5 Things / Unique Wisdom

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I’m a lesbian and yesterday was Lesbian Visibility Day. 👋🏻🏳️‍🌈Despite putting myself out there as a speaker and writer for years now, it took me a long time to figure out how I wanted to be in the world. What gender expression feels authentic? How to find the balance between being open and vulnerable while still protecting myself? But those are things many of us navigate.

What I know is that I have a hell of a lot of resilience and empathy because of my sexuality. It’s made me stronger and amplified my gifts and my messages. It’s given me unique wisdom.

But whatever your story is, whoever you are, gives you unique wisdom. Whatever the stories are of the people on your team, even of the people who annoy you, gives them all unique wisdom as well. It would be cool if we took a moment to be curious about each other’s unique wisdom, and the gifts they have from their experiences. The things they can teach us. It all starts with curiosity. My ARC (Ask-Respect-Connect) Method helps.

Here Are This Week's Good Vibes:

1. PBS Kids Adds ASL to Six Shows

   • PBS Kids is enhancing accessibility by adding American Sign Language interpreters to popular shows, benefiting children who are deaf or hard of hearing. With content aimed at ages 2 to 8, many kids may not yet read captions, making ASL crucial. Partnering with Bridge Multimedia, PBS conducted user testing to optimize interpreter placement, ensuring seamless integration. ASL versions of six shows are now available online, with plans to expand.

2. Delta Continues to Invest in Employees

   • Delta Airlines is giving a 5% pay raise to over 80,000 ground employees and flight attendants, a 20–25% cumulative increase in comp in 2 years. This rise follows a generous $1.4 billion profit-sharing payment to employees, doubling last year's payout. Delta has a $125 million profit-sharing fund already allocated for next year and has a stable and loyal workforce. Delta’s my favorite airline to follow for this reason…it’s too bad Chicago’s not a hub.

3. Korean Company Uses Korean Names

   • Kakao Games distinguishes itself by abandoning its longstanding tradition of using English names for employees, opting instead to embrace their Korean identities. This unique move underscores the company's respect for individuality and is a departure from the common practice in Korean workplaces. By prioritizing authenticity and inclusion, Kakao Games sets a precedent for other organizations to do the same.

4. Retail/Grocery Employees to Have More Protections

   • Starting July 2025, retail and grocery workers in unincorporated L.A. County gain more control over their schedules, thanks to a new ordinance mandating employers to provide schedules two weeks in advance, offer compensation for last-minute changes, and space out shifts by 10 hours. This policy, mirroring L.A. city's 2022 ordinance, affects around 200 businesses and up to 6,000 workers. With many workers being people of color, this policy promotes equity, fair treatment, and hopefully stability.

5. Dell Sees ERG Success

   • Dell’s Employee resource groups (ERGs) have a 52% participation rate across its 120,000 global employees. They achieved this because CEO Michael Dell mandates that each direct report sponsor an ERG. This leadership buy-in then incentivizes employees to show up! When the leaders are bought-in, great things can happen in DEI. That’s the way it’s done.

This Week’s Call to Action:

Join my next DEI Double Feature: The Belonging Buzzword. I’m hosting it with Michelle Silverthorn on May 8 and you can join right here!

5 Things / Comms

My guest on 5 Things in 15 Minutes this week is Catharine Montgomery, whose consultancy focuses specifically on “using communications to achieve equity.” I’m so excited for this conversation, especially when the headlines urge us to believe that DEI is under attack.

How do you officially communicate to your internal and external stakeholders about topics like war, racism, anti-LGBTQ legislation, disability access, and more? How do you communicate with substance in your messaging? How do organizations decide when to take a stand, and how to do so without being accused of performativity? And how do you do it all using the right language, the most up-to-date terminology, without culturally appropriating anybody?

There’s a nuance to that work, and Catharine’s going to help us answer these questions and communicate with confidence and authenticity. I’m always still learning and often have more questions than answers, so I hope you’ll join me in learning together.

Here Are This Week's Good Vibes:

1. Big Bonuses for Delta Employees

   Delta made headlines with a staggering $1.4 billion bonus for its employees, nearly doubling last year's payout. This move showcases the airline's commitment to sharing success and boosting morale. Delta's profit-sharing program aims to rectify injustices by distributing wealth more equitably among its workforce. Its consistent payouts reinforce its employee-centric approach and are a departure from the historical oppression and exploitation of workers in the industry.

2. Four-Day Workweek Sticks

   The world's largest four-day workweek trial in the UK yielded lower stress and higher job satisfaction and initially stunned skeptics. A year later, over 60 companies continued to embrace the concept, with 89% of companies from the trial still operating over four days. Workers report improved well-being and work-life balance, while businesses enjoy increased revenue and retention rates. This is especially beneficial to the 73% of the workforce that are caregivers. We’ll see if the four-day week continues to gain traction – and if it does, you can be sure to read about it right here in 5 Things!

3. Breaking Barriers in Whiskey

   Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, founded by CEO Fawn Weaver, became the top-selling Black-owned spirits brand globally. With a valuation of $900 million, it's led by a Black woman in an industry dominated by white men. Named after the first-known African American master distiller, Nearest Green, the brand emphasizes long-term legacy over short-term gains. Weaver's vision aims for permanence, challenging the trend of Black-owned brands being acquired by white-owned companies. Fawn is an inspiration and sets a precedent for future generations.

4. Churches Teach Black History in Florida

   In defiance of Florida's restrictive education laws, nearly 300 churches are spearheading Black history lessons. Led by Faith in Florida, this grassroots initiative combats Governor Ron DeSantis' push to limit race-inclusive education. Through an online toolkit, churches offer resources ranging from books to documentaries, preserving Black heritage and countering erasure. This movement revives a tradition of social justice activism within the Black church, empowering individuals to grasp their legacy and celebrate their history. There will always be creative resilience in the face of systemic oppression.

5. Starbucks Re-Designs Store for Inclusion

   Starbucks rolls out a fresh store design prioritizing accessibility and inclusion. The inaugural site in D.C.'s Union Market boasts power-operated doors, lowered counters for wheelchair users, and voice-assist checkout. A revamped brewing system offers tactile feedback for employees’ easier use. Digital boards update customers on order status, while improved lighting and insulation enhance ambiance and reduce noise. Starbucks worked with customers, employees, and accessibility experts to develop the so-called Inclusive Spaces Framework. The guidelines will be open-sourced and continue to evolve to further expand accessibility in the retail sector, and other Starbucks locations. Remember, all of this is good for everyone, not just those with disabilities. (h/t to Karen Catlin for this one)

This Week’s Call to Action:

If you have Paramount+ streaming, check out the TV show Bet on Black. It’s like Shark Tank but for Black entrepreneurs. Target is a big sponsor and one of their employees was a judge. The company that makes our client gifts competed in the most recent season…no major spoilers but they did quite well.

5 Things / Guy

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This week I was interviewed about my book by Dr. Julie Pham for her Behind the Pages series. One of her questions was about an early leadership influence. I told a story about someone I hadn’t thought about in years, a man named Guy who was a pharmacist in my hometown. He was my dad’s best friend, and when Guy worked the late shift at the pharmacy he co-owned, he’d stop by our house for a drink on his way home. Later, I worked at that pharmacy throughout high school.

Guy drove a paint-spattered pickup and his glasses were covered in deep specks. See, on the days in which he worked the night shift at the pharmacy, he volunteered to paint before work. He made arrangements with senior living homes, Habitat for Humanity, and other community organizations to paint their interior walls for free. He simply believed that a fresh coat of paint provided a sense of dignity to a home and the people living in it. Simple as that.

Painting was Guy’s purpose. His meditation. More than anyone else, Guy introduced me to a path of service. With his paint spatters and easygoing nature, Guy embodied humility. And with the way he interacted with the pharmacy customers, especially those who loved their codeine, and especially the Spanish-speaking migrant workers, Guy embodied empathy.

I’d be curious to hear about your early leadership influences.

This Week's Good Vibes:

1. Walmart’s Live Better U Program Turns 5, Expands to Canada

   • Walmart's free college tuition program, Live Better U (LBU), has expanded to Canada after success in the US. LBU offers online learning paths, including college preparation and degree programs, to Walmart employees, through partnerships with a wide variety of colleges and universities, some of which, like Morehouse, are Historically Black Colleges and Universities. More than 100k associates are currently enrolled. This matters because front-line employees are historically under-resourced and undervalued and the initiative aims to upskill these folks to grow within the company, promoting employee retention and advancement.

2. Annual Grace Hopper Celebration Conference to Leave Orlando Due to New Florida Laws

   • The Grace Hopper Celebration, a prominent technology conference, may no longer be held in Florida. The planned September conference will continue but, due to recent anti-diversity legislation and state-mandated restrictions that the conference's organizing entity, AnitaB.org, finds detrimental to its mission and attendees, the conference will move going forward, saying “we will not return until this legislation is overturned and the state becomes more welcoming to all.” This matters because when a groundswell of organizations like this takes a stand, anti-diversity politicians back off. They know that money matters.

3. Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Protect LGBTQI+ Communities

   • In response to anti-LGBTQ state legislation, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking new actions to protect LGBTQ+ communities during Pride Month. There’s a BIG list of commitments and actions developed to safeguard rights, support LGBTQ+ youth, and address book bans that target marginalized communities. This matters because over a dozen states have passed anti-LGBTQ+ laws that infringe on the rights and freedoms deserved for all humans.

4. Delta Is Developing a New First-Of-Its-Kind Airline Seat That Allows Wheelchair Users to Stay In Their Chairs

   • Delta Airlines is developing a cabin concept that allows wheelchair users to fly in their own chairs. They’re partnering with UK firm Air for All. The design involves modifying the seat to accommodate a wheelchair, eliminating the need for passengers to transfer to an airline-provided wheelchair. This innovation matters because it improves accessibility and reduces the risk of damage to expensive and personalized mobility devices, enhancing the overall travel experience for people with reduced mobility.

5. Portugal Just Launched a ‘Government-Funded’ 4-Day Workweek Trial

   • Portugal is the latest country to experiment with a Four-Day Work Week. It’s launching a six-month pilot program in collaboration with 4 Day Week Global, where 39 private-sector businesses will implement a four-day workweek without reducing employee pay. The aim of a four-day workweek is to reduce stress, burnout, and improve worker retention. The pilot program will also assess the economic, social, and environmental implications of this work schedule.

Call To Action:

Learn about Geena Rocero, the Filipina transgender fashion model and activist, and consider her new book Horse Barbie, which I’ll plan to read after I finish Elliot Page’s new memoir, Pageboy.

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