I hit the “easy” button earlier this year. I say this not as an excuse but as a wake-up call for myself.

It was May of this year and we had an incredible group of women join our Thought Leader Academy - and I couldn’t help but notice that almost all of them looked like me (white). This is in no way to discount how much I’ve enjoyed having each of them in the program, seeing their progress, and being incredibly proud and excited to see how they’re going to make positive changes in their communities and industries.

And yet I also recognized that something was lost by not having a diversity of races and backgrounds in our program because I know how much we learn from each other’s experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

At our team meeting that month, our executive assistant Solita Roberts pointed this out. I knew without reservation that I was responsible for this. I wanted to make sure I was doing what I should be doing to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment and to show up in the places where the women don’t all look like me.

This is a very important and powerful conversation Solita and I have about:

• Why it was easy for me to hit the “easy” button for where I showed up in the first half of this year - and the results that led to
• My concerns about not wanting to be seen as a “white savior” parachuting into other groups
• Solita’s suggestions on how to show up in communities to empower them
• My 3 big takeaways: self-awareness; intentionality; and collective effort

About My Guest: Solita Roberts is the creator of Style To Impact, an image consulting company that advises Women of Color and entrepreneurs on how to transform their image and style to authentically reflect their individuality and confidence. Solita has worked with TEDx speakers, lawyers, and financial advisors to elevate their image and style to match their influence and impact. Solita is also Executive Assistant and Client Concierge at Speaking Your Brand.

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. 

Links:

Show notes at  https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/294 

Solita’s website: https://styletoimpact.com/

Take our free Speaker Archetype quiz: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ 

Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Solita Roberts (guest) =  https://www.linkedin.com/in/solitacroberts/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 175: The Work of Anti-Racism as White Women with Carol Cox and Diane Diaz
• Episode 163: A Feminist Approach to Public Speaking with Carol Cox