The Diverse Minds Podcast

this week's podcast, Leyla speaks to Harvey Kennedy-Pitt about public health from an LGBTQ+ and global majority perspective.

If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.

Harvey Kennedy-Pitt (he/him) is an internationally educated scientist, educator, lecturer, integrated public health education and promotion practitioner, and academic. As a public health leader, Harvey’s public health interests include addressing health disparities across communities of colour, particularly among those with racially and sexually minoritised identities.

In his role as CEO of Black Beetle Health, Harvey implements innovative public health approaches to community engagement, academic research, social wealth development, collective empowerment, and capacity building in order to tackle long-standing health disparities for LGBTQ+ Black and People of Colour.

• What Harvey is working on right now [02:09]
• The biggest challenges he sees when it comes to public health for the LGBTQ+ community. [06:13]
• What workplaces can do to even out inequality. [08:56]
• Some challenges people in the LGBTQ+ community face when they seek help [11:13]
• His top 3 tips for looking after his mental health [21:34]

• Sometimes, we end up choosing systems first and then forgetting the people that make those systems up.
• Take some time to do some reflective practice.
• We're institutionalised to think that we are the helpers and that we're helping those that need help. When, actually, we oftentimes need the help ourselves.
• Follow the advice you give other people.
• When I take my own advice, I find that I'm in the best form of myself.

• Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health
• Unstukk Consultancy website, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
• Black Beetle Health website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Join my Mailing List and receive my free e-Book: bit.ly/MHLMEBK21

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

This month’s theme is all about representation in LGBTQIA+ History Month. This month’s theme is all about representation in LGBTQIA+ History Month. This week, we are talking about transitioning in families. To join me in doing this is the wonderful Cath Lloyd.

If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.

Cath is the author of ‘When Dad Became Joan’, about her journey starting in 1987, when her dad made the shocking confession that he wished to become a woman. It’s her story of how, for many years, she fought against her dad’s gender reassignment.

In the book, Cath opens her heart to show the conflicts she finally managed to conquer.  Through the years of emotional, conflicting, and tormenting thought processes, Cath wondered if life would ever feel normal again.  She is an expert in supporting those struggling to release the pain of loss and flourish through change.

She says we all have a story about coming to terms with change, whether this is transgender reassignment, separation, loss, illness, disability, or living through another trauma. As we live through our story we do the best we can with the strategies we have at our disposal. Sometimes these are not enough and we have to search long and hard to find alternatives.

Cath was an adult education teacher working in a male prison, there she learned how to see the other side of the story. To see the exception to the rule, that life isn’t always clear cut. Life is constantly changing sometimes for the better and at other times there needs to be a period of adjustment.

We have to learn how to adjust and start living a new normal. In 2017 Cath’s son broke his neck and is now tetraplegic meaning that he only has movement from his shoulders upwards. What I learned from my long bereavement cycle of change and loss for her Dad really helped her manage her thoughts and feelings around the drastic lifestyle change for my son and we as a family had to adjust to.

The strategies I ultimately used, I teach today to help families and those living with the bereavement cycle of change and loss so they can come out the other side smiling and with warmth in their hearts.

• About my TEDx talk - The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health. [02:43]
• What Cath is working on right now [03:14]
• Her experience writing her book - when dad became Joan. [04:11]
• What workplaces can do to support people whose parents may be transitioning. [21:05]
• Her top 3 tips for looking after her mental health [25:34]

• Dogs get you out. They get you out in the fresh air, and out exercising.
• I spent a lot of time learning how to manage me.
• Workplaces have to make it so that most people are confident to make their transitioning known.
• I was so stressed that I suddenly had to kick-start deep breathing exercises.
• There were times of desperation, when my son had this accident, and my heart was so emotionally broken by what had happened, that I did consider self-harm.

• Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health
• When dad became Joan
• Cath's website,
• Join my Mailing List and receive my free e-Book: bit.ly/MHLMEBK21

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489

Check out my FAQs here: http://diverseminds.co.uk/solutions/coaching/

You can learn more about the coaching I do to support your wellbeing here. 

If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.

If you enjoyed it, why not leave a review? 

You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  

Remember to tune in next week, where I’ll bring you more insights on mental health and inclusion.

Welcome to the 181st episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. As it's February, this month’s theme is all about intersectionality and LGBTQ+ History Month.

If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.

• About my TEDx talk - The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health. [00:40]
• My focus on today's episode. [01:12]
• Some statistics about LGBTQ+ [02:36]
• Questions to see how you'd feel about LGBTQ+ [04:11]
• Things workplaces can do to support LGBTQ+ staff. [05:40]

• Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone.
• Work is a really big part of someone's recovery experience or mental well-being.
• Training is not a panacea, but it's really important.
• Identity is much more than one aspect of ourselves. It's much more than sexual orientation.
• Not all awareness days are to be celebrated.

• Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health
• Supporting LGBTQ+ Workers’ Mental Health
• Working with Pride
• Check out Episode #65 Why Training isn’t a Panacea
• Listen to Episode #69 How Real Allyship Makes a Difference
• Check out Episode #180 Intersectionality for LGBTQ+ History Month
• Join my Mailing List and receive my free e-Book: bit.ly/MHLMEBK21

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Welcome to the 180th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. As it's February, this month’s theme is all about intersectionality and LGBTQ+ History Month.

• About my TEDx talk - The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health. [01:54]
• What this year's LGBTQ+ History Month is all about. [01:33]
• Why it's important to consider intersectionality when celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month [02:33]
• Things that can be done to help take an intersectional approach in LGBTQ+ History Month [05:20]
• Some practical ideas for celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month. [08:29]

• In workplaces, if you're celebrating LGBTQ plus History Month, it's vital to consider these intersections.
• Having an intersectional identity often generates a feeling that someone does not completely belong in one group or another, and can lead to isolation and mental ill health
• Part of taking this intersectional approach is to recognise people's lives are multi-dimensional and complex.
• Consider who you choose to speak at events.
• Have a specific event or topic on LGBTQ+ identities, if this is new in your organisation, and if it's established, integrate it.

• Check out my TEDx talk: The Connection between Culture, Race and Mental Health
• Listen to Episode #170 What is disability and intersectionality?

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Welcome to the 178th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. This month’s theme is about poverty and systemic injustice and the link to mental wellbeing.

Today we are talking about campaigning against poverty to support mental health, and to join me to do so is Errin Norton-Brown.

If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.

Errin Norton-Brown is the Strategic Change Lead Poverty & Social Exclusion at Mind, the mental health charity.

She leads Mind’s change initiatives in order to move Mind to be a charity that better supports those facing poverty, by improving mental health & welfare systems, offering more appropriate support and reducing stigma.

Prior to this role, Errin managed a workplace mental health programme at Mind, developing & piloting new workplace interventions and campaigns. Prior to Mind, she worked in research and policy for Sense about Science, a small charity focussing on how to improve the use of evidence in decision-making done by the public and by policymakers. She also has experience in strategic marketing.

Her academic background is in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, and she is passionate about furthering the use of evidence-based approaches to improving mental health outcomes for marginalised groups.

In today’s show

• About Errin and what she's working on at the moment. [01:54]
• Mind's definition of poverty. [05:05]
• How Erring got into her work with Mind. [09:45]
• Some things that can be done to help fight poverty [13:52]
• Her top 3 tips for looking after her mental health. [28:13]

• At Mind, we define poverty as the experience of not having enough material resources to meet the current needs that you're facing.
• Growing up, I saw in my family, the impact that financial difficulty really can have on Mental Health.
• There's a clear change that's needed at the system's level to help fight poverty.
• I try and have fewer meetings on weeks that I know, I might be struggling a bit more.
• It's essential to understand what makes you feel well.

• Mind on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter
• Mind's Website

Have a look at my online work-life

Welcome to the 178th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. This month’s theme is all about poverty and systemic injustice and the link to mental wellbeing. To join me this week to discuss this topic in further detail is Jeri C Perkins from the USA.

About my guest

Jeri Perkins is the CEO/Founder of Impact Action Network Advocacy Consulting Agency whose mission and vision are to "Educate to Liberate so that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, & Justice (DEIBJ) is a systemic and institutional priority and not a checkbox." 

As a DEIBJ educator, Jeri provides educational advocacy resources so that Black/African American, Native/Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino/Latina, and Asian Pacific Islander communities thrive in every facet of life. 

Jeri has a Masters of Social Work Concentration Policy, Administration & Community Practice from Arizona State University's Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions where she served as a Jr. Inclusive Design for Equity & Access (IDEA) Scholar and the Founder of the BIPOC Student Network. Also, Ms. Perkins is a graduate of a Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Lincoln University (MO) with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. 

While at Lincoln most notably Ms. Perkins hosted the Impact with Jeri Perkins talk show on JCTV Access to raise awareness of social issues in our local, state and global community. Ms. Perkins desires to pursue an Education Doctorate in Organisational Change & Leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education to amplify her work as a DEIBJ educator. Ms. Perkins is a Narrative Changer, Trailblazer and Visionary who passionately uses her platform as a Black female scholar to represent "culture as a strength and not a deficit."

• About Jeri and what she's working on at the moment. [02:53]
• How she got into the advocacy and justice space. [05:28]
• What the term advocacy means to her [10:29]
• How advocacy can help to change injustice and create social equity [12.13]
• Her top 3 tips for looking after her mental health. [28:18]

• Compassion fatigue is real, burnout is real.
• Trying to change the system, while navigating and living within the system, as a black woman, can be extremely fatiguing.
• Advocacy is a social responsibility.
• I have learned that it's so important to validate my thoughts, feelings and emotions.
• My family is a great support network and resource for me and my community.

• Jeri on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and LinkedIn
• Jeri's Website

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Welcome to the 177th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. We’ve had two great kick-off episodes with Maya Kalaria and Dan Ram, now we have a mini-series on poverty and mental health for the rest of January. 

On today’s show

• Why I chose to cover this topic [00:55]
• The definition of poverty. [01:17]
• Why we need to consider the idea of absolute and relative poverty. [03:34]
• How poverty is measured in the UK. [05:54]
• What workplaces can do to tackle in-work poverty. [13:48]

• Poverty refers to lacking enough resources to provide the necessities of life.
• Absolute poverty refers to people whose incomes fall below a line set by a given country.
• Having a really awful manager and awful circumstances around you at work can cause mental ill health.
• Employment status is linked to mental health outcomes.
• Now if people want flexible jobs, and they want to work on an hourly basis, I respect that. But they shouldn't be doing it in a precarious way where they get no sick pay, and they get no benefits.

• Leave me an anonymous message on my SpeakPipe
• UN Global Poverty Index 2018
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation Solve Poverty
• CIPD Reward Management Survey
• Poverty and Mental Health Report
• Mind’s Report on Poverty and Mental Health 
• Real living wage

Check out my course: The Mentally Healthy Professional

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Join my mailing list here: https://bit.ly/MHLMEBK21

Welcome to the 176th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. We're going to be talking about diversity and inclusion in the public speaking world today, and to join me in doing this is Dan Ram.

Dan Ram is an IGNITER! A 5x TEDx speaker, 3x entrepreneur, prolific event MC / moderator, and public speaking coach, his clients range from individual founders to national governments. His eclectic background growing up in 11 countries on 4 continents, his multi-continent education including Yale University and Trinity College (and currently pursuing a PhD in Entrepreneurship at RWTH), as well as his work in diverse industries from the UN to Consulting to Private Equity to Startups ensures that his clients are at the cutting edge of innovation.

Dan Ram travels the globe as an Event MC & Speaker at over 100 events a year. Hosting changemakers like President Barack Obama, billionaire founders Sir Richard Branson and Reid Hoffman, F1 champion Nico Rosberg, Grammy-winning artists and celebrities, he works on 4 continents from college campuses to parliaments to in-house corporate innovation days for Fortune 500 companies to the biggest tech conferences in the world. His passion is to inspire people with his motto 'Start Now Start Simple' in building a future we all want to live in.

Growing up the son of an Indian Diplomat in 10 countries on 4 continents I learned how to build a sense of ‘home’ wherever he went. After being broke and unemployed in a foreign land I was able to build a life where he was eventually managing a $500 million fund, advising National Governments, and MCing the top Tech conferences in Europe. I want to share why diversity matters and how someone can turn an underestimated skill into a profession that can impact lives around the world.

• What he's working on at the moment. [02:37]
• Dan on breaking into public speaking. [04:30]
• How he's navigated the white-dominated industry of public speaking. [05:50]
• Some ways he creates safe and inclusive spaces where people feel they can participate [13:31]
• His top 3 tips for looking after his mental health. [25:25]

• I broke into the market because I was already at events.
• If I was Indian and had an Indian accent, I highly doubt I'd be doing the speaking gigs I'm doing, which is a real shame.
• I make sure to present a fresh, alternative and new perspective to every conversation.
• Turn whatever it is that you think is missing, that you bring, into your superpower, but make it more than the photo opp
• The way I deal with my mental health and mindset is because I'm an introvert. Not an extrovert.

• Dan on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Email him at [email protected]
• Whatsapp: +183255253535

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Complete the form to discuss your training needs: https://forms.gle/hgnYtmTu33Zeem489

Check out my FAQs here: http://diverseminds.co.uk/solutions/coaching/

You can learn more about the coaching I do to support your wellbeing here. 

If you enjoyed this episode, then consider subscribing on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts from.

If you enjoyed it, why not leave a review? 

You can also connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  

Remember to tune in next week, where I’ll bring you more insights on mental health and inclusion.

Welcome to the 175th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. To kick off January, we've got two really exciting episodes to help you feel energized and also reflect. So to join me today is Maya Kalaria.

Maya Kalaria is an Author, Consultant, Educator and Astrologer. Her poetry book, Half Woman Half Grief, explores the hero’s journey through the underworld of death, grief, trauma and rage after losing her mother at the age of nine. As a lifelong intuitive and student of mysticism, she is also a qualified Horary Astrologer.

Maya recently co-founded Energetic Conversations with Daniel Edmund; a consultancy company helping to heal the racial, gender and mental health dynamics within company cultures.

Her wide-ranging professional background includes mental health practitioner work with young people, domestic abuse work with women and children, solution-focused hypnotherapy and retail management.

As a Gujarati woman born in England, Maya speaks powerfully about the racism and colonial trauma she experienced as a result of her early life circumstances, as well as the mysticism her life became steeped in through these life-altering experiences.

She believes strongly in healthy communication as a powerful tool for healing and is passionate about connecting to our ancestral, indigenous roots, wherever we originate from. She also speaks of the energy work that she has practised for years and is at the core of everything she does.

• About Maya and what she's working on at the moment. [02:09]
• How she connects with organizations that want to heal and understand what that healing means. [03:55]
• Some tips for navigating grief. [05:50]
• How she managed to turn pain into power [09:17]
• Her top 3 tips for looking after his mental health. [28:59]

• Be very regimented and boundaried around mental health and around looking after yourself.
• If you don't want to transform, we don't have anything for you, because we're about the transformation and the transformative work.
• There's a massive gap between where organizations think they're at, and where they actually are.
• Not everyone feels the same way, but you're not alone.
• You have to dig into your own trauma to actually do the work.

• Maya on Instagram and Twitter
• Maya's Website and Linktree

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific

Welcome to the 174th episode of the award-winning Diverse Minds podcast. On today’s episode, I’m going to be giving you a round-up of 2022 and the reflections from this incredibly challenging year. 

• How reflecting at the end of the year can be a useful exercise. [00:55]
• The biggest lesson I've learned this year. [02:13]
• How this year has been a case of taking it an hour at a time. [03:16]
• My thoughts on grief. [03:41]
• A roundup of the year. [05.44]

• It can be a really useful exercise to celebrate all you've achieved and consider what you want to build on and indeed what you want to leave behind.
• This has been my fifth full year of business, which has flown by, but it's also been incredibly challenging for many reasons.
• There were so many times when my insights felt pulverized by the weight of my emotions and global happenings.
• As with 2021, rarely did a week go by where I didn't hear about someone receiving a cancer diagnosis.
• When we get what we strive for, or put all our energy into something, it often has unexpected effects.

• Leave me an anonymous message on my SpeakPipe
• Check out Episode 118:  #118 Turning Grief into Fuel with Dipti Tait.

Check out my course: The Mentally Healthy Professional

Have a look at my online work-life balance course on Thinkific. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/DMMHPONC

Join my mailing list here: https://bit.ly/MHLMEBK21