE 500 CEO to benefit from her insights. All you need to do is join Jennifer and host Dean Rotbart for an insightful, actionable discussion of the steps you can take to become a more inclusive leader. [Be sure to pick up a copy of Jennifer's book, How to Be an Inclusive Leader, Second Edition: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.] Photo: Jennifer Brown, Jennifer Brown ConsultingPosted: March 27, 2023Monday Morning Run Time: 58:25Episode: 11.32

Jennifer Brown, author, speaker, and founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, joins the program to reveal how businesses can create a culture of inclusion. Jennifer discusses the phenomenon of "microaggressions" in the workplace and how our interactions at work can inadvertently create conditions that drive employees out of the workplace. Discover how to create a workplace culture where everyone feels accepted and included. To learn more about Jennifer, visit https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/ 

Jennifer has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and many other publications. Her firm, Jennifer Brown Consulting, is globally renowned for its diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leadership and its expertise in organizational change, partnering with top companies worldwide to build an equitable and inclusive future.During the interview, we discuss…important traits to be an inclusive leaderchallenges leaders face in becoming an inclusive leaderwhat entry- or mid-level employees can do to foster a more inclusive workplacesteps individuals can do to drive change in their organizationsthe inclusive leader continuum4 stages to become an inclusive leaderConnect after the interview...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbrownspeaksTwitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferbrownLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsultingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrownspeaksWebsite: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.comGet “How to Be an Inclusive Leader” https://www.amazon.com/How-Inclusive-Leader-Second-Belonging/dp/152300200XClaim your free gift!We're giving away a one-year membership to the world's #1 business book summary service for leaders! Our gift will help you stay on top of the latest ideas, decide which books to read next, and engage your teams.To get your gift:Leave a rating or review on your favorite listening channel.Take a screenshot of your review.Share the screenshot on LinkedIn, and mention either “Allison Dunn” or “Deliberate Directions” and the “Deliberate Leaders Podcast”.=============Allison DunnExecutive Business CoachDeliberate Directions + Executive Business Coaching + Training Center3003 W Main Street, Suite 110, Boise ID 83702(208) 350-6551Website https://www.deliberatedirections.comLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisondunnPodcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deliberate-leaders-podcast-with-allison-dunn/id1500464675

David Shuster hosts. Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, joins to talk about how to be an inclusive leader. Co-founder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace Medea Benjamin breaks down the Russian war in Ukraine so far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world's leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Jennifer Brown author of Beyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways to Build a More Inclusive World. Jennifer Brown is an award-winning thought leader, speaker, and author. She has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and many other publications. Her firm, Jennifer Brown Consulting, is globally renowned for its diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leadership and its expertise in organizational change, partnering with top companies worldwide to build an equitable and inclusive future. Her latest book is How to Be an Inclusive Leader, Second Edition: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive (2022) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you starting your path toward becoming a more inclusive leader? Have you had difficulty discovering your purpose in promoting changes in the workplace and in society? The reality is, workplace inequities have an impact on our society as a whole. As a leader, one must understand the importance of their part in the process of change and how their journey could help create a new structure for a more inclusive future. Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, dynamic speaker, and diversity and inclusion expert. She is the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. Brown is a passionate advocate for social equality who helps businesses foster healthier, more productive workplace cultures. In this episode, Jennifer shares with us how the second edition of her book, “How to be an Inclusive Leader”, will provide new insights and stories that spark learning when it comes to creating a culture of inclusivity in the workplace.   What you will learn from this episode: Know what prompted Jennifer to write the second edition of her book, “How to be an Inclusive Leader” Discover Jennifer's pivotal points in re-evaluating the four stages of the Inclusive Leader Continuum Find out how to look at the Inclusive Leader Assessment results as an opportunity to self-reflect, craft bridges, thrive, and move forward together   “I tell people, don't expect to be perfect; we cannot be and we can never be. Imperfection is just a way of being; I wouldn't even say it's a goal. It should be an expectation...” - Jennifer Brown   Valuable Free Resource: How to determine which stage do you fall on the Inclusive Leader Continuum to help you with your personal leadership development: https://dei1.jbconlinelearning.com/self-assessment/   Topics Covered: 02:23 - Jennifer describes how the pandemic exposed workplace inequities and allowed questions on transparency and accountability on employers towards real change and commitment 12:33 – Jennifer's book's second edition, “How to be an Inclusive Leader”, as a second bite at the apple 17:47 – The stages of Inclusive Leadership Continuum which people keep developing, evolving, and taking steps forward towards inclusivity 23:48 - How Jennifer educated herself to understand how things hit people in certain environments 27:21 - How to use the Inclusive Leader Assessment to make an impact and create a culture of belonging in order for us to thrive 32:40 – The question that wasn't asked: “Who is it for?”   Key Takeaways: “It is as much a mindset shift and a heart set shift as it is developing a new competency. It's a way of being; it's a way of paying attention to the world.” -Jennifer Brown “Everybody's in a different place, so what's so important is understanding where we are, understanding where others are, and then crafting the bridges between us so that we can move forward together.” -Jennifer Brown   Ways to Connect with Jennifer Brown: Website: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/ To speak with her: https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/contact-us   Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/knowguides LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com  

Our audience will learn how to make the workplace more inclusive for the LGBTQIA+ community so that employers and employees have a more harmonious co-existence.June is pride month - a time of year where we acknowledge, recognize, embrace and celebrate our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer fellow humans in all aspects of life. This is an endeavor that should go on every month. For many LGTBQ+ people, inclusion in the workplace remains a challenge. How do employers ditch the "tolerance" approach and move towards embracing and recognizing their LGTBQ+ employees? Join us on Employment Law Today when my guest, Jennifer Brown, CEO / Founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, and I will discuss ways to make the workplace more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.Linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsultingCompany Website: https://www.jenniferbrownconsulting.com Personal Website: https://www.jenniferbrownspeaks.comTwitter: @jenniferbrown‍Tune in for this informative conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting based out of New York, NY Jennifer Brown founded her namesake Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting agency 20 years ago. The agency develops top-down DEI strategies and training programs for medium-size to large companies; sets up effective, well-aligned affinity groups within those companies; and promotes inclusive leadership through educational initiatives. Jennifer is a frequent keynote speaker, both virtually and live. She presented Beyond Diversity: Building A More Inclusive World at the 2022 South by Southwest Conference and followed that with a book signing of her third book, Beyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways to Build a More Inclusive World, which she co-authored with Rohit Bhargava. Jennifer is the bestselling author of Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change (2017) and How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive (2019). The second edition of the 2019 book will be released in October 2022. Jennifer says there was “a huge wake-up call in spring/summer of 2020” after the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent and still-ongoing social movement for cultural change. Jennifer feels that today's workplace is “not built by and for so many of us if we . . . don't fit a certain demographic.” Jennifer explains the importance of this “sea change”: “If people feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard, and a deep sense of belonging and being treated equitably . . . they do better work . . . and they stay longer.” Jennifer says she is a “member of the LGBTQ+ community” who has “been out for nearly 25 years.” She believes half of her cohorts “are still closeted in the workplace,” but that, finally, people are no longer talking about “why” inclusion is important, but “how” to make it happen. She believes companies will be challenged in setting up equitable workplaces as they rebuild “post-Covid,” particularly with managing blended teams of hybrid (virtual and in-person) employees.  Jennifer warns that managers need to be vigilant in supportinging inclusivity. “Harassment has gone up in the virtual workplace,” she says. Why? “There are no witnesses,” she explains. People are “cut off from information” and don't know their options on how to escalate a complaint and whether they can trust their employer to handle the issue. Jennifer Brown Consulting facilitates the establishment of corporate affinity groups, which are often comprised of people who tend to be “overlooked in the talent pipeline because of bias” in hiring practice, promotion, advancement, and talent reviews.” Even smaller and medium-sized companies are adopting affinity groups to serve as workplace “sources of intelligence about cultural experience,” tap into what is working and what is not, and provide support and “community” to employees who may have, in the past, felt “marginalized.” Jennifer can be reached on Instagram, @JenniferBrownSpeaks; on Twitter, @JenniferBrown, on LinkedIn, and on her agency website at: jenniferbrownconsulting.com, where those interested in DEI information can find the agency's DEI foundations program. ROB: Welcome to the Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast. I'm your host, Rob Kischuk. I am joined live at South by Southwest by Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting based out of New York, New York. Welcome to the podcast, Jennifer. JENNIFER: Thank you, Rob. ROB: So good to have you on here. Why don't you start out by telling us about the firm, about Jennifer Brown Consulting? What is your calling card? JENNIFER: The firm I founded 20 years ago. It's a DEI strategy and training company. We work with companies, medium-size and large typically, to help them build their diversity, equity, & inclusion strategy from the top down and help also set up what's called affinity groups and make sure they're effective and well-aligned. We also do a lot of education around inclusive leadership. I have an amazing group of consultants who are, at any given time, working on client projects. And then I do a lot of keynoting – virtual, but now increasingly in person, I'm glad to say . . . as we come out of this into a new variant, I just read yesterday. [laughs] ROB: Last night, yes. JENNIFER: But anyway, I also love writing books. I just co-authored my third book with Rohit Bhargava, Beyond Diversity, and then I have a second edition of How to Be an Inclusive Leader, which was my book from 2019. I have a second edition of that coming out in October of 2022, which I'm really excited about. ROB: Congratulations on the book. Rohit was a guest three years ago, the last time we were recording live at SXSW, and then we all skipped a couple of years because of that COVID thing we were just talking about. As you're engaging with these firms – you mentioned medium and larger firms – at what point are they coming to you these days? What do they know? What are they doing right? What are the blind spots? JENNIFER: There was a huge wake-up call in spring/summer of 2020 on multiple levels. I think the big one for us, obviously, was George Floyd murder and the social movement that occurred and is still occurring. A massive shift in attention and prioritization of the fact that the workplace as it is currently is not built by and for so many of us, if we basically don't fit a certain demographic. Finally – we've been talking about this for many, many years – finally there was attention and resources available. For the last couple of years, our firm has doubled in size and number of companies, and we've been incredibly busy. We were ready for this. This is the conversation we've been having for many years. I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and I've been out for nearly 25 years – I'm dating myself. ROB: Early. JENNIFER: Early, early, when we were still arguing for domestic partner benefits with big companies. Those were the early days of my own activism. Then we grew Jennifer Brown Consulting to be a full-service DEI firm. So, they come to us now and say, “Okay, Jennifer, we get it. We know that it's important. But we don't know how to tackle this, and we don't know how to equip our leaders with the skills and also to awaken their motivation to care about this.” But really, Rob, I'm so excited that it's not a “why” conversation; it's a “how” conversation now. We all are a little bit worried that the urgency is flagging as the world continues to be so chaotic and business priorities shift around, so we're trying to really make sure the burning platform of this remains on fire in people's minds. We know it's on fire, but it's easy to move on and say, “We got this. We're doing enough.” But I can tell you no company is doing enough. ROB: Right. You have two lanes. A lot of companies are going to install somebody with a title in DEI at some level, and then there's actually integrating it into the cadence of the firm. How do you make sure it sticks? How do you keep it from regressing to “business as usual” plus somebody with a title? JENNIFER: I think the way we speak about why this is urgent really matters, and how it can drive business. It drives innovation. Literally, if people feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard, and a deep sense of belonging and being treated equitably – which means those day-to-day support mechanisms, resources, pay equity, all that good stuff – they do better work. And they stay longer. We're in the midst of a talent crisis. Literally, it is the Great Resignation, and I can tell you from my point of view, it has a lot of reasons, but one of the big reasons is toxic workplaces – workplaces that feel like “I go through my day and I don't see anyone that looks like me. I don't feel trusted or trusting of others. I have one foot out the door for something better.” So, culture can be a differentiator, and belonging can and should be a differentiator to keep great talent. But I can tell you, the workplace needs to be overhauled to be a welcoming place for so many of us. I mean, just LGBT people, half of us are still closeted in the workplace. That is a statistic from 2019. And even in the virtual world, I wonder how it's changed; I don't know. But we are not bringing our full selves to work. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the identities that aren't bringing their full selves. ROB: For sure. There's part of me that says, what company wouldn't be welcoming in some way? But that's the tip of the spear of the question, I am sure. You mentioned even the structure of the workplace. As we're resetting and coming back and a lot of companies have been virtual, what opportunities to set up an equitable workplace can companies do as they're rebuilding what it means to be in an office from scratch, what their work expectations are from scratch? What are the opportunity points? What can they do today that would've been hard for them to do two, three years ago, and now it's like “No, don't do this again when you come back”? JENNIFER: Well, let's see. So many things. We went to an open office plan for a while. That was the thing. But now data has shown that actually, that's really hard for people to be productive in. Also, the physical office was not a comfortable place. So, virtualizing ourselves actually opened up a sense of safety for a lot of people who found the physical workplace unsafe. I think we have to carry that with us and remember that that is a critical thing to leverage. But then new diversity dimensions are opening up, like who's on site? Who's able to get face time? Who's able to get on somebody's calendar or bump into somebody? There's the haves and have-nots that's opened up. In some companies, the virtual employees are the haves, actually, that are getting the flexible arrangement, and then the people who have to come into the office – but you can actually see it in the reverse, who has access to leadership. If leadership's in the office, that could benefit you. It really depends on the company. I tell managers, we have to up our inclusivity vigilance. When we are managing blended teams, hybrid and in-person, we've got to ensure inclusion constantly and be checking in with people who are virtual because we may not know they are on the bubble in terms of their own engagement and loyalty. And what we don't know can really hurt us, and often when it comes to diversity dimensions, what you don't know can make the difference between keeping that person and having them leave and being surprised. So virtually, we just have to be checking in, asking how people are. The most powerful question is something like “Do you feel included and valued in the way that we're working right now? Is this working for you? Do you feel you can thrive? Do you feel there are barriers? What can I do as your colleague, as your leader, as your manager, to address any barriers that you're experiencing so that you can do your best work? I think asking that often will build the trust and tell us what we need to know so we can architect a better situation for people. ROB: This is the second conversation I've had this week where what you're describing sounds like being a good manager. JENNIFER: Doesn't it? Strange, that. [laughs] ROB: It doesn't sound like anything to do in some ways with particular topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, while at the same time I think what's underpinning there is there's an assumption of commonality that allows people to get by without managing well. Is that fair to say? JENNIFER: Yes, fair to say. Intersectionality speaks to all the different diversity dimensions that live in a human being. And there's multiple things going on. I'm a parent. I identify as queer. I'm caregiving. I'm wrestling with mental health challenges. I'm Latinx. All of those things have an impact on our belonging. In most organizations, there's some angst and some difficulty there because, like I said earlier, workplaces are biased. Period. Any one of those things or a combination of those things may be going on for someone. They may be hearing microaggressions. They may be being harassed virtually. Unfortunately, I hate to say this – harassment has gone up in the virtual workplace. ROB: Wow. JENNIFER: There are no witnesses. Think about this. There's a lack of understanding of how to escalate a complaint and whether you trust your company enough to handle the complaint. When we virtualize employees, they're cut off from information, often, that may have been available and they would've known what sort of avenues exist. I found this harassment data really disturbing, honestly. Anyway, there's a lot of risks. Like I said, as a manager and a leader, to have somebody's identities in mind and be able to anticipate, “What's going on for this person? How can I get them to trust me enough to share with me so that I can help?” – and even if that means suggesting that somebody go to HR, suggesting that somebody seek out the EAP for mental health support. I mean, just connecting the dots is so much of our job these days, and it's been made more difficult when we're out of the loop with each other. That's a dangerous place to be. ROB: Absolutely. You mentioned affinity groups as a key component. What does that look like, building from scratch? How do you get from zero to something there? JENNIFER: It's funny; back in the day, only large companies had affinity groups, and they're like the LGBT Network, the Women's Network, the Black Network, the Asian-American Network, Disabilities, Veterans. In big companies, there's a lot. But since two years ago and everything crescendoing, even the smaller and medium-size companies now have affinity groups, and they understand that these groups are literally sources of intelligence about cultural experience in our workplace – what's going well, what's going wrong, what needs to be supported, resourced, which talent exists. Sometimes people in affinity groups are the ones that are overlooked in the talent pipeline because of bias in our hiring, promotion, advancement, talent reviews. So, affinity groups are really important mechanisms to enable people to find community, especially virtually, to share what's going on and not feel so alone, to strategize about how to be heard in a workplace that is maybe not conscious of its own bias, and then also provide that identity intelligence to the employer to say, “Hey, this community is feeling this now.” For example, Stop Asian Hate wasn't just in 2020. It's actually been increasing and getting worse over this last year and the year before. And yet employers aren't prioritizing it. If it weren't for the affinity groups that are keeping it top of mind and saying, “Hey, this is a problem” – our employees are bringing this into the workplace every day and walking around with this, if they're commuting or in their communities or in their families. People are afraid, and they expect their employer to address it and to know that it's happening and to say, “What can we, the employer, do to support you, to raise awareness, and to make a statement?” Honestly, employers also, by the way, need to be making statements about a variety of social issues right now. Otherwise, silence – look what happened to Disney not saying anything about the Don't Say Gay activities in Florida. Their employees have been so upset and writing letters to the CEO and agitating, and finally the CEO wrote a memo and it just broke yesterday on Twitter. But it took a long time, and it shouldn't take a long time. Companies should have their employees' backs. Period. ROB: And then it's even harder when you do actually say something – the rubric against which it is measured at that point is so much harder. JENNIFER: Oh yeah. There's a lot of issues, granted. But this is the world we live in. Certainly, I hear from leaders, “Jennifer, where does it stop?” I'm like, “This is your new normal. It doesn't stop. But by the way, this is an opportunity to connect with your employees on a deep” – when I feel seen and heard and valued, this is what it means. If my CEO is silent on a harmful bill to me and my community, I am out the door. I can't describe – it's like a visceral thing. Like “I can't work here anymore. This company doesn't see me, doesn't care about what's happening to people that identify like I do.” Employees are finding their voice in a way that I have been waiting for for a really long time. So really, the problem is leadership is really behind. They don't have the competency. They're not able to pivot quickly. They're like, “I can't walk and chew gum at the same time.” I'm like, no, this needs to be your new leadership skill. You have to be able to know, to be scanning your environment all the time and saying “What do I need to make sure our employees know that we're not okay with?” That needs to be the first thing you wake up thinking about every day. ROB: This sounds like it ties into some of the dimensions of the book, so let's go over that direction for a moment. Talk about the book, how it came to be – the book is Beyond Diversity with you and Rohid. How did this happen, and what should we know about it? You had a session here talking about the book. What should people know? JENNIFER: Yeah, we did. It was so great. It came out of a five-day Beyond Diversity Summit, literally, with 200 speakers. Rohid approached me. I was one of those folks part of organizing it, and he's like, “This needs to be a book.” I was like, “Oh no, 200 speakers, hours and hours of footage. How do we boil this down into a book? It's terrifying. My team will never forgive me.” However, we said yes, let's do it. We organized all of this footage into 12 themes, and those are the chapters. They're not identity themes. We could've gone that way. We could've done “This is the chapter on LGBTQ+. This is the chapter on Asian-Americans and AAPI folks.” Instead, we did education, media, workplace, storytelling, government, family. It was so cool to take all of that wisdom from a wide array of diverse storytellers in every way and figure out, where do we tell this story, that story, that story? I loved the challenge of that. I think also, “beyond diversity” to me perhaps means, yes, identity diversity, but let's look at how this plays out in these domains of life that really touch our lives every single day. We can all relate to education. We can all relate to what's happening in media. I hope the book reaches people who have dismissed this topic maybe in the past, but they pick it up and they're like, “Oh, this book makes sense to me. This is relevant to my life holistically.” And it's such a positive book. It's not a “shame and blame” book. It is full of celebrations of where innovation is occurring and how exciting it is and how it's going to better our world. I think it's a really different kind of book, and I hope it finds all kinds of audiences. I think it should be in curriculum in schools. Professors should be assigning it. My parents, in their eighties, tell me it's the best book I've ever written. They love it. They're reading it and they're able to understand it. ROB: It is very, very approachable in the structure. It's just made so that you can come in, engage with it at whatever depth you want to – not that you want to treat it like a dictionary and shop by topic, or an encyclopedia, but there is that ability. There's skimmability. There's summary. But that facilitates approaching it easily, but also the education context. You open it up, and it's credible – this book was made by people who were making a business book, not just like “my opinion and here you go.” It wasn't a memoir. JENNIFER: Yes, exactly. We actually really intentionally decentered ourselves. Even though we were writing the book, we gathered this big writing team also. So all of their hands are on the writing. And then we hired also inclusivity readers, otherwise known as sensitivity readers, because Rohit and I and the other writers knew we would still not perceive the correct language, for example. They went through the book and gave us tons of feedback. It was just a wonderful learning experience. But the book literally is all about different storytellers – unusual, unexpected, nonobvious storytellers. I hear myself talk all day, but I want their voice to be out there, and I think we were both in service of that. ROB: It is excellent. You get in deep, and then there's the contributor list – obviously voluminous, for sure. JENNIFER: Yes. ROB: Jennifer, let's rewind a little bit. Let's talk about where Jennifer Brown Consulting came from. What made you decide that you should not have a job with somebody else and you should build something, and who knows where it goes? Especially with the past couple of years with that growth now. But where did it start? JENNIFER: It started because being in the LGBTQ+ community in my early days, really way back, I was an opera singer. ROB: Wow. JENNIFER: I came to New York to make it, and then my voice kept getting injured and I had to get vocal surgery several times to repair it, but it would never – I realized my instrument just wouldn't ever do what it needed to do, and I would have to reinvent. I found my way to – I like to think of it now as a different stage, literally. I'm a keynoter now. I'm able to use my love of the stage – which I've been on stage since I was five; I grew up in a really musical family, and we are like the Von Trapp Family Singers. [laughs] ROB: Yeah, it came to my mind as soon as you said it. [laughs] JENNIFER: I was that kid. So I seek the stage. I love it. I crave it. I enjoy it. I'm comfortable on it. I think it's the best medium for me. Anyway, though, as a closeted person who was trying to find my voice, I found in those early days all of these amazing companies in New York – IBM, Deloitte, Proctor and Gamble – I didn't even know this world existed, but it was the world of corporations that were leading-edge in terms of LGBTQ equality. They were all starting to vie for us as talent and then also trying to vie for us as customers. I had a front seat years ago on those early battles for domestic partner benefits, for adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the non-discrimination policies and the language of the company. Their statements used to not include that. I hope people are hearing this and being like, “Wow, I've always taken that for granted, and I didn't know there was a time that wasn't there.” But I can tell you, there was a time. And those were really exciting days. I feel like I cut my teeth on – the way that LGBTQ employees shifted companies was super powerful for me to see and be a part of because I think it clicked that I could be a voice for change, and that change would actually happen in this massive entity with just my voice, or just the voice of a community. We were very strategic in the way we approached it. We argued the case around talent retention and recruitment. We argued the business case for customers. It trained me to think about how large institutions change and why they change, and because of what, and how to be an irritant in the system but to be strategic and grounded in their “care abouts” where it's a win-win. That is something I've carried with me as we built Jennifer Brown Consulting, and I would subsequently leave corporate America. I was an employee, like you say, and I was like, “This is not creative enough for me. I don't have enough agency. I can't have a boss. I have to start my own firm.” Very quickly, when I put my shingle out – I'm kind of a natural marketer – it became much bigger than I could manage. I started to hire people. I started to send people in instead of me and started to scale my company. In fact, one of my first hires was a COO, and I really dug deep to pay somebody six figures to build my entire backend because I knew – I was like, I don't know how to do this. And I don't want to. I need to be out there, doing what I do best in my zone of genius, which was evangelizing for the idea of the firm and also putting forth not just me, but all these talented consultants that I was able to attract and send in on our behalf to the clients that I had procured. It worked really well. I always felt it was important to work on the business, not in the business. So from the very beginning days, I was like, how does this scale? And then how do I find my way into my best role? And I'm there now. ROB: How many people did you have when you hired your COO, and were they somebody that had done that job before? JENNIFER: Like three people. And yes, they had scaled my friend's firm, a marketing agency. They had allowed her and enabled her to focus on the creative. Founders are often not the backend people. We're the salespeople. We get the attention. We know how to do that. So, he had done that, and I took the plunge and said, “Please, get everybody paid on time. Do job descriptions. Help me figure out who's my first, second, and third hire. Who should that be? Help me run my finances responsibility. Get us a bookkeeper and do QuickBooks and set up…” – whatever, there's just so much you have to think about. I never regretted it. Subsequently, I've gone through four or five COOs over 20 years. ROB: But the role is necessary. JENNIFER: Yep, and I really recommend it. If you think you've got a tiger by the tail, like I thought I did – and I had no idea what that really would feel like until 2020 – but up until that time, I was evangelizing this idea that belonging is important for all of these dimensions. Better products, better services, better customer relationships, better design. More retention. Losing people is so expensive for companies, and they don't see it as that. It's sort of this invisible cost of attrition. I mean, now they know. But I think it's been happening for years because many of us have been bailing out and becoming entrepreneurs because we literally were like, “I can't stand another day here.” Anyway, it's a big wakeup call and I'm here for it. ROB: Absolutely. I hear you on the COO side. Our sixth employee was an operations role, and she's moved up to COO. It was terrifying. I started off thinking I wanted just a junior project manager / order-taker / “do stuff for me,” and then I was persuaded by some advisors to spend the money. But it was terrifying. JENNIFER: How's she doing and feeling? ROB: She's moved up. It's great. It's a relief because I'm out here talking to people, and things still happen back home on the home front. JENNIFER: I want to share – maybe this will be interesting for your audience – my name is on the name of the consulting business, right? It's Jennifer Brown Consulting. We refer to ourselves as JBC. But we have transcended that question I always get, which is “Don't people expect you?” They don't, actually. They know about me, but they don't expect me to be on the calls. We've scaled ourselves to such a level that the team is completely empowered and completely the star of the show, and I'm not involved unless there's a keynote that's needed and wanted or an executive session. I'm off writing the books that hopefully draw attention to us. It's just an interesting thing I know founders wrestle with and thought leader-driven brands. It's this interesting question that always comes up. But I think we've done it really well. I think the secret is it's always been my plan and it's always been my expectation. I have said very clearly, it's not about me. I'm not even the most practiced expert in my company, and I never have been. My consultants are incredible, and they will solve problems differently than I will in any client engagement. They are bringing their own 30 years of looking at these things, and they have different identities than I do, and they have that lived experience that they can bring. So, it's worked really well, and it's enabled me to pull out of the day to day and speak and write, which I do think is what I have been, all these years, preparing to do. ROB: Was it easier or harder, those first couple of engagements when you were tagging someone else in? JENNIFER: I remember. If I'm on the phone, if I'm involved, how can somebody feel that they're in charge of the gig? The client is always going to be looking to me as the authority, and I don't want to be looked at as the authority. I had to be really careful in the early days of this transition of what I was a part of – that they even met me. I minimized that. [laughs] I was like, “Nope, you don't need to talk to me. Thanks for the inquiry. I'm introducing you right away to my team. They will take care of you.” We still actually do this because stuff still finds its way to me. But we're very strict, and we have protocols that we follow. I never break those because it's super important for me that my team can take care of whatever you need. I'm almost like a consultant now. The team is in charge and knows what to bring me and when that's needed. Also, for me and my wants and needs, I don't want to be in the day-to-day client work anymore, and I haven't wanted to be for many years. That's not what brings me fulfillment. So, I think for founders, commit to and dig deep to seek – know what you don't want to do, but what you want your firm to still do. That's so important. Just pay attention to that and then dig deep financially and wherever else you have to dig to staff around the work you want the group to do as a delivery but is not work you directly want to be involved in. And then make sure you're not sending mixed messages and that you're truly empowering the people you've hired to go and be brilliant. ROB: I hear you talking about handing over two separate sets of responsibilities at least, which are doubly nerve-wracking. You're talking about handing over the delivery of the work, but you're also talking about handing over the selling of the work. JENNIFER: Yeah. We're interesting because our folks don't do business development. I have been in the space for so long that our amazing marketing team who helps me get the word out – we provide so much value. We have so many opportunities to read our thought leadership, join our calls, be a part of our JBC community, that we get a lot of inbound. One of the things I've learned is you cannot force people to be salespeople if that is not what they do. I understood my role very early on. I'm here to build the house that people can live in and make sure the bills are paid and whatever, taking care of the container and making sure there's enough opportunity coming in for people to focus on being the subject matter expert and delivering the work and taking care of the relationship. We have a sales team, but they field a lot. They really more operate as “Now we have an opportunity; what is the scope? What is the statement of work? How do we price it? Who do we put on it? What's the team going to be that delivers it?” That is what happens after we receive an interest or a lead. It was the way I got around sales, honestly, because the only kind of sales I'm really comfortable with is this back-door way of putting myself in conversations, adding value, moderating panels endlessly – which is what I did for years, just going to conferences and being in the room, speaking up and offering to be helpful. And over time, now it's like, “We've wanted to work with you and your team for years. We finally have the budget!” But years and years and years of people watching us grow, and now it's amazing to get these calls from people that saw me speak 10 years ago or were in the room.  ROB: You can't be transactional about that. That's playing the long game. JENNIFER: It's reputation, it's trust, and it's generosity. We've been so, so generous. That's my MO. I see myself as part of the field. I think of it as we are a field of practitioners, and even if we're competitors, we're not. We all stay in touch with each other. When we hang out, other heads of firms, it's like this amazing, really rich conversation because it's a moment. This is purpose work. And people will find the firms that they feel the most comfort with for what they need. But honestly, it's co-opetition. I've heard that word, and I think that really speaks to that, at the end of the day, we're part of a movement and advocacy and whoever does the work, we deeply care that the work is done. ROB: Absolutely. I can see clearly that you deeply care and you have a team that does. Jennifer, when people want to find you and JBC, where should they go to find you? JENNIFER: Thanks for asking. Amazon has all my books, and then on Instagram, I'm @JenniferBrownSpeaks. I'm on LinkedIn. Twitter, I'm @JenniferBrown. Yes, I was on Twitter many, many, many years ago. ROB: Well played. JENNIFER: Well played. [laughs] And then jenniferbrownconsulting.com is our website. I just want to say if you're a new practitioner or an aspiring DEI professional, you should really check out our online courses. We're building our foundations program and rolling that out. It's just a wonderful six-week “get yourself grounded and work on your personal diversity story.” ROB: That even scales down to some people who maybe aren't midmarket enough to pay for you. Excellent. JENNIFER: Exactly. You understand. ROB: I do understand. JENNIFER: Thank you. ROB: Jennifer, thank you so much for meeting up and coming on the podcast and helping us learn well in your expertise. JENNIFER: It's a pleasure. ROB: Thank you for listening. The Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast is presented by Converge. Converge helps digital marketing agencies and brands automate their reporting so they can be more profitable, accurate, and responsive. To learn more about how Converge can automate your marketing reporting, email info@convergehq.com, or visit us on the web at convergehq.com.

In this episode, I am joined by Jennifer Brown (Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting). We discuss why it is important for leaders to foster an environment of inclusivity so that everyone feels seen, valued, and heard. Check it out!  Social Media/Plugs https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/ https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/ https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/inclusive-leader-book/# If you have a question for the podcast call 571-336-6560 or leave a question via this Google Form. Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change Affiliate Code: https://www.intelligentchange.com/?rfsn=4621464.017186 Tappy Card “Electronic Business Card” Affiliate Code:  https://tappycard.com?ref:philip-wilkerson Please leave a rating/review of the Podcast https://lovethepodcast.com/positivephilter Intro music provided by DJ BIGyoks. Check out his Instagram and Soundcloud channel can be found here:  https://www.instagram.com/beats.byyoks/ https://soundcloud.com/dj-bigyoks Outro music provided by Ryan Rosemond. Check out his Soundcloud channel here: https://soundcloud.com/brothersrosemond/albums  Please follow Positive Philter: Positive Philter Facebook Page Positive Philter Twitter Positive Philter Instagram  If you would like to support the podcast, please consider donating to the Positive Philter Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/positivephilter Positive Philter was selected by FeedSpot as Top 20 Positive Thinking Podcasts on the web. https://blog.feedspot.com/positive_thinking_podcasts/

"Love and healing, real healing, happens at the rupture." - Dr. Adam Falkner, who shall get a t-shirt with this brilliance on it!Join us to listen to this powerful conversation about Adam's takes on Intersectional Integrity! Dr. Adam Falkner is a writer, educator, and race & equity strategist.  He identifies as a White Queer Cis Man. He is the author of The Willies (Winner of the 2020 Midwestern Independent Book Award), and his work has been featured on programming for HBO, in The Guardian, The New York Times, and elsewhere.  A former high school English teacher in New York City's public schools, Adam's pedagogy and research focus on understanding how performance, storytelling and technology work to foster empathy in individuals and organizations.  Adam is a Senior Consultant with Jennifer Brown Consulting, and holds over a decade of cross-industry experience building racial equity strategies and creative cultural programming for corporate, academic and nonprofit partners. He has held residencies and teaching appointments at Pinterest, Vassar College, The National Park Service, The Pahara Institute, The Public Theater, and elsewhere.  He was a keynote performer at President Obama's Grassroots Ball at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, and holds a PhD in English & Education from Columbia University.A reminder, we asked our guests to answer "What is Intersectional Integrity to you? Adam's conversation is glorious. Don't miss it!If you'd like to support us, we'd greatly appreciate it! We love it when you share the podcast with your friends and leave us a rating and review, anywhere you listen to the podcast.You can also find us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eyesonwhiteness#EyesOnWhitenessPodcast#EyesOnWhiteness#Transmutingwhitesupremacyandpatriarchy#Twsp[Image description- a black and white illustrated logo for Eyes On whiteness featuring many different eyes and the words Eyes On whiteness on the bottom right corner as a frame around the words "Love and healing, real healing, happens at the rupture. - Dr. Adam Falkner" and on the top left a black box that says "Season 2: Intersectional Integrity?"]If you'd like to support us, we'd greatly appreciate it! We love it when you share the podcast with your friends and leave us a rating and review, anywhere you listen to the podcast.You can also find us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eyesonwhitenessSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/eyesonwhiteness)

In this episode Patrick is joined by Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO at Jennifer Brown Consulting. They discuss Jennifer's caring, honest and direct approach to the reality of diversity, equity, and inclusion in today's workplace.

In this DEI Bucket List podcast episode, Elizabeth Derby (Principal Consultant at Jennifer Brown Consulting) talks to our host Terri Wickett, about how to interpret data and analyse the gaps in your talent pipeline in order to drive change. Elizabeth also shares insights into creating a diversity recruitment toolkit to help broaden diverse talent pools and talks in detail about the importance of creating a virtuous cycle in the talent process to continuously improve your outreach.

This episode features a conversation between Adrienne Lawrence, Principal Consultant at Jennifer Brown Consulting, and Chad Moses, Director of Outreach at To Write Love on Her Arms as they discuss the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on mental health, as well as guidance on how to support each other's mental well-being in professional spaces. In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10), TWLOHA is creating conversations that move people from hopelessness to help, encouraging solutions that support people through their darkest moments, and working to help fight for more time—so that healing and recovery can happen. Their campaign launches on August 9, and you can stay in the know by signing up for email updates or by texting "WSPD" to (321) 204-0578.

№43 Jennifer Brown, Jennifer Brown ConsultingAfter a series of “fundamental shifts” in her personal and professional life, including a thwarted promising career as an opera singer, my guest for today Jennifer Brown had no choice but to reinvent herself. In the process, she noticed how other parts of our world are ripe for transformation, including corporate learning and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI Space.Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, and the Author of the books "Inclusion" (2016) and "How To Be An Inclusive Leader" (2019). She is a super dynamic speaker and her depth of passion and knowledge around DEI is unparalleled.As a vocal member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, Jennifer envisions a radically transformed organization in the way it embraces people's voices, feelings and passions. And in our new normal of digital connections amid our collective sense of uncertainty and threats to our well-being, she could not be more thrilled about the prospects for more attentive, inclusive and just human leadership styles.In this intimate conversation we talk about:

What is your company doing to create a more inclusive economy? Imagine a workplace where people of all colors and races are able to climb every ring of the corporate ladder — and where the lessons we learn about diversity at work actually transform the things we do, think, and say outside the office. How do we get there? In this candid panel of women, we will explore the mindset and heartset needed to give women the leverage to lead and support business to be a force for good. Today’s powerful panelists are Jennifer Brown, CEO and Founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting and Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion at Carta. Their insights and intentional steps show exactly how their dedicated work is helping to create a workplace and a world that works for everyone. Key Takeaways: [1:17] Carley shares the impact of pandemic-induced throngs of women leaving the workforce and welcomes today’s guests and panelists Jennifer Brown and Mita Mallick. [10:13] What is the current state of gender and equity, and why are these numbers so detrimental to equity in the workforce? [13:20] Defining intersectionality, universal design and the gender pay gap of intersectionality. [18:33] What is the current state of gender equity and the future of the workplace? Questions you can ask yourself about your commitment level and ways you can prioritize a workplace structure that works for more of us. [23:06] Increase awareness and equity of your capital by conducting an inventory of your workplace presence. [26:47] Mita reflects on how she has navigated working from home while caring for her children. [30:18] The importance of equal and destigmatized maternity and paternity leave and parental support in the workplace. [36:30] Tools that can help cultivate the inner qualities that will affect real change in processes. [43:20] Increasing awareness and powerful ways to create a space that allows everyone to bring their whole self to the workplace. [48:04] The importance of overcoming fragility to minimize triggering by other people’s experiences starts with understanding shame and guilt. [51:10] Resources and skills that allow women to be strong leaders. [54:42] More is not better — Carley shares the critical systems and structures that need to be put in place as we emerge from the pandemic. [56:16] What is the importance of the role of male allies in the workplace? [1:01:05] Creating safe spaces for connection with others starts with checking our own biases. [1:05:31] The power of enrolling both men and women in affecting meaningful change. [1:06:28] How can we reconcile with the people who are onboard with this mindset and those who are not? [1:13:32] Carley invites listeners to reflect on the one thing that embodies a better workplace and world.   Resources: Leading from Wholeness Carley Hauck on Instagram Carley Hauck on LinkedIn Lead From Light Daily Rituals Shinebook Sounds True Publishing Free Community Events Jennifer Brown Mita Mallick “Nine Tips for Being a Male Ally at Work” from Greater Good Magazine  

Mike Sipple, Jr. is pleased to welcome Jennifer Brown to this week’s episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast. Jennifer’s work in talent management and intersectional theory has helped make the corporate environment more inclusive. Her strategies have been used by some of the biggest companies around the world in order to help employees feel like they belong. Jennifer is a best-selling author, founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, and the host of The Will To Change. In this episode, she and Mike talk about diversity, inclusion, allyship, and how to make the workplace a psychologically and emotionally safe environment for all employees. The year 2020 exposed the pain of racism, but we also gained knowledge and awareness from the experience. [04:46] Jennifer’s inclusiveness training doesn’t encourage shaming as she believes we don’t learn from shaming. [06:39] Leaders need to build relationships and establish trust in the workplace. Create psychological safety so that employees from marginalized communities are able to speak up about their experiences. [12:27] Jennifer stresses that we need to be invested in understanding experiences different to ours and actively doing the work to learn more. [14:20] Psychological safety is about belonging. Employees who feel they belong feel comfortable, that they can be themselves, and as such, they can collaborate effectively and cohesively. [18:00] As a leader, always strive to do a continuously better job at diversity. Don’t assume that you have everything under control. [22:54] We need to be better allies, but we also need allies ourselves. We need people who will stand in solidarity with us and speak up for us especially in this virtual world. [32:31] If you have privilege in any way, you should be using that privilege to help those around you who are disenfranchised. Endeavor to do what you can to help them get fair treatment. [40:54] Disengaged employees ultimately impact company profitability as disengagement usually equals lack of creativity, innovation, growth, and motivation. Jennifer suggests that this is another reason companies should care how their employees are treated. [43:52] Resources Jennifer Brown | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Jennifer Brown Consulting | DEI | Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment How To Be An Inclusive Leader Inclusion: Diversity, The New WorkPlace & The Will To Change The WIll To Change 

We see, empathize with, and support our Asian & Pacific Islander brothers, sisters, and non-binary friends. We each shoulder the responsibility as human beings to collectively stand against hate in any community, just for existing.   For this reason, we wanted to have a very timely conversation with the Asian American Pacific Islander Community across all generational groups about their feelings, their thoughts, and their experiences concerning the current violence being inflicted upon Asian Americans in the United States. Our guests today Claire Tse is a Senior Principal Consultant with Jennifer Brown Consulting, Owner and Founder and Racial Justice, DEI Innovator with Tse Solutions. Bonnie Sussman is a Certified Public Accountant and a Partner at EisnerAmper. Tommey Liang is a Career Services Program Manager at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, and Andrew Wang is a writer and journalist living in New York City and a current research analyst to Atlantic writer Vann Newkirk. In this episode, you'll hear a Chinese American Boomer, Gen Xer, Millennial and Gen Zer talk about:  How they and their families and friends are processing and coping during this time Being “othered” and essentially after thought The cultural norms passed down from generation to generation They advice for API Gen Z and Millennials on navigating important conversations with their elders about the need to vocalize and 'stand up' Share some advice on what allying and advocating for the API community could look like right now Additional Resources Mentioned: Hollaback! Together We Have the Power to End Harassment (ihollaback.org) #HATEISAVIRUS

In this episode Patrick is joined by Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO at Jennifer Brown Consulting. They discuss Jennifer's caring, honest and direct approach to the reality of diversity, equity, and inclusion in today's workplace.

In this episode originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, guest moderator Elfi Martinez, Senior Director at Jennifer Brown Consulting, spoke with Martina Winston, Vice President & Senior HR Partner at Protective Life Corporation,  and Wendy Evesque, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Protective Life Corporation, about the ways in which executive leadership and allyship intersect. Elfi Martinez succinctly captured one of the key takeaways from this discussion: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. When it comes to DEI, the more allies we have on our side, the more impactful change we can enact.  

In this episode, originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, Adrienne Lawrence, Diversity + Legal Commentator and Senior Consultant, Jennifer Brown Consulting, welcomed Co-Founder of Hate Is A Virus, Michelle K. Hanabusa, to discuss the recent rise of anti-Asian violence and rhetoric in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we can activate as allies during this time. Hate IsA Virus is a nonprofit community of mobilizers and amplifiers dedicated to dismantling hate and racism. Their latest initiative is the commUNITY Action Fund, an effort to raise $1 million to give back to local and national community organizations providing pivotal services and programs for the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community. To register for the upcoming events, visit bit.ly/dismantlebias

Pod for the Cause host Vanessa N. Gonzalez is joined by Adrienne Lawrence (Attorney and Sr. Consultant at Jennifer Brown Consulting, Media and Legal Consultant at Bantam Impact, and the Author of Staying in the Game), Jess Morales Rocketto (Co-chair of Families Belong Together and Co-Founder at Care in Action, Supermajority, and She Se Puede), and Kate Bahn (Director of Labor Market Policy at Washington Center for Equitable Growth and EVP of the International Association for Feminist Economics) to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the issues women face today including the gender and race pay gap, reproductive justice, and harassment through an intersectional lens.  

On this episode of Thinking Edge, we spoke with Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting. Jennifer is also the author of "How to Be an Inclusive Leader" and "Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change." She has a 'thinking edge' in inclusion & diversity, and on her episode we dove into a variety of impactful topics such as: what great leadership is, how organizations will and should evolve with a focus on empathy, how we can create a workplace where people feel truly seen and heard, and the meaning of virtual inclusion. You can connect with Jennifer via her LinkedIn.   Check out Jennifer's books: "How to Be an Inclusive Leader" "Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change" ----more---- Find out more about the podcast & watch the video version of this episode here: https://linktr.ee/thinkingedgepodcast​​ Email us at thinkingedgepodcast@gmail.com ----more---- Music created by previous CTO and Cofounder of KAYAK.

We are in witnessing a massive social justice movement and almost every company I talk to is trying to figure out how to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. If you are looking to do those things as well, you are in the right place. Jennifer Brown is the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, which is focused on unleashing the power of human potential, embracing diversity and helping people and organizations thrive. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, a regular speaker on DEI and is the author of two books including Inclusion and How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.Topics in this episode include:The state of DEI and how it has changed in 2020How conversations changed as a result of the Black Lives Matter and social justice movementsWhy diverse talent falls out of the pipelineWhy women and people from other underrepresented groups don’t move up the corporate ladderThe difference between diversity and inclusionThe mistake of thinking unconscious bias training will fix thingsHow to look at privilegeWhat the best organizations are doing to improve DEIHow to sustain the current movement and consider intersectionalityHow talent development can help improve DEI and be part of the solutionIf you are interested in joining the Talent Development Think Tank Community, you can go to TDTT.US and join us today!

We are in witnessing a massive social justice movement and almost every company I talk to is trying to figure out how to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. If you are looking to do those things as well, you are in the right place.  Jennifer Brown is the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, which is focused on unleashing the power of human potential, embracing diversity and helping people and organizations thrive. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, a regular speaker on DEI and is the author of two books including Inclusion and How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. Topics in this episode include: The state of DEI and how it has changed in 2020 How conversations changed as a result of the Black Lives Matter and social justice movements Why diverse talent falls out of the pipeline Why women and people from other underrepresented groups don’t move up the corporate ladder The difference between diversity and inclusion The mistake of thinking unconscious bias training will fix things How to look at privilege What the best organizations are doing to improve DEI How to sustain the current movement and consider intersectionality How talent development can help improve DEI and be part of the solution If you are interested in joining the Talent Development Think Tank Community, you can go to https://cp.podetize.com/TDTT.US (TDTT.US) and join us today!

Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. Jennifer is the founder, president, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, headquartered in New York City and has been featured in media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, AdWeek, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, and many others. Jennifer is the host of the popular weekly podcast, The Will to Change, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion.  She is also the bestselling author of two books; Inclusion, and How to Be An Inclusive Leader. Inside this Episode • What A Culture of Belonging Looks Like • Waking Up to Diversity & Inclusion • Recognizing Our Own Biases • The Problems Of A Self-Perpetuating Meritocracy • The Challenges of Becoming An Inclusive Leader • Staying Relevant in a Changing World • Starting to Look Through an Equity Lens • The Importance of Recognizing Identity • The Relationship Between Inclusiveness and Performance • Corporate Culture Transparency and Accountability • The Power of Empathy in Culture • The Inclusive Leader Continuum Links: Website LinkedIn  Twitter Books

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/ (Jennifer Brown) is an award-winning entrepreneur, https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/ (speaker), diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. As the successful founder, president, and https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/inclusion-the-book/ (CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting), headquartered in New York City, Jennifer is responsible for designing workplace strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. She has harnessed more than 14 years of experience as a world-renowned diversity and inclusion expert through consulting work, keynoting, and thought leadership. Jennifer has spoken at many top conferences and events such as the International Diversity Forum, the Global D&I Summit, the Forum for Workplace Inclusion, the NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference, the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, Emerging Women, as well as at organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NBA, Google, IBM, and more. She is the bestselling author of; https://www.amazon.com/Inclusion-Diversity-Workplace-Will-Change/dp/1946384100 (Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace and The Will to Change) and a new book; https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Inclusive-Leader-Belonging/dp/1523085177/ (How To Be An Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive). Jennifer is the host of the popular weekly podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/will-to-change-uncovering-true-stories-diversity-inclusion/id1208603357 (The Will to Change), which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. In this episode, we discuss being an ally to underrepresented groups, biases in the workplace, how the COVID crisis has shed a light on diversity, how leadership needs to change the culture, removing harmful processes, finding diverse mentors, the risks to business by not embracing diversity, and so much more. Where to find Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/ (LinkedIn) https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown (Twitter) https://www.amazon.com/Inclusion-Diversity-Workplace-Will-Change/dp/1946384100 (Amazon) https://jenniferbrownconsulting.lpages.co/community-calls/ (Blog and Website)

In this episode Patrick is joined by Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO at Jennifer Brown Consulting. They discuss Jennifer's caring, honest and direct approach to the reality of diversity, equity, and inclusion in today's workplace.

It's time we all step back and take a breath. For anything, maybe we need to ask, "do we have the will to change?" Change is hard, and it can be exhausting, and that's why dieting is so darn hard. Building and sustaining high-performance inclusive cultures takes more than a plan on how and what to change. It takes a strong, enduring will to change. If 2020 hasn't taught us anything, it should have taught us about fatigue and what it does to our ability to do what's right. Jennifer Brown is the CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting envisions organizations where we all have a place to thrive. As someone who has experienced the advantages of privileges and the sting of stigma, Jennifer Brown is boldly redefining what it means to truly belong at work, in our communities, and in our families. Jennifer Brown is a dynamic speaker. Connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. As the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer designs workplace strategies for Fortune 500s and leading nonprofits globally. She joins us on this episode to discuss the courage it takes to be an inclusive leader as well as the benefits that come with it. Jennifer tells us a little bit about her journey from the opera theatre to the corporate world and we also discuss what everyone can learn from those who have been historically left out by the mainstream culture.

This #HumanizeTheWorkplace episode is about reflecting on what happened this year in the landscape of diversity, equity and inclusion. How can we move DEI forward and beyond the business case? Jennifer Brown, the D&I consultant and author of How To Be An Inclusive Leader. Go to https://bit.ly/htwnews to receive updates on humanizing the workplace. You are welcome to ask questions or share your tips during this live conversation which is being broadcasted on LinkedIn, Twitter/Periscope, Youtube & Facebook at the same time. Guest: Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. As the CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, headquartered in New York City, Jennifer is responsible for designing workplace strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. Host: Vivian AcquahAs an inclusive Workplace Wellness Advocate, I advise managers on how to keep their team members engaged, energized, and safe in a sustainable, long-term way. What I do is make workplace wellness & DEI accessible for everyone. I provide people with the right tools at the right time to embrace inclusive changes. I encourage people to think consciously and inspire them to get them moving. #diversity #inclusion #leadership Subscribe to Let's Humanize The Workplace on Soundwise

Kriz Bell is local to the San Francisco Bay Area where she spent her childhood before attending Mills College. She brings more than 15 years of professional experience in multimedia, strategic communications, and culture work. She has designed, directed, and produced various initiatives within the corporate and nonprofit sectors focusing on inclusion, diversity, and social change through the strategic use of media and communications for connecting and engaging different audiences. Her skill with strategic communications was instrumental in the expansion and engagement of organizations including the Anita Borg Institute, TechInclusion, MotherCoders, S.H.E. Globl Media, and the Better Man Conference as well as Cisco, Google, and SunPower among others. Her tenure with organizations such as Change Catalyst, Google, Jennifer Brown Consulting, and the Better Man Movement, has increased her understanding of the influence that language, media, and inequity play in our culture, personally and professionally. Knowing the power that community and the corporate arena play in our world, has been the impetus for helping organizations of all sizes to become people-first places that prioritize inclusion and promote belonging. In her latest iteration as a partner with the Better Man Movement, Kriz DEI experience, production, and communication skills to the team. She is excited to share her knowledge to help organizations create and curate the resources relevant to their specific experiences in order to meet innovation goals with inclusive and intersectional teams.

This #HumanizeTheWorkplace episode is about reflecting on what happened this year in the landscape of diversity, equity and inclusion. How can we move DEI forward and beyond the business case? Jennifer Brown, the D&I consultant and author of How To Be An Inclusive Leader. Go to https://bit.ly/htwnews to receive updates on humanizing the workplace. You are welcome to ask questions or share your tips during this live conversation which is being broadcasted on LinkedIn, Twitter/Periscope, Youtube & Facebook at the same time. Guest: Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. As the CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, headquartered in New York City, Jennifer is responsible for designing workplace strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. Host: Vivian Acquah As an inclusive Workplace Wellness Advocate, I advise managers on how to keep their team members engaged, energized, and safe in a sustainable, long-term way. What I do is make workplace wellness & DEI accessible for everyone. I provide people with the right tools at the right time to embrace inclusive changes. I encourage people to think consciously and inspire them to get them moving. #diversity #inclusion #leadershipSubscribe to Let's Humanize The Workplace on Soundwise

In this episode, I’m sharing some exciting news. And it’s not just that I celebrated my 46th birthday this week, though that is true. I’m also sharing that my book, Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing, is now finally, finally available in Audible. Hello, I’m Jodi Flynn and welcome to the Women Taking the Lead podcast. I’m an executive leadership coach, author, speaker, workshop facilitator and I have the joy to work with women leaders who want to hone the skills they’ll need to thrive in Senior Leadership. I know I’ve met a woman I would love to work with when we start having a few laughs about our tendencies toward perfectionism and people pleasing. I had been living in Maine for the past 18 years, but I am currently in Massachusetts staying with family for the next month, and then I make my final move to Virginia at the beginning on 2021. Thanks to the beauty of technology I’ve been able to continue to work with women all over the world even in the midst of so much movement and transition. I do individual coaching as well as workshops and team retreats, and I am the current President of the board for The Maine Women's Conference. I spend my free time catching up with friends and family, coordinating my move to Virginia to create a life with my guy, working out and watching the Great British Baking Show. I first published my book Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing in November of 2016. For years I’ve been asked why I don’t have an audio version of my book in Audible, given that I am a podcaster and many of the women in my community also like to consume audio content. Well, the wait is over! Accomplished is available in Audible and if you are not already on Audible, you can sign up and get Accomplished for free. Use the link, https://womentakingthelead.com/audible and you will be redirected to Audible to sign up and get Accomplished for free. If you are already an Audible member you can go find Accomplished right in your Audible app or use link https://womentakingthelead.com/audiobook and it will take you right there. You may be thinking, “What is Accomplished all about and why would I want to read it?” When we are not seeing the changes that we want, we often look to outside sources to explain the problem, giving our power over the situation away and hurting our self-image. Accomplished takes a different approach. It peels back the layers of misconceptions that you have about yourself and introduces you to the alter egos that appear when you are under stress. It gives you the opportunity to get to know the woman you really are underneath all the coping, the stress reactions, and the expectations of others. It guides you through a process to uncover and articulate your personal mission – the “work” that will bring you alive, bringing your best self forward in each moment. It gives you an opportunity to reflect on the people whom you spend the most time with and start to identify the specific qualities you want in the people who surround you. This is the secret to accomplishing goals you had only wished or struggled for up until now. And all of this inside work will lead to the motivation to make something happen in your life. In this final stage Accomplished guides you through crafting goals that are worthy of the real you. You have your pick of the audio version, kindle or paperback. And more good news, you can get the audio version of Accomplished for $4.87. This would also make a great gift for another woman. Now, this episode is short and sweet but I’m going to be back this Monday with another episode in which I’m chatting with Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting on the personal journey to be inclusive. It was enlivening. If there is any way I can support you, reach out to me at jodi@womentakingthelead.com or message me on any platform we are connected on. As always, I hope this was of value to you and here’s to your success. Thank You to Our Sponsors! Zebralove Web Solutions: Your website tells a story about your business! At Zebralove Web Solutions, Milly and her team are going to make sure your website tells the story you want your customers to hear. Connect with Milly at zebralovewebsolutions.com to create the impression you want to make! Resources Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing: A simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen. Create Goals that are Worthy of you: If you are done with either pursuing vanilla goals, suffering through the struggle of goals that are not aligned with your strengths, or dealing with heartbreak of an unattainable goal this course is for you!

What is a DEI workplace and do you know how to create a DEI workplace? DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. Jennifer Brown leads companies through consulting, online training, and her books to become that place everyone wants to work! What are you doing to be inclusive and equitable as a leader at your workplace? Are you creating a space for more people to tell their diversity stories?  Meet Jennifer Brown, an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and diversity and inclusion expert. She is the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. She’s a passionate advocate for social equality who helps businesses foster healthier more productive workplace cultures. Jennifer Brown Consulting believes in unleashing the power of human potential, embracing diversity, and helping people and organizations to thrive. SUBSCRIBE, SHARE and LIKE US! Website: www.TrailBlazersImpact.com Podcast Page: TrailBlazers Impact: https://trailblazersimpact.com/trailblazers-impact-1/ Podcast Page: Community TrailBlazers: https://trailblazersimpact.com/community-trailblazers/ Podcast Page: Coping in Crisis: https://trailblazersimpact.com/coping-in-crisis-podcast/ You Tube TrailBlazers Impact Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZD4jDrEEvBVH1atmJ5VmZQ You Tube Community TrailBlazers Academy Series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl_bUBBV4BieMfshU9xWyPQ You Tube Coping In Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjc1M7WazQ0NbpN5rCr__vw

Are you struggling to be an inclusive leader? Do you want to serve a world of diverse customers full of great opportunities?   Inclusivity is a must in the workplace, especially if you want to attract and retain the best talent for your business. It also allows you and your business to be more open and serve different kinds of customers.   Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, a dynamic speaker, and a diversity and inclusion expert. She's the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. Jennifer is a passionate advocate for social equality who helps businesses foster healthier, more productive workplace cultures.   In this episode, Jennifer shares her insights on how inclusivity affects business. She also shows us the importance of listening to colleagues and committing to shift things as a response to that. This is also a way of practicing inclusivity which can help all feel more included in the workplace   What you will learn from this episode: Learn how to be an inclusive leader Discover how inclusivity is a big deal in your workplace and can affect your colleagues and their work Learn to acknowledge the mistakes in your workplace that deny inclusivity   “You cannot run an organization without understanding what gets in people's way of feeling engaged and feeling like they belong, and therefore. then being able to be creative and contribute in their best way.” - Jennifer Brown Valuable Free Resource:   Jennifer's Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment. Visit: https://dei1.jbconlinelearning.com/self-assessment/   Topics Covered:   01:38 - Challenge is how to attract, and retain the best talent, and serve a diverse world of customers   03:27 - In denial of challenges in diversity in the workplace: one of the common symptoms of an exclusive leader   05:23 - One free and actionable tip you can do to address the challenges of diverse communities regarding inclusivity: Listen to your colleagues and have the commitment to shift things in response to that   07:30 - One valuable resource to know where you are in your inclusive leader journey: Jennifer's Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment. Visit: https://dei1.jbconlinelearning.com/self-assessment/   09:13: Q: How to create cultures of belonging as an inclusive leader? A: Evaluate your own knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion Key Takeaways:   “If you haven't been listening to colleagues about, you know, your workplace culture, if you are totally on one side of the equation, where you're clueless about who might be not bringing their full selves to work and why that's something we need to get curious about, both individually as colleagues, and also as organizations.” - Jennifer Brown   “The listening right now and the humility that we all need to have to literally listen and take on board what we're hearing and what we're learning and then have the courage and the commitment to shift things in response to that, that's literally really what it comes down to.” - Jennifer Brown   “Evaluate your own knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” - Jennifer Brown   “I think so much of media that we absorb is about our identity because it's just the world we live in and what we're attracted to. So the exposure that we need to give ourselves to different lived experiences is such a critical part of our learning.” - Jennifer Brown   Ways to Connect with Jennifer Brown Website: http://www.jenniferbrownconsulting.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferBrownConsulting/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jennifer-brown-consulting/ Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown Website:  https://www.sarahebrown.com Twitter:  https://twitter.com/knowguides LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd  

Joanne Bagshaw, PhD, LCPC is an award-winning professor of psychology and women’s studies at Montgomery College. She is also an AASECT-certified sex therapist with a private practice in Maryland and she the author of "The Feminist Handbook: Practical Tools to Resist Sexism and Dismantle the Patriarchy“. She also writes the popular feminist blog, “The Third Wave,” for Psychology Today. Before specialising as a sex and relationship therapist, Joanne was a trauma therapist, working primarily with rape and sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and adults who were abused as children. Joanne brings her nearly two decades of experience as a therapist to help clients transform their relationships and lead happier and healthier lives.As an award-winning on-air commentator and a Women's Media Center Progressive Voice of 2018, Adrienne Lawrence does more than just talk. The former litigator empowers the everyday professional with her engaging on-air legal analysis and with candid advice in her book, “Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment,” a first-of-its-kind survival guide published by Penguin Random House’s TarcherPerigee on May 12, 2020. Staying in the Game has been heralded as “a must-read for any woman in any workplace”. Whenever she’s not writing about workplace sexual harassment issues or furiously tweeting about gender parity problems, Adrienne's engaging audiences while speaking in large forums like SXSW, coaching clients as part of Jennifer Brown Consulting, or breaking down trending legal issues for outlets such as The Young Turks and NPR.In today’s episode, Joanne and Adrienne talks to Monique about sexual harassment, power & healing while centring a Black woman's experience. Knowing how to handle sexual harassment when it happens increases efficiency!HOT TOPICS OF THE EPISODE[1:18] - Monique introduces her guests, Joanne Bagshaw & Adrienne Lawrence.[1:51] - Tell us about who you are, what you do and where you’re from?I'm Adrienne Lawrence, I'm from Los Angeles, California. I'm an attorney turned TV broadcaster and I wrote a book called staying in the game.I’m Joanne Bagshaw, I'm from Long Island, New York. I'm a professor of Psychology and Women's studies and a sexual relationship therapist and the author of the feminist handbook.[3:11] - What got you to the point of writing the book about feminism, making sure women understand it's not them but the patriarchy?The telling story from my childhood that resonates today with feminism and helps lead me down the path of being a feminist is that I'm an adoptee. After eight years of practicing law, I wanted more for myself, I wanted to challenge myself. [11:53] - What do you think is the impact of adoptions on kids?That really depends on the adoptive parents and the birth parents on what kind of arrangement they make.[16:06] - What do you think should be changed to be able to create better better systems?The first step is to get more women in politics. A patriarchy is a male dominated system, and we have mostly men making these decisions.[35:48] - So, this is for the both of you, what would be one thing that you wish women would change in themselves, in terms of interactions excluding women in order to improve the situation?I would like more women to speak up to call people out. I would like to specifically call on white women to speak up.[42:41] - Joanne talks about what feminism is all about.[45:42] - What are we going to do to those people who're telling us that we are making up everything in our mind?My thought is that your thoughts of me have nothing to do with me.So if you think I'm making things up in my mind, you tell yourself what you need to tell yourself to not address your behavior.[54:06] - What does efficiency mean to you?Not having to do everything myself.Efficiency should be maximizing your time to focus on the things that are aligned with your goals.[55:13] - Which of the three things would you keep doing over and over again to get back to success?I'm definitely still going to law school.I'm probably gonna still get all of the schooling that I got. I think for me, trusting my intuition.Moving off of Long Island earlier.Maintaining my educational background.AWESOME RESOURCES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS EPISODEBook: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609265/staying-in-the-game-by-adrienne-lawrence/Program: https://joannebagshaw.mykajabi.com/sales-page-b06fac61-e4cb-44c3-9943-03bcd68bd72cIMPACTFUL QUOTES OF THIS EPISODEIf you think I'm making things up in my mind, you tell yourself what you need to tell yourself to not address your behavior. - Adrienne LawrenceEfficiency means getting help. - Joanne BagshawFIND MORE ABOUT JOANNE & ADRIENNE HERE.Websites: https://www.joannebagshaw.com/ & https://www.adriennejlawrence.com/book-1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanne.bagshaw/Twitter: https://twitter.com/adriennelaw See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jennifer Brown, CEO and Founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, joins the program to discuss the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and reveals the formative experiences that led her to her current work as a DE&I leader. Discover the importance of noticing our biases, and why good intentions aren't enough. Jennifer also reveals how the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can potentially help to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace. 

In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Brown, an award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, and author. Each of us are moving through our personal journey when it comes to understanding the role race plays in our lives and we’ve invited Jennifer to the show to break down the stages of that journey for us - Unaware, Aware, Active, and Advocate. She describes this spectrum in her book, the Inclusive Leader and I hope that as she walks us through it, we’ll all pick up tips on how to step towards learning more and take comfort in knowing we’re all moving along a similar path. More about Jennifer Brown Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, and author. As the successful founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, headquartered in New York City, Jennifer is responsible for designing workplace strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. She has harnessed more than 14 years of experience as a world-renowned diversity and inclusion expert through consulting work, keynoting and thought leadership. Jennifer’s growing list of clients have included, Walmart, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, Microsoft, the City of New York, T-Mobile, and many others, from the Fortune 1000 to government agencies and nonprofits. To connect with Jennifer Brown, visit jenniferbrownspeaks.com or text "deifoundations" to 55444

Right now, the workforce is more diverse than ever before… and it's our job as business owners to create environments that allow people to bring their unique gifts to the table. On today's episode, Allison Maslan, founder of Pinnacle Global Network talks with Jennifer Brown, the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting and an expert on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) to learn how we can build better businesses by appreciating and tapping into the power of diversity within our teams. A passionate advocate for social equality in the workplace, Jennifer helps organizations create highly productive work environments through DEI practices.

Right now, the workforce is more diverse than ever before… and it’s our job as business owners to create environments that allow people to bring their unique gifts to the table. On today’s episode, Allison Maslan, founder of Pinnacle Global Network talks with Jennifer Brown, the Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting and an expert on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) to learn how we can build better businesses by appreciating and tapping into the power of diversity within our teams. A passionate advocate for social equality in the workplace, Jennifer helps organizations create highly productive work environments through DEI practices.

Join us on The Will To Change for a conversation previously recorded as a community call with Sandra Quince, SVP, Diversity and Inclusion Executive at Bank of America, and Elfi Martinez, Senior Director at Jennifer Brown Consulting. Discover what leaders need to consider at this time when it comes to communicating their stance on DE&I, and why everyone in the organization needs to be involved in creating real change. 

In this episode, Change Catalyst CEO Melinda Briana Epler speaks with Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, about Strengthening LGBTQIA+ Leadership in the Workplace.Learn more about Jennifer's work at https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/⭑⭑If this is helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our channel and like this video!⭑⭑Resources:➡ Jennifer's latest book "How to Be an Inclusive Leader" https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/inclusive-leader-book/ ➡ JBC's Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment https://dei1.jbconlinelearning.com/self-assessment/➡ Jennifer's podcast with Vivienne Ming on "The Tax on Being Different" https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/2017/02/23/the-tax-on-being-different-with-vivienne-ming/ ➡ "A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide" by Human Rights Campaign https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-report-startling-data-reveals-half-of-lgbtq-employees-in-us-remain-clos➡ "The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ Community" by Human Rights Campaign https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-economic-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-lgbtq-communityFor more about Change Catalyst, and to join us for a live recording, visit changecatalyst.co/allyshipseriesYoutube: youtube.com/c/changecatalystTwitter: twitter.com/changecatalystsFacebook: facebook.com/changecatalystsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/changecatalystsSupport the show (http://patreon.com/changecatalysts)

Today, most companies are behind, they don’t reflect the world that they do business in said Jennifer Brown. Founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting and best-selling author of Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change, Jennifer says most companies still have a long way to go in creating a genuine culture of inclusion. Find out why being good people doesn't mean we're being effectively inclusive and why senior managers have to really commit to creating change by measuring and understanding the gaps and then making people accountable for their actions. For more happiness, visit www.management30.com.

Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. On this episode, you will hear Jennifer talk about: How her background in nonprofit work, opera singing and off-Broadway theater performance led to her career in training & development How a corporate layoff led her to reposition herself in her career and start her own diversity & inclusion consulting firm What to do if you feel like your career or your workplace might not be a match for you The damaging impact of bias and stereotypes on individuals and businesses, and what leaders can do about it Her own experience with “bringing her full self to work” as an LGBTQ+ woman Her belief that everyone has a diversity story, and how this realization can lead to more inclusive conversations If you want to know more about Jennifer and her work, here are other links you can check out! JenniferBrownConsulting.com (Business website) JenniferBrownSpeaks.com (Personal website) Book Website: How To Be an Inclusive Leader (or purchase the book on Amazon) The Will to Change Podcast (on Apple Podcasts) Facebook Instagram: @jenniferbrownspeaks Twitter: @jenniferbrown LinkedIn Click here for the episode transcript. Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for all the latest news and updates about my podcast!

In this episode, Jennifer teaches us how to create cultures of diversity and inclusion at work.Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. Her work in talent management, human capital, and intersectional theory has redefined the boundaries of talent potential and company culture. Her bestselling book, Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace and The Will to Change creates the case for leaders to embrace the opportunity that diversity represents, for their own growth and for the success of their organizations.Jennifer is the host of the popular weekly podcast, The Will to Change, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. The podcast receives thousands of downloads each month and has featured multiple notable guests including NY-Times bestselling author Sally Hogshead; ex-NFL player, advisor, and consultant Wade Davis; Priya Parker, facilitator and author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet & Why It Matters; and theoretical neuroscientist Dr. Vivienne Ming.As the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s biggest companies and nonprofits in order to help employees feel like they belong and can bring their full selves to work. As a successful LGBT entrepreneur, Jennifer has been featured in media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, AdWeek, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Inc., CBS, and many more.Jennifer has spoken at many top conferences and events such as the International Diversity Forum, the Global D&I Summit, the Forum for Workplace Inclusion, the NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference, the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, Emerging Women, SHE Summit, Responsive, the Better Man Conference, INBOUND, Interbrand’s Best Global Brands event, as well as at organizations such as Allstate, Pepsico, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NBA, Google, IBM, and many more.In the past several years, Brown has been named Woman of the Year by Pace University, Social Entrepreneur of the year by the NYC National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO),one of the Top 40 Outstanding Women by Stonewall Community Foundation, and NYC Controller Bill Thompson’s LGBT Business Owner of the Year. She has also been a finalist for both the Wells Fargo Business Owner of the Year Award and for the Ernst & Young’s Winning Women Program.Request a Custom Workshop For Your Company Find More With Jennifer https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/Book: How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures Where Everyone Can ThriveBook: Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to ChangePodcast: The Will to ChangeDownload Your Negotiation Preparation GuideConnect With Katherine on LinkedIn

KL053 Jennifer Brown Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Diversity & Inclusion Speaker, Consultant & Author How to Be an Inclusive Leader Episode Summary Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert whose workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top organizations! Her goal: To help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. We discussed her book: “How to Be an Inclusive Leader.” Bio Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. Website https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/   Other Website https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/   Twitter https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbrownspeaks   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrownspeaks/   Leadership Quote "Meet the client where they're at."   Get Your Copy of Jennifer’s Book! https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/inclusive-leader-book/   Subscribe, share and review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-leading/id1461490512 Please visit KeepLeadingPodcast.com ( https://eddieturnerllc.com/keep-leading-podcast/) for a full transcript of this episode. The Keep Leading!® podcast is for people passionate about leadership. It is dedicated to leadership development and insights. Join your host Eddie Turner, The Leadership Excelerator® as he speaks with accomplished leaders and people of influence across the globe as they share their journey to leadership excellence. Listen as they share leadership strategies, techniques and insights. For more information visit https://eddieturnerllc.com or follow Eddie Turner on Twitter and Instagram at @eddieturnerjr. Like Eddie Turner LLC on Facebook. Connect with Eddie Turner on LinkedIn.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Brown, Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, joins the program to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and how to be an inclusive leader. 

Good intentions just aren’t enough when it comes to being an inclusive leader and creating an environment that truly embraces diversity. I learned that the hard way. It requires a personal journey in which you learn about yourself and others, but by doing so, you are able to become an empathic and inclusive leader needed to build a thriving team in which all people flourish.  Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, her workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. Jennifer and I talk about what diversity and inclusion really means, the personal journey of engaging in being a more inclusive leader, what you can do to support your learning, and a whole lot more. And, you’ll hear about my own learning journey when it comes to implicit bias and being an inclusive leader. This is deep and challenging work and it is so important. Read the related blog article: Start Your Journey of Inclusive Leadership With Small Steps Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get 20% off JBC’s upcoming DEI Foundation’s course which will equip you with the knowledge you need to meet the challenges of this changing world of work so you don't get left behind. Learn more about the course at: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.lpages.co/ If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Embracing diversity and inclusion is more like building a new muscle than putting on a pair of glasses. It requires noticing and making different choices. There are visible and invisible forms of diversity: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Disabilities, Mental Health, Neuro-Diversity, Veteran Status, Age, Parental Status.  Unconscious bias exists in everyone and it doesn't make us a bad person. Being well intentioned or holding morally just values is not enough because bias lives below the surface. The important thing is to admit to yourself that you have unconscious bias so that you can start to recognize your own thoughts and see how bias is showing up in the world around you. The business world was built by and to work for a small segment of the population, which is predominantly male and white. Bias is hardwired in the system and often leaders are perpetuating this biased system. The Inclusive Leader Continuum has 4 stages: (1) Unaware - people don’t think there is a problem, I’m not responsible, and/or I think diversity is important and that’s enough.  (2) Aware - understand that not everyone is bringing their full self to work, actively trying to learn about the experiences of others, putting yourself in new/uncomfortable situations. (3) Active - you chose to use your knowledge and learnings, make different decisions and use different language, be public about your journey and seek feedback, take risks and be willing to make mistakes, apologize when you do or say something that misses the mark. (4) Advocate - work towards system change, advocate for and lift up others, work publically and behind the scenes. When you activate your learnings, you will make mistakes and you need to hear the feedback and keep going. You cannot disengage for fear of offending people because by opting out, you are unwilling to learn and are therefore enabling the status quo to continue. We must all contribute to shifting the workplace culture. It cannot only be the responsibility of people who are in the minority.  Intent is not the same as impact - to have positive intent but not understand the actual impact of your behaviors and words is the same as being unaware. There is such a narrow vision of what a leader looks like that when we don’t see people “like us” in leadership roles or as our colleagues. Take the free Inclusive Leader Assessment for yourself and with your team:  Reflect on how often are you in a room in which you’re the only person who identifies or presents in a particular way? If rarely, we need to put ourselves in those positions more often so we can be a more empathic and inclusive leader. Select areas of diversity that you could learn more about and seek out spaces and sources of learning. Find a trusted ally who can give you feedback and help you reflect and grow on your own journey. Share stories with our colleagues, broaden our understanding of what diversity means, and start bringing more of our full selves to work so that we can live into what actually exists. As a manager, you must role model and be vulnerable in sharing who you are and your journey. You cannot expect others to do if you don’t lead by example.   KEEP UP WITH JENNIFER Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown Instagram: @jenniferbrownspeaks Podcast: THE WILL TO CHANGE: Uncovering True Stories of Diversity & Inclusion  RESOURCES Jennifer’s Book: How to Be an Inclusive Leader Book audio sample link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nmoajhl8tsjxgkc/Retail%20Sample_InclusiveLeader.mp3?dl=0 Jennifer’s Book: Inclusion, Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change JBC’s Inclusive Leader Assessment Book: White Fragility Assessment: IAT (Harvard Implicit Association Test) Book: Blind Spot  mamie@mamieks.com

Good intentions just aren’t enough when it comes to being an inclusive leader and creating an environment that truly embraces diversity. I learned that the hard way. It requires a personal journey in which you learn about yourself and others, but by doing so, you are able to become an empathic and inclusive leader needed to build a thriving team in which all people flourish.  Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, her workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. Jennifer and I talk about what diversity and inclusion really means, the personal journey of engaging in being a more inclusive leader, what you can do to support your learning, and a whole lot more. And, you’ll hear about my own learning journey when it comes to implicit bias and being an inclusive leader. This is deep and challenging work and it is so important. Read the related blog article: Start Your Journey of Inclusive Leadership With Small Steps Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get 20% off JBC’s upcoming DEI Foundation’s course which will equip you with the knowledge you need to meet the challenges of this changing world of work so you don't get left behind. Learn more about the course at: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.lpages.co/ If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Embracing diversity and inclusion is more like building a new muscle than putting on a pair of glasses. It requires noticing and making different choices. There are visible and invisible forms of diversity: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Disabilities, Mental Health, Neuro-Diversity, Veteran Status, Age, Parental Status.  Unconscious bias exists in everyone and it doesn't make us a bad person. Being well intentioned or holding morally just values is not enough because bias lives below the surface. The important thing is to admit to yourself that you have unconscious bias so that you can star

The journey to scaling your business can be quite complex, but with the right guidance, you will eventually get to the top. Today, Michael Zipursky chats with Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting about running her multi-million-dollar consultancy and working with clients like Adobe, Samsung, and Coca-Cola, to name a few. She shares how she shifted from delivering her expertise to building and scaling her own business. Learn from Jennifer as she explains her best practices in building a team and booking conferences, and gives advice around content and thought leadership.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Consulting Success Community today:consultingsuccess.com

The journey to scaling your business can be quite complex, but with the right guidance, you will eventually get to the top. Today, Michael Zipursky chats with Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting about running her multi-million-dollar consultancy and working with clients like Adobe, Samsung, and Coca-Cola, to name a few. She shares how she shifted from delivering her expertise to building and scaling her own business. Learn from Jennifer as she explains her best practices in building a team and booking conferences, and gives advice around content and thought leadership. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com

The journey to scaling your business can be quite complex, but with the right guidance, you will eventually get to the top. Today, Michael Zipursky chats with Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting about running her multi-million-dollar consultancy and working with clients like Adobe, Samsung, and Coca-Cola, to name a few. She shares how she shifted from delivering her expertise to building and scaling her own business. Learn from Jennifer as she explains her best practices in building a team and booking conferences, and gives advice around content and thought leadership. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com

For Jennifer Brown it has always been about "voice", from using her voice as a non-profit activist to performing onstage as a professional opera singer, to making sure all voices are heard in the workplace. Through her company Jennifer Brown Consulting and her recent book “How to Be an Inclusive Leader” she is educating employers so their teams can bring their "full selves" to work every day. There is a lot at stake in getting this right! Jennifer joins Julia Pimsleur to share her journey, along with what it was like for Jennifer when she lost her singing voice and how that gave her new purpose; why she sees herself as a "Trojan horse" and how she is using that to make big change; how Jennifer’s voracious learning allowed her to became an expert in her own business; and, why its crucial to understand the difference between diversity and inclusion.

Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of “The Will To Change” podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer's workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world's top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard.

In todays show I am joined by Jennifer Brown, founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer's workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world's top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠.We talk about:Jennifer's journey to diversity and inclusionHow Jennifer approaches self-careHow to help drive acceptanceHow to implement diversity and inclusion initiativesJennifer is making a difference in the world through her Diversity and Inclusion work. A very inspiring lady.I hope you enjoy the show.JENNIFER'S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKSWebsitePersonal websiteBook WebsiteThe Will to Change Podcast (iTunes)FacebookInstagram: @jenniferbrownspeaksTwitter: @jenniferbrownLinkedInAmazon book linkLINKS TO PAST SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTSInterbrand: Interview with Jennifer Brown, Author of InclusionTalks at Google: Jennifer Brown: "Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change"TEDxPresidio: Finding your voice in the workplaceNatalie OnlineWebsiteTwitterEmailInstagramFacebook

Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur, host of The Will To Change podcast, and founder, president, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting which works with some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits. She and Dr. Valerie speak about how patriarchy in the workplace takes a toll on an outsider, the problem of perfectionism, and how to take care of yourself while creating change. For additional resources, to connect with my guest, and to get her free gift visit: www.drvalerie.com/hersuccessradio

From the headlines, it’s clear that diversity programs aren’t increasing diversity within organizations. After working with Fortune 500 companies like Walmart and Verizon on their inclusion and diversity efforts over the past decade, Jennifer Brown says that it’s because many of us want be more inclusive but aren’t sure where to start. In her new book​ she demystifies the process of creating inclusive workspaces into clear steps that anyone can take no matter their role. In this interview you will: Learn ​​how to respectfully use inclusive language - gender pronouns, diverse family formations, etc. ​Discover ​​how to recognize bias and know if you’re unwittingly participating in it. ​​Learn ​​how to identify your unique “diversity story” that will help you better relate to underrepresented and marginalized employees. Find ​out how leading the charge with diversity initiatives can help you stand out as a leader. BIO: Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠.

Jennifer Brown, speaker, author, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, joins the program to discuss the experiences she had growing up which led her to the work she does today, helping organizations to create cultures of belonging where everyone can thrive. Discover the importance of self-care while advocating for diversity and inclusion, and how we can use our advantages to help others. 

How can companies thrive as the world evolves and the marketplace changes? Jennifer Brown is here and she's on a mission to help businesses become more inclusive by creating a workplace where employees can thrive by being who they are. She believes that when employees are able to bring their true self to work, they’re able to motivate and contribute in a way that will boost the bottom line. But it's not always so easy, right? Jennifer is the founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting. She's an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant and author of the book Inclusion: Diversity, The Workplace & the Will to Change. 

Jennifer Brown - Founder, President & CEO at Jennifer Brown Consulting, award-winning entrepreneur, Diversity & Inclusion Speaker, Consultant & Author.Leila is joined by Jennifer Brown: Founder, President & CEO at Jennifer Brown Consulting, award-winning entrepreneur, Diversity & Inclusion Speaker, Consultant & Author.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Jennifer helps people move from understanding the ‘why’ (reason for taking action in D&I within an organisation) to taking action with the ‘what’ (what exactly should an organisation do along these lines?)· Jennifer’s own personal journey, from damaging her voice as an opera singer in training to reinventing herself as a corporate trainer· Jennifer’s passion for using her voice and putting aside any “momentary discomfort” she might feel in order to lead/inspire others· The need for all executive business leaders (including white males) to embrace their backgrounds and personal stories in order to further the diversity causeRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://jenniferbrownspeaks.com https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com Twitter: @jenniferbrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting

Study after study show that diversity is good for business. According to McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35%.  Diverse teams, those made up of people from different races, genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and experiences lead to more creativity, a variety of thought and more empathy for customers. And as we all know, when it comes to innovation and product development, empathy for customers is paramount to success.  Diversity and inclusion are topics that simply must be top of mind for product managers and product leaders. We can’t build products for everyone if we aren’t in the right environment where inclusion is fostered. In this episode, award-winning author & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer Brown shares insights into how organizations can be more diverse and more inclusive.

Zach speaks with Jennifer Brown, founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, and they take a deep dive into exploring what diversity and inclusion means. They also talk about what it really means to be inclusive as a leader, and Jennifer shares a bit about her latest two books. Check out Jennifer's books! They're titled "Inclusion" and "How to Be an Inclusive Leader."Connect with Jennifer on the following platforms: Twitter, IG, Facebook, LinkedInPut your name on the mailing list at JenniferBrownSpeaks.com!TRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with the Living Corporate podcast. Now, look, y'all know what we do, man. [laughs] Y'all know. Listen, man, we try to drop--come on, Sound Man. Give me them air horns right here. [air horns sfx]. More fire for your head top, and look, today is no different. I ain't even gonna get into a huge, long kind of, like, intro before I get into the interview, 'cause our interview was kind of long, but I really want y'all to hear all of it. I interviewed someone who is a strong--seriously, like, one of the leaders within the D&I space when you talk about, like, presenting content around intersectionality, diversity, inclusion. Her name is Jennifer Brown. She's a facilitator. She's a public speaker. She's a consultant. She's an educator. She has a background in change management, so there's a lot of symbiosis between the both of us, and we had a really dope discussion just about what it really means to be inclusive as a leader, and then we had a conversation--like, kind of a meta discussion about the D&I space as an industry. If y'all remember--this was, like, way back in Season 1--we had Amy C. Waninger, and then we had Drew, A.K.A. Very White Guy, on the show, and Drew talked a little bit about the--, like, D&I as a business, right, and kind of, like, the capitalistic or corporate nature of D&I and, like, what that looks like, and we had a conversation about that too. It was really interesting. So anyway, what you're gonna hear next is the discussion between Jennifer Brown and myself. She's great people, definitely can't wait to have her back on the show. Make sure y'all check out the show notes. You can look and see all of her information, including her latest two books, okay? So make sure y'all check it out, and we'll catch y'all next time. Peace.[pause]Zach: Jennifer, welcome to the show. How are you doing?Jennifer: Oh, thanks. I'm doing great. Trying to stay cool in this July.Zach: Man, it is hot out here.Jennifer: Yeah. Global warming. [laughs]Zach: [laughs] For real. Look, I gave a brief intro, but for those who don't know you, would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?Jennifer: Of course, yeah. I--let's see. I'm an author. I'm a keynoter. I'm a CEO and an owner of a consulting business, all of which is focused on building more inclusive workplaces for all kinds of talent to thrive, and it's a passionate, personal mission that I have because I've been out since I was 22, and I'm in my 40s now, but the workplace was a place where I couldn't really bring my full self to work. And I want to say it wasn't just being LGBTQ. I mean, the workplace has all sorts of inclusiveness problems when it comes to people like, you know, us, and, you know, most people actually. Anyone that's not a certain mold, and so as somebody who has--I have a master's degree in opera, believe it or not. I came to New York to be an opera singer, and that did not work out.Zach: Wow.Jennifer: Yeah, I know. [laughs] It's crazy. Luckily I reinvented as a corporate trainer, because it's all this--it's like being on the stage, you know, and connecting with audiences. It's just the topic is different. So I reinvented into that field, which remains really my field to this day. So we're really--we're a strategy and training company, and we're working across the Fortune 1,000, I would say, on a daily basis. My team is all over the country. They're amazing. They're so talented at what they do. They have a lot more patience for client work than I do. [laughs] And yeah, we can talk about that if you want, but I've been a consultant in the trenches for a long time, and I'm actually really thrilled now to kind of be more living the keynote and author life. I just--I like it a lot. I love performing. I love big audiences. I like the challenge of thinking on my feet. I like having to write books on this topic and figure out, like, "What does the world need me to write next, and how do I take what I hear and learn and put it in a way that's digestible for people?" Because it's really--it's kind of, like, a life-or-death situation from an inclusion perspective, and I deeply feel that, for myself and many, many others.Zach: Wow. Well, thank you for that. Awesome. I'm already--like, my shoulders are kind of bouncing up and down. This is gonna be a dope conversation.Jennifer: Woo! Yeah. [both laugh]Zach: So today we're talking about inclusive leadership, and before we get too deep into it, can we get some definitions on these terms? Like, from your point of view. Diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality. 'Cause in a lot--in your content and in your IP, both written and your presentations, like, you use these terms a lot, and frankly your content is centered around these terms. For our audience, I'd love it if we could just, like, level-set what these things actually mean.Jennifer: Yes, and you need to consider the history of the conversation. So in the corporate and workplace context, diversity is really--has been traditionally the "who," right? The demographics, the representation in your workforce. Typically it's [counted with?] gender, right? Which is where it started, and race and ethnicity. It wants to count LGBTQ and people with disabilities, but, you know, a lot of those folks can hide who they are, right? We are very good at hiding who we are and not checking boxes. So diversity has really been that representation, the mix, the complexion of the workplace [with a small C?]. And then inclusion really is the "how." So "How do I make that mix work?" You know? "If diversity is the "who" in the mix, how do I make the mix work?" To quote my friend Tyrone Studemeyer, who is, like, a great chief diversity officer. He always uses that example. In fact, he brings a glass of milk on stage and pours in chocolate sauce, and then he stirs it, and he has this bit that he does. So it's making the mix work, and honestly's that's really where behaviors come into play. And so it's how--once you have that talent around the table, how do you make them want to stay? How do you include them, and how do you make them feel that they're valued? And so inclusion is the how and the behaviors. And then intersectionality, something totally different. It is the mix, I guess, of diverse identities that make some of us who we are and kind of present unique challenges. Traditionally defined by Kimberle Crenshaw, of course, it's the mix of multiple stigmatized identities that one person may carry. So why that's important is that I think, you know, anyone who looks at gender issues, for example, as a white women's topic, is not taking into consideration how women of color are impacted differently, how being an LGBTQ woman may mean that you're not only dealing with your gender and all the headwinds that come along with that, but you're dealing with the headwinds relating to sexual orientation. Or say you have, you know, a non-binary gender expression, or you are a woman of color and some of those things at the same time, or a woman with a disability. So it just goes on and on, and that's a very helpful thing for the rest of the world, I think, to help people understand the levels of--and I would use privilege with a small P. I know that word sets some people off, you know, but I think we have to be realistic about some of us walking through the world feeling a lot safer and a lot more protected, a lot more supported. You know, right? Like, a lot more--that others are more comfortable with us because they're relatively more familiar with us, and the sort of further you get away from I guess the straight white male norm that is, like it or not, the whole of the top leadership in the business world. The further you get from that, I think the more difficulty you have in kind of seeing yourself in workplaces, in being supported, grown, invested in, welcomed, proactively fostered. You know, all of the things that really, like, pull you up in an organization. So, you know, when you're different in multiple ways, it's kind of difficult to ever feel that you're in that--in the place you should be in the machine that is the workplace. So, you know, this is where people fall out. They quit. They can't stand it anymore. [laughs] You know, they go and become entrepreneurs, which is great, you know, but sad for corporations and large employers because, of course, you know, you're bleeding out all of your diverse talent because your culture is sort of something that people can't stand. That's a problem. [laughs]Zach: [laughs] No, you're absolutely right, and it's interesting, right, because I was just having a conversation with a couple of close friends this morning, and I was talking about the fact that a lot of times, you know, when we talk about D&I in the most common contexts, it almost feels like some--like, really a competition between white men and [white women] for number one, and then kind of everybody else falls to the wayside. Right? Like, we don't necessarily have, like--I don't know if I'm necessarily always hearing, like, truly intersectional discussions around identity. I don't know, and I don't know if black women are often centered in those discussions. Of course in the past couple years we've seen, like, more and more content come out about it, so don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to be a debbie downer, but at the same time--Jennifer: [laughs] But you're right.Zach: [laughs] I mean, here's a great example, right? So I think it was--yep, Indeed. So Indeed just dropped a commercial, and there was a--the setting was, like, a board room, right, and in the board room, a white man was in the front and he was getting a promotion, right? And, like, the boss was shaking his hand, and everybody was clapping, and then there was a white woman, and she was just kind of standing there, and it was clearly--like, by the framing, right, of the commercial, that she was passed over for this promotion and that the white man got the promotion over her, right? And I was like, "Okay." And so then she looks down at her phone, and she kind of smirks because she gets a notification she's getting an interview, you know, somewhere else, right?Jennifer: [laughs] Oh, my gosh.Zach: Right? So she's like, "I'm leaving," and then it said, "Indeed." You know? I was like, "Okay, cool." So great commercial, but what's interesting about that commercial was behind the white woman--and I don't believe they did this intentionally, but maybe they did--and if they did, yo, they are super cold--but there was a black woman and a black man out of focus right behind them. And so it was, like, super interesting.Jennifer: [sighs] Oh, goodness. Wow. Oh, somebody needs to give that feedback. I'm sure they've heard about it already. [both laugh]Zach: But, like, the idea that a lot of times we talk about D&I, right, it's often centered around gender. We're not having really authentic discussions outside of that. And so a question for you - you know, in your book "Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change," you discussed the nuances of privilege. And you just talked about lower-case privilege, lower-case P privilege. And to make an effort not to vilify white men who have, quote, "seemingly won the privilege lottery." Is it possible to manage the egos of leaders who are in the majority while also having frank and accountable discussions about empowering black and brown professionals or just non-white professionals in the workplace? You know, in your work, what does that process look like? To establish trust for those discussions.Jennifer: Yeah. I mean, that is really the work, and it's--I think it's, like, the third rail, honestly. It's funny - being in the LGBTQ community, there's a level of--strangely, a level of comfort and acceptance of talking about being "I'm a proud ally," you know, or putting that rainbow sticker on your desk or in your email signature. And it's fascinating to me because--by the way, the LGBTQ conversation is also not properly intersectional, right? So there's privileged dynamics playing out in my--this community. I was going to say "my" community. One of my communities, you know, that women's voices aren't well-heard. People of color and the LGBTQ community, trans people, are not well-heard and are not represented in leadership positions in the workplace when it comes to affinity groups and things. So each community has its kind of diversity within its diversity challenges. [laughs] So I just wanted to make that point, because--I often say, "Just because you carry a marginalized identity, or even two, does not make you an inclusive leader."Zach: That's so true.Jennifer: Like, I wish it were true, but it's not, and it's been proven to me over and over again that, you know, I've made that assumption, and I've kind of been wrong. Like, I've been shocked by what people say. So, like, these--like, a lack of that intersectional lens and that inclusive lens can live in all of us, by the way. Elitism and, you know, that blindness and bias. Unchecked. Anyway, that's one point I wanted to make. So how do we center more black and brown voices when the leadership of so many companies--and when you say they are the majority, we always have to clarify. I say majority in leadership positions, because if you look at the aggregate in most companies, of course, women are the majority. Zach: That's absolutely correct, yeah.Jennifer: Right, and then a lot of ethnic diversity lives in different functional areas of the business and, you know, whatever, right? But it just totally thins out, like, when you go up the org chart, right? So the problem is all the power lies with a sort of very homogeneous group, and so the onus is on that group to acknowledge that the world is more and more black and brown, right? That they have to build that confidence and cross those bridges of understanding, and they have to know how to build trust with their workforce. Both current and future, by the way, which is most likely not going to look like them. And then they've got to do it in such a way that they--that then their employee and their leadership base looks like the world that they serve, which is increasingly female, right? Think about the buying decisions. Think about the exploding buying power of the black community. The LGBTQ community is now a trillion-dollar buying power. I mean, it's massive. So any brand that's worth anything, and any leader that's worth anything, must look at this, should look at this, and say, you know, "My demographic group--maybe it was okay for me not to understand what keeps people in the organization I'm a part of or keeps people on my team or how to be a good colleague and sort of step out of my shoes and think about what the other person's experience is like, but I better search and pay attention to this." So my argument is always I throw the business case to people, the demographic argument to people. Sometimes it's a moral argument. Sometimes somebody, you know, has kids of a different race than they are. Sometimes they have lots of daughters. Like, sometimes, you know, they have a unique view on all of this, and so when you, you know, [see?] somebody that looks like a white, straight guy, you know, you just never know what their diversity story might be, and I've been just shocked and reminded that, you know, I can--I can walk in a room and people assume I know nothing about this topic, you know? And that's happened to me. I've been on the receiving end of that. And there are things I don't know, for sure, but I desperately want people to listen to me and somehow kind of wedge my way in and make them listen and convince them and all of those things. So being LGBTQ helps with that. So I'm this interesting hybrid of, you know, being of an identity that people are more comfortable with, like, based on maybe what they see, but then coming out and challenging them to the point where, like, you can hear a pin drop when I do that, and that's kind of--let me tell you, it's pretty uncomfortable when you're standing there in front of, like, 1,000 mostly men in, like, light blue shirts and khakis. You're like, "How is this gonna go?" [laughs] So it takes--for all of us, you know, I think it takes bravery to show ourselves. For some of us with invisible aspects of diversity, it takes kind of a unique kind of bravery to be like, "No." Like, "Make no mistake, this is actually who I am." And particularly if it's a vulnerable aspect of who you are. It can feel really risky. That could include, like, divulging about a disability or, you know, mental health and addiction issues, or age, you know? There's just this, like, widespread hesitation to bring our full selves to work on so many counts, but when you are black and brown of course the issue can be "I can't opt not to show who I am." Like, "Who I am is often visible," and it will trigger the biases if those are there, right? And so it's a conversation we always have about--it's not the pain Olympics, and that's so important to remember. Like, that it's not--it's not a race to the--through the oppression hierarchy to say--Zach: Right.Jennifer: Right? Because that's a useless conversation. I think we have to think about, like, what are the--what's the damage that happens when, you know, we feel shame, or we feel compelled to downplay who we are, even if it's very visible to others? And how can we support each other's voices and create that safety for each other? And that's what I think about every day. Like, if I have been given some kind of privilege with a small P [in] several ways that has been totally unearned by me--my obsession is, like, what responsibility and opportunity does that come with? Which is interesting, because I'm in the LGBTQ community, which is so used to needing that allyship, right? We think about--we struggle to bring our full selves and be comfortable, and we hide, you know? And so allies really bring us out, you know? They stand alongside us and say, "Hey, I'll tell your story. I'll be next to you. I'll have your back." It feels amazing to have that, and I know what that feeling feels like, and so I am turning around and, like, trying to do that for others with my people, which often is my lovely, often good-hearted, you know, white, straight male executive clients, you know, to say, "How can we help you bridge to the future?" Because opting out is not--that's not an option, you know? I think--and the more clued-in ones know this, and I think people are mostly feeling just, like, really--like, wanting to do more, very awkward, very afraid. I know in the light of MeToo, just purely a gender conversation, the--you know, that lean-in research that came out a couple months ago that says that, like, male leaders are, like, even more afraid now to be in these one-on-one scenarios with female mentees or colleagues, and it's really discouraging, and it's definitely going in the wrong direction, but I think that fear is probably bigger than just cross-gender. I think that it's just kind of any moves you might make to say, "Hey, I want to be an inclusive leader. I'm gonna mess up. I'm gonna say the right thing. I really, really want to be better, but how am I gonna learn this thing that I'm gonna get wrong, and where am I gonna learn it? And how am I gonna know that I'm getting it wrong? And then how am I going to be given a chance to develop better skills?" And that's a very legitimate question. So I think we've got to all kind of give each other a lot of berth and also proactive support these days to learn, and we've got to do that in partnership with each other, because otherwise we're learning in a vacuum, and that's hard to do.Zach: It's so complex though, right? Because it's like--like, there has to be space for grace, and then there also has to--like, on both sides, because there's grace for you to learn--there's grace for me to give you space to learn, but then there's also--there has to be humility for you to receive that learning, right? And then there needs to be empathy on the person who is learning for their teacher in that there is a level of emotional labor, right, that goes into me even talking to you about this at all, right? I had a conversation with some colleagues, like, about a month or so ago, and I was like, "Look." Like, something happened, and, you know, it was an educational discussion, and in part of my conversation I said, "Hey, you know, I don't talk about this because it's exhausting." I said, "But being in these majority-white spaces--just me being here is exhausting," and I explained that to them, and I said, "It's not just me. It's exhausting in some way or form or shape for someone in a minority to engage in majority spaces." Like, it is, and so, like, for the people that are doing the work to educate and train and teach or even partner--like, that's--like, there needs to be some empathy on that part, you know what I mean?Jennifer: Yeah. Well, we talk a lot about compassion fatigue, and I think that--and then us being asked to step forward and represent an entire community and their experience, which you and I know is never gonna be accurate. You're just one person talking about your experience. Zach: Right. Not [?], right.Jennifer: Right, but what you're talking about is something--what I say in my next book, right, "How to Be an Inclusive Leader," is that you need to do 80% of the emotional labor yourself before you ask someone to help you on your journey. Zach: Oh, I love that.Jennifer: It's so important, yes. And so for me, what that looks like is I intentionally consume certain media, for example. I listen to certain podcasts. I watch certain films. I acquaint myself with cultural norms across communities that are not mine, right? And in some cases it's a struggle through some of that media, because that media is not built for you. It's not a conversation for you, right? [both laugh] And I've had white friends, and I talk about, like, a podcast we may love. Like, one I love called "Still Processing." I don't know if you know it.Zach: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. "Still Processing" is fire. Shout-out to y'all, yes.Jennifer: Oh, it's so good. So good. And they're queer too. Like, I just love them. I mean, talk about intersectional. They're brilliant. And anyway, I sometimes have a hard time keeping up with it, but also getting all of the cultural references--and sometimes even I will feel, "Gosh, I'm such an outsider, and this is so uncomfortable for me, to try to hang in with the conversation." And then I say to myself--and this is what I say to leaders--"Notice the discomfort, because this is what other people feel every single day in majority-white spaces." Every day of their lives, right? Zach: Right. [laughs]Jennifer: Like, you're uncomfortable for one second, right? Like, get used to it. Like, you should be putting yourself in this discomfort all of the time, because this is the competency. Like, this is the skill that you need to learn so that you get some iota of empathy for what it feels like every single day for other people. The other thing I wanted to say is we just had an LGBTQ--we called it LBTQ. It was just for women actually, so we dropped the G. [laughs] Which was--you know, people can have issues with it, but we dropped the G. It was just meant for Q-identified women. And we had this big conference, and we asked--we had a TON of diversity on the stage, which was my commitment, and we had a couple activists that were trans women of color, and they said, "I will come, but I want you to know, like, Pride is exhausting for me." It was in June. "It's exhausting for me. It's exhausting for me to walk into corporate spaces, to educate, to be that voice on stage, and I'm sort of doing this, but I want you to know it's, like, a lot of labor for me," and I want I guess for all of us that put panels together, for all of us that are speakers and on panels--it was such a learning for me to understand that when you ask someone, you're trying to be inclusive, but it is so seen through this lens of "Oh, I can take the day and go speak at this conference 'cause I work for myself," or, you know, "I'm an activist or an advocate." Like, an activist doesn't always look the same or have the same level of privilege or income. What is the lost income from taking a day out to go into a space you're not comfortable in and educate people about your experience? Like, it was really humbling. And what we ended up doing, by the way--and this may be helpful advice--is for all the speakers, that day we had 30 speakers, we really want to intend that we take up--we have a stipend and honorarium for people who take the time out to come into that space. There's a question of real money, you know, to offset that time and that labor. And again, this was another kind of learning for a lot of privileged people of the privilege that allows them to come in and speak all of the time on things that have a full-time job, you know, that have benefits, you know, that aren't witnessing, you know, the really, really painful reality of certain parts of our community every day. I just thought it was a really interesting demonstration within a marginalized community of sort of the gulf in our experiences, right, even within LBTQ women. So I think being mindful of intersectionality all of the time, it's incumbent--it's incumbent on anybody who has that platform, that voice, that comfort to whatever degree, to ensure spaces are diverse, to ensure voices are elevated, to center stories that aren't our own, and to make sure that those stories are given the proper platform and that people aren't overly requested to give up their time and education. But that means that each white person, each man, you know, when they support gender equality, I would ask, like, "What are you reading? What research do you have under your belt?" Like, "How are you exercising your muscle to show up in allyship, and what are you doing?" And then, and only then, can you ask for tweaks and feedback from people in affected communities. You know, "Did what I say resonate?" "Did the story--did I do this justice?" "Did I use my voice in the right way?" "What more could I have done?" Like, "What feedback would you have for me?" That can be asked, but so much has to be done and earned before that. And then--you know, and then bring somebody in to give you that feedback and make you better, because, you know, without that feedback I can promise you people aren't gonna get better, and they're just gonna keep stumbling, and stumbling is not good for anyone. [laughs] It's humiliating.Zach: No, you're absolutely right. [laughs] The thing about it is there's nothing--so I think the only thing worse than being loud and wrong is being really polished and wrong, right?Jennifer: Ooh, that's interesting.Zach: Right? It's like, you know, you're talking, you got the presentation, and, you know, you got your little clicker, and you got your three points and your--[both laugh] And your pantsuit looks great, but you are wrong.Jennifer: Oh, my gosh. It's in the corporate speak.Zach: Right, it's in the corporate speak, but--Jennifer: People can see through it.Zach: But you're absolutely wrong. And your earlier point about Pride, yeah, and, like, this past year was so big because it was the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, and it's interesting 'cause you talked about--you were talking just a bit about, like, the dissonance there and, like, the emotional labor for everyone who is a minority, but then specifically we're talking about trans activists, and it was so interesting because--I believe it was on the 30th. Like, right at the end of Pride there was a situation at Stonewall Inn where, you know, there was a desire from a trans women to speak up. She wanted to talk a little bit about the day and just reflect, and she was shouted down.Jennifer: No.Zach: Yeah, by gay men who were there in names of, "Hey, we just want to party. We don't want to hear all of that," and then eventually she was able to speak, and she spoke for about 12 minutes, but it was just really interesting. She read the names of the black trans women who died and facts and the disproportionate abuse and oppression that black trans women have and continue to face, and so you're absolutely right. Like, and I think it's incredible. I have yet to have the privilege to directly interview a black trans activist. Like, that's actually a serious [goal] of mine.Jennifer: I can hook you up.Zach: Well, let's do it. Let's talk about that after the interview. For sure.Jennifer: [laughs] Yeah, for sure. So yeah, it's been such a learning for me. And this is why I feel so--the ally energy in me these days, even in the LGBTQ community technically that I'm in, I feel so activated as an--and I don't even want to say, like, "I am an ally," because we're only allies when others give us that--give us that name and that honor, right? But I'll tell you, whether it's me as a cis woman--you know, I spend my time on the keynote stage asking people in the audience, "How many of you know what I mean by sharing our pronouns and why it's important? And how many of you know what cisgender means?" And sharing my identity and coming out as cisgender so that--and sharing my pronouns so that I'm not acting like heterosexuality and cisgenderness is normal, you know? We have to make it visible in order to even point out to people that this--we shouldn't be assuming this is normal, and you shouldn't be walking around every day assuming everybody shares your identity. Like, and we've that. I mean, so many of us have been so comfortable and--you know, I'll share it. You know this statistic probably, but it's so startling that 1 out of every 5 people under 34 is non-cis and non-straight. So 1 out of 5. So as you walk around your life, as you hire people, as you work with teams, as you meet customers, 1 out of 5, and yet the chances are that they're hiding that from you and they're not comfortable for you. So what can you do to say, "Hey, this is a safe place. I am someone that you can bring your whole self to me, around me, and I will see you, and I will be not only just open to it, but I will be embracing of it, and I won't assume that you're like me." You know, "I will give you the chance to self-identify," and I will self-identify. I will be brave in doing that, because, like, I'm not gonna put all the burden on you to talk about your experience, but I'm not gonna remain silent and not talk about mine." It's funny, because I get a lot of questions afterwards. People come up to me and say, "How do I start that conversation with someone?" To say, "Hey, I'm doing my work. I'm trying to learn. I want you to feel comfortable. What would you like me to know?" And we sort of walk through, like, "How do I even start that conversation?" Because people are really--they just don't know how to begin, and they don't know whether it will come across as authentic, and they're worried they're gonna be out of their depth really fast. [laughs] Which, by the way, they will be. [laughs]Zach: [laughs] You're absolutely right, but I think it's the internal getting yourself comfortable with being uncomfortable and being comfortable with being ignorant, and ignorant truly meaning just not knowing, and seeking to learn, right? Like, MLK Jr. talked about this. Like, he was quoted saying something like, "White people, as part of their superiority, think that they have so very little to learn when it comes to--" Like, just race, matters of race, and I think that can be extended and expanded, right? That if you're a part of a majority, a part of a privileged class, it's easy for you to think that you just--you don't need to learn, but being curious, right, and seeking to understand is, like, one of the greatest signs of humility, and really it's endearing. Like, the right people, in my experience--when I come to people and I say, "Hey, I really just want to understand. I want to learn from you. I genuinely want to learn." Those discussions go well, because they--Jennifer: They do.Zach: Right? They go well, because you're humbling yourself to listen and to receive. You talked about the statistics, about 1 in 5 today, [and] I think that really leads me well into the next question. So a good deal of your book discusses the future of work and the role inclusion will play. What are your predictions on how organizations will need to adapt to attract future diverse talent in the next 10 years?Jennifer: Oh, my gosh. Well, they're all, like, woefully behind already and have been. [laughs] It's like the ostrich with its head in the sand. I think, you know, when business is good and the economy is good, it covers--it's like high tide, you know? It covers up a lot of things that low tide reveals. And I think a lot of people are too comfortable. You know, I just think that business leaders in particular--and to your point that you just made, right? If life is working out for me, like economically I'm comfortable, I'm not afraid of, you know, being pulled over, you know, as I'm driving. I'm not afraid for my child in the world. You know, all of those things that are blind spots for some people. You can kind of sail on through life and through your work in being a leader, believe it or not, and not really be held accountable for a lot of these things. People deny that it's an urgent situation, but I see it as a really urgent situation, that the fact that, you know, the number of women and people of color at certain levels in companies--which I'm kind of obsessed with the mid-level, because the mid-level is where people--they're really tired of hanging on, like, white-knuckling it up the pipeline, trying to, you know, get supported, get promoted, get--you know, have somebody take an interest in them, have somebody run interference for them. You know, when you're undermentored and undersupported, and then you're underrepresented as well, and you look around, and you look up, and you don't see anyone that--you know, we say "you've got to see it to be it." You know, you get tired, and it's no wonder to me that the numbers and the representation of anyone who's not a straight white male have been kind of really flatlined, you know? And even the best and most progressive companies are really struggling to hold onto people, to raise them up to the level where I want to see them, right? Which is the executive level, because then they can make all--a whole world of difference, you know? An executive leader can, with one signature, you know, create a policy or address the pay gap, you know? They have so much power. Or hold a customer accountable, or take a stance on a political issue in social media. And so if people can't make up there, and we decide to bail out because it just proves too arduous and we're just, like, physically tired, and we're emotionally tired, and the compassion and fatigue and the emotional labor and all of it, being the spokesperson for an entire community. It becomes too much, and, you know, then we leave and we create our own businesses, which is a great solution, which was, you know, the thing I did. [both laugh] You know, 'cause I was like, "This is not gonna work for me." But that's a loss, because not everybody is set up to be an entrepreneur. You know, you need a lot of capital. You need--we talked about privilege. You know, you need certain things in place in order to make that work, and it's just not tenable for most people. So workplaces have to work for people, for all of us. So the future of work, you know, I get asked a lot about quotas and targets. I personally--I hesitate to say this, like, super publicly because companies are really twitchy about requirements and quotas, and you get a lot of pushback, but I'm honestly--I'm at a point where I feel like if people are left to their own devices change doesn't happen, and if change does happen it's slow and it's not widespread, and it's too slow to make a meaningful difference in the short amount of time we have to really see change.Zach: Absolutely.Jennifer: I mean, I think the house is on fire. [laughs] You know, I think economically people are falling behind. They're not getting promoted. They're therefore missing out on economic growth and opportunity and wealth, and, you know, I'm just not seeing it, when the world is changing so fast and companies are not keeping up with it. And so is the bottom line impacted? Is ROI measured? You know, we really--we have to have, like, an honest conversation about losing customers and clients and people leaving the organization, and companies have to wake up and say, you know, "If we don't do something really serious about this, we're gonna be sitting in the same exact place in 10 years." So, you know, I'm all for the more radical solutions. You know, I think--honestly, I think slates, interview slates, need to have a required number of women on them and a required number of people with diverse ethnicities. LGBTQ is tough because we don't disclose. So the companies I work with struggle with something called self-identification. We don't trust our companies--and this just speaks volumes--we don't trust our companies enough to check a box about who we really are, so we can't be counted. [laughs] So we--so, you know, there has to be, like, faith that we exist in organizations upwards of maybe 10% of the population, because we're only--on paper, we're only recorded at, like, 1%.Zach: Yeah, and that's just not accurate, right?Jennifer: No, it's not accurate, but we're doing that because we're terrified, you know? We're terrified of losing our job. We're just--even in the best companies. And that's true for people with disabilities too, but I think [some] companies have to [?], and I think they're gonna get pushed back. If they roll things out like this, they're gonna get a lot of pushback. People are gonna say, "I don't want to be forced to--" You know, "I believe in a meritocracy, and I want to hire the best person for the job, and you can't force me to hire a candidate that's less than," and my answer to that is if you did a good job of having enough of a pipeline of all kinds of talent, it wouldn't just be one candidate you're looking at and you're feeling like somebody, you know, is forcing you, holding your feet to the fire to hire them. You would have lots of choices. And so we've got to do a better job of filling that pipeline, keeping people in the pipeline, not letting them leave, and investing in them so that they feel they can thrive at a company long-term instead of wanting to bail out because they can't stand it out anymore, you know? That's just a sad commentary on workplace culture, but unfortunately I think it's the experience of tons of people that I talk to.Zach: The thing about it is the challenge with it is like--your earlier point around change, like, not--you know, that if left to its own devices will happen so incrementally, so small, that it won't be--it won't have--Jennifer: So slowly. It won't be meaningful. It won't even be big enough, yeah.Zach: And I think when you look at American history and you look at the history of civil rights in this country, it's really--I don't know if we have, like, a tangible example of truly radical sustained change from a culture perspective in this country. I think when you look across--especially when you look at, like, this current presidency, it's actually forced a lot of people to really, like, look at the history of race relations in America, especially if you want to examine, like, the past 55, 60 years, and you look at--and if you look at, like, the economic positioning of blacks today versus blacks in 1967, you know, you don't see the needle moving much at all. In fact, in a lot of areas you see the needle moving down. So it's interesting, so I 100% agree with you that there needs to be some genuinely radical--I'm gonna use the word again, radical--change in thought in terms of just what it's gonna look like, because--and we talked about this in another interview too. We talked about the future of work and we talked about the future of learning and education. You know, as the economy shifts and changes and more and more folks are not going to school, because school is going to continue to get more expensive and--like, all of that, it's gonna create a completely new environment that I don't know if we're really taking the time to really examine and consider. Jennifer: I know. We're still having the conversation with managers to say, "Hey, don't hire from the school you went to. That's bias." Zach: Right. [laughs]Jennifer: You know, literally that's where we are. But you're talking about, like, the 3.0, which is literally that people are not gonna have these traditional college degrees or any degree. They'll go to trade school or whatever it is. Like, they're gonna have completely non-traditional backgrounds. They will have been, you know, previously incarcerated. They will be, you know, of different statuses, and we have to figure out--like, workplaces need all the talent they can get, and yet they're completely behind in terms of how they seek that talent, where they look. People, like, throw their hands up so too easily, you know? They just say, "Oh, we just couldn't find anyone." [laughs] You know, it's just, like, endless, the stories I hear. And I don't know. It's laziness. It's--I don't even know. I mean, it depends on the day, like, how cynical I am about it all, but I don't know. [laughs] I just am like, "Really?" Like, if you really wanted to find people, they're there, and I--believe me, 'cause I'm on Twitter, and, like, Black Twitter is on fire. Like, you know, the number of angel investment groups, the number of VCs, the number of start-ups, the number of black girls who code. Like, there's such a great community to recruit from, and I just--I wonder, like, what is it--what is it that people aren't doing or won't do? Like, what is the hold up?Zach: Oh, no, 100%. You know what, Jennifer? I'ma say this. Hold on. You know what? You're a real one. I appreciate you. That's a really good call-out, 'cause you're absolutely right. Like, Black Twitter is poppin,', and, like, there's so much--there are so many pools, right, of talent for you to engage in. There's Black Code Collective, like, in D.C. Like, there's all types of stuff. Like, there are people--and, like, to your point around, like, how people are learning today, there are people who went to culinary school and then, like, are now learning how to code, and, like, they're good at it, right? There are communities now that will welcome you in for free. You will--you can learn, and you can genuinely understand and learn how to code. And so there's plenty of opportunity to deepen your pipeline, so yeah, that's a really good point. There are things that people either aren't doing or are choosing not to do, but the talent is definitely out there. You know, you talked about cynicism. I think that really leads to my next question. Like, can we take a step back and just talk about, like, D&I, or I&D, as an industry, right? Jennifer: Oh. [laughs]Zach: [laughs]Jennifer: Speaking of cynicism, I think I know where you're going with this. I'm ready to go there with you too, so I think I know. [both laugh]Zach: So there's a growing sentiment, right, that the largest voices who are advocating for diversity and inclusion in highly-visible or corporate/corporatized spaces are themselves members of the majority and, by relation, have some inherent blind spots within the subject matter that they espouse expertise in. Do you find any merit to that concern? And, like, what have you done to challenge your own blind spots? You spoke to this a little bit earlier, but I'd love for you to expound on that and if you have any other advice you would give to others.Jennifer: Hm, that is such an interesting observation. It's funny, because I could make the counter-argument that I think we're in a time--like, you ask any white diversity leader right now, and their credibility is questioned on a daily basis to be in the role they're in. Like, that is the truth. In fact, they get, like, threats.Zach: Really?Jennifer: Yeah. I've seen some people get some serious heat just for having the audacity of even having the position or accepting the position.Zach: Oh, wow.Jennifer: Yeah. So there's many stories, right, on all sides of this issue, and like I said, I think--I don't know if I said it earlier, but when you're a marginalized community, it also doesn't mean that you're a great leader on inclusion necessarily. Zach: That's true, yeah.Jennifer: Because I've seen plenty of--you know, like, we were talking about white gay men at Stonewall who were--you know, can be, like, very misogynistic, very racist, very--and so, you know, that can carry forward into a diversity leader role, but that doesn't mean that all of them are totally, you know, not effective practitioners, and it also doesn't mean because you're a person of color that you're an effective practitioner, right?Zach: That's right.Jennifer: So to me--and you respect this--it's a skill set, you know? It is a skill set, but it is also your identity, right? And it's how you deal with your identity in the world, and it's how you integrate those two things that makes you an effective voice. But also you've got to be an incredibly savvy change agent to have these roles. I mean, they're very difficult roles. They're some of the most complex roles that exist, I think, in business, because it's part influencing, it's part executive, you know, believability, credibility. It's passion. It's change agility. It is storytelling, right, and being, like--but incredibly data-oriented and, you know, convincing, and knowing the business so that you can make the business case, right? So you need to know the business you're in in order to make the argument for D&I, and you've got to be able to do all of those things. And by the way, you're probably part of a marginalized community, and you're dealing with all of the biases personally, like, that you're getting, at the same time as you're leading an entire institution, like, through this morass, you know? Through these really difficult, tense, and, you know, complex times. So it's really, like, one of the toughest roles, and I have so much respect--I worry about our practicioner community, both on the consulting side but really our internal--my internal clients, 'cause they're just--they're holding up, you know, this planet, you know, these giant organizations. Anyway, but to answer your question [of] "Who's allowed and who has permission to do this work?" It's a very good question. I mean, I've even questioned--you know, 'cause somebody hasn't dug into who I am and has judged me just based on what I look like, and that's okay. I mean, I would say, you know, it hurts me, but whatever. Like, that doesn't matter. It's most important, I think, for us not to judge each other, I think for us to look at the skill set objectively, but I do think the optics of people in these roles are important. You have to be, like, a really amazing, humble leader. Like, you have to be--you have to be really deep in the work, I think, to take on that role as a majority identity. If you're a--say you're a white guy. I don't know a lot of white straight guys in these roles. I do know white gay guys, and they--every day their privilege is pointed out to them. Every day. Nobody lets them forget, you know, that they are--that they have an enormous responsibility in that role and that, like, they have a lot of work to do. And if you talk to any of them--and I know some of my clients are of that identity, and it's a tough lift for them. I know some straight white women, and again, they are pretty enlightened people, and they're very humble, and they're very, like--they've been studying this for a long time. Some of them have sort of really personal relationships. I know a lot of gay white women actually in these roles, and they--and sometimes I know gay women of color in these roles, and they're amazing. I mean, amazing amazing. Like, and the intersectionality they can bring to it is deep, and I find--not to say, you know, certain combinations of identities are, like, more important, but to be able to speak to so many different identities in your workforce in a direct way, you know, there's kind of--that's a wonderful shortcut, to be able to do that and on top of that be, like, somebody who's, like, been in HR for 20 years, you know, and is super savvy about playing the politics and all of the other things you need for the role, but I would like to think that we can all--we all have a role to play, and some companies are more embracing of--I will tell you some inside baseball. Sometimes I get asked to send, you know, a white man to a consulting engagement, and--that is true, you know, and talk to anyone in the work that I do, and they'll tell you that's [?]. And we will push back. We will say, you know, "We're not sure that's the right answer," and "Let's talk about it," and, you know, sometimes strangely it is the right answer for certain groups who have been really, really recalcitrant and resistant, and the messenger matters sometimes more than the message. Like, certain people can be heard in certain ways, and we know this is true. So we--that's why we have such tremendous diversity on our consulting team, because we just--we have to get creative sometimes and make sure that we build a pairing, for example, that's gonna be in front of a room that maybe the client is really, really struggling to be heard in front of this business unit or this team or this, you know, office in a certain region in the country, and we'll need to switch it out. You know, we'll need to put a different voice in front of people to see, you know, and sadly the messenger is something that needs to be considered. And I wouldn't let it rest, and I wouldn't not challenge it, but I do think we--we've got to use every change tool in our arsenal, particularly with those who are really resistant and really stuck and I think experiencing a lot of bias per the messenger that they're hearing the message from. And it's funny. You know, I have to be really careful. I can't be the angry--I have to be careful to not be the angry woman and the angry gay person, and I can't imagine what it would be like delivering that truthful message that I do and also being a person of color, right? I'm very aware that I have a lot more latitude for my quote-unquote passion to come through, right, and to be--and not to have it seen as being threatening, you know? Zach: Absolutely. And, you know, your point around, like, changing up the messenger and mixing it up, it's really interesting because in the work that I have done, I have a similar strategy--and it's interesting, because I do that without even being asked. Like, I'll just be like, "Look, I know that for this I just need to have a really approachable white face to deliver this message," and they're partners for me in that. And honestly, Jennifer, I do that even just at work. Like, if I have a big meeting--Jennifer: Of course. [laughs]Zach: [laughs] If I have a big meeting or, like, you know, there's just something going on and it's like, "Okay, I really want to share this thing, but I know that if I say it, then it's gonna get an eye roll or it's not gonna be heard, so let me go ahead and mobilize this white woman or this white guy."Jennifer: Your allies.Zach: Yes, and then I'll have them say it, or I will let them know that I'm about to say it. Jennifer: I wish that weren't true.Zach: Say that again?Jennifer: I just wish it weren't true, like, that you have to do that, and to me that's, like, the extra tax that we pay. You know, that's extra labor. You have to literally not only have the brilliant idea, but you have to, like, strategize about who is, like, sitting next to you or, you know, backing you up when you have a brilliant idea, or who's gonna echo your--you know, women deal with this, and we all know this is, like, a fact of life. But I appreciate what you're bringing up, that it's a universal experience for so many of us, and it's just--if we look at it on the bright side--let's, like, look at it as a glass half-full, which I always do. [laughs] You know, I think this all makes us really savvy, like, very emotionally intelligent, right? Because as limited as our audience might be in terms of seeing us, doesn't this make us--it sort of sharpens our saw. I mean, I think when you have to think about "How am I gonna get this group over the finish line?" Like, how am I going to get them to listen to me, to believe in what I say and to give me the credibility when I'm walking in the room and I know what they're thinking about me?" You know, "How am I gonna do that?" And to me it's, like, a--you know, it's a brain twister, but it makes you be very creative. And by the way, I hope in enlisting those allies that they know why they're being enlisted and that it really raises their awareness [of] the permutations that so many of us go through in the workplace to be heard. You know, that's--I hope that they're noticing that. Like, that's a really important learning, to be approached by someone--to say, "Hey, would you have my [back?] in this meeting? I'm gonna bring this up," and, you know, to me that is, like, such a sad commentary, and at the same time it's such a demonstration of how far we have to go for people to be heard and the space that we have to learn to hold for each other. Like, we've got to do that--you know what? We need to do that without being asked. That's where I really want to get, right? So that if I'm in this meeting and I hear you bring up this brilliant idea, you don't even need to ask me to have your back. Like, I am gonna instinctively know if you're talked over or if somebody steals your idea or somebody poo-poos it that I'm gonna intervene, and I'm gonna know what's going on, and that to me, that would be sort of nirvana in the workplace, that those pre-conversations, that pre-planning that you just described doesn't even need to happen because everyone knows it's an issue and everyone's on guard for it. Like, can you imagine? Like, if we were all like, "Oh, no, no." You know, "She is not gonna be talked over," or "His idea is not going to be dismissed," you know? "And I'm gonna quote it, and I'm gonna bring the attention back to him and, you know, his idea." It's like the women in the Obama cabinet. I love that story, where they literally decided, like, that this was not gonna happen anymore, and they all banded together and made the plan.Zach: Yes, I loved that.Jennifer: And then they went into--I know. And then they went into the meeting, and they all, like, echoed each other's ideas and mentioned each other by name and made eye contact with other women in the room. So they sort of redirected everybody's attention. I'm still--believe it or not, if I go into a meeting with my male colleague, they will talk to him. Like, it still happens to me. Oh, yeah. And I'm a CEO, and he works for me, you know? [both laugh] So yeah, it's still a thing. And he's really good, because he'll, like, redirect back to me. Zach: "Um, actually, Ms. Brown, what do you think?" [laughs]Jennifer: Yes. Well, he'll say, "Well, as Jennifer always says," right? "As somebody who is an acknowledged expert." I love that. [laughs] But yeah, we need to do that [?], and that would be nirvana. So I really talk about that a lot in my book. Like, the emotional labor of having to ask for help, I really, really wish more of us would know that help is needed. Like, we would know the data. We would know the research. You know, for God's sake, like, read the McKenzie report on women that they do every year. Zach: Oh, it's so good.Jennifer: Yeah, it's so good, and you'll realize that women of color have different headwinds than white women. Just that, you know? And if you go into meetings and you see this dynamic and you have any level of privilege, any level of positional power where you're listened to in a different way, you need to activate that so that you change those numbers and those outcomes. Like, you must do that. And it's such a small thing. This takes two seconds. Like, that's the thing when people are like, "Ugh, inclusion takes so much time, and I'm so busy, and I don't know how--it competes with the business priorities, and I have a long list, and, like, I'm already strapped for time." All of that--I don't think this takes a lot of time. It just takes a moment of attention to [bias?] your own others, a quick conversation to check in with somebody, a request for feedback, a "Hey, you know, I wanted to follow up with you after that meeting." Like, "I really thought your idea was great. I want to support you. How can do I do more of that?" That, like, takes two seconds to say, and like you said earlier, it's so welcome. Like, I think that's the--people are like, "I don't know how to start that conversation." [laughs] It's like, "Most of these conversations are, like, a gift to so many people who are never asked these questions to begin with," right? So please approach me. Ask me how can you support me more differently. What could you say in a meeting? What could you say after a meeting to someone when I'm not around? You know, I think that's the other piece, right? Like, give feedback to people that look like you. Like, I always say, you know, "Men listen to other men in a very different way." And so, you know, if you've got the privilege of being listened to. You know, the messenger, not just the message, and you can take the burden off of my shoulders to have a hard conversation with somebody, to say, "Hey, that joke made me uncomfortable." Like, that's a very risky move for me to do, 'cause I--you know, that is drawing attention to my difference. I have no idea how that person is going to react. And so I really--as a woman, I really appreciate men who proactively are like, "What can I do to--" Really it's kind of protect you in a way, and it's not protect in a sort of damsel-in-distress kind of way. It is literally--like, it could be protecting an idea. It could be making sure you don't fall victim to politics in the office. It could be that I represent you when you're not in the room and I talk about how brilliant you are, you know? It's that kind of thing, because otherwise we're sort of hanging out in the wind. And one of the things I always say is diverse talent is undermentored and very undersponsored, which means that we're not--we literally aren't looked after, like, informally. We are not--like, somebody's not like, "Well, let me have that career conversation with her to make sure that she's up for that role, so that she has P&L experience, so that she's then positioned so she can get that promotion," because there's all of these, like, unspoken and unwritten rules that we're not privy to when you're not in the power structure. So I often task people I speak to, like, "Look at the people you mentor. Look at the people you sponsor. Do they look like you?" You know, if they do, and you are a certain demographic, like, you must remedy that. Like, you've got to be mentoring across difference, sponsoring across difference, and--by the way, it should be reverse mentoring as well. It should be mutual so that you're learning--to your point earlier, like, how are you getting your learning about cultural differences? It's in the context of these really, really important one-on-one relationships. So wherever you can power share, wherever you can be influenced or learn somebody's experience, as a senior executive, your biggest risk is that you're isolated from all of this, and therefore you're not an effective leader. You're not positioning yourself for the future. You're harming your company, because you're setting this vision every day, but you--there's so much you don't know. So, you know, I think that's a good wake-up call for people usually. And if that doesn't work, [laughs] I don't know. I give up.Zach: [laughs] I don't know.Jennifer: I'm like, "I've given you now two books to read." You know, 63 podcast episodes. You know? Come on. [laughs]Zach: [laughs] "What more do you want more from me?"Jennifer: What more do you need? It's writing on the wall. Wake up, you know? Get with--get on the train, you know, and be willing to make mistakes as we were talking about earlier, and, you know, even know how to do a good apology, 'cause, you know, I think there is a real art to a real apology. I think you said earlier [that] there's nothing worse than somebody who, like, says all the right things but, like, in this really authentic kind of faux, polished way.Zach: Yes. You know what? We're gonna have to have you back just to talk about the topic of apologizing [?]. Like, for real.Jennifer: Yeah, right? I love that apology. I mean, I love that topic. Sorry.Zach: No, no, you're good.Jennifer: But a good apology can make up for everything, and it's almost like a required skill set, particularly for those in the majority, because things are gonna happen. Like, you're gonna mess it up. You are. And so being comfortable with uncomfortable, comfortable with hard feedback, and, to me, not slinking away into the corner but saying, "Thank you so much for that, and I'm gonna try it again, and I'm gonna do it differently." Like, wouldn't that resilience be really neat to hear and see in our leaders?Zach: It would. It would be great, and I think--you know, believe it or not I'm actually a little bit encouraged coming out of this conversation. This has been really good.Jennifer: [laughs] Really?Zach: Yeah, I am.Jennifer: Oh, that's good, 'cause we talked about some cynical stuff. [laughs]Zach: We did, we did, but it was real though.Jennifer: Yeah. Yeah, it is. It's such a mixed bag, but like you said earlier, like, we're living in really interesting times of awakening, and you're right--like, I think ever since the 2016 election I would say is when so many people and so many companies were like, "Oh, my goodness," you know? MLK Jr., "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." One of my favorite quotes, but guess what? We have to bend the arc. Like, the arc, it ain't gonna bend itself.Zach: Right? It don't just bend by itself. Right. [laughs]Jennifer: Like, that's the thing. So to me we've got to take that and bend it, and I think what we've realized is it's not this destiny, you know? Things aren't gonna happen without--and they aren't gonna happen because of good intentions. They're not gonna happen because we have maybe progressive values. They're not gonna happen because "Oh, I'm a male leader and I have daughters, so therefore, like, I am an expert on gender equality." No. Zach: Right. [laughs]Jennifer: No. Like, you have to do something, and you have to do something publicly, consistently, constantly. I used an example in a book of Marc Benioff, who is the CEO of Salesforce, who discovered he had a huge pay gap and literally wrote a check for $3 million, like, right away and was like, "I'm gonna gross up pay for people, because I'm not gonna let this stand another day, then we're gonna do the harder work," right? Which is rooting out, like, why did this happen in the first place. And then as he's done this--he does it every year now--they've discovered, by the way, pay gap--not just gender but ethnicity pay gaps. Not surprising.Zach: Right.Jennifer: And then they've acquired so many 10s of companies that also had pay gaps as Salesforce acquired them, and they had to do a new audit, you know, and to look at their pay gaps and, you know, gross it up. So, you know, literally there are people that are--that are just being relentless on this, because under their watch they're not gonna let this persist. And so I do see a lot of courage amongst leaders, and that leaves me really hopeful. I wish I saw it more, and I wish I saw it more publicly. I think there's a lot of really interesting conversations going on with privately with lawyers and, you know, the board and, you know, sometimes I'm privy to those, and I'm really, really heartened by the interest I see in the C-Suite. I have to say, people are getting it, and I think their question now is "How do we change it?" And that's a much harder question to answer when you're dealing with a giant organization that does business all over the world and has to contend with laws in various parts of the world, and, you know, it's hard to know where to start, and I think that's where people are at, that they want to start, and that's a relief to me. I mean, it makes my job easier because I'm not fighting the "Why is this important?" battle all of the time.

“We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity life would be very boring.” — Catherine Pulsifer Our current workplace is a dynamic environment and we, as leaders, need to be as dynamic in our effort to understand and change with it if we are to create teams where EVERYONE feels like they have a voice. On this episode, I'm talking with Jennifer Brown.  Quite simply, she's amazing!  She and I discuss how to make it all happen.  How to have difficult conversations, bring in the whole team and not be afraid to be inclusive.  She opened my eyes to some of my own biases and how I can be better as a leader too.  I know you'll love it! CHEERS! More on Jennifer... Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS  Website Personal website  Book Website The Will to Change Podcast (iTunes)  Facebook Instagram: @jenniferbrownspeaks Twitter: @jenniferbrown LinkedIn Amazon book link  

This week’s guest is Jennifer Brown. Jennifer is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies like Walmart, Microsoft, and Starbucks, and as a successful LGBT entrepreneur, she’s been featured in media including the New York Times, Bloomberg Business week, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and many more.   Where to follow Jennifer: Her website can be found https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/ (here). On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrownspeaks/ (@JenniferBrownSpeaks) Her latest book, “How To Be An Inclusive Leader”, can be found https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/inclusive-leader-book/ (here).   In this episode we cover the following topics with Jennifer: ([2:30] minute) Growing up in a frugal financial environment and learning to take the best skills from each parent. ([7:30] minute) Her story of coming out; finding that career sweet spot. ([16:00] minute) The myth of meritocracy and our collective troubles with comfort.  ([24:30] minute) How we show up to work. ([26:00] minute) Building community and diversity in the workplace. ([38:00] minute) Helping create a grassroots event for LBTQ leaders to come together and combine resources to learn and grow together.

Hello Well Women! This week on The Well Women Show, I interview Jennifer Brown, the founder, president, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting and the host of The Will to Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. Her new book is called How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. On the show today, we talk about: • How to be a diverse and inclusive leader at the workplace • What Jennifer's new book is bringing to the workplace. • and How to bring inclusion and diversity, both visible and invisible to communities You can buy Jennifer’s books https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Brown/e/B01MSOZWO6 (here.) You can find all the info and links mentioned today at http://www.wellwomanlife.com/175show (www.wellwomanlife.com/175show) You can also continue the conversation in the Well Woman Life community group at http://wellwomanlife.com/facebook (wellwomanlife.com/facebook) Whether you're just starting your journey or you've been on it for months or even years, the Well Woman Jumpstart is a great place to begin. Jumpstart your Well Woman Life at http://wellwomanlife.com/jumpstart (wellwomanlife.com/jumpstart) The Well Woman Show is thankful for the support from Natural Awakenings Magazine in New Mexico and High Desert Yoga in Albuquerque   https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwellwomanlife.com%2F175show%2F&linkname=175%20Inclusive%20Leadership%20with%20Jennifer%20Brown ()https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwellwomanlife.com%2F175show%2F&linkname=175%20Inclusive%20Leadership%20with%20Jennifer%20Brown ()https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwellwomanlife.com%2F175show%2F&title=175%20Inclusive%20Leadership%20with%20Jennifer%20Brown () The post https://wellwomanlife.com/175show/ (175 Inclusive Leadership with Jennifer Brown) appeared first on https://wellwomanlife.com (Well Woman Life). Support this podcast

Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, diversity and inclusion consultant, and author. As the successful founder, president, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, headquartered in New York City, Jennifer is responsible for designing workplace strategies that have been implemented by some of the biggest companies and nonprofits in the world. She has harnessed more than 14 years of experience as a world-renowned diversity and inclusion expert through consulting work, keynoting and thought leadership. Her latest book, How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive, is a simple, accessible and intuitive guide to becoming a more inclusive leader and provides a step-by-step guide for anyone ready to do their part at work. It guides readers through the Inclusive Leader Continuum – a four step journey that codifies developmental stages (unaware, aware, active, and advocate) for all leaders who want to take on the task of creating an inclusive space. visit: www.jenniferbrownconsulting.com and www.jenniferbrownspeaks.com to learn more. FREE BOOK PREVIEW HERE! PREORDER THE BELONGING FACTOR BOOK NOW! ATTEND THE PITTSBURGH BUSINESS DIVERSITY CONFERENCE | SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 | Get Tickets Here To comment or connect, visit www.belongingfactor.com or email ibelong@belongingfactor.com About the host: (www.devinhalliday.com, www.rudimentsolutions.com) Devin Halliday is a Northern California native, living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He's explored the people, places and cultures across this beautiful planet. He's been amazed. He's been humbled. He's been outraged. But mostly, he's been inspired. After nearly twenty years leading people and delivering award-winning results in a Fortune 15 technology company, he started a new and fulfilling chapter. As Founder and Chief Belonging Architect of Rudiment Solutions - A People Empowerment Company, he is able to bring a lifetime's worth of inspiration and influence to those looking to achieve more. As the author of the book "BE/LONG/ING FACTOR" and host of the Belonging Factor Podcast, Devin gets to share his personal mission with the world. Check out Serendipity Labs at www.serendipitylabs.com if you want to experience the most amazing office and co-working space I've ever seen! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/belongingfactor/message

Do you know how being aware (or unaware) of diversity in our population is affecting your life? Most of the time we go through life without truly being aware of the difficulties that people in diverse groups have in their personal and professional lives, OR we are a member of a diverse group and feel like we are marginalized, unaccounted for, or misunderstood. It is ALL OF OUR responsibilities to make this world more inclusive for all people, especially if we are in positions of privilege or power. In this episode we explore what the challenges are for people in diverse populations as well as what structural changes need to occur to allow everyone to feel welcome and cherished. Our interview with Jennifer Brown teaches us: 1) What it means to be in a diverse group of the population (and what it can feel like!), 2) How leaders must shift their thoughts and actions in order to create a more inclusive environment for diverse members of a workforce, and 3) What inner shifts we all can make in order to bring more empathy and understanding to the world. Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer's workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world's top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard. Her new book is called How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.

Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠.Jennifer’s work in talent management, human capital and intersectional theory redefined the boundaries of talent potential and company culture. Her best-selling book Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change creates the case for leaders to embrace the opportunity that diversity represents, for their own growth and for the success of their organizations.As a successful LGBT entrepreneur, Jennifer has been featured in media such as The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune, Inc., The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CBS, Fox News and many more. Make sure to get a copy of Jennifer's newest book How to Be an Inclusive Leader. Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are kicking off Season 2 with a bang! Our first 2 episodes feature incredible guests who are truly doing good business. In September, we’ll officially get into our Season 2 format of 2 episodes per month - both around a specific topic and both chock full of powerful takeaways and small steps you can take in your life and work. We are thrilled to start the season with Jennifer Brown, a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer’s workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits—including Walmart, Microsoft, Starbucks, Toyota Financial Services, T-Mobile, and many others— to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. Her new book, How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive (Berrett-Koehler), released in August 2019, has an important message for business leaders everywhere: it's time we turned the promise of inclusion into a reality.  Key takeaways & helpful links: How to know when you’ve got a problem with D&I? Why to put I before D, and how does belonging play into the conversation?  Who is doing it well & why re: D&I? D(g)B Episode 15 - Inclusion  Peter Drucker - Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast Reversing the Generation Equation  www.inclusiveleaderthebook.com - assessment to learn where you are in your inclusive leader journey

Dorcas Lind, Assistant Vice President and Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Montefiore Medical Center, joins the program to discuss her diversity story, and why she decided to join the DEI Practitioners Program offered through Jennifer Brown Consulting. She reveals the biggest takeaways that she has received from participating in the program, and shares advice for other DEI practitioners.

I was grateful to welcome Jennifer Brown onto the podcast today to discuss all things inclusion, diversity and the future of work. Jennifer has worked in the D&I space for many years and as well as being a trained musician, she was first a soft skills trainer where she believed that with good design, a facilitator can do anything. Jennifer can be contacted via the following means: Website - https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbrownconsulting/ Twitter - @jenniferbrown You can find Jennifer's book 'Inclusion' here -.> https://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/book/ Please find my Interpersonal Catalyst brochure here in case I can support you at all -> https://my.visme.co/projects/rxyz4jpo-garry-turner-interpersonal-catalyst --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/valuevulnerability/message

In this week’s episode, I speak with a top expert on diversity and inclusion, Jennifer Brown. She is the Founder, President, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting and author of the best selling book, Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change. Jennifer works with Fortune 500 companies all over the world to equip people with a clear diversity roadmap and to educate them about why inclusive behaviors are good leadership behaviors.   Key Takeaways:   [3:39] What the phrase ‘bring your whole self to work’ means to Jennifer. [6:58] Jennifer beat the odds to become a successful business owner. [17:20] Give straight, white men a chance to speak about diversity. [24:28] The myth of meritocracy. [34:31] How to find common ground with other human beings. [46:32] Living outside of our comfort zone.   Resources: Purchase Bring Your Whole Self to Work and gain access to bonus material. Mike Robbins Website Mike Robbins Podcast Mike Robbins on Facebook Mike Robbins on Twitter Mike Robbins on Instagram Jennifer Brown Consulting The Will to Change Podcast Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change, by Jennifer Brown Better Man Conference

In this episode, Jennifer Brown -- CEO and Founder, Jennifer Brown Consulting, and Author of Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change -- shares her perspective on finding our diversity stories (hint: everyone has one), asks some tough questions about how you show up at work, and shares insights into how you can inspire others at work.

Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, dynamic speaker and diversity and inclusion expert. She is the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. Jennifer is a passionate advocate for social equality who delves into the “business case for diversity” as she helps businesses foster healthier, more productive workplace cultures. After over a decade of experience consulting to Fortune 500 companies including Toyota, Starbucks, and Capital One, Jennifer wrote her book “Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & The Will to Change” to inspire leaders to embrace the opportunity that diversity represents, and empower advocates at all levels to find their voice and be a driving force in creating more enlightened organizations that resonate in a fast-changing world. In this episode, we talk about how she used the tragedy of having to give up her opera singing career after losing her voice to fuel her work, why the way so many people view their work is a huge waste of human potential, her advice for the entrepreneurial community when it comes to using our voices on behalf of others, and much, much more.

Today I’m speaking with Jennifer Brown. Jennifer is the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, she is one of the worlds leading experts on employee resource groups and has written several influential white papers that have been important to the development of knowledge and research regarding employee resource groups. Jennifer is also the author … How Employee Resource Groups Can Create Inclusive Change With Allies [Interview with Jennifer Brown] Read More » The post How Employee Resource Groups Can Create Inclusive Change With Allies [Interview with Jennifer Brown] appeared first on Element of Inclusion.

Jennifer Brown is the Founder, President, and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, which a strategic leadership consulting firm on diversity that coaches business leaders worldwide on the critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. She is really passionate, and she advocates for social equality to people in the LGBT community, people of color, women, and millennials.

How to Establish Your Personal Brand With Intention With Jennifer Brown Jenn T Grace:              You are listening to the Personal Branding for the LGBTQ Professional Podcast, episode 97.   Introduction:              Welcome to the Personal Branding for the LGBTQ Professional Podcast; the podcast dedicated to helping LGBTQ professionals and business owners grow their business and careers through the power of leveraging their LGBTQ identities in their personal brand. You'll learn how to market your products and services both broadly, and within the LGBTQ community. You'll hear from incredible guests who are leveraging the power of their identity for good, as well as those who haven't yet started, and everyone in between. And now your host. She teaches straight people how to market to gay people, and gay people how to market themselves. Your professional lesbian, Jenn - with two N's - T Grace.   Jenn T Grace:              Hello and welcome to episode number 97 of the podcast. I am your host, Jenn Grace, and today I have a really awesome interview with a very dear friend, colleague, mentor, just so many different things that we can kind of categorize her as. And it is with Jennifer Brown, and she is a third time guest on the show, so this will be the third time that we have heard from her, and every time that she's on the show we end up talking about a variety of different things, and I truly feel like the opportunities are absolutely endless with the different directions that any one of our conversations can go. So back in 2013 she was the first interview that I ever had on this podcast, it was episode number 4, which was indeed a very long time ago since we're in episode 97. And then I also had her on as one of the interviews for the Thirty Days, Thirty Voices project, and that was a thirty day series of LGBT leaders just doing really awesome things in the community. So in this third time that Jen is on the show, we really, really focused on the topic of growing a personal brand, growing a business, writing a book, publishing your thought leadership. We really just, just, just scratched the surface on so many possible directions that all of this can go. But I'm hoping for those who are listening to this, and you have found your way to this podcast because you really want to know more about personal branding. And while yes, the show is called Personal Branding for the LGBTQ Professional, these tips and advice really kind of resonate across the board whether you're part of the LGBTQ community or not. And Jennifer being in a diversity setting and having a business on diversity and inclusion, certainly talks about women, it talks about people of color, talks about LGBTQ people, and really all of the principles are very similar regardless of how you might identify. So I'm really pleased to share this interview with you, and we do talk about Jennifer's upcoming book and it's called, 'Inclusion, Diversity, the New Workplace, and the Will to Change.' And that is available on Amazon, it's available as of right now as you're listening to this, however I have been helping Jen with her book for about a year now, and we are finally at the place of having it be live, and my goal is to help her become an Amazon best seller, and I have no doubt that we are going to be able to do that. But I would love if after listening to this interview, and you're really kind of inspired by what she has to say because there is a lot of really meaty information that she talks about, if you do want to get a copy of her book I would love for you to put it on your calendar to purchase it on November 22nd. That is the day that we are trying to get everyone to buy so we can get her up in the rankings of Amazon best seller status. So I'm just really proud to have been a part of helping her with her book, and really helping kind of with this shift in personal brand, which we do talk a lot about. We talk about running a consulting business, and then also building a personal brand, and having both of those happen in tandem. There's definitely a lot of information in this. After you listen I highly encourage you to reach out to me as always. If you would like to get in touch with Jen, she provides all of her information at the end of the show, but if you would like an introduction feel free to email me, get me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, you know how to find me. It's at Jenn T. Grace at pretty much any of those locations. So without further ado, let's just hop into the interview with Jen, and yeah I hope you enjoy. So I would love for you to just kind of start and give the listeners who might not know who you are just kind of a little bit of a background about yourself, about your consulting company, and then maybe a little bit about your personal brand, and then we'll just kind of take it from there.   Jennifer Brown:         Perfect. Yeah, I am Jennifer Brown and I've had my own consultancy for about a decade called Jennifer Brown Consulting, and we service mainly large Fortune 500 companies in the diversity and inclusion space. So whatever those companies need, and wherever they are in their journey, we maintain a team that develops strategies, delivers and designs training on various hot topics in the diversity and inclusion space like unconscious bias and inclusive leadership skills. And as well I have a new book out, and I am speaking and keynoting a lot. The book is called 'Inclusion,' the subtitle is 'Diversity, the New Workplace, and the Will to Change.' So I'm happy to be here today.   Jenn T Grace:              Awesome. Alright thank you. So for the loyal listeners of this podcast, this is indeed the third time that Jen has been on the show, and every time that you're on we end up going down a different type of rabbit hole in conversation about what you're doing in the land of LGBT-related stuff, and personal branding, and all that jazz. I feel like today it naturally would make sense to start the conversation with the book which you already led in with which is awesome, and maybe just kind of sharing what prompted you to even write a book in the first place. Because I know that JBC, your consulting company, is known for its thought leadership around white papers, but this is a book that is authored by you, not necessarily the consulting side of the business. So what was the impetus behind writing a book, and what was that experience?   Jennifer Brown:         Yeah, thank you for asking that, it's such an interesting question. I think having a book was part of my strategic plan a decade ago when I sat down and created my company. It was a piece that we expected to be a part of our arsenal but it took me a long time to get around to it, and boy are they a lot of work so that totally makes sense. However I know that in order to build the platform for my own personal brand as a thought leader and as a CEO, it's an important extension of that brand, and I know that it will open doors as books often do to a higher level of visibility, and opportunity, and really reputation building. It seems to excite people in a way that I have read about but I haven't really seen firsthand, and now I'm seeing it. Now that we're even speaking about the book which is not even out yet until November, the level of excitement that people have about it, and the legitimacy that it brings to everything you've already created, it's more than a cherry on the top, it's like- it sort of brings it in conversation. And for me, I want to evolve into more executive level conversations, I want to evolve through and past the corporate only conversations that I've been in as a consultant trying to influence that world. I really want to have more of a societal conversation, a political conversation, I want to tackle different domains so I do think that this will be a great way for somebody to get acquainted with who I am and what I care about. If they pick this book up, they'll understand why did she build the company? What is she about? What does she care about? Why is she an expert and who is she as a person? And I think armed with that I will be able to enter new communities to be a change agent within those communities. You know when I think about the choir that I have worked with and focused on for a long time, it's the change agent within the corporate structure, and the person that's running diversity and inclusion, or the- it's the LGBT, or woman, or person of color individual who's trying to get ahead and is looking to be empowered. And I still love that community and that's my primary community, but at the same time I need to take the message of everything I've learned and bring it to people that know nothing about what I'm talking about, and really make this message acceptable to them, and I think that's the work that all of us really should be thinking about doing who identify as change agents, is really getting outside of the choir and trying to reach that mainstream world out there that really needs to hear what this is all about.   Jenn T Grace:              So I have two questions as it relates to what you just said. So first of all, the book title as you mentioned is 'Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace, and the Will to Change.' So if you were to summarize kind of what inclusion is for the person who might be listening to this who for the most part is likely going to be an LGBTQ entrepreneur, or maybe a business owner of some kind, what exactly are you talking about when you say 'inclusion' as it relates to the new workplace?   Jennifer Brown:         Well if we're talking to business owners, entrepreneurs, people who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur and also who identify as LGBTQ, the concept of it should resonate with us because- and I say 'us' because I am exactly that profile. Inclusion of us into the- really into the economy. You know something very basic as opportunities that we have or don't have based on maybe who we are historically, and also how competent we are and how we appear in the marketplace, how we bid on opportunities, how we are included. And I think diversity has so much to do with how we have been included or not included historically, and also how we have thought about our own story. Because we have been outsiders to so much because of our identities. So it is the same story as for women entrepreneurs, it's the same story as minority entrepreneurs. We are sort of outside of the insider circle that I think has started businesses and figured out how to grow those businesses and thrive. So we're coming at the opportunity very differently, and I think it's important to understand inclusion and exclusion dynamics for us as we build our companies, because it's very real for a lot of us and it's a self-talk, or a narrative, or what the stories that we tell ourselves. I mean that's an important part of the equation and what do we see as our own limitations because of our own identity, and because maybe we've been on the outside, and how do we overcome that, but also build resiliency, and skills, and take risk and actually see our diversity as part of what- of the magic that we bring to the companies that we build and the markets that we're capitalizing on, and the people that we are. So inclusion is important to understand for us because to not understand that and to deny that they're are elements of diversity and exclusion that are happening to us as LGBT business owners is not accurate. It's all around us, it's in the water. But far from feeling like- or being satisfied with, 'Well that's something that I need to minimize, or hide, or it's something that makes my life more difficult.' It might have made it more difficult in the past, but the cool thing these days is that it should be actually making you more talented, and more able to pivot, and be flexible, and capitalize, and have like deep emotional intelligence, and be resilient because we as LGBTQ people have had to figure out how to do all those things in order to survive in whatever environment we have been in, professionally and personally. So when we say, "I want to start a business or I want to grow my business," I think we ask deeper questions, we can come with an authenticity that truly draws people to us. I think we have a special tool kit, and then we have a special community certainly that is very loyal to us. So when customers and clients or however you define that, if they hail from the LGBTQ or ally community, they're going to resonate with us in a very different and a very deep way, and I've seen that really play out in my own business after going to LGBTQ conferences for years and feeling like I know many LGBTQ people in Corporate America, it's been a community that has truly believed my business up, and has been very loyal, and very invested in our success because the message that we're bringing is so important, not just to LGBTQ people but to all talent in organizations.   Jenn T Grace:              You have said so much, so one of the things that I feel like might be worth going down a little bit further is kind of this dynamic of the professional self and the personal self, and I feel like you really just kind of weaved in and out of those two areas. But somebody who- maybe they're just starting their journey on their personal brand, as it relates to the book and then maybe I guess how you're planning on repositioning yourself as this book comes out, was it difficult in some ways to find that balance of sharing your personal story as it relates to sharing this whole kind of professional side? Because the book does kind of weave in and out of, 'this is the landscape, this is the marketplace, here's the workplace that we're trying to change.' But it's important for so many reasons to be sharing your story, your personal story as it relates to all of this other stuff, and all of what you were just talking about. Was it difficult to kind of find that right balance of how much do you share versus how much do you hold back and vice versa?   Jennifer Brown:         Oh sure. Yeah it's difficult sometimes but I actually really enjoy the challenge of weaving in my story because it's so much a part of my credibility as a practitioner. It's so much not just what I know how to do, but it's who I am, and those two pieces- I think the reason we've had the success we have had is that our work is deeply personal at the same time as it is of professional value. So it's interesting to run a company whose mission and vision is so personal to me. It makes it very helpful versus I'm building- I don't know, I have to kind of work to bridge who I am and what I care about and my role as somebody who seeks change, and then this product that I'm building. But I think it always can be done regardless of what you call your product. For me it just happens to be I'm trying to create more inclusive workplaces where all kinds of people can thrive, and that was very much me as an employee before I had the company. So I remember those feelings, and I experienced that, and that energy fed the creation of the company, but it's still something that I am fighting. Every time I walk into a room with executives I feel under fire, I feel they're not going to listen to me, I feel that fear comes up, and I remember this is the fear that I am trying to change through having a company that is tackling that. And it feels very much like it's closing the loop for me as a person, and for so many others, it's improving the situation for so many others and that's always been our goal with the company. So I think there are some things about my personal life I don't go into in the book. So the journey of figuring out what parts of your personal story do you share, and when, and why, is I think what you're talking about. That really interesting gray area, and as we evolve and get more confident and more autonomous I'd say, and maybe even as you evolve your personal brand separately from the company that you've built if you have a company, or separately from the company that you work for; as you evolve those they start to separate. And you- what I hope for myself is I have more and more freedom to experiment, to not necessarily make my personal brand always support the company brand that I've built per say, but that it can speak more for the questions that I'm asking myself, and others. I mean I think almost the rawness and authenticity about what I don't know. Because I'm so busy in my company CEO role knowing what I know and making sure that I can bring people to a certain place and helping them with my knowledge and I need them to trust me implicitly. I have 150% confidence in me as somebody who is guiding a very large, typically large high stakes, high level people through this sort of process, and that's what we do on the consulting side. But as a personal brand it's like the metrics for success are so different. To me, what I'm learning about it is you do know a lot and your knowledge is so important, but who you are and being real about the things you are uncertain about, and the provocative questions you can ask, and the vulnerability that you need to show in order to resonate as a personal brand feels a little bit in opposition to the sort of expert stance that you have to have all the time in the circles that I run in right now. So I know Jenn, you and I have talked a lot about this dichotomy, it's really an interesting one. So I'm just looking forward to exploring that, and noticing the tension between those two. I'm not judging it, I don't feel badly about it, I am confident that I will figure out the right place for my personal brand to live vis a vis our corporate work, but I do think that there's some business there that I'm interested to kind of watch how that evolves. And deep in my personal work and really think about who I am to other individuals and not just who I am to the companies that we sell business to if that makes any sense.   Jenn T Grace:              Absolutely. And do you think that you had a benefit from the onset that you- your company being called Jennifer Brown Consulting, obviously your name is on the company, your name is on the door, but I feel like if I go back in time and think of when we first met which is probably seven, maybe eight years ago, it was a while ago, and just looking at you as a personal brand then. Even though it wasn't- well maybe it was and you can answer this, it didn't appear to be overtly intentional that you were trying to brand yourself as a person. You were- when we met you were under your CEO hat of Jennifer Brown Consulting, but I wonder for people who are listening to this and they have a company but maybe it's not so synonymous, it's not Jennifer Brown Consulting and Jennifer Brown. It's something a little bit different where they now are in a place where they have to bridge the gap to some degree to really start to pivot and position themselves as the brand rather than their company. Do you think that now as you're ten, twelve, fifteen years into this, that you have kind of a benefit because you really kind of positioned yourself as a thought leader so clearly and so early on that that now is just a matter of refining what that looks like today, versus maybe when it was when you started. Or do you feel like maybe your struggles of trying to separate the personal brand versus the business still to be very much the same struggle that pretty much anybody would be going through at this point in time?   Jennifer Brown:         Yeah, and there are so many ways to look at this, Jenn. You know that- boy I've been talking about do we rename the company for years. We realized that there are sort of implications either direction you go of having your name on the door, and maybe the difficulty then of pulling your name apart from the name of your company eventually if you know that that's what you're going to want to do, but at the same time every time I went to think about changing the name of my company and removing my name from it, something held me back from doing that. And I've always sought a lot of advice about it, and I think some quarters had said to me, 'You're the one that everybody knows,' and that's a blessing and a curse but it's actually been mostly a blessing for the company because I happen to be the kind of CEO that is out there speaking all the time, writing all the time, taking a position, I have a platform because I'm very extroverted. It's something that suits me from a personality standpoint to always have been pretty visible, and I was an asset to the company frankly, and still continue to be probably the biggest asset to the company. Other CEO's that are more I'd say operational or behind the scenes or tend to have a more analytical style- like say you're a technician, you're not the selling CEO, you're the person behind the scenes creating the magic, doing the product design and all that, and you rely then- or you will as you grow, you'll rely on that front facing head of sales, or that person who's managing your marketing, or who knows, maybe you're a CTO and you hire a CEO who's going to be that person that's in front of clients and customers, et cetera. Every company usually- unless your product is so magic and you don't need sales and marketing, most companies are going to need somebody that's facing the public. I happen to be the technician consultant that came through my education being the consultant who also enjoyed the sales and marketing side. And so it actually made sense I think the way we did it, I have to say it's been a conversation over the many years with my team, who depending on the year, and depending on the team, I have gotten feedback about when we walk into the room we're not Jennifer and that doesn't feel good, and that's been- we have talked about that and we have then kind of ended up though choosing to continue to have the full name in the name of the company. And some of those folks have rolled off because they never quite could embrace it, and that's that natural attrition, that's totally fine. It was not that it wasn't painful and difficult, but that's how you evolve to having the right team as well, and you have a team that supports you, and you have a team that actually celebrates the fact that your name is in the title and the name of the company because they're so proud. It's very important- we could talk about team development and selection all day long Jenn, and I know that's not the topic here, but it was a really important evolution for me to hear that, for me to think about what is my role vis a vis my brand and the company, do we want to keep my name there or do we want to totally change to another name that has nothing to do with me. Are we ready to kind of kick those training wheels off and have the company stand on its own with a completely other name? And you know, in ten years I haven't done that yet. I'm not ruling it out at all, and actually I think you just never know when the right moment is to actually really truly bifurcate and rename a company and remove your name from it. But that's a strategic choice, and really to me it depends on what happens with the personal brand, and whether we feel that there's a niche where we do that, and also whether we feel the company has built up its brand as an independent entity strongly enough that it can go on its own under another name and it's so good, and it's so recognized that it doesn't really matter, it's sort of a blip, it's a rebranding exercise, and it doesn't really hurt business. So you know I think that it is all kind of a question mark for me, and that's what's so exciting even ten years in to know that we're still evolving, we're still trying to figure it out. We have to see how that's going to go, but yeah that's my long answer to that question of what do you call your company, what's your role in your company, are you important to your company, are you the most important thing to your company? And you know, are you a front facing person? Is that a role you like to play? And will whatever you are building in your company help your personal brand when and if you're ready to set off on your own and take that name with you or share that name with a company for a while, and then kind of separate them a little more, how do you build that up? I mean I think to answer one part of your question, the reputation and the platform that I've built for myself is- I'm so grateful to have had the company to do that in. I've had that environment to establish myself. And I would say Jenn, that I think women, and people of color, and LGBTQ people- I don't want to speak for everyone, for me it took me a really long time to step to the front of my own company from a confidence perspective, and that's a long, long story and I don't talk about that a lot in the book, and we often joke, you and I, that that's book number two or maybe book number three. But it took me a long time and I felt that I somehow wasn't sharing or being generous with the company by calling it my name. I struggled with my position- being as bold as I really wanted to be, and as proud as I wanted to be, and as in the front as I wanted to be, and sort of building up the confidence to step out and say, 'I'm ready now to do a book,' for example and put my stake in the ground. 'I'm ready now to have a personal brand because I'm strong enough to do that.' It took a long time to do that, to kind of learn how to lead and be proud of being a leader.   Jenn T Grace:              I think that there's so much to be said about personal branding generally speaking. Personal brands have been around for- since the dawn of time, I'm sure of it. But I feel like it's becoming so much more important in the current days and years to follow because there's so much more about authenticity, and there's so much more about a company or an individual wanting to do a business with another individual. So I feel like there's all of that that's kind of like wrapped around this on top of it, so it's interesting because you have been in this for fifteen years or so, and you're coming at it from a completely different vantage point than somebody who is deciding right now today that they are going to form a business and kind of figure out what strategic direction do they go in? Do they use their name or do they come up with a different company name and build the company and their personal brand at the same time? Like there's just so many decisions that kind of have to be made, and a lot of people I think just fall into whatever that decision is without a lot of strategy behind it.   Jennifer Brown:         I think you need both. I mean I think you've got to think about both from the beginning, and you have to be really clear from the various roles and hats that you wear, vis a vis both. So like I said, I'm a selling CEO in my consulting business. I also happen to be a technician, but in the work that we do. Originally that was my training. So what my team tries to do now is- and I'm the one with the trusted relationships in our market. So everybody knows me and the trust is huge in the business that I'm in. It's not just your technical skills, it's do we trust her, do we trust her team? If we bring them in will they make us look good inside our company, our big corporation, et cetera. So all of that I think is that personal integrity piece that the company has earned and the team has earned but that I'm ultimately responsible for. So I have to- if I have my CEO hat on, I have to run a tight ship, I have to hire the best people, I've got to deliver on what we promise. I'm also out there creating thought leadership and reputation for the company. Then when you say, 'Okay what's your personal brand? Is it separate from that, is it the same from that?' I would almost say again it comes back to the role that you play best. For me it just made sense given that I'm so out externally focused, I'm so in the marketplace, I so want to be in the conversation on both fronts. But I'd say if you're not that kind of leader and those aren't your strengths or your passions, if you love to build, if you're sort of more of an engineer and you like- you're introverted and you like to sit alone and craft things all day long, your brand within your company is not going to be as visible as my brand is in my company. People aren't going to know you, maybe you don't want them to know you, maybe you want to lead with a concept or an idea, you want to lead with your team, you want to lead with your product. I think we've done a little bit of all of that, it's not like we don't lead with the product, but I'm sort of an indelible part of the product. And so it's interesting like the lines are so blurry for me, but I'll tell you as you get larger, if your personal brand in your company is very visible, as you scale your business it's harder and harder to maintain the intimacy that you have worked really hard to build, and that you really treasure and enjoy. And that's a hard part about getting larger as a company, is that you lose the high touch opportunities. We've got 8,000 now in our database and I've collected them over ten years as you know, Jenn, and I can kind of tell you the story about every single one of those people. You know, I know where I met them, and they heard me speak, and there's a million stories that they have about me, and I try to stay ahead of it but it's really difficult. So I think too just the difficulty of scaling a personal brand, at least in the consulting environment, is an interesting challenge. On the personal side though, if we build a personal brand that's really much more about the individual, whether that means I'm doing through coaching, or we're doing sort of a different business where I'm reaching in and working with people, not just companies, maybe we generate that intimacy again but in a different way, and they know Jennifer and they can spend time with me. But as my consulting company gets larger and larger it's more and more difficult for me to intersect and interact directly with clients and the people that I originally was influencing when I started the company ten years ago, and I was teaching every class, and I was meeting every person. So as someone who really cares about relationships and values that intimacy- and I get a lot from that intimacy. I don't just want to be a CEO that's somewhere disembodied. To me it has to still be organic, and I need to still be in the conversations because that actually helps me be a thought leader. If I can speak on a firsthand basis, not just reading reports from my teams that are doing the work, but if I can actually feel intuitively the conversation that's going on amongst my constituency, it enables me then to say, 'Okay we're on the right track, we're talking about the right things, we're providing the right services that are most urgent for people.' And for me to walk into an executive room or interview a CEO, I have a lot of credibility and depth that I pull on to make sure that I'm very connected to the conversation. So that's kind of the danger of growing a bigger company is that you lose touch with that, and I think that's so much a part of my brand, is the ability to really keep it real.   Jenn T Grace:              How do you find that balance though? Like what do you think- so for somebody listening to this who might be overwhelmed just at what you've been talking about, how do you find some kind of balance where you can continue to grow your company, but you can also still be involved in those conversations that will keep you on the forefront of whatever the industry is that somebody might be in?   Jennifer Brown:         Yeah, that's a challenge. I hear a lot of people, what they do to kind of satisfy that, is they do a lot of pro bono work for example. They kind of bifurcate it, they've got their business to run but then they do community conversations, they teach for example- not that teaching is pro bono but they're working with young people in some way, and that kind of scratches an itch for them in terms of continuing to keep their feet on the ground and really make a difference. For us at JBC, we make a difference constantly. Like every single thing we do is making this like transformational difference for people because we're giving them confidence and skills and helping them find their voice. So everything we do has impact. So I think for those on the phone who may not be running this kind of company, I'd say just to pay attention to how will you be satisfied and feel that you're doing your sort of heart work, because business can be exhausting and I think we can lose track of why we even started in the first place, we can get disconnected from what's most important to us or not make time or have time to do that. But I'd say pick and choose if you have a team, and even if you don't and you're a solopreneur, make sure that you're doing the kind of work at least for a portion of every day that really fulfills you, and really replenishes you. Because when you're running a business that has to make money, I would guess most of us in the audience and myself included, there are many tasks that we do during the day that deplete us whether we're managing conflict, or I don't know, trying to make hard hiring decisions, or dealing with difficult customers and clients, or managing cash flow, or things that- as I think through the things that deplete me versus the things that replenish me like investing in my community. Like for me- and that's evolving. What are the things that I really enjoy now versus a year ago? Versus four or five years ago? It's actually really evolved and there's not one thing I think that replenishes me from a work standpoint, there's a couple different things that I enjoy that I wish I had more time to do. Some of them make money for our company, and some of them are things that I would prefer to do just because I want to do them. So I think our own nurturing and pacing ourselves and sustaining our energy as founders and leaders, it just is so critical to seek those things that give us energy as opposed to taking it away, because business leadership and existing in a commercial world is a very difficult balance between kind of what needs to get done and what we really want to be doing every day. And I would say to sort of pay attention to that, journal about it, notice how you spend each day, each hour of each day, notice your energy. Are you tired? Do you have a headache after a certain conversation? I mean my body tells me a lot about what kind of zone I'm in at any given moment. I know what's hard, and I know what's easy, and like I feel like I could do it every day all day, and all of our goals should be to kind of shift our lives more towards the latter if we can.   Jenn T Grace:              Do you find, or have you had conversations that people- you know I have a client of mine that calls them gremlins, where you have those gremlins that are kind of in the back of your mind, or in the pit of your stomach that are saying, 'Who are you to say that you can work in your happy place all day? Who are you to say that you don't have to work with difficult clients?' Because I hear what you're saying and I think it's brilliant because I so feel the same way. You have to find what makes you happy, you really have to pay attention to what your body is telling you, because nine out of ten times the signs are there if you're just quiet and still enough to listen to them. But I also know that there are so many people who get stuck in their head and they start to doubt themselves and say, 'Well how come I can make this decision that I'm only going to work with this type of client that makes me happy?' Because people are somehow engrained in them that they have to be miserable in their careers or in their businesses. I feel like that's a large conversation that I kind of hear from kind of the periphery, because I'm all about working with people who are awesome, who are doing good for the world, and I don't want to work with people who give me a headache after being on the phone with them. How do you kind of I guess balance that as well, and have you personally had those experiences where you've even doubted your own intention or your desire? Maybe not current day, but perhaps it was in the past.   Jennifer Brown:         Oh yeah, so many times. I think as I said earlier to build your confidence as a leader and to trust your instincts, for me took a long, long time. I tend to listen to others too much, and I'm not tuned into what my sense is about things. Coming to that confidence was a really, really hard one and taken me much longer than it should have, and what I chalk that up to frankly is honestly being a woman business owner and being LGBTQ to a certain extent, and the lack of role models that I have been able to see that resonate with me that are available to me so that I could have gotten there quicker. And it's one of those things that is a shame, and it's not right, it was a missed opportunity for me, and I was delayed because of it. I was delayed in my development as a leader. It took me much longer to get my company to where it is now than it should have. But it's because of the messages I was getting or not getting, the mentors that popped up in my life, whether they happened to be all men, or whether they happened to be- which they were, or whether they happened to be people that didn't have my best interest at heart but I trusted them and I shouldn't have. You know there's so many mistakes that were what I call unforced errors like in sports, that I made that nobody caught me doing it and redirected me, because I just didn't have that guidance. And then to tune into yourself, and to learn to listen, to quiet it and say, 'Am I happy? Am I working on what I want to be doing? Am I noticing stress level? Am I fulfilled and how can I reorient my life, my activities, my company accordingly?' That takes the ability to listen to ourselves, and the confidence that the commercial market is going to appear if we do that. I think we have so much fear. 'Well I have to keep going, and I have to keep delivering this, and I committed to doing this, and this is my brand,' and we end up- the tail ends up kind of wagging the dog. So this dynamic is to shift the power dynamic and to take that power, and to know that when we do that and we put this powerful vision out into the world for whatever we're building, or bringing, or whatever service we're providing, the right clients will find us. And it feels very risky, it has always felt risky to me to do that, and I think you can't be foolish about it and completely ignore your market and what your market is telling you. So it's kind of an inside out, outside in dynamic. You've got to pay attention to both sides, but I think for me, I've been very reactive and I think I'm finally stepping into a proactive stance in the market, and the book is a big part of that proactive stake in the ground. It says here's everything I've learned in those trenches, and I'm going to not only share it, but I'm having an opinion about it. It's here whether you agree with it, disagree with it. I mean you know, Jenn, I've said to you I get hate mail and people who are challenging me, I've now put my sort of personal and professional vision out there, and I don't know what the reaction is going to be to it. And that is a huge overcoming of fear. To me that was all about I am finally strong enough and I have a wonderful team and community that's supporting me, and I can put myself out there, and what's the worst that can happen? And that ability to do that has taken a very long time to be ready to do that for me. It's an interesting feeling but I'm grateful that I'm finally there, even if it was delayed, even if there were a lot of detours, even if I had to learn the hard way about how to trust myself. And I'll say that- I did this class on feminine- it was called a Lean Startup Canvas, and it was seen through the feminine lens, and the permission- permission is really the key word to lead in the way you want to lead, and I think that versus the way that maybe we see a lot of businesses being led, and grown, and what we celebrate in terms of good business behavior, I think is still a very male paradigm that we are watching, that we are emulating. And it's enormously powerful to say, 'I'm a woman leader, I'm an LGBTQ leader. What's important to me, what does authenticity look like?' Trusting that and leading with that is the transition that I've been kind of coming to, and that's just going to get stronger and stronger I think. As people's reaction to what I've put out hopefully is a largely very positive one. It's an encouragement that's going to come back that's going to say, 'We need more leaders like you out there who are leading in a different way, who are building companies in a different way, who are having a different conversation, who are bringing their personal brand together with their expertise, and valuing that story, and integrating those pieces. We need a lot more business owners like that.' I think that would really change fundamentals of our society frankly.   Jenn T Grace:              If you could- because I know we're already coming up on our time, if you could distill one piece of advice, just- I'm sure you have- the conversations that you and I have just on an ongoing basis about entrepreneurship, and how to make the world a better place, I feel like we could just record those and I could air them and have plenty of material. But if we were to just kind of bring that down to one thing that you could give as a piece of advice to someone listening to this that is kind of where you were ten years ago, or fifteen years ago, what might that one kind of step be, or one thing that they could do or start to think about that could really maybe shortcut or bypass some of the hurdles and heartache and headache that you may have experienced?   Jennifer Brown:         Yeah I think we've kind of already touched on it. I think it is building a new habit to celebrate your LGBTQ identity, your diversity story, and really do some work- deep and I would say even spiritual work, however you define that, on the role of that story in creating the kind of leader that you are, or that you want to be. And I mentioned some key words earlier like courage, like resiliency, like flexibility, like emotional intelligence and sensitivity to others, like inclusion. I believe- I believe that LGBTQ people, but also entrepreneurs specifically, have this very unique opportunity to change the world. Whatever we're building, to me that's kind of secondary. We are role modeling every day with everything that we do so that others don't have to suffer in the way that we did. And I know that the suffering is on a personal level and a professional level, and the suffering on a professional is, 'Gee I don't feel that I fit in, I don't feel comfortable playing the game. What is the game? What are the rules of the game? What are people going to think of me? Are they going to accept me?' All of that narrative is swirling around as we're trying to do business, as we're trying to impress people so that they will give us their money frankly, because that's what it is at the end of the day. But we get in our own way as much as maybe our external world is preventing us. And I would say these days what I find mostly for LGBTQ people and entrepreneurs is there's some of us that are awakened to the huge opportunity in front of us to grab our power, to really own that story, be authentic, role model for others, be a force of change, and bring your business along that journey and it will thrive as you're doing that, because remembering it's as much who you are and the relationships that you're establishing, and sort of the shared trust that you're building, as much as it is what you are selling or marketing. And I would say do some work on integrating those pieces. Think about your personal brand, think about your company if you have one, or your product, and think about do they intersect? Are you keeping them separate? Is there sort of a one plus one equals three part of this equation that you are not exploring to the extent that you should, and that there's some magic there that you haven't yet even tapped into? And that would probably be- that would probably be my biggest advice for this community because it's really proven true for me. I know that it can work, and that it's been even unexpectedly wonderful and transformative for me both on the personal brand side and the company side, and it's very cool to see. But I think there's something there that could really apply for everyone in your audience, Jenn.   Jenn T Grace:              I love it, and I think that your book is a natural tool for a lot of people listening. While no, many people in this audience aren't going to be DNI practitioners, but I feel like a lot of what you were talking about is in the book in terms of just bringing your authentic self to the workplace, or defining your diversity story which I know is a chapter in the book too. So for those who are listening- so the book is available in November, and this is coming out on November 10th, so we are hoping to get Jen on the Amazon best seller list, so if you are interested in purchasing the book, you can do so on November 22nd which is when we're driving everyone to go there. But in the meantime, how would you advise people to get in touch with you? What is the best way for them?   Jennifer Brown:         For sure. So we've got our website that's our corporate website. I think we have- we're building and almost releasing Jenn, I think the personal brand website as well.   Jenn T Grace:              It should be live.   Jennifer Brown:         Yeah, www.JenniferBrownSpeaks.com, and that will have a lot more about the evolution of my personal brand, and my speaking, specifically highlighting a little bit more about me as a person. So there's multiple ways you can kind of keep in touch with us. We have newsletters, we've got our Twitter feed which is @JenniferBrown. We've got our LinkedIn presence, and our Facebook presence, and if you've got- from this audience Jenn, I would say I'm here to support you, and what you all could do for me is if you ever encounter corporate clients, any sort of companies that are building- even fast growth smaller companies are really investing in diversity and inclusion these days. We've got new clients that are 200, 300, 500 people for example, and they're trying to really build diversity into the core and the foundation of the company even though they're not very large. That's really an exciting conversation, and I enjoy even just mentoring and brainstorming with those kinds of founders and CEOs who are- a lot of them are straight, white men frankly, and straight women as well, saying, "I want to embed this in what I'm building, and I want to do it right, and diversity is important to me, and is important to our ability to grow and thrive." So that's a very exciting conversation, so I'd say if anyone on the call, on the podcast has interest in that, or has someone who needs help with that, please do reach out and we'd love to be helpful even just in an advisory capacity.   Jenn T Grace:              And that's where you get your energy from, is that kind of helping that grassroots organization that we were talking about before, where the happy place is and the energy.   Jennifer Brown:         Yes, I enjoy that because I can relate on a business owner level, and that's a big part of my identity in addition to LGBTQ, and woman, and all the other parts of my dimensions because owning a business is an experience like no other. It's really unique, it's really hard, it's really rewarding, it shapes you, it takes over your life and heart, but we are really the creators that are putting pretty important stuff out into the world.   Jenn T Grace:              Well thank you so much. I feel like we could have gone in so many different directions talking today, and in just 48 minutes or so we've just scratched the surface of so much information. So I really hope the people do go out and get your book when it becomes available, and at least follow you on one of those platforms because you do have a lot of good information to share with the world.   Jennifer Brown:         I do, I do. Yeah please do, and we like to give away a lot so please go read our thought leadership, our white papers, our articles. I'm a big fan of generosity in business, and I really believe in it. So maybe that's something that as folks are looking at how we've built our brand and our platforms, that level of we want to be able to be helpful first and foremost, not really sell first and foremost. We're trying to invest in the community, so I hope that's apparent.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah, maybe we'll have you on in 2017 and we can discuss that whole concept, because I think there's so much to be said about that, and it will be post book launch and it will be interesting to hear kind of what happened to that too. So we'll have to make a date for that.   Jennifer Brown:         Totally, thanks Jenn.   Jenn T Grace:              Cool, alright thank you. I so appreciate it.   Jennifer Brown:         Thank you, everyone. Thanks, Jenn.   Jenn T Grace:              Thank you for listening to today's podcast. If there are any links from today's show that you are interested in finding, save yourself a step and head on over to www.JennTGrace.com/thepodcast. And there you will find a backlog of all of the past podcast episodes including transcripts, links to articles, reviews, books, you name it. It is all there on the website for your convenience. Additionally if you would like to get in touch with me for any reason, you can head on over to the website and click the contact form, send me a message, you can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter all at JennTGrace. And as always I really appreciate you as a listener, and I highly encourage you to reach out to me whenever you can. Have a great one, and I will talk to you in the next episode.  

This episode features an interview with author and speaker Jennifer Brown, as she discusses the importance of inclusion and diversity in the workplace, why it matters and how leaders can create an environment where people can bring their best and full self to work. Discover what you can do to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace. For more information, visit jenniferbrownspeaks.com.

To give their fullest contribution, employees must feel they can bring their full selves to work; however research shows many do not feel comfortable doing so. Jennifer Brown is committed to creating more inclusive workplaces where all kinds of talent can flourish. In her new book “Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change” Brown explores how we can build more inclusive workplace environments where all kinds of talent feel “Welcomed, Valued, Respected, and Heard.” In this interview, you will learn: The difference between diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and why it matters What “covering” is, and how it can be hurting a company’s bottom line How diversity in the workplace has improved over the past few years, and how much farther it needs to go How business leaders can make sure their employees feel “welcomed, respected, valued and heard” Jennifer Brown is the Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a certified woman- and LGBT-owned strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm specializing in the future of the workforce and workplace, and dedicated to building more inclusive organizations where all kinds of talent can feel “Welcomed, Valued, Respected, and Heard SM“. Based in New York City and maintaining a global team, the company partners with HR, Talent Management, D&I and Business leadership on change management efforts relating to human capital, including the design, development and facilitation of customized, interactive classroom and online learning events. JBC is known as the creator of the “JBC ERG Progression Model SM“, a proprietary development tool that facilitates the transformation of ERGs into true business partners. Employer-of choice clients include Cisco, Toyota Financial Services, Wells Fargo, Thomson Reuters, AXA, Disney, New York Life, Target, and many of the Fortune 500. Jennifer is quoted frequently on next generation diversity and inclusion practices, has delivered three TEDx talks, and is a dedicated and visible change advocate in the LGBT and Allies community. Jennifer’s first book Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change will be released September 2016. Contact Jennifer at JenniferBownConsulting.com  

Sam welcomes Jennifer Brown. Jennifer is the Founder & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a certified woman and LGBT owned strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm specializing in the future of the workforce and workplace, and dedicated to building more inclusive organizations where all kinds of talent can feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected, and Heard (TM). Based in New York City and maintaining a global team, the company, founded in 2006, partners with HR, Talent Management, D&I and Business leadership on change management efforts relating to human capital, including the design, development and facilitation of customized, interactive classroom and online learning events, and is known as the creator of the ERG Progression Model (TM), a proprietary development tool that facilitates the transformation of ERGs into true business partners. Employer of choice clients includes Cisco, Toyota Financial Services, Wells Fargo, Thomson Reuters, AXA, Disney, New York Life, Target, and many of the Fortune 500. Sam and Jennifer will discuss the importance of inclusion in all businesses large and small, and the role of cultural sensitivity in an increasingly inter-connected world. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-conscious-consultant-hour8505/donations

Storytelling with Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting New York City, New York Links mentioned in the show: The Manhattan Jazz Transfer National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Out & Equal Workplace Summit Book – Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead For more information on Supplier Diversity: #008: Expert Interview with Heather Cox of Certify My Company [Podcast] #011: Diversity & Inclusion and Business Opportunities, Oh My! [Podcast] Are there small business resources for LGBT business owners? Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below! Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below! Audio Title: Storytelling with Jennifer Brown  Jenn T Grace: Welcome to 30 Days, 30 Voices: Stories from America's LGBT business leaders. Intro: You are listening to a special edition of the Gay Business and Marketing Made Easy Podcast. Tune in for the next thirty days as we interview one business leader per day each day in June to celebrate LGBT Pride Month. That's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month. You'll learn insights around business and marketing from those who know it best. And now, your host. She's an entrepreneur, a marketing maven, and an advocate for the LGBT business community - Jenn, with two N's, T. Grace. Jenn T. Grace: Hello and welcome. Thank you for tuning in to this special Pride Month episode of the Gay Business and Marketing Made Easy Podcast. Information about today's guest and links mentioned in the show will be available on the website at www.JennTGrace.com/30days-30voices. If you like what you hear in this interview, please be sure to tell a friend. And now, without further ado, let's dive into the interview. I am pleased to be talking with Jennifer Brown today. She is our first guest starting off the 30 Days, 30 Voices: Stories from America's LGBT Business Leaders Podcast Project. You may remember Jen from an interview she did with us back in February, and because she had so much great wisdom to share then, I had to have her back here to kick off this special Pride Month series. So for those of you who do not know, Jen is the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting which is New York City based consulting firm that is both a woman-owned business and an LGBT-certified business. She is a social entrepreneur committed to making an impact that creates healthier workplace cultures for all of the clients that she serves. Jen it is fabulous to have you back on the show, how are you? Jennifer Brown (Consulting): I'm great Jenn, thanks for having me. Jenn T. Grace: It's fabulous to have you back and as I mentioned already, I gave the listeners a really little bit of an overview of who you are but why don't you just tell us a little bit more about yourself and what your path looked like that led you to where you are today. Jennifer Brown: Great, absolutely. I'd love to share. It's been a wonderful journey and I'm really excited about what we've accomplished and really where we're going. So I have had my company for about six years now, Jennifer Brown Consulting, or as we refer to it as JBC. And my background was a combination of non-profit management, I've always been pretty much of an activist if you can say, or an advocate for social change. And so I got my start in work like that and then at the same time I've always been an artist and performing artist and a vocalist. So I had two Masters degrees, one of which is in opera. And so in my twenties it was a combination of doing non-profit work, programming work for organizations that I believed in, and also singing and following the path of an artist. And that's actually led me to New York which is where I ...

Listen to this great (and entertaining) interview with Heather Cox as we discuss - • Supplier Diversity • LGBT Business Certification • Certification as a marketing tool • Buying from each other I had a chance to sit down with Heather Cox of Certify My Company recently and ask her a series of questions around supplier diversity and certification. We talk about LGBT certification, women-owned certification, disability-owned certification, veteran-owned and minority-owned, etc. She teaches us about NAICS codes, the Small Business Association and her past experience as an acro-gymanst! Hit the play button above or head over to iTunes to listen to her answers. This week I am talking with Heather Cox, the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Certify My Company, which is a diversity certification business. She helps women, minority business owners and LGBT businesses that qualify; certify their businesses to become part of the ranks and privileges that certification brings. Welcome to the show Heather are you ready to get started? Before we get into the heavy topic of supplier diversity and certification I have to ask you - how did you get from being a acro-gymnast, tight rope walker and juggler to working in the diversity space? Now that we have a bit about your background lets get down to basics. On this show and on my blog I bring up supplier diversity and certification quite a bit. My goal is to demystify this for my audience. Could you share what exactly supplier diversity is and how it can benefit the business owners listening to this? So now that we have a foundation of what supplier diversity is, could you elaborate more on what certification is and what the process looks like with a specific emphasis on LGBT? So let's talk about misconceptions. I imagine you probably get statements like "I don't want to get business just because I am a woman or just because I am LGBT?" Can you address that for those listening? And talk about any other common misconceptions that Oftentimes when I speak with business owners the thought of going through so many hoops to be certified seems daunting, could you share a bit about how CMC can make that process less painful? It's evident that you love what you do and are very knowledge in this space. If you could give one piece of advice to businesses owners who are considering becoming certified what would it be? Back in February I had Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting on this show and she spoke about how she uses her dual certification both as a woman and LGBT to her advantage in her marketing. Could you share one piece of advice or nugget of wisdom with the listeners on how they could leverage their status in their marketing efforts? On a similar note, as an entrepreneur yourself. What is one piece of business advice that you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs listening? And our final question of the day - and this question always yields interesting responses. What is one thing about your business that you are really excited about, right now? Links discussed in the show: WBENC - Women's Business Enterprise National Council NMSDC - National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) USBLN - USBLN Business Leadership Network NGLCC - National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce WOSB - Women-Owned Small Businesses SBA - The US Small Business Administration NAISCS and SIC codes UNSPSC Codes SAM.gov Jennifer Brown Interview Next webinar Here are the many ways you can get in touch with Heather: Certify My Company  Twitter  Facebook Heather on LinkedIn info@certifymycompany.org Check out the sponsors of this podcast, the Human Performance Academy, at Mentalcompass.com Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below!

On today's show we are speaking to Jennifer Brown; President of Jennifer Brown Consulting. Jennifer started her career working as a freelance trainer and independent consultant - teaching all over the world. It was from this work, that she transitioned to align with Fortune 500 companies and address the great disconnect she saw within the people she trained. Through leadership, management, diversity and communication training with a creative and innovative focus, Jennifer and her team have played a pivotal role in enabling employees at all different levels to give their most powerful gifts to the organizations they work for. Jennifer believes strongly in the power of intention; creating more inclusive, innovative workplaces and the impact it can have on transforming human potential. Tune in to hear more about this and the fresh perspectives she has for aspiring young entrepreneurs!

I had a chance to sit down with Jennifer Brown recently and ask her a series of thought provoking questions. She gave us honest and thought provoking answers in return. We catch a glimpse into her world as an entrepreneur in the diversity and inclusion space. Below are the questions I asked her; You began your career as an opera singer and eventually realized that you were meant to be using your voice in a different way. Can you share a bit about your professional journey and how you came to founding JBC in 2004? What inspires and drives you to continue moving forward? Let’s talk about supplier diversity and supplier certification. Those two terms are still a mystery to many people. As an out lesbian, how have you been able to leverage your status as an LGBT business owner and as a women business owner? What is the most rewarding part of working with corporate clients? As a successful business owner, I’m sure you have picked up a lot of valuable insights and tricks of the trade along the way. If you had to narrow it down, what one piece of advice would you give to business owners and entrepreneurs? You mentioned that you are a marketer at heart. Can you share one piece of marketing-specific advice? You are clearly very passionate about the work you are doing. Is there something specific that you are particularly excited about at this moment?