THE EXPERIENCE A fortnightly newsletter of groovy things
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.
~ Dr. Seuss
Issue 010 – Pride
June is the month for Pride.
A time when globally the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies come together to celebrate diversity, equality, equity, and love. As a mom of a queer kid, I love June, the rainbows it brings, and the outpouring of outward acceptance shown to my kid and her peeps. I wish we didn’t need Pride month, but alas, perhaps someday.
2023 has seen a record number of anti-2SLGBTQ+ bills and legislations be introduced in many US states, causing many brands to scale back their Pride celebrations. While others face backlash for sticking with their support and even doubling down on their investment. We’d hope this tenacity is because it is of course the right thing to do, but could be less altruistically driven knowing that the LGBTQ+ community’s buying power ($3.7T globally with $1.4T+ in the US alone) is too big for companies to ignore. Regardless of the reason, many companies are letting their freak-flag wave in new, fun, and creative ways to promote their products or services but also spread awareness, inclusivity, and acceptance, as well as show the brand’s support and solidarity.
IKEA
IKEA has been a proud and vocal Pride supporter for years with its in high demand and always runs out rainbow tote bags. The retailer upped its June game this year with its #facethegap campaign. The campaign invites audiences to engage and ‘listen to people from the LGBTQ+ community and work together to close inclusion gaps’ in the workplace. Bravely, the org is leading by example, seeking to improve and educate in areas where they felt they fell short of its inclusivity goals based on its internal global inclusion survey. Which BTW had survey results that other orgs would be shouting from the rooftops.
Other companies need to sit up and pay attention. Unlike so many other brands that launch Pride efforts without looking at their own workplace or inclusivity efforts. IKEA did that, openly shared the survey results, and took swift actions to address the gaps.
Skittles
Now I am not personally a fan of the fruit-flavored button-shaped confectionary, but that doesn’t stop me loving that the brand leverages its “taste the rainbow” tagline to support Pride. Mars, the candy makers’ parent company is known for its conservative culture, so in that skittles.com proclaims that “we've given up our rainbow so that the LGBTQ2+ community can share theirs” is a big step. Partnering with GLAAD – the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, they give over its prime digital real estate to celebrate and amplify LGBTQ+ rights. Throughout May and June, SKITTLES has also teamed up with LGBTQ+ artists to design and release five limited-edition SKITTLES packs that tell visual stories of Pride.
Love this … and not just because I adore Cameron Esposito! (So) Many Pride efforts miss the mark, ah-hem Bud Light, SKITTLES is spot on. It’s a good campaign in and of itself, but also very clever and collaborative in terms of marketing ideas, as the artists themselves also get exposure and provide an authentic voice for the LGBTQ+ community.
Let’s hope this is an anomalous year in terms of increased negative Pride-related social activity and people taking Pride gear off the displays at Target, putting it in a shopping cart, and moving it to a dark corner of the store. Seriously, who does that?
June and all the Pride-related stories, news, and great parties always has me reflecting on how I can be more accepting, and inclusive, and create opportunities of equity for others. So thanks, for letting me share this with you as part of those efforts.
Groovy Stuff We're Reading
I've been doing a fair bit of team and executive coaching of late, and a question I get asked all the time is "What books should I be reading?". So I thought I would share a few of my go-to favorites that I think have something to offer any reader.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel-Ruiz. This is a book that changed my life. No, seriously. I read it for the first time about 12 years ago and it just resonated. I'm a very practical, logic-driven individual, but there isn't a day that goes by where I don't try to actively live the four agreements in some way. It is a great way to live our lives as individuals, but also as a team.
Who couldn't use some help in sorting out their thoughts? No one? Just me? Ok, well in any case, The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is like a mental Swiss Army knife - it's packed with useful tools - some of which you might not quite know how to use, to help you with decision-making. Dobelli has a knack for explaining complex concepts in a way that's both witty and relatable, and his real-world examples of cognitive biases and fallacies are interesting and sometimes pretty funny in a Swiss call-it-like-I-see-it kind of way. Don't want to read the entire book, here is a pretty good 4-minute read synopsis.
Atomic Habits by James Clear is like a personal trainer for your brain. It's a game-changer for anyone who wants to ditch bad habits and build good ones. It is chock full of practical advice that I would challenge anyone to come up with a valid excuse as to why they couldn't put it into practice. It's that simple and straightforward.
I think these three books are a great framework - and who doesn't love structure - for personal growth and great team building.
Groovy Things Experience Advisors Have Created
Check out Uncharted Journeys, Cathy McKnights podcast featuring career journeys, (mis)adventures, and lessons learned along the way from amazing women across industries. From our world of experiences, there are episodes from the likes of Dr. Amy D'Aprix, Empathy Enabling Go-Getter, Jay Trestain, Experience Unicorn, andJen Frost, Creative Visionary just to name a few. A great listen for compelling stories and some great advice on success, life, and #allthethings.
EA's own Bulldog Pete publishes a great twice-monthly newsletter that helps sales executives and content creators build "frictionless" messaging. The latest edition: Frictionless #3: Smart-Question-Itis, Asking Better Questions in Meetings, and Hot Dog Writing is hot off the digital press.
EA's founders Robert Rose and Cathy McKnight are teaming up for ContnetTECH's FAST CHAT: How to Get the Most Out of Your Content Technology Stack. Register and listenin in on what will surely be a fun and off-the-cuff conversation about #allthingscontenttechnology on June 21 at 2 pm ET.
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