Podcast

The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion With Jennifer Ingram

My guest on Episode 51 of the Impact Makers podcast is Jennifer Ingram.

Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of Calibrated Lens LLC,where she specializes in helping organizations to enhance their performance, productivity, and brand presence by centering equity and inclusion.

Jennifer has previously served as the first Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, which is the sixth largest United Way in the nation, and has also led DE&I strategies at two nationally ranked academic medical centers – The Mayo Clinic and Henry Ford Health System.

She’s passionate about her work, and describes herself as an Equity & Inclusion Evangelist.

I think you’ll learn a lot from the fresh perspectives she shares in this episode.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

What Jennifer learned by being a member of a Diversity and Inclusion committee back in elementary school, and how those experiences still impact her today.
How diversity should be an outcome of our work, instead of the driver of it.
Why the head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion should be a member of the executive team, reporting into the CEO.
The importance of clarifying how diversity programs have changed as a result of introducing equity into the equation.
What does equity look like from a strategic perspective?
Where many organizations miss the mark when trying to improve their diversity recruiting efforts.
Creative approaches to establishing equity programs in your organization.
How we’ve created a false sense of inclusion within organizations, and perpetuated that with diversity and inclusion programs.
Is it possible for a white person to be the head of diversity and inclusion?
Thoughts on incentivizing DE&I efforts for leaders of organizations.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 51

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“If you have a head of D&I that is not a member of the executive team, you’re missing the mark. Not to say that you can’t do good work, but it won’t be as deeply impactful at achieving some of those desired outcomes as it could be.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“What does equity look like from a strategic perspective? Diversity is happening, inclusion in intentional, equity is deliberate. It’s taking a deliberate look at your systems and understanding where you may be producing disparity.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“Equity work is deliberate. It won’t just happen.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“Folks love to say that diverse teams outperform more homogeneous teams. That’s not true. Well-managed diverse teams outperform teams that lack diversity.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“Oftentimes we confuse the goal of reaching this kumbaya state, it’s not. The desire is not always to change everyone’s beliefs. That’s not success. It’s teaching how to be mutually respectful of differences and understanding and seeing and valuing those differences in others, and understanding that those are the things that make us better – not everyone singing from the same hymn book of sorts.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Calibrated Lens LLC

Jennifer Ingram LinkedIn

Navigating Uncertainty and Unrest in 2020 by Jennifer Ingram

RESOURCE GUIDE: Exploring Differences, Reducing Harm, Evolving Strategies

Mishawn Styles

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

Balancing a Strong Personal Brand With a High Profile Corporate Career With Amber Naslund

If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you’ve heard me talk with several previous guests that I first connected with back in the somewhat golden days of blogging, and the beginnings of social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Although I’m not sure how I originally came across my guest on this episode, I know that I was a regular reader of her very popular blog called Brass Tack Thinking during that time frame.

Through great writing and a relatable voice, she shared experiences, practical advice, and marketing expertise, that was extremely helpful to me, and thousands of others, in building a personal brand, and in building a business that connected with those that I wanted to serve.

Then, one day in January 2010, she wrote a blog post that was titled – “The Equestrian’s Guide to Reaching Your Goals” – and as a fellow adult amateur equestrian, I loved how she linked lessons she had learned from horseback riding to setting foundational goals for the next year.

That was it. We were destined to be the best of friends. Or, at least virtual horse buddies. 🙂

To this day, we love sharing, commenting and liking pictures of our horsey adventures online, and I hope we’ll actually get to meet at a horse show or an industry conference or event sometime in the future.

But, since that doesn’t look like it will be able to happen any time soon, I thought that asking her to join me on the podcast would be fun, but also really valuable for both me and you. She’s still doing great work, and continues to share her thoughts and ideas freely in order to help others.

Amber Naslund is a 20-year veteran marketer, and in that time she’s worked with some of the biggest companies, the freshest startups, and everything in between.

In her current role as a senior consultant at LinkedIn, she advises top global clients on their digital content marketing strategies, and their overall approach to using LinkedIn, while on a mission to prove that companies can build compelling, authoritative B2B brands without being dull.

Amber is also the co-author of the best-selling social media handbook The Now Revolution, and when she’s not working on her next book, article, or industry talk, she’s restoring her brain cells on horseback, or spending time with her kid (who’s also an accomplished equestrian already), and her rescue dogs.

In this episode, Amber and I chat about what it was like for her to go from industry darling, to best selling author, to failed entrepreneur, and what she discovered about herself in that journey that helped her to rebuild her confidence, and fuel her success today.

We also talk about what it takes to build a strong and authentic personal brand and platform in today’s noisy world, as well as what to consider when balancing a strong personal brand with a high profile corporate career.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

What an entrepreneurial failure taught Amber about herself, and how it set her up for future success.
What it’s like being a woman out front in the tech industry sharing your ideas.
Advice for someone who asks how they can build a loyal following online.
Amber’s thoughts on whether it’s necessary to be on all of the online platforms if you’re trying to build your personal brand.
The difference between being authentic and being genuine, and why it’s important for personal brands.
Why Amber is comfortable talking online about sensitive topics like mental health, imposter syndrome, and failures in business.
Amber’s journey toward understanding imposter syndrome, and how she’s come to view it as a normal, and real, part of the process.
How sharing your own vulnerabilities can be helpful with addressing imposter syndrome, and foster trust with your community.
3 tips for those who are interesting becoming thought leaders.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 50

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Being a thought leader isn’t the goal, it’s the result. So, every “thought leader” started as a nobody that no one had ever heard of, that didn’t have an audience. That stuff comes with your willingness to show up first, and put more into the community than you’re asking to take out. So make all of the deposits up front, share the knowledge, be generous, be effusive with how much you’re willing to put in, and the results come. But it has to go in that order.” ~ Amber Naslund

“When we feel seen, and we feel that sense of belonging to something that is bigger than us, but still imperfect, it’s okay for us to be imperfect. That’s an incredibly relieving, reenforcing and validating feeling as humans, and we could all use a little bit more of that right now.” ~ Amber Naslund

“The world doesn’t have your point of view, so there’s really no harm in seeing what you can add that’s unique, even if the conversation itself is not.” ~ Amber Naslund

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Amber Naslund

Amber Naslund LinkedIn

Amber Naslund Twitter

The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 049 – Discovering the Hidden Forces That Drive You to Do Your Best Work With Todd Henry

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

Discovering the Hidden Forces That Drive You to Do Your Best Work With Todd Henry

On Episode 49 of the Impact Makers Podcast, I’m speaking with someone that I admire and respect, and whom I’ve learned a great deal from over the past 10 years through his podcast, his books, and also by sometimes sharing stages with him speaking at conferences and events around the world.

Todd Henry positions himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution”, and he teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance.

He’s the author of five books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, and the latest – The Motivation Code), and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

Todd is also the host of The Accidental Creative podcast, where he offers weekly tips for how to stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy, and it’s been downloaded over 10 million times.

When I saw that he was releasing his latest book – his fifth – in early October, I immediately bought a copy to keep my streak going of having read all of his books, and I also reached out to ask if he would join me on the podcast to share more about it with you. I was thrilled when he said yes right away, and I think you’ll enjoy learning more about his books, as well as how you can do the best work of your life.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

How starting a podcast in 2005 as a fun side project and creative outlet led unexpectedly to a book deal with a major publisher, and invitations to speak at events all over the world.
Why persistence is the key to success at work and in life.
What a 5-time published author who hates the writing process loves about writing books.
How to structure your life in a way that you’re going to produce great work.
How to avoid the seven forces that disrupt your ability to produce work you can be proud of.
The five key elements needed when putting your work into the world to ensure it will resonate with people.
The leadership framework necessary to lead highly creative people, and to provide the stability and challenge they need to thrive.
How identifying your core motivators can help you understand what drives you, and also how you can mitigate any of their negative effects.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 49

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Part of the key to life and to success is that success comes in layers, and it’s just showing up over and over and over and over and over. Because you might show up today and get rejected, and then six months later you show up to the exact same person but the circumstances have changed, and you’re the greatest thing in the history of the world. All of a sudden, now you’re exactly what they’re looking for.” ~ Todd Henry

“For me, my love of the writing process has little to do with the actual writing, and more to do with the fact that it introduces the opportunity for me to put ideas out into the world in the way that they’re accessible to people.” ~ Todd Henry

“Every motivation is a gift. We should not feel guilty for the way that we’re motivated.” ~ Todd Henry

“Motivation is the base layer for everything else we do. If we understand what drives us, so much of our other behavior is explainable and we can mitigate so many of the negative effects of our actions.” ~ Todd Henry

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

The Accidental Creative podcast

The Motivation Code / The Motivation Code Assessment

The Motivation Code: Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work by Todd Henry, Rod Penner, Todd W. Hall, and Joshua Miller

Herding Tigers: Be the Leader That Creative People Need by Todd Henry

Louder than Words: Harness the Power of Your Authentic Voice by Todd Henry

Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day by Todd Henry

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

Creating a Life of Adventure While Making the Workplace and the World Better With Kate Bischoff

With the Impact Makers Podcast, my goal is to inspire you to identify ways that you can make a difference at work and in life — either through providing education on a topic to increase your influence, clarify your message, or lead with greater impact, or to bring you conversations with interesting guests who are doing just that.

In Episode 48, I’m chatting with someone who not only inspires me, but who often pushes me to think bigger, and to think differently, and to take action.

My friend Kate Bischoff is a mom, a former US Foreign Service worker, an employment lawyer, a social justice warrior, and an avid adventurer.

Whether she’s working with clients, doing a free webinar on the latest rules and regulations affecting the workplace, or providing manager training, she brings an educated, experienced, and often witty perspective towards bringing about her goal of making both the workplace, and the world, better for all.

Kate has an incredibly positive outlook about life, accompanied by a thirst for adventure. After listening to this episode, I hope that you’ll be inspired to think about your own life, and how you can find meaningful ways to do work that you love, while living life on your own terms.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

How joining the foreign service on a whim resulted in Kate working as the Head of Human Resources for the Consulate General in Jerusalem and the US Embassy in Zambia.
What inspired Kate to become a lawyer, and to ultimately focus on making workplaces and the world better places.
Kate’s advice for how we can all add more adventure to our lives.
How the #MeToo movement, the global pandemic, and recent social unrest has impacted the work that Kate does, as well as the workplace.
What and why Kate is planning for her next travel adventure to Antarctica.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 48

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Well, my life is kind of like that, you know, I’ve practiced in big management side firms, I’ve practiced in small firms, I’ve started my own business. My whole life has kind of been – I don’t set a goal for where I’m going to be in five years, I want to see how much adventure I can have in the next five years. I just sat and discussed dates for when I’m going to go to Antarctica hopefully next February, and that’s kind of what my life has been. I have this passion of trying to make workplaces and the world better, but I need to have adventure too and fun. And so I try to seize on those opportunities as they come.” ~ Kate Bischoff

“There’s no good reason not to be helping people when you have the time and the resources to do it.” ~ Kate Bischoff

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Kate Bischoff LinkedIn

Kate Bischoff Twitter

tHRive Law & Consulting

Hostile Work Environment Podcast

Marc Alifanz

Hostile Work EnvironmentPodcast S2E4 – The Poop Rails Come Off

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

Combining the Power of Moonshot Thinking With Actionable Plans to Make an Impact in Work and Life With Ozan Varol

How many times have you heard the phrase – “Well, it’s not exactly rocket science” – when someone is referring to something as easy?

I guess that means that we associate those who actually ARE rocket scientists with being exceptionally smart. 🙂

And while that’s probably true – actually it IS true – the reality is that you and I can THINK like a rocket scientist, without actually having to send anything into space.

So, just how do rocket scientists think? And how can you and I apply that thinking to our work and our lives in order to increase our impact?

My guest on Episode 47 of the Impact Makers Podcast has an idea. In fact, he’s been there, done that, and has written the book on it.

Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning professor and #1 bestselling author. He’s also one of the world’s foremost experts in creativity, innovation, and critical thinking.

Ozan grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, learned English as his second language, and moved to the United States by himself at the age of 17 to attend Cornell University, and major in astrophysics in order to achieve his dream of becoming an American astronaut.

While attending Cornell, he served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project that sent two rovers – Spirit and Opportunity – to Mars. Then in a surprising twist, he ditched his dream of becoming an astronaut, and chose to attend law school instead, where – in true rocket scientist form – he graduated first in his class, earning the highest grade point average in the school’s history.

After practicing law for a few years, Ozan joined the ranks of academia at Lewis & Clark Law School in beautiful Portland, Oregon, where he became a law professor, with a goal of influencing others to make giant leaps on Earth.

In April 2020, Ozan’s book – Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life – was published, and it was recently named one Inc.com’s 6 Business Books You Need to Read in 2020. It’s also listed as one of Amazon’s Top 20 books of 2020 in three categories (non-fiction, business, and science), and was chosen as the number one pick on noted author Adam Grant’s list of the top 20 leadership books of 2020.

I recently connected with Ozan, and have enjoyed learning from him through his popular weekly emails, and I’m challenging myself to apply the 9 strategies in his book to make giant leaps in my work and in my life.

I think you’ll get a lot of great takeaways from my conversation with Ozan, and I encourage you to connect with him, buy the book, and sign up for his weekly email that shares one big idea that you can read in 3 minutes or less.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

Why moonshot thinking can produce great results – even if you don’t reach what you’re aiming for.
What we can learn from snakes that can create space for new ideas to emerge.
The importance of just starting – and not waiting until everything is in place – to facilitate the emergence of new ideas.
The benefits of moonshot thinking during times of chaos and uncertainty.
How looking at the assumptions in your life and applying first principles thinking can generate original insights.
3 ways to open up your mind to allow for moonshot thinking – even if you don’t consider yourself a visionary thinker.
What George Costanza and rocket scientists have in common – and what you can learn from both.
The power of putting yourself into “Airplane Mode”, and why doing nothing is more valuable than you think.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 47

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“We really are a species of moonshots, even though we’ve largely forgotten it. We’ve been seduced into believing that small dreams are wiser than moonshots, that coasting is better than soaring, that flying lower is safer than flying higher. So even in moments like this, where the world is turned topsy-turvy, where there is so much uncertainty, there is a lot of room for moonshot thinking.” ~ Ozan Varol

“The great thing about moonshot thinking is – even if you don’t get what you’re aiming for, you end up soaring far higher than you otherwise would.” ~ Ozan Varol

“Moonshot thinking isn’t just about dreaming big, and then sprinkling some fairy dust and hoping that your dreams magically take flight. That’s not what moonshot thinking is. Moonshot thinking is that intersection between pragmatism and idealism. So you’re dreaming big, yeah, but you’re also combining it with a very actionable plan for actually making your dreams reality.” ~ Ozan Varol