Podcast appearances and mentions of Jonathan Nelson

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by 3 Man Front on Monday to preview the Barons' homestand against Rocket City, including Wednesday's Rickwood Classic & a special event with MLB Hall of Famer Jim Kaat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third hour of Reaction Monday on 3 Man Front featured a rundown of all the controversies from college baseball Regionals this weekend, Jonathan Nelson previewing the Rickwood Classic between the Barons & Trash Pandas and your calls on the CFB Playoff! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front on Tuesday to discuss some special events for the Barons' homestand against the Chattanooga Lookouts, including mustache night! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 2 of Taco Tuesday's 3 Man Front included Doug Bell's preview of the PGA Championship, the Braves collecting another walk-off win & Jonathan Nelson discussing this week's Barons' homestand!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by 3 Man Front on Taco Tuesday to preview the Barons' homestand against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 2 of Tuesday's 3 Man Front was dominated by our discussion & your reaction to the rumor that Alabama's roster would have been decimated if Jalen Milroe returned to Tuscaloosa. Plus, Jonathan Nelson talking Barons!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thaddeus Juan Cradle Sr. AKA Slideovathetop AKA Godonmyslide AKA Fireslide!!!!!Born and raised in the great state of Virginia city of Newport News.Had his first band at the age of 10, and that started the musical ball to rolling Where his musical journey took him from state to state performing from the East to west coast, after playing first chair in middle and high school the musical Ball sped up to organizing a group of young men called The Brother"s in Christ Gospel Jazz Horns from there the music ministry touched all the street corners Metro stations in the DMV by organizing another group of music ministers called Spread Love Band the journey took us from the street corners to The White House In addition to the Kennedy Center, In the midst of all this going on a door opens to Write a music score for the hit play Life is too short for all this drama Written by Lisa Banks.The Journey continues as the stage is shared with Pastor John P. Kee, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Vickie Winans, Jonathan Nelson, Tim Bowman Jr., Herbie Hancock Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Wale, Dr. Bobby Jones, Jeff Bradshaw, Kenneth Carr, Maurette Brown Clark, Greg Boyer, Willie Moore Jr, Yolanda Adams, Terence Thompson Michael Hudson, Jean Caze, Bobby Raymond, Anthony Silver, Marcus Parker, just To name a few.It was an honor to perform for former President Barack and former first lady Michelle The mayor Muriel Bowser.CEO of Cradlesmusicden, I am now a resident in PG County with my amazing wife Edwena R. Jones-Cradle, two amazing young adults Deraji Juan Cradle of Charlotte N.C. Thaddeus Juan Cradle Jr, PG County Three awesome Godsons, Montez, Gregory, Jason.Stay tuned for my latest release entitled In my home over there!!! Featuring Mosche Snowden.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ladydiva-live-radio--2579466/support.

Hour 2 of Reaction Monday on 3 Man Front featured Pete Nakos discussing how he broke the story on Nico & Tennessee, Jonathan Nelson weighing in on the start of the Barons' season & tons of your texts about the drama in Knoxville.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front on Monday to preview what fans can look forward during this week's homestand between the Barons & the Biloxi Shuckers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Nelson is the Founder and Executive Director of HF Capital, which provides corporate advisory and project management services to assist growth-stage technology companies in raising capital through stock exchanges. He previously founded Hackers/Founders, which is one of the largest global communities of tech founders. In addition, Jonathan also serves in advisory roles for the Partnership for Central America and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In this episode, you'll hear about: Challenges and opportunities in raising growth capital for international tech founders, with a focus on Latin America. Jonathan Nelson's collaboration with the London Stock Exchange to democratize IPOs for mid-sized companies. Examination of the complex and costly tech IPO ecosystem in the U.S., including regulatory barriers and the rise and fall of SPACs. The strategic advantages of listing on the London Stock Exchange versus U.S. markets. Exploration of emerging markets, particularly in Latin America and Africa, and their potential for tech-driven financial inclusion. Importance of engaging with real customers in tech development, moving beyond speculative scenarios. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hackerfounder/ Website - https://hf.cx/ https://www.londonstockexchange.com/ Alcorn Immigration Law: Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter Sophie Alcorn Podcast: Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3 Episode 20: TN Visas and Status for Canadian and Mexican Citizens Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

Hour one of 3 Man Front LIVE from Regions Field Pat Smith, Conrad Van Order and Molly Robinson recapped the Braves early woes & their 6th loss, Barons GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by to preview their season, and Brian Edwards gave us some Final Four and national championship odds! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front live from Regions Field to preview this year's team, talent and new faces, the Rickwood Classic, and his thoughts on the use of torpedo bats! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined the 3 Man Front crew to talk about spring training being underway, the ABS system in baseball, and upcoming events at Regions Field! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third hour of Wednesday's 3 Man Front we heard from AL.com's Peter Rauterkus to talk Auburn hoops, heard Nick Sirianni's comments on the potential Tush Push ban, and caught up with Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omnicom Group's pending acquisition of Interpublic Group seems especially timely in the hindsight of last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A major talking point among the brand and agency executives in attendance was the onset of the so-called agentic era of artificial intelligence, in which AI tools handle multi-step tasks for people like booking a full travel itinerary — or firing off a client brief. In this era, data will be at even more of a premium than it is today “If you think about the IPG acquisition, we will have a broader platform to to do things. We will have the broadest dataset on the buy side anywhere in the world, and more expertise, more clients,” Jonathan Nelson, CEO of the agency holding company's digital arm Omnicom Digital, said on the latest Digiday Podcast, which was recorded in person at CES. The combined company will also have Omni AI, a product that Omnicom is developing to combine various foundational large language models. “We're putting that on every employee's desktop in Omnicom right now,” Nelson said. Which gets at another aspect of how AI will affect agencies' business. As agencies effectively outsource tasks to AI tools, the traditional agency compensation model — in which agencies are paid in accordance with the time it takes to complete client projects — will be under pressure. This is again where Omnicom is counting on the combination with IPG and the corresponding dataset — as well as its previous acquisition of commerce platform Flywheel — to be able to adopt a model in which its client fees are contingent on the results of its work rather than the time it takes to complete that work. “Here we are sitting on this massive dataset. It's coming together across audience, activation, outcomes. It has that purpose, which is driving towards outcomes remuneration,” said Nelson.

Review of Buddhism without Beliefs by Bhikkhu Bodhi It has often been said that Western Buddhism is distinguished from its Asian prototype by three innovative shifts: the replacement of the monastery by the lay community as the principal arena of Buddhist practice; the enhanced position of women; and the emergence of a grass-roots engaged Buddhism aimed at social and political transformation. These three developments, however, have been encompassed by a fourth which is so much taken for granted that it is barely noticed. This last innovation might be briefly characterized as an attempt to transplant Buddhist practice from its native soil of faith and doctrine into a new setting governed by largely secular concerns. For Asian Buddhists, including Eastern masters teaching in the West, this shift is so incomprehensible as to be invisible, while Western Buddhists regard it as so obvious that they rarely comment on it. Stephen Batchelor, however, has clearly discerned the significance of this development and what it portends for the future. Having been trained in Asia in two monastic lineages (Tibetan Gelugpa and Korean Soen) and relinquished his monk's vows to live as a lay Buddhist teacher in the West, he is acquainted with both traditional Buddhism and its Western offshoots. His book Buddhism without Beliefs is an intelligent and eloquent attempt to articulate the premises of the emerging secular Buddhism and define the parameters of a “dharma practice” appropriate to the new situation. ... narrated by Jonathan Nelson 2025 22 minutes 32 seconds Listen to Streaming Audio Your browser does not support the audio element. Download Audio (11MB) Audio copyright, 2025 Pariyatti Investigating the Dhamma as a book and eBook can be found at https://store.pariyatti.org/investigating-the-dhamma. More by Bhikkhu Bodhi. View more books and audio resources available in the Pariyatti bookstore. "Review of Buddhism without Beliefs" at Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1573226564.

Southern League Champs GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front to tell us the big announcement of the Barons returning to Rickwood Field in June, plus we discussed the MLB winter meetings and awards that have already been given out! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second hour of 3 Man Front we caught up with Barons GM Jonathan Nelson to discuss their return to Rickwood in 2025, what different CFP scenarios could look like, and if Alabama is a lock for the SEC Championship Game! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Bassam is joined by a couple of sports venue experts as he sits down with Jonathan Nelson, global head of digital at Populous, and OnePlan founder and CEO, Paul Foster, to talk about the future of the space. Populous is the leading firm in sports and entertainment venue architecture, while OnePlan is a five-year old business specialising in digital twin technology - essentially AI-powered virtual representations of physical spaces - like football stadiums or event venues. Together, with AI technology unlocking new possibilities, the two companies are collaborating to unlock greater understanding about the stadiums and arenas fans flock to, as well as helping those who manage them make sure those spaces are being used in the most optimal fashion.

Jonathan Nelson, general manager of the Birmingham Barons, joined 3 Man Front on Tuesday to discuss tonight's Southern League Championship matchup between the Barons & Montgomery Biscuits!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 2 of Taco Tuesday's 3 Man Front included our thoughts on the Auburn-Oklahoma matchup, Tyler McComas discussing the Sooners' making a QB change & Jonathan Nelson on the Barons' playoff run!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third hour of Wednesday's 3 Man Front included Scott Hamilton discussing Clemson's outlook for the rest of the season, Jonathan Nelson on the Barons' final homestand of the regular season & your texts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last hour of #TacoTuesday's 3 Man Front Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined to previewed what's coming up, we discussed Tua revealing his relationship with former Dolphins HC Brian Flores, did #PatPonders and had #TWTIS! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Nelson, general manager of the Birmingham Barons, joined 3 Man Front on Tuesday to preview what's happening during the Barons' extended homestand, including Pat & Landrum broadcasting Thursday night's game!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second hour of Tuesday's 3 Man Front included Jonathan Nelson discussing the Barons' extended homestand, Payton Thorne talking to the media about the Auburn offense & Hugh Freeze reflecting on 4th & 31.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson visited with 3 Man Front on Tuesday to discuss the excitement of the MLB trade deadline & preview the Barons' upcoming homestand!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second hour of Taco Tuesday's 3 Man Front included an updated look at the Olympic medal counts, Jonathan Nelson talking MLB Trade Deadline and your texts on Auburn recruiting & the Olympics!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front to give us a look into this week's events at Regions Field, the positive reaction from Rickwood Field, and the secret to the Barons' incredible pitching! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In hour two of 3 Man Front we caught up with Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson, discussed the preseason Big 12 media rankings, and got more of your reaction from Copa America! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Nelson, CEO of Omnicom Digital, works with clients at the world's largest organizations to shape the future of marketing. He's spent his career picking the winners: deciding which technologies to invest in to help his company get an edge in the increasingly competitive marketing landscape. In the AI space, he's partly doing that by not putting all his eggs in one basket; instead, his company has partnered with major players like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and more. He explains why you need to be all in - but also be able to pull out as things shift in the weeks and months ahead. For Further Reading:Learn more about JonathanJonathan Nelson, CEO, Omnicom Digital converses with Neeta Nair of IMPACTInside the Omnicom-Flywheel merger with John Wren, Jonathan Nelson & Duncan Painter Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1715735755

This episode is presented by Gametime. Save $20 off your first MLB ticket purchase using promo code SOXMACHINE Record Date: 6/26/2024 Rundown [Intro] Dan Szymborski of FanGraphs joins the show to discuss how ZiPS views the rest of 2024 for the White Sox. Why Chris Getz should trade Luis Robert Jr. sooner than later as the near future outlook is very hazy and who could use Erick Fedde the most? [28:43] Jonathan Nelson, President and General Manager of the Birmingham Barons, stops by to talk about the Southern League First Half Division Title and the Rickwood Classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Birmingham Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by 3 Man Front to share his favorite stories from last week's events at Rickwood Field & preview the Barons' homestand! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour two of Tuesday's 3 Man Front featured the Cardinals holding off the Braves' comeback efforts, Curtis Fitzpatrick talking Oklahoma officially joining the SEC & Jonathan Nelson reflecting on last week at Rickwood Field!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front to give us an inside on the preparation for MLB at Rickwood, what about the new Rickwood stands out to him and discussed former Barons called up to the Big Leagues! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 of Wednesday's 3 Man Front featured the highlights from day one of the SEC spring meetings, Jonathan Nelson discussing the Barons' homestand & Brian Edwards' weekly picks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front to discuss Birmingham's homestand against Rocket City, the White Sox's farm system & more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 of Tuesday's 3 Man Front featured the kickoff times for a number of notable SEC college football games, Jonathan Nelson talking Barons & the latest NFL schedule leaks.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by 3 Man Front on Tuesday to assess the start of the season for the Barons & preview this week's homestand against Chattanooga!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons' GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by 3 Man Front on Tuesday to preview this week's homestand against the Rocket City Trash Pandas!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 2 of Tuesday's 3 Man Front was stacked with guests as Skip Holtz talked all things Birmingham Stallions, Jonathan Nelson previewed the Barons' homestand & Mike Griffith shared the latest on Georgia football.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons General Manager and President Jonathan Nelson joins to talk about the young Barons season, working his way up the corporate ladder, Michael Jordan's season in Birmingham, the upcoming Tribute to the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field, and more! Sponsor the show: Gary.Lloyd87@gmail.com

Omnicom digital chief Jonathan Nelson joins the show to discuss why ad agencies, forever under threat, will adapt to AI. We go into Omnicom's purchase of Flywheel Digital, a software company for digital commerce -- a further sign that the next phase of what we used to call the internet will be defined by commerce rather than advertising.Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletterBrian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletterAlex Schleifer's Universal EntitiesFollow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterTopics:00:00 Opening Banter and Warm-Up00:31 Introduction to 'People vs. Algorithms' Podcast01:33 The Future of Magazines and Ad Agencies in the AI Era03:57 Navigating the Digital and Media Landscape: Insights and Anecdotes22:04 Navigating Media, Identity, and the Outlaw Mentality36:54 The Dawn of Digital Agencies and Banner Ads39:21 Evolution of Advertising: From Novelty to Foundation43:52 The Future of Advertising: AI, Ethics, and Consumer Impact50:52 Navigating the Media Landscape: Relationships and Technology55:15 The Role of Websites and Consumer Behavior Online57:36 Reflections on Advertising, Technology, and Career Advice01:09:04 Concluding Thoughts on AI, Ethics, and the Future of Advertising

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front on Taco Tuesday to preview the Barons' upcoming homestand against the Mississippi Braves!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 2 of Tuesday's 3 Man Front included the latest entries into the CFB transfer portal, Jonathan Nelson previewing the Barons' homestand this week & Skip Holtz breaking down the Stallions' 3-0 start to the UFL season!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson joined 3 Man Front on the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's debut with the Barons to share his favorite stories from MJ's time in Birmingham.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third hour of Tuesday's 3 Man Front featured Doug Bell previewing The Masters, Jonathan Nelson discussing the 30-year anniversary of Michael Jordan on the Barons & truly The Worst Thing I've Seen!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 of Wednesday's 3 Man Front featured the news that Arkansas' Eric Musselman could be heading to USC, Jonathan Nelson previewing the Barons' season & Brian Edward's Final Four picks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Barons GM Jonathan Nelson stopped by 3 Man Front on Wednesday to discuss the Barons' kicking off the 2024 season this weekend in Birmingham & his thoughts on the first week of the MLB season!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deconstructing Constructions: The Role of Saṅkhārā in the Buddha's Discourses by Bhikkhu Bodhi . In this paper I intend to explore the Pāli term saṅkhārā, one of the pivotal concepts in the Buddha's discourses. The Pāli word has such a rich gamut of meanings that merely to draw them out into the open sheds a flood of light on the Buddha's understanding of reality. The word occurs in a variety of contexts that are subtly and intricately interwoven. To explore their contextual meanings and track down their interconnections will reveal the rigor of the Buddha's philosophical vision and the coherence of his teaching in expressing that vision in language and concepts. narrated by Jonathan Nelson 2024 50 minutes 48 seconds Listen to Streaming Audio Your browser does not support the audio element. Download Audio (25MB) Audio copyright, 2024 Pariyatti Investigating the Dhamma as a book and eBook can be found at https://store.pariyatti.org/investigating-the-dhamma. More by Bhikkhu Bodhi. View more books and audio resources available in the Pariyatti bookstore.

The more diverse your organization, the more successful it will be Today I bring to you a most fascinating and consequential woman leader, Melissa Andrieux. Born and bred in Queens, New York, Melissa became a prosecutor, then Queens District Attorney, then civil litigator. She is now Chief Diversity Officer at the law firm Dorf Nelson & Zauderer. She is also Chief Client Relations Officer, and is tapping into her extensive experience in marketing, business development and recruitment to drive business growth within the firm by establishing a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. What's more, she helps other firms bring DEI&B into their own cultures. Melissa is not only a trailblazer but a beacon for others to emulate. Do enjoy. Watch and listen to our conversation here Key takeaways from our podcast It's never too late. Don't let people tell you that you're only good at one thing. Just because you're good at it doesn't mean you should keep doing it.  Yes you should have a plan, but don't get so fixed on it that you miss the opportunities that come.  You need diverse perspectives within your organization, because the clients out there are so diverse. They can pick and choose who they want to work with, who they want to give their money to, and if they're not seeing representation at your organization or at your business, they're going to go elsewhere. Diversity is a reference, a representation of different cultures, different backgrounds, different races, sexual orientations. Diversity can also be the differences in education, socioeconomic background, marital status. People often think that it's just racial or gender, but that's not it. There are so many different aspects to diversity. It's what makes us different and unique. Equity at its basic level is about fairness and leveling the playing field. Contrary to what some people think, it's not about taking from one group to give to another group. It's about making adjustments to imbalances. It's really about fairness.  Inclusion is related to belonging. Inclusion is, you're being invited to the party to play, you're being given a seat at the table, you're being considered. And as a decision maker, as a colleague, your voice is being heard. If we do not start with the basics, the foundations, and understand why people feel a certain way, why people think that they need to gravitate towards their own groups, their own culture, then we're never going to get to where we need to be. It's all about knowledge, education and understanding. When it comes to DEI, the leader is instrumental because nothing can be done without the leader's buy-in. You can connect with Melissa by LinkedIn or email: mandrieux@dorflaw.com. More stories of women making DEI a reality, not just an idea Maureen Berkner Boyt—Diversity and Inclusion: Let's Go Beyond Hoping and Make Inclusion Really Happen Rohini Anand—Can Businesses Create Cultures Based On True Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? Andie Kramer—Can “Beyond Bias” Take Your Organization To Great Heights? Maria Colacurcio—Stop The Revolving Door. Help Your Employees Embrace A Diverse And Equitable Workplace. Businesses Must Sustain Diversity And Inclusion For Women Additional resources for you My two award-winning books: Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business and On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights Our new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, co-authored by Edie Fraser, Robyn Freedman Spizman and Andi Simon, PhD Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants Read the transcript of our podcast here Andi Simon: Welcome to On the Brink With Andi Simon. Hi I'm Andi Simon and as you know, as my frequent followers who come to watch our podcast, I'm here to be the guide and the host to take you off the brink. Our job is to help you see, feel and think in new ways. And in order to do that, you have to listen to people who have changed. Change is painful. Your brain hates me. But don't run away. Today we're going to have a great, great time. I have with us today Melissa Andrieux who's an attorney whom I met at a wonderful party. And she has really given me some perspective on something that I think is important for us to share. She's smiling at me. Here's a little bit about her background and then she's going to tell you about her own journey. Melissa is an experienced litigator. She leveraged her background in law to lead Dorf Nelson & Zauderer, the law firm, in their initiatives as chief diversity officer. She's also the firm's chief client relations officer, and she's tapping into her extensive experience in marketing, business development and recruitment to drive business growth within the firm. But what's really important is, she's gone from being a litigator to being an expert in the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging professional space. So she's helping the firm help other firms begin. And this is my world: see, feel and think in new ways so they can begin to understand why having a lot of diversity of all kinds, including cognitive diversity and listening to each other is important, and understand how to include people in things that you might have not thought they were part of. Melissa, thank you for joining me today. Melissa Andrieux: Well, thank you for having me, Andi. It's a real pleasure to be on your show. Andi Simon: Well, it was a real pleasure to meet you when we did the book launch at Josie's. I asked people if they wanted to share their wisdoms and Melissa had a story she wanted to tell. She's going to tell it again today. But first, who is Melissa? Tell us about your journey, please. Melissa Andrieux: Well, when you called me up to tell my story, I was a little shocked. I hadn't planned on being called upon. But I love sharing my story. I was born and bred in Queens. I am a lawyer, as you said. And I came to that profession kind of, I didn't have mentors in my life who were lawyers or judges. I learned by watching TV what was interesting. That's why I chose my profession and what was on TV? You're a prosecutor. You are a criminal defense lawyer. So I chose the prosecution route. I always wanted to be a Queens District Attorney, and I became one. I loved that job. I represented the people of the State of New York, the county of Queens, and as most people in government, we move on into civil practice. And then I moved into civil litigation. I did that for a very long time. You may find that shocking, but I did it for 12 years at a firm and then I moved to Dorf Nelson & Zauderer, which was then Dorf Nelson. Now it's Dorf Nelson & Zauderer. And I did that for a while, and it's kind of sad looking back on it, but I did it for such a long time when I didn't really enjoy it, but I didn't know what else was out there. I had no clue what to do with this law degree. So I just kept on doing litigation, and it got to the point where I started speaking with people at the firm, and I was told that this opening for marketing and business development was available. And I said, well, I've never done either. I'm a litigator, I'm a lawyer. But then it got to the point where I was just candidly miserable. I didn't want to get out of bed, I didn't want to go to work. So I said, you know, let me try the position, and I'm not a failer. I don't like to fail. So I said, I'm going to put my heart and soul into it. And I started learning about the business side of law, which I had no idea that law was a business. I thought you just went to court, the depositions, blah blah blah, but I found it very interesting. I was meeting clients, I was meeting prospective clients, I was learning about the business. And then that developed into marketing, which opened a whole new world for me. And with the marketing, I was looking at other law firms, I was looking at businesses, and the DEI aspect clicked. I mean, as you can see, I'm a woman of color in the legal profession, which another story is really not as diverse as should be, but we'll leave that for another time. So I started looking internally at what we could do to make the law firm better, more inclusive, more attractive to candidates. We wanted to hire people. So what do you do? So I spoke with leadership. I had to get their buy-in or else this would never work. And the first thing that we did is, we started a Diversity and Inclusion Council. And I hand-picked the members, and we just had candid conversations about what was going on at the firm, what they wanted to see change, and I studied. It was not easy. I spoke with people in the DEI space. I found the experts, I read, and it got to the point where I was being called upon to do panels and advise people on their own DEI journeys. I mean, it wasn't a quick thing, unfortunately. It took a lot of hard work. I had a lot of mentors and sponsors in my corner. Luckily, I'm one of those individuals who actually found people who wanted to invest in me, and that's kind of how I ended up here. I know that a lot of people, and I've heard this, think that the law firm hand-picked the Black attorney to be the DEI officer, but I assure you that it's not the case. I wanted this role. I advocated for this role, and I believe that I'm doing a very good job with the role. It's not done. It's hard work. And we continue every day to do the important work. Andi Simon: Let's reflect for a moment, which is how I think our listeners or our viewers want to pick your brain, because there have been a number of articles that have come out about how companies, large and small, are de-emphasizing the work of DEI or the Department of DEI. I'm not quite sure, being an anthropologist, why you need a department of it and who they put there. But, it's a very important part of transforming the way we live together. And it's both inside and outside. It changes how people come to work, what they expect of each other, how we listen to each other. And here, give them some of your own, both learning and experiences, because while they didn't pick you, they were wise enough to select you and to open up a space to let you go. I'm curious about that first group that you pulled together and how you managed to get them thinking. So give us a little of how did Melissa do it and how others might as well. Melissa Andrieux: So the how-to is: I decided to leave leadership out of these council meetings because I felt that in order for me to get a true sense of how people were feeling, I couldn't have the partners in these meetings because then people would feel like they cannot be honest. And that was the first thing that we did. And then I took the feedback. I took the information, and I looked at our policies. I looked at the procedures, the internal information that the firm has. And then I went to leadership and I said, this is what we can do. Let's do X, Y, and Z. Let's look at our policies. Are they gender neutral? Do they apply to everyone across the board? And we started slowly but surely. And as I say to everybody, DEI is in the long run. You cannot expect to finish DEI in a week, a month or even a year. It's an ongoing process. So that's how I started my DEI initiatives at the firm. Andi Simon: You spoke about having mentors and sponsors. Clearly you had teammates because as you think about it, this requires people to stop and rethink their story. And the story of the firm they're in. Their livelihood is dependent upon it, but also their personal experiences and what's happening. So as they were working with you, were there some key issues? I can hear your policy changes, but policies don't do much if people don't do much. So what kinds of things were you beginning to implement? Melissa Andrieux: So candidly, of course, as with any new initiatives, there is a little bit of pushback. So we had to get the team members at the firm on board and explain to them why this was important, why the time was now. And, it's not perfect. Nothing is ever perfect. But people do understand why diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is important. I mean, the thing is, you want to attract talent. You want the firm to continue to grow. And the way that we do that is bringing diverse perspectives into the law firm, bringing different people into the law firm, because neurodiversity, everybody comes from a different place in their lives. Their thinking is not the same as, let's say, somebody who's been here forever. You want to bring in fresh blood. And so when they started to understand the business reason behind this, they started to really buy into what we were doing. And they embrace it and they welcome it at this point. Andi Simon: One of the women I met recently is a Vassar professor who had a bunch of faculty go to court about equal pay for equal jobs. And of course, being a former academic, I remember well how they hired men at different salaries than the women and they came in with less experience. And that's at a female college. Come on. So give us a little bit of a breakdown because there's diversity, equity, equal pay for equal work, equal position, equal opportunity, inclusion. And inclusion and belonging are a little bit different. Give us a little bit more detail. I think it would be helpful. Melissa Andrieux: Sure. So diversity is a reference, a representation of different cultures, different backgrounds, different races, sexual orientations. Diversity can also be the differences in education, socioeconomic background, marital status is diversity. People often think that it's just racial or gender, but that's not it. There are so many different aspects to diversity. It's what makes us different and unique. Andi Simon: Somebody once said to me, we're all diverse. And I said, that's great. We're all unique. Go ahead.  Melissa Andrieux: And that's what makes the world a great place to live. Imagine living with everybody who's like you. I mean, I think that would be pretty boring. So that's diversity. Equity at its basic level, equity is about fairness and leveling the playing field. Contrary to what some people think, it's not about taking from one group to give to another group. It's about making adjustments to imbalances. It's really about fairness.  Inclusion is kind of related to belonging. But I look at them as two different concepts. So to me, inclusion is, you're being invited to the party to play, you're being given a seat at the table, you're being considered. And as a decision maker, as a colleague, your voice is being heard. Andi Simon: You mean you can say something in a meeting and people can hear you? Melissa Andrieux: Exactly, exactly. They listen to you. They might not buy what you say, but they give you the opportunity to be seen and to be heard. And to me, belonging is an individual's feeling that you feel that you are connected to the community that you belong to, that you can be yourself with the people that you're around you. Andi Simon: You find that you know humans. I'm an anthropologist. Humans are very tribal. Yes, they look at the world that they're moving into, such as a workplace. Do I belong here? And it is everything from the tangible: Am I dressed right? Do I look right? Will people look me in the eye and trust that I make good decisions? Plus all of the intangibles that are there that often I don't hear people talking about, which disturbs me because inclusion without belonging isn't cool. I did work for a university once and all the students at a conference we were holding sat at tables with others where they belonged, but none of them were diverse. And then they literally stood up and said to the administration, you think you've built diversity, but we are really in enclaves with our tribes. And yes, the whole place may have diversity, but we don't feel like we're diverse. We feel like we have a tribe to belong to, and that's comfortable for us. But it may be uncomfortable for you. It was a very profound conversation about what these words mean. Melissa Andrieux: It is. So I do some consulting, DEI consulting as part of my duties. And one of the things that I always start my programs with is defining what diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and accessibility mean. Because if we don't understand these core concepts, we're not going to understand anything. So I truly think that if people do not start with the basics, the foundations, and understand why people feel a certain way, why people think that they need to gravitate towards their own, their own groups, their own culture, then we're never going to get to where we need to be. It's all about knowledge, education and understanding. Andi Simon: And an openness to want to know more about the other.  Melissa Andrieux: Seriously. Andi Simon: Ask questions and be happy when you can sit together at lunch and share. How's life? Humans are human and nobody likes to be the whistleblower or the soloist. They want an orchestra where they can all play their instruments, but play them together with a good conductor. How important is the conductor? The leader? Melissa Andrieux: Oh, wow. When it comes to DEI, the leader is instrumental because nothing can be done without the leader's buy-in. And I truly believe that. If so, Jon Dorf, Jonathan Nelson, and Mark Zauderer, they are the leaders of the firm, if they did not embrace the concepts of DEI, what I am doing at the firm would never succeed. It would just be some box that you're checking. You know, your documents. But because it's something that they truly believe in, it's in the fabric of the firm. Long before I got here, it just wasn't apparent until I got here, I suppose. If you don't have the leaders who have your back, we're going to fail. Andi Simon: Well, do they do intentional things in order to broaden their own comfort with a diverse workforce and with diverse clients? I mean, do they live the promise? Melissa Andrieux: Absolutely, absolutely. One of the things that we do is: we started a scholarship at Pace University. It's called the Beth S. Nelson Memorial Scholarship, and we wanted it to go to a woman embarking on a second career in law. And it's in honor of Jonathan Nelson's mom, who was a teacher and then she went into law. So that is something that the firm does in order to show its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We want to bring up the next generation. We want to give these women who are embarking on these second careers the opportunity to get in the law and graduate on time, and that's one of the ways that we do it. Another way that we show our commitment, that the partners show their commitment, is: they embrace every single client, regardless if you're black, white, LGBTQ. You know you deserve equal treatment when you come into Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP and you need representation, never turned away. Andi Simon: I think that it's really a model for others to both hear about and to learn about. You also work with clients and how do you bring the purpose and mission out to them as a consultant or as an attorney or a little of both? Melissa Andrieux: I wear many hats, Andi, I gotta tell you. So, being that I am a lawyer and working at a law firm doing business development, that has helped me tremendously when I go out there and I network because I understand the language. I know what clients want from their attorneys and what they don't want. So I'm able to talk to them as they need to be spoken to. And I also do consulting, which kind of develops organically as well. I go out and I do these panels. I go to these networking events and people ask me what I do. Somebody said, Will you do consulting for us? And obviously I said yes, because I love to do that. I love to teach and help other organizations grow and start their DEI journeys with the foundations, and then we move on from there as their needs become apparent, as whatever they need. Andi Simon: So as you're looking out there, you're seeing some trends that are both interesting or disturbing to you. Melissa Andrieux: Some interesting trends are that a lot of the firms that have started their DEI, they're continuing it, which I'm so happy about, even post- the Supreme Court decision. They are doubling down on their DEI initiatives, which I'm so happy to see because we cannot go backwards. We absolutely cannot go backwards. It takes the courage of these leaders to say we are going to forge forward. We're not going to let anything stop us, because it's also good business. Having a diverse workforce is good business. I always say, if you want to attract more clients, you need to have your organization reflect those clients that are coming to you for help. And one of the disturbing trends is, people who are using the Supreme Court decision as an excuse to not continue their DEIB initiatives, or those that say, we've reached the endgame, we can stop now. Unfortunately, that is not how you look at the DEI. I wish that were the case where we no longer needed these initiatives, but unfortunately they must continue and we are not done. We are never done. So to those organizations that think that it's okay to stop, I caution you. Andi Simon: But, you know, it's an interesting philosophical question because it's a gig to them. It isn't fundamental. It isn't transformative. It is a way of thinking about people or business. It's something that seemed to be cool to do, like ESG [environmental, social and governance], you know, pay a little attention to the environment. We're social creatures. We live in a very complex society and don't shortchange yourself by letting others put you into some box. Take the initiative and see why it's so important. I mean, women who lead lead companies in very good ROI, their returns are there and the people stay and they become places one wants to work. And that's not inconsequential, is it? Melissa Andrieux: It's not. People gravitate to people who are like them. So I always use this as an example. I will attract a different type of client than, let's say, a John Dorf or a Jonathan Nelson. I will attract the women. I will attract the people of color. I mean, not to say that they won't, but we're just going about business development and recruitment differently. That's why you need diverse perspectives within your organization, because the clients out there are so diverse. They can pick and choose who they want to work with, who they want to give their money to, and if they're not seeing representation at your organization or at your business, they're going to go elsewhere. So I think it's a really good practice to have so many different perspectives within your firm going out there representing your organization. Andi Simon: Often when I do workshops, I remind the CEOs in the group that 13 million companies are owned by women. And there's a tremendous amount of effort to get women, women of color or people with diverse backgrounds into the supply chain, right into businesses so they can be in the supply chain. They're looking for gender and gender fair. Johanna Zeilstra‘s company Gender Fair is trying to establish it as a standard, not as an afterthought, and this is sort of a very important time for us not to let us go backwards. And not make it hard. I mean, I don't think this is hard work. It's important work. But I am just thrilled that you're on this podcast because I think that many people aren't really aware of the challenge and the opportunities that are before them. Is it easy? No. Should you do it? Absolutely. And will it help you and your purpose, your meaning, your business, your happiness grow. Aha! Oh, God. Melissa, it should be easier. Tell the listener as we're just about ready to wrap up, give them 1 or 2 things that they should focus on. I always like Oprah's small wins. If you're going to get somewhere and don't try to move the battleship a little at a time, but know where you're going. And let's assume that what you want to build is a really exciting organization that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging intentionally and intelligently. And that's going to help your business grow. Now, if they're going to start and they can see that 1 or 2 things you think should be important for them to do in a small win style. Melissa Andrieux: So before I answer that question, Andi, you reminded me the firm, the law firm, is Gender Fair certified, and we're actually one of the first law firms to be gender fair certified. So that's another way that we show to the world that the partners are putting their money where their mouth is. So I wanted to put that out there before I forget.  Andi Simon: Little push for Gender Fair, because it's a great way for you to demonstrate that you care about the right things in the right way. So that's one of the 2 or 3 things you want them to small win by. But learn more. And we can certainly introduce you to Gender Fair and its leadership. That's terrific Melissa. Please, some other things. Melissa Andrieux: So from my personal journey, I want to share with your audience that it's never too late, as I know it's a little cliché, but for me, I always thought that I could never leave. I thought it was too late for me to unlearn being an attorney. Unlearn being a litigator. But then when I opened up my mind and decided finally that I was ready to make the move, I said, you're going to do it. You're going to be great at it. And it was a long process, but I did it. So one of my things, one of the things that I always say to myself and to the young attorneys or folks that I meet in the world, is that it's never too late. Don't ever be pigeonholed. Don't let people tell you that you're only good at one thing. And I had a lot of naysayers in my life, not to be a Debbie Downer, but a lot of people thought that I had lost it when I made the career change, and because I was so good at what I was doing. Well, just because you're good at it doesn't mean you should keep doing it. So never too late. Ever. Andi Simon: You know, it's so interesting. I met you at a book event for our new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success. And I've been doing podcasts with a number of the women who are in the book. There are 102 women, 500 wisdoms, and they all are sharing a good deal about their own life's journey. Now, Lorraine Hariton we did the other day and she said no, there was no straight line. I was dyslexic, and I managed to realize I was really good at math. And from there I got into computers early, and then I was in Silicon Valley, and then I went to raise money for Hillary and I said, um, no straight line, is there, no straight line, no straight line. And in some ways, that's the exciting part about being a smart person, I'll say a smart woman, but a smart person, right?, where you can see the opportunities. One of the wisdoms I love there is: sure you should have a plan, but don't get so fixed on it that you miss the opportunities that come.  I'm a big serendipity person, so it's just listen. And here Melissa stood up at an event and said something and I introduced her and I said, please come and speak on our podcast. And I'm just thrilled that you were here today. If people want to reach you and talk to you more, put you on a panel or help you help them, where's the best place? We will have it on the blog, of course, but sometimes they hear you and it sticks. Where should they reach you? Melissa Andrieux: Well, I'm at Dorf, Nelson and Zauderer. My email is mandrieux@dorflaw.com and the website is DorfLaw.com. You'll find me there. Andi Simon: Good. This has been a great, great conversation. Every time I do these, I learn more and more about wonderful women who are really transforming our society and themselves. You, the company you work for, the people you work with, and I'm happy too. So let me wrap up for those of you who come and send me your emails and push out all of our podcasts. Last I looked, we're in the top 5% of global podcasts, and in some places like South Africa, we're really high. And it's sort of like, really? So you never know where you are. So the message today is: take your heart and follow it a bit. You never know what's in it for you. My books, of course, are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and your local bookseller. Women Mean Business is a fascinating book. I'll turn around and I will bring it over here because as you look at a book, you begin to realize, it's my third book, and the other two were all Amazon best sellers and award winners, but each book has a different insight. And so as you open it, I mean, I love Kay Koplovitz, not by chance, I opened it by chance. They teach you something, and I often say that a book has a fingerprint, and the fingerprint gives it a uniqueness, but its power is inside. And so as the book is opened at all of our events, and if you'd like an event, please let me know. What happens is something magical. Kay Koplovitz said at one event, think fast and act fast. And she said: if I had time to analyze all the things I had to make decisions about, I'd never make a decision. And I said to myself, you know, as an entrepreneur, I thought fast and acted fast and that's how we learn from others. We get inspired by them. And it does spark our success with new ideas that we know aren't so crazy. It's fun. So thank you again for coming. It's been a pleasure. And we'll see you next week as we post all of our great podcasts. Enjoy the journey. Thanks, Melissa. I'll say goodbye now. Melissa Andrieux: Thank you, Andi, for having me. Andi Simon: It's a pleasure.   WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO)