Savvy and Anti-Racist Leadership: Stepping Up to be an Includer

0:00 The topics and opinions express in the following show are solely those of the hosts and their guests, and not those of W FOURCY Radio. It's employees are affiliates. We make no recommendations or endorsements radio show programs, services, or products mentioned on air or on our web. No liability, explicit or implied shall be extended to W FOURCY Radio or its employees are affiliates. Any questions or comments should be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for choosing W FOURCY Radio. What's working on Purpose? Anyway? Each week we ponder the answer to this question. People ache for meaning and purpose at work, to contribute their talents passionately and know their lives really matter. They crave being part of an organization that inspires them and helps them grow into realizing their highest potential.

0:45 Business can be such a force for good in the world, elevating humanity. In our program, we provide guidance and inspiration to help usher in this world we all want working on Purpose. Now, here's your host, Doctor Elise Cortes. A hearty welcome back to Working on Purpose. Thanks for tuning in this week. Great to have you. I'm your host, Doctor Elise Cortes. This show has been brought to you with pride and passions since February of twenty fifteen. Already, if we have not yet met before and you don't know me, I'm an organizational psychologist and logo therapist, speaker and author. My team and I at Gusto Now help companies to enliven and fortify their operations by articulating their purpose and building inspirational leaders and cultures activated by meaning and purpose to turn those companies from a flat line EKG to a vibrant destination workplace.

1:34 Their people are intrinsically motivated to perform with their best, can grow into their fuller potential, and are committed to stay and do not deliver on the company's mission. You learn more about us and how we can work together at gustodashnow dot com or my personal site Atliscortes dot com. Now I've got a special treat for you today, getting into the program we have with us. Collett Phillips. She's President and CEO of Collett Phillips Communications, founder and president of Get Connected and the GK Fund. For thirty years, Collette has been a powerful voice and effective agent of change in one of America's oldest and most tribal cities, Boston. An immigrant black woman from Antigua, described by Boston Magazine as Boston's great connector and Boston Globe cites her for changing the conversation about diversity in Boston. Collette has brought her passion, power and wisdom to publications and boardrooms around the Globe. She's the author of The Includers, the Seven Traits of culturally Savvy anti racist Leaders, which will be talking about today.

2:31 She joined today from Boston. Collette, Welcome to Working on Purpose, beautiful woman. Nice to meet you. Doctor Cortes Alide is delightful to have you in my studio. Collette, you are a treasure and I enjoyed reading every single last word of this beautiful book, The Includers you brought into the world. It was delicious. You know, we have talked about this general topic a few times on this program. But what I love about what you have done, Colette, has made it so inviting, so accessible, and I really really appreciate that. I want to really just applaud that, and we'll talk about your themes, but that's the part that I want to applaud. You made it so inviting. Well it's easy, you know, it's not an easy topic when you're talking about inclusion, when you're talking about racism and gender and racial inequality, it can be heavy. And so I wanted to make this a book that was more of a guide book, a handbook, if you will, and to really bring people in as opposed to have them external. So that started off in my book with my own story, because I think we all have stories, and people love storytelling, and I felt that people needed to know who I am, how I arrived at the point that I I'm at, and how did I decide to put this book together.

4:03 So I thought telling my story is a good way to invite the readers to kind of go on this journey with me. Indeed, stories are delicious, and I love the stories that you tell in your book. I do want to cover the seven traits that you discussed in your book because they're so important and so vibrant, and I think it makes sense for the readers unlike me, who haven't read your book just yet, if you could just give a little bit of a short sketch of your background and why when you found it a PR firm, why not architecture. Why not accounting why pr Well? I came to Boston at age seventeen from Antigua, a very tiny island in the Eastern Caribbean. At the time, there were like sixty thousand people who live on the island. Now it's about ninety and to I was fascinated by journalism and radio in particular because I grew up on the radio listening to radio stories and I wanted to be a journalist, a broadcast journalist. And so I came to Emerson College in Boston, which is like one of the absolute top communications and performing arts institutions in the country. And so I decided

5:34 that I was going to pr was not what I was going to focus on. But I did an internship and with the Kansas Society and recognize the power that public relations have to influence people to change opinions and to invite people to take a stand on an issue that is very important. And I thought, wow, I saw the power of public relations in action. I was working on the first ever fashion show for women who had had masectomies, and typically women feel very un sexy, unappealing when you lose a breast, and the Cancer Society to their credit. Decided they didn't want women to feel like they were less than a woman. So they had this fashion show and I got to work on it and help with the PR and attracted over four hundred women to this event, and I thought, Wow, this is the power of public relations. I think this is the field I want to get into.

6:54 So I ended up being able to blend my journalism skills with my skills and I left and went back to Antiga worked in television there as a anchor and a television host. Like I like to say, I was the Oprah before Oprah. Yes, Yes, Antigua. And then I came back to do my masters and went back to Emerson College because they offered me a wonderful opportunity to be a graduate assistant and finish up my master's degree. And so I worked a little in the the telecommunications field for Cable Vision now Comcasts and Exfinity, and then in the hospitality business the Royal Sinester Hotel Sinester International, And after working with those two organizations, I got the Seinster to become my first client. Brilliant launched my business then, and it's been thirty eight years now since I've been in business, which was not an easy thing to do in a city like Boston back in the day. Yes, indeed, hardy.

8:20 Congratulations Collette. It's so inspiring and so smart to go from your employer to making them a client. That's brilliant. I wish I had that beautiful insight to do something like that. I did not I did, of course, I did it the hard way and just jumped off the cliff, you know, without any client, So no parachute. Here we go. So wonderful now our listeners and viewers know a little bit more about who you are and where you came from. What I'd like to do in our conversation for this episode is just really if we will color with stories these seven traits that you talk about in the book, and the first one is just so brilliant, this idea of character. And I really love how you to light these traits to the stories you tell. And I you gave me insight into Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex that I didn't understand as he was coming in to marry Megan Markle. So could you just showcase why his actions really showcase character and what you mean in relation to being an anti racist leader. Well, you know, I think when Harry decided he was going to marry a biracial black woman divorced American sounds familiar like his great uncle. It shook up some teacups in the UK, and you know here she was a descendant of slaves, and when he announced his marriage, there was an ugly backlash in the

9:58 UK and in some places here in America where people were saying, well, why is he choosing to marry a woman of color? Why can't he marry, you know, a white woman more or less? And I think Harry showed character, and no one should be surprised. Character is really having integrity and standing in your conviction. And I thought that the way in which he handled it, he stood up. Less than two years later, in the Fall, he made a statement that says, I have been silent, a silent witness to Megan's you know, private suffering for too long. To stand back and to do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in. Within a year they would leave the U okay and decide to come to America.

11:03 And I think that showed exhibited a sense of character that it would have been easy to kind of roll with the punches, go along to get along, but instead he stood up and he stood up against racism, which is something that we all need to be doing more of, particularly in this moment where we are seeing tremendous increase in anti Semitism. It takes character to stand up and say that is wrong, and I want to speak out and speak up about it. I think it's such a powerful example, and I think you know what I appreciated about that starting with this example, Colette, is you know, who do we want to be in the world. I would like to be that level of a human being, and I want I want my daughter to be that, and I want anyone that I'm helping to steward in the world in terms of leadership and culture. It's such a beautiful example, so I wanted to start with that. It's just a study example, and you do go and see in your book. We won't cover it here, but I love how you also really share with us in your book. You know how his mother, Princess Diana, really you know, raised he and William to go travel about the world to interact with different people, not to talk at them or just be at them, but to be with them.

12:26 And I just think that's such a powerful example of how we can nurture this kind of character and connection in our in our children and the people that we steward. Absolutely, you know, if you remember in the show where it says South specific that you have to be carefully taught to hate, you have to be carefully taught. And that to me is something that has always resonated that people grow up. If you put a group of kids of every cultural and ethnic background in a sandbox, they're little people. All they see is little people like themselves, and they want to play. And I think sometimes we have to step back and maybe go back to that place of innocence where we don't see people with the lens of their accent, their ethnicity, their religion, or whatever we think they are based on the external, but that we really look at them through the eyes of a reflection of ourselves, through their humanity, which is what children do. And I love that we should all think of ourselves as children sometimes, because you know, you get into the world. We live in a very divisive time. I'm right now,

14:01 and I want us to get back to that place of seeing each other with the eyes of our humanity and grace. I want that too, Collet, which is why I wanted to have you in the program in order to get there. Though, since we can't revert to being children, we need to employ Would you call in your book cultural intelligence? I think is incredibly beautiful. So can you talk a little bit about what is this cultural intelligence? Well, cultural intelligence is really essential to overcoming our bigotry or prejudice, racism, gender misogyny, or religious, you know, intolerance. I think it's more just an awareness and a sensitivity. If I could say, the perfect person who has demonstrated cultural intelli dilligence was the late Anthony Boudaine who had that wonderful show on CNN called Parts Unknown. I was a big fan of that show on Sunday nights at nine PM. I couldn't wait to see what country, what place was he going to, what adventure was he going to have tonight? And during the time that he interacted with people who looked different, who spoke different, not once did I ever see Anthony Boudain turn up his

15:37 nose, no matter what the food was, even if to those of us on the outside looking in said, oh my god, that looks so weird, he never ever ever had that reaction. He was always curious, well, how did you make this? What's in it? You know? And that to me, it is a absolute epitome of cultural intelligence and basically putting ourselves in the other person's shoes. You know. It's like there is a wonderful Indigenous people's proverb that says, don't judge me till you have walked a mile in my moccasins. And I think that's what cultural intelligence invites us to do, to step out of our comfort zone and to really get to know somebody the way that For example, I thought President Obama when they had that friction in Boston Cambridge with the policeman's and the well known professor Skip Gates, and he invited them to the White House, and people thought, oh, you know what, that is such a simple thing. It's not you know, deep, and it's not looking at the whole issue of racial profiling.

17:10 But what he understood and used cultural intelligence is my father used to say, if you want to know somebody, sit down and break bread with them. Absolutely, when you sit across the table from a person eye to eye, it's really hard to hate somebody or hate on somebody that you are that close to. All of a sudden you begin to see their humanity and see them as a reflection of yourself. And you would be happy to know that both Skip Gates and Officer Crowley found out that they were historically connected. Their ancestral routes were there were distant cousins of Irish descent, of Irish descent who knew so that was the Bear Summit was a form of cultural intelligence. Men loved to drink. Men love to talk about sports. When you sit down and you have a beer with another guy, what do you, guys start talking about sports? You start talking about the things that are similar in your lives as opposed to the things that separate to you. And it can be that simple. On that note, let's take our first break, because it's there's so much beauty and elegance in this I'm your host, Doctor Earley's Cortez put in there with Collette Phillips. She's the author of the Includers, the seven

18:42 Traits of culturally savvy anti racist leaders. We've been talking about first, the first trait that she talks about. We're going to continue and cover all of them in this conversation. Stay with us. We'll be right back Doctor Elise Cortes is a management consultant specializing in meaning and purpose. An inspirational speaker and author. She helps companies visioneer for greater purpose among stakeholders and develop purpose inspired leadership and meaning infused cultures that elevate fulfillment, performance, and commitment within the workforce. To learn more or to invite Alease to speak to your organization, please visit her at elisecortes dot com. Let's talk about how to get your employees working on purpose. This is working on Purpose with doctor Elise Cortes.

19:45 To reach our program today or to open a conversation with Elise, send an email to Alise A. L Se at elisecortes dot com. Now back to working on purpose. Thanks for saying with us, and welcome back to working on purpose. I'm your host, doctor Elise Cortes, as I too, am dedicated to helping create a world where people can realize her potential. At work. I'm led by inspirational leaders. It can help them find a contribute their greatness. I keep researching and writing my own books. So one of my latest books, which came out in twenty of twenty three, is called The Great Revitalization. How activating meaning and purpose can radically in liven your business. And I wrote it to help leaders understand the lay of today's workforce land what do they want and need from their employment? And then I give you twenty two best practices to be able to fold into your culture to create that for them. You can learn more about the book at eliscoretest dot com or find it on Amazon if you are just joining us. My guest is Callett Phillips. She's the president and CEO of call It Phillips Communication and the founder and president of Get Connected and the GK Fund. So let's continue here.

20:48 One of the things I wanted to say as you were talking is that you also say beautifully in your book, which speaks to another element here is the power of curiosity. So what you also said about Anthony Bourdain and also put forth to President Obama, and the example you gave is that in there being so culturally intelligent and also curious, that they actually elicited more of the fullness of those people in those exchanges than they would have otherwise. And I think that's the beauty. That's who I want to be in the world collecte, That's who I want our listeners and viewers to be in the world. So you speak so beautifully and I love this like it's just so great. Your examples are just so exhilarating in your book. But you talk about how speaking of curiosity and leaning in, pulling in from that as you talk about the remarks of at and T I guess Ceo Randall Stevenson. Yes, And you talked about the power of his and culture, his culture intelligence and he said simply trying to coexist or get along. He says tolerance is for cowards.

21:52 I completely agree with that. He said, being tolerant requires nothing from you but the but the uh and to be quiet and not make waves, building entirely holding each other to your views and judgment without being challenged. Do not tolerate each other, work hard, move into unshortered territory, and understand each other. Yes, please, may I have another? Yes? I so agree with Rando Stevenson on that. I always said, I don't want to be tolerated. We tolerate pain, We tolerate pain. I want to be I want to be accepted. Acceptance mean that you see me, you see everything about me. That's why when people say, you know, I want we live in a world or that is colorblind. No, we don't, No, we don't. You. I want you to see my beautiful black skin, and I want you to embrace that. I don't want you to say I know what some people say mean when they say I don't don't see color. What they're saying is I don't see your skin color as a barrier to me getting to know you. But I don't want people to say I don't see color, because you do see color, and you if you're not seeing color, then you're telling me I don't exist visible. Right, So that to me is what acceptance is different to tolerant. When you tolerate somebody,

23:27 it's like, oh, I'm just tolerating this person because I got to work with them, and it's not an fully embracing of their humanity. Well, and that's what I want to put forth, Colette. I want to go from tolerating to accepting to celebrating and reaching. That's what I want for our world. I am interested in you precisely because you are different from me. I find that intriguing and interesting. What can I learn from you? How can I be dazzled by you? What's your story? What's your background. It's going to learn from that. You know, how can I become a better human being by learning that that's the world that I want to live in and help Stewart And that's why you coming on the program is so so so important. And to do that, of course, we have to feel uncomfortable. As you say, it's important to acknowledge the discomfort be in it.

24:18 So speak a little bit about this discomfort for those of us who are those that don't maybe quite embrace this yea of celebrating. Well, I think sometimes people. I don't want people to feel guilty. I want you to be uncomfortable in the sense that you begin to feel and it begins to resonate with you. If you are a man, especially if you have daughters, Yes, and you see how certain men behave towards women, it makes you, you know, it's like eugh, and that in itself makes you uncomfortable because you know, how would I feel if the way that person was acting towards that young lady, that young woman was my daughter. And so the uncomfortableness and if you see somebody being particularly disrespectful to a person who might be a Latino who speaks with an accent or a person, a black person or a Muslim or a Jewish person for you to feel the discomfort, but yet be willing to step out and speak up and having what I call courageous conversations,

25:55 because when you are willing to open up yourself and talk about these issues, it takes courage. You know, people may not believe it, but it does take courage because we live in a world where we are all very different. You know, it's like being in a jelly bean bowl. Yeah, well you got the yellow or the black or as I like to say, not a mulligan stew, but a beautiful salad where you have the tomato, the cucumber, the carrots, the celery. They're all very different, but guess what they make a down, beautiful, healthy salad. And that's what we are in the world. And you know, that's what I think the founding fathers of this country when they said in their motto, their Latin motto e pluribus unam, out of many, we are want, that's what they were envisioning. And even back then when people when they didn't consider black people to be fully human as they said, they knew that this country was going to be a country of immigrants because the first people who came here, not the people, not the indigenous people, but the people who came here escaping religious persecution. That lots of people were going to come over from different

27:30 parts of the world. But what was going to differentiate America? Make America the beacon of democracy, the beacon of coexisting, the beacon of us being the example in the world of how people of all different backgrounds, a rainbow of people can come together and in a country where we look at each other, we are different, but we are very similar. And that's what I want people in the workplace and people in their community to focus on our similarities and to not think of We haven't talked about the word yet diversity, equity and inclusion, but I want to bring it up because I want people in America not to think of DEI as some kind of musical cheers. So when the music stops and you're not sitting in front of a tay of a chair, you're out of the game. It's not a zero sum game. Diversity, equity and inclusion is about leveling the playing field so that women, people of color, people of all cultural backgrounds can have access and opportunity to leverage their their abilities and their talent to succeed. That's all it is. And

29:07 when I want you people to think of DEI as a Thanksgiving table, because what do we do at Thanksgiving? We cook more food, we add more chairs, we expando a table. Everybody gets a seat, and everybody gets a meal, and nobody feels left out. That's how we should see it. So beautiful, Collet, I'm in. I'm in well, but that speaks to first they have to be invited. And so your third seed is about connections, mixed it up and multiply. And your stats are really interesting in this chapter, Callet, you talk about, you know, your your adopted home of courses in Boston, but it has plenty of diverse talent.

29:48 You say, twenty eight percent of residents are foreign born, forty eight percent are first generation immigrants, and fifty percent are people of color. But why aren't they showing up at the events? And so one of the things that you say so Beautifu in your book is you found yourself at these you know, very nice social events, but you realized it was because you were in the rolodex of your allyship white friends. Yes, and you were in the stark minority in doing so. So that the opportunity here about connections, inviting people in as you said so beautiful about Thanksgiving is the opportunity. Yes, yes, and I started That's how I started Get Connected. Yes, indeed, I felt you know another I said, My late father was a brilliant person. He said that not only do you have to invite people to the table, but you also need to create an environment where people feel welcomed, yes, and wanted and wanted and valued. Yes, And not to focus on how we are different, but let's focus on how we are similar.

31:03 And so I decided to create Get Connected as a place where people, no matter their social economic background or their ethnicity, of what they look like, to come to a venue where you can interact and get to meet somebody. You can meet a CEO, a senior level C suite executive, or you can meet the receptionists in a big law firm, and everybody is treated equally. There is no separation, no division, no sense of oh there is the CEO, the chairman of the board of oh, oh my goodness.

31:49 You know, everybody is there as an equal and you can go up and interact with them. So sixteen years ago I created this cross cultural networking business networking event called Get Connected with a K, and I wanted people to be able to come to get connected and get connected, interact, exchange business cards, talk a little, do some networking, and then we brought in speakers to speak at the event and to give career advice and lift people up.

32:29 We're doing this coming end of May. We're doing a c Suite Executive Networking and speed mentoring program our eighth year with c suite CEOs and c suite executives. People who are, you know, the bank president, chairman of a multi billion dollar bank, people who are the COO of a major billion dollar insurance company, and have these younger next gen people sit with them for twenty thirty minutes and hear their tales from the top. How did they get to where they were? How important is mentorship and sponsorship? And that maybe they started off as a teacher and decided after ten years of teaching, this is not really what I want to be doing. How did they pivot? What did they have to do? What are the challenges? How do you seek a mentor what do you ask of your mentor? How do you have your mentor hold you accountable. All of these things that young professionals need to know because a lot of young people today they do not have. People call them soft skills. Soft skills. I call them essential skills that you were needed to succeed in the workplace. We don't teach that in college. And yet

34:02 those skill sets are so critical to moving up the ladder and to succeeding in the workplace. So that's what Get Connected is doing is really the connective tissue for Boston. It has now become a powerhouse event of people must must be, must go, Who is in who is in the room? That's you know, that's the the secret sauce of the success of Get Connected. I love your beautiful contribution to the planet. Here, Collett, let's take our last break. Here. I'm your host, Doctor release Cortez. I've been on air with Collette Phillips. She is the author of The Includers, The Seven Trades have culturally savvy, anti racist leaders, which we've been talking about.

34:49 After the record, you get into the fourth principle, which is communications. And I also really want to cover over the idea of do overs and calling people in se Doctor Elise Cortes is a management consultant specializing in meaning and purpose. An inspirational speaker and author, she helps companies visioneer for greater purpose among stakeholders and develop purpose inspired leadership and meaning infused cultures that elevate fulfillment, performance, and commitment within the workforce. To learn more or to invite a lease to speak to your organization, please visit her at elisecortes dot com.

35:37 Let's talk about how to get your employees working on purpose. This is working on Purpose with doctor Elise Cortes. To reach our program today or to open a conversation with Elise, send an email to Alise A. L Se at elisecortes dot com. Now back to working on Purpose. Thanks for staying with this and welcome back to working on Purpose. I'm your host, doctor Alis Cortes. I mentioned in the first brick about my latest book coming out with the Great Revitalization. What I also wanted to share is what I did for you is I created a three page assessment for you to determine the extent to which your organization is currently meeting the demands of today's discerning workforce. You can find it at gustodeshnow dot com and you'll be able to determine the extent to which you're actually operating in that in that vein. If you are just now joining us. My guest is Collette Phillips. She is president and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications and the founder and president of Get Connected that you were just talking about in the GK Fund. So I do want to get through these other principles really quick here because I promise our people that I would. But just quickly the fourth principle communications making the message matter, you know, and I really appreciate you know that you do need to talk about it. You need to you need to bring it to life in the way it's important to you as a leader, and it's an organization and of course you do that exceptionally what they just are the work that you do. But if you could just speak a little bit too, what goes into this messaging? Why is

37:08 it important in how to deliver it? Well, you know, we live in a world where we are all very sensitive, and you know we have to understand that and give each other grace. Yes, says we don't always understand. You know, it's like a man does not understand what it's like to be a woman, and a person who has never been a person of color in their lives may not understand some of the uncomfortableness and the microaggressions that people of color experience on a daily basis. So when somebody says something that might make us feel a sense of discomfort, a colleague, you know, a friend in the workplace, or just don't shame them publicly. You know, there are certain people who should be shamed publicly. But a colleague or a friend saying something maybe misgendering somebody, or they make a statement. I had an elderly friend. When I say elderly, she's about twenty five years older than she's a mentor and is like, I call her my mother, my second mother, Boston mother. She was making a statement and referred to

38:39 an LGBTQ person as sexual preference, and I said to her, don't say sexual preference, because you are using a term that says that it's a choice. I said, people who lgbtqia, it's not a choice. It's who they are, it's how they were born, and we have to call it. You know that this is their orientation as opposed to their preference. And she thanked me for correcting her and calling her in as opposed to saying why did you say that? That's what you know? I wait until she was in the car with me and we were driving home, and I was taking her home, and I said, you know, you said something tonight.

39:37 So let me give you a little bit as somebody who is a culturalist and a social scientist who study people's culture, I want you to know that that word preference is not what you want to say. So I believe professor Loretta Ross, who is a professor at Smith University, talks about calling people in as opposed to calling them out and having that private interaction and conversation, and what it is is really giving each other grace to make a mistake. You know, somebody said something that you can't always assume. I always say, assume best intentions. And if you assume best intentions, know that people are not walking around trying to deliberately say and do things to hurt you or harm you. It's the way they may have been brought up or you know, they didn't see and understand how saying something could be hurtful to another person because they haven't walked in your shoe. So call them in just say, you know, you said something today at last that made me feel very uncomfortable or cause discomfort for me. Let me share with you, and then you might say to the person, tell me how did I what did I say that was discomfort and tell me how it made you feel. I am so sorry.

41:10 That was never my intention, right, and what I want to celebrate with Collette, I think this is one of the most important things in your book. There are many important things, but this is one of the most actionable, distinguishing parts of your book, Callette. So listeners and viewers, here's what I want to reiterate or emphasize about what Collette is sharing here. From my vantish point one, when you're the person who feels discomfort, you have an opportunity to teach, to enroll people, to teach them why you're uncomfortable and how it was made. So that's an opportunity for you to teach me you don't know, they don't know, as she is called, give them grace. And then on the other side of that, what happens is that discomfort happens when people feel shell shocked, like I don't even know what to say, I don't know what to do, I'm gonn Actually, well, if we then make it comfortable to talk about it, because we're calling them in, not calling them out. Now we're having a civilized, respectful conversation and exchange, and we're teaching, and we're elevating each other. That is a wholly different way that many people relate to this idea at DEI and that is what I want to celebrate and call forth her call that. It's so beautiful. Absolutely so. I love the calling in culture. I do too. I do too. And now taking it another step further, here is your fifth principle is collaboration. I love the subtitle ascend through alliance.

42:37 Yes, please, can we have more of that? Well, you know, when you are an includer, you basically collaborate with others. You get to know other people. One of the things that I found when I started my business is that I really very deep and very involved in the Latino community, in the Asian community, because I was advising clients and saying, you're leaving money on the table. There's a large Latino community in Boston, there's a large Caribbean community, large Asian and if you are not marketing to them, because you don't know how you're leaving money on the table and you're losing out. You need to take that actionable step to really get to know them.

43:36 So what I did was partner them with you know, organization like LULAC, you know that's in the Latino community, and then the National Association of Asian American Professionals, the Black MBAs, the Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, you know. So we brought these organizations, these corporations and big institutions together to partner and collaborate to say that wait a minute, Yes, it's September two October. September fifteenth to October fifteen is National Hispanic Heritage Month. But Hispanic people are Hispanics three hundred and sixty five days of the year. And while you may decide to do something special during that month that celebrates their heritage, let's not just you know, limit your Latino interactions for that one month. You should be interacting with them all day, every day, three hundred and sixty five days of the year. And the same thing with all of your consumers. So that's what I call collaboration, getting to know and reaching out and finding ways and even within your own instea institution, which you know, doctor Cortez, because you're advising companies, you understand the

45:07 power of employee resource networks and employee resource groups and some people call them ergs, some people call them erbs, and you know employee resource you know business or EBG's internal business groups, employ internal networks. How they function? So how do we as a company collaborate with these organizations to drive innovation, to drive profitability, to hear from them? You know what is it about the company that could be better? And you know, sometimes you have to be willing to step out and lean in, listen and learn and lead, as I like to say, from behind. That is how you break down barriers.

46:00 And to recognize that your most important asset. You know, I think it's Richard Bramson who said his most important asset is not his customers, it's his employees. He said, make your employees happy, and they will reward you by making your customers happy. That's right, is very true. Yes, that's something I advocate and work with as well. And just quickly I wanted to put this out here. The last two are courage and commitment. I just want to share because we don't really have time to cover them. But I really appreciate how in the courage chapter you're talking about encouraging CEOs to show their courage by advancing racial equity, to advocate, to lobby, you know, to forge ties, to conduct philanthropy in a way that really advances these ideas, and that does take courage and stepping way out of your comfort zone, stepping way out of whatever your public sphere might be. In the commitment piece really speaks to tying it how people get compensated. Yeah, this is really really critical what you've put forth there. Very true. I mean, it takes courage to be able to talk about something, stand up for your employees, stand up for your customers, and speak out. I think a lot of I just wrote an op ed piece about standing up to the bullying of people who are trying to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion. Well,

47:30 if you do that, you're saying, let us revert back to the way things were, just the status quo, don't promote women, don't promote people of color, don't bring them into your business. Well what are you going to have if women and people of color decided to take a day off one day? I can guarantee you the economy in the United States would collapse tank exactly, bank because seventy percent of the people in the workplace are women, people of color, and immigrants. So how are you going to grow, function, compete and be the best that we can be if we do not lift up and have the courage to say, wait a minute, this is not about political correctness. This is a business imperative. It's not a nice stew It's a must do if we are going to be profitable and compete on a global economy. You know, with a billion Chinese and a billion plus Indian Indians, we have to be better. We have to show up with a diverse team that reflects the businesses and the people, the customers we are trying to do business with. That's a winning strategy. It is Colette, and I can't think of a better way to close the show. So you are an incredible delight. I'm so grateful to know you, share you

49:02 with my listeners and viewers across the world who desperately need your wisdom, your voice, your conviction. Thank you Collette for coming on working on purpose. Thank you what a beautiful name. Working on purpose, Yes, ma'am, and that is what you are doing. Listeners and viewers, you're going to want to learn more about Collette Phillips and the work she does at Collet Phillips Communications and get connected, as well as checking out her book, The Includers. It really is phenomenal. Go to her website at cpcglobal dot com. Last week, you've missed a live show, you can always catch it if you recorded podcast. We were on here with Todd Davis, who is a senior consultant and thought leader at Franklin Covey, talking about managing difficult conversations, not like any of us have those. We'll be on again next week with yet another conversation, another nourishing conversation about working on purpose. See you there, and remember work as one of the best adventures and means of realizing our potential and making the impact we crave. So let's work on Purpose. We hope you've enjoyed this week's program. Be sure to tune into Working on Purpose featuring your host, doctor Elise Cortes, each week on W four CY.

50:10 Together, we'll create a world where business operates conscientiously, Leadership inspires and passion performance and employees are fulfilled in work that provides the meaning and purpose. They crave see you there. Let's work on purpose.