Confessions of a DEI Pro Ashanti Bentil-Dhue

In today's Episode of ‘How to become a competent DEI practitioner’, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue and her guest Trier Bryant delve into the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Trier brings a wealth of experience and insights from her background in working with top organisations such as the U.S. Air Force and having a role as Chief People Officer. Today, Trier shares valuable perspectives on the importance of having a People First mindset in leadership, the nuances between DEI and the need for competency in the DEI field. Join Ashanti and Trier as they explore the challenges and opportunities in the DEI space and discuss the role of accountability and competence in driving meaningful change. Stay tuned for a thought-provoking conversation with Trier Bryant.
“And so if you are a true people centric people first leader, that is the root of everything that you're doing. And so your people have identities, your people are nothing but a sum of their experiences of who they are, and their life, coming into the workplace and to ignore that would be a huge mistake. And there's implications of that. And so you can create real tangible value by having a People First mindset when it comes to leadership, understanding that diversity, equity and inclusion are absolutely a part of that and they're not synonyms.”     
Episode Highlights: 
 
DEI initiatives can become exclusive if not approached inclusively, which may inadvertently exclude majority groups and lead to inefficacy.
Understanding the majority's experiences within an organization is crucial, as it helps identify areas for meaningful change and improvement in DEI efforts.
Organizations should invest in their DEI leaders' professional development, treating it as they would for any other competency in the organization's learning and development strategy.
 
About Trier Bryant:
Trier Bryant is a people-first leadership & inclusion expert and the founder of TrierBryant.com, a consulting firm that advises organizations on strategies and tactics to improve their workplace culture. Trier is also the co-founder of Just Work, a company that provides coaching and workshops to create more collaborative and equitable work environments. Trier has an extensive track record spearheading DEI & Inclusion initiatives at top organizations including Goldman Sachs, Twitter, and the U.S. Air Force. She also serves on the Board for Athena SPACs and Campaign Zero. Trier has been featured as an influential voice on leadership and DEI by publications including USA Today, CNN and Fortune. You can follow Trier on LinkedIn and X.



If you would like to apply to be a guest on the show email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com
 
If you would like to schedule a capability briefing call with our team, email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
 
If you would like to apply for DEI PRO Coaching, email:
operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
Stay Connected with Ashanti: 
LinkedIn: Ashanti Bentil-Dhue

In today's episode, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue has a captivating conversation with Ruth Kudzi, the CEO and founder of Optimus Cage Academy. During their interview, they will dive deep into the world of coaching and the pressing need for accreditation within the industry. Exploring the significance of accreditation, how it can elevate your coaching practice, uncovering the true essence of coaching, its empowering nature, and the long-lasting impact it can have on clients. Discover the benefits of becoming an accredited coach and how it not only enhances your credibility but also contributes to a more equitable coaching landscape.  If you're curious about the future of coaching, the role of accreditation and professional growth, this episode is a must-listen.
"Coaching is about unlocking what's inside of a person, making change more sustainable, not just addressing a knowledge gap. Accreditation brings credibility, ethical practice, and the ability to charge more, ultimately elevating the coaching industry's standards and impact."
     Episode Highlights: 
Why is there a need for more qualified coaches in the DEI industry?
Emphasizing the importance of coaching as a non-directional, empowering, and dignifying process that unlocks answers within clients. 
Potential for coaching to promote equity and social mobility by reaching high-potential individuals from diverse backgrounds.
 
About Ruth Kudzi:
Ruth Kudzi is an entrepreneur and educator: She runs a training business , Optimus Coach Academy and a coaching & mentoring business. Optimus is one of the market leader training providers in the UK providing accredited coach training with 4 different bodies. Ruth is a Master Certified Coach, Psychology & Neuroscience expert with numerous qualifications in Psychology including a BA, MA and PGCERT. She is a multiple best selling author, international speaker and podcaster: her whole mission is around supporting people to feel better and build their resilience to achieve the results they want to achieve. 



If you would like to apply to be a guest on the show email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com
 
If you would like to schedule a capability briefing call with our team, email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
 
If you would like to apply for DEI PRO Coaching, email:
operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
Stay Connected with Ashanti: 
LinkedIn: Ashanti Bentil-Dhue

In today’s episode, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue welcomes listeners to a compelling episode of her podcast! Today, she is privileged to interview Kim Crowder, a leading expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Join them for an eye-opening conversation. In this episode, Kim delves into the complexities of workplace culture and leadership, shedding light on crucial topics such as power dynamics, privilege, and the impact of identity. Through insightful dialogue, they explore uncomfortable truths, challenge stereotypes, and emphasise the importance of genuine connections. Join them as Kim shares invaluable insights, making this episode a must-listen for anyone passionate about fostering inclusive environments.
 
“ I would say, be really comfortable with what you don't know, become intimately acquainted with not only what you don't know, but what your skill sets are not... That makes you open to [others] being the experts around that ”
      Episode Highlights: 
 
Understanding Intersectionality
Navigating Power and Privilege
Impact of Colonialism and Cultural Influence
 
About Kim Crowder:
 
Kim Crowder, Founder & CEO of Kim Crowder Consulting, is one of the country’s most sought-after and transformative leadership, and communications facilitators, speakers, and advisors. 
Kim and her team work across industries serving global organisations with a focus on courageous, responsible and intentional leadership. From leaders and executives at Adobe to Smugmug, the American Library Association, HarperCollins Publishers, and more, Kim and her team provide executives and leaders with actionable tools to build healthy, people-centred workplaces long term, and to build deep connections with target audiences. 
Kim has been named by Forbes as a “Top Anti-Racism Educators Companies Need Now,” A Top 10 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Expert by All American, and Top Influential African-American Business Women To Follow by LinkedIn. She is also a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel, For(bes) The Culture, is on the HRD Connect Global Advisory Board, and is a LinkedIn Top Voice. 
She has been featured by The New York Times, Business Insider, Cheddar News, CBS, NBC, FOX, Katie Couric Media, regularly by Forbes, is a contributing writer for Society of HR Management (SHRM), and has appeared on Hubspot’s podcast, The Growth Show, Workology, and As Told By Nomads.
 
If you would like to apply to be a guest on the show email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com
 
If you would like to schedule a capability briefing call with our team, email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
 
If you would like to apply for DEI PRO Coaching, email:
operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
Stay Connected with Ashanti: 
LinkedIn: Ashanti Bentil-Dhue

In today’s instalment, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue delves into the intricate and fascinating world of identity, joined by the insightful and knowledgeable guest, Lathizile Dubé, the Managing Director and Founder of The Identity Dichotomy. They explore the complexities of identity, both at an individual and leadership level, shedding light on the often-overlooked aspects of how experiences, values, and attitudes intermingle to shape our sense of self. As the discussion unfolds, you'll gain valuable insights into the profound impact of these forces in our ever-changing world, especially in the context of shifting post-COVID landscapes. Join them in this thought-provoking conversation as they uncover the profound implications of identity for individuals and leaders alike.
 
“ We do want to do the very best that we can do for ourselves. And within that, you don't want to be in a situation where you hit burnout as a practitioner, or you hit a situation where you just get so overwhelmed with the work that you're doing. So if you don't have the pieces in place to ensure that you're properly supported within your role, it does become something that becomes a real challenge, because you don't really have that space, or that bandwidth to be able to move in with what you're saying. ”
      Episode Highlights: 
 
Practical Strategies for Understanding Identity
Impact of COVID on Identity
Leadership in a Shifting World
 
About Lathizile Dubé:
 
Lathizile Dubé founder of The Identity Dichotomy, a ground-breaking organisation which specialises in identity in all its forms and manifestations with particular emphasis on transition. Nothing highlights internal and external conflict like going through a transition. No business or organisation can thrive or survive without its people; know exactly who your people are and fully unlock the resources and potential that lie within everyone. The IP and methodologies used have been developed and fine-tuned over a decade and across 10,000 client hours, continuing to push the bar in human optimisation and transformational change. 
 
Lathi has the uncanny ability to break down identity in stories and metaphors that peel away at obvious layers to reveal what is beneath it all. Lathi Dubé’s ability to make various components of Identity come alive through storytelling is truly astounding, she is able to take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster and leave them empowered.
 
The focus on identity stems from the loss of the founder’s younger brother to suicide. Only when a person has tangible awareness of what they possess that empowers themselves and the world at large can they face any adversity with the knowledge that they are enough. With determination to leave no stone unturned and no heart untouched, Lathizile Dubé is not only a transformational business coach and identity specialist but also an inspirational public speaker.
 
If you would like to apply to be a guest on the show email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com
 
If you would like to schedule a capability briefing call with our team, email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
 
If you would like to apply for DEI PRO Coaching, email:
operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
Stay Connected with Ashanti: 
LinkedIn: Ashanti Bentil-Dhue
 

In today’s thought provoking episode, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue welcomes Michelle Gyimah, a renowned pay gaps consultant who runs a consultancy called Equality Pays. Michelle helps organisations understand and address gender and ethnicity pay gaps by creating action plans to foster equity within their workplaces. In this eye-opening discussion, Michelle clarifies what a pay gap truly is, emphasising that it goes beyond equal pay. She sheds light on the importance of data analysis and the nuances involved in closing pay gaps. Michelle also dispels common misconceptions, such as the idea that individuals can solve systemic issues by simply asking for higher pay. Throughout the episode, Michelle shares her journey into this dynamic field and offers valuable advice for aspiring pay gap specialists. 
 
“Yes, we can upskill people, and it's part of your career, and you do have to be responsible for that. You have to take responsibility for owning your career, that's fine. But that doesn't mean that the buck stops with you, and that it's your responsibility to ensure that you close the pay cut for the organisation. No, the organisation has their own work to do because they hold so much more power in that dynamic.”
      Episode Highlights: 
 
What does defining the pay gap really mean
Why should we not rely solely on Individuals
What advice can be shared with aspiring specialists 
 
About Michelle Gyimah:
Michelle spent 10 years at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, supporting employers to close their pay gaps through writing guidance reports and running workshops. This was until 2014, when Michelle took voluntary redundancy whilst on maternity leave and Equality Pays was born.
Michelle setup Equality Pays to provide the business coaching, strategy, support, and confidence that organisations want and need. Michelle is on a mission to educate and share what organisations should be focusing on when it comes to addressing the root causes of their pay gaps in order to create more inclusive, equitable workplaces.
Michelle's role is to support organisations in identifying what changes need to be made to close both gender and ethnicity pay gaps so that people choose to work for those organisations and go on to build their careers with them. No matter their gender, ethnicity, or workplace needs.
www.equalitypays.co 
mgyimah@equalitypays.co
Podcast: Beyond the Pay Gap Figure
www.linkedin.com/in/michellegyimah/
 
If you would like to apply to be a guest on the show email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com
 
If you would like to schedule a capability briefing call with our team, email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
 
If you would like to apply for DEI PRO Coaching, email:
operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
Stay Connected with Ashanti: 
LinkedIn: Ashanti Bentil-Dhue 
 

In today’s episode, Ashanti Bentil-Dhue dives deep into the world of psychological safety in the workplace with co-founder of Noomii.com and Skillsetter.com Stephan Wiedner. He brings to the conversation a wealth of experience in coaching, training, and high-performance team development. Stephan has spent over 15 years exploring the fundamental question: Why does coaching work? Join Ashanti and Stephan as they unravel the concept of psychological safety, its relevance in today's complex and global workplaces, and how it can be a game-changer for leaders striving to enhance team performance. Stephan shares insights into the challenges leaders face in creating psychological safety and emphasizes the importance of measuring it within your team. 
“So what you're pointing to really is the courage that leaders require. I would also closely couple courage with vulnerability. As a leader, we need to demonstrate vulnerability, as in I don't have all the answers. I am not perfect. I'm willing and able to learn, wanting to learn, and so then we coupled that courage and that vulnerability with curiosity.”
Episode Highlights: 
● How can we define Psychological Safety
● What are the links between Psychological Safety and High Performance
● The need for leaders to demonstrate Courage, Vulnerability, and Curiosity
About : {Stephan Wiedner} 
 
Stephan Wiedner is an entrepreneur whose mission is to abolish apathy in the workplace. He firmly believes that for great work to take place, everyone needs to have the courage to speak up and the confidence to know they’ll be heard. His passion for unleashing the collective potential of people has led him to cofound Noomii.com, the web’s largest network of independent life coaches and Skillsetter.com, a platform similar to a flight simulator for practicing interpersonal skills. 
 
Stephan has been a guest speaker for Truth, Lies, and Workplace Culture Podcast, Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, Building Psychological Strength Podcast, and many other audiences interested in psychology, business, and technology. His writing has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and other popular publications. In addition to his professional career, Stephan serves as a volunteer firefighter in his local community. Stephan is married with two children and enjoys spending quality time in the outdoors, hiking, biking, camping, and reading.
 
If you would like to apply to be a guest on the show email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com
 
If you would like to schedule a capability briefing call with our team, email: operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
 
If you would like to apply for DEI PRO Coaching, email:
operations@goodsoilleaders.com 
Stay Connected with Ashanti:
LinkedIn: Ashanti Bentil-Dhue