I have had this topic on my chest for about a week, so I exercised some activation energy and decided to open up a can. I’d love for you to check out the video on LinkedIn and leave your thoughts. Feel free to discuss more in depth here if any more interest personal reflections come up. Basically, I have recently noticed an uptick in posts, comments and closed-door spaces that talk down on or downright condemn sales and anything they perceive to be sales. This includes categorizing ANY type of DM activity with innocuous networking small-talk as a prelude to a pitch which quite simply isn’t always the case. But even in some cases if it is, and it’s not a random person that clearly has not read your profile… So what? As I move into launch season for the R.I.S.E. Changemaker’s Academy, the topic of empowered, being-based sales for impact founders is top of mind for me. It is becoming certifiably more risky, although incredibly rewarding, to go solo or start a business. It’s a given that sales of some sort have to be part of the equation—which means that there has to be congruence in what we are offering and who we are offering it to. No’s are part of life—but exclusion and biased behaviors towards independent business owners shouldn’t be. Building a network you can sell to without fear of judgement is tedious but rewarding work, and none of us can (nor should) be doing it alone or at the expense of our mental health. That’s where everyone else comes in. So that’s the call-to reflection here. It’s time to de-stigmatize sales, and that starts with practicing receiving other people’s asks with more grace, compassion, and transparency. What are your thoughts about having some conversations on this topic?

“DEI isn’t dead; it is being reborn—outside corporations, beyond catchphrases, and in the hands of the community, who’ve never needed permission to do the work in the first place.” —Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes Senior Contributor Read the whole article featuring the words of several of our distinguished guests, including our very own Arlene & @Louis Byrd, @Desirée Bela-Lobedde Boleche, and BLAIR IMANI (!!!) here. If you haven’t yet purchased your pass, please remember that we’ve made it easier than ever to join us from $5 USD—just visit TheFutureOfDEI.com/passes and select the pay-what-you-can option or enter the code AAMEMBERSONLY for 30% off the general access or legacy pass options. All I have to say to this feature, this opportunity, this effort is… Wow. I feel both humbled and empowered to make this summit everything we all need it to be in order to keep going. For all of you that have entrusted me with whatever leg of your learning journey you’re on, know that you are NOT alone in this fight. We are stronger together. No one of us can move the needle alone. To all of my aspiring change makers and impact leaders putting foot to pavement every single day, working in big, medium and small ways towards the equity, justice and liberation we ALL deserve… Keep. F@&%ing. RESISTING. 3 days to go!!! ✊🏾💫

Welcome to Day 1 of the 5-Day Reset Challenge! If you’re just now joining us, revisit this post explaining this week’s 5-day sequence taking place between April 7-11! During Day 1 of the framework, you are tasked with taking time to reflect. In the video, I talk about my own process this week and what I’m personally hitting “reset” on as we inch closer to my biggest organizing effort to date: The Future of DEI Virtual Summit. (Speaking of, remember to take 30% off for Accomplice Accelerator Members with the code AAMEMBERSONLY -or- join us in The Identity & Belonging Lab for automatic VIP access!) Ask yourself: ❤️‍🩹 How are you (really) feeling about everything going on inside and outside of yourself? ❤️‍🩹 Who or what is missing from your day-to-day? ❤️‍🩹 Where could you be devoting more to your self-care and emotional regulation? Many folks today shared professional challenges in finding the right audience for their work; others expressed profound sadness at the state of the world and their perceived helplessness to make any immediately measurable impact. Another mentioned balancing grief with joy in a way that helps cope in alignment with their core values around humor, self-expression and a love for K-Drama. And one of my favorite moments? Witnessing one member’s energy *visibly* shift when speaking about an activity that filled their entire soul with each time they did it—to which we reminded her, “Yes. That’s it!!” That’s the type of glimmer that leads to sparks… And sparks that lead to the fire that powers purpose-driven work. We had two gorgeous guided reflection sessions, and I’m so glad this space resonated with you all! We’ll be back same time(s), same place tomorrow at 8am CT/3pm CET and 2pm CT/9pm CET. Remember that you don’t have to go to the same session slot each day, and you can pop in at any point during the week.

I’m going to be brief because if not, I will not sleep—but I didn’t want the day to get away from me before showering @Colin Yearwood with all the birthday admiration I could from every which direction—including from The Accomplice Accelerator and Identity & Belonging Lab communities!! So much of what I’ve been able to accomplish from getting this group together and believing in its value to having the courage to even send out some of the DMs that many of you have received with a personal invitation to webinars is thanks to his guidance around ethical sales AND our shared anti-oppression, pro-impact values. When we talk about how important representation, leadership and encouragement from people that look like you, this is what I mean. One of the things that most strikes me when Colin talks about his clients is ownership: “We did this. We accomplished that. We reached this audience.” Folks, no one is self-made—and I am no different. Thank you so much for being in my corner, for helping me pick myself up when things felt too hard, hopeless or overwhelming, and for inspiring me to continue to make sure this series, this community and this work reaches each and every person that needs it during these critical times. You’re the best, Colin!!