Finding Self-Love and Resilience

Denise Cesare explores the resilience found through disability, self-acceptance, and mindful creativity, weaving together disability rights, mental health advocacy, and the transformative embrace of inclusive fashion and self-love.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes Denise Cesare for an open-hearted conversation entitled "Love in Motion." Denise shares her journey of resilience and innovation, moving from a traumatic voice loss caused by spasmodic dysphonia to creating inclusive, empowering fashion with her swimwear brand T Suit. They explore the intersection of mental health, disability advocacy, and body positivity, weaving Denise’s lived experiences with broader themes of belonging, self-love, and navigating societal expectations. Joanne and Denise examine the pressures and prejudices surrounding body image, the deficiencies in mental health support post-COVID, and the importance of mindful living for personal growth and collective inclusion.

Denise is a published author, keynote speaker, and specialist in social emotional learning, championing disability rights and body confidence. Her advocacy is grounded in personal experience as a speech language pathologist who reconsidered what it means to have—and lose—one’s voice. Her brand T Suit, founded on the premise that "we are not a size, we are a fit," offers swimmable cover-ups designed to enable anyone to feel confident and comfortable at the poolside. Denise has also penned "Moments in Motion with Love," a book born from the challenges of remote learning during the pandemic, aiming to reconnect young people with mindfulness and emotional resilience. Her holistic approach radiates through each project, seamlessly combining practical compassion with creative design.

Joanne and Denise discuss the impact of polarised politics, instant gratification culture, and the ways social media warps perceptions of self-worth. They underscore the significance of loving oneself, healing the “inner child,” and replacing judgement with acceptance, especially when supporting those facing adversity. The episode addresses how fashionable innovations, like Denise's T Suit, can drive social change by resisting exclusion and encouraging authenticity.

The key takeaway from this episode is the transformative power of practical compassion—whether in the classroom, at home, or through fashion. By advocating for fit over size and self-acceptance over conformity, Denise reminds listeners that resilience is rooted in self-love and belonging. Tune in for actionable insights, uplifting narratives, and a push to make inclusion visible, felt, and lived.

Viral Topic: Finding Connection During Lockdown: “We were all put on lockdown and we had to work remotely with speech. Speech and language students.”

Viral Topic: How Inspiration Strikes Creatives Overnight: At five o’ clock in the morning, I woke up with a book. The book came out of me in my sleep. Some people might not believe me, but I have the proof because I woke up my husband. I said, wake up. I wrote a book.

Viral Topic: Body Confidence and Inclusive Fashion: “But what I create, my creations are something special just to enhance the skin you’re in. So if you don’t really feel comfortable even in a swimsuit, because a lot of people do not.”

Viral Topic: The People’s Voice in Government: “We the people don’t have a voice, really. I mean, I have a voice, but not in government. Just don’t.”

The Power of Early Learning: “You have to infuse arts and music and all of these awesome things in the brain from birth to seven, that’s putting love in your brain.”

Overcoming Darkness and Finding Resilience: “During that time it was very dark. It was a dark time in my life. It was so dark and people go through this. That’s of the mental illness.”

The Power of Self-Love in Overcoming Darkness: “as much as I loved him, it wasn’t about my love for him that kept me here. It was my love for myself and the resilience and not wanting to give up and seeking things to get me to the next step.”

The Power of Self-Love: “So the bottom line with why I’m still here and sitting is I learned that love myself. Because if you don’t have self love, you don’t want to be here straight, straight out.”

Viral Topic – Understanding the Complexity of Pain: “So people do say people are selfish when they do that. I’m like, just go read up. Because it’s not about that. Because if they have everything, why would they do that?”

Viral Topic: The Benefits of Buying Directly from Authors:

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Creating a Gayer and More Colourful Disney

AJ explores the power of authentic queer and bipoc storytelling, the challenges of independent animation, and the importance of creating unapologetically inclusive media that offers hope, validation, and representation to communities.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes AJ Hannah to explore the vibrant, challenging, and timely subject of animating queer futures. Together, they consider what it means to reimagine the animation industry—traditionally dominated by mainstream narratives—through unapologetically queer and intersectional lenses. AJ and Joanne unpack how authentic representation behind and in front of the camera can disrupt stereotypes, empower marginalised creators, and spark meaningful social change, especially amidst political and cultural backlash against inclusion. Their discussion deftly traverses the realities of building a grassroots, diversity-first studio, funding hurdles, the significance of community-driven support, and the defiant joy of making space where others refuse to tread.

AJ is the founder and creative director of 3dio Studios, a queer-led, BIPOC woman-founded indie animation studio. Her current projects, including the adult animated series Poison Us, position her on the frontline of championing globally resonant LGBTQ+ storytelling. Drawing on her background in journalism, personal journey as a gender fluid person of colour, and determination to provide platforms for talent overlooked by traditional Hollywood, AJ weaves her lived experiences into the narratives and opportunities she creates. Her focus is on telling the stories major studios eschew, ensuring characters and talent genuinely reflect the communities they represent both on screen and behind the microphone.

Joanne and AJ probe the nuances of representation, from refusing to erase queer identities for wider market appeal to the importance of paying underrepresented artists a fair wage. They address the responsibilities of queer-led organisations to hold space for authentic narratives and discuss the realities of operating without corporate safety nets—fuelled by defiant hope, community investment, and the will to dismantle outdated norms. With stories of resilience, creative chaos, and the pleasure of minor acts of rebellion, this episode offers both practical insight and inspiration, urging listeners to consider how inclusion is brought to life—not just in storylines, but within every line drawn and every voice amplified.

A key takeaway from this conversation is the transformative power of authentic, unapologetic storytelling that centres queer and BIPOC voices—not as an act of tokenism, but as an act of justice, hope, and cultural reclamation. Listeners will be inspired to reflect on whose narratives are missing, understand the value of investing in grassroots inclusion, and feel encouraged to be part of the movement animating a more inclusive future.

Viral Topic: Diversity in Animation

Viral Topic: Diversity in Animation

Viral Topic: Queer Youth and Censorship: “even in China, where sometimes you’ll get censored stuff, they’ll still go, and the queer young people of China will still go and they’ll find what they want to watch.”

Authentic Representation in Media: “But if you don’t have the people behind it, the storyboard artists, the writers, the voice actors behind it that can actually tell that storey in a representative and authentic sort of way, then what are you doing?”

Hollywood’s Talent Gatekeeping: “There are so many talented people that are not seen in Hollywood because it’s very much a who you know, or this person knows this person and recommended them. So you end up, or you went to school with this person. And that leaves out a whole demographic that leaves out several demographics of people. That leaves out people in other countries that maybe couldn’t afford to go to scad. That leaves out people that, you know, even in this country that couldn’t afford to go to acting school or, you know, knew that, hey, acting school is probably not my best choice. As a queer person of colour. I need something that I can fall back on, that’s going to spend more money, but at the same time, they’re a great voice actor or voice actress and they, you know, do it on the side. They’re not represented, they’re not being seen by people or they’re just.”

Indie Animation Release Strategies: “We get to decide when we’re putting them out, which gives us amount of time, whatever amount of time we need to finish it or to make it so if somebody has.”

Viral Topic: Funding Queer Indie Animation

Viral Topic: Overcoming Personal Barriers

Viral Topic: The Decline of Journalism and Finding Representation

Viral Topic: Hidden Subversion in Art: “how can we be there and very much still be loud and showy, but also like just under their nose enough to where we’re able to paint on their ceiling?”

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Bridging Identity and Organisational Inclusion

Sile Walsh explores the complexities of authentic inclusion, the interplay between lived experience and organisational culture, and how compassionate leadership can bridge divides without sacrificing psychological safety or succumbing to performative

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Sile Walsh to explore what lies beyond mere performative inclusion in workplace culture. Their conversation traverses psychological safety, organisational power dynamics, and the nuances of identity and belonging. Sile bridges lived experience with leadership insight, laying bare the tensions between conforming to cultural expectations and remaining authentic at work. Joanne shares candid reflections on multiculturalism and its impact on identity formation, prompting Sile to examine how formative experiences in Ireland and the UK have shaped their perspectives on inclusion. The episode dives deep into the complexity of cultural adaptation, the relativity of gender identity, and the importance of creating environments where all individuals—regardless of their background—can thrive.

Sile Walsh is an award-winning coach, author, and leadership specialist from Dublin, with a reputation for embedding equity and psychological safety into global leadership and organisational practice. Volunteering from an early age and working with marginalised communities have given Sile a unique lens on the inequities that shape workplaces and society. Their work draws on lived experience, academic study, and community engagement, encouraging leaders to move from simply “being nice” to taking practical action. Sile runs LS Advantage and has authored "Inclusive Leadership: Navigating Organisational Complexity", equipping organisations with tools for genuinely systemic inclusion. Their approach prioritises meeting people where they are, fostering compassionate accountability, and addressing collective harm rather than seeking superficial approval.

Together, Joanne and Sile scrutinise the pitfalls of performative inclusivity, challenge the misconceptions around “bringing your whole self to work”, and unpack the unintended oppression within affinity groups. They dissect the dangers of power struggles, the perils of “cancel culture”, and the necessity of allowing room for diverse—even oppositional—beliefs, provided they do not result in harm. The episode unearths how polarisation and moral superiority can be antithetical to true inclusion, questioning whether workplace environments actually encourage authentic dialogue or simply reinforce groupthink.

A key takeaway from this episode is the distinction between genuine inclusion and shallow performance. Listeners are invited to reconsider organisational norms, engage curiously with opposing perspectives, and advocate for environments that value psychological safety above binary labels. Joanne and Sile encourage ongoing dialogue, urging listeners to share their stories and challenge their own assumptions—to help create workplaces where everyone is not only welcomed, but empowered to thrive.

Viral Topic: The Complexity of Cultural Identity: “this sense of home is so, so different. And I really resonate with that because I have brothers who have. So also my accent, it might not be obvious to you, Joanne, but my accent in Ireland is considered English and in England my accent is consider considered Irish, but my brothers have Irish accents.”

Viral Topic: Cultural Identity and School Lunches

Viral Topic: The Relevance of Gender in Social Interactions

Viral Topic: The Inequality Gap in Communities: “I was constantly seeing that the same thing didn’t result in the same outcome for everyone.”

The Power of Environment in Leadership: “I was always using inclusion without that word, because I was helping people understand that the environment you put people in has as much impact on their performance as their capability, and that if that environment is set up correctly.”

Viral Topic: The Pitfalls of Identity-Based Hiring in DEI

Viral Topic: Who Is Inclusion Actually For?: “if you are dealing with an effective inclusive practitioner, they’re not focused on the minority, they’re focused on what is required for the whole group, which includes the minority.”

Viral Topic: Working with Homophobia in Organisations: “just because they have belief that I am less human doesn’t make me less human. And when I’m working with them, if I make them less human in my interaction, I’m just replicating the very thing I don’t want to occur.”

Viral Topic: Political Polarisation and Workplace Compassion

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Surviving Adversity and Choosing Happiness

Naseem Rochette shares her profound journey of resilience, reframing trauma, and the radiance of joyful energy, exploring how vulnerability, gratitude, and authentic connection can foster unbreakable spirit and inclusive belonging.

In this powerful episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Naseem Rochette to explore the profound impact of reframing adversity into opportunities for growth and connection. Naseem recounts the harrowing experience of being run over by a car three times and the resulting journey through trauma, resilience, and transformation. Their conversation delves deep into the emotional realities faced in the aftermath of life-changing events—from the disorienting lack of remorse from others, to the necessity of accepting help, and the discovery that energy, whether positive or negative, shapes both one’s perception and the reactions of those around us. Joanne and Naseem discuss the significance of ‘Unbreakable Day’, choosing joy as a principle, and the challenges of staying centred on kindness and optimism in a fragmented world.

Naseem is an award-winning author, renowned keynote speaker, and advocate for joy who helps others reframe their stories and embrace personal growth during life’s toughest moments. Rooted in her Indian heritage and shaped by a childhood of both insecurity and festivity, Naseem’s journey spans corporate experience at Microsoft, extensive recovery from significant trauma, and the authorship of ‘The Unexpected Benefits of Being Run Over’. She brings an authentic voice, blending vulnerability with optimism, and now supports individuals through coaching, speaking, and candid storytelling—demonstrating that openness about struggle builds deeper connections and that reframing adversity can lead to renewed strength and self-acceptance.

Joanne and Naseem reflect on the transformative power of shifting perspective, the myth of instant resilience, and the importance of building inclusive, meaningful relationships—especially in times of crisis. They highlight the need to allow space for difficult emotions, to show grace to oneself and others, and to celebrate not only large achievements but also the incremental steps towards healing and connection.

The key takeaway from this episode is that cultivating joyful energy and embracing vulnerability enables genuine inclusion and belonging. Listeners will discover practical wisdom on reframing traumatic experiences, supporting others through adversity, and prioritising connection over perfection. This episode is an essential listen for anyone seeking hope, resilience, and inspiration to navigate life’s challenges with an unbreakable spirit.

The Power of Joy: “I think it’s that desire to get back to joy and the, you know, when I was. Thought I was dying, you know, like thinking about the joy of my life, I think those things kept me going, you know, and so I try to keep that front and centre.”

Near-Death Epiphany: “And one of those things was when I was underneath the car thinking, you know, I don’t even say 99, I was a hundred percent sure I was going to die. I started reflecting back on my life and you know, having those end of life thoughts.”

The Importance of Presence Over Perfection: “even though I’m. They’re going to lose their mom, they know who I am because we’ve had that joy. I’ve been present, I’ve, I’ve filled, you know, their life with love and I felt so good about that.”

Viral Topic: The Power of Accepting Help

Viral Topic: The Power of Reframing

Viral Topic – The Power of Sharing Personal Struggles: “We’ve all gone through something and when we share what we’ve been through, we, we also give licence to other people to share.”

Viral Topic: The Power of Self-Kindness: “many of the people that first read the book said that’s what they took, that they needed to learn to be kinder to themselves because we are so judgy with ourselves, you know, but if we, we remember, like, it’s okay if we’re not. Life is going to change. It is absolutely going to change.”

The Transformative Power of Trauma: “There’s so much power in those tough moments. There’s so much we learn and grow from that most of us don’t spend any time thinking about because tough moments always seem like downers.”

Viral Topic – Embracing Change After Trauma: “But it turns out the new ways in which I solve problems and delve into things has been more successful for me.”

Viral Topic: Navigating Grief and Trauma Conversations: “I know that now that when somebody’s in trauma, asking them how they are is a really tough question because they don’t know how they are and they don’t want to lie to you and they don’t want to pretend everything’s fine.”

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Journey from Crisis to Community

Cedric explores the pivotal intersection of leadership, educational empowerment, and belonging by weaving personal narratives, social context, and intergenerational transformation to illuminate the path from adversity to inclusive systemic change

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood explores the intersection of leadership, learning, and belonging in a conversation with Dr. Cedric Howard. Cedric unpacks the realities and misconceptions surrounding diversity and inclusion in higher education, reflecting on his personal journey from a crisis moment during the Rodney King verdict, through becoming a respected thought leader and advocate for financial empowerment. Joanne and Cedric examine how educational institutions mirror wider society, why authentic student voice is essential in decision-making, and the challenges of tackling systemic disadvantage. The conversation is rich with anecdotes—ranging from the vibrant inclusivity of Seattle to the importance of failure as a component in growth—and offers actionable insights for listeners seeking to create lasting change in their own organisations and communities.

Cedric is a higher educational thought leader and financial empowerment advocate whose life’s work is dedicated to breaking cycles of poverty through inclusive leadership and real-world impact. As a first-generation graduate, Cedric transformed challenges into opportunities, nurturing a legacy of achievement for his entire family. His superpower—translating complex policy into everyday stories—shines as he recounts how his intervention during campus unrest redirected his career towards higher education. His expertise is regularly sought in national publications and policy discussions, with over thirty years in transformative educational leadership. Joanne draws on his experience to unpick what it truly means to humanise policy, empower young people, and create a culture where everyone can belong and thrive.

Listeners will come away from this episode with a renewed appreciation for the role of authentic relationships and shared experience in educational and societal change. Key takeaways include the necessity to centre lived experience in leadership, the power of resilience forged through failure, and how systemic expectations and habits can be reimagined for collective advancement. This episode is a call to ground leadership in empathy and action—be that through duct tape moments or rethinking how we define success—tailored for anyone passionate about making inclusion a lived reality.

Pacific Northwest’s Tax Advantage: “You make your money in California, but you have your permanent residence and address here in Washington state so that you don’t have to necessarily pay the taxes or as many taxes on your income.”

Viral Redemption: “We was like, Cedric was involved. I can’t believe he was, you know, involved in this particular situation in a negative way and realised, no, you were actually the saving grace.”

Viral Topic: Championing Access for Disadvantaged Students

Viral Topic: Overcoming Inner Struggles

The Power of Context in Leadership: “What I have learned about the convenience of leaders is that you may have content, but it’s also important to have context. Because when you have content with context, you have clarity.”

Putting Students First in Higher Education: “my primary customer in higher education are students. And what I do is create an environment where access and success becomes the guiding principles for leading decisions that ultimately serve our primary customer, which are students.”

Viral Topic: The Power of Including Student Voices in Decision Making

Viral Topic: The Value of Education Beyond College

Generational Wealth and Success: “The more successful we become as a family, the more resources that are available for the next generation.”

Building Resilience in the Next Generation: “But don’t pick them up every time they struggle because they’re learning skills, grit, resilience, that’ll be much more conducive for them as adults than had we not put them in environments that we got put in, put into you.”

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Authenticity and Self-Responsibility in Modern Society

Dariya Krasnova explores the interconnectedness of holistic health, personal authenticity, and collective wellbeing, illuminating how energy, compassion, and self-responsibility can raise societal vibrations and foster genuine inclusion.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood explores the transformative power of raising collective vibrations with her guest, Dariya Krasnova. Dariya shines a light on holistic health, authenticity, and the interconnected nature of human experience. The conversation weaves through cultural identity, neurodiversity, and the importance of genuine human connection, all contextualised by Dariya’s own migration journey—from Vladivostok to Munich and ultimately Glasgow. Together, Joanne and Dariya interrogate what it truly means to belong and thrive in today’s complex society, unpacking the impact of environment, culture, and personal responsibility on wellbeing.

Dariya brings a wealth of lived experience and passion as a holistic health advocate and co-founder of Vibe Insight. Her work centres around educating people on alternative and complementary treatments, while championing authenticity and curiosity as vehicles for genuine connection and positive change. Drawing on her expertise and personal history, Dariya articulates the necessity of integrating body, mind, and soul, all underpinned by compassion, gratitude, and kindness. Her unique perspective bridges the fields of holistic health and quantum physics, offering practical steps for individuals to take charge of their own health and happiness. Dariya advocates for creating communities rooted in inclusion, diversity, and active self-betterment.

Joanne and Dariya’s dialogue covers the challenges of over-reliance on Western medicine, the impact of environment and diet on neurodiversity, and the societal traps which hinder connection and resilience. They discuss practical strategies for fostering wellbeing, encouraging listeners to reflect on personal values and take proactive ownership of their health. Central themes include the need to let go of limiting beliefs and step beyond the comfort zone, as well as the essential role of both self-awareness and community in nurturing a sense of belonging.

A key takeaway from this episode is the provocative invitation for listeners to cultivate self-awareness and curiosity without waiting for crisis or epiphany. By foregrounding personal responsibility, authentic connection, and holistic approaches to health, Joanne and Dariya empower the audience to co-create a future that is inclusive, compassionate, and consciously vibrant. This episode offers actionable insight for anyone seeking more meaning, wellbeing, and inclusivity in their own life and community.

Viral Topic: The Heart of Inclusion

Viral Topic: The Changing Dynamics of Work-Life Balance: “We don’t have the luxury, I call it a luxury that maybe my parents had back in the 1960s, 1970s, where my mum stayed at home raising three children. My father went off to work. Even though it was tight, they could afford to have one owner and one permanent house person. But women want to work, women want to work, women want their place in life.”

Childhood in the 60s and 70s: “I very rarely sat around watching telly because back in those days don’t sound like dark ages.”

Screen Time and Social Connections: “And people build relationships online, which is great, they connect with the world, but they’re not actually, you say, just hanging out and chatting face to face.”

Personal Responsibility and Equity: “But yeah, I’m a great believer that I have to take personal responsibility for being the best me I can be and not pushing it onto somebody else or society straight away.”

Viral Parenting Debate: “one of the reasons people are growing up into adulthood with more anxiety, with more stress, with more poor mental health, is we haven’t maybe spent enough time as a younger person with our parents, with our mum, learning resilience, learning about failure, learning about things not working where people are maybe being brought up in a world now where things have to work first time or someone’s going to fix it for you”

Viral Topic: “Is Our DNA Just Computer Code?”: Yeah, I’m, I’m a great believer that our DNA is effectively just a computer code. And you know, if you look at most computer programmes, computer code, it has core blocks as a beginning, a middle and end, it has subroutines, it has this. So it’s not surprising that our core code, if you like, is very related to other living organisms that are based on a carbon based ecosystem. So we’re all going to be processing oxygen, light. If we were silicon based culture, we would have different ways of processing things. But fundamentally, because we’re all growing up in a very similar ecosystem, our DNA and how we process things in this planet is going to be very similar. So, yeah, I completely, completely agree. And all our, all our programming is doing is telling how our atoms and molecules and, and, and, and cells in our body, how to configure themselves.

Viral Topic: The Power of Self Awareness in Emotional Intelligence: “You cannot influence yourself until you become aware of who you are and all those dynamics.”

Why Lifelong Friendships Survive: “But I’ve got a friend who I’ve known since I was about 6 years old, so that’s 54 years. We lost contact for about 20 years in the middle, but we’re still friends now.”

Timeless Family Bonds: “But that’s the hard thing about family is because those bonds are not transient. They’re kind of our social construct of family is that these bonds are permanent.”

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Embracing Queer Joy and Diversity in the Arts

Sam explores the nuances of authentic living, sharing how a multi-hyphenated creative identity and queer joy foster greater empathy, resilience, and the courage to step beyond binaries—ultimately inviting us to open the doors to our true selves

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Sam Turlington for a vibrant exploration of what it means to live authentically, both on and off the stage. Together, they unpack the art of self-discovery, tapping into how curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to step beyond binaries can foster true inclusion. Joanne reflects on her own journey through identity and belonging, drawing parallels between public speaking and acting as forms of performance and authentic expression. The conversation delves into the realities of queer representation in creative spaces, the challenges of navigating non-inclusive environments, and the subtle yet profound ways “joy as resistance” has become vital for marginalised communities facing adversity.

Sam is a non binary, award-winning actor and multi-hyphenate creative whose work centres on championing queer joy and the nuances of authentic storytelling. Based in New York City, with strong ties to the UK via their education and ongoing creative collaborations, Sam brings a global perspective to the discussion. Their superpower lies in soulfully honouring the truth of people’s experiences, a quality that informs their approach to both performance and activism. From playing roles written for genders different to their own to actively consulting on scripts to improve queer representation, Sam’s commitment to authenticity is palpable. The episode shares candid insights into the practical, emotional, and ethical aspects of creative work that challenges stereotypes and expands what is possible in storytelling.

Listeners are invited to consider the dynamic relationship between authenticity, empathy, and inclusion—whether as creatives, allies, or simply those interested in living more truthfully. A key takeaway is the resilience forged through expressing and affirming one’s identity, and the value of engaging in spaces where you can both challenge and celebrate. Joanne and Sam encourage us all to open more doors—figuratively and literally—knowing that the journey towards belonging is ongoing and best pursued alongside community. This episode is a potent reminder of the power in owning your narrative and building inclusive spaces that allow everyone to thrive.

Discovering Identity Through Curiosity: “So I think in a strange way, my core nature of curiosity and wanting connection with the outside world led me to acting. And then I’m pretty sure it’s that that led me even deeper in myself to discover that I’m non binary and that my experience of the world is much more varied than I originally thought.”

The Art of Improvisation in Acting: “You don’t always need to know exactly what words and exactly what order are coming out of your mouth. But knowing what the journey’s going to be is incredibly important and a really good skill to have when you’re working on a very wordy play because your errors are going to happen, you’re going to make mistakes and recovering from that is really the mark of a true professional.”

Controversial Theatre Experiences: “Well, we all have to eat and we have jobs to do and we get hired to do these jobs. And sometimes the people that we’re working for are not great, but we don’t control who rents the theatre.”

Viral Topic: Gender Identity and Casting Choices

Reimagining Shakespearean Gender: “We changed all of Touchstone’s pronouns in the script so that even when other characters referred to them, they used these neo pronouns.”

Exploring Identity: “I’ve never really felt at home in the space that I was raised. I never felt at home in the gender assigned to this body by the space that I was raised in.”

Universal Feelings and Authenticity: “it’s not like CIS people don’t experience struggle or don’t experience, you know, the cognitive dissonance on the inside or these are all universal feelings, just some of us express them outwardly in a very different way.”

Viral Topic: Stereotypes in Casting

Viral Topic: Body Positivity and Public Spaces

Viral Topic: The Emotional Toll of Anti-Queer Legislation

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Equanimity, Emotional Intelligence, and Sustainable Social Change

Jared Karol explores the intersection of social change and personal healing, illuminating the power of equanimity, self-awareness, and connection to foster sustainable activism and transformative inclusion.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes Jared Karol for a deep dive into the complexities of healing, social change, and the art of navigating difficult conversations. The discussion opens with the concept of equanimity, exploring how composure and self-awareness can transform the ways we engage in challenging and emotionally charged scenarios. Joanne and Jared dissect the dynamics between shutting down and fighting back when faced with marginalisation or oppression, highlighting the nuanced ground needed for genuine dialogue. They examine the progression from fervent activism to sustainable advocacy, referencing historic figures and drawing parallels to personal growth within social justice work.

Jared is a personal development coach at the intersection of healing and social change, helping individuals show up consciously, courageously, and sustainably. He describes his superpower as bringing equanimity to tough conversations, thus fostering honest engagement without resorting to combative or withdrawn responses. Sharing his lived experience as the son of a gay father who died during the AIDS crisis, Jared openly discusses his own journey through privilege and marginalisation. He emphasises the importance of inner work alongside outward activism, advocating for mindfulness and healing as critical components of lasting impact. His approach is practical and compassionate, applying Buddhist philosophy and emotional intelligence to bridge divides within the sphere of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Throughout the episode, Joanne and Jared consider the balance between passion and purpose, the pitfalls of performative outrage, and the role of emotional regulation in creating societal change. They discuss the need to move beyond binary confrontations towards connection, empathy, and sustainable advocacy. A key takeaway is the transformative potential of healing-centred activism, where inner reflection and equanimity enable inclusive, impactful conversations that avoid perpetuating conflict. Listeners are encouraged to critically reflect upon their own “how” in creating change and subscribe for more honest, nuanced discussions that inspire positive action.

Viral Topic: Woke Journey Reflections: “I’d say for the first, you know, eight to 10 years, I was that, you know, newly woke white guy who was telling everyone how unwoke they were until I decided that that wasn’t really effective or sustainable, which I’m sure we’ll jump into many, many stories of how and why and how I, how I shifted.”

Viral Topic: The Urgency for Social Justice in Education: “But to your point, yeah, we see that the world is unjust, is inequitable, is unfair historically and contemporarily on a micro and macro, on a local and global level. And we want change yesterday.”

Viral Topic: The Value of Diverse Roles in Social Movements: “Not all of us are and can be frontline protesters, rebel rabble rousers. There needs. There need to be caretakers, educators, coaches, storyteller.”

Personal Growth Without Major Events: “We have our own things. We have our own local things, our own personal things, our own, you know, but they’re just as important. They’re just as.”

Viral Topic: From Trauma-Informed to Healing-Centred Work: “The gist of the book is switching from trauma informed work to healing centred or healing centred, healing engaged. And so his first of the four pivots is from lens to mirror. Right. So the lens is the world is inequitable, unjust, unfair, we need to change it. Here’s what we’re going to do. So it’s not like that goes away or that’s wrong, but the mirror is okay, how do I need to change? What am I doing or not doing that’s contributing to the chaos, to the, you know, to the status quo?”

Finding Healing After Loss: “And when he died I decided, and it wasn’t with the clarity that I had, but I decided that I would do the work that I described before to understand the injustices, but I would also do my personal work and develop equanimity, develop, cultivate the healing for myself so that I could do the work more effectively.”

Viral Topic: The ‘Cultish’ Mindset in Modern Groups

Holding Complexity Without Self-Destruction: “how do we, how do we hold all of this complexity and nuance without self destructing, without giving up or compromising our values, but also without self and self destructing and causing more chaos, more destruction to others.”

Viral Topic: Social Media Algorithms

Viral Topic: Healing Through Connection and Letting Go

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Entrepreneurship, AI, and Personal Branding in a Connected World

Scott Grates explores the vital role of authentic relationship marketing, the evolution of personal branding, and empowering the next generation with resilience and self-belief in an increasingly digital, fast-paced world.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes Scott Grates for an exploration of personal branding, authentic relationship building, and the journey from setbacks to success. The conversation takes listeners through the differences between traditional and digital relationship marketing, highlighting the enduring power of human connection amidst the rise of technological advances such as artificial intelligence. Joanne draws upon her own experiences in business and networking, while Scott explains the value of nurturing genuine, reciprocal relationships, focusing not just on transactional gains but on lasting impact within communities and organisations.

Scott is a visionary entrepreneur and bestselling author who specialises in harnessing relationship marketing to foster real-world success. Based in central New York, he brings a wealth of experience from founding and growing an insurance agency during challenging economic times. Scott’s passion for building authentic connections extends beyond business—he works extensively with students, educators, and local organisations to cultivate self-awareness and resilience. With his contrarian approach and servant heart, Scott encourages critical thinking and empowers both adults and young people to look beyond superficial achievement, nurturing the confidence needed to thrive in modern society.

Joanne and Scott analyse themes of trust, empathy, and personal brand, questioning whether digital tools can ever truly replace the warmth and understanding found in human relationships. They address the complexities of today’s multi-channel communication, such as the influence of social media, the value of emotional intelligence, and the challenges of building meaningful ties in an era of comparison and constant connectivity. The discussion also covers practical strategies for leveraging AI responsibly, balancing efficiency with authenticity, and how the best entrepreneurs often arise from adversity rather than academic success.

A key takeaway from this episode is the critical importance of purposeful, value-driven relationships—whether with colleagues, clients, or communities. Listeners will discover why embracing resilience, empathy, and the courage to fail is vital for both personal and professional growth. This episode encourages individuals to look past quick wins and cultivate real connections, inspiring anyone seeking to transform textbook knowledge into genuine triumph.

Viral Topic: The Power of Relationship Marketing

Building a Brand Beyond Business: “I never wanted to be known as an insurance agent. I don’t know if anyone does. You know, I wanted to be known as, as a husband, as a father, as a community leader, a thought leader, someone who has the servant heart that pours back into the place that we call home and we love. And oh, by the way, if you need help with insurance, I can do that too.”

Viral Topic: Contrarian Thinking in the Age of AI: “if everyone’s thinking this is the way to go, I want to Peek the other way, you know, and see what’s happening over there or can we make something happen in a different direction so that I stand out because again, I’m in a very competitive, commoditized. Well, I guess every industry is competitive and commoditized now, right? With, with AI and everything emerging, we’ve really levelled the playing field in a lot of ways.”

Building Authentic Business Networks: “If you’re not in the club, make your own. And again that, that speaks to the contrarian in me where it’s like, hey, you know, if everyone’s doing this, well let me just go start my own thing and find people I, I want to do business with.”

Human Connection in Business: “But you know, when they’re confused or scared or there was a market movement or they had an accident or they were diagnosed with an illness, or they lost someone they loved, you know, these, these real life moments happen, like we’re still going to need each other and, and so, you know, I, I, that’s why I just keep going back to it.”

Viral Topic: How Google Reviews Define Your Professional Reputation

Viral Topic: The Changing Rules of Success for the Next Generation: “You can be in your bedroom and creating amazing content and a personal brand and become a millionaire. You know, you have access to, to the Internet and know you have access to information. You know, holding a cell phone, a 16 year old today has access to more information than President Barack Obama did when he first took office.”

Viral Topic: Rethinking Education

Viral Topic: Why Identity Matters More Than Ambition

Viral Topic: The Social Media Influence Crisis: “about half a dozen white guys in Northern California are controlling the moods of millions of teenagers across the planet. And it’s sick, but it’s true.”

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Why Human Rights Should Never Be About Winning or Losing

Jenny Chen explores the challenge of embracing authenticity over assimilation, illuminating how curiosity and courage can drive systemic change and nurture genuine inclusion and belonging.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes Jenny Chen for a candid exploration into the challenges and possibilities of nurturing authenticity over assimilation in diverse societies and workplaces. The conversation traverses global politics, systemic barriers, and the subtle tensions between established norms and the pursuit of genuine belonging. Joanne and Jenny examine how performative inclusion often falls short, urging listeners to move beyond tokenistic gestures and confront the deep-rooted discomforts that block progress. Their dialogue scrutinises why political rhetoric about race and identity so powerfully shapes personal safety and access to rights, especially for those at society’s margins, and addresses the urgent need for systemic change through compassion, empathy, and courageous leadership.

Jenny Chen, formerly a high-ranking finance professional, now leads Catalyst Consulting with a mission to dismantle performative inclusion and rebuild workplace cultures where authenticity is not just accepted, but actively championed. Arriving in Canada as a political refugee from China at a young age, Jenny’s lived experience has instilled a relentless curiosity and insight into the immigrant journey – and its impact on identity and belonging. Jenny’s work as a DEI consultant merges personal narrative with strategic acumen, building bridges between underrepresented voices and decision-makers. Drawing directly on her own experiences overcoming systemic sexism and racism within corporate environments, Jenny advocates for practical integration of inclusive leadership, and highlights the necessity for individuals and organisations to recognise and address systemic failures at every level.

Joanne and Jenny challenge the notion that diversity and inclusion are merely HR initiatives, arguing for a fundamental redesign of systems to treat every person as uniquely complex. Their perspectives, from refugee journeys to combatting exclusion in finance, encourage listeners to consider how real change starts with courage, curiosity and the willingness to embrace uncomfortable conversations. They also discuss the peril of over-correcting social imbalances, warning against adversarial approaches and calling for sustainable, collaborative solutions.

A key takeaway from this episode is the power of honest dialogue and systemic empathy in building communities where all can thrive. Listeners will leave equipped with practical insights on fostering sustainable inclusion, as well as motivation to challenge status quo thinking, treat others as individuals, and engage courageously for a truly equitable future. Authenticity, as Joanne and Jenny remind us, is both the path and destination for true belonging.

Viral Topic: Transforming DEI from Siloed Initiatives to Core Business Practice: “So instead of just featuring our black Asianized women wealth management professionals on International Women’s Day, Black History Month, you know, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, integrating that and highlighting that in our regular programming, like it’s not, it’s not rocket science.”

Viral Topic: Diversity and Individual Respect: “Oftentimes I tell organisations, before we put a diversity lens on anything, let’s remove it and just ground ourselves in respect, kindness, human compassion and start there. Like that’s a great starting point, right?”

Viral Topic: Challenging Perceptions of Victims and Villains in Social Systems: “There is only victims on both sides navigating a broken system. And if we treat it that way, then people who think differently than us or are not one of us are not villains. Right? Just because they have a different perspective, they’re not the bad guy, we’re not listening to them to try and change their mind because we’re right and they’re wrong.”

Viral Topic: The Unintended Consequences of DEI Initiatives: “I think that in good intention we have created this environment of zero sum game, meaning exactly as you said, by bringing other people in, we are leaving or pushing other people out.”

Viral Topic: The Talent Shortage in Vital Sectors:

Viral Topic: Hidden Histories of Discrimination: “That was the worst period and not found in any history books. I didn’t learn that until I attended this event.”

Viral Topic: Generational Impact of Political Choices

Viral Topic: Who Should Create Equity?

Viral Topic: Redefining Leadership

Viral Topic – The Importance of Speaking Up: “And because we don’t talk about it, we treat it like it’s something of our past or that it no longer exists.”

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