Stories from the Field

Stories from the Field

By Firefly Inclusion SolutionsSociety & Culture
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Stories from the Field episodes

  • EP 13. Recognizing and Building Partnerships with LGBTQ+ Community

    Reflecting upon his multifaceted career journey from the IL Governor’s Office to the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois (LGBTCC) where he currently serves as director, Jerome’ Holston has significant experience engaging and elevating LGBTQIA communities. In this wide-ranging conversation covering the Pandemic to “The Great Resignation”, we discuss how leaders can elevate and create safety for LGBTQ+ communities at both a local and global level.

    LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

    • How employers can build greater trust during “The Great Resignation”
    • How LGBTQ businesses have weathered COVID, and what they need to succeed moving forward
    • What needs to happen at the state, local, and company levels to promote and protect LGBTQ communities

      • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT: https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/recognizing-and-building-partnerships-with-lgbtq-community

      FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

      FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

      31 min
    • EP 12. Breaking Down Code-Switching & Embracing Your Authentic, Vulnerable Self with Tayo Rockson

      What is code-switching, and what are its pros and cons? On this episode of Stories from the Field, author, podcaster, facilitator, polymath, and third culture kid Tayo Rockson shares how code-switching showed up in his own life as the son of a diplomat, and how he learned to achieve a balance between acclimation and authenticity. We also discuss how leaders can help those outside the dominant culture feel seen and heard, and why it’s time for all of us to get comfortable with being vulnerable.

      LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

      · How code-switching both benefits and hurts outsiders

      · Why perfectionism is hurting leaders and how to model vulnerability

      · How DEI practitioners can stay focused on their purpose

      EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT: https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/breaking-down-code-switching-embracing-your-authentic-vulnerable-self-with-tayo-rockson

      FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

      FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

      31 min
    • EP 11. Empowering the Next Generation of BIPOC Filmmakers with Jeanette Lam of Youth FX

      In this episode, Jason Rebello and guest host Felicia Scott talk to documentary filmmaker, writer, educator, and community organizer Jeanette Lam of Youth FX. Jeanette shares how she found her voice in film as an Asian American queer woman, and how she’s helping others do the same through her work with BIPOC filmmakers and her riveting work in the documentary short, A Flower in a Dark Place.

      LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

      • How Jeanette’s film “A Flower in a Dark Place” amplified the voice of incarcerated youth
      • What makes filmmaking either a harmful or healing process
      • How Jeanette has learned how to “take up space” as an Asian American queer woman
      • Ways we can end anti-Blackness in solidarity together

        • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

        https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/empowering-the-next-generation-of-bipoc-filmmakers-with-jeanette-lam-of-youth-fx-

        FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

        FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

        36 min
      • EP 10. Being Black in China & the US with Dr. Marketus Presswood

        As a young college student, Dr. Marketus Presswood’s first trip to China proved to be more than just another study abroad experience. It was the beginning of a life-long journey through Afro-Asian history, with a little entrepreneurship and self-discovery along the way. In this episode of Stories from the Field, hear how Dr. Presswood’s experience as a Black man in China has impacted his research and work as a filmmaker, and also his insights on two cultures still grappling with the conversation of race.

        LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

        • How Dr. Presswood found himself in China
        • This long history of Black people in China
        • The similarities and differences between racialized discourse in China and the US
        • Why continuing conversations about race instead of covering them up is the only constructive path forward

          • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

          https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/being-black-in-china-the-us-with-dr-marketus-presswood

          FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

          FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

          48 min
        • EP 9. A Female Veteran's Fight to Become Visible with Katy Doggett

          Somewhere between becoming a mil spouse and an unpleasant conflict in a Lowe’s parking lot,  Katy Doggett began to avoid sharing her experience as an Air Force Veteran - thanks to the doubters and push-back she often received. But since sharing her story with LadyVet she’s now the one pushing back - so that other female veterans don’t face the same biases and misconceptions.  In this episode of Stories from the Field, hear more about Katy’s journey from “invisible veteran” to an empowered leader who's now creating a new chapter of her life in Germany.

          LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

          • Katy’s experience growing up as a biracial kid in Wisconsin
          • What compelled her to finally share her personal story of being an “invisible vet”
          • What it’s like to fly in a jet – and what it can teach us about appreciating another person’s reality
          • Life as a US government employee, Mom, and world explorer in Germany

            • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

            https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/a-female-veterans-fight-to-become-visible-with-katy-doggett

            FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

            FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/



            33 min
          • EP. 8. An Inclusive Marketer's Insights on Elevating BIPOC Leadership & Values with Argelia Martinez of Hauswirth/Co

            Inclusive marketing champion and Adweek Executive Mentee Argelia Martinez joins us to dig deep into some of the statistics, challenges, and opportunities for emerging BIPOC leaders. Argelia shares her own stories as a Latina leader and advice for other emerging leaders, their organizations, and DEI champions who truly want to engage this critical talent pool on their own terms.

            LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

            • How Argelia’s experience as an Adweek Executive Mentee supported her and other underrepresented marketers during a time of chaos.
            • The pressures many women – and especially Latinas – face when choosing between work and family
            • Why marketing and advertising agencies need to re-think their metrics
            • What organizations can do to ensure that women can stay in the workfroce

              • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

              https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/elevating-bipoc-leadership-values-at-work-with-argelia-martinez-of-hauswirthco

              FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

              FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

              33 min
            • EP 7. Creating Anti-Oppressive & Liberated Psychology Practices with Dr. Han Ren

              Since the onset of the pandemic, the interest in mental health and self-care have both increased exponentially. Along with this, a gradual shift toward applying a more intersectional lens to these practices has emerged, especially after the concerns of BIPOC have long been left out of these spaces.

              That’s why we’re thrilled to sit down with licensed psychologist Dr. Han Ren – one of the field’s leading experts in anti-oppressive and liberation psychological practices. In this conversation, we discuss a whole range of topics, from her perspective on accepted norms in Western psychology to the very important reasons why she joined TikTok!

              LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

              • Why we need to re-evaluate Western psychology to serve the needs of BIPOC individuals.
              • The differences between equality, equity, and liberation.
              • How DEI practitioners can preserve and protect their energy for this work.
              • Why it's necessary for white people to lead other white people in this work.

                • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

                https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/creating-anti-oppressive-liberated-psychology-practices-dr-han-ren

                FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

                FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

                39 min
              • EP 6. Taking on Colorism with Dr. Sarah Webb of Colorism Healing

                Colorism tends to be a loaded topic - poorly understood and not always well-received in communities of color and beyond. So how can we as DEI practitioners and champions give it the attention it needs and deserves? Dr. Sarah Webb, founder of Colorism Healing, joins us to answer this question and explain how colorism impacts cultures across the globe and what we can do to break the cycle. Tune in to learn about the incredible project Sarah is developing to elevate awareness of and healing from the pain of colorism.

                LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

                • The difference between “color” and “race.”
                • Why Dr. Sarah Webb doesn’t have “the luxury to prioritize racism.”
                • Examples of colorism across the globe.
                • How we can start the conversation about colorism at work.

                  • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

                  www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/2021/where-colorism-fits-into-dei-with-dr-sarah-webb

                  FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

                  FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/


                  46 min
                • EP 5. Putting the "Us" Back in Business with Busi Sizani of The Inclusion Company

                  How does a sports broadcaster turned award-winning filmmaker become the go-to DEI leader for emerging tech companies? The Inclusion Company co-founder Busi Sizani joins us from Amsterdam to share how her journey from post-Apartheid South Africa to award-winning filmmaker shaped her unique path into DEI.  Always the storyteller and visionary, Busi shares what the next generation of DEI leadership needs in order to make true progress toward equity and inclusion while elevating their organizations to new heights in the process.

                  LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

                  • What DEI 2.0 looks like and what leaders must do to get there
                  • What DEI champions must o to “keep the bar super, super high”
                  • How the Inclusion Readiness Index is setting start-ups up for success early on
                  • How to practice radical self-acceptance and self-compassion

                    • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT: https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/putting-us-back-in-business-busi-sizani-of-inclusion-compa

                    FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

                    FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

                    31 min
                  • EP 4. Transforming Limiting Beliefs in DEI with Dr. Nandi Shareef

                    We keep using this word “transformation” and you’re probably wondering, what does that really mean in the context of anti-racism and DEI? Well, we’re incredibly fortunate to have Firefly collaborator Dr. Nandi Shareef on the show to break it down for us. In this episode, Nandi sheds light on the transformation process she helps leaders navigate through at organizations that have made the commitment to anti-racism and DEI. A journey that requires confronting our own limiting beliefs and behaviors is never easy, but in this conversation, Nandi shares why it’s required to keep up with the accelerated rate of change we’re all experiencing, along with a few incremental success stories.

                    LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

                    • Why true transformation in DEI requires pointing the finger inward vs. outward
                    • What to do when the CEO Bubble bursts
                    • A BIG limiting belief about equity & performance, debunked!
                    • Why DEI Practitioners need to be selfish to be selfless.

                      • EPISODE WEBSITE W/ RESOURCES, GUEST BIO & FULL TRANSCRIPT:

                      https://www.fireflyinclusion.com/news-notes/inclusion-begins-by-transforming-limiting-beliefs-dr-nandi-shareef

                      FIREFLY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyinclusion/

                      FIREFLY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-inclusion-solutions/

                      43 min

                    About Stories from the Field

                    From the publisher's feed

                    Each day, Oana Amaria and Jason Rebello are fortunate to meet and work with individuals who are driving culture and systems change in their communities, organizations, and across the globe. From…