Podcasts about rhodes perry

What kind of leader do you need to become to create true belonging? This solo meditation with Rhodes Perry guides you to explore the leadership qualities needed to foster creativity, connection, and support on your team, even amidst fear and uncertainty. Reflect on your current leadership style and envision the new shapes that will help you build safety, trust, and belonging.  Download: The Belonging Practice Host Guide for deeper reflection after the meditation: https://www.rhodesperry.com/belongingpractice. Connect & learn about the 1:1 Belonging Coaching Mentorship Program: https://www.rhodesperry.com/contact.  Join the Belonging Movement: https://www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe Thanks for growing the Belonging Movement!  

In a world struggling to embrace the beauty, complexities, and possibilities of gender it's not surprising that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently called for more "masculine energy" in corporate America. His callous statement made on the Joe Rogan Experience has sparked controversy and ignited crucial conversations. His comments about masculinity suggest that corporate culture has become too "feminine" and that a "celebration of aggression" is needed.   This perspective perpetuates harmful stereotypes about what it means to be masculine, reinforcing toxic masculinity, which is a set of behaviors linked to violence, homophobia, and the devaluation of women. Recent research by the American Psychological Association reveals that toxic masculinity isn't just detrimental to workplace culture and inclusion efforts; it's also harmful to men themselves. This outdated model of masculinity limits emotional expression, promotes unhealthy competition, and restricts the full spectrum of human experience.   This podcast episode challenges Zuckerberg's narrow view and explores the concept of "multiple masculinities" – a framework that embraces diverse expressions of masculinity, including those that generously diverge from the limited behaviors that toxic masculinity prescribes.  By embracing a broader understanding of masculinity, organizational leaders can usher in a more inclusive and authentic leadership landscape that benefits people who express their genders in many different ways.   To delve deeper into this critical topic, host Rhodes Perry sits down with masculinity expert Adam Segal, founder and facilitator of New Masculinities Group. Adam is a dedicated advocate for critical conversations around gender, sexuality, and masculinity through an intersectional feminist lens. He brings a wealth of experience facilitating men's groups, conducting male accountability work, and promoting anti-racism efforts.    In this insightful conversation, Rhodes and Adam will explore: ---The limitations of traditional masculinity. Unpacking the harmful impacts of toxic masculinity on individuals, workplaces, and society as a whole. ---The power of multiple masculinities. Exploring the benefits of embracing a broader spectrum of masculine expressions, including those that challenge traditional norms. ---Creating a gender inclusive leadership landscape. Discussing how organizations can foster a culture that values diverse leadership styles and promotes gender equity. ---The role of men in advancing gender equality. Examining how men can actively contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace for all. ---Practical strategies for challenging toxic masculinity. Offering actionable steps that individuals and organizations can take to dismantle harmful norms and promote healthy expressions of masculinity.   Today's conversation is designed to support people like you - visionary leaders, and those on their way to joining us. This podcast episode offers a timely and crucial conversation about the future of leadership and the role of masculinity in building gender inclusive workplaces. Savor this insightful talk and if you'd like to connect with inspiring leaders like Adam, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community by visiting www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe.   https://adamjsegal.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-segal-12a07369/   Thanks for growing the Belonging Movement!  

Who do you need to become to be the leader you need in this moment? There's nothing more powerful than a question like this one. Even if you don't have an answer, big questions like these generate new thoughts. To encourage new thoughts to emerge, leaders like you will need to practice belonging with bridging and collective care skills.   Many leaders who seek coaching support from Rhodes Perry Consulting initially struggle with bridging differences and building belonging spaces, often because they were never taught these skills. This is largely due to how the old ways of leadership were modeled and taught. It's for this reason we developed The Belonging Practice Host Guide. It's designed to empower visionary leaders like you to create the conditions of safety and trust for those you lead.   This timely resource offers somatic, bridging, and collective care practices to help lead you by offering the skills and abilities to acknowledge and cope with the collective trauma and grief so many within the workforce and beyond are navigating. During this podcast episode, enjoy an expanded conversation with Rhodes Perry, where he will help you answer the following questions: Why does exclusion compounded by collective trauma and grief harm team performance and employee well-being? What kind of leader do you need to become to match the urgency of this moment? How can somatics, bridging, and collective care practices help you grow team safety, trust, and belonging? How can you transform acts of exclusion into moments of belonging? How can you bridge disagreement through dialogue intended to seek understanding?   Rhodes rarely records solo episodes, and wanted to help amplify the power of his team's complimentary Belonging Practice Host Guide to support so many leaders struggling to show up in the face of so much chaos, uncertainty, and fear. As you listen to this podcast, be sure to access the following resources to help you develop the skills required to become the leader you need, in this moment:   Access the Belonging Practice Host Guide. Access a complimentary copy of the Belonging Practice Host guide to begin developing the essential somatic, bridging, and collective care practices you need to support those you lead navigate these challenging times. You can access the guide by visiting: www.rhodesperry.com/belongingpractice. Join Our Thursday Practice. If you'd like to practice somatics, bridging, and community care with like-minded visionary leaders, consider joining our complimentary Belonging Practice on most Thursdays from 8 am to 9 am Pacific Time by saving your seat here. Want Bridging Support? Learn more about our bridging solutions by speaking with a team member for customized organizational or team support. We are ready to support you and those you lead by delivering the skills to build spaces of belonging.  Contact us here.   Thanks for growing our Belonging Movement!

Think writing a book will make you rich overnight? Think again. The path from penning a manuscript to becoming a successful author is filled with challenges and surprises (some fantastic and some not so much). Join us today as we explore the realities of being a business author. I met these talented authors through a Kindle Cross-Promotion campaign I organized with dozens of discounted business books for as low as 99 cents. Are you a business author? Sign up for a future campaign at www.BizKindlePromo.com. Today's discussion will delve into the experience of being a business author and the benefits of publishing a business book. Let's hear from our amazing panelists and get their insights! With me today are three authors: Morag Barrett wrote “You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work (and How to Show Up As One!),” which has received ten awards, including the 2023 Literary Titan Book Award. Rhodes Perry wrote “Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization,” which offers practical strategies and tools for creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace. It emphasizes the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and provides actionable steps for organizations to implement inclusive practices. Stacey Larsen wrote “Reframing The Leadership Dance: The Secret to Finding Your Rhythm as a People Leader.” This book offers a transformative approach to leadership. Drawing parallels between leadership and dancing, it guides leaders to find their unique rhythm, reducing burnout and fostering authenticity in their leadership style.  Please join me in welcoming Morag, Rhodes, and Stacey.  In this episode, we discuss:

Welcome to the Imagine Belonging at Work Podcast brought to you by Rhodes Perry Consulting. The episode you're about to hear is a special gift to help ease what psychologists and researchers have identified as a specific kind of anxiety; election anxiety.   To ease election anxiety, the show's host, Rhodes Perry, developed a 10-minute mindfulness practice designed to help you self-regulate, ground, and soothe political anxieties that are running high this season given the uncertainty about what's on the 2025 horizon.   You're invited to try this practice to help you build capacity to increase your well-being and ignite creativity and connection at work. It's designed to deliver the medicine you need to heal some of these harsh realities many are experiencing this season:   73% of U.S. adults say they are anxious about the election according to the results of the 2024 American Psychiatric Association's annual mental health poll. 65% of employees surveyed over the summer by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) said they have experienced or witnessed incivility on the job in the past month.   34% of employees surveyed by SHRM believe that the November 5th elections will trigger additional incivility in the workplace.   You and I know all too well that election anxiety is very real and undermines our commitment to building a sense of belonging at work, where everyone feels seen, connected, supported, and proud. And we know we need to build spaces of belonging at work because it is no longer a moral imperative; rather it is a prerequisite for business success.   During this episode, you'll be able to recognize where to locate your own sense of belonging. Specifically, you'll recognize:   Belonging Lives in the Body. Feelings of belonging live in our nervous system, and somatics practices can help cultivate a sense of belonging. Safety & Trust are Foundational. Feeling safety and trust are the foundation for belonging, and during this practice you will explore where they are present in your life. Belonging is a Practice: Actively engaging in practices like this one will help rewire you brain to notice where belonging does and does not exist in your everyday life.   This interview was designed to support people like you - visionary leaders, and those on their way to joining us. Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for more ways to engage in practices like these, be sure to explore Rhodes Perry Consulting's Coaching Belonging for Visionaries, a 6-month executive coaching program applying a somatics methodology to help you align your behaviors with your leadership and career vision.   Learn more about this program here: https://rhodesperry.substack.com/p/belonging-the-1-prerequisite-for   Connect directly with Team Belonging here: www.rhodesperry.com/contact.   Get more belonging in your inbox here: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe

Here are this week's good vibes:Title IX Protections More InclusivePotawatomi Nation Reclaims Ancestral LandJohn Lewis Partnership Publishes Interview Questions OnlineUnited Methodist Church Lifts LGBTQ BansOpting Out of Mother's DayThis week's Call to Action:Speaking of belonging, my friend Rhodes Perry, author of Imagine Belonging, is hosting The Belonging Circle: A Gathering for Inclusive Leaders, Visionaries, and Changemakers on June 6. Learn more and register here.Read the Stories: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-the-belonging-buzzwordConnect with Karmen Smith: https://www.karmenmichael.com/ Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

Today's guest is a transformative figure in workplace culture and inclusivity. He is not just an advocate for belonging in the workplace; he's a trailblazer in the truest sense. With two bestselling books, "Belonging at Work" and "Imagine Belonging," he has become a guiding light for executives, leaders, and visionaries committed to cultivating environments where safety, trust, and a sense of belonging are paramount.  Beyond his consulting work, he stands at the forefront of DEI discourse as a keynote speaker and host of the Belonging at Work Summit and two popular podcasts, "Imagine Belonging at Work" and "The Out Entrepreneur."  His journey is as diverse as it is impressive, spanning roles at the White House, the Department of Justice, and PFLAG National. His insights have graced the pages of Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and other notable publications. He partners with industry giants, government agencies, and large nonprofits to foster workplace cultures that prioritize psychological safety and trust. Please join me in welcoming Rhodes Perry.  Tune in as we unpack Rhodes Perry's transformative path from early leadership spark to a champion of DEI, uncovering his personal and professional endeavors to foster a culture of belonging and authenticity in the workplace. In this episode of On the Schmooze, we explore:

Here are this week's good vibes:LGBTQ+ Inclusive Curriculum in WashingtonBig ROI on Child Care Benefits“Hop” Showcases Authentic Disability RepresentationFederal Forms to be Updated for Better RepresentationYurok Becomes First Tribal Nation to Co-manage LandThis week's Call to Action:March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. My good friend Rhodes Perry created a checklist on how to show up for your TGX (transgender and gender expansive) colleagues. It's a great personal and professional resource. Read the stores:https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-good-troubleConnect with Julie Pham: https://curiositybased.com/ Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

In this episode, Jennifer welcomes back Rhodes Perry, an award-winning social entrepreneur, sought-after speaker, podcast host, and nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader. Jennifer and Rhodes dive deep into the current state of DEI work, exploring the challenges practitioners face in navigating pushback and misinformation, as well as the opportunities to reframe the vision for inclusion. They discuss strategies for building trust, countering misinformation with skillful dialogues, and the importance of sustainable activism within the DEI community. Rhodes shares his personal experiences as a trans leader, highlighting the power of inviting allyship through vulnerability and the impact of pop culture representation in normalizing inclusion. This thought-provoking conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about reimagining belonging and driving change in these turbulent times.

Rhodes Perry is a bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and an internationally sought-after keynoter. He helps senior executives and people leaders build belonging at work by establishing psychological safety and trust. Nationally recognized as a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) thought leader, he has over 20 years of leadership experience having worked at the White House, the Department of Justice, the City of New York and PFLAG National. Media Outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press have featured his powerful work. Both of his books, Belonging at Work (2018) and Imagine Belonging (2022) debuted as #1 Amazon bestsellers and were published by Publish Your Purpose Press. He earned a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and a MPA from New York University. He currently serves on the National LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce's Transgender Inclusion Task Force, and the Cascade AIDS Project's Board of Directors. Key Takeaways When people share their identities and experiences with you, receive them with care Standing up and advocating for yourself paves the way for others to do the same Be aware of who you intentionally including and also who you might accidentally be discluding Push yourself out of your comfort zone to engage with many communities and people who identify differently than you When you notice that you're uncomfortable, note where its happening in your body, and remember that learning happens just past the edge of your comfort zone At work it's important for everyone to have the agency to show up as authentically as they choose Pay attention to who's speaking, whose ideas are considered and whose aren't Guest's Media Recommendations: Disclosure (Documentary) __ Find Guest's work: https://www.rhodesperry.com/ __ For more of Michael's work, visit our website www.incognitotheplay.com or follow us on Instagram @incognitotheplay __ Thanks to Ned Doheny for providing our podcast music! You can find him and his music on Spotify. Editing and co-production of this podcast by Emma Yarger. Email info@incognitotheplay.com with questions or comments about the show!

From the Best of the Will to Change: In this episode, originally recorded at the Belonging at Work Summit, Jennifer Brown is joined by Rhodes Perry, founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting and Joel Brown, Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos, as they discuss the importance of self-care. Discover how to develop sustainable self-care practices and increase your resilience. 

Here Are This Week's Good Vibes:City of Boston Announces Gender Equity Updates to Marriage LicensesBank of America to Raise Minimum Wage to $23 an Hour in OctoberNetflix, Bollywood, and India's Biggest Companies Take a Stand for LGBTQ InclusionEmpowering Black-Owned Businesses: Wayfair's Supplier Diversity InitiativeLyric Opera's Soundshirt — A New Way Deaf, Hearing-Impaired Patrons Can Experience MusicCall to Action:Tune in to Diversity: Beyond The Checkbox hosted by Jackie Ferguson. Explore a world of diverse insights and perspectives shared by influential figures in the realms of business, executive education, and diversity & inclusion on this compelling podcast. Subscribe and listen on all major podcast platforms.Read the full blog here: theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-who-asks-whoMake sure to connect with Rhodes Perry on Linkedin. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

Creating a culture of belonging at work – we talk about this all the time as people leaders, but do we consider what the concrete building blocks are to ensuring that each team member feels seen, heard, and valued? In today's episode, Erin talks with award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and nationally recognized DEI expert Rhodes Perry about what these exact building blocks are & how creating a culture of belonging isn't actually that complex – it just requires us to do the work. If you're sensing burnout, having difficulty building relationships with your team members, or looking for tangible methods to simplifying your leadership – this is the episode for you. More about Rhodes Perry: Serving as the Founder & CEO of Rhodes Perry consulting, Rhodes pilots a national leadership development and change management consultancy that helps executives build psychological safety, trust, and belonging cultures at work. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author of two books, and a sought-after keynote speaker, now, nationally recognized as a workplace culture strategist and DEI thought leader. He has 20 years of leadership experience having worked at the White House, the Department of Justice, and PFLAG National. Media outlets like Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press have featured his powerful work. ICYMI – Your Post-Episode Homework: 1) Click the links below to learn more about the Belonging at Work Summit and the Belonging at Work Membership Community and share the links with a friend who would be interested 2) Share this episode on your social media, with your group chat, or with any online community you're part of Connect with Rhodes Perry: Check out all things Rhodes Perry at his website here: https://www.rhodesperry.com/ Show Links: The Coqual Power of Belonging report The Belonging at Work Summit The Belonging at Work Membership Community Register for the Belonging Summer School program Did today's episode resonate with you? Please leave us a review for a chance to win a self-care package from us! Take the quiz to download your free Wellness Workbook! Send a question/voice message on SpeakPipe here!  Want to book Erin to speak at your organization or large-scale event: Learn more here! Connect with Erin Diehl: Instagram LinkedIn improve it! TikTok Improve it! Instagram Improve it! Facebook improve it! website Book a Laugh Break Book a Workshop Email Erin: info@learntoimproveit.com “I love this podcast and I love Erin!!” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this podcast! This helps Erin support more people – just like you – move toward the leader you want to be. Click here, click listen on Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let Erin know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. That way you won't miss any juicy episodes! Thanks in advance, improve it! Peeps :)

This episode is the 3rd and final episode of our three-part Pride at Work series. In this series, we take a deeper dive into learning how one company, Northwestern Mutual, moved beyond performativity, and embraced impactful actions that have led to meaningful progress. NM, along with other brands of choice, know the competitive advantage of creating a more LGBTQ+ inclusive culture. Specifically, they know that LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces…are   1) better at retaining and attracting talent from underrepresented groups at work. 2) (capable of) building brand strength and consumer loyalty, and 3) (skillful at) unlocking innovation, creativity, and business success.   These three factors lead to stronger financial performance – specifically, better share price performance, higher return on equity, higher market valuations, and stronger cash flows. In this particular episode, we amplify how leading Fortune 100 companies honor their DEI commitments by supporting local LGBTQ+ communities. In recent years, there has been a growing trend of businesses speaking out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. This is a positive development, as it sends a clear message to lawmakers that the vast majority of Americans support equality for all. There are a number of reasons why businesses should denounce anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.   • First, it's the right thing to do. LGBTQ+ people are just like everyone else, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.   • Second, it's good for business. A recent study found that businesses that are seen as supportive of LGBTQ+ rights are more likely to attract and retain top talent, as well as customers.   • Third, it's good for the economy. When businesses denounce anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, it sends a message that the United States is a welcoming place to do business. This can attract investment and jobs to the country.   Our guest today Belle Ives, will help business leaders recognize the enormous business opportunities available for brands of choice who show up for LGBTQ+ people and our communities. Belle is a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual, and she's been running her firm for five years, and she is the first openly LGBTQ+ advisor in the history of her Boston office. Through her time as an advisor, she has built a practice that focuses on working specifically with LGBTQ+ clientele. She is wildly passionate about empowering the pride community around their financial planning so that they can live confidently and purposefully in their own professional and personal life pursuits. Together, we'll explore NM's commitment to showing up for LGBTQ+ people and our communities throughout the U.S. Savor this insightful conversation, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders building more inclusive workplaces be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guests.   You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.   Want more insights on how to build LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace cultures that last?   Then register for our June 27th Pride Panel moderated by Rhodes Perry. The panel features some of today's most celebrated transgender DEI thought leaders including Celia Daniels, Gavriel Legynd, and Rex Wilde: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/pridepanel.

This episode is the 2nd of a three-part Pride at Work series, where we take a deeper dive into learning how one company, Northwestern Mutual, moved beyond performativity, and embraced impactful actions that have led to meaningful progress. NM, along with other brands of choice, know the competitive advantage of creating a more LGBTQ+ inclusive culture.  Specifically, they know that LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces are:   1) Better at retaining and attracting talent from underrepresented groups at work.   2) Capable of building brand strength and consumer loyalty.   3) Skillful at unlocking innovation, creativity, and business success.   These three factors lead to stronger financial performance – specifically, better share price performance, higher return on equity, higher market valuations, and stronger cash flows.   In this particular episode, we amplify how LGBTQ+ inclusive companies build brand strength and consumer loyalty when they show up for LGBTQ+ people and our communities, especially during these challenging times when so many states are introducing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that is bad for business. Afterall, the LGBTQ+ community is a powerful force in the economy. In the US, LGBTQ+ consumers spend an estimated $1 Trillion (with a T!) annually. There are a number of reasons why brands of choice ought to consider building more inclusive organizations for LGBTQ+ employees and their customers.   • First, the number of LGBTQ+ adults in the US is expected to reach 30 million by 2025, which means there's a significant market opportunity to provide culturally specific products and services.   • Second, LGBTQ+ consumers are loyal. We are more likely to spend our hard-earned money with businesses that they feel are supportive of our community. We're more likely to recommend those businesses to their friends and family.   • Third, LGBTQ+ consumers are affluent. On the whole, we tend to have higher incomes and higher levels of education than the general population. This means that we're more likely to spend money on discretionary items, such as travel, dining out, and entertainment.   In today's interview we are speaking with Northwestern Mutual – Park Avenue Financial Advisor, Matthew Erickson, whose practice focuses on the growth, visibility and prosperity of the LGBTQ+ community.    His relationship to Northwestern Mutual has led to his work on the Field Advisory Council for the LGBTQ+ segment for the company. He has worked closely with specialized medical risk in rolling out the Northwestern Mutual HIV+ programs now in place, has helped change and update underwriting procedures for the transgender community, and is the financial planning resource specializing in adoption, surrogacy and IVF planning with the organization Gays with Kids.   Matt offers powerful tips empowering your business to enjoy the power of LGBTQ+ consumer spending and boost your business profits.   Savor these insightful conversations, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders building more inclusive workplaces be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guests.   You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.   Want more insights on how to build LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace cultures that last? Register for our June 27th Pride Panel moderated by Rhodes Perry. The panel features some of today's most celebrated transgender DEI thought leaders including Celia Daniels, Gavriel Legynd, and Rex Wilde:    https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/pridepanel.

Since the rise of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the late 1960s, the experiences of LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace have dynamically shifted. Over these past five decades, LGBTQ+ employees have benefited from workplace protections, greater social visibility, and acceptance in most workplaces. Given all of these gains, many falsely believe LGBTQ+ employees have equal access to jobs, promotions, and stretch assignments they are qualified for. Many more also falsely believe that LGBTQ+ employees can no longer be fired, denied a promotion, or even a job interview simply because of who they are. Tragically, today's reality presents a different story:   • According to the Human Rights Watch, “at least 68 countries still have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults,” and “at least 9 countries have national laws criminalizing forms of gender expression that target transgender & nonbinary people.” Legal punishments vary including life imprisonment and even the death penalty.   • While most workplaces recognize that discrimination has no place in business, let alone society, critical gaps in legal protections still remain and create barriers to building LGBTQ+ inclusive cultures at work. Specifically, the U.S. still lacks a federal law protecting employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and even in states and localities that do offer these protections, transforming workplace culture to fully include LGBTQ+ workers remains unfinished.   Thankfully, many leading Fortune 100 businesses have a long history of recognizing the value LGBTQ+ employees add to their company's culture. Many brands of choice have made significant strides championing LGBTQ+ inclusive cultures, beyond the performativity of pride celebrations – AKA, “food, fun, and famous people.” Many of these organizations are leaning into innovative and impactful ideas by asking and listening to their LGBTQ+ employees on ways to truly roll out the rainbow welcome mat. In this three-part interview series, we'll take a deeper dive into learning how one company, Northwestern Mutual, moved beyond performativity, and embraced impactful actions that have led to meaningful progress; specifically, the company provides greater access to leadership, stretch opportunities and influence for their LGBTQ+ employees. Leaning on the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ employees, leaders at NM contribute to building more LGBTQ+ practices and systems in a responsible way.   In our first interview of three…we'll be speaking to Gina Pagan, a Financial Advisor at NM. Her practice primarily focuses on serving diverse markets with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ planning. As a leader, she both mentors and develops new advisors within the firm and is heavily involved in diversity and inclusion efforts at Northwestern Mutual, both locally and nationwide.   Together, Gina and I will explore the NM employee experience, learning first-hand from Gina's perspective on how the company is committed to rolling out the rainbow welcome mat for LGBTQ+ prospective employees.   Savor this insightful conversation, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders building more inclusive workplaces be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care.    You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.   Want more insights on how to build LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace cultures that last?    Then register for our June 27th Pride Panel moderated by Rhodes Perry. The panel features some of today's most celebrated transgender DEI thought leaders including Celia Daniels, Gavriel Legynd, and Rex Wilde: https://belongingatwork.kartra.com/page/pridepanel.

Hello & Welcome to the Imagine Belonging at Work Podcast brought to you by Rhodes Perry Consulting…I'm your host, Rhodes Perry. Since the start of the Pandemic, anti-Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate has surged at an unprecedented rate in the U.S.  The previous Presidential Administration's racist and divisive language linked COVID-19 to AAPI communities, further exacerbating this surge. DEI leaders like us play a critical role in raising awareness and taking workplace specific actions to support our AAPI colleagues. Yet, 3 years into the pandemic, far too many workplaces still remain silent.   Today, we will explore meaningful actions that we can take using our relative power privilege, along with actions our peers can take, to support our AAPI colleagues.  As you listen to this episode, I invite you to take a look back over the past 12 months and ask yourselves the following questions:   What can I do to learn more about anti-AAPI hate, bias, and discrimination – particularly with how it shows up at work?   How can I unlearn misconceptions and biases I may have about AAPI people and communities?    "How can I support AAPI communities near me? Donations? Pro bono work? Attending community events?...in other words, what's available to me?   And lastly, "What will I do if I witness an act of hate, bias, or discrimination in my workplace, my community, or my family?      Seeking answers to these questions is an action you are uniquely situated to take – you are uniquely positioned to take this action even if it feels clumsy, imperfect, or incomplete. As you work to answer these questions, engaging in trusted conversations with those you have proximity to are perhaps some of the best ways to show up and support AAPI people right now. To build up your knowledge, skills, and confidence, I am honored to share this conversation the Belonging Membership Community had with Lillian Tsai last May. If you're not familiar with Lillian's work, here's a bit about her impressive background: Lillian was born and raised in Malaysian Borneo to a former Davis Cup tennis player and a superintendent of Chinese schools. She is an award-winning consultant, facilitator, trainer, coach, and keynote speaker on cross-cultural fluency, intercultural communications, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She works with C level executives, DEI committees, conducts organizational assessments, team interventions, and specializes in coaching women, people of color, and leaders of diverse teams. Prior to starting her own company, TsaiComms LLC, in 2002, she spent 25 years in global high-tech marketing and communications which culminated in an expatriate assignment in Germany. As some of you know, Lillian is a friend of our Belonging Membership Community and is a seasoned DEI thought leader. Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Lillian, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest. To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com Everyday actions offered to the Belonging at Work Community: 1.    Inform yourself about what anti-AAPI hatred is & why it is occurring. 2.    Share safety tips to support your AAPI colleagues. 3.    Issue a workplace statement denouncing anti-AAPI racism. 4.    Support AAPI-owned businesses through supplier diversity efforts. 5.    Donate to help respond to the surge in AAPI racism & xenophobia Now, let's jump into the conversation!  

In this week's Good Vibes, in honor of yesterday's Transgender Day of Visibility, I'd like to introduce you to some amazing transgender business owners, many of whom are authors. I hope you'll consider following and supporting them:Celia Daniels (she/her)I am an Asian Indian trans woman of color who is an entrepreneur, public speaker, activist, motivator, musician, artist, photographer, and filmmaker. Growing up as a lonely closeted kid from Southern India with stigma, discrimination, and gender dysphoria, I write and speak passionately about the struggles and challenges I faced in my family, work, school, and community both in the US and India. Visit Celia's Linkedin pageRobbie Samuels (he/him)I'm an event design consultant and executive Zoom producer, with a passion for creating engaging and unforgettable experiences. With two decades of experience in the meetings and events industry, I have honed my skills in designing and executing events that leave a lasting impression. I'm openly trans and own a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise. Visit Robbie's Linkedin pageAshley Brundage (she/her)I advanced my career from a part-time bank teller to a vice president of the national diversity and inclusion team at PNC Bank in less than 5 years. I celebrated my authenticity, and empowered myself, and others, to create a stronger community…Everyone's journey will look different, but these methods can produce similar results and the takeaways of the book (Empowering Differences) can be applied to anyone. Visit Ashley's Linkedin pageLily Zheng (they/them)I help leaders achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion as real and measurable outcomes of organizations, rather than just the aspirational intentions of individuals. My clients are organizations and leaders of organizations looking for approaches grounded in data of all kinds, rooted in outcomes and effectiveness, and informed by a systemic approach to organizational problem-solving. Visit Lily's Linkedin pageRhodes Perry (he/him)I help leaders build psychological safety, trust, and belonging at work. I created the Belonging at Work Summit, an annual virtual conference empowering DEI practitioners to build community, gain new skills, and recommit to building healthier workplace cultures. Visit Rhodes' Linkedin pageCall to Action:Follow some of the amazing people above and buy their books. And, please, please let your transgender employees know that you've got their backs. Here are Rhodes Perry's tips on Ways You Can Show Up for Your Transgender and Nonbinary Colleagues. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

Rhodes Perry is a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader. He has two decades of leadership experience having worked at the White House, the Department of Justice, and PFLAG National. As the founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting, a LGBTQ+ diverse supplier, his team is on a mission to help leaders, visionaries, and change makers build psychological safety, trust, and belonging at work.

www.RhodesPerry.com

Rhodes believes in the power of authenticity at work. He loves putting this belief into practice by helping leaders and those on their way to joining them build belonging at work. Learn more about Rhodes background here. With two decades of change management experience, Rhodes helps leaders from broad range of sectors including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments by building psychological safety, trust and belonging in their organizations. Graceful leadership comes from a place of confidence and humility. Combine those qualities with passion and a deep understanding of the needs of LGBTQ young people navigating the challenges of poverty and you have Rhodes. I ve learned so much from watching Rhodes lead my Agency, helping us improve our services for LGBTQ communities. Gladys Carri n, Esq., Commissioner, NYC Administration for Children s Services As one of the nation s smartest experts on transgender policy matters, Rhodes offers an important perspective to ensure that the needs and concerns of transgender and gender non-conforming people are appropriately represented. Through his work, he s helped implement life-saving policies by connecting key stakeholders with concrete practices to improve the well-being of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Mara Keisling, Executive Director, The National Center for Transgender Equality

How do you find a company where you feel connected, supported, and have a sense of pride in your accomplishments? Find Your Dream Job guest Rhodes Perry suggests identifying your values and researching potential employers to see if they share those values. Talk to current and former employees and ask specific questions about how teams function in the organization. Find out if the work environment is one that promotes safety, both physical and psychological. Rhodes also emphasizes finding an employer who truly values what you can bring to the job.  About Our Guest: Rhodes Perry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhodesperry/) is a bestselling author, podcast host, and award-winning social entrepreneur. Rhodes is also the author of the new book, Imagine Belonging: Your Inclusive Leadership Guide to Building an Equitable Workplace (https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-Belonging-Inclusive-Leadership-Equitable/dp/1951591739/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15VO4WVVJTKCN&keywords=imagine+belonging&qid=1660086956&s=books&sprefix=imagine+belon%2Cstripbooks%2C141&sr=1-1). Resources in This Episode: Hear more from Rhodes Perry and other entrepreneurs on his podcast, The Out Entrepreneur (https://www.rhodesperry.com/podcast).  From our Sponsor: Find Your Dream Job is brought to you by TopResume.(http://macslist.org/topresume) Top Resume has helped more than 400,000 professionals land more interviews and get hired faster. Get a free review of your resume today from one of Top Resume's expert writers. (http://macslist.org/topresume)

In Belonging at Work, Rhodes Perry's bestselling book, he writes about the power of being a possibility model to empower those of us who still find the idea of being a leader out of reach, out of sight, and even out of mind. A possibility model is a person who reveals one way of being human in the world that deeply resonates with another person who may share a social identity and/or a lived experience with this person. The phrase, “you have to see it to be it,” helps one recognize the power and significance of possibility models. For those of us who experience exclusion simply because of who we are – perhaps we are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, a person with a disability, an immigrant, or perhaps we live at these intersections - possibility models matter when it comes to politics, entertainment, sports, and even the workplace. We have to see it to be it… And we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to chat with Caitlin Copple Masingill, Founding Partner of Full Swing PR, who will share why she's on a mission to amplify the leadership of BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ leaders (and those at these intersections) so that they can make a positive impact on our world. During this conversation, Caitlin and Rhodes explore her commitment to helping underestimated and historically excluded leaders unlock the power of their influence so that they can serve as the leaders we have been waiting for – leaders that fully reflect our rapidly changing workforce throughout all levels of large and small workplaces alike. A few key highlights from this conversation include:Exploring what possibility models mean to Caitlin and why she's so passionate about amplifying the leadership of BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ leaders (and those at these intersections) in workplaces around the globe.Abandoning old models of leadership by transforming the narrative of what it means to be an effective, successful, and inspiring leader in 2022.Learning about the existing barriers that make it difficult to transform old notions of what it means to be a leader, and ideas on how to get started.Sharing guidance on how we can amplify this new narrative of what it means to be a leader in today's (and future) workplaces.Making the specific case as to why the lived experiences of underestimated and historically leaders is a “value add” for any organization as it works to remain relevant in today's rapidly evolving world.Overcoming imposter syndrome to empower any of us who resonate with Caitlin's message to fully share our talents with the world.Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Caitlin, be sure to check out the Belonging Membership Community – community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com

When it comes to scaling and advancing our DEI commitments, technology holds many promises, and even more pitfalls. Many DEI-focused technologies make bold claims about their ability to root out biases, particularly in HR functions. Yet, experienced DEI professionals recognize that while technology does have the power to advance and scale our goals, without important oversight, the very biases this technologies aim to upend can become exacerbated by them. During this episode, Vivienne Ming offers oversight strategies to keep these technologies in check. Vivienne is a theoretical neuroscientist, technologist, and the co-founder of Socos, a company that combines machine learning and cognitive neuroscience to maximize life outcomes. Rhodes and Vivienne engage in an honest discussion that introduces you to a few of the technologies being used by DEI professionals to help advance their goals, and they will also highlight their specific limitations as an important reminder that technology alone is not a panacea to overcome biases at work. After you listen, please be sure to explore these additional resources: Read this Workforce Solutions Review, The Power & Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence by Rhodes Perry & Bernadette Smith: shorturl.at/ktUX4.Subscribe to the Imagine Belonging at Work Newsletter: https://www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe.Leave an honest rating and review of the show: http://www.imaginebelongingatwork.com/.

People without children, as a collective community, have yet to be recognized as a marginalized group, within the framework of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). How do we begin to imagine the experience of truly belonging in the environments we work, and beyond? What does it mean when organizations focus on only specific aspects within the spectrum of DEIB frameworks? ‘Diversity' and ‘Inclusion' seem to be most often used in naming such initiatives, leaving ‘Equity' and “Belonging' out of the equation, which is both curious and perhaps telling of organizational culture, from the start. ‘Belonging' appears to be most often excluded from this framework. And if not for belonging and equity, what is the true underpinning of the DEIB framework? Today's guest is an expert on belonging in the workplace, and is nationally recognized as a diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader. Rhodes Perry has written two incredible books on this topic, ‘Belonging at Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization' (2018), and ‘Imagine Belonging: Your Inclusive Leadership Guide to Building an Equitable Workplace' (2022). We will discuss what is key to creating a culture of belonging, and what this means for people without children. We will also examine the experience of social exclusion and the related individual and organizational impact of not choosing to create a culture of belonging, in the workplace.

Laurie Battaglia is CEO of Aligned at Work and her personal mission it to wake up leaders of organizations who think they can delay inevitable change. She is a futurist, a strategist, and a connector of people and resources. She believes in balancing people and profit in business for a sustainable future. A lot of times we think in terms of our teams needing either leadership training or diversity training when in reality they are the same thing. Great leaders must have an eye on diversity and inclusion because people coming into the workforce expect that. It's no longer a "nice to have." It must be integrated into the workplace. So in this episode we're talking about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and how it intersects with leadership and management. What you will learn ... It's about more than hiring diverse people; it's about including them. How inclusion has evolved into belonging What is JEDI (and it has nothing to do with Star Wars!) How you can become a JEDI leader in your organization Why it's important to have experiences, be an observer, before you have an opinion Resources [BOOK] Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization by Rhodes Perry, MPA [BOOK] Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work: Here's Why ... and How to Do it Really Well by Melissa Doman, MA Belonging At Work Summit (online DEI event): https://www.belongingatworksummit.com/ Laurie's Website: https://alignedatwork.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriebattaglia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alignedatwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alignedatwork YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC95fhX57K2BQAQ7WvdQrdvg Get the full show notes and more information here: https://unleashedconsult.com/podcast/ Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2022 Danny Ceballos

As you give yourself permission to boldly imagine belonging at work on a global scale, how do you know if your organization is successfully moving in the direction to activate this vision? Have you all identified indicators that would suggest your organization is on track, and what do you all do if you find yourselves drifting far away from your bold vision? These are some of the questions many workplaces often ask before they even attempt to establish a bold vision that upends the status quo. Which leads to this big question: how do we measure what matters, if we haven't yet defined what success feels like on a full sensory level? If you're interested in exploring these critical questions while receiving guidance on how to establish metrics to activate your belonging at work vision, then you'll want to listen to this episode featuring a panel discussion Rhodes Perry moderated on July 5, 2022 all about Measuring What Matters. After listening to this episode, you will gain powerful insights from a panel of DEI thought leaders, including Malissa Adams and Cecilia Stanton Adams for the Diversity Institute, and Jamie Strong, Senior Consultant from Inturvey. After listening to these panelists, you will gain essential knowledge, skills, and confidence to begin measuring what matters to benchmark success. Specifically, you will: • Learn why establishing a bold vision for transforming your workplace culture is the first essential action to take prior to benchmarking your successes.• Recognize why clarifying what you want in your workplace culture, what's worked well in the past, and naming how you will get there will help clarify the path forward.• Gain awareness of available diversity, equity, and inclusion metrics beyond employee demographics that will help you build a culture of belonging. • Feel empowered with new knowledge, skills and confidence about how you can begin benchmarking your successes as you activate your belonging vision.After listening to this episode, be sure to subscribe to the show and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. When you do, you'll be entered into an exclusive drawing where you will have the chance to travel to Portland Oregon for a one-day inclusive leadership strategic planning session with me and my team! We'll be selecting this winner during our 4th Annual Belonging at Work Summit running July 11 – 15. You can register for the 100% free and virtual Summit here: www.belongingatworksummit.com Thanks for growing the #BelongingMovementP.S. Have guest recommendations? Let Rhodes know by leaving a comment on his website: www.imaginebelongingatwork.com under the “Ask Rhodes” tab.

Tune in for a conversation with Jennifer and Rhodes Perry as Jennifer discusses her upcoming presentation at the Belonging at Work Summit. Jennifer reveals the need to gain strategies on how to artfully push back and establish the boundaries we need to resist the growing backlash to the progress DEI leaders continue to make in our workplaces. 

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with DEI thought leader and author, Rhodes Perry, about the benefits of fostering belonging and inclusion in our workplaces–and the costs when we don't. They discuss how to build power, understand exclusion, and steps you can take to actively make things better.

88. Rhodes Perry - Belonging at Work “The workplace can be a place where we are able to break through this feeling of loneliness.” Guest Info: Rhodes Perry, MPA (he/him) is a bestselling author, sought-after keynoter, and an award-winning social entrepreneur. Nationally recognized as a diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader, he has 20 years of leadership experience having worked at the White House, the Department of Justice, and PFLAG National. Media outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press have featured his powerful work. He serves as the Founding CEO of Rhodes Perry Consulting, a global leadership and management consulting firm helping visionaries and change makers build psychological safety, trust, and belonging at work.   Rhodes' team partners with leading brands including Genentech, PNC Bank, and Kellogg's along with government agencies like the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Department of Interior and larger nonprofits including the American Red Cross, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Together, the firm co-creates transformative change management solutions building equitable cultures centering those least likely to feel a strong sense of psychological safety and trust on the job. The firm specializes in executive coaching, leadership development, DEI capacity building, and strategic planning solutions.   Rhodes created and hosts the annual Belonging at Work Summit, a virtual DEI conference empowering inclusive leaders to build community, gain new skills, and recommit to building healthier workplace cultures. He is also the creator and host of the popular podcasts, Imagine Belonging at Work and The Out Entrepreneur. Together, these shows have empowered over 150,000 inclusive leaders - and those on their way to joining them - in building workplace cultures of belonging. Rhodes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Gender Studies from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Administration from New York University. He currently serves on the National LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce's Transgender Inclusion Task Force, on the University of Notre Dame's Alumni Rainbow Community Board, and on the Cascade AIDS Project's Board of Directors Rhodes spends his free time bicycling world-wide from the French Alps to his hometown peaks in the Cascades and welcomes suggestions for his next great cycling adventure. More about Rhodes may be found at www.rhodesperry.com. Favorite Quote: “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” — Angela Y. Davis R.O.G. Takeaway Tips: How well do we model the four ingredients of belonging? How are we recognizing, rewarding and honoring all that our talent brings to the workplace? How well do we enable others to feel connected authentically?  How are we invested in psychological safety so we can ask for help, admit mistakes and offer constructive feedback without fear of negative consequences. Pide and purpose. How do we enable a feeling of alignment  with the bigger mission and purpose of the organization? Three other things we can do: Intentionally practice using gender inclusive language.   Do your work. Self-educate.  Keep your heart and mind open.  Thank you for being loyal listeners of ROG. Beginning in July, after the Pride series, ROG is taking a summer break. and will return on August 30th with a recap of the first half of 2022 and an update on what's ahead for the duration of this year.  Resources: RhodesPerry.com Rhodes Perry on LinkedIn (in/RhodesPerry) Rhodes Perry - ConsciousLeaders.Com LinkedIn Learning - Understanding and Supporting LGBTQ+ Employees Build a Gender Inclusive Workplace: Ways You Can Show Up for Your Transgender and Nonbinary Colleagues  Have Our Backs: Show Up for Your Transgender & Nonbinary Colleagues We've Got Your Backs: Show Up for Your Transgender & Nonbinary Colleagues Network Diversity Index (NDI) How the LGBTQ+ community fares in the workplace Coming Next: Episode 88: we will be joined by Amber Hikes, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer · ACLU Credits: Rhodes Perry, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

87. Cathleen Quigley - Understanding Transgender Identity and Transition “Listen to how they perceive themselves and try to give them the benefit of the doubt that they know better about themselves than you do.” Guest Info: Cathleen Thomas Quigley is a transwoman engineer, performer, philanthropist and activist. She attended high school in Athens, Georgia before graduating with degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1984. She started the Residential Broadband Business Unit at Broadcom Corporation in 1996 and drove the development of the first DOCSIS Cable Modem, Cable Modem Termination System and integrated digital video integrated circuits and systems. She is a named inventor on over one hundred fifty US and European patents covering many of the building blocks of DOCSIS cable systems, as well as numerous digital video, mesh computing, mobile and wireless communication concepts. After retiring from Broadcom's Office of the CTO in 2008, she has consulted in and served as an expert witness in broadband technology. Prior to Broadcom, she developed data communications chips and some of the first 100mb Ethernet chips for National Semiconductor and participated in the IEEE 802.3u and 802.14 standards activities. She is a Broadcom Fellow and has been honored by her alma mater, the Georgia Institute of Technology, as a member of the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni and Council of Outstanding Young Engineers. She runs the Quigley Family Foundation and serves on various non-profit boards including the College of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. After too many years among engineers and scientists, she became a singer/songwriter and has released a CD called “Aversion to Reason” which, thankfully, is out of circulation. An avid guitarist, she sings and performs in a variety of venues mainly in Georgia where she lives with her standard poodle, Ruby. Favorite Quote: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" —  Arthur C. Clarke R.O.G. Takeaway Tips: Learn and practice the language of inclusion.  Acroynms and Terms:  LGBT,  LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+ means: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/ Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Ally.  The + intends to include those not specific to one of those identities.   Sexual orientation is who you are attracted to intimately.  Sexual or gender identity is gender you identify as your own. Male, female, binary, fluid, etc.  Cisgender is the term used to describe someone who identifies with the gender assigned at birth. Cathleen was assigned male at birth and identifies as a female. The trans community is the most discriminated against and marginalized. Especially those who are BIPOC Transgender community. Learn about people from other communities; to be your best and most authentic self and create workplaces where everyone belongs. Resources: Transgender FAQ Glaad.org — Transgender Reference A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth Understanding Gender Identities Understanding Transgender People: The Basics The Truth About Trans Coming Next: Episode 88: We will be joined by Rhodes Perry. Credits: Cathleen Quigley, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

On this episode of THRIVE — sponsored by accessiBe — Kelly and Rhodes Perry discuss how each agency leader can transform their culture into one of belonging and inclusion over time.Rhodes Perry and I cover these points and more:How Rhodes felt the challenges he faced in the beginning of his career led to his work;Why self-actualization is so powerful and how to examine ourselves to be better leaders;What the deeper reason of why DEI work fails, and the most common pushbacks;Examples of how this work is never done, and why it's a decades' long experience;Taking the risk to utilize the courage to share your story in order to model vulnerability.Be sure to tune in to all the episodes of THRIVE to get practical tips on becoming a conscious leader, growing your agency, and more. Thanks for listening, and I'd love to hear your takeaways!If you enjoyed this episode, post it in your stories and tag me @agencyscaler. And don't forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast wherever you listen.Learn more about THRIVE at https://klcampbell.com/category/podcast/ and https://accessibe.com/thrive CONNECT WITH GUEST NAME:WebsiteTwitterLinkedInPodcastCONNECT WITH KELLY CAMPBELL:LinkedInInstagramTwitterWork with Kelly 

People without children, as a collective community, have yet to be recognized as a marginalized group, within the framework of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). How do we begin to imagine the experience of truly belonging in the environments we work, and beyond? What does it mean when organizations focus on only specific aspects within the spectrum of DEIB frameworks? ‘Diversity' and ‘Inclusion' seem to be most often used in naming such initiatives, leaving ‘Equity' and “Belonging' out of the equation, which is both curious and perhaps telling of organizational culture, from the start. ‘Belonging' appears to be most often excluded from this framework. And if not for belonging and equity, what is the true underpinning of the DEIB framework? Today's guest is an expert on belonging in the workplace, and is nationally recognized as a diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader. Rhodes Perry has written two incredible books on this topic, ‘Belonging at Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization' (2018), and ‘Imagine Belonging: Your Inclusive Leadership Guide to Building an Equitable Workplace' (2022). We will discuss what is key to creating a culture of belonging, and what this means for people without children. We will also examine the experience of social exclusion and the related individual and organizational impact of not choosing to create a culture of belonging, in the workplace.

My guest this week is an out transman, who has committed his life to helping people find belonging. He is an author, speaker, corporate trainer and all around powerful and lovely human being. Every time I speak with him I learn something new and this episode is no exception. He shares about being handed white male privilege, and how every person can use their position of power to make places safer and more inclusive for all. I'm grateful for him as a fellow educator and activist and happy to call him my friend. It is my honor and joy to introduce you to Rhodes Perry. If you would like to see more of Rhode Perry's work, you can find it here: https://www.rhodesperry.com Show your support for these conversations and have the opportunity to join them here: https://patreon.com/thegenderrevealparty. Each week a new episode will be released with another human being that has something to say about gender. My goal is to convey that gender is a construct that was all made up and it's way more fluid than any of us can fathom. Gender and genitals are NOT the same thing. These weekly stories are about gender reveal. I hope that you will soak up the stories of our guests and share them with an intention to educate others and love the differences. It's been my calling for years to love the transphobia out of our human systems. Thanks for sharing in my purpose.

In this episode, guest Rhodes Perry joins me to uncover the role inclusive leaders play when it comes to building belonging cultures in the nonprofit workplace. The post Ep 156: How Leaders Can Promote Belonging In the Workplace (with Rhodes Perry) appeared first on Joan Garry Nonprofit Leadership.

In this episode, guest Rhodes Perry joins me to uncover the role inclusive leaders play when it comes to building belonging cultures in the nonprofit workplace.

In this episode, guest Rhodes Perry joins me to uncover the role inclusive leaders play when it comes to building belonging cultures in the nonprofit workplace.

In a study presented by The Trevor Project, 85% of trans and nobinary youth have mentioned that the recent debates about their lived experience has negatively impacted their mental health. It is important to know and take into consideration that parents are making decisions for their children in a time where systems are displaying conflicting messages. For families raising LGBTQ+ children, political decisions can have major personal impacts. This week's conversation addresses the current political climate and conversations surrounding LGBTQ+ journeys, parents' concerns, and aims to normalize the LGBTQ+ experience.Dr. Laura Anderson brings on this week's guest Rhodes Perry to share his expertise and perspectives of being a trans person. Rhodes Perry is an award winning social entrepreneur, sought after speaker, podcast host, and a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ thought leader.What you will learn:Each of us establishes a gender identity and sexual orientationThe importance of developing an antenna to find spaces that are safeWays that cigender and straight people can use their privilege to say no to the negative narrativeAdults can bear the brunt of the learning and discomfort so that kids don't have toThere is hope!- from the perspective of a happy, healthy transgender adultResources:PFLAG National Org https://pflag.orgThe Trevor Project https://www.thetrevorproject.org

If you have ever felt disconnected, excluded, or that you just didn't matter at work, than this podcast is for you. Your host, Rhodes Perry, bestselling author of Imagine Belonging, connects you with inclusive leaders, visionaries, and change makers.This show was created for people like you – inclusive leaders, DEI professionals, visionaries, and change makers. In this podcast, we dare to imagine workplace cultures that have yet to exist…until now.It recognizes that leading this kind of transformative work can be both thrilling and intimidating.You'll hear inspiring stories from inclusive leaders who have boldly imagined a new way to lead, build teams, and structure the future of work.You'll learn how they moved beyond their limiting beliefs, giving themselves permission to envision and then build an enduring culture of belonging at work.This kind of proven visioning work results in powerful individual and organizational transformation. During your daily commute, workout, or leisure time, allow Rhodes Perry to share actionable advice, and introduce you to some of the today's most inspiring DEI thought leaders, all while modeling ways to lead with vulnerability as they bring their full selves to these conversations.Each episode explores the journey of the successful inclusive leader who reflects on the ups and downs of building belonging at work, all in an effort to inspire you to take action, and unapologetically bring as much of your authentic self to work, as you desire.

Ever feel like you don’t belong? We probably all have felt that way at one point or another – at work or in social settings.   Today, on the Queer Profits Podcast, Rhodes Perry discusses how to create a sense of belonging at work and cultivate a more inclusive organization. Rhodes Perry shares his amazing story and you can’t help but be moved by his amazing spirit as he shows you in this interview what it truly means to live by the principles you teach. You’ll want to listen to the very end of this one… and that will be easy to do because Rhodes will simply draw you in.  Click to listen to full show notes: https://queerprofitspodcast.com/episode-15

In today’s podcast I speak with the inspiring Rhodes Perry, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate An Inclusive Organization. With two decades of change management experience, Rhodes helps leaders from a broad range of sectors including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments by building psychological safety, trust and belonging in their organizations.  In this podcast, Rhodes talks about his journey to hybrid publishing, and how he found the support of the right people to be in his corner as his cheerleaders. Rhodes and I discuss:  The importance of having pre-readers who he trusted and admired to give honest feedback on the book before it went out into the world.  The unexpected and wonderful ways his book has resonated with readers globally.  How writing his own story led to further connection with trans and non-binary audiences, and how by sharing his views on the topic, he has helped others who relate to his voice, his perspective, and their shared experience.

In this episode, originally recorded at the Belonging at Work Summit, Jennifer Brown is joined by Rhodes Perry, founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting and Joel Brown, Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos, as they discuss the importance of self-care. Discover how to develop sustainable self-care practices and increase your resilience. 

In this episode, originally recorded as a DEI community call, Rhodes Perry, the Founder and CEO of Rhodes Perry Consulting, interviewed Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, the author of the award-winning book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead, and Founder of the Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women. The timing of this particular conversation felt extra poignant, given that the call landed on Black Women's Equal Pay Day: a date that marks the number of days a Black woman must work into the year to earn what her white male counterpart earned in the previous year. Discover how can we form alliances and coalitions and work together strategically so all of us can rise together to create lasting change. 

Rhodes Perry believes in the power of authenticity at work and he puts this belief into practice through his leadership & management consulting firm. He has two decades of government and nonprofit experience having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. Media outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Associated Press have featured his powerful work. He also hosts a weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur. He talks about family meals, veggie lasagna, and dark chocolate.  

Rhodes Perry is an award winning social entrepreneur, sought after speaker, and a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader. Media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and The Huffington Post have featured his powerful work as a diversity, equity, and inclusion expert. He is the founder and CEO of Rhodes Perry Consulting (RPC), a firm established to support leaders, change agents, and visionaries in corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies cultivate workplace cultures of belonging. Rhodes is also the host and creator of the popular podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, a weekly podcast that amplifies the power of LGBTQ business owners from around the globe. Through his entrepreneurial pursuits, he leverages his belief in the power of bringing authenticity into the workplace. His book, Belonging at Work, empowers business leaders, change agents, visionaries, and those on their way to joining them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build inclusive organizations. 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

Are you a small business looking to grow? Look no further. On this week's show, Kronda Adair talks about creating marketing systems to scale your business. About Kronda Adair Kronda Adair is the founder of Karvel Digital, an agency that helps mission-driven service based businesses automate their marketing to create a predictable sales pipeline. She is a regular speaker at WordPress meetups and WordCamps and has been featured on podcasts such as The Kim Doyal Show, and The Out Entrepreneur with Rhodes Perry. Her latest project is Content Bootcamp, a 10-week online intensive to teach overwhelmed entrepreneurs how to create and use content as an asset that saves time and sells for you. When she’s not working, she can be found enjoying time at home with her wife, two cats, and Vizsla puppy, reading dead-tree books, riding one of her five bikes, or enjoying the postcard vistas of the state of Oregon. https://karveldigital.com http://kronda.com Tools: https://karveldigital.com/tools Connect with Kronda on Social Media: https://facebook.com/karveldigital http://twitter.com/karveldigital https://www.linkedin.com/in/krondaadair

Rhodes Perry, consultant, author and podcaster, joins the program to discuss his own journey of being a transgender man in the workplace and what he has learned from his experiences. He reveals how creating a culture of belonging in the workplace can leader to greater innovation and productivity and explains why transgender and non-binary people can act as bridges when it comes to gender conversations. He also discusses practical steps that leaders and allies can take to create positive change.

Rhodes Perry is a fierce, out entrepreneur. His journey, however, was not always an easy one. After experiencing gender dysphoria at a young age, Rhodes eventually identified as transgender and stepped confidently into the world. Tune in to hear Rhodes' story and learn about the importance of creating a culture of belonging and working towards equity for everyone. Detailed Show Notes Here.

Kronda Adair Kronda Adair helps mission-driven businesses succeed online. Helping her clients authentically share their expertise as digital content is a key part of this mission. Kronda and I talked about: her evolution from web developer to a full-service, results-oriented marketing agency her stealthy approach to eliciting content from her clients her new "Content Bootcamp" product how she helps her clients with their communication strategy: crafting a good offer that solves a real problem, identifying the right audience, and polishing the messaging the conversational style she uses to understand her clients and their customers and translating that into an actionable content plan how she helps clients move from "media speak" to "just you" - their authentic self and voice her "gentle kick in the butt" technique to help her clients to actually get started executing her focus on the "why," "the reason for doing it has to be bigger than the fear" how she became a resource guru - as speaker, she often offers a prize if anyone can ask a question for which she doesn't already have a resource on her site how her second reading of "Work the System" by Sam Carpenter led her to become a process nerd and to start proselytizing and asking clients, "Have you accepted documentation and process as your personal savior?" how the only way to get past overwhelm is to become more efficient - is to document your processes - both for yourself and for folks you outsource to how good content can pre-sell you and your services - her ultimate goal is helping her clients become "that obvious choice" her new nickname, "Kronda-pedia" some of her favorite resources to help drive content creation how making content creation a habit can normalize the process and reduce the pressure on the creator the importance of separating content planning from content creation Kronda's Bio Kronda Adair is the founder of Karvel Digital, an agency that helps mission-driven service based businesses automate their marketing to create a predictable sales pipeline. She is a regular speaker at WordPress meetups and WordCamps and has been featured on podcasts such as The Kim Doyal Show, and The Out Entrepreneur with Rhodes Perry. Her latest project is Content Bootcamp, a 10-week online intensive to teach overwhelmed entrepreneurs how to create and use content as an asset that saves time and sells for you. When she's not working, she can be found enjoying time at home with her wife, two cats, and Vizsla puppy, reading dead-tree books, riding one of her five bikes, or enjoying the postcard vistas of the state of Oregon. [Kronda talks in our interview about the importance of always being helpful. For example, there's that time she jumped on stage to help Ani DiFranco recall the lyrics to one of her songs.] Video Here's the video version of our conversation: https://youtu.be/Kmejd3wjYNE Transcript Larry: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode number 37 of The Content Strategy Insights podcast. I'm really delighted today to have with us Kronda Adair. Kronda is a digital marketer and strategist down in Portland, Oregon. She runs her own small agency down there. She does a lot of other interesting things as well. I'll let Kronda tell you a little bit more about herself. Kronda: All right, thanks, Larry. Yeah, so, January is actually my sixth anniversary of being in business. I started out as a developer, just making WordPress sites for people. As the years went on, I've kind of evolved over time into different things, as I saw that just making websites wasn't really helping people as much as I wanted. Then I started studying marketing, and getting into digital marketing and going in that direction. Kronda: I feel like I just keep swimming upstream towards the root problem. Because even with digital marketing, I found that, just creating websites for people,

Kronda Adair Kronda Adair helps mission-driven businesses succeed online. Helping her clients authentically share their expertise as digital content is a key part of this mission. Kronda and I talked about: her evolution from web developer to a full-service, results-oriented marketing agency her stealthy approach to eliciting content from her clients her new "Content Bootcamp" product how she helps her clients with their communication strategy: crafting a good offer that solves a real problem, identifying the right audience, and polishing the messaging the conversational style she uses to understand her clients and their customers and translating that into an actionable content plan how she helps clients move from "media speak" to "just you" - their authentic self and voice her "gentle kick in the butt" technique to help her clients to actually get started executing her focus on the "why," "the reason for doing it has to be bigger than the fear" how she became a resource guru - as speaker, she often offers a prize if anyone can ask a question for which she doesn't already have a resource on her site how her second reading of "Work the System" by Sam Carpenter led her to become a process nerd and to start proselytizing and asking clients, "Have you accepted documentation and process as your personal savior?" how the only way to get past overwhelm is to become more efficient - is to document your processes - both for yourself and for folks you outsource to how good content can pre-sell you and your services - her ultimate goal is helping her clients become "that obvious choice" her new nickname, "Kronda-pedia" some of her favorite resources to help drive content creation how making content creation a habit can normalize the process and reduce the pressure on the creator the importance of separating content planning from content creation Kronda's Bio Kronda Adair is the founder of Karvel Digital, an agency that helps mission-driven service based businesses automate their marketing to create a predictable sales pipeline. She is a regular speaker at WordPress meetups and WordCamps and has been featured on podcasts such as The Kim Doyal Show, and The Out Entrepreneur with Rhodes Perry. Her latest project is Content Bootcamp, a 10-week online intensive to teach overwhelmed entrepreneurs how to create and use content as an asset that saves time and sells for you. When she’s not working, she can be found enjoying time at home with her wife, two cats, and Vizsla puppy, reading dead-tree books, riding one of her five bikes, or enjoying the postcard vistas of the state of Oregon. [Kronda talks in our interview about the importance of always being helpful. For example, there's that time she jumped on stage to help Ani DiFranco recall the lyrics to one of her songs.] Video Here’s the video version of our conversation: https://youtu.be/Kmejd3wjYNE Transcript Larry: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode number 37 of The Content Strategy Insights podcast. I'm really delighted today to have with us Kronda Adair. Kronda is a digital marketer and strategist down in Portland, Oregon. She runs her own small agency down there. She does a lot of other interesting things as well. I'll let Kronda tell you a little bit more about herself. Kronda: All right, thanks, Larry. Yeah, so, January is actually my sixth anniversary of being in business. I started out as a developer, just making WordPress sites for people. As the years went on, I've kind of evolved over time into different things, as I saw that just making websites wasn't really helping people as much as I wanted. Then I started studying marketing, and getting into digital marketing and going in that direction. Kronda: I feel like I just keep swimming upstream towards the root problem. Because even with digital marketing, I found that, just creating websites for people,

Rhodes Perry helps business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels cultivate workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is also a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with two decades of government and nonprofit experience, having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. In this episode, Rhodes shares what inspired him to pursue a career in diversity, equity and inclusion, his own personal diversity story, and how his book “Belonging At Work” empowers people to take action that will help them create inclusive cultures at their workplaces. For more information on Rhodes Perry Consulting, LLC, please visit www.rhodesperry.com Connect with Rhodes on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ Buy Rhodes' book “Belonging At Work” on Amazon February 2019: Join Rhodes’ 30 Day Belonging Challenge  Listen to Rhodes’ podcast, The Out Entrepreneur   Rhodes’ full bio: Rhodes Perry, MPA, believes in the power of authenticity at work. He puts this belief into practice by helping business leaders, change agents, and visionaries at all levels cultivate workplace cultures of belonging through his leadership & management consulting firm. He is an award winning social entrepreneur, best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. He is a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with two decades of government and nonprofit experience having worked at the White House, PFLAG National, and the City of New York. Media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and The Huffington Post have featured his powerful work as a diversity, equity, and inclusion subject matter expert. Rhodes also hosts a weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, which has empowered over 35,000 LGBTQ and ally entrepreneurs to pursue their professional passions and build the businesses of their dreams. Rhodes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Gender Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Public Administration from New York University. He spends his free time bicycling world-wide, hanging out with his family in Portland, Oregon, and serves on the Portland Human Rights Commission, the Portland Area Business Association’s Board, and the National Diversity Board for Studies Weekly.

This episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with Rhodes Perry, author of Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization. Human beings are wired to be social, which means feeling like we belong is actually essential to our physical and emotional health. In this interview we discuss some of the obstacles to "Belonging at Work" and practical steps toward improvement. Rhodes also shares the Platinum Rule: Treating others like THEY want to be treated, which I think should be applied in all aspects of our life. Please join me for this thought provoking conversation and check out Rhodes' excellent podcast, The Out Entrepreneur. Links and References: Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization by Rhodes Perry The Out Entrepreneur (one of my favorite podcasts) Project Implicit (free tests to uncover unconscious bias) Targeted Universalism Send me feedback at docartemis@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. Social Media Links: Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/booksandideas  

This episode of Graying Rainbows is an interview with Rhodes Perry, author of Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization. Human beings are wired to be social, which means feeling like we belong is actually essential to our physical and emotional health. In this interview we discuss some of the obstacles to "Belonging at Work" and practical steps toward improvement. Rhodes also shares the Platinum Rule: Treating others like THEY want to be treated, which I think should be applied in all aspects of our life. Please join me for this thought provoking conversation and check out Rhodes' excellent podcast, The Out Entrepreneur. Links and References: Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization by Rhodes Perry The Out Entrepreneur (one of my favorite podcasts) Project Implicit (free tests to uncover unconscious bias) Targeted Universalism Send me feedback at grayingrainbows@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. Social Media Links: Twitter: @GrayingR Facebook page: https://fb.me/grayingrainbows Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grayingrainbows

We all have our own insecurities about fitting in, in life and especially at work. It can be a frickin’ challenge when you don’t have the warm fuzzies that you can be part of the team and it gets in the way of how you contribute. Before you know it work sucks, your co-workers suck,…

Rhodes Perry is the author of "Belonging At Work", as well as an advocate and consultant promoting diversity in the workplace. Many recent studies have shown that companies that embrace and nurture diversity perform better financially. "Rhodes Perry brings concrete advice and solid analysis from experienced professionals in corporate, government, and non-profit sectors alike. Belonging at Work is both a treasure trove of ideas and a road map for success. I'll be giving it to all my clients who are striving to be more effective and socially responsible leaders." What can you do to encourage more diversity in you workplace? To learn more contact: James Cox Cell: 267 323 6936 Email: jamescoxprivateemail@gmail.com

Learn about Rhodes Perry's new book, Belonging at Work, as the brilliant Shawn Price, host of the popular podcast Chasing Fifty stars as the show's guest host. When you tune in, you'll have the opportunity to join a movement of passionate leaders, change makers, movers, and shakers working together to cultivate workplace cultures where everyone can show up as their authentic selves, where their differences are celebrated as a source of strength, and where their contributions are valued. This episode encourages & empowers you to establish a bold vision of what a healthier workplace could be, and it offers a blueprint for the future of work. Join the #BelongingMovement today!

Learn about Rhodes Perry's new book, Belonging at Work, as the brilliant Shawn Price, host of the popular podcast Chasing Fifty stars as the show's guest host. When you tune in, you'll have the opportunity to join a movement of passionate leaders, change makers, movers, and shakers working together to cultivate workplace cultures where everyone can show up as their authentic selves, where their differences are celebrated as a source of strength, and where their contributions are valued. This episode encourages & empowers you to establish a bold vision of what a healthier workplace could be, and it offers a blueprint for the future of work. Join the #BelongingMovement today!

In collaboration with MBA Orlando and the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, Rhodes Perry, host and creator of the popular weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, took his show on the road for the Inaugural Live Recording & LGBTQ Marketplace Event on Monday, December 11, 2017. The purpose of the event aimed to amplify the power of out bosses, connect them with corporate partners, and inspire the next generation of LGBTQ people to take the entrepreneurial leap.

In collaboration with MBA Orlando and the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, Rhodes Perry, host and creator of the popular weekly podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, took his show on the road for the Inaugural Live Recording & LGBTQ Marketplace Event on Monday, December 11, 2017. The purpose of the event aimed to amplify the power of out bosses, connect them with corporate partners, and inspire the next generation of LGBTQ people to take the entrepreneurial leap.

Celebrate episode FIFTY with guest host Christa King interviewing The Out Entrepreneur host and creator, Rhodes Perry. Rhodes is an award winning social entrepreneur, and a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader. Media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and The Huffington Post have featured his accomplishments in transforming large organizations into ones that are more respectful and inclusive of diverse stakeholders. Rhodes is the founder of a national strategic management firm helping leaders build workplace cultures of belonging. As a part of his inclusion work, he created the Out Entrepreneur to empower thousands of LGBTQ people to pursue building the businesses of their dreams, all while being their authentic selves 100% of the time.

Celebrate episode FIFTY with guest host Christa King interviewing The Out Entrepreneur host and creator, Rhodes Perry. Rhodes is an award winning social entrepreneur, and a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader. Media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and The Huffington Post have featured his accomplishments in transforming large organizations into ones that are more respectful and inclusive of diverse stakeholders. Rhodes is the founder of a national strategic management firm helping leaders build workplace cultures of belonging. As a part of his inclusion work, he created the Out Entrepreneur to empower thousands of LGBTQ people to pursue building the businesses of their dreams, all while being their authentic selves 100% of the time.

You’re out. Or considering coming out. One of the scariest, most confusing aspects of coming out is whether to be out in the work environment. Some say “yes,” others say “no,” and for others it’s a non-issue. Regardless of what way you are leaning, there’s a lot of hurdles to consider for you, your livelihood,…

Rhodes Perry, is an award winning social entrepreneur and a nationally recognized LGBTQ thought leader with nearly two decades of experience innovating solutions to complex LGBTQ diversity, equity, & inclusion challenges in large government, non-profit, and for-profit organizations. Rhodes also hosts the podcast, The Out Entrepreneur, a weekly program offering mentorship to LGBTQ entrepreneurs, and those aspiring to take the entrepreneurial leap. Formerly, Rhodes founded the Office of LGBTQ Policy & Practice at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, and previously served as the founding Director of Policy at PFLAG National. He cut his teeth serving as a Program Examiner at the White House Office of Management & Budget working on health and human services programs designed to support low-income communities. More about Rhodes’ consultancy may be found at: www.rhodesperry.com. Enjoy! Sponsor: Annie Weller, Business Coach & Consultant http://www.annieweller.com Produced and edited by Greg Nibler Recorded at the Funemployment Radio Studios in beautiful Portland, Oregon

#98: Finding Your Niche & Brand in Consulting With Rhodes Perry   Jenn T Grace:              You are listening to the Personal Branding for the LGBTQ Professional Podcast, episode 98.   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 98 of the podcast. I am your host, Jenn Grace, and as this is airing we are right around Thanksgiving time here in the US. And we're at the end of November of 2016, and I'm shocked really at how fast this year has actually flown by. I feel like the first part of the year felt kind of slow and sloggish, and now- I don't know, since September it's just really whizzing by. So I'm excited to be in episode number 98, and it has been multiple years in the making to get here, so this podcast will be turning four at the I guess beginning of January in 2017, it'll be four years that I have been doing this which seems a little bit crazy, but all good nonetheless. I have been keeping up with the promise of having interview, after interview, after interview, and today is no different. And the interview I have today for you is with Rhodes Perry of Rhodes Perry Consulting, and we had just a really kind of awesome conversation about personal branding; shocking since that is indeed the title of the podcast. It was really just kind of being an LGBT advocate, and a change maker, and a change agent, and really how that can be something that you can utilize as a benefit to yourself as you grow a business, or continue to grow your career in whatever avenue that might look like.                                     So rather than blabber on unnecessarily, I'm just going to dive right into the interview with Rhodes. I really think you're going to love it, and if you would like an introduction to him personally, feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn, on Facebook, Twitter, go to my website, contact me however it is easiest for you to just reach out and get in touch with me. That would be awesome and I would love to put you in touch with him. So without further ado, please enjoy this interview.                                     Okay so let's just start off with telling the listeners just a little bit about who you are, what you do, how you came to be in your business as it looks today.   Rhodes Perry:             Sure. So my name is Rhodes Perry and I'm an LGBT strategy assistance guru. Basically what that means is I'm a management consultant, coach and speaker, and I work largely with clients who are in executive, HR, or diversity positions. And I really help clients transform their organizations into ones where LGBTQ people know that they're valued, and they know that they belong in the workplace. And I work all across the country, most of my clients are based in New York City. I'm actually living on the west coast so I also have a number of clients in the Bay area. And I've been fortunate, and much of the work that I do is informed by my time working in the LGBTQ movement as an advocate and building alliances with other social justice leaders. And I center a lot of that work around improving the lives for LGBTQ people and really focusing on raising awareness around the specific needs of transgender and gender nonconforming people, and as an advocate I help secure a number of victories, most importantly allowing same sex couples to marry. I also helped increase the number of states that prohibit LGBT workplace discrimination. And one thing that I'm really, really proud of during my time in the LGBT movement was starting the conversations with the Department of Education and protecting transgender and gender nonconforming students, which now if your listeners are aware of, there's federal guidance that basically mandates that most schools- schools receiving public dollars protect transgender and gender nonconforming students while there's a number of states that are putting forth lawsuits to protest that. And that work really inspired me to take the jump to work for government in an executive type position to take policies that have been passed at the state and local level, and take a look at them and implement them. So I had the opportunity most recently to work for New York City. I helped the systems that focus on foster care and juvenile justice look at these policies and from soup to nuts really take the spirit of these policies and develop a plan to basically implement them, to bring them into life, and to really make sure that staff are set up for success in understanding how to respect their LGBTQ peers as employees, but also to deliver services that are respectful for LGBTQ people that are dependent on them. So that's just a little bit about kind of my background and how it led me to recognize that there's a huge need for supporting many of these systems that aren't necessarily Fortune 500 companies which are absolutely ahead of the curve, at least in terms of developing policies and having staff to drive and implement them. But in smaller businesses, a lot of startups, and especially in government settings there's- I would say that actually looking at policies but in particular laws in states that mandate protecting LGBTQ, both employees and then folks dependent on receiving government services. There's not a lot guidance and there's definitely not a lot of support in making sure that these systems are compliant with the law. And so my business really helps fill in these gaps, and it's a lot of fun to really inspire people that want to do the right thing, just aren't sure where to start. I'm getting them started but also making sure that these policies are being implemented and sustainable over the long term.   Jenn T Grace:              Okay I feel like you've said so much already, so in thinking about you as just kind of an individual contributor in so many ways to policy and advocacy, and just kind of your career, and now founding your business; do you think that some people are naturally born to play an advocacy type of role? Or do you think that it's something that you have to consciously recognize of 'this is something that I really want to pursue and I'm going to kind of dedicate myself to doing it.' Because I think that there might be a couple of schools of thought to that, so I'm just curious how your path kind of came about to recognizing that your voice is really an important voice to be heard to eventually get to the place now where you're kind of filling those gaps in the marketplace.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah, I think that's a great question, and I don't know if it's being an advocate or just a change maker. Maybe those are one in the same, but really I think when I look back on my career, most of my work has been entrepreneurial in nature, and that seems to have been coupled with being an advocate, and just trying to- whether it was working for government and trying to improve either employees treating each other with respect, and letting each other know that they value one another, or looking at the service delivery side of things and just kind of saying, 'We could be doing better, especially when looking at serving LGBTQ populations.' I see a lot of opportunities. In the past I certainly tried to take advantage of those opportunities and help those systems. But I think part of myself is identifying as an advocate absolutely, but looking at my business now it's really taking some of those skills and thinking about people that want to do the right thing, they want to be able to retain discerning LGBTQ talent, they want to be able to develop products that will appeal to LGBTQ markets. It's looking at those folks who definitely want to be identifying as- or they don't identify as an advocate most likely, they definitely don't want to be seen as pushing an agenda, but they need help in making a business case, or they know it's the right thing to do and they need some support around how to approach their leadership to get buy-in and to both do the right thing, but also to help their businesses out in performing better and having a competitive edge. And so I don't know if that answered your question necessarily but that's kind of how I see my role right now, is that I absolutely gained some skills as an advocate and I'm trying to translate those for businesses that are interested in having that competitive edge.   Jenn T Grace:              And from a personal brand standpoint- so many of the things that you were talking about in your kind of opening introduction of who you are in terms of different types of- whether it's the Department of Education, or whether it's working with the city of New York, or wherever it might be; in those settings you were still yourself, right? So you're still Rhodes Perry and people know you as your name. Did you consciously think about the advocacy work or change making work, however we're calling it because I think it is all kind of the same as you alluded to, did you look at that as you were doing those individual things in thinking about like, 'Okay here's just another kind of notch in my belt of things that I can do and things that make me a strong leader and a strong thought leader in this particular space.' And then as you kind of created your company, and calling it Rhodes Perry Consulting, obviously you're putting a big stake in the ground of this consulting is based on you as an individual. Was that kind of a conscious thought process? Did you model it after others that you kind of saw in the marketplace? What was just kind of going through your mind? And the reason why I'm asking is just thinking about people who might be in similar situations right now where they're thinking, 'Really this whole personal branding thing here, there's something to it and I should probably be pursuing this.' And I'm just trying to give them some guidance from people like yourself who've already done it.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I think that that's a great question. I think that why I chose my business name to be my name in terms of personal branding is so much of my past work has been about building relationships, building coalition, and building trust. And I think that my work in the past speaks for itself, and the folks that I had the pleasure of working with really benefited from what they learned. In starting my business many of my clients are those folks that I have worked with in the past, and so that's just a huge benefit for me. Also as I was making the jump I knew I wanted to focus in on equity in diversity and inclusion work, and I wasn't quite sure that time- how that could continue to evolve. In just this past week I had my first business anniversary so I've been in business for a year, and even over that period of time a lot of things have changed, but my name and my brand have absolutely attracted my dream clients I guess to work with who were specifically looking for support on doing the right thing, and either wanting to develop a policy, more taking a policy and actually implementing it and sustaining it over time, that that's really where I see a niche in providing this kind of mentorship, and accountability even more so than delivering skills. Because a lot of the folks that I do work with I've known for some time, they have the skills to do this work, they really need that kind of support and role modeling, but especially just kind of knowing the work that they need to do, but basically being held accountable, and having those kind of frequent check-ins. So I think that [Inaudible 00:12:00] thinking about maybe starting their own businesses, I think it's always good to- if you're not sure on a killer name that will be super clear on what you do, starting out with your own name and you can always kind of build off and build a 'doing business as' name later on down the road when things become a little bit more clear with who your niche market is, and what specifically you are doing.   Jenn T Grace:              And your website URL is Rhodes Perry, so I think that there's a lot to be said about just having your name rather than having the consulting on it because if at any point in time you chose to pivot and go in a different direction, then the URL always remains the same, and for the most part our names don't change. For the most part.   Rhodes Perry:             Right, for the most part.   Jenn T Grace:              Of course there's exceptions.   Rhodes Perry:             For your viewers, I am transgender and that's something that I talk about openly with my clients because a lot of the work that we're focusing on right now is how to support transgender and gender diverse employees, or people that businesses might be serving. So that's something that I am open about, and so I have changed my name, but that was a long time ago. But yes, there are times where if you are someone who's transitioning, or maybe you're thinking about getting married, maybe before you buy your URL, if you are planning to change your name, maybe hold off on that before you do.   Jenn T Grace:              I ended up buying all- everything I could before I got married, and thought that I was going to change my name, and then I was like I wasn't sure, and then I was going to hyphenate, so I ended up with probably 25 URLs that all cost like $10 a piece, and then eventually over time I'm like, 'Alright I'm just going to stick with the one.' And then just as a random side note is that the reason why it's just not www.JennGrace.com is because there's a photographer I believe who has that- or a videographer who has that already. So I was like, 'Well I'm just going to have to put the T in there reluctantly.' But it is what it is and at least I know that I'm not changing my name anytime soon so it does allow for that kind of pivot as we were talking about, because you never know- especially as entrepreneurs and I think as the landscape- especially as it relates to LGBTQ, the landscape is always changing, and we really have no idea what- we could predict, but we really have no idea what's on the horizon and how that is going to impact what type of consulting we're doing, or coaching, or what topics we're speaking on, and I think that that's kind of a- to some degree a fool proof way of just kind of protecting your brand over the long haul.   Rhodes Perry:             Absolutely.   Jenn T Grace:              So in looking at just kind of the many facets of what you're doing. I was poking around on your website before, and I'm curious on a couple of things. Like the first thing I'm thinking of is how people find you, and then recognize that they need your help, especially as like the individual change maker. Because there are opportunities- like you were saying, the Fortune companies are definitely ahead of the game in so many ways, but at the same time they're so not ahead of anything in terms of just- kind of like the changing landscape of business. So it takes- they're like moving a Titanic versus I think entrepreneurship where you're kind of navigating a speed boat on a day-to-day basis. But how do you get in front of those individual people who really need your help, and they're really going to be that internal champion, and that internal voice that's really going to make change in their respective industry, or organization, or wherever it happens to be?   Rhodes Perry:             I think that that's a great question. A few ways. One, I've been fortunate, as I had mentioned just having a lot of rich relationships from previous jobs. So many of my clients come to me word of mouth, and looking at business models over the long term I'm looking at other ways to market as well. So I also get a lot of referrals through online advertising. I do basic Google Ads. But one of the main ways of actually reaching out to newer audiences is locally I go to a number of different chamber of commerces in the Portland metro area, and also in Seattle just to build my network here because I recently moved from New York City out to Portland as I was starting my business. And so that's a really important way of just connecting with a number of businesses, but especially smaller businesses that haven't necessarily been thinking about the culture of their organization, or just want to be more competitive in reaching out to discerning diversity candidates proudly. So those are some of the ways that I get my name out there. Also through collaboration. I've been working with a number of other diversity and inclusion leaders here in the Portland area, and just looking at different projects where we can collaborate. By doing that I've had the opportunity of establishing newer relationships, both with the county and city government here, but also with a number of larger businesses in the area. So that's been helpful. But I do work across the country, so I try as often as possible to go to conferences, and when there's an opportunity to speak just to share a little bit more about the work that I do. So those are just some of the few ways that I try to get out there.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah and so I feel like on your website you have supplier diversity highlighted as something that you are educating around and helping people with. It is something that I have certainly brought up many, many, many times in the past on this podcast, but never- maybe actually it was probably episode six or something, and we're on- I think this is episode 98 probably. So it was a long time ago.   Rhodes Perry:             Congratulations.   Jenn T Grace:              Thank you, it's been many years in the making. But one of the things that I feel like is a missed opportunity, and I'm sure from a supplier diversity standpoint you might be coming from a different direction, but as a diverse supplier yourself. Somebody listening to this, who the majority of listeners are part of the LGBTQ community in some form or another, what are they missing by not really kind of having an understanding of what supplier diversity is, and what that can mean to them as a business, but also for just kind of the community at large?   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I think- well one was supplier diversity, and one of the things that I do is educate my clients that I work with. So- and this is especially important for some of the county and local governments that I work with. So when folks are wanting to implement LGBT specific policies, they want to provide better services, one of the first questions that I ask is looking at contracts that they issue to diversity suppliers. So woman owned businesses, minority owned businesses, and sure enough with most government agencies they have set asides for those diverse suppliers. And so one of my first questions that I ask is encouraging them- well one, asking them if they know about the NGLCC, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce certification that certifies LGBT owned businesses, and almost 100% of the time most people aren't aware of that, most of my clients are not aware of that certification so I do a little bit of education around that. And then I've had success in New York with some of the agencies there of doing set asides for LGBT certified businesses. So there's education happening on that side with my clients, I also work volunteering for the chamber of commerce here, and just supporting some of the LGBT certified businesses, and those businesses that are owned by LGBT people but aren't yet certified. And I explain a little bit about the work that I do largely with local and county government agencies around encouraging them to do these kind of set asides, also letting them know that many Fortune 500 companies have diverse supplier offices, staff that are looking specifically for LGBT owned businesses for a wide variety of services. Everything from printing, to professional services like I do, and just letting them know that one, the NGLCC is a great resource. They offer certification, they provide a ton of information to help you grow a business that's thriving, and I think with that- I've at least encouraged a few to go through the certification process because it does give LGBT owned businesses a competitive advantage, and if you're lucky enough to live in a state like Massachusetts and you do contracting work with state, there are set asides for those LGBT owned businesses, and I think that that's a trend thanks to the great work that the NGLCC is doing that I think more and more states will be trying to either pass executive orders through the governor's office, or legislation to actually provide the economic opportunities for LGBT owned businesses, which historically have been disadvantaged because of discrimination. So maybe that's a little bit more than you wanted, but I know that you talk about this a lot. So did that answer your question?   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah, yeah and it kind of leads into my next question a little bit. So we met through a mutual friend, and Jill Nelson has been a guest on this show as well, and I don't remember it but I will put it in the show notes of what episode that actually was. But we met at the NGLCC national conference in Palm Springs just a couple months ago, and one of the things that I wonder from your perspective is being an LGBT certified business, there's a lot of advantages to that from a business development standpoint. But in your perspective, how or how not do you feel like it maybe it is helping or not, just from a personal branding standpoint to be able to say that you are a- because you can say that you're an LGBTQ owned business, and that's got its benefits in and of itself for people who want to work within the community, but having that additional credibility of saying that you are a certified LGBTQ owned business. Where or how are you kind of using that, leveraging it? Is it part of your kind of daily conversation with people? I know that you're part of the local chamber so that kind of adds like another element to it. But just from a branding standpoint is it helping you in terms of attracting the right type of clients?   Rhodes Perry:             Yes, I think for the nature of the work that I do it absolutely helps me, it brings more credibility to the work that I do, it opens up a number of new doors that I wouldn't necessarily have had access to. Because of the work that the NGLCC is doing and continues to do, they're really expanding their reach, and I think for corporations that are aware of the certification, and for some of the government agencies that I work with, they're becoming more aware of it, maybe more because I'm constantly talking about it. But it is helpful. I would say though that if I were in a different industry- I grew up in the state of Florida, so if I was in a different industry and I still lived in the state of Florida, I think that there's still a long way to go. One in having this be an advantage, because stigma and discrimination still exist, there's a lot of education that professionals like myself have to continue doing to break down some of those barriers. And so I'm aware and I'm conscious that it's not always an advantage for every business owner, and that there could be challenges with that. One of the things that did give me hope and inspiration though is that when we were at the conference in Palm Springs, which was wonderful and it was great meeting you there, is- and I can't remember the business owners' names, but they are from Georgia and they were honored- I think they were the premier business at the conference, they're a pet store, right? And so they're in Georgia which as a state- it's a state that lacks a number of protections for LGBT folks. They're very out about who they are, it's a gay couple, and they're having a really positive and profound impact on the community just for holding that space, and they give back to the community, I think that they give back to a youth LGBT youth center there. So I digress a little bit but I do think that even when you are in a state or even a region of the country that might not be so LGBTQ friendly, there's still a power to certification, and being an LGBT owned business, and showing the possibilities for other emerging LGBT entrepreneurs that being out can be an advantage, and that there's strength in numbers. So I'm a huge proponent of the certification, but I do recognize that there can be or still are limitations to it as well.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah, absolutely. So I was looking it up while you were talking, it's Tailspin and they are in Savannah, so they're even in a more conservative area than maybe Atlanta would be. So yeah, and they were awarded an SBA award for like the best small business owner or something like that. So I think that you bring up a good point of depending on where we are geographically. So I'm in a really progressive state being in Connecticut, you're in a complete- especially going from like New York to Portland, I feel like there's so much differences even though New York is fairly progressive I would say. But how do we make it attainable? Because I have listeners in all fifty states, I have listeners in many different countries; how do we make it something that feels attainable to the person who might be in Savannah, or might be in Little Rock, who maybe they feel like they're alone, or they don't have a chamber of commerce that's really kind of focused on business impact, but maybe they have a pride center that they can go and be involved in. Is there something that you would say as kind of a natural step that they could take to just kind of finding their community of people that are looking to build companies and businesses even if that formal structure doesn't exist?   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I think that that's a great question, and the first thing that came to mind is an online organization. Though they are based in San Francisco you probably know of them StartOut. So they provide- they're in the process of launching a virtual space for LGBT entrepreneurs to connect, and that certainly isn't a silver bullet in solving the kind of actual face-to-face connections that folks in certain parts of the country may be desiring just because they feel isolated. But I do think that at least online it's an excellent resource to start and just kind of building connection, talking about some of the challenges that they may be experiencing because of where they live. And chances are they may be- I grew up in Palm Bay, Florida so they can be in Palm Bay, Florida and maybe they're connecting with someone in Missoula, Montana which is actually a pretty progressive place. But they're able to span the distance and just have the commonalities of talking about some of the challenges of being in a less progressive part of the country, and kind of weighing the benefits and the costs of whether it's getting certified as an LGBT owned business, or if they're providing a service, and it's a place where people are actually going to a physical brick and mortar location, do you put a rainbow flag on the front of your door? These are things that I think as LGBT owned business owners we have to consider, but I do think StartOut is a good place to start.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah I feel like that's definitely some good feedback and tips there. So going back to kind of looking at the national landscape, since you do have experience kind of looking from a very high top down level, from a national perspective, in looking at the different fights for equality that are occurring kind of all over the place, I do find it shocking especially when I run into an LGBT person who isn't aware of just the level of discrimination that's just completely justified and fine by people in terms of workplace discriminations. So if we look at different states and different cities even within states. So you have Massachusetts where they're including LGBT suppliers in government contracting, which is the only state still, right? I think they're working on it in New York but it's not there yet. So that's happening in Massachusetts but then meanwhile you hear from people in Nashville who are still being fired because they came out, and this is somebody that I absolutely should have her on the show at some point, Lisa Howe who received an award at the NGLCC conference in August, and was commenting on how the second she came out after being an NCAA coach for like sixteen years, they fired her promptly thereafter. So- and that wasn't that long ago, that was only a couple of years ago. So if we're looking at the differences in each individual state, if somebody's just trying to figure out how can I make a name for myself because they want to grow their personal brand, they want to maybe establish a business, and make that kind of natural leap that seems very natural that you made in terms of like doing all this great work in different types of pockets and then you kind of created a company around it. Is there any kind of words of wisdom that you can provide them that would vary because if you're in California the fight there is way different than Tennessee versus Connecticut. Like I think of Connecticut being the second state with marriage equality in 2008, and I remember going to NGLCC conferences in 2009 and 2010 and talking to people who were in far less progressive areas thinking, 'Marriage equality is so not even on our radar. We are focused on economic opportunities because we don't have to focus on our basic rights to get married.' So what might be just a- I don't know, some advice or something that you might have learned along the way to kind of provide inspiration to people regardless of where in the US that they might fall, and how non-progressive or progressive that area might be.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I think that if folks are interested in starting a business, if they have the entrepreneurial spirit and they're LGBT, absolutely look into it and take action because by simply holding space, by creating your own business, you are creating economic opportunities for many people, and especially our own communities, our own LGBTQ communities. And I think that so many of us have had experiences of discrimination, or at least perhaps being treated differently as employees in the workplace, and knowing that if we had the opportunity of having our own businesses, or when we are creating our own businesses, or even for many of your listeners in our own businesses, that we have values that are embracing a spirit where we want everyone to bring their whole selves to work. And I think that because of the economic disparities that still exist for LGBTQ communities, one of the most powerful things we can do is if we have the ability to start our own businesses, and prioritize looking at folks within our own LGBTQ communities who have historically been disadvantaged and trying to prioritize ways of bringing job opportunities to folks in our own communities. I just think it's a real game changer for us to look at this aspect of the next era of the LGBT movement, and I think entrepreneurship should be a part of it. In my past I worked with a lot of LGBTQ youth, and so many young people that I had the pleasure of working with are entrepreneurial in spirit. Every day is a day of surviving and just to- we prioritize ways of translating those skills into skills where young people can at one point be their own bosses, I mean again I just think it's a real game changer and we should be examining aggressively ways to add this as a part of the work that the LGBT movement continues to do for the next era. Because I think just looking back over the past twenty years we have as a movement accomplished so much and so quickly, and yet I still look at the work that so many national and state and local LGBT groups are doing, and it's almost as looking at the young people who are protesting and resisting police at Stonewall, so many of those challenges still exist today when you look at family acceptance, or just trying to get an education in school, and dealing with things around bullying. We still have a long way to go and I think that the work that we do as business owners can help absolutely extend economic opportunities to more folks within the LGBT community.   Jenn T Grace:              So in looking at kind of a what's next, or what's on the horizon for you personally and for your business, like especially since you're just celebrating your first year which is so exciting. If you looked at what you were expecting to accomplish in your first year versus what you did accomplish and what you hope to accomplish in the next couple of years, how does that all kind of line up with what your vision was when you set out to do this?   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I surprised myself in the first year. I've met many of my goals in terms of working with a number of clients that I didn't imagine working with, at least in my first year. So I'm happy with that. I really do over the next few years want to pivot more into offering services online, and so I'm starting to do that now with webinars, and I'm looking at next year having more of a master class available for executive HR diversity professionals that are doing the work but need additional support. And so I'm just looking at ways right now of creating more virtual communities, and I'm most excited about that just because there's only one of me and there's only so many hours of the day that I can make available for clients, and so I think this is another opportunity of just expanding my platform and really helping those folks that they already understand the importance of doing this work and they need that additional support. So I think that that's going to be- at least for my business, a real game changer and so I'm excited about that. And I also think making more time in my schedule to speak and go out to a number of different communities, especially- I'm really excited about going to more colleges and universities over the next year and talking more about entrepreneurship for LGBTQ folks, and I'm very, very excited about that.   Jenn T Grace:              That's awesome. I feel like the sky is the limit. I would love for you to reference back to this a year from now. Like throw it on your calendar and say a year from now to come back and listen to this, because my question is what do you perceive- and I don't want to deflate us at all, but in thinking about all of what you're setting out to accomplish, and I think that this is a question that the listeners are interested in, is what do you see as the potential kind of big hurdle, or some kind of road block that you feel like there's a chance that you're going to have to overcome in order to get to that next stage of what you're hoping to accomplish? Because I would imagine that there's probably a lot of similarity with what you think yours is and those who are listening. It makes us all human.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I think that a road block for me is I get excited by all of the opportunities, and I think as entrepreneurs we want to do all of the things all of the time. And so one just for me is finding my 'no' when it could be working with another great client, but to build in the time to- like I said, like really trying to expand more of my virtual presence. That takes time on the front end to do that, and so I think the biggest challenge is to kind of build in the time where I could be working with more clients right now doing that one-on-one engagement, but trying to just find my 'no' sometimes so that I can have that space to imagine and dream how to grow my business in a way that can help more people. And I think that having talked with other entrepreneurs early on in the journey, I know that that's a challenge for many of us, and so maybe offline we can talk more about how you kind of navigated that as well, because I know that you're doing such awesome work for so many folks trying to do a better job with marketing to LGBT people, and so I would love to chat with you about that.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah I feel like it's an ever evolving thing that everyone goes through, and if I look at- go back and listen to the first episode of this podcast which was in January of 2013 I think, it is a very, very different animal. And they're all available for people to listen to and laugh because it just takes time to kind of refine your message, and really I think learning to say no is probably one of the hardest things, especially as very stereotypically ADHD type of entrepreneurs where we're all chasing shiny objects every day, and especially when we're all coming from a place of truly trying to serve and really trying to help as many people as we can. I think that's where it becomes difficult to say no, because if you're looking at it from a purely dollars and cents standpoint of 'I have a threshold that I need to make $10,000 to go speak here, and if they don't meet it, then I don't do it.' That is not how at least the people that are on my show, and myself included, that's not how we operate. It's a matter of like, 'How can we accommodate? How can we make sure they still hear our message? How can we-' and then it just- it's a struggle and I think that we all kind of go through it even if it does look more polished on the outside. I think most of us are still kind of struggling with that day-to-day behind the scenes. At least for me anyway.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah absolutely.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah and I think the audience kind of needs to hear these things and just kind of hear of the struggles that lie ahead as they're kind of figuring out what their voice is, and what platform they should be on, and how they should go about growing their personal brand because I think that personal branding, it's been around forever, but I feel like it just becomes more and more important in this day in age, even more so as an LGBTQ person because there's so much more at stake, and I think that all of us whether we want to or not, we're all kind of representing the community in our way. So if you do something stupid, or I do something stupid, suddenly it's the LGBTQ community that's stupid because of something ridiculous that you or I may have done. Even though that is so not what it should be, ultimately unfortunately that is just kind of the reality of it. So we all kind of have to navigate that tricky landscape as well.   Rhodes Perry:             Right, absolutely.   Jenn T Grace:              Oh good stuff. So if you could go back in time and maybe give yourself one piece of advice. Not necessarily the audience as a whole, but just really thinking of yourself. Is there kind of something that you would say or do that you think might have shortcutted some of the challenges that you've unnecessarily faced?   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah I think absolutely for me is- for my younger self to trust myself, to trust my entrepreneurial spirit. In looking back I'm glad that I had all of the experiences that I had leading up to the point of starting my own business, I think if I trusted myself and knew what was on the other side of having my own business, I probably would have done it maybe ten years earlier. You know? And it was really a fear of what the 'no' was, and I think going to college kind of slowed down the process of having my own business, because I actually- I had my own business before I went off to college, and then it just was the programming of getting a good job, and contributing to the workforce, and I didn't realize that I could be doing that as a business owner. So I don't know if that resonates with any of your listeners, but I definitely- I think for myself could have used that kind of pep talk maybe a decade ago.   Jenn T Grace:              Yeah I would imagine that hits home for many people.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah.   Jenn T Grace:              So in kind of parting here, anything that you would like to share in terms of how people can get in touch with you, how they might work with you, just kind of any number of ways just to make sure that we get a good kind of plug here for people to contact you.   Rhodes Perry:             Yeah thank you. Well my website is www.RhodesPerry.com so there's the personal branding there. And on December 1st I'm offering a webinar for my target audience which is executive HR and diversity professionals on setting vision for- a diversity and inclusion vision that's inclusive of LGBT employees and folks that are served by businesses or government agencies. So that's December 1st and if you go to my website, on my blog there's more information on how to register for that, and you can also just contact me at Rhodes@rhodesperry.com and I can share more information that way. And I also offer a free quarterly newsletter that just kind of keeps people in the know of what I'm up to, I offer a ton of free information there on just strategies on how to engage LGBT employees, how to develop an LGBT policy, how to sustain change over time; all of that stuff is included in my quarterly newsletters. And I just love to hear from folks, so if people have questions I'm available to just provide value and help people kind of get started on that path of building more inclusive workplaces.   Jenn T Grace:              That is awesome. And so for anyone listening, this is episode 98. I'm pretty sure I screwed it up earlier when we were talking, so you can go to the website at www.JennTGrace.com/98 and that will get you a transcript for today's interview, and then all of the links that Rhodes was just talking about. And I feel like it might be important to note that Rhodes is spelled R-H-O-D-E-S, not like Roads like a road. Just because I feel like- I want to make sure it's clear and people can find you, so that's good. Awesome.   Rhodes Perry:             Thank you so much, thank you for having me on the show.   Jenn T Grace:              You are very welcome, it was a pleasure chatting with you. 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.