In this interview episode of the Podcast, Kristen meets with Brenda Harrington: Executive Coach and Author of "Access Denied - Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination". She is the founder of Adaptive Leadership Strategies LLC. and works with leaders globally in public, private, government, intergovernmental, humanitarian, and non-profit organizations. After more than 30 years working in private industry, Brenda has walked a fascinating journey into the entrepreneurial space and shares how she lived through a "Goldilocks Experiment" in Corporate America to realized the environment just wasn't the right fit for her desire to have a direct impact on outcomes for others.

Kristen and Brenda talk about what the transition into the entrepreneurial world really looks like (spoiler alert - there's nothing easy about it) and Brenda shares her insights on how to make that journey a little easier... Things like avoiding other people's "shoulds", taking time for meaningful reflection, know who you are (and who you're not), and getting comfortable with trial and error (aka - don't be afraid of failure).

Brenda also shares what inspired her to write her first book and how she hopes that through the stories she's shared and the reflective exercises she's included - each and every one of us can take away some valuable learning. Her primary audience includes those who are directly impacted by disparities and discrimination in the workplace and she's very deliberately focused her messaging to be: "You're not crazy" (you're not imagining things), and "You're not alone." Her book helps those who've been overlooked and denied equal opportunities to have a language that describes their circumstances while also encouraging her secondary audience... business leaders with blindspots - to throw back the covers and really look for where the biases and discrimination exists in their organizations.

Brenda and Kristen dig even deeper in the conversation about how to translate awareness building and education into action. She's introduced her book to National Associations and various leadership teams (including Author talks) and is currently developing a companion course and workshop to help leaders take that closer look and make meaningful change.

And when does meaningful change happen? Kristen and Brenda discuss the path of holding people accountable and moving past ticking the diversity and inclusion training checkbox. In Brenda's wise words... "You have to be willing to look - and not look the other way." We simply cannot miss an opportunity to "speak up and call it out" when it comes to disparities and discrimination in the workplace.

Here's a little more about our guest:

Brenda Harrington, PCC is the founder of Adaptive Leadership Strategies LLC, and the author of ACCESS DENIED: Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination. As a Certified Executive Coach, she works with leaders globally across a variety of sectors to help them develop the professional habits necessary to become more influential and achieve their goals. Her personal career journey includes positions ranging from first-line manager to senior executive leadership. Brenda completed coaching certification at Georgetown University. She holds a master’s degree from Virginia Tech, Pamplin College of Business, and a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University. Brenda has also received certification from Thunderbird School of Global Management for work focusing on Global Mindset.

You can find Brenda on LinkedIn and Instagram, too.