Good Vibes Leadership with Bernadette Smith

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. Walmart’s Live Better U Program Turns 5, Expands to Canada
2. Annual Grace Hopper Celebration Conference to Leave Orlando Due to New Florida Laws
3. Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Protect LGBTQI+ Communities
4. Delta Is Developing a New First-Of-Its-Kind Airline Seat That Allows Wheelchair Users to Stay In Their Chairs
5. Portugal Just Launched a ‘Government-Funded’ 4-Day Workweek Trial

Call To Action:

Learn about Geena Rocero, the Filipina transgender fashion model and activist, and consider her new book Horse Barbie, which I’ll plan to read after I finish Elliot Page’s new memoir, Pageboy.

Read the full blog here. 

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week’s Good Vibes:

1. The National Park Service (NPS) is working to incorporate more Black history into its storytelling about America. This includes considering the establishment of a Black Panther Party National Historical Park, and other new parks in locations related to civil rights, such as the 1964 murders of civil rights workers and the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. The goal is to establish new national parks that facilitate conversations about race. I’m hopeful that all of these come to fruition so these stories continue to be heard and remembered. 
2. The North Face is fighting back against backlash from conservatives for partnering with drag queen Pattie Gonia to promote their "Summer of Pride" event. However, unlike other companies that have faced similar backlash, The North Face is standing by its brand partner and expressing support for LGBTQ+ equality. When other brands have backed down, this response is significant as it demonstrates a commitment to inclusion and sends a message to other businesses about the importance of embracing LGBTQ+ consumers and employees.
3. Mexico has introduced a new policy allowing citizens to identify as nonbinary on their passports, with the option to select "X" as their gender marker. The U.S. and Canada already have this policy in place. This is significant as it demonstrates Mexico's progress in advancing LGBTQ+ rights and the acceptance of gender beyond the binary. The indigenous Muxe of Oaxaca live and are widely accepted in their “third gender.”
4. Texas now has the CROWN Act. The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) aims to protect individuals from discrimination based on their natural hair in workplaces, schools, and housing policies. This affects mostly Black and Brown folks who have dreadlocks, braids, twists, and other natural hair. These folks are often burdened with the white supremacy standard of "professional” hair. There are about 20 states with this protection.
5. In a strange turnabout, another company which faced recent conservative backlash was Chik-Fil-A, when people realized the company had a Vice President of DEI. The irony is that the fast-food restaurant chain has a history of partnerships with anti-LGBTQ organizations and has been boycotted by many people like me, who love that chicken but go to Popeye’s instead. The good news here is that (I hope) Chik-Fil-A is showing some commitment towards greater equity and inclusion…my hope is that it’s not lip service, but they haven’t released any statements.

Call to Action:

Read this article and photos about the trans joy on display at the Trans Youth Prom outside the U.S. Capitol building last week.

To learn more about Nancy, visit: https://www.restartconsult.com/

Read the full 5 Things here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/pride-amp-joy

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. Apple Created Its New Voice Feature For—and With—People With ALS
2. Autodesk Renames Its “Diversity and Inclusion” Team to the “Diversity and Belonging” Team
3. New York City Passes Bill Banning Weight Discrimination
4. Starbucks’ New Gender-Inclusive Ad Starring Trans Model
5. Canada Labour Code to Ensure Access to Menstrual Products at Work Starting December 15

Call to Action:

Listen to this interview with Target CEO Brian Cornell on the Leadership Next Podcast. Spoiler alert: he’s a true believer in DEI.

Read the full blog here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-patience

To learn more about Jessica and her book, visit: https://www.jessicabantom.com/designforidentity

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. ‘Sesame Street’ Introduces TJ, the Show’s First Filipino American Muppet
2. FDA Paves Way for More Gay and Bisexual Men to Donate Blood With New Risk-Based Assessment
3. Dartmouth Health on How to Reduce Hiring Bias, the Power of DEIB Statements
4. Airbnb Let Its Workers Live and Work Anywhere. Spoiler: They’re Loving It
5. For Kids, Going Under Anesthesia Can Be Scary. This Nurse Made a Video Game to Ease Fears

Call to Action:

Watch this PBS Special “Rising Against Asian Hate” narrated by the fabulous Sandra Oh. The special “sheds light on the struggles, triumphs, and achievements of AAPI communities.”

To learn more about CurieDx and Dr. Canares, visit: https://www.curiedx.com/

Read the full blog here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-ageist

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. To Celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Mattel Is Introducing a Doll Based on Hollywood Pioneer Anna May Wong
2. Ben & Jerry’s Co-founder Starts Cannabis Nonprofit to Support Social Causes
3. MrBeast Calls Out Transphobic Backlash to Chris Tyson’s Hormone Therapy
4. Smartsheet Is Now Giving Logo Space to Various Nonprofit Organizations in F1 Racing
5. Democrat Angie Craig Has Joined Other Employers Rejecting the “Paper Ceiling” Blamed for Limiting Millions of Workers

Call to Action:

I see everything as an experiment and have the sticker to go along with it, so I found this article interesting and a worthy read: “Why You Should Start A/B Testing Your DEI Initiatives."

To learn more about Jen and Inclusive AF, visit: https://www.pagingdrjen.com/inclusive-af-a-field-guide

Read the full blog here for this 5 Things Episode: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-connection-first

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. The Owners of Butter & Gave Their Employees Stock Options
2. Barbie Doll With Down’s Syndrome Launched by Mattel
3. Linkedin’s New Commitments Tool Lets Users Screen Prospective Employers by What They Stand For
4. Taraji P. Henson and Kate Spade Are Teaming Up With HBCUs
5. USA Today Highlights Some of the Incredible Accessible Products They’ve Seen and the Impact They’re Making in People’s Lives

Call to Action:

I’m not going to do this often, I promise, but please consider a donation to the Rainbow Cafe or your local LGBTQ Center.

To learn more about Dr. Joel A. Davis, visit: https://www.pneumos.com/our-founder/

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. A Navy Ship Named for a Confederate Victory Now Honors a Black Union Hero
2. Alaska Airlines’ First Class Gets Upgrade With Black Sisters’ Wine
3. Disability Activists Grace Cover Of British Vogue
4. Nasdaq Board Diversity Rule Boosted LGBTQ Policies
5. Beaches Resorts Grows Program For Guests On The Spectrum

This Week’s Call to Action:

If you don’t already get Karen Catlin’s fantastic 5 Ally Actions newsletter each Friday morning, I’d encourage you to subscribe. It’s an excellent summary of bite-sized actions (with concrete examples) that we ALL take to promote inclusion at work.

To learn more about John Estrada, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-estrada-264345/

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This week I was in a series of meetings with a client, leading them through our Inclusive 360 assessment process. Our assessment is extremely granular, breaking down DEI into a series of small tactics, across all functions. As part of the process, we put employees in small group meetings and go through the assessment questions.

One leader repeatedly used the phrase “not yet” when answering my questions – not yet because we’re at the beginning of this process. Not yet because they’re learning, still understanding the current state of affairs. Not yet – but they’re excited about it. They’re ready to do better as soon as they know better. It’s coming from leadership. Not yet, but the tactics are bite-sized. They’re doable. They’re cumulatively impactful but many are small enough to generate momentum through quick wins.

So while we may start with “not yet”, I believe in the power of forward momentum, the kind that can come from a cross-functional approach. Celebrate the quick wins and keep going.

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. Disneyland Rebuilds Mickey’s Toontown From The Ground Up For Kids Of All Abilities
2. Thousands of Catholic Nuns Unite to ‘Wholeheartedly’ Declare Trans People Are Beloved by God
3. Companies That Get ‘Woke’ Aren’t Going Broke — They’re More Profitable Than Ever
4. Beau Jo’s Is Selling His Famous Colorado Pizza Shop — To His Employees
5. BBC Education Show in Afghanistan Helps Children Banned From School

Call to action:

Planning an event or meeting in a state with anti-diversity laws or bills? Your attendees can now offset the cost of their spending in that state by supporting charities that align with their values. This is super cool! Learn more at: https://socialoffset.org/

Learn more about Jesse here: https://hymn.consulting/

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

This Week's Good Vibes:

• Transgender Woman Inducted Into The National Women's Hall of Fame
• March Madness Finals Ratings Set A Record High For Women
• Historically Black University Created Its Own Tech Intern Pipeline
• Goldman Sachs Invests $2 Billion in Black Women-Owned Businesses — The First Chapter of a Bigger Plan
• Bud Light Doesn't Care That You're Mad About Its Dylan Mulvaney Collab

Call to action:

Check out Translator, “a social DEI learning platform designed for facilitators, live audiences, and data freaks.” Its Founder and CEO, Natalie Egan, is a brilliant trans woman I neglected to include in my list last week. h/t to reader Rachel Kjack for the note.

To learn more about Dr. Steve Yacovelli, visit: www.topdoglearning.biz

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

In this week's Good Vibes, in honor of yesterday's Transgender Day of Visibility, I’d like to introduce you to some amazing transgender business owners, many of whom are authors. I hope you’ll consider following and supporting them:

Celia Daniels (she/her)

I am an Asian Indian trans woman of color who is an entrepreneur, public speaker, activist, motivator, musician, artist, photographer, and filmmaker. Growing up as a lonely closeted kid from Southern India with stigma, discrimination, and gender dysphoria, I write and speak passionately about the struggles and challenges I faced in my family, work, school, and community both in the US and India. Visit Celia's Linkedin page

Robbie Samuels (he/him)

I'm an event design consultant and executive Zoom producer, with a passion for creating engaging and unforgettable experiences. With two decades of experience in the meetings and events industry, I have honed my skills in designing and executing events that leave a lasting impression. I'm openly trans and own a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise. Visit Robbie's Linkedin page

Ashley Brundage (she/her)

I advanced my career from a part-time bank teller to a vice president of the national diversity and inclusion team at PNC Bank in less than 5 years. I celebrated my authenticity, and empowered myself, and others, to create a stronger community…Everyone’s journey will look different, but these methods can produce similar results and the takeaways of the book (Empowering Differences) can be applied to anyone. Visit Ashley's Linkedin page

Lily Zheng (they/them)

I help leaders achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion as real and measurable outcomes of organizations, rather than just the aspirational intentions of individuals. My clients are organizations and leaders of organizations looking for approaches grounded in data of all kinds, rooted in outcomes and effectiveness, and informed by a systemic approach to organizational problem-solving. Visit Lily's Linkedin page

Rhodes Perry (he/him)

I help leaders build psychological safety, trust, and belonging at work. I created the Belonging at Work Summit, an annual virtual conference empowering DEI practitioners to build community, gain new skills, and recommit to building healthier workplace cultures. Visit Rhodes' Linkedin page

Call to Action:

Follow some of the amazing people above and buy their books. And, please, please let your transgender employees know that you’ve got their backs. Here are Rhodes Perry’s tips on Ways You Can Show Up for Your Transgender and Nonbinary Colleagues.

Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/