The D&Igest: Diversity & Inclusion at work

56. What dwarfism can teach us ALL and how resilience is always the answer with Marie-Liesse Calméjane

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Marie-Liesse Calméjane shares with us her powerful journey of resilience, in this episode. Marie-Liesse started her career in communications and marketing at Danone in France. After she moved with her family to Asia, Marie-Liesse’s fourth child was diagnosed achondroplasia, a rare genetic condition which is the most common form of dwarfism.

Marie-Liesse gives us a look into her experiences as a parent of four and a parent to a child with dwarfism. We learn about how she found support as an expat and how her son was supported by his schools and siblings.

Transitioning into coaching, Marie-Liesse now works with the Resilience Institute, helping companies equip their leaders and teams to navigate life and work. Resilience has become a running theme of Marie-Liesse’s life and now her work.

She speaks about the support she found from the non-profit Little People of America and how we should be challenging the misconceptions surrounding dwarfism and what needs to change for a more inclusive future.

In this episode, we cover - 

  • How resilience became the theme of Marie-Liesse’s work.
    • How Marie-Liesse found support as an expat mother of four.
      • How Marie-Liesse’s son was supported at school in Singapore.
        • The analogy Little People of America uses to sum up a parent’s experience of having a child with a disability.
          • The true main disabling factor of Marie-Liesse’s son’s disability.
            • What needs to change to give people with dwarfism an equal future?


              • LEARN MORE

              Diversely - https://www.diversely.io/

              Diversely on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverselyio/

              CONNECT

              Marie-Liesse Calméjane on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-liesse-calmejane/

              Helen McGuire on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenmcguireme/

              Diversely on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverselyio/

              LISTEN

              Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0FRssDsAUpx1WCbxDfvFoG

              Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-d-igest-a-diversely-podcast/id1607041648

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              The D&Igest: Diversity & Inclusion at workBy Helen McGuire