On the Edge!

Dr. Elijah Nicholas, DBA shares his journey to where he is today: his happiest place. Rayanne asks the hard questions about being Trans and deciding to transition at 48 years old.

• The Relationship with my Mother

• Loss of Friends

• Hopes: Trans is accepted and Part of the Norm

• Being Misgendered

• Pronouns

• The Choice to Transition

• The Help Provided by the VA Healthcare System

• How being Trans has Impacted Dr. Elijah's Work

• Normalize By Living Out Loud

• Becoming an Actor

• Understanding Trans Language & What's Appropriate

• Providing a Safe Place

• The Future of this Ongoing Journey

"We are all transitioning, in some way."

The Road to Acceptance & Grace.

RESOURCES:

•Transformation Journeys Worldwide - https://transformationjourneysww.com/

•PFLAG.org

How to reach Dr. Elijah:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drelijahnicholas/

Dr. Elijah's Website: https://www.elijahnicholas.com/

Devin Joseph, a young black professional who rose above being homeless, joins Rayanne to talk about his experiences.

• CEOs need to work to make everyone feel welcome

• What it was like to be the "Token Black Kid"

• Having the courage to leave a company that didn't treat him well

• Realizing Potential and Power

• Watching out for each other

• Surviving homelessness

• Advice: "Learn the game"

• Learn Billy Dee Williams' history, "he didn't allow his past to be his story."

Resources:

• "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" by Emmanuel Acho

• "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson

Connect with Devin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-m-joseph-b1288895/

"Communication, Knowledge, and Growth"

Steven Lamprinos talks about raising a son with Autism, the patience required and the hoops you have to jump through to get the help you need.

• "Good To Grow" program - most amazing program!

• ABA - Applied Behavioral Analysis

• Healthcare available - so difficult to navigate the system

• "Special Needs kids are an afterthought."

• "Little Hands, Little Feet"

• Limited Resources, it takes so much time to find the resources available

• Devices to help with communication - must have consistency

• Occupational Therapy is such a great help, like water therapy

• Parroting or Using narration to help build language skills

• So many horror stories

• Any changes are very difficult

• Hopes for the Future

It's so important to discover what makes each child blossom.

You will have to be your child's greatest advocate.

Resources:

• Search the internet for speech devices - you can find some that are "free"

• Good To Grow: https://centerfordevelopingkids.com/special-programs/ongoing-programs/good-to-grow/

Feel free to message Steven on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.lamprinos

Be Curious!

Imo Udom, SVP of Mozilla

Co-Founder and former CEO of Wepow, now OutMatch

- The Challenges of Entrepreneurialism, as a Black Leader.

- What it was like to be a Black Founder/CEO of an HR Tech Company

- Any Black HR Tech Analysts?

- Imposter Syndrome

What would you like CEOs to focus on?

- Be intentional

- Be committed

"This will take time, this will take action."

Imo shares some amazing advice on how to stay grounded when racism is still so prolific, plus advice to other entrepreneurs.

Resources

FOLLOW: Smash Academy

READ: The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

READ: No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer

HR Latte, Episode 129 22.02

[28 min]

William Wiggins, Director of Human Resources, Facilities, and Administration at SEIU 775 Benefits Group

What do you want CEOs to focus on 2022?

- Make Diversity part of Standard Operations

"Every month should be a celebration of our differences."

- Diversity needs to be driven from the top down

- How do you maintain professionalism?

- Just because you haven't heard of or know of an issue, doesn't mean there isn't a problem.

William's Recommendations:

READ: Caste, by isabel wilkerson

FOLLOW: CareerXroads

You can read William at UnleashHR and HR Gazette

Reach out to William at

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamwiggins/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hrwithbenefits