Break the Bias

There is strength in vulnerability. Many men in our culture have been taught to associate showing emotions with being weak. For example, more than one-third of boys think society expects them to be strong and tough, “be a man,” and “suck it up,” according to a survey by Plan International USA. It’s time to change that. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sits down with Pervis Taylor, award-winning life coach, & author of “Surthrival Mode” for an unplugged conversation about the need to redefine masculinity and finding strength in vulnerability; normalizing mental health in the workplace; why leaders who act with empathy will have more productive employees, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

How are hiring practices evolving, given the public health crisis, shift to a more remote workforce, and protests about racial injustice? In this episode of the Breaking the Bias podcast, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sat down with Virginia “Ginny” Clarke,  Director, Leadership Staffing at Google & author of “Career Mapping,” to find the answer to this question. Ginny has been a college recruiter, executive recruiter and a woman who broke through to the executive ranks in two male-dominated industries. In this unplugged conversation, they touch upon everything from what needs to happen when hiring to help build true equity; why it’s okay if your career path is not linear; how to overcome imposter syndrome; how to talk about race in the workplace, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

June is Pride Month. A catalyst for the LGBTQIA+ Rights Movement happened on June 28, 1969 when police raided a gay bar in New York City, sparking the Stone Wall Riots that were largely led by LGBTQIA+ people of color. That incident ignited protests around the country in the push for equal rights. Today in 2020 protests are again sweeping the nation, prompted by the death of George Floyd and others, and accelerating the Black Lives Matter Movement. The intersectionality of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the LGBTQIA+ Rights Movement is as clear now as ever. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, you’ll hear from a number of voices on what Pride Month means to them personally, and why we must continue the fight for equality for all. The voices you’ll hear include: • A gay Boomer on how he benefited from white privilege by not coming out until later in life • A Brooklyn-raised, Costa Rican immigrant and LGBTQ educator on why there are so many letters • A Black, gay, non-binary Broadway actor on how we can all be activists • A millienial on leaving his dream job after speaking up for a transgendered employee • But first, we will hear from the mother of two gay sons on her hopes for their future. Here are their stories. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

We’re in the middle of a pandemic and a recession, and women and people of color may be among the hardest hit. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, Director of Content at Consciously Unbiased, speaks to Jennifer Streaks, financial commentator, news personality and personal finance contributor for CNBC. Jennifer shares candid advice on the money moves we should all be making during this unprecedented time; how the wealth gap is widening even more between whites and people of color; why she thinks reopening businesses right now is a big mistake, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Biases surrounding gender inequality are being pushed to the forefront amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As employees work from home and may have to manage domestic and work responsibilities, or grapple with isolation or illnesses, leaders are being called to reexamine how they practice inclusion. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Holly Corbett, Director of Content at Consciously Unbiased, interviews Michelle Penelope King, gender equality expert, Director of Inclusion at Netflix and author of The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work. Michelle shares how the coronavirus has forced us to confront the many ways in which the workplace does not value differences and the many ways we don’t see the whole person. Michelle sheds a light on the invisible barriers that women face and how, for many women, their work environment is hardwired to overlook them. Michelle also describes her realization that men in the workplace are also held back by inequality, and she offers real-world tips on how companies can create work environments that work for everyone. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

We’re experiencing a loss of our normal routines and, for many of us, our normal ways to connect, as well as uncertainty about the future. This can lead to feeling heightened emotions—and we’re experiencing this on a collective level. But identifying exactly what we are feeling and knowing how to process those mix of feelings may not always be easy—especially during this time when many of us are confined to our homes. Part of what we do at Consciously Unbiased is to connect the heart and the mind to spark habit-building and change behavior. Though our society puts a lot of emphasis on the mind and thinking part, we’re not always taught how to check in with and connect to our hearts. In this special episode of Breaking the Bias, Director of Content Holly Corbett speaks to Breakthrough Coach and Business Consultant Tosca DiMatteo for advice on how to deal with uncertainty during these uncertain times, and tune into your heart as well as your mind. Tosca shares why ignoring or bottling up our emotions means they’ll likely come out in unhealthy ways, and walks us through strategies to help us better recognize what we’re feeling, process those feelings, and ground ourselves. Doing so can make us better leaders, employees, partners—and just more calm overall. Listen to the episode here for the candid conversation or read below for some of Tosca’s tips. *NOTE: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not meant to take the place of professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please see the show notes at the end for the Mental Health America Hotline and Crisis Text Line. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

At Consciously Unbiased we believe we are all different; we all belong. Our differences can also be our greatest strengths. Not everyone has strengths that can check a box during the interview process. April is World Autism Month. In this special episode of Breaking the Bias, Director of Content Holly Corbett interviewed different voices who advocate for neurodiversity, which is the idea that neurological differences, such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD, are a natural variation in the human population, and that neurodiverse people bring unique strengths to the workplace and the world. With approximately 1% of the global population on the autism spectrum alone, for example, companies who ignore this talent pool are missing out. There are benefits to hiring people with cognitive differences. There is strength in building teams where everyone doesn’t think the same, and some neurodiverse people may excel in areas such as pattern recognition and attention to detail as compared with neurotypical people. That’s why many companies—including SAP, EY, and Microsoft—are revising their HR programs to attract and retain neurodiverse talent. In this episode you’ll hear from Dr. Stephen Shore, who was diagnosed with autism as a child and recommended to be institutionalized. Today Dr. Shore is a professor at Adelphi University and travels the world speaking to audiences about self-advocacy for those on the spectrum. He is also the author of more than five books. You'll also hear from Hiren Shukla, founder of EY’s NeuroDiversity Center of Excellence; Gena Mann, co-founder of Wolf + Friends, an app that is like a meet-up for the parents of kids with special needs, as well as other voices. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Kay Fabella is many things: a leadership coach, diversity and inclusion consultant, podcast host, storyteller, and entrepreneur. Kay is also a first-generation Filipina-American living in Madrid, Spain. She is the author of Rewrite Your Story, in which she shares her personal experience with burnout and depression. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Kay talks about how no one realized—until moms and dads started turning into human jungle gyms on Zoom calls—how important it is for people to have real conversations about caregiving duties. She also shares why it’s okay to give ourselves permission to not be productive right now, and offers advice on how to care for your mental health during quarantine and beyond. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

The coronavirus pandemic may be the most unpredictable crisis we’ve ever collectively experienced. While there is no playbook for companies on how to manage amidst such uncertainty, those who let their diversity and inclusion initiatives fall to the wayside may be less likely to survive. Employees are organizations’ greatest resource. On this episode of Breaking the Bias, Ruth Umoh, diversity and inclusion editor at Forbes Media, shares how businesses can best support their workers during these unprecedented times, and help retain loyal employees of all backgrounds in order to truly shine. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Cut is known for its viral videos that challenge stereotypes and uncover biases. From asking black men ages five to 50 to say one word that they associate with “police” on camera, to asking guessers to name which kind of “Asian” people are in a lineup,  co-founder Michael Gaston is proving that simple questions have the gravity to shift hearts and minds when they go viral. Consciously Unbiased co-founder Ashish Kaushal sat down with Michael in Seattle just before the coronavirus swept through the States. In this very real conversation, Michael shares everything from why traditional diversity training does not work, to what it was like growing up as a mixed race kid.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Networks are of course key to success for both genders, but research by the Harvard Business Review finds that women with a close inner circle of other women are more successful, while there was no link found for men’s success in terms of the gender composition of their inner circles. One female entrepreneur, Gesche Haas, understands that women who help other women go further. She created Dreamers//Doers, a women-only social networking platform to tap into the power of community. The community is made up largely of female entrepreneurs, and is working to level the gender playing field. This Women’s History Month Consciously Unbiased is highlighting impact makers, such as Gesche, who are helping to advance equality. Here is her advice on how to combat gender bias and get us closer to equal. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

Research on remote work before COVID-19 found that "burnout goes down, and job satisfaction goes up." For the knowledge workers whose companies have instituted working at home during this public health crisis, it may help normalize flexible working policies and create a new normal. We spoke with Paul Estes, author of the new book The Gig Mindset and editor in chief of Staffing.com. Here is Paul’s advice on how to handle being suddenly remote in the era of COVID-19, why companies need to overcome what he refers to as “location bias” and why we must include remote work in conversations about inclusion. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

As you know, February is Black History Month. We don’t think black history should be celebrated for only one month; but should be celebrated every day. At Consciously Unbiased, we’ll be shining a light on the impact makers who are changing the conversation about race in America this month—and all year long. Today we’re talking to K. Credle, business school graduate, former college basketball player, poet, music artist, and CEO of the music record label Credle Entertainment. His debut album, Lone Wolf 2, Part 1, focuses on raising awareness about the mental health crisis in America, particularly among the black community. Here is how he is using his music to create change. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

There are more than 1 billion people with disabilities around the globe, and they have traditionally been an untapped talent pool. Becky Curran Kekula,  motivational speaker and Director of Disability Equality Index (DEI) at Disability:IN, is working to change that. In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Becky shares her experiences in the workplace and living with dwarfism, as well as how she is combating bias and driving inclusion for those with disabilities. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message

As a white man married to an Indian woman and raising bi-racial children in Boston, Ryan Hayden, partner at PwC, says, “Diversity and inclusion isn't 'an initiative' or some ‘corporate mandate; it's my way of life.” In this episode of Breaking the Bias, Ryan talks about how to create space to have conscious conversations at work and address larger cultural issues surrounding racism, politics and other difficult topics. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consciously-unbiased/message