Uplifting Impact

Uplifting Impact is excited to announce Actions Speak Louder, the latest book by author and DEI expert, our very own, Deanna Singh. This book, available starting May 31st, 2022, is a step-by-step guide on how to create change and inclusivity both in the workplace and beyond. In this book, Deanna seeks to answer questions for organizations and teams of all sizes on how to create more inclusivity. Actions Speak Louder creates a blueprint for those who are ready to read, take action now, and build a better tomorrow.

In this episode, Justin Ponder and Deanna Singh dissect Deanna’s new book Actions Speak Louder and share the nuts and bolts of what goes into writing a book. They reveal the motivations behind the new book, what to expect from it, what got left out, and the parts of writing a book that people don’t really get to see. They also share insights from the book that leaders can use to take actionable steps towards creating inclusive workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE

-The main motivation behind Deanna’s new book Actions Speak Louder

-The book as Deanna’s letter to her younger self

-How the book strikes a balance between personal experiences and provable data

-Why vulnerability in leadership is a strength

-How inclusivity in the workplace is built on people’s actions

-Why inclusivity doesn’t have to be complicated

-Parts of the book that had to be edited out

-Deanna’s message to her future self.

RESOURCES

Book Pre-Order: https://www.upliftingimpact.com/actio…

Launch Team Book Club: https://www.upliftingimpact.com/actio…

Justin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-po…

Deanna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannasingh/

UpliftingImpact.com: https://www.upliftingimpact.com/

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Uplifting Impact is excited to announce Actions Speak Louder, the latest book by author and DEI expert, our very own, Deanna Singh. This book, available starting May 31st, 2022, is a step-by-step guide on how to create change and inclusivity both in the workplace and beyond. In this book, Deanna seeks to answer questions for organizations and teams of all sizes of how to create more inclusivity. Actions Speak Louder creates a blueprint for those who are ready to read take action now and build a better tomorrow.

In this episode, Deanna talks with guest host Tamyra Washington-Ramsey, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator at Uplifting Impact. They discuss the inspiration behind writing this book, how it is different from other DEI books in this shared space, and the outcomes it will have for teams and individuals. To pre-order your copy and get access to free perks, go to: https://www.upliftingimpact.com/actions-speak-louder-book

Topics In This Episode

• Addressing the sphere of influence
• The power of the individual
• Creating tools and empowerment for the DEI work
• The difference that inclusion can make, not just in the workplace, but globally, across all spaces
• Free perks available when you pre-order your copy of Actions Speak Louder

Resources

• Book Pre-Order: https://www.upliftingimpact.com/actions-speak-louder-book

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Navigating Corporate America: Women of Color in the Workplace
• The Connection Between Trust and DEI

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Deepa Purushothaman was a first senior partner at Deloitte, where she spent more than 20 years focusing on women’s leadership and inclusion strategies to help women of color navigate corporate structures. She was the first Indian-American woman and one of the youngest people to make Partner in the firm’s history. After leaving Deloitte in 2020, Deepa co-founded nFormation, a membership-based community for professional women of color, offering brave, safe, new space and helping place women of color in C-suite positions and on Boards.

In this episode, Deepa and Deanna really dive into a conversation about the experiences and struggles facing women of color in the workplace. Deepa really invites the listener to examine the structures and systems that have been created within corporate America, who created those structures, and the ways in which they do not serve women of color on a systemic and individual level. They also talked about Deepa’s book, The First, The Few, The Only; How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, a call to action for women of color to find power and community, in order to advocate for a new corporate environment. To learn more and connect with Deepa, find her on her website: https://www.deepapuru.com/

Topics In This Episode

• The things we believe about corporate America, versus what is true about corporate America
• Why white leaders in America don’t know how to find diverse leaders
• The truth about meritocracy in the workplace
• Embracing the moments that allow us to each step into our own power
• The result microaggressions have on women of color and on their health
• Coping mechanisms for processing events in the workplace
• Creating community and a safe space in order to be able to have difficult conversations.

Connect

• Deepa’s website: https://www.deepapuru.com/
• The First, The Few, The Only on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063084716

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• The Connection Between Trust and DEI
• Retention Strategies For The New Era of Employment

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Lily Lamboy leads the the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team at Blue Shield of California, which supports both internal-facing employee-focused work and external-facing health equity, social justice, and business growth initiatives. She holds a PhD in political theory from Stanford University, and continues to conduct research on persistent oppression, economic justice, and organizational dynamics, with recent work featured in Theory and Research in Education, Age of Awareness, Federal Times, and Cambridge University Press.

In this episode, Justin and Lily discuss the importance of creating a culture of psychological safety. Many times when these conversations are held, the focus is on organizational strategies; however, in this conversation, Justin and Lily dive into how individual leaders can focus on their own growth in this space, and use that as a starting point for being able to create safety for those around them. Lily also shares ways in which she prepares for entering the workplace and strategies for doing this work. To connect with Lily, find her on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/llamboy

Topics In This Conversation:

• The connection between addressing your own traumas and how it plays out in your role in the work place
• Small things that create an atmosphere of trust
• Allowing employees to both be a good employee and also be a full human being
• Providing options for team members to be able to react and respond in the ways that are best for them
• What if I say the wrong thing?
• Setting the pace for the work of DEI within an organization
• Bringing activism into the workplace.

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Retention Strategies For The New Era of Employment
• Creating a Global DEI Strategy and Why It’s Important

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Marsha Ellis Jones is the Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. In this role, Jones leads the development and implementation of strategies and programs that help further build and sustain a talented, diverse workforce and a culture of inclusion. Jones is a frequent national guest speaker, panelist and lecturer on the business case for diversity and the impact that inclusive cultures have on corporate innovation. Her accomplishments in the field of diversity were a feature story in Diversity Executive magazine.

In this episode, Deanna and Marsha dive into a conversation about this new phase of employment and the work environment known as “The Great Experiment”. They discuss the impact of the previous phase during the height of the pandemic known as “The Great Resignation” and ways in which organizations should shape their organization for retention and networking in this new environment.

Topics In This Episode:

• Emerging issues in the DEI space
• The need for creating new policies for retention in this era of employment
• Addressing the importance employees place on the values of an organization
• Inclusion in a remote work environment
• Addressing the need for spending equal time with remote and hybrid employees
• Providing managers with tools for this new hybrid and remote work environment
• The need for applying the lens of DEI to every aspect of an organization
• Managing the emotional and mental impact of this work.

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Creating a Global DEI Strategy and Why It’s Important
• Listening and Learning Before Taking Action

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Raj Verma has over 25 years of global HR transformation and change leadership experience and currently is responsible for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Culture and Employee Experience at Sanofi. Raj is determined to make an impact in the workplace where all Sanofians feel included, engaged and proud to belong. Ultimately, Raj wants them to enjoy a seamless, positive and purposeful experience no matter where they are in the world and to feel equally connected to the communities in which they live and serve.

In this episode, Justin and Raj discuss what it means to have global DEI strategies organization-wide, and what the implementation looks like on within different regions. Raj talks about some of the most important lessons he has learned about HR and DEI over his career, and the importance of humility in building teams, having difficult conversations, and it’s role in decision-making. Raj shares that the work of DEI is really just beginning, and he is excited to see where it goes. To connect with Raj, find him on LinkedIn at: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rajver123

Topics In This Episode

• Embracing change and having adaptability
• A successful strategy for creating teams
• Finding tools to foster engagement
• Getting comfortable with being bold as a leader
• Climatizing yourself for different environments
• Looking at what is possible in the pharma-industry from the lens of DEI

Connect

• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rajver123
• Sanofi: https://www.sanofi.com/

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Listening and Learning Before Taking Action
• Health Equity and Why It Matters

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Nicole Mitchell serves as Cedar-Sinai’s inaugural Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer where she is responsible for providing strategic leadership, developing and driving the implementation of programs and initiatives that promote a culture of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. For over ten years Ms. Mitchell has been creating and driving culture change in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. She has developed multifaceted strategies for diversity and inclusion encompassing human resources, employee engagement, philanthropy, communications, and supplier diversity and has led executive-level diversity and inclusion committee activities.  

In this episode, Deanna and Nicole discuss the importance of creating spaces where rest is prioritized, particularly after events that take place in our society — and not only creating space for others but prioritizing rest for ourselves as well. Nicole shares how the team at Cedars-Sinai was impacted by the pandemic and social unrest as a result of the murder of George Floyd, and how they have pivoted since 2020. She details how they have moved forward to begin addressing important issues, and how that has resulted in a three-year strategy for DEI. To connect with Nicole, you can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolembellmitchell 

Topics In This Episode 

• Starting from a place of listening instead of action  
• Creating psychological safety 
• Moving from listening to action, and where to begin 
• Unconscious bias and its role in health equity gaps  
• Work-life sway and how it differentiates from work-life balance. 

 Connect 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolembellmitchell 

 Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Health Equity and Why It Matters
• Marketing that Fosters Diversity and Inclusion

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Dr. Christopher Cross is a biomedical engineer, anatomist, neuroscientist, population geneticist, cancer biologist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and entrepreneur. He leads Cross River Strategies, a US-based boutique consulting firm that uses community engagement and scientific research to power health equity strategies and services across biotech, pharma, and academic institutions. He served as a congressional science fellow on Capitol Hill during the 113th Congress, and a principal investigator for the Center for Community Engagement and Health Equity within Yale Cancer Center.

In this episode, Justin talks with Dr. Cross about what it means to do the work of health equity where it overlaps with diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how it is different. Dr. Cross makes the argument that while health equity officers may not be critical to all organizations, it’s important to investigate the importance of this work and this role so that DEI officers can include this work in the strategies they implement for employees, patients, and end-users. Justin and Dr. Cross also look at the difference between what it means to be performative versus creating transformational change. To learn more about Cross River Strategies, you can find them at: https://www.crossriverstrategies.com/

Topics In This Episode

• The role of DEI versus Health Equity within an organization
• Identifying where health equity strategies could impact an organization
• The business case for health equity
• How much it costs to ignore health inequities
• Looking at the need for specialization in the health equity space.

Connect

• Website: https://www.crossriverstrategies.com/
• Email: chris@crossriverstrategies.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrossRiverStrat

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Marketing that Fosters Diversity and Inclusion
• Valentines Special: Love and DEI

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Carla Fulmore is a Marketing Program Manager focused on Enterprise and K-12 Education business to business customers at Office Depot. She began her career at Office Depot in 2007 and has worked in multiple functions of the business including Digital Merchandising and Direct Consumer Marketing. She has served in many leadership opportunities and is currently the leader of the Office Depot Women of Color Associate Resource Group.

In this episode, Deanna and Carla dive into what it looks like when an organization combine their core values with their marketing efforts. Carla and Deanna discuss just how important it is for customers to be able to see themselves within an organization’s marketing, and ways in which an organization can ensure that there are diverse voices at the table. Carla also shares the role that employee resource groups have played in her professional development, and how organizations can use these as a place to encourage allyship. To connect with Carla, you can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-fulmore

Topics In This Episode

• Making the connection between DEI and marketing
• An important strategy for building a loyal customer base
• Being more thoughtful with marketing
• Creating an inclusive marketing plan
• Strategies for incorporating all voices – even if not all identities can be represented at the table
• Questions to ask in order to be sure the space you’re in is inclusive

Connect

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-fulmore

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Valentines Special: Love and DEI
• DEI is not an option, it’s a must

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Happy Valentine’s Day from the team at Uplifting Impact! Justin and Deanna are changing things up a little in this episode, and instead of bringing on a guest, they are sitting down to talk about love. They give a little insight into their relationship and how they make it work, discuss the intersection of love and DEI, and share the role love plays in the workplace. Justin shares a few book recommendations on the topic of love, Deanna brings up DEI from a motivation of love over fear, and they detail strategies for implementing love with team members and employees in order to continue to humanize those around us and to keep working towards a common goal.

Topics In This Episode

• Challenging the idea that love is something that happens to us
• Ways in which social institutions de-humanize people
• Looking at love as a way to re-humanize people
• The small moments within any relationship that provides for love and connection
• Mutual self-actualization within any relationship
• What closeness between team members allows for in the workplace.

Resources

• All About Love, by Bell Hooks: https://www.amazon.com/All-About-Love-New-Visions/dp/0060959479
• Deanna Singh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannasingh
• Justin Ponder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ponder-1200b72b

Other Conversations We’ve Enjoyed

• Intent Versus Impact
• DEI is not an option, it’s a must

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