Ep. 112 - What is a DEI workplace and can you create a DEI workplace? DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. Jennifer Brown leads companies through consulting, online training, and her books to become that place everyone wants to work! What are you doing to be inclusive and equitable as a leader at your workplace? Are you creating a space for more people to tell their diversity stories? Are you learning about the uncomfortable and work towards bringing the needed change? Meet Jennifer Brown, an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and diversity and inclusion expert. She is the founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on critical issues of talent and workplace strategy. She's a passionate advocate for social equality who helps businesses foster healthier more productive workplace cultures. Jennifer Brown Consulting believes in unleashing the power of human potential, embracing diversity, and helping people and organizations to thrive.
Top Takeaway:
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- Learning to step up and be of service to bring the change you want to see
- Understanding what you're not doing that you need to do to shift the trajectory of the workplace for the coming generations
- The information and transparency opportunities that exist for younger generations to hold organizations accountable internally and externally
- The importance of providing people with a doable and more manageable way to be inclusive leaders especially when they're starting from scratch
- How to use fear for survival and relevance in this world as a leader
Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable to develop new skills and mindset as a leader.
"I am hopeful to see a business world and organizational leadership that reflects the world that we are in." -Jennifer Brown
JBC's deep-dive programs for distinct identity groups are designed to identify, train and empower the next generation of diverse business leaders so they feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work. Whether the focus is African Americans, Asians, People with Diverse Abilities, Hispanics, the LGBTQ Community, Veterans, or Women, participants learn valuable skills and have multiple opportunities for reflection, practice, and coaching.
Online Course. The DEI Foundations 6-week online course will equip learners with the core competencies they need to meet the challenges of this changing world of work so none of us get left behind. Developed for people who are new to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, participants will learn what their role is in creating a culture of belonging, and be empowered with the knowledge they need to architect an inclusive and equitable future of work. https://dei1.jbconlinelearning.com/
Books. Order Jennifer's latest book from our SHOP page: How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. Anyone can--and should--be an inclusive leader. Jennifer Brown lays out simple steps to help you understand your role, boost your self-awareness, take action, and become a better version of yourself in the process. This book will meet you where you are and provide a road map to create a workplace of greater mutual understanding where everyone's talents can shine.
A second book by Jennifer Brown to order from our SHOP page is Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change. Her tagline is Embrace Diversity and Thrive As An Organization. In the rapidly changing business landscape, harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion is essential for the very viability and sustainability of every organization. Talent who feel fully welcomed, valued, respected, and heard by their colleagues and their organizations will fuel this growth. We will only succeed in this transformation if those in leadership pivot from command and control management styles to reinvent how we look at people, every organization's greatest asset. It's also critical that we build systems that embrace diversity in all its forms, from identity and background to diversity of thought, style, approach, and experience, tying it directly to the bottom line.
Learn the value of being an ally who helps give a voice to diversity stories.
Key Moments:
Jennifer explains why she started her consulting firm from her own experiences in the organizational context as a woman in a male-dominated industry and an LGBTQ member [2:01]
The skills that Jennifer learned from her parents and how she's utilizing them to create change with her business [3:53]
She explains how being on stage since childhood performing prepared her to who she is today as a keynote speaker [6:39]
Why starting her company was the boldest movement she's done even more than coming out [9:07]
How they're rebuilding leadership and the future at Jennifer Brown Consulting to be fairer and more equitable [11:42]
Helping people to learn about the uncomfortable so they find a solution and be better people and allies [15:06]
How to look at diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging with different lenses at the workplace [18:06]
Jennifer explains how she uses her platform as an accomplice to bring a voice to stories of inequality and diversity [23:54]
She talks about their DEI foundations course where they coach people and get them started in diversity stories in the workplace [27:53]
Why we need to take action towards racial and gender equality by activating all the tools in our arsenal, having real conversations, and making the change ourselves [29:56]
Jennifer talks about her book How to Be an Inclusive Leader which she wrote as a way to equip people with a doable and manageable way forward particularly when they're starting from scratch [33:00]
She explains why growing her team to more than just her is her biggest success story [35:25]
The fears she faces every day and how they motivate her to bring change [37:45]
Learning not to be led by a scarcity mindset and instead supporting other leaders to walk better together [41:52]
How Jennifer is looking forward to seeing more diversity in the leadership positions [45:03]
Relevant Links:
LinkedIn Jennifer Brown Consulting
Beyond 6 Seconds Podcast Guest
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