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Allyship in Action
Allyship in Action episodes
- 160: Vandana Khanna - The Model Minority Myth
Vandana is the Director of Transformation at Unilever. She leads Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and belonging initiatives within her organization and never shies away from sharing her own journey, her struggles as an immigrant in this country and then establishing herself in the Tech industry overtime. She joins us to share:
- The importance of names - saying them correctly and sharing your own pronunciation as an ally
- Why the model minority myth is harmful and operates as a divide and conquer strategy to diversity
- 2022 trends and ideas to be an ally for others
Connect with Vandana on Linkedin and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
33 min - 159: Shilpa Pherwani - No One is a DEI Expert
Diversity and inclusion is a journey, not a destination, and no one is an expert. We all have learning to do. That is why Shilpa Pherwani started her business, the IBIS Consulting Group, a leading Diversity and Inclusion Consulting and Training firm. She shares:
- How interactive activity can drive more inclusion
- Key trends for 2022 - accountability and broadening of the diversity definition
- Global differences on DEI
Find Shilpa at ibisconsultinggroup.com and Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
36 min - 158: Danielle Wolter Nolan - When Was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time?
Danielle Wolter Nolan is co-founder of DNK Presents, an organization whose mission is to help get folks outside and do things they don't always make the time to do. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Danielle joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- Her journey with her partner in starting a business focused on purpose
- How to appropriately ask questions about the LGBTQ+ community (and questions not to ask)
- How the great outdoors might just be the antidote to help with mental health and well-being for individuals and workplace teams
Connect with Danielle at dnkpresents.com and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
38 min - 157: Jon Dartt - Making DEI Snackable (Fun and Bite-Sized)
Jon Dartt is VP of sales at Delta Faucet Company. He was the organization's first DEI sponsor and gives us a window into the journey he and his team has faced. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Jon joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- Creating a DEI strategy using key pillars inside and outside of the organization
- Measuring DEI along the employee experience
- Setting up successful business resource groups using the snackable learning approach
- Making DEI your #1 priority, for real
34 min - 156: Chuck Shelton - Unless You are Part of the Solution, You are Part of The Problem
Chuck Shelton is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Greatheart Consulting, a consultancy firm designed to help companies and organizations create more diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Chuck joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- What it will take to engage more white men as allies
- The role white people play in diversity
- Why perfection is not available for allies
Connect with Chuck at https://www.greatheartconsulting.com/ and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
29 min - 155: Jeff Joyce - Calling in Our Allies
Jeff Joyce is the Chief Financial Officer at Elements Financial Federal Credit Union and is a member of the Elements Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Jeff joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- Why industry is not an excuse for the lack of diversity
- Talk tracks to bring white men into the DEI conversation
- The importance of baby steps in building DEI and getting feedback
Find Jeff on Linkedin and and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
34 min - 154: Chris Dale - What White Male CEOs are Doing to Drive Positive Change
Chris Dale is President of Piper Companies and Zachary Piper Solutions. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion and leadership journeys. Chris and his leadership team are new on their diversity and inclusion journey. He comes to share vulnerably about:
- A window into the DEI activities that are driving true inclusion - How to measure DEI and set up an effective DEI council - Why privilege is a chance to be an ally for positive change
Meet Chris and his team at https://www.pipercompanies.com/ and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com
33 min - 153: Anthony Paradiso - Being an Ally in our Local Communities
Anthony Paradiso is the Founder & President of AllThingzAP and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Anthony joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- How to be an ally for diversity and inclusion in your local community - Why it matters that all people feel like they can be their full authentic selves at work - How to navigate uncomfortable conversations at diversity and signal to others you want to be ally
Connect with Anthony at https://www.allthingzap.com and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
37 min - 152: Shanti Brien - The Roots of Systemic Racism
Shanti Bright Brien is a criminal defense attorney and co-Founder of Fogbreak Justice, a national organization that collaborates with criminal justice professionals, civic leaders and business change-makers who are serious about fairness, equity and inclusion. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Shanti joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- The criminal justice system has become one of the most obvious examples of systemic racism - Being an ally means knowing how to support in the way people need and want it - The importance of truly understanding the problem before trying to address systemic change
Connect with Shanti at Fogbreak Justice and get her book Almost Innocent: From Searching to Saved in America's Criminal Justice System and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
35 min - 151: Asif Sadiq - Moving from Activism to Systemic Change
Asif Sadiq has managed diversity and inclusion for Warner Media, Adidas, and E&Y. On the Diversity Pivot Podcast, we're having tough conversations about privilege, inclusion, and leadership journeys. Asif joins the podcast to share vulnerably about:
- Driving real systemic change as an organization - Appreciating someone's full diversity beyond the checkboxes - Moving beyond mentorship to sponsorship as an ally
Connect with Asif at https://www.linkedin.com/in/asif-sadiq-mbe-b8a58b14/ and meet Julie at NextPivotPoint.com.
28 min
About Allyship in Action
From the publisher's feed
I left Corporate America because the workplace culture sucked.
That realization was my personal pivot point, and it's the entire driving force behind my podcast, Allyship in Action.
Inclusive workplace culture doesn't happen by accident. It is built through intentional, consistent choices. In every episode of Allyship in Action, my goal is simple. My goal is to cut through the noise, skip the performative shiny stuff, and deliver real, practical tools that turn good intentions into sustainable workplace culture change.
Here is the core summary of what Allyship in Action is all about, and how all leaders can be better allies.
From Performative Statements to Everyday Practice
We've all seen standard corporate declarations like posting a statement on social media or making a grand pledge. While public support isn't inherently bad, true allyship begins when the cameras are off. Allyship isn't a badge you wear or a title you give yourself. Allyship is a verb. It requires continuous learning, unlearning, and showing up even when things get messy or uncomfortable.
In our conversations with workplace culture experts, we repeatedly unpack how real allies move from passive empathy to proactive intervention. That means noticing who gets interrupted in meetings, recognizing whose ideas are credited, and ensuring that opportunities are distributed equitably across the entire team.
Rewiring Workplace Culture for True Inclusion
A healthy workplace culture isn't created by ping-pong tables or free snacks. Inclusive workplace cultures are built on psychological safety, fairness, and trust. For genuine inclusion to take root, organizations must audit the subtle systems that drive daily behavior. How are your meetings structured? How are performance reviews conducted? Who holds the informal power, and how is feedback delivered?
On the podcast, we showcase practical tactics—like rotating an Inclusion Booster role during weekly staff meetings to monitor airtime and ensure introverted or underrepresented voices are heard. When you design everyday workflows with inclusion in mind, you stop relying on heroic individual acts and start embedding equity into the DNA of your organization.
Protecting the Pipeline and How Inclusion Drives Talent Retention
There is both a deep human case and a rock-solid business case for DEI. In today's shifting marketplace, talent retention is one of the single biggest operational challenges leaders face. High performers, especially women, racially diverse team members, neurodivergent colleagues, and Gen Z workers, simply will not stay where they have to mask their true selves or fight uphill against systemic microaggressions.
When employees feel seen, heard, and valued for their unique lived experiences, engagement skyrockets, innovation thrives, and turnover drops. Protecting your talent pipeline isn't about complex retention gimmicks; it's about fostering an environment where people know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they belong.
Engaging People with Power
One of our biggest research insights is that inclusion work stalls when it remains isolated in ERGs or HR departments. Without people in positions of power actively engaged as allies, systemic progress hits a ceiling. Powerful leaders often stay on the sidelines out of a fear of making a mistake or saying the wrong thing.
Allyship in Action serves as a compassionate, pushback-proof invitation for leaders to step up. Allyship isn't about having all the answers or acting like a superhero. It's about having the humility to say, "I don't know, but I'm here to listen, learn, and leverage my influence to help."
Allyship is a Continuous Journey
Allyship is progress over perfection. It's a practice. We are all works in progress. If we want better workplaces, we have to stay curious, challenge our own blind spots, and commit to taking small, consistent micro-actions every single day.
When we do allyship well, we don't just change our teams, we also redefine what it means to lead for all.