Carolynn Johnson, DiversityInc. [Podcast]

Carolynn Johnson, DiversityInc. [Podcast]

by | Oct 21, 2020 | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Podcast, Public Relations

Moving the Diversity Needle with PRSA ICON 2020 Keynote Speaker Carolynn Johnson

Anticipation is building for the virtual PRSA ICON 2020 event, kicking off on October 26th. Last episode, PR Talk host Amy Rosenberg spoke with Del Galloway, chair of PRSA ICON 2020 and Senior Vice President of Communications for Wells Fargo. During the episode, Del gave listeners a preview of the upcoming event, along with a rundown of the keynote speakers. In this episode, we continue our ICON 2020 theme as Amy chats with Carolynn Johnson, CEO of DiversityInc and one of the keynote speakers at this year’s event.

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DiversityInc

Carolynn describes DiversityInc as the preeminent source of diversity management, data and advice. The company works primarily with blue-chip companies on benchmarking and diversity best practices. DiversityInc also publishes its annual “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, which is the gold standard in diversity measurements. During their conversation, Carolynn and Amy talk about the awards, Carolynn’s keynote presentation, and marketing’s place in diversity, equity, inclusion and representation (DEI-R).

 

How Do You Measure Diversity?

Measuring diversity is a complicated undertaking. As Carolynn explains, lots of companies brag about diversity, but as you move up the leadership ladder, representation gets much slimmer. DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list attempts to examine a company’s holistic approach to DEI-R by looking at ethnic representation at all levels and how that diversity is developed, brought along and treated fairly.

Companies can’t buy their way onto the list. Instead, they must meet specific submission requirements and share information on six different metrics, including:

  1. Human Capital Diversity Metrics
  2. Leadership Accountability
  3. Talent Programs
  4. Workplace Practices
  5. Supplier Diversity
  6. Philanthropy.

Then, the DiversityInc team analyzes and compares the data and releases their findings.

In addition to compiling their annual list, DiversityInc also offers consulting services to help organizations implement and execute their initiatives. The company also provides benchmarking services, so clients can find out where they are on their journey.

 

Data Can Drive DEI-R

This rigorous examination forms the basis of Carolynn’s ICON 2020 two-part keynote address. During her talk, Carolynn will explore the relationship between ethnic diversity, business strategy and communications performance as we navigate a world disrupted by the pandemic and social unrest.

“This isn’t about opinion or emotion,” she says. Instead, “what does the data say is the problem, and how can data lead us to a solution?”

During the second half of her address, Carolynn will moderate a panel discussion with industry leaders about continually educating ourselves about systemic injustice to bring about irreversible and sustainable change. The discussion on Diversity and Inclusion will include panel members Adriênne Bolden, CEO, Leverage Miami; Anu Saxena, Business Unit President and Global Head, Hilton, Supply Chain Management; Bill Imada, Chairman, IW Group and Esther Aguilera, President & CEO, The Latino Corporate Directors Association.

 

Marketers Can Help Move the Needle

Carolynn believes that self-reflection and ongoing education will become critical skills for professionals helping business leaders and companies navigate these difficult waters.

“As communicators, we have to hold ourselves accountable with a level of transparency and honesty that’s missing from certain communication campaigns,” she says. “We are key in how leaders show up, how they’re communicating and what we’re saying about our organizations.”

Now, more than ever, these communications decisions impact how people interact with companies. After all, what you know about a company based on what you learn from communicators tells you if you’re going to invest. These messages also give signals to people who might want to work at a company or as they’re making buying decisions.

That transparency begins by acknowledging the injustices happening in our society. Companies can’t be trusted if they’re not telling the truth about what’s happening around us. Marketers will play a crucial role in this messaging and should prepare accordingly.

“People-leaders and communicators need discernment to understand where their voices belong and how they can prepare themselves to show up right and the people we’re helping communicate show up correctly,” Carolynn says. “That’s the real work that’s going to move the needle.”

 

Register for PRSA ICON 2020 Today

Listen to the latest PR Talk episode to hear Carolynn and Amy’s entire conversation. Registration is also open for the ICON 2020 virtual event. So, sign up on the PRSA website today to hear Carolynn’s keynote address and panel discussion, and access the full slate of professional development, education and networking opportunities.

To hear future PR Talk episodes and access past interviews, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio or Spotify.

Register for PRSA ICON 2020

About the guest: Carolynn Johnson

Carolynn Johnson is the CEO of DiversityInc, a consulting firm that advises blue-chip companies on best-practices for improving their DEI. Carolynn also leads the company’s annual “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, considered the gold standard of diversity measurement.

Carolynn has been the director of the DiversityInc Foundation for the past 10 years and is on the National Board of Directors at INROADS. Additionally, Carolynn is a Founding Board Member of the Rutgers Business School Center for Women in Business. While completing her MBA, Carolynn was an elected class officer and was a recipient of the Ted Marousas Award for Expanding the footprint of the Rutgers EMBA.

Connect and follow Carolynn on social media:

Carolynn Johnson on PR Talk

This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon

Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.

Del Galloway, PRSA ICON 2020 [Podcast]

Del Galloway, PRSA ICON 2020 [Podcast]

by | Oct 7, 2020 | Podcast, Public Relations

PRSA ICON 2020 Goes Virtual and Doesn’t Miss a Beat

It’s that time of year again! PRSA ICON 2020 is right around the corner. While we’re all disappointed that we can’t gather in Nashville together as initially planned, this year’s event will take on a brand-new and exciting virtual format that will still deliver plenty of opportunities for learning and networking. The event kicks off on October 26th and runs through October 29th. You can purchase tickets by registering on the PRSA website.

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In this episode of the PR Talk podcast, host Amy Rosenberg chats with Del Galloway, the chair of PRSA ICON, and a Senior Vice President of Communications for Wells Fargo. During their conversation, Del offers a rundown of this year’s conference theme and a few of the exciting speakers lined up to share. While the event may be virtual, PRSA has gone all-out to make this conference relevant and valuable during a critical time in our profession’s history.

 

Pandemic Disinformation, First Amendment Freedoms, and DEI-R

The theme for this year’s conference is A World Disrupted. As Del explains during his interview, PRSA designed this conference to address the critical issues communications experts face in this historic moment: pandemic disinformation, our First Amendment freedoms, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation issues.

Over four days, PRSA ICON will present five general session speakers covering aspects of the three conference themes. Day one features Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham who will provide “reasoned and seasoned” insight into what’s happening in our country.

On day two, DiversityInc CEO Carolynn Johnson talks about diversity, equity, inclusion and representation and will also moderate a more extensive discussion.

Day three is a double-dose of disinformation featuring Nina Jankowicz, a Disinformation Fellow at the Wilson Center, who will talk about disinformation through a political lens. We’ll also hear from Lata Nott, the Executive Director of the First Amendment Center at the Freedom Forum, who will explain how four of the five amendments relate directly to our PR practices.

The conference wraps up on Thursday, with Peabody, Polk and Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Laurie Garrett. She’ll help place PRs as critical communicators struggling to provide factual information in the face of media chaos.

 

 

Skill Building and Socializing

In addition to these five stellar speakers, PRSA ICON attendees can also participate in more than 50 professional development breakout sessions. These smaller gatherings will offer deeper dives into how we can execute on the big ideas the general session speakers present.

Conference planners also understand the importance of socializing and networking during these gatherings. Attendees have the option of participating in three virtual lounges. One, called A Taste of Nashville, features a mixologist from Jack Daniels, who will teach participants how to make specialty cocktails. PRSSA, the PRSA student group, will have dancing and other fun activities in its lounge. Nashville author and musician Alice Randall will also host an evening workshop on storytelling through music. So, as usual, PRSA ICON will be a place for both fun and learning.

 

Check Your Email for a Sneak Preview

Because this virtual format is so new, Del and the PRSA ICON organizers wanted to provide a sneak preview of the technology they’ll be using to present this year’s speakers. PRSA members should watch their email for a link to preview 6Connex, the technology that will bring this event to all attendees. This is more than a Zoom meeting. Not only can attendees participate in general and breakout sessions, but they’ll also be able to connect in smaller groups via virtual lounges. This feature preserves the all-important connection opportunities many people miss with virtual conferences.

 

Hear More from Del and the PR Talk Podcast

If you’d like to attend PRSA ICON 2020, you can register for the event on the PRSA website. PRSA Oregon sponsors the PR Talk podcast, so we’re well aware of the wonderful work this organization does for our industry. Even in its new virtual format, PRSA ICON will do the same.

To hear future PR Talk episodes and access past interviews, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, iHeart Radio or Spotify.

About the guest: Del Galloway

Del Galloway is a public relations executive with proven success building brands, strengthening reputations and driving results for Fortune 500 companies and other global organizations — from AT&T and United Way to Wells Fargo. Del’s understanding of relationships, his focus on reputations and his ability to convey the right messages at the right time have made him a trusted advisor to clients worldwide.

Connect and follow Del on social media:

Del Galloway on PR Talk

This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon

Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.

Ariella Steinreich: Israel, U.A.E., Bahrain Normalization Agreement [Podcast]

Ariella Steinreich: Israel, U.A.E., Bahrain Normalization Agreement [Podcast]

by | Sep 23, 2020 | Podcast, Public Relations

No Phone Calls? No Problem.

What the Historic Israel, U.A.E., Bahrain Normalization Agreement Means for Marketers and Businesses With Ariella Steinreich

On September 15th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Bahrain joined President Donald Trump at the White House to sign a historic agreement normalizing relations between their three countries. Before the September 15th agreement, residents of the U.A.E., Bahrain and Israel couldn’t so much as call each other on the phone. Now, they’ll begin developing formal diplomatic relationships while expanding business and tourism opportunities in their respective countries.

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On this episode of the PR Talk Podcast, host Amy Rosenberg explores what this new agreement means for Israeli and Arab-owned businesses, and the marketers and PR pros supporting them. Amy’s joined by Ariella Steinreich, a Senior Vice President and head of the Israel-U.A.E. specialty group for Steinreich Communications — a global PR firm headquartered in New York.

 

A Long History in the Gulf

Ariella’s unique experience allows her to speak with authority on business dealings between Israeli and Arab-owned businesses. At the beginning of her career, Ariella worked at major PR firms, including Burson-Marsteller, focusing on banking and management consulting. Eventually, she found her way into oil and gas, which inevitably led her to the Gulf, where she pioneered her PR practice.

After being named a finalist for the Young PR Professional of the Year award, Ariella joined her father as Steinreich Communications as head of the firm’s corporate practice and then earlier this month, she launched their new Israel-UAE specialty group. Before normalization, there was a stateside need for Jewish-owned businesses who wanted to do business in the Gulf but were concerned about what it would be like for Jews to work there. Ariella served as a mentor who could walk companies through the process. 

Today, Steinreich Communications is the largest global agency with a wholly-owned office in Israel. After normalization, they’re also the only global agency with wholly-owned offices in both Israel and the U.A.E. With normalization now a reality, new opportunities are opening up every day.

  

How Will Normalization Change Business?

Ariella sees much enthusiasm towards normalization on all sides. Israelis are eager to tap into the U.A.E.‘s luxury fashion and home decor brands. At the same time, the Gulf States want access to Israel’s technology and healthcare. However, these groups face significant challenges in marketing their products to people they’ve never met or spoken to before. This is where Ariella and Steinreich Communications comes in. 

Over the last two weeks, Ariella has fielded a record number of new business meetings from companies looking to take advantage of this new era of openness. She’s also being asked to do a lot of culture training. Now, Ariella has the opportunity to harness her contacts and connect people in brand new ways. She also sees increased interest from the media to tell these stories.

 

PR in the Gulf is Different

Of course, because this is a PR podcast, Amy was excited to talk about how the practice of PR is different in the Gulf. Ariella says much of the work is done through personal relationships and word-of-mouth. Because the media environment is more limited than it is in the states, there’s more of a “sharing is caring” attitude among the media and even other agencies. Before COVID, Ariella traveled to the Gulf nearly every month and spent much of her time developing her professional network over coffee or lunch. 

Perhaps the largest difference is the informality of the process. Ariella does most of her outreach through WhatsApp. However, once you gain the media’s trust, things begin to happen fast because news moves quickly in the Gulf.

 

There’s More to Hear

Amy and Ariella cover a lot more ground during their conversation, including the very different ways Israelis and Arabs communicate. Ariella also shares her views on the tremendous opportunities she sees for American businesses in the Gulf States, so click the link to hear the entire episode. As always, you can listen to more great episodes by subscribing to the PR Talk podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, iHeart Radio and Spotify.

About the guest: Ariella Steinreich

Ariella Steinreich is an experienced communications professional with a demonstrated history of working with clients in various industries to create and implement global corporate communications programs for leading companies and organizations. She’s skilled in strategic media counseling, media training, communications strategy development, social media strategy, crisis communications/issues management, financial communications, community relations and corporate social responsibility.

Connect and follow Ariella on social media:

Ariella Steinreich on PR Talk

This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon

Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.

Jeff Graubard, The Other Agency [Podcast]

Jeff Graubard, The Other Agency [Podcast]

by | Aug 19, 2020 | Podcast, Public Relations

Jeff Graubard: Why Being “The Other Agency” is His Perfect Fit

 

Why did Jeff Graubard name his PR firm The Other Agency? For starters, the name served a practical purpose, in that it was the other agency he started after spending more than 25 years running the Manhattan-based Graubard Group. The name was also a nod to the unique business niche Jeff had carved out working with major corporations like Wal-Mart, Verizon and the four major professional sports leagues. As we come to find out in this episode of the PR Talk podcast, Jeff’s experience as an older professional in the youth-centric world of marketing and public relations also gives his agency something of an outsider’s point of view.

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The Other Agency Concept

As Jeff explains to PR Talk host Amy Rosenberg, he believes there’s a place for every agency model in the business world. While larger agencies are well-suited to handle the broad marketing and PR needs of large organizations, they’re not always able to handle the limited scope and smaller budget projects that still need to be done. That’s where The Other Agency comes in.

Jeff, and his team of senior-level consultants, offer clients the same services larger agencies do but with a more nimble approach that comes at a lower cost. For example, Jeff currently works with the National Wildlife Federation creating programs for National Wildlife Week coming in April 2021. The Other Agency targets retainers in the $7,500 – $10,000/month range. Jeff finds larger agencies can’t typically afford to take on this smaller work, and marketing managers don’t need to go up the chain for approval on a lower level spend.

 

Addressing Ageism

Jeff and Amy ended their conversation with a topic that’s been on both their minds recently: ageism. As Amy mentioned, Veracity has been deeply involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work with several clients over the last two years. During that process, she’s learned that inclusion is not just about race. Instead, it seeks to address any situation in which a person feels like an outsider in their workplace. In many instances, this can come when an older person works with a group of younger people.

While Amy and Jeff both admit they’re speaking from a place of privilege, they agree this is something they’re both beginning to deal with as (relatively) older members of the PR and marketing professional community. In particular, Jeff is over 60 and recognizes that he’s well outside the consumer purchaser demographic most of his work targets.

While there is value to a youthful perspective, Jeff believes that age does bring its advantages. Apart from the contacts and sound skills one builds over a career, you also develop wisdom and judgment, which is something younger colleagues can’t always offer. With larger agencies, the real work is often done by junior team members with some oversight from more seasoned professionals. This arrangement sets the stage for unintentional mistakes of youth, which can quickly get an organization into trouble — especially over social media. In order to address diversity issues at your workplace, providing diversity training to employees can help you build and inclusive culture

Both Amy and Jeff recommend that companies working with larger agencies do a little legwork to determine who is performing the actual account work, and how much senior supervision the team receives. Or, they could partner with a smaller agency with older principles that don’t require the layer of oversight necessary to avoid unforced errors. 

 

More From Our Guest

When Amy asked Jeff why he chooses to work alongside larger agencies, instead of staffing up and building a large agency of his own, Jeff says he’s been there and done that. At The Graubard Group, Jeff led a large team and spent much of his time doing non PR work, like managing the company benefits plan. Today, he’s reached the point in his career where he’d rather spend his time doing the work and collaborating directly with his clients, which is the sign of a surefire PR pro.

Listen to the entire episode to hear more from Jeff Graubard, including why the pandemic hasn’t slowed down his search for new clients. And be sure to subscribe to the PR Talk podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, iHeart Radio and Spotify for more great conversations with PR and marketing luminaries.

 

About the guest: Jeff Graubard

In his more than 30-year career, Jeff Graubard has served as a principal with two prominent PR agencies, spearheading marketing (both traditional and digital), business development and counseling FORTUNE 500 accounts. He also played a critical media relations role with a leading CPG company.

Connect and follow Jeff on social media:

This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon

Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.

Stakeholder Engagement with Ira Gostin [Podcast]

Stakeholder Engagement with Ira Gostin [Podcast]

by | Aug 5, 2020 | Podcast, Public Relations

Ira Gostin is Moving the Needle Through Stakeholder Engagement

 

Imagine a boutique that sells high-end women’s clothing on one end of the store and high-end men’s clothing on the other. As a marketer, you wouldn’t send the same message to both those groups because they have different needs and values and respond to very different trigger points. Instead, you’d craft messaging that resonates with each group individually. This, in a nutshell, is the concept behind stakeholder engagement.

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In this week’s episode of the PR Talk Podcast, host Amy Rosenberg welcomes Ira Gostin, chief strategist at Gostin Strategic, a marketing and PR consultancy focused on stakeholder engagement.

As Ira explains it, stakeholder engagement is about more than reaching customers. Instead, his process identifies critical stakeholders throughout the business and then crafts strategic messaging that reaches each group on their terms. For example, Ira’s firm does a lot of work in the industrial space, including oil, gas and precious metals. For those companies, relevant stakeholders could include customers, shareholders, potential shareholders, fund managers and the analysts who write about it. All of these people play an essential role in a company’s success. However, Ira’s outreach will look and sound different for each group.

 

How Do You Move the Needle?

For Ira, however, merely reaching these stakeholder groups isn’t enough. He wants his messaging to move the needle. To do that, Ira works with his clients to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will allow him to connect his communication strategy with real-world results.

This led to a conversation about access within an organization. Amy noted how marketing managers (who might typically drive the engagement with a third-party marketing or PR consultant) aren’t always plugged into top-level financial KPIs. As a result, it’s more difficult to judge what efforts are genuinely effective. Ira agreed and said that higher-level access is a critical component in creating meaningful metrics.

Ira only works with the C-suite now, because those executives have access to the financials that matter most. With that information in hand, Ira can build strategies and metrics that resonate with senior leadership. That leads to happier, long-term clients.

 

Can Press Coverage Move the Needle?

Of course, because this is a PR podcast, Amy wanted to know whether press coverage can be a useful tool to move the needle. Ira said that the quality and quantity of press coverage will always be an indicator. However, it’s never the first one. Instead, he focuses on measuring revenue or contact growth, because that means people are seeing the story and taking action in response.

 

Your Employees are Stakeholders. Don’t Forget Them.

Ira and Amy ended their conversation by talking about employee communication, which has become increasingly critical in the COVID-19/work from home era. Ira pointed out that employees are crucial stakeholders that too many leaders ignore. In times of uncertainty, it’s vital to check in with your employees and create safe spaces where they discuss how the world is impacting their work. The key here is to be warm and authentic in your approach to get past any awkwardness. It’s also okay to admit you don’t have all the answers because few of us do these days.

 

Subscribe to PR Talk Podcast for More Fascinating Conversations

Listen to the entire episode to hear more from Ira, including his favorite 1+1=3 approach to boosting outreach results. You can also connect with Ira over social media or through his website at iragostin.com. Also, be sure to subscribe to the PR Talk podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, iHeart Radio and Spotify for more fascinating conversations with industry-leading PR and marketing professionals.

You can also learn more about the latest communication practices by taking communication training that will leverage your knowledge and skills.

About the guest: Ira Gostin

For more than 30 years, Ira Gostin has guided companies in growth and corporate storytelling. His marketing and public relations consultancy, Gostin Strategic, focuses on stakeholder engagement in the form of investor relations, public relations, marketing strategy and brand development.

Connect and follow Ira on social media:

This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon

Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) with Serilda Summers-McGee [Podcast]

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) with Serilda Summers-McGee [Podcast]

by | Jul 22, 2020 | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Podcast, Public Relations

There Are No Excuses Left: Serilda Summers-McGee on Why DEI Should be a Corporate Priority

 

Where PR Fits Into the Marriage of HR & DEI

 

America is in the midst of a cultural reckoning over the systemic inequities BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities face every day. While many of the ongoing public protests focus on policing, corporate practices are also coming under heavy scrutiny as consumers and employees pressure businesses to take meaningful action on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion). Unfortunately, even the most well-meaning companies can’t snap their fingers and fix a DEI problem. Instead, it requires strategy, commitment and wise counsel.

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An HR & DEI Expert

In this episode of the PR Talk Podcast, host Amy Rosenberg talks with Serilda Summers-McGee, CEO of Workplace Change, about the role of human resources (HR) in DEI. Workplace Change is an HR consulting company that integrates DEI best practices and fundamentals throughout traditional HR functions like employee and labor relations, recruitment and compensation.

Before she launched her company, Serilda held several high-level roles in both HR and DEI at organizations like Kaiser Permanente, the Oregon Department of Education and the Portland Development Commission. She was also the Chief Human Resources Officer for the City of Portland under Mayor Ted Wheeler. Today, her company helps major organizations like Nike, Intel and Burgerville look at their HR practices through an equitable lens.  

 

What is HR’s Role in DEI?

Amy and Serilda began their conversation discussing the appropriate place for DEI efforts within large organizations. Serilda believes that because DEI is about people and culture, it should rest in the HR realm. However, this is a big debate. Some practitioners believe that DEI should be its own division with a separate scope of practice. But as Serilda sees it, partitioning DEI minimizes its importance. If companies instead integrate DEI into every aspect of HR, it becomes impossible to ignore.

This led to a broader conversation about how HR often unwittingly polices BIPOC employees differently than white employees. As Serilda explains it, because employees of color stand out, their work often comes under greater scrutiny than their white counterparts. This situation creates a vicious cycle where an organization’s inherent unconscious biases can sabotage the success of its BIPOC employees.

 

What Gets in the Way of Change?

It’s easy for many employers to remain comfortable with the status quo, simply because it’s working for them. Changing the dynamic requires top-level management to actively move out of their comfort zones and seek out diverse talent. Here in the northwest, Amy sees two common excuses for avoiding this responsibility. One is that Portland is very white, so diverse talent isn’t readily available. The second excuse, which applies to women, in particular, is that an industry is male-dominated. Serilda and Amy both agreed that these excuses are no longer valid.

To make real change, Serilda suggests that business leaders begin developing authentic and diverse relationships now. That means exiting your comfortable spaces to engage with different groups of people than you typically do and nurturing your burgeoning diverse network in the same way you nurture your traditional networks.

 

Listen to the Episode to Hear More from Our Guest

Amy and Serilda covered so much more during their conversation, including HR’s relationship with PR, tips for leaders trying to diversify their businesses and Serilda’s advice for young Black women who are beginning their careers, so click the link above to hear the entire episode or watch the recording below. 

Also make sure to subscribe to the PR Talk podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify. If you’d like more from Serilda, you can read her book, “Change The WorkGame: Building and Sustaining a Diverse Workforce,” which is available on Amazon.

About the guest: Serilda Summers-McGee

Serilda Summers-McGee is a human resources executive with over 15 years of progressive experience in higher education, corporate and government environments. She is the CEO of Workplace Change, which exists to help companies assess their workplace culture, creatively resolve identified workplace challenges, recruit underrepresented executives and staff and retain high-quality employees in an inclusive, positive and high functioning work environment.

Connect and follow Serilda on social media:

This episode of PR Talk is brought to you by PRSA Oregon

Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRSA provides members with networking, mentorship, skill building and professional development opportunities – whether you are a new professional fresh out of college or a skilled expert with 20 years in the industry. Check out PRSAoregon.org for more information on how membership can help you grow and connect.