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ABCDEIEP41 DEIB doesn’t stop at talent attraction with Dr Jim KanichirayilWelcome to another episode of ABCDEI, a podcast that explores topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion through stories of distinct and powerful lived experiences. Today, host Susan Diaz sits down with Dr. Jim Kanichirayil, self-described ‘professional megaphone’, who highlights innovation in DEIB, and HR tech. Susan and Dr Jim dive deep into 👇 📝 Why organizations that only look at talent attraction to solve the DEIB problem in the workplace are basically setting money on fire!! 📝 What we need to be thinking about from a people, process, and technology perspective across our entire candidate life...2023-02-2736 min
ABCDEIEP40 Inclusive practices for every body type with Pamela ShainhouseWelcome back to a fresh season of the ABCDEI podcast. In this season co-hosts Susan Diaz and Rohini Mukerji present a 6-episode arc with in-depth episodes on different aspects of 2 core topics: intersectionality, and the return to workplace culture. In the first episode of the arc, Susan Diaz sits down with Pamela Shainhouse, Award-winning Certified DEI&B professional to tackle the former. Pamela is the Founder, President, and Creative Designer of Allistyle Inc., a size-diverse and sustainable fashion line named in memory of her daughter Alli. Allistyle highlighted the need for beautiful, comfortable clothing for c...2023-01-2742 minABCDEIEP39 Apologies, apathy and how to stay committed to the equity journeyWe’re back with a two-parter in which Susan Diaz and Rohini Mukherji, our hosts, touch on the state of the world as it relates to equity halfway through 2022. A State of the Union on where people are in the DEI journey as it stands at this moment in history. And while some things have changed, some things really haven’t changed at all. Susan and Rohini dive deep into: 📝 the Pope's apology for the actions of the Catholic Church towards the children of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and what lessons brands can take away from a...2022-08-0413 minABCDEIEP38 Honouring your own intellectual propertyToday on ABCDEI we talk about intellectual property and how to honour it, as we build in public about some of our plans for the future for the body of work we’ve build through this podcast. But first a story you’ll find a story that was first told to us by Andrea Henry of henrybrookslaw.com Here are some snippets 👇 You’ll have to listen to the full story on the episode. “‘Black Girl Magic’ (the phrase) is a piece of intellectual property. But intellectual property cannot be claimed and owned by you, unless y...2022-06-0215 minABCDEIEP37 How to walk away like a SuperheroToday on ABCDEI we talk about victim-blaming, victim-shaming and so much more as it relates to the workplace. Turn your attention to Simu Liu (the actor who plays “Shang Chi” in the Marvel Studios superhero movie) and how he walked away from Deloitte after a bad experience to become an actor and eventually the first Asian superhero in Hollywood. “He talked about a job termination when he used to work at Deloitte and the impact that it had on him, a decade ago. With the benefit and privilege of certainly the success he's had since then, b...2022-05-2409 minABCDEIEP36 - What does the inclusive ‘return to office' look like?ABCDEI is back after a short spring break! This season, we want to really feed into some of what we’ve built through great discussions and feedback. And focus on “conversation in progress”. And this year, no conversations have been more active than the ones around the return to the office! People back in offices in some part, and we're starting to see conversations around everything from whether the dress code changed now that we've seen everybody in pyjamas! Ie: Is the suit over? But more seriously… We spotlight an inclusion perspective on the subject...2022-04-2910 minABCDEIEP35 How marginalized communities can take up more spaceToday Susan and Rohini are getting personal. What can we do to TAKE UP MORE SPACE? 💫💫💫 Here we are with the second of a two part-episode (Refer episode 33 if you missed part 1), in which we're talking about how to build the inclusion muscle and what are the things that go into the making of an inclusion habit. In the first part, we looked at it from the perspective of privileged, or the person who wants to be an ally. And today, we want to look at it from the perspective of the marginalized - whether b...2022-02-2513 minABCDEIEP34 The profound calling of bridge-building in DEI with Martine Kalaw“I make a distinction between active allies, and passive allies. We've got a whole lot of great passive allies in organizations that are wanting to do something and thinking ‘But I don't know what to do!’ Active allyship can be facilitated through manager and management development. Managers all need management development. If you're listening and you don't have a management development program, that is a huge disservice to your managers right there. We know that managers automatically need to upskill themselves to be more effective. What I'm suggesting is DEI just becomes a way to pivot management develo...2022-02-1131 minABCDEIEP33 Inclusion routines for the privilegedWe’re talking about building muscle today! Building routine is such a big part of the start of the year for many. And we wanted to bring that lens to inclusion work. Beyond our day jobs, our podcasting, and families, we - Susan and Rohini - are also both skincare nerds! As we were talking about that, we really found the analogy back to inclusion strong because it is about habit building. It is about changing the way you think about the world, the workplace, and your friends. Because skincare, folks, goes back to...2022-01-2811 minABCDEIEP32 Change hearts before minds with Victor Rampaderat“Here's something else that I realized which is very rarely brought into this conversation is we talk about white privilege and other privileges. Let's talk about economic privilege. It's really easy to become out of touch when you've started to gain economic privilege. And I know for myself, I've lived on both sides of the proverbial track. I've been poor, I've been wealthy. And at the end of the day, the problems that I face with money are very different than the problems I faced without.” - Victor Rampaderat, Founder of Discourse. Victor’s helps organiz...2022-01-1421 minABCDEIEP31 “I want to own your pain” - with Shari Foos“It's a profound thing to offer an apology. An apology is not dependent on forgiveness and has no excuses. An apology is me humbly coming to you and saying, “Oh, I see that I've hurt you; that I was inappropriate in some way.” And by the way, I may not have intended to hurt you. I may not even agree that it was something for which you should feel hurt. But that's not the concern of the apology. The apology is merely recognizing that you feel hurt based on something I did or said. I want to own own your p...2022-01-0730 minABCDEIEP30 Equitably ever afterIn this episode, Susan and Rohini focus on taking the theory of many of the inclusion lessons discussed with experts in the space over 3 seasons into practical reframes of incidents that routinely occur in the workplace. Both co-hosts share an incident from their professional lives and get vulnerable. From it, they hope to reinforce that 'it happens to all of us'. They share learnings these experiences, ways in which you can advocate for yourself if you find yourself in a similar situation. If you've heard our podcast, and like what you hear, please drop us a 5 star rating2021-11-2019 minABCDEIEP29 I is for ImmigrantThe inclusion conversation is not a new conversation. It’s a conversation that can get frustrating. Through 2021 there’s been a sense of urgency from communities outside racialized communities, for example. And that can bring with it tiredness for those who’ve been battling inequalities. We must recognize that fatigue. In this curated episode, Susan Diaz and Rohini Mukherji have conversations with Gail Strachan – culture strategist, co-Founder and co-chair of the first-ever Antiracism in PR summit; as well as Stacy Lee Kong, journalist and editor of ‘Friday Things’. Gail’s journey began as curiosity ab...2021-11-1350 minABCDEIEP28 P is for performativeWhat is ‘performative’? Is all marketing/communications automatically performative if you're setting out to announce what you’re doing to people? No, it doesn’t have to be. Not when it’s backed up by the right action. In this curated episode of conversations with 3 BIPOC leaders, we break down some of the realities we all need to come to grips with as individuals, and the actions we can take to move the needle forward to change. First, we speak to Ben Borne, Indigenous marketing leader, and founder of Symmetry PR. We ta...2021-11-0525 minABCDEIEP27 C is for code-switchingIn this curated episode we bring together 2 discussions. The first with Romesh Hettiarachchi, a commercial lawyer, and the second between Susan and Rohini on the microaggressions that compound and lead to many marginalized individuals' submissive reactions in the face of bias. Romesh tells the story of when he was setting up his firm. He had a number of different directions to consider. The first was to name it after himself, and why he chose not to go that route. He details some of the non-financial factors of decision-making like comfort, fit, perhaps quite key, the ability to...2021-10-2913 minABCDEIEP 26 Grace, empathy, and asking for change with Darian KovacsHow do we open up doors and break down barriers for Indigenous peoples to get work? To get mentorship? And to be leaders in that sector? Darian Kovacs asks “what if we equipped Indigenous folx with the best education, the best resources, the best credentials, and let them loose into the world of marketing and advertising? And what if they happen to rise up as the leaders? Because they're incredibly brilliant people that are resilient, understanding, and empathetic of stories and storytelling because of the way they are brought up in their...2021-10-2240 minABCDEIEP25 How to be a true ally Most people want to identify as an 'ally'. Nobody wants to be the bad guy. Being an ally to someone who has been systematically marginalized and diminished isn't easy. In this short primer episode we cover: The NOs Allyship is not a self-bestowed title. Don’t call yourself an ally! Allyship is not a box to check on our way to collecting a certain number of ‘woke’ points. Allyship is not something that you earn once and keep for life. You need to keep at it, with continuous improvement. Allyship is not one-size-fits-all. Allyship is not a badge. There's no Twi...2021-10-1517 minABCDEIEP24 A is for AgeismIn Episode 24, we mull: is age just a number? There are so many preconceived notions around the connection between capability and age. Unlike race, gender, or other forms of identity, age is a universal truth. We're all going to be in our teens, our 20s and our 70s. So, age is a good place to start checking our biases. Inclusion involves stepping away from the boomers, Gen X and millennial stereotypes and beginning to see people more fully. Our two spotlight guests represent two different generations. The first was episode 16’s Jacqui D’Eon, owner of J...2021-10-0133 minABCDEIEP23 M is for Monolith - the need to better representation in the mediaLet’s focus on going beneath the surface on the inclusion front, shall we? No matter what the marginalization or points of difference might be, how do you take a step back? Being especially careful in the media to NOT treat any group as a monolith, or stereotype. How can we push ourselves to really focus on distinct and powerful lived experiences, even if the people in question look similar. In this episode, we've curated a few conversations with prominent media voices. First, Mohit Rajhans, an early media personality on the Toronto morning television scene, doi...2021-09-2444 minABCDEIEP22 Digging Deeper: Correcting Radical Wrongs in CanadaIn episode 22, we continued digging deeper into some topics from season 1 and 2. There’s something decidedly different about next week’s federal election: it’s the first time we’re going in with our eyes wide open. To the existence of racism and discriminatory systems, to the ugly history of this country’s residential schools and to the need for leadership that is going to bring real change. A throwback to episode 14 touches on the anti-Islamic hate that resulted in a heinous act of terror in London ON and still persists. And in episode 15, Ben Borne reall...2021-09-1736 minABCDEI#21 - Digging Deeper: A is for Anti-Black RacismWe’re kicking off season 3 with a deeper look at some of the topics we explored in Seasons 1 and 2. Thanks to the incredible expertise of the guests we’ve spoken to, we have a rich collection of actionable learnings that you can take away – and do – right now. In Episode 21, we dig into Leo Johnson’s take on balancing the interests of those with funds and those with needs (Ep 7), Sherhara Downing’s perspective on the say-do gap when it comes to inclusion (Ep 12) and Gail Strachan’s assessment of the meritocracy myth (Ep 5). So, if you’re look...2021-09-1046 min
AI Literacy for Entrepreneurs#124 - Weird Pop Culture Stories: The Celebrity Bathing Debate and moreWith Susan Diaz off on a much deserved summer road trip, Rohini Mukherji, Susan's cohost of the ABCDEI podcast and senior PR leader, joined Will for this week’s #ThirstList ***** Shang-Chi is not an "experiment"Disney can’t seem to catch a break lately between their legal battles and a foot-in-mouth problem. Allegedly, on a Q3 earnings call, the CEO of Disney called the release of Shang-Chi, a film starring an Asian-Canadian actor, “a big experiment”. This caused some backlash from the cast, who rightly feel that this is a big moment for the Asia...2021-08-2014 minABCDEI#20 - Allyship Manual: Embrace courageous actionIn the final episode of our mini-series on allyship, this week we cover three tangible things you can do to be a true, non-performative ally. In this 3-episode allyship manual arc, we’ve covered what allyship is not and two key practices for shifting to inclusion by default. In the season 2 finale, we take inspiration from a popular pandemic pastime - baking - to illustrate three definitive actions that will help make you a better ally: Drop the defence. Respect someone’s courage when they share their truth. Don’t be a sheep. You have a voice a...2021-08-0607 minABCDEI#19 - Allyship manual: The two mindset shifts critical to genuine allyshipIn the second of a 3-episode arc on allyship, this week we cover the two key practices for shifting to inclusion by default. In the final episode of this arc, we will break down a few tactical things everyone can do toward being a true ally, but this week it's all about the mindset shift that has to come first. 1) The discipline of challenging the status quo 2) Exercising the inclusion muscle everywhere so you're conscious of who might be left out at any point. We hope you will tune into this episode and stay w...2021-07-3008 minABCDEI#18 - Allyship Manual: What allyship is NOTIn the first of a 3 episode arc on allyship, this week we cover the five things that allyship is NOT: Allyship is not a self bestowed title. Don’t call yourself an ally! Allyship is not a box to check on our way to collecting a certain number of ‘woke’ points. Allyship is not something that you earn once and keep for life. You need to keep at it, with continuous improvement. Allyship is not one-size-fits-all. Allyship is not a badge. There's no Twitter verified check next to it. You do it anyway. Over the the next two weeks...2021-07-2308 minABCDEI#17 - Identity, inviting feedback and influencing through persuasion with Romesh HettiarachchiRomesh Hettiarachchi, commercial lawyer at B&I Legal Counsel, has a wonderful way of breaking down identity into a conversation between the individual and community. And so, the formation of an authentic identity does require being open to and even inviting input from a diverse set of external advisors. In sharing his decision to exclude his last name from the name of his firm, Romesh shares some really important insights that leaders would be wise to honestly consider when building an inclusive business. If you’ve ever wondered, “what’s in a name?” then you definitely should tune into this epi...2021-07-1629 minABCDEI#16 - Ageism, assumptions and asking with kindness with Jacqui D’EonJacqui D’Eon, founder and owner of Jade Communications, and the author of stuff happens, joins us for an honest conversation around ageism in the workplace. As an educator and a professional with over three decades of experience, Jacqui sees both ends of the age spectrum everyday. Jacqui’s message is clear: move past the assumptions already. We all stand to gain a lot from multi-generational workplaces. The opportunities for two-way learning, more diverse and well-informed perspectives, and of course, true inclusion far outweighs any bumps and awkwardness along the journey. If you’re in a workplace that has repres...2021-07-0930 minABCDEI#15 - Colonialism, co-creation and courageous action with Ben BorneIn light of the horrific recent discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in unmarked graves in Kamloops, we wanted to focus our learning on the Indigenous experience. We were joined by Ben Borne, a descendant of yellow quill First Nation and co-founder of Symmetry PR. Ben shared how he came to understand his Indigenous identity and his own privilege while discovering first-hand the realities and barriers that indigenous people face in Canada. His message to well-intentioned leaders is clear: don’t just say sorry, find a way to rebuild systems. Take it a step further and invite those in...2021-06-1841 minABCDEI#14 - Radical ignorance - not radical Islam – is a serious problemRant alert. The past few weeks have brought so much pain to different marginalized groups in Canada. In today’s episode, Rohini and Susan share their anguish at the hate-fueled killing of a multigenerational Pakistani family out for a walk in London, ON. They reflect on their time spent living in the Middle East and the warmth and acceptance of the Muslim people that made Oman and the UAE feel like home. Finally, they share some advice for leaders about how to create real change to address and end Islamophobia once and for all.2021-06-1116 minABCDEI#13 - Playgrounds to power structures: Lessons in DEI from Gen ZEpisode 13 was incredibly special, because it featured one of our own. Susan’s not-so-little-anymore kid, Yara, joined us for an enlightening discussion on leading with empathy, the importance of education and meeting in the middle. What really stayed with us was this: lessons from the playground translate surprisingly well into breaking down traditional workplace power structures. Yara’s precociousness reinforced the origin story of ABCDEI – specifically the focus on learning/unlearning like a child. If Yara represents the voice of the next generation, we are going to be just fine, people. 2021-06-0421 minABCDEI#12 - The new language of racism with Sherhara DowningIn episode 12, we were lucky enough to chat with Sherhara Downing, the livewire founder of Level Comm. She helps business leaders speak confidently and concisely to build their personal brand. Sherhara shared several personal experiences that have informed her commitment to anti-racism training. Her generosity in sharing gave us serious unlearning fodder during the conversation and thereafter. We focused on some of the barriers to doing the work to dismantle systemic racism, with ways to overcome the 3 Is of inaction: indifference, ignorance and intention. Tune into our most high-energy episode yet!2021-05-2832 minABCDEI#11 - Policies and not prayers with the Milkshake SistersAnd just like that, we’re kicking off Season 2 of ABCDEI! In episode 1, Susan and Rohini are joined in studio by another dynamic duo – the Milkshake Sisters. Marianna and Angel are activists and educators with a focus on trans rights, with an intersectional lens given their immigrant roots. This episode tackles some tricky unlearning territory: for marginalized folx, it’s resisting the urge to “exhale anger” and for cis-normative/white folx, it’s the need to self-educate and to stop approaching any marginalized group as a monolith. The powerhouse duo leaves us with a serious call to acti...2021-05-2028 minABCDEI#10 - Season 1 wrap: Unlearning out loudAs we come to the end of Season 1 of ABCDEI, co-hosts Susan and Rohini reflect on the lessons they have taken away from the last 10 weeks. The origin story of ABCDEI lies in the deep discomfort of staying silent in the face of inequity and the desire to unlearn out loud through conversations with people with different lived experience. The pair’s reflections touch on topics including self-worth, sponsorship, supportive networks and silence as a privilege in and of itself. Tune in for an actionable look back at some of the powerful and inspirational conversations from season 1. 2021-05-0710 minABCDEI#9 - Build inclusion into your foundation, not the façade with Mohit RajhansThis week, we chatted with Mohit Rajhans, one of the first South Asians working in mainstream media in Toronto. His curiosity about the lack of diversity in media when he was coming up in his career led him down a path that included Bollywood coverage, red carpet reporting and ultimately, morning news. But living in this duality between diaspora and mainstream media gave Mohit a first-hand view of the blind spots in the industry and Canada as a whole. Mohit shares insightful advice on how leaders need to understand the deep value of true representation, so they are building...2021-04-3027 minABCDEI#8 - Modelling true allyship with Councillor Kristyn Wong-TamThis week, we unlearned all the advice about steering clear of politics and religion. Our guest, Toronto City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, is modelling true allyship in the way she advocates for her constituents’ diverse needs. In this humbling conversation, Councillor Wong-Tam talks about the need for more smart, progressive women, especially those who are racialized and differently abled in the government. She shares her own inspiring journey into political office and how running for office is the most physically and spiritually challenging experience she has been through. It’s a version of government we don’t see often – the singular...2021-04-2229 minABCDEI#7 - Fight with one hand, build with the other, a conversation with Leo JohnsonThis week, we are joined by Leo Nupolu Johnson – internationally acclaimed human rights activist, social entrepreneur, and Executive Director of global charitable organization Empowerment Squared. In this awe-inspiring and humbling conversation, Leo covers serious ground on the incredible power of lived experience and the need for marginalized communities to fight injustice with one hand and build systems with the other. Leo urges corporate leaders to put a deservedly high value on the knowledge and participation of the BIPOC community around matters related to creating equity. This episode will give you chills and leave you inspired.2021-04-1525 minABCDEI#6 - A tale of two Meghans with Stacy Lee KongStacy Lee Kong – writer, editor and creator of one of our favourite newsletters, Friday Things - joins us for a serious conversation layered under a really fun conversation. As a racialized woman in journalism, Stacy shares how she has turned some of the fatigue around race-related conversations into pop culture reporting with a cerebral twist. She delves deep into the stories beneath the latest celebrity scandals, with takeaways that are accessible to most. In this episode, she gives us the goods on two very different Meghans: Markle and McCain. Great takeaways on representation, lived experience and seizing the narrative.2021-04-0919 minABCDEI#5 - Power structures, immigrant inclusion and the meritocracy mythIn episode 5 of ABCDEI, Gail Strachan – culture strategist, co-Founder and co-chair of the first-ever Antiracism in PR summit and all-around inspiring advocate - is in the studio! Gail’s journey of wokeness began as curiosity about Black history in high school and became confusion, hurt and anger. As a social justice advocate, Gail states that skirting around the topic of race is stifling our progress towards inclusion and equity. The trio discuss the foundation of disproportionate power structures holding BIPOC and break down the meritocracy myth once and for all.2021-04-0223 min
The Pivot with Ken EvansA marketer’s role in DEI efforts for brandsSome may have the perception that the “marketing” of DEI initiatives is – by default – performative… but is it? As discussed in previous episodes, marketers and communicators need to have a seat at the table, this is especially relevant when it comes to DEI efforts. How can brands effectively tap into the expertise of marketers when it comes to marketing DEI? Tune in as we discuss this and more with Susan Diaz, CEO and Editor-in-Chief at c+p digital and Rohini Mukherji, Vice President of Integrated Communications at APEX PR. Susan and Rohini co-host the recently-launched podcast, AB...2021-04-0132 minABCDEI#4 - Typecasting, tokenism, collective vision and cancel culture with Ali KazmiCelebrity alert! In episode 4 of ABCDEI, actor-director Ali Kazmi joins Susan and Rohini to chat about the challenge of tackling the intersectionality of homosexuality and South Asian culture in Funny Boy, Canada’s Oscar entry this year. He also shares his candid views on typecasting in the entertainment business, the importance of allyship within marginalized communities and the need for more fulsome roles for BIPOC talent. The trio also talked about what Kim’s Convenience did in terms of representation of Korean, Canadian and immigrant identities. About Ali ...2021-03-2639 minABCDEI#3 - Recollections may varyIn the last episode of the launch-time binge, Susan and Rohini tackle another topic that has a lot of baggage, especially in the South Asian community. And that is mental health. Susan shares her journey to getting comfortable with the subject. The last year has taught us many things, but a deeper appreciation for mental health is the silver lining we’re choosing to focus on. The hosts also share their take on the #MeghanandHarryonOprah interview with some learnings that anyone – manager, entrepreneur or political leader – can apply in their own lives.2021-03-1308 minABCDEI#2 - The good fightIn this episode, Susan and Rohini get real about an important and uncomfortable topic: conflict. Is conflict always bad? No. Is it inevitable in the process of creating systemic change? Yes. Getting comfortable with confrontation can come more naturally when you’re taking on someone else’s cause, but advocating for yourself can be hard. But fight the good fight we must, if equity is the ultimate goal. In this episode, Susan and Rohini talk about the three types of racism and what we can – all – do better when confronted with them. 2021-03-1317 minABCDEI#1 - Same, same but differentABCDEI co-hosts Susan Diaz and Rohini Mukherji have a lot in common – South Asian women who came to Toronto via Oman and work in marketing – OK, yes, that’s a lot of common ground, we hear it. But they also have distinct aspects of their identities, especially when it comes to being Canadian immigrants and their differing views on entrepreneurship. In this episode, get to know what makes their journeys so different and what drives them to ask deep questions, be true to themselves and always lead with empathy on this journey of unlearning.2021-03-1313 min