Episode 1: My CultureRoad

Aaja: 00:00

Welcome to the culture road podcast, the

place where we believe that diversity

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equity and inclusion is a lifestyle.

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Meet your host.

Aaja: 00:09

Jones, 32 year industry veteran

transformational leadership expert, and

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the owner of Jones and associates,

the go-to management training and

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strategic consulting firm for some of the

world's leading companies and institutions.

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Tune in to this podcast for fresh

perspectives and hot topics and

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current events that are shaping today's

society and the contemporary workplace.

DeEtta DeEtta: 00:38

Thank you.

DeEtta DeEtta: 00:40

Thank you so much.

DeEtta: 01:20

Wow!

DeEtta: 01:21

That cultural road podcast, episode one,

you know how you drink, dream things up.

DeEtta: 01:27

And then the moment finally comes.

DeEtta: 01:29

It's a really surreal feeling.

DeEtta: 01:32

You're in for a treat.

DeEtta: 01:34

For more than 30 years, my career

has taken me around the world and has

DeEtta: 01:38

allowed me the opportunity to peek inside

of well-known organizations, across

DeEtta: 01:43

industries like advertising and government

higher education publishing healthcare

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as fast as the span and as different as

each of the organizations are internally,

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each share similarities with regard

to the common issues that they face in

DeEtta: 01:58

adapting to the societal advancements

that have forced change in the work place.

DeEtta: 02:03

We are undoubtedly in a new world of work.

DeEtta: 02:07

One where old systems

are being challenged.

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Leadership is being held to greater

levels of accountability and where

DeEtta: 02:14

global crisis has taken a front seat

in the daily course of business, no

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longer can companies and managers

turned a blind eye to what is happening

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outside of the four walls of their work.

DeEtta: 02:27

Being in the know and understanding how

world issues and developments in popular

DeEtta: 02:32

culture are impacting their employees

is to their benefit and determining

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how to best navigate and transition.

DeEtta: 02:39

So how did I get here in today's episode?

DeEtta: 02:42

I want to talk to you about my

culture road, how my beginnings

DeEtta: 02:47

would lead one to believe that

I was least likely to candidate

DeEtta: 02:51

yet a divine path opened up

that led me to have a potential

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impact that I still hope to have.

DeEtta: 02:59

I'm joined by a personal branding,

strategist, Asia Kerryn McGee,

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who is going to help me pull this

story out so that I don't skip

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over any of the good stuff Asia.

DeEtta: 03:09

Welcome.

DeEtta: 03:10

And thank you for joining me today.

DeEtta: 03:12

Deetta I am incredibly excited.

DeEtta: 03:15

I had the opportunity to chat with you

just to learn your story firsthand.

DeEtta: 03:20

And I knew then that more people needed

to hear about the makings of this woman.

DeEtta: 03:25

And I'm really excited about

today's conversation because you

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know, many people see you here.

DeEtta: 03:31

Three decades later, the work

that you're doing impacting firms

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institutions on this global scale.

DeEtta: 03:37

Your story personally really fuels

this work and it's a greater mission

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and a bigger picture, um, that will

help people to really understand

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what this whole thing is about.

DeEtta: 03:50

So I want you to talk to us

about your beginnings before

DeEtta: 03:56

the DeEtta Jones and associates.

DeEtta: 03:57

Talk to us about your growing up.

DeEtta: 04:00

So I grew up in a little town

called Waukegan, Illinois.

DeEtta: 04:04

It was, uh, is a Northern

suburb outside of Chicago,

DeEtta: 04:09

about an hour away from Chicago.

DeEtta: 04:12

Um, and it was a small community

that was very segregated, uh,

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socioeconomically, racially.

DeEtta: 04:22

Uh, I was pretty isolated from a lot

of the kind of events that happened

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were happening around me and the.

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Um, I also grew up, um, for the

most part with, um, a mother

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and three younger sisters.

DeEtta: 04:37

Um, my mother worked a lot,

so I was often in a primary

DeEtta: 04:41

caregiver role and I moved a lot.

DeEtta: 04:45

My childhood was filled with moving

oftentimes back and forth, across state

DeEtta: 04:50

lines where I would change at elementary

schools sometimes seven times a week.

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So I had a lot of transition.

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I had a lot of uncertainty.

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I had a lot of questions about kind

of where do I fit and how do I belong?

DeEtta: 05:06

And what my role is in the world,

where I oftentimes felt like I

DeEtta: 05:09

was constantly in transition.

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Another aspect of my identity is

that my parents are, my mother

DeEtta: 05:16

is white and my father was black.

DeEtta: 05:18

And again, growing up in

towns and communities that

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were very racially segregate.

DeEtta: 05:25

The idea of me being biracial and

trying to really wrestle with what

DeEtta: 05:29

does that mean from an identity point

of view was something that I struggled

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with mightily as a young person.

DeEtta: 05:36

And it actually became the catalyst

for me starting to do this work,

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really try to interact, to figure

out my own identity and where I fit.

DeEtta: 05:43

Let's talk about that a little bit

more because I'm really want to

DeEtta: 05:47

put some real life scenarios like.

DeEtta: 05:51

Very general ways.

DeEtta: 05:52

How did identity play a role in the

different experiences that you had?

DeEtta: 05:57

Yeah, it's so, you

know, it's, it's tricky.

DeEtta: 06:00

My, my mother grew up

as one of many children.

DeEtta: 06:04

And she grew up, as I said, she's white,

but she grew up in communities that

DeEtta: 06:09

were primarily black and brown folks.

DeEtta: 06:12

And so she often felt kind

of outside of the cool group.

DeEtta: 06:16

And my father grew up in a little

town and called Mariana in Arkansas

DeEtta: 06:21

and he grew up in a very segregated,

racially, segregated experience as

DeEtta: 06:25

well, especially as a very young person.

DeEtta: 06:28

He also had a very, very large family

and the very large families I think

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are important because it's all you're

already trying to figure yourself out.

DeEtta: 06:34

And it's hard to have up close

parental relationships when

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you're one of 10 or one of 15.

DeEtta: 06:41

Right.

DeEtta: 06:41

And so to try to figure out their

identities in worlds that were really

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divided racially was probably just an

enormous amount of pressure for them.

DeEtta: 06:50

At some point, my father ended

up moving to the north, which

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is where he met my mother.

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He brought with him.

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I think a lot of those kind of messages

about what it means to be black that

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were very, um, present and pervasive in

the south at the time that he was there.

DeEtta: 07:08

And I think that he and my mother

actually found solace in each other

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because each of them were trying to

escape their own feelings of otherness.

DeEtta: 07:18

And from that place, that's where I came.

DeEtta: 07:21

And it's not about judging it,

but it definitely is hard to try

DeEtta: 07:25

to figure out my own identity.

DeEtta: 07:27

When both of my parents, I think

were wrestling with the issue

DeEtta: 07:30

themselves and try to figure out what

is my place in the world look like.

DeEtta: 07:34

So here's the other part.

DeEtta: 07:35

This is a long time ago.

DeEtta: 07:36

This was before Halle

Berry and tiger woods.

DeEtta: 07:38

And that were cool.

DeEtta: 07:39

And, you know, biracial was a thing and

it was, it, this was when it wasn't cool

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and people didn't have a spot for me.

DeEtta: 07:46

And when race riots were happening,

literally race riots were having.

DeEtta: 07:51

At my school and I had to pick a

side or where members of my own

DeEtta: 07:54

family would use racial slurs.

DeEtta: 07:56

And I had to try to figure

out is that about me?

DeEtta: 07:59

Do they hate me and my bad and my ugly

am I supposed to be in his family?

DeEtta: 08:02

And so a lot of those starting with

racial identity, uh, kind of questions

DeEtta: 08:08

started very early in my life.

DeEtta: 08:09

And then they trickled

into questions about.

DeEtta: 08:13

Gender about class.

DeEtta: 08:15

I grew up very poor about religion.

DeEtta: 08:18

I grew up Jehovah's witness,

which is definitely marginalized

DeEtta: 08:21

by mainstream society.

DeEtta: 08:23

So I had all of these identities

that I really was wrestling with for

DeEtta: 08:27

the vast majority of my young life.

DeEtta: 08:29

And I think that wrestle, um, allowed

me to as painful as it was allowed me

DeEtta: 08:35

to get to a place where I said, I have

to put this in front of me and I have

DeEtta: 08:38

to figure out how to work through it.

DeEtta: 08:40

And so that's where my journey with.

DeEtta: 08:42

Yeah, I want to hone in on that education

piece because your identity is being

DeEtta: 08:47

formed through your experiences at home.

DeEtta: 08:48

See your mother and

father, but also schools.

DeEtta: 08:51

So many children from diverse

backgrounds, and that creates a very

DeEtta: 08:56

stark reality for you oftentimes.

DeEtta: 08:58

And how did education even leading

up into your college years?

DeEtta: 09:03

I know you mentioned, um, even

coming from the background that

DeEtta: 09:07

you were in education, Furthered

education being a little bit taboo.

DeEtta: 09:12

Right?

DeEtta: 09:12

Right.

DeEtta: 09:12

So can you talk to us about identity and,

and your educational experiences and how

DeEtta: 09:18

things came to life during that time?

DeEtta: 09:20

Yeah, so I always educationally, I

always had a hard time just keeping up.

DeEtta: 09:25

I was in transition so much and

moving from school system to

DeEtta: 09:28

school system so much that I really

wrestled to just keep up academic.

DeEtta: 09:33

And academics weren't prioritized because

of the religious affiliation that I had.

DeEtta: 09:37

And the way that I was brought up

academics were important to kind of get

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through, but it wasn't the priority.

DeEtta: 09:43

It was instead that we were

really supposed to be focusing

DeEtta: 09:45

on kind of our spiritual journey.

DeEtta: 09:47

And so I didn't really prioritize

academics and I also didn't really have.

DeEtta: 09:53

Base.

DeEtta: 09:53

Right.

DeEtta: 09:54

So that, by the time I kind of got to

a place where I was in high school, I

DeEtta: 09:58

was really struggling academically to

figure out like, what is it, what are the

DeEtta: 10:02

seminal works that I'm supposed to know?

DeEtta: 10:04

What is all the foundational stuff

related to math that I should be able

DeEtta: 10:07

to then apply at this next level.

DeEtta: 10:10

Um, and also at that point, when I was

in high school is when I also moved to

DeEtta: 10:15

Colorado and lived with my father and.

DeEtta: 10:19

The two of us, uh, just kind of

started over and try to navigate

DeEtta: 10:23

again, altogether new experiences.

DeEtta: 10:26

But that was the point at which I

also shifted from being in a primarily

DeEtta: 10:30

black environment in Illinois to a

primarily white environment in Colorado.

DeEtta: 10:34

And I had gone back and forth many times

over the years, but I made kind of a

DeEtta: 10:38

hard shift right around high school.

DeEtta: 10:40

So then trying to figure out, like,

how do I fit into this world that

DeEtta: 10:44

was altogether different than the

world that I had been in before.

DeEtta: 10:48

Um, and also succeed, right?

DeEtta: 10:51

How do I have myself have a true and

authentic place in this world that has

DeEtta: 10:56

not experienced people like me before

and also where I don't even know the

DeEtta: 11:01

rules of how it is to be successful

academically, socially, um, in this

DeEtta: 11:06

space, I was able to, um, find a

couple of people along the way, or

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they found me and said, you know what?

DeEtta: 11:13

I see a little something I want to help.

DeEtta: 11:15

And I don't know if it was PTA or

they just saw something, um, a kernel

DeEtta: 11:20

of something, but I ended up being

able to get a scholarship to college

DeEtta: 11:25

because of some of that generous help.

DeEtta: 11:27

Here's the thing that's

really interesting.

DeEtta: 11:28

And you alluded to it before college

was not on my radar before this.

DeEtta: 11:32

It was again because of

my religious upbringing.

DeEtta: 11:35

Not.

DeEtta: 11:36

I was not, not only not encouraged,

I was not allowed to go to college.

DeEtta: 11:40

I was supposed to get married,

get out, get a job, have children

DeEtta: 11:45

and continue on in my faith.

DeEtta: 11:47

And so to go to college was a pretty

significant undertaking, but there

DeEtta: 11:51

was something about me, this quest

for more knowledge, more exposure.

DeEtta: 11:58

Um, unquenchable curiosity that

I still have, and I felt like I

DeEtta: 12:02

needed to have that experience.

DeEtta: 12:04

I knew that there would be

something really important

DeEtta: 12:06

that I needed to experience.

DeEtta: 12:08

Yeah.

DeEtta: 12:09

And there was a mentor in college that

took you under her wing and she checked

DeEtta: 12:16

a lot of other boxes, which gave you a

bit of confidence in your own identity.

DeEtta: 12:22

Talk to us about that.

DeEtta: 12:23

So her name is Barb and she is

one of many mentors and angels

DeEtta: 12:29

who have been in my life.

DeEtta: 12:31

And.

DeEtta: 12:32

I, there was something really

amazing that Barb did that no

DeEtta: 12:35

one had really done until then.

DeEtta: 12:38

I felt for the first time

seen, you know, that feeling

DeEtta: 12:42

and she literally just saw me.

DeEtta: 12:46

She.

DeEtta: 12:47

Wasn't intrusive.

DeEtta: 12:49

She didn't make a big fuss about it.

DeEtta: 12:50

I didn't get the sense that she was taking

pity on me or that she saw me as exotic

DeEtta: 12:56

or, or, you know, kind of interesting

in ways that were more about her.

DeEtta: 13:00

It was truly about me.

DeEtta: 13:02

I felt like she was the perfect example

of generosity and love and mentorship.

DeEtta: 13:09

And she.

DeEtta: 13:10

Poured into me without

trying to make me into her.

DeEtta: 13:13

The other thing about Barb is that

she's incredibly different from me from

DeEtta: 13:17

her identities point of view, right?

DeEtta: 13:18

So we have a 20 year age gap.

DeEtta: 13:20

She identified at the time as lesbian.

DeEtta: 13:22

She still does, which was brand new for

me because I grew up in a religion where

DeEtta: 13:27

this was not even an option, right.

DeEtta: 13:28

In anything about, you know,

sexual orientation other than, uh,

DeEtta: 13:32

uh, straight was not even in a.

DeEtta: 13:35

And so I didn't really have

perspective about other ways in which

DeEtta: 13:40

identities played into people's lives.

DeEtta: 13:42

All I knew was I was this biracial

kid that didn't fit anywhere.

DeEtta: 13:46

I was poor.

DeEtta: 13:48

I was a Jehovah's witness.

DeEtta: 13:49

That's it?

DeEtta: 13:49

That's all I knew.

DeEtta: 13:50

And I also knew that I was just

constantly othered everywhere.

DeEtta: 13:53

I went and I didn't know

where I was supposed to be.

DeEtta: 13:56

And that's all I knew, but I

didn't really know how to explain.

DeEtta: 14:01

And Barb did, and Barb had

done this work and she had done

DeEtta: 14:04

her own really important work.

DeEtta: 14:06

And she was continuing to do that.

DeEtta: 14:08

And she just kind of gently walked

beside me, which was an absolute gift.

DeEtta: 14:12

And the other thing that she

did is that she introduced me to

DeEtta: 14:16

the field of interculturalism.

DeEtta: 14:18

So this is a field that she had been

studying and she had also studied

DeEtta: 14:22

deeply, um, topics related to leadership

and management in organizational

DeEtta: 14:26

settings and also in communities.

DeEtta: 14:29

And so I got to kind of sit side by side

with her and learn about things that were

DeEtta: 14:35

intellectually part of her own journey

and that I could not absorb enough.

DeEtta: 14:40

I was so in love with the idea of

understanding how cultures work, that

DeEtta: 14:45

there are actual constructs around

culture that are always present and

DeEtta: 14:51

that there are all these amazing things

that make up culture that I love about.

DeEtta: 14:57

And there are also some of these

things that are pretty painful

DeEtta: 15:00

sometimes, and that I was experiencing

and that she had experienced.

DeEtta: 15:05

And that also constitute a lot of the

ways in which people feel marginalized

DeEtta: 15:09

and are oppressed in the world.

DeEtta: 15:11

That was so powerful for me to actually

have a construct around and to put

DeEtta: 15:15

language to, and then practically to

think about now, how could this turn into.

DeEtta: 15:21

Um, knowledge, wisdom, practical

application that I could potentially

DeEtta: 15:26

bring into a career, but also that

I could help people bring into their

DeEtta: 15:30

own lives in really immediate ways

as in, in their workplace lives.

DeEtta: 15:35

So Barb, Barb opened up the world to me,

and she also modeled for me how it is

DeEtta: 15:41

that I want to be able to kind of gently

walk side by side with other people,

DeEtta: 15:45

without trying to turn them into me.

DeEtta: 15:47

But instead kind of creating a path

for people to go where they need.

DeEtta: 15:51

That is so good because it seems like

in college, the script flipped where

DeEtta: 15:56

your identity, at some point you felt

a little underneath it, trying to

DeEtta: 16:00

understand how to navigate it, but then

in college it became your superpower.

DeEtta: 16:04

Um, as Barb showed you

how to use it as an asset.

DeEtta: 16:06

And so interculturalism, it became a

career and led to a new career path.

DeEtta: 16:12

So I mean, crazy that college

was not on your radar.

DeEtta: 16:15

And then some pretty game

changing things happened.

DeEtta: 16:18

Post-college talk to us about that.

DeEtta: 16:21

Ah, so, you know, you know, there's

a, there's a part right at the end of

DeEtta: 16:25

my undergraduate career and my, um,

kind of next steps that was really

DeEtta: 16:30

powerful and it's more personal it's

involves like boy and involves a guy.

DeEtta: 16:37

I met someone who I absolutely adored

and it was, he became my boyfriend.

DeEtta: 16:45

We dated for a couple of years.

DeEtta: 16:47

It was a, it was another really

pivotal moment in my life because

DeEtta: 16:52

I had been through college really

heavily, um, doing a lot of activist

DeEtta: 16:59

work active in any cause I was in, I

was down, I was doing, I was marching.

DeEtta: 17:03

I was wearing my Malcolm X shirt.

DeEtta: 17:05

I just had so much in me.

DeEtta: 17:07

And I was spilling all over the place

with activism and it was wonderful

DeEtta: 17:10

and I'm so thankful for all of that.

DeEtta: 17:12

And then I got to a place where.

DeEtta: 17:14

I was like, there's something else,

but I'm not exactly sure what it was.

DeEtta: 17:18

And you know, that's great saying

like when the pupil is ready, the

DeEtta: 17:21

teacher will present themselves.

DeEtta: 17:23

I felt like this person became

that next PE teacher for me.

DeEtta: 17:28

And the thing that was different

about him is that he was white.

DeEtta: 17:34

And I have always, even though I'm

biracial, I've always identified

DeEtta: 17:37

myself with the black community

and I've always been identified

DeEtta: 17:39

as part of the black community.

DeEtta: 17:41

And so.

DeEtta: 17:42

I Al, but I also feel like small boxes

are not the right place for me to live in.

DeEtta: 17:47

And I needed something that just

pushed me a little bit further

DeEtta: 17:50

into deeper self exploration.

DeEtta: 17:52

And so I met this person and I

started this really amazing, almost

DeEtta: 17:57

spiritual transformation and journey

where I started reading and writing.

DeEtta: 18:03

I discovered Alice Walker and,

and Bob barley and Lenny Kravitz.

DeEtta: 18:08

And I started traveling

and taking road trips.

DeEtta: 18:12

I started meditating and doing

yoga and became vegetarian.

DeEtta: 18:15

Like I literally just started going

inward and then out and out and out where

DeEtta: 18:21

I started seeing the world as bigger

than just power and oppression, which

DeEtta: 18:25

is how I had spent so much of my college

career focusing on power and oppression.

DeEtta: 18:30

And now I really want it to

go to what is the aspiration?

DeEtta: 18:34

What is the world look like

and all of its beauty and glory

DeEtta: 18:37

and how do I understand it?

DeEtta: 18:39

So that.

DeEtta: 18:40

Integrate that into the

work that I want to do next.

DeEtta: 18:44

And that's that's that moment.

DeEtta: 18:46

And it was so powerful and

transformational after that.

DeEtta: 18:50

And through that stage, I also

had the great opportunity to be

DeEtta: 18:53

the director of the human rights

office for a city government.

DeEtta: 18:57

Um, and that was a wonderful,

amazing, another amazing, um, mentor

DeEtta: 19:02

and angel Alma who positioned.

DeEtta: 19:06

To have a really close relationships

with the then mayor of the city

DeEtta: 19:11

to help me navigate relationships.

DeEtta: 19:13

And then position me at 25 years old,

as crazy as the director of a human

DeEtta: 19:17

rights office, where I was literally,

um, investigating and hearing complaints

DeEtta: 19:22

of discrimination and helping people

navigate through those and being entrusted

DeEtta: 19:28

to do that important and incredibly

confidential and incredibly sensitive

DeEtta: 19:31

work, we helped to create policy.

DeEtta: 19:34

That made sure that hate crimes

against people from the LGBTQ plus

DeEtta: 19:40

communities are identified as such

and punished as such and being held

DeEtta: 19:44

accountable as such as hate crimes.

DeEtta: 19:46

So it allowed me to continue to

understand how I could have an impact

DeEtta: 19:51

beyond just the identities that were my

own personal identities or pain points

DeEtta: 19:56

or areas of trauma or oppression or

marginalization, and instead focus on

DeEtta: 20:01

where it is that I could think about how.

DeEtta: 20:03

Um, potential privilege that I have

turned into a way for me to have power and

DeEtta: 20:10

presence and, um, and make advancements.

DeEtta: 20:14

The other thing that happened

is shortly thereafter, I took a

DeEtta: 20:17

position in Washington DC with

an organization that was, uh, um,

DeEtta: 20:21

international it's, uh, it's called

the association of research libraries.

DeEtta: 20:24

And in that position, I got a

chance to travel all over the

DeEtta: 20:29

United States and Canada initially.

DeEtta: 20:31

But then within a year I was

traveling around the entire globe.

DeEtta: 20:34

And so I have pictures of myself on the

internet flying kites in tenement square

DeEtta: 20:40

or giving speeches and the Philippines

or in Taiwan or in Hong Kong or an

DeEtta: 20:44

Australia and New Zealand, New Zealand.

DeEtta: 20:46

And when I realized is that again, the

lenses that I had been bringing from the

DeEtta: 20:52

earlier parts of my life were too small.

DeEtta: 20:55

And I feel like every stage of

my journey has allowed me to.

DeEtta: 21:00

Really zoom out and to realize don't go

small, do not be tempted by the minutia.

DeEtta: 21:05

Don't be tempted by the polarization.

DeEtta: 21:07

There's not, there's not

ever only two options right.

DeEtta: 21:11

Left or right.

DeEtta: 21:12

Good or bad right or wrong

is never enough options.

DeEtta: 21:14

And so being able to travel the world and

have some of the most generous, humble,

DeEtta: 21:20

kind, beautiful people, also be some of

the poorest people on the entire planet.

DeEtta: 21:26

It reminds me.

DeEtta: 21:27

That the stuff that we kind of get

in the weeds about, or the stuff

DeEtta: 21:31

that might be pain points here.

DeEtta: 21:33

If we zoom out and if we tap into a

different part of ourselves, we could,

DeEtta: 21:38

we could accomplish so much more.

DeEtta: 21:40

Right.

DeEtta: 21:40

There's so much in us.

DeEtta: 21:42

So was that like your turning

point where you said even the

DeEtta: 21:46

roles that I've held thus far, they

can't hold me any longer answers.

DeEtta: 21:50

DeEtta Jones and associates.

DeEtta: 21:52

Talk to us about that

turning point where you were.

DeEtta: 21:55

I see this mission, this path shows me

and now I have to create this space girl.

DeEtta: 22:01

No, I basically, I love this.

DeEtta: 22:06

I love this.

DeEtta: 22:07

You're like, and then, and I was

like, okay, we'll tell us that

DeEtta: 22:13

the organization reorganized.

DeEtta: 22:15

I had to say to all of my team,

y'all got to find another job.

DeEtta: 22:19

And I literally had to figure

out how to find another job.

DeEtta: 22:21

I had no idea what to do.

DeEtta: 22:24

And I said, I don't know what to do.

DeEtta: 22:26

I, I swear to you.

DeEtta: 22:26

I went out and got a real estate license.

DeEtta: 22:29

I said, I don't know what to do.

DeEtta: 22:30

Maybe I'll sell real estate.

DeEtta: 22:31

I'm terrible with directions.

DeEtta: 22:32

So I can't find a house with

Godness of the technology and

DeEtta: 22:35

ways wasn't invented then.

DeEtta: 22:37

And then I also am

terrible with paperwork.

DeEtta: 22:40

I'm not a detailed person.

DeEtta: 22:41

Don't give me paperwork.

DeEtta: 22:42

It was awful.

DeEtta: 22:43

I was the worst realtor on the planet.

DeEtta: 22:45

I sold myself a house and

then my phone started with.

DeEtta: 22:49

And all of the people who had given

speeches for done workshops for, or

DeEtta: 22:53

consulted with over the 10 years prior

started calling me and they just called

DeEtta: 22:58

and called and called and called.

DeEtta: 23:00

And I said, yes, yes, she has.

DeEtta: 23:01

Of course I'll help you.

DeEtta: 23:02

And it wasn't like I was

trying to, I didn't know.

DeEtta: 23:05

Something in my head, I literally

was just trying to help folks

DeEtta: 23:08

were saying, can you please help?

DeEtta: 23:09

Remember when you did that

thing, it was so powerful.

DeEtta: 23:11

It was helpful.

DeEtta: 23:12

And I was like, sure.

DeEtta: 23:13

Yeah, of course.

DeEtta: 23:14

And then next thing you know,

I was so busy that I thought,

DeEtta: 23:16

okay, let me just keep going.

DeEtta: 23:18

And that's how the Etta

Jones and associates started.

DeEtta: 23:21

And I wish that I had this grand vision.

DeEtta: 23:24

I would, it would be such an

interesting story, but I didn't,

DeEtta: 23:27

I was just trying to help.

DeEtta: 23:28

And the years went by and I have to say

over those years, I just dug in deep.

DeEtta: 23:36

I was, it was me on my own.

DeEtta: 23:38

I was just, I had to, every dollar I

earned was dollars that required me to

DeEtta: 23:44

get on a plane or to show up somewhere.

DeEtta: 23:46

So I was spending all of my time between

70 and 90% of my time traveling around

DeEtta: 23:51

and just trying to be of service and help.

DeEtta: 23:54

So much of my life was kind of disjointed.

DeEtta: 23:57

I didn't have a lot of flexibility

because I was constantly on planes.

DeEtta: 24:01

I was constantly depleted.

DeEtta: 24:03

I was constantly trying to

deliver for someone else.

DeEtta: 24:06

I, um, I always felt like

I needed to have the best.

DeEtta: 24:11

I always felt like I needed to show

up and bring 110% because I didn't

DeEtta: 24:15

have a big infrastructure around me.

DeEtta: 24:17

I didn't know if what I

was doing was actually.

DeEtta: 24:20

As good as it could be, or as good

as what somebody could've gotten,

DeEtta: 24:23

if they went somewhere else.

DeEtta: 24:25

I'll give you an example.

DeEtta: 24:26

A few years ago.

DeEtta: 24:27

Um, five or so at this point,

I was called by a university in

DeEtta: 24:31

Saudi Arabia and every year they

are, they were a relatively young

DeEtta: 24:37

university, about 10 or 11 years old.

DeEtta: 24:40

And they called me and said, every year

we do this leadership series for our top

DeEtta: 24:46

executives across the entire university.

DeEtta: 24:48

So the whole top layer of the university

goes through this executive development

DeEtta: 24:53

experience every year because they

bring in people from all over the.

DeEtta: 24:57

So it builds culture within their

institution, but it also makes sure

DeEtta: 25:01

that the people who are coming there

aren't feeling isolated from some

DeEtta: 25:04

of the kind of leading edge voices

and experiences that they could get

DeEtta: 25:08

maybe in one of their home countries.

DeEtta: 25:10

And I said, sure, absolutely.

DeEtta: 25:11

I'd love to do that.

DeEtta: 25:12

I was terrified.

DeEtta: 25:13

Um, but I said, can you give

me a little bit of perspective

DeEtta: 25:16

about who came last year?

DeEtta: 25:17

And they were like, oh, Oh, Harvard gala.

DeEtta: 25:22

And you want me to go next?

DeEtta: 25:23

Oh, got you.

DeEtta: 25:24

All right.

DeEtta: 25:24

Let's maybe I can just get a

sneak peek, like just tell me

DeEtta: 25:28

what y'all already covered.

DeEtta: 25:29

Right.

DeEtta: 25:29

And that's the kind of work that

I've been doing all of those

DeEtta: 25:32

years where people would come in.

DeEtta: 25:34

Can you do?

DeEtta: 25:35

And the stakes seem so high that I

just had to work so hard as I was just

DeEtta: 25:40

digging so deep to try to figure out,

like, what is the very best look like?

DeEtta: 25:45

What is the absolute, not

just contemporary best

DeEtta: 25:47

practice, but next practice.

DeEtta: 25:49

And what's always going to be

globally applicable, right?

DeEtta: 25:53

Because it's easy to get kind of

in the weeds of what I know in

DeEtta: 25:56

my region or in my own company.

DeEtta: 25:58

But when you're being called to work

at a global level, you gotta be able to

DeEtta: 26:03

pan out and you say, do these concepts

and do these ideas actually translate.

DeEtta: 26:08

So that's where you got a Johnson and

associates came from, is that for many

DeEtta: 26:13

years, actually about 15 years, it was

me kind of out doing my own journey and,

DeEtta: 26:18

uh, through the, through the, uh, through

the desert and exploring and building

DeEtta: 26:24

my own capacity and my own experience.

DeEtta: 26:26

And then just four or five years

ago, I said, you know what?

DeEtta: 26:30

I really think we need

to go to something else.

DeEtta: 26:33

Now we need to really transition to

something that actually models what it

DeEtta: 26:38

can and should look like when we totally

100% embrace the diversity that we preach.

DeEtta: 26:45

And so I started hiring and I

assembled and I assembled is

DeEtta: 26:50

probably not the right word.

DeEtta: 26:52

Pulled together.

DeEtta: 26:53

Um, this amazing group of people who

come from such extraordinarily different

DeEtta: 26:58

walks of life, their paths are different.

DeEtta: 27:00

Their identities are different the way

that they think and talk and act and

DeEtta: 27:04

operate are all different from each other.

DeEtta: 27:07

And we're kind of like this wonderful

experiment of if we're really

DeEtta: 27:11

going to be inclusive and we really

are going to value every voice.

DeEtta: 27:15

And we really are going to believe

that genius lives at the intersection.

DeEtta: 27:19

And also we know that it takes more work.

DeEtta: 27:21

Let's practice that amongst ourselves

first and that's who we are.

DeEtta: 27:24

And that's what we do.

DeEtta: 27:25

And that's what you get

Johns and associates is.

DeEtta: 27:28

I just feel like we need to

insert some claps, right?

DeEtta: 27:31

Like really, really good.

DeEtta: 27:33

And I love that even now I'm

learning things about you.

DeEtta: 27:36

I want to know.

DeEtta: 27:37

And this is a loaded question because

you've been in this industry for many,

DeEtta: 27:41

many, many years, even though you,

you don't look like it at all, but.

DeEtta: 27:46

Was a time or a few times where

you really felt like, I know

DeEtta: 27:51

I made impact in that space.

DeEtta: 27:53

Yeah.

DeEtta: 27:54

You know, what's interesting because

that one is such a, it's a, it's a, it's

DeEtta: 27:58

a hard question because the topic is

so big and broad and expansive, and the

DeEtta: 28:06

definition of impact is so subjective.

DeEtta: 28:09

So, but there have been, there have

been times where I feel like, okay,

DeEtta: 28:13

I'm really making impact or we're

making impact or something impactful is

DeEtta: 28:16

happening because we were able to have

some ability to touch it in some way.

DeEtta: 28:21

So earlier in my career, I created

something called the, um, leadership

DeEtta: 28:27

and career development pro.

DeEtta: 28:29

That I created when I was at

the association of research

DeEtta: 28:31

libraries, it's still in existence.

DeEtta: 28:34

I had to write a grant for the

very first time in my life.

DeEtta: 28:36

I didn't even know anything

about the grant writing process.

DeEtta: 28:39

I had to secure funds.

DeEtta: 28:40

I had to sell all of these.

DeEtta: 28:42

Um, executives from all of these

different, uh, academic libraries on

DeEtta: 28:46

the fact that this is a good idea.

DeEtta: 28:48

And also that it was theirs

so that they would support it.

DeEtta: 28:51

Right.

DeEtta: 28:51

I totally said, this is your idea.

DeEtta: 28:53

Trust me, this is what you want.

DeEtta: 28:55

And I had to breathe life into it and

it was ridiculous, really difficult.

DeEtta: 28:59

It was ridiculously difficult.

DeEtta: 29:01

And for 10 years.

DeEtta: 29:02

And then even after I left the

association, I still kind of shepherded

DeEtta: 29:06

it along and just poured love into not

just the program, but to all of the

DeEtta: 29:10

people and the people who mentored and

the people that they went on to mentor

DeEtta: 29:14

and the way in which people went on.

DeEtta: 29:16

Create publications and become national

and global leaders and spokespeople

DeEtta: 29:21

and transforming the way knowledge is

distributed in the world and having

DeEtta: 29:25

impact that allows for knowledge to

flow more freely and more accessibly.

DeEtta: 29:30

I mean, it's just so wonderful to

see what has been born out of the

DeEtta: 29:35

amazing people who are able to be

more seen through that experience.

DeEtta: 29:39

I've had other experiences

that are similar to that.

DeEtta: 29:42

Um, over the course of my

career, where I've been able to.

DeEtta: 29:46

Create something I'll give an example.

DeEtta: 29:48

A few years ago, I was invited to be

a keynote speaker at a conference in

DeEtta: 29:56

Bahrain, and it was a conference that was

for the entire region, the middle east.

DeEtta: 30:01

So there were people from all

over the middle east, and I was

DeEtta: 30:06

invited as the keynote speaker.

DeEtta: 30:09

I'm not sure why.

DeEtta: 30:11

And maybe because of the work

that I had done in Saudi Arabia,

DeEtta: 30:13

And again, I was terrified.

DeEtta: 30:16

I had never been to Boston and I didn't

really have a sense of the audience.

DeEtta: 30:19

It was a very different experience for me.

DeEtta: 30:21

So I didn't know what to wear.

DeEtta: 30:23

I was a woman traveling, unaccompanied.

DeEtta: 30:25

How was I going to be received

where I'd be received?

DeEtta: 30:27

Well, would I be received

with seriousness?

DeEtta: 30:30

Right?

DeEtta: 30:31

What, uh, you know, all sorts of

different identities questions.

DeEtta: 30:35

Well, I get on stage and there's after

a lot of ceremony, a lot of very formal

DeEtta: 30:41

ceremony, a lot of it in languages,

altogether unfamiliar for me all, a

DeEtta: 30:45

lot of it, religious and I get onstage

and I'm introduced and I stay more.

DeEtta: 30:50

My formal thank yous.

DeEtta: 30:52

And then I give my speech and it's

about, it's about leadership and

DeEtta: 30:55

it's about identities and it's

about having our own authentic

DeEtta: 30:59

voice and bringing it into space.

DeEtta: 31:01

And th the, even though I was in the

middle east, the conference was a lot more

DeEtta: 31:07

split demographically than I imagined.

DeEtta: 31:09

There were kind of half and half men

and women, but everyone was dressed

DeEtta: 31:13

very traditionally and all of the women

were covered in some traditional way

DeEtta: 31:18

and some covered fully 100% veiled

where I couldn't even see their eyes.

DeEtta: 31:23

So I wasn't exactly sure if this was

resonating, if this was the right message.

DeEtta: 31:26

If I'm the right messenger after that,

There was a receiving line that took

DeEtta: 31:34

me an hour and a half to work through.

DeEtta: 31:37

There were people in line like this men

and women with tears streaming down their

DeEtta: 31:43

faces telling me how much I moved them

and embracing me and telling me you have

DeEtta: 31:49

shown me what it is possible for me to be.

DeEtta: 31:53

And the men saying, thank you so much.

DeEtta: 31:55

I had no idea.

DeEtta: 31:56

I had no idea.

DeEtta: 31:57

And, and for me, moments like that,

where I am able to step fully into a

DeEtta: 32:03

place of tremendous kind of fear and

insecurity and then push through it

DeEtta: 32:08

and then be able to have people say,

I see something that I would not have

DeEtta: 32:13

otherwise seen, and it makes me feel

whole, or it makes me feel hopeful is

DeEtta: 32:19

the most gratifying feeling in the.

DeEtta: 32:22

And so those are the kinds

of experiences that fuel me.

DeEtta: 32:25

And I don't have those experiences every

day, but I remember them as often as

DeEtta: 32:29

possible because that's what I want.

DeEtta: 32:31

I want people to focus on the

aspiration and I want to, wherever

DeEtta: 32:35

I can help to be a little bit of

the inspiration for that aspiration.

DeEtta: 32:40

Yeah.

DeEtta: 32:40

And, and truthfully, that's one of

the things I love about culture road,

DeEtta: 32:44

because you spent years going out on

your own and having these impact moments.

DeEtta: 32:48

But culture road is a vehicle for.

DeEtta: 32:52

Thought that idea to be widespread.

DeEtta: 32:55

And so let's talk a little bit

about the cultural solution because

DeEtta: 32:59

we have a cultural podcasts, but

it's actually named after a digital

DeEtta: 33:03

learning platform that DeEtta Jones

and associates recently launched.

DeEtta: 33:08

So why was now the time for

culture road to make a debut?

DeEtta: 33:14

Um, you know, we're, we're experiencing

a cultural collapse right now.

DeEtta: 33:21

That's it puts you find a point on it.

DeEtta: 33:24

Um, and when cultures change, which they

do, we have to anchor to something, right?

DeEtta: 33:32

So what I don't want is for us to

anchor to the pain and the trauma.

DeEtta: 33:38

I know that there is a huge

faction of people in the world

DeEtta: 33:43

who are very much aligned with a

denarius in the game of Thrones.

DeEtta: 33:48

You remember that last episode where

she's like, just burn it all down.

DeEtta: 33:51

Right.

DeEtta: 33:52

And I, and I felt her when she, when she

was burning it all down, I felt her, I

DeEtta: 33:56

felt, oh my goodness, I haven't felt it.

DeEtta: 34:00

And then, but then I could

not help at the moment.

DeEtta: 34:03

I thought, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

DeEtta: 34:05

And then what we're all standing in

the ashes then what, what happens

DeEtta: 34:10

once it's all burnt down and we're

all standing collectively in the

DeEtta: 34:14

ashes who will be served by that.

DeEtta: 34:17

And I don't want to be in that place.

DeEtta: 34:20

I can't help, but believe that

aspiration is a better place

DeEtta: 34:25

than trauma for us to anchor.

DeEtta: 34:27

And I want culture road to be a place

where aspiration is what we focus on.

DeEtta: 34:33

I don't have it all figured

out, but that ain't my job.

DeEtta: 34:36

I'm not, I'm not here

to figure it all out.

DeEtta: 34:38

Right.

DeEtta: 34:39

What I want is to help create and

hold space for people who also.

DeEtta: 34:45

I want to find where it is that we should

go next and then us build it together.

DeEtta: 34:51

Right?

DeEtta: 34:51

And so cultural road is not a,

I'm going to give you the recipe.

DeEtta: 34:56

I'm going to tell you that these ideas

are good and those ideas are bad.

DeEtta: 35:00

I am not going to judge or blame.

DeEtta: 35:02

This is instead about us coming together

as a community of people who knows

DeEtta: 35:07

that the world is collapsing around us.

DeEtta: 35:10

And if we come together,

right, we can tap into.

DeEtta: 35:14

This beautiful set of shared values

that will carry us to the immediate and

DeEtta: 35:21

then also the not so immediate future

destination, that could be incredibly

DeEtta: 35:28

powerful, but we have to build it.

DeEtta: 35:30

We can't assume that it's

just going to manifest.

DeEtta: 35:32

We have to build it.

DeEtta: 35:33

And so cultural road also

has in it space for people.

DeEtta: 35:37

R anywhere along the continuum.

DeEtta: 35:40

Right?

DeEtta: 35:40

Because some people are like denarius.

DeEtta: 35:42

They're like, I want a burden

all down, but I'm curious, what

DeEtta: 35:45

are y'all doing over there?

DeEtta: 35:46

And there are other people who

are like, I don't even know what

DeEtta: 35:48

the heck y'all are talking about.

DeEtta: 35:50

I just, my, my employees telling

me I need to do something.

DeEtta: 35:53

Can somebody just give me a chance?

DeEtta: 35:55

Right.

DeEtta: 35:56

And here's the other thing about the

folks who are asking for a checklist.

DeEtta: 35:58

Cool.

DeEtta: 35:59

Come on in.

DeEtta: 36:00

I'm going to give you a checklist and

I'm going to tell you when the time

DeEtta: 36:03

is right, that a checklist is not the

thing that you need that even asking

DeEtta: 36:07

for a checklist is kind of tone deaf.

DeEtta: 36:09

But for right now, if you need to get

started and you have decision-making

DeEtta: 36:14

ability, if you have authority, if

you have the ability to actually make

DeEtta: 36:18

something happen, that is going to be in

the service of our aspirational goals.

DeEtta: 36:22

Come on.

DeEtta: 36:24

And that's us figure it out together.

DeEtta: 36:25

But what I don't want is to marginalize

people who are trying their hardest,

DeEtta: 36:30

they just don't know what to do.

DeEtta: 36:32

And I don't want people who are, you

know, feeling like all this equity,

DeEtta: 36:37

diversity and inclusion stuff is a sham.

DeEtta: 36:39

I don't want them to feel

like I don't understand that.

DeEtta: 36:42

I get it, but I just know that we have to

have more than just two options and that

DeEtta: 36:47

trauma is not the place to sit and rest.

DeEtta: 36:50

We got to get out of that and

we got to find something else.

DeEtta: 36:52

And so that's what culture wrote is

it should be really, really practical.

DeEtta: 36:56

Yeah.

DeEtta: 36:57

It should be fun.

DeEtta: 36:59

It should be a space for people to

build and grow and develop and learn

DeEtta: 37:03

skills and apply them immediately.

DeEtta: 37:06

But it should also be a place where we.

DeEtta: 37:10

Feel scene where we feel safe, where we

feel like this is the place that I want

DeEtta: 37:15

to actually help me feel connected in

a world that's filled with disconnect

DeEtta: 37:21

and othering and marginalization.

DeEtta: 37:24

I just want to take a moment and just

acknowledge how powerful that is.

DeEtta: 37:28

If you were to go back to your

college years, and you said that

DeEtta: 37:31

your mentor made you feel seen, and

now you have created a safe space.

DeEtta: 37:36

To help others feel seen.

DeEtta: 37:39

To move into a greater work.

DeEtta: 37:41

That is extremely powerful.

DeEtta: 37:43

And one thing I also love

about culture road is that

DeEtta: 37:46

it's not just a moment in time.

DeEtta: 37:48

I think how, you know, DEI has

been approached as like we're going

DeEtta: 37:51

to have one half day training and

that's going to solve the world's

DeEtta: 37:55

crisis, but you are creating a

space for people to get it right.

DeEtta: 37:59

And getting it right.

DeEtta: 38:00

Doesn't just happen in four hours.

DeEtta: 38:02

It's collaborating.

DeEtta: 38:04

Heart conversation.

DeEtta: 38:05

This is going back and forth.

DeEtta: 38:06

It's us understanding other perspectives.

DeEtta: 38:10

And so culture road is a game changer.

DeEtta: 38:14

Every single part of my life.

DeEtta: 38:16

I describe as a journey and I

believe that this is all a journey.

DeEtta: 38:21

And so culture road has to be.

DeEtta: 38:24

This episodic learning or

exposure or a training.

DeEtta: 38:28

It's not about learning.

DeEtta: 38:30

None of that promotes learning.

DeEtta: 38:31

That's all kind of a checklist.

DeEtta: 38:33

I did it.

DeEtta: 38:33

It's done.

DeEtta: 38:35

But learning doesn't work like that.

DeEtta: 38:37

Right.

DeEtta: 38:37

So if you even think about Malcolm

Gladwell's 10,000 hours, right.

DeEtta: 38:41

And how important it is for us to think

about, we are kind of restarting a

DeEtta: 38:47

lot of us in this new world of work.

DeEtta: 38:49

We're restarting our 10,000 hours, right?

DeEtta: 38:51

We're at the beginning of that, again,

as we're going into a wholly new space.

DeEtta: 38:55

And so what we need to do is

give ourselves the room to grow

DeEtta: 38:58

and learn and integrate and

process and practice over time.

DeEtta: 39:04

Right.

DeEtta: 39:05

And that's what culture road is.

DeEtta: 39:06

There's no different in and out.

DeEtta: 39:07

We come, we grow, we stay together

over time through the digital

DeEtta: 39:13

learning platform, which I know

you do live monthly sessions.

DeEtta: 39:17

You also have tons of content

and worksheets and all types of

DeEtta: 39:22

resources just to help people

work through those subjects.

DeEtta: 39:25

But also the podcasts.

DeEtta: 39:26

Like what is your vision for

the cultural brand at large two

DeEtta: 39:31

years from now 20 years from now?

DeEtta: 39:33

What type of impact do you

want it to have one society?

DeEtta: 39:37

Oh, good question.

DeEtta: 39:39

I want us to want this to, to not be,

um, following the popular path, finding

DeEtta: 39:47

something that's broken and jumping

on it, or finding someone who stepped

DeEtta: 39:51

outside of the line that I drew for you.

DeEtta: 39:53

And then I'm going to call them

out and I'm going to criticize

DeEtta: 39:55

them and I'm going to bash them.

DeEtta: 39:56

I do not bash.

DeEtta: 39:58

It is not happening.

DeEtta: 39:59

It is not who I am is not what I'm about.

DeEtta: 40:01

This, I want this to be a

place where we kind of tap

DeEtta: 40:04

into a higher vibration, right?

DeEtta: 40:07

That's the vibration I'm coming with.

DeEtta: 40:09

And if I bring guests who may be in a

different place, maybe the juxtaposition

DeEtta: 40:13

will be good for all of us, but the

goal is for over time, all of us, I hope

DeEtta: 40:20

to really start spending time really

tapping into that inner vibration.

DeEtta: 40:26

That is really about aspiration.

DeEtta: 40:28

It's about generosity.

DeEtta: 40:30

It's about growth and learning and

then figuring out how do we put

DeEtta: 40:33

those things in action practically

and in every parts of our lives.

DeEtta: 40:37

And so my goal is for people to feel

like they can come here and get their

DeEtta: 40:41

cuffs filled up a little bit at a time

to know that they're going to get a

DeEtta: 40:45

lot of smiles and know that there's

a lot of love coming through it.

DeEtta: 40:48

And to know that there's people who they

can join and be part of and contribute to.

DeEtta: 40:54

And, um, are always going to be kind

of working towards the same end goal.

DeEtta: 40:58

And that is really finding a community

of people who want to see the world

DeEtta: 41:03

to be in a healthy and whole place

where all of us are feeling seen.

DeEtta: 41:07

Well, my cup is full

from our conversation.

DeEtta: 41:11

Like literally, if you could just see

my insights, like they're glowing with

DeEtta: 41:15

inspiration, like truly, and I just

want you to leave listeners with some

DeEtta: 41:20

advice for their journey, for their.

DeEtta: 41:24

Right now with this moment you had,

um, some pivotal turning points in

DeEtta: 41:28

your life and self discovery that

really helped to well, really was

DeEtta: 41:33

a catalyst for where you are today.

DeEtta: 41:35

So give some sound practical advice.

DeEtta: 41:39

Um, the people are that are

trying to navigate where they are.

DeEtta: 41:43

What should they be doing right

now to, to kind of feel their next?

DeEtta: 41:48

I have to be honest.

DeEtta: 41:49

I think that the world

is so filled with noise.

DeEtta: 41:54

That this is the time to actually be

quiet to listen and to listen in here,

DeEtta: 42:01

I feel like we have so much wisdom

inside of us that we, um, we can't even

DeEtta: 42:06

hear, or that we doubt or that we judge

or that we dismiss because it doesn't

DeEtta: 42:10

align with all the noise that's around

us in the world, but the noise that's

DeEtta: 42:14

around us and the world is toxic.

DeEtta: 42:16

It's oppressive.

DeEtta: 42:18

Right?

DeEtta: 42:18

If it's telling you, judge somebody

cut somebody off here because of this.

DeEtta: 42:22

Mm.

DeEtta: 42:23

I don't think that that's

really the inner voice talking.

DeEtta: 42:27

So start there, start there always,

and then go back to that place

DeEtta: 42:30

over and over and over again,

because that place is right.

DeEtta: 42:33

And then find yourself in the

company of people who are like, Yeah.

DeEtta: 42:39

And who not just kind of

philosophically and intellectually,

DeEtta: 42:43

but also kind of spiritual.

DeEtta: 42:45

They have the same alignment.

DeEtta: 42:46

When I say spiritual, I mean that in any

shape or form, but kind of get it like,

DeEtta: 42:50

you know what, all this bashing, all

this negativity, all this smallness is

DeEtta: 42:54

not a good place because energy begets.

DeEtta: 42:57

And I'm not trying to be so Metta.

DeEtta: 42:59

I mean, very practically surround yourself

with people who are going to help you

DeEtta: 43:03

become the better version of yourself,

and then look for opportunities in

DeEtta: 43:08

your organization, in your community,

in your daily practice to, um, to

DeEtta: 43:13

actually demonstrate the things that,

um, reflect your values, that reflect

DeEtta: 43:18

your shared values, the language

that you use with people, the way you

DeEtta: 43:21

write an email, how you greet people.

DeEtta: 43:24

Right.

DeEtta: 43:24

How it is that you review policies,

how you make decisions, how you

DeEtta: 43:27

go into negotiations, how it is

that you communicate out broadly

DeEtta: 43:31

about change in your organization.

DeEtta: 43:33

Think about all of the touch points

that we have in our lives for actually

DeEtta: 43:38

showing up in a way that really

reflects our values and do that often.

DeEtta: 43:43

And when you don't do that learn

and just make a little adjustment

DeEtta: 43:47

and get it right the next time.

DeEtta: 43:48

Right.

DeEtta: 43:49

And so I think that those are three

practical steps and none of them required.

DeEtta: 43:53

Us to have a huge amount of resources or

have a tremendous position of authority

DeEtta: 43:58

or power, but all of them can have

such tremendous impact if we actually

DeEtta: 44:03

start practicing them right away.

DeEtta: 44:05

Yeah.

DeEtta: 44:08

Literally, that's all I have to

say behind this interview data.

DeEtta: 44:13

Thank you for this conversation.

DeEtta: 44:18

And the people want more Viet.

DeEtta: 44:21

I know that they don't even

have to tell me, so tell us

DeEtta: 44:25

how we can connect with you.

DeEtta: 44:26

Where can we get I connect with you?

DeEtta: 44:28

You can always, always, always

connect with us at cultureroad.com

DeEtta: 44:32

come to culture road.com.

DeEtta: 44:34

We are there.

DeEtta: 44:34

We are live.

DeEtta: 44:35

We are active.

DeEtta: 44:36

We are involved where they're

synchronously and asynchronously.

DeEtta: 44:40

So we are always there and

we're always connected.

DeEtta: 44:42

Of.

DeEtta: 44:42

We also have, um, DeEtta jones.com,

which is a full suite of consulting

DeEtta: 44:48

services and, and, um, coaching

that we can absolutely connect with

DeEtta: 44:53

people in any way, shape or form.

DeEtta: 44:54

But we'd love to just be part of this

bigger community of people who were

DeEtta: 44:59

trying to really change the world.

DeEtta: 45:01

And, um, we'd love to have people reach

out and connect with us as actively as.

DeEtta: 45:08

That is a wrap for the culture

roll podcast, episode, one more

DeEtta: 45:14

juicy topics to come hot topics.

DeEtta: 45:17

Current events, the cultural podcast

is really a space where we do not

DeEtta: 45:21

shy away from the tough topics.

DeEtta: 45:23

And we are able to gain other

perspective just to help advance

DeEtta: 45:28

how we're thinking about things.

DeEtta: 45:30

And the cultural podcast is.

DeEtta: 45:33

For another episode coming up.

DeEtta: 45:35

And I know you got some of your colleagues

and girlfriends joining you for episode.

DeEtta: 45:40

Yes.

DeEtta: 45:41

We have a lively cast of characters

for episode two and some really, really

DeEtta: 45:47

smart, thoughtful folks who will be

guests in, uh, upcoming episodes.

DeEtta: 45:52

And then all the way through, we're

just going to make sure that we're

DeEtta: 45:54

always inviting people who have.

DeEtta: 45:56

Really interesting perspectives who have

a lot of personality who can really help

DeEtta: 46:02

us explore topics and get them bigger.

DeEtta: 46:06

And also we'd love to

hear from this nurse.

DeEtta: 46:07

So I'm really hoping that, you know,

we can get folks to tune in and

DeEtta: 46:11

talk to us and share some of their

ideas and give us some direction on

DeEtta: 46:14

future guests and the areas of focus.

DeEtta: 46:17

Absolutely.

DeEtta: 46:17

So sound off in those comments, let

us know what you thought about this

DeEtta: 46:22

introduction and future topics you

would like to listen to, but also

DeEtta: 46:26

make sure that you are screenshot in

this episode, sharing on social media,

DeEtta: 46:30

continuing the conversation in that space.

DeEtta: 46:33

We love to see you over in cyberspace.