Allyship in Action

No organization is getting gender equality right all of the time.  That is why we need safe places to talk about the real issues holding us back.  That means taking chances and accepting risk and failure as part of the process.  In this episode, you will learn from two leaders doing just that.   Don Wettrick is an educator and innovation expert.  He thrives on increasing access to innovation for y...

The finance and energy industries are not known for diversity.  Despite their best efforts, gender equality remains stagnant inside many of these organizations.  Meet two allies that are speaking up and leveraging their voices to do something about it – Stephen Figueroa and Bobbi Rebell. Bobbi spreads the word of diverse voices on her podcast, the Financial Grownup.  Through her own experience in...

Diversity is a dialogue.  Those that are "non-diverse" and "diverse" need to have conversations together to close the gaps facing women in leadership today.  Both Jeff and Nicole speak to the power of diversity beyond race and gender, defined rather in terms of experiences. In this episode, Jeff Ton, CIO at Bluelock, and author of Amplify Your Value - Leading IT with Strategic Vision , shares the...

Our allies come in all forms.  Some we are presented with, others we find through sheer happenstance.  Erin and John are just that.  Having worked together for four years, they did not start out as allies.  They had to learn about each other's personalities and how to co-exist as peer leaders in a male-dominated environment.  Through this, they have built a strong working relationship built on tru...

For leaders focused on diversity, candid conversations happen all the time.  It is part of business to step into difficult situations and deal with issues that prevent the team from being successful and inclusive.  John and Audrey reflect on their own unique experiences, from confronting inappropriate behavior to proactively addressing gender stereotypes in the moment.  As founders and leaders of...

Barb Smith is Senior Vice President at Key Bank.  Key Bank remains the first and only top 20 U.S. bank to have a female CEO, Beth Mooney, whom Barb reports to.  She shares what it is like to work for a strong female leader and how their Key4Women program champions and advocates for women internally and externally for women in business.  They strive to empower women as leaders and business owners,...

You know the tough conversations we want to have, yet do not always have?  As allies, it is critical we talk candidly to achieve equality together. Duo technology leaders, Sena Hineline and Mike Kelly, share the candid conversation about gender that reinforced and set the tone for their workplace culture.  Often leaders are not aware of how their decisions are perceived or the implications for cro...

Learn from women business owner and leader, Christy Gormal, and #maleally, Josh Rattray.  In this episode, we will unpack the secrets to balancing gender roles at organizations (hint, hint:  it is not a conscious behavior), and how to engage more male allies alongside strong #womenleaders.  This duo teaches us about work life commitment, the cultural fit for allies, and how to make strategic choic...

Garrett and Madeline share insight into what a healthy cross-gender working relationship looks like. They work alongside one another as allies.  As principal, Garrett shares what it feels like to be in a position of power and how gender dynamics affect working relationships. His journey from being a pastor in a conservative, female oppressed world to #maleallyship is one of real vulnerability. Mad...

Former fortune 500 executive, radio host, and self-proclaimed imperfect #maleally, Tony Loyd joins us to discuss the vulnerability and bravery it takes to be a true male ally.  From asking questions like, "what is it like to be you?" to women in his life, to coaching, and acknowledging his own blind spots, Tony teaches us how to embrace the balance of masculine with feminine.  Learn from a leader...

Seasoned executive coach, Marita Bolles, shares her unique perspective on #genderequality and how gender roles are being recalibrated today.  Her work focuses on being the human you are meant to be.  As she shares, #maleallies and #women win together by shifting perspectives through #story sharing, intentional conversations, and approaching work and life integration instead of in opposition.  Toge...

Male allies themselves are diverse.  Meet Michael Reynolds, business owner, and diversity believer and doer.  He achieved #genderequality in his organization and saw better business outcomes as a result.  He encourages #maleallies to pay attention to bias in the workplace, ask women for their opinions to be heard, and be curious to learn from those different than yourself.  We even get a tad polit...

Lorraine Ball is a #genderequality pioneer.  Her stories of her #maleally mentors, sponsors, and advocates throughout her career and while in her own business resonate firmly with #womenleaders today.  Listen to Lorraine here.

Lyla Kohistany leads Promote Leadership, a non-profit focused on gender equality. From Lyla, we learn that dialogue, data, and speaking up is necessary for women leaders to engage more male allies. She an Afghan-American woman and former military leader.  Her personal story of the loss of her father at age 12 and her brother's male allyship compelled her to seek out male allies in her career. Afte...

In this special bonus episode to celebrate Women's History Month, we feature two-time Tedx speaker, Jeffery Tobias Halter.  Jeffery is a gender strategist and the President of YWomen, a strategic consulting company focused on engaging men in women's leadership advancement.  As former Director of Diversity Strategy for The Coca-Cola Company, he shares his white male epiphany story and what it means...

Ray Arata is the founder of the Better Man Conference and the co-founder Gender Leadership Group.  He is an expert in inclusionary leadership and is a gender equality ally.  In this podcast, he outlines ideas and stories for managing diversity as a competitive advantage.  His vulnerability and curiosity is an inspiration for male allies and women leaders.

As a woman leader in technology, Chelsea shares her story of perseverance and her own tool kit for women in leadership.  Our discussion showcases specific examples of practical tools for women to align male allies, including how to bolster natural confidence, earn respect over friendship, and building rapport with peer male allies.

David and Kelly are a dual-career couple managing work and life.  Sometimes they find balance, sometimes they do not.  They approach male allyship personally and professionally.  Their story touches on the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and letting go of the guilt of not getting it right all of the time.  Through their vulnerability, we have a window into what good looks like for m...

Want to know what Uber is doing for #genderequality?  If so, get a sneak peek into their women's leadership initiatives with Linda Nellis.  As Linda shares, Uber's greatest untapped resource are the women that are already there, not recruiting new talent.  After recent events, Uber has created a safe place for women to connect and be empowered together.  Their women's community is changing the cul...

Our first international male ally podcast interview!  David Thomas shares his perspective on his sources of inspiration as well as the stories from strong women in his life personally and professionally.  He cites the business case for male allyship for women leaders.  As a leader of a male allyship network, he realizes the power of gender equality.  Hear David's story…  

Jennifer Brown is a #diversity and #inclusion expert. She helps organizations realize their full human potential as a frequent keynote speaking and consultant.  As she shares with us, leaders serious about inclusion do so by reverse mentoring, seeking teachers and sponsors different than them, and communicating intentionally their why for change.  Every leader has their own diversity story. Organi...

Emily Ceskavich has made many male allies throughout her life personally and professionally.  Her story about her brother Alex is featured on the Corner of the Court Project dedicated to sharing stories of male allyship and the positive impact it has on diversity.  In this podcast, you will learn from Emily's stories on speaking up, tailoring communication to your audience, and practicing self-car...

Our latest podcast focuses on emotional intelligence and vulnerability as male allies for women leaders.  Today, we feature Tracy Puett, a leadership and organizational development expert.  In this podcast, he shares his personal stories where he has listened, supported, and been a male ally for women personally and professionally.  Our favorite takeaways from Tracy are about removing our assumpti...

Meet Dr. Kelly Bowman. Kelly's journey and her stories capture the challenges and opportunities facing women leaders today, and how best to overcome them. She has consciously enlisted the support of male allies throughout her career. Through intentional communication and choosing how to respond appropriately in the moment, Kelly has achieved success and is a recognized leader today.

In this podcast, meet Chuck Shelton, male ally for over 50 years. His business, Greatheart Consulting focuses on diversity and inclusion. He sees gender as a springboard for companies seeking to improve diversity and inclusion. His stories showcase what strong male allies do, from being curious about differences, avoiding being the guy on the white horse, and listening with simple questions. He ad...