Today’s show is another in a series of bonus episodes each featuring one of the powerful talks given by my participants in The Big Talk Academy as a part of our Virtual Showcase. This showcase is the culmination of their hard work as they cross the finish line to becoming certified speakers. 

These episodes give you a peek behind the curtain to witness the amazing Big Talks presented, and also give you exclusive access to my live feedback and direction I give to each speaker immediately following their performances.

This week’s episode features Dr. Kristen Donnelly and her talk, The Great Failure of Tolerance.

Kristen holds a Master’s degree in international social work and one in cross-cultural religious anthropology (both from Baylor University) and a Ph.D. in sociology from Queen’s University Belfast. Throughout all of those programs, she learned three key things about humanity: it’s the same everywhere, different people are different, and everyone is more complicated than we give them credit for. Professionally, she’s one of The Good Doctors of Abbey Research, and COO of Abbey Companies.

In her passionate and persuasive Big Talk, Kristen addresses the great failure of tolerance. She discusses the truths that diversity is reality, inclusion is the goal, and tolerance is the cheap imitation of both. Tolerance ignores diversity. Inclusion celebrates it and activates it so that we can know each other better instead of just existing in the same general vicinity.

She encourages us to keep going until our first reaction to difference is curiosity and empathy.