Tell it Proud

In this episode my guest is Julissa Contreras, and after being laid off from WeWork in May 2020 she decided to file a police report about a sexual assault experience she had unconsciously buried in an attempt to stay focused on her career. This episode hits such a wide range of necessary ideas from safe relationships to redefining success for ourselves. 

Julissa Contreras is a Dominicana from the Bronx who works to facilitate dialogue and create art that raises overlooked experiences. With a focus on storytelling, program development, and community curation, Julissa collaborates with organizations and artists on opportunities that influence pathways for meaningful change. Previously Julissa was the former Community and Impact Program Manager at WeWork, Operations Manager at Donorly, and Adolescent Leadership Program Manager at Children’s Aid Society- Hope Leadership Center. She is the creator of Ladies Who Bronché the podcast and YouTube’s “Shit Spanish Girls Say” and continues her work as a creative writer, performer, and creative consultant.

In this conversation we explore:

+ the difference between using empathy as a weapon to shut down needed conversations versus practicing compassionate empathy that bridges divides

+ why generational survival techniques that worked in the past can harm us in the present 

+ why dominant narratives around gender hold us all back from our full potential 

+ the ways success can be redefined from hyper competition to abundance for us all to thrive

In this episode we explore when my guest Nancy Soni sought out a hypnotherapist to help her reprogram deep-seated beliefs from childhood that created mental blocks to building her professional brand.

Nancy is the CEO/Co-Founder of PathMatch, the first decentralized career management network for Gen Z. They help today's students navigate tomorrow's workforce to build the skills and experience they need to be competitive while making it easier for companies to hire them for paid internships and great jobs.

Previously, Nancy started a tech-enabled recruiting platform, to helped companies such as Warby Parker, Amazon, Snap, and Bonobos hire thousands of people. which was acquired in 2017.

Nancy holds a BA in Psychology from Emory University.

In this conversation we explore:

+ reprogramming limiting thoughts that can follow us from childhood.

+ the things that need to change in the venture capital world especially when it comes to how we treat women owned businesses.

+ why you need to think about building your own brand even if you don't own or run a business.

In this episode we explore my guest Monisha Bajaj's experiences with running relationship and sexual violence prevention programs that go against some of conservative cultural norms in Thailand where her organization is based. If you've wanted to understand how to address tricky conversations and conflicts in a community or group, or how to build safe relationships, this is your episode. Monisha is a strategy execution consultant and founder. She works with founders 1:1 to guide them through expanding their business' capacity while protecting their well-being. Before this, she founded Ruam Chuay Foundation, an organization that runs relationship violence prevention programs in Thailand. Monisha's career is dedicated to helping people create healthy businesses and safer relationships.

In this conversation we explore

+ the benefits and challenges of going against a cultural norm and social expectations.

+ how understanding attachment theory (how your earliest relationships affect how you approach relationships) can improve how you connect with others.

+ how a business is a network of relationships and how we interact in those relationships create culture.

+ why we shouldn't avoid conflict and ways we can better manage it in a diverse group.

In this episode we explore when my guest Trish Boes quit her full-time job after suffering from severe burnout. Not only did she quit she also then did went against the grain of how she was raised to study spiritual psychology.

Trish Boes is a leadership coach and learning & development consultant who empowers individuals and organizations to become more self-aware and purpose-driven in order to make a lasting impact. Trish focuses on building dynamic leadership programs that support inclusion, connection, and employee empowerment, and has delivered workshops to thousands of people globally, including for corporate clients like NBCUniversal, Bustle and Amobee. Trish is an ICF certified professional Ontological coach, has a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology, and has over 15 years of experience in the digital marketing and technology industries, including 10+ years dedicated to executive development and L&D. You can check her out on Linkedin or Instagram.

In this conversation we dive into:

+ the benefits of spiritual psychology to reduce burnout

+ the 3 life questions we're all trying to answer to find deeper meaning in our lives.

+ why understanding the beliefs of your inner child can positively change your life.

+ how the more you heal yourself the more impact you can have on others in your work.

In this episode we explore when my guest Deepali Vyas experienced sexual harassment while working for a recruiting firm in her early career and when she left the firm and started her own business, her former company sued her for a non-compete. If you've ever wanted to get the courage to stand up to a company with a toxic culture, this is the episode for you. Deepali Vyas is the Founder & CEO of Fearless+ a platform to help young people create a modern portfolio and showcase their identities to the world while learning professional and life skills, and she has over 22 years of experience in executive search and leadership coaching working with Fortune 500 clients such as JP Morgan, Google, Tesla, Microsoft, and Fidelity to name a few. She's interviewed over 40,000 executives in her professional career and as a mother to an 11-year old, she's always thinking about how the next generation will embrace their future potential.

In this conversation we explore:

+ how power starts with understanding how the legal, financial, and workplace systems work around us.

+ why getting the courage to stand up against people more powerful than you can start with knowledge and collecting proof.

+ how authenticity can't happen without a safe space first.

+ why it's important to own your narrative, so that others don't assume it for you.

Pascale Joseph is a people ops, DEIB, and organizational culture professional who focuses on the personal and professional development of organizations and individuals. She leads and coaches by implementing practices of liberation psychology, trauma-informed organizational management, and intentional leadership framed through vulnerability, authenticity, and empathy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies and a Master of International Development, Urban Affairs & Planning from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing a PhD in Instructional Management and Leadership.

My guest on the Sway Them in Color Podcast today exemplifies walking the talk, as we explore when he took an act of courage by walking away from a 2 million dollars venture capital offer because it wasn't in alignment with his values. Davion Ziere, aka Zi who goes by the pronouns: we/us/ours/and he is the Founder of Origyn and Illuminator of the Origyn model, which is an Online community-based marketplace that sources from traditionally marginalized suppliers, empowers consumers to track their economic footprint and shop in greater alignment with their values, and re-invests back into the communities the platform serves as the platform grows. Zi is an artist, serial post-growth entrepreneur, and writer, and was formerly #1 Sales Leader for TESLA and has both successfully generated millions of dollars through his startups and turned down millions of dollars from investors who were not aligned with his organization's values. Zi has successfully empowered organizations, artists, students, and many more to be their best selves not only by traditional metrics of success, but also in alignment with clear values.

In this conversation we explore

+ why survival is a driving factor of perpetuating the status quo

+ how even marginalized people can perpetuate inequitable practices if they aren't conscious of the systems around them

+ how curiosity is a tool that can help you not only survive but thrive when experiencing uncertainty

+ 3 key things all leaders need to reach their fullest potential

+ what love teaches us about work

In this episode of Sway Them in Color I speak with my homie Ron Johnson. Ron Johnson is a curator of entrepreneurial experiences. His business Triton Consulting NYC empowers individuals to prepare for success through uncertainty by investing in themselves and generating multiple streams of income. His youth entrepreneurship program, the Triton Pilot Program, transforms youth across the country, from students to CEOs of their future. In this conversation we cover:

• How your own personal story can you give you clarity when you need to make a major change or pivot in life

• Why endings can be a good thing

• Why vulnerability is a strength and is a key to your creativity

When you're raised as the only Black family for miles, in a place like Ogden Utah that has very little racial diversity, as a Black person, you get used to being ignored. The book Invisible Man should have had a sequel titled, "Invisible Children: the training guide for colored kids who are confused by white avoidance." This erasure and feeling of invisibleness isn't just unique to my upbringing. For Black individuals, the erasure of culture, complexity of identity outside of stereotypes, and a lack of Black history taught outside of oppression or slavery creates barriers to a healthy sense of self and fuels the biases that keeps society inequitable.

I was recently inspired to contribute a new narrative to the concept of Blackness by asking my friends and family who are Black to answer the simple question "What do you love about being black?" Their answers were inspirational, funny, informative, universal, as well as unique, and a balance to the traumatic images, negative stories, an imbalanced emphasis on Black pain, Black violence, Black erasure, and Black oppression shared on a daily basis. Those stories are important to share, but they are not the only narrative in the bigger story about Black culture.

The best way to change the status quo and create true understanding and belonging is to redefine narratives. This episode is one small step towards that redefinition. Take a listen to writers, an actor, public speaker, entrepreneurs, and makers who share their stories about what they love about being Black, in a world and society that many times makes it difficult to affirm ourselves.

In this episode of Sway Them In Color I speak with Tony Chatman. Tony has worked with hundreds of corporations and government agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, Dept. of Homeland Security, Chase Bank, Estee Lauder, N.O.A.A. and N.A.S.A. to help people reach new heights of effectiveness by understanding themselves and others better. As a corporate relationship expert and leadership keynote speaker, his passion is contagious and his messages provide practical, usable knowledge that people implement immediately for business and personal success. Currently, Tony serves as a board member for the Captain Phillips Lane Kirkland Maritime Trust. Tony recently completed his first book: The Force Multiplier: How to Lead Teams Where Everyone Wins and in 2018 he delivered his first TEDx talk – How to Stop Settling for Less. In this discussion we dive into:

• why pursuing character over cash leads to positive outcomes and fulfillment.

• dealing with microaggressions

• why productivity and performance at work is all about relationships

• how to navigate change and risk when you're terrified of the outcome