I’m a woman. I’m smart. I say what I think. Out loud. In public. I am, therefore, a target for trolls – especially angry, fearful men. I’m also not alone. Everywhere I look online, men seem to be trolling us more than women. In the four years I’ve been publishing pieces in the digital age, all but one of…

Ten years ago, if you’d told me I would one day be an entrepreneur or a business woman, I would’ve cringed. Either term sparked mild revulsion in me, even when applied to someone else. I never thought I’d one day claim both labels, and do so with pride. I’m an accidental entrepreneur. As a child,…

It’s a familiar bleeding-heart refrain sung in support of liberal initiatives, or to push back on conservatives: “Millions will suffer/are suffering! We can’t let this happen!” Lately we’re singing it a lot in response to hot topics like police shootings, poverty, the GOP’s proposed healthcare bill, and DeVos’s education budget. I was particularly struck by…

This is a guest piece written in partnership with my colleague and friend, Stan C. Kimer*, the creator of Career Mapping! Over the past several years, discussions on employee engagement and retention have been increasing among organizational leaders.  More and more, they’re asking: “Why is our employee engagement at an all-time low?  Why do our…

So much potential, energy, talent, time, and money are wasted because we aren’t clear. When it comes to diversity and inclusion in particular, many of us lack clarity about our goals, the impact we want to have, or even our intentions. Sometimes we have clear intentions but no idea how to get there. Sometimes we…

I read the title of this piece and feel uneasy. I can already hear the voices of my confused friends, my protesting colleagues and the bigots.  I’m writing it anyway.  More honesty is what’s needed to heal and move forward, and honesty requires courage. On paper I look like a model “Good White Person.” I’ve…

Trying to be a good white person can be frustrating, challenging and downright bewildering.  White people have few role models — outside bigots and hate groups — on how to talk about race, behave with people of color, or be a white ally and doing so in the workplace is extra daunting because of the fear of…

I recently had lunch with a dear friend and colleague who used to be my mentee in a former role.  We celebrated his recent professional success, caught him up on mine, and explored next steps after he completes his master’s in public health. The topic of race came up a few times — he is…

As a professional in diversity, inclusiveness and leadership, I often hear clients talk about “not judging” as a positive goal. I especially notice white people going out of their way to “not judge” others and to be perceived as nonjudgmental. As is sometimes the case with good people starting out on their personal diversity journey,…

What are the deep motivations driving you? What is at the very heart of your work? Sometimes I ask my clients “why?” to the point of irritation: Why is inclusion critical for your organization’s success? Why is fairness or equal opportunity something to strive for? Why do you want to end institutional racism? Why is…