As someone who worked behind-the-scenes her whole career, Jackie Ferguson was beyond nervous to host a podcast. But she was in a season of "yes" in her life, and she wouldn't let being afraid get in the way of her growth.

"People don't take those steps toward what their purpose could be because they're afraid. And it's hard when you're afraid. But in doing that and continuing to say yes, I've been able to really reach a lot of people. And that's been an amazing journey."

Jackie Ferguson is the co-founder and head of content and programming at The Diversity Movement and host of the Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox podcast. She's also the co-author of The Inclusive Language Handbook, now available for pre-order.

The Earfluence Podcast is hosted by Jason Gillikin and Cee Cee Huffman and is produced by Earfluence.