Allyship in Action

Welcome back, everyone! I am just so thrilled to share my conversation with Sabrina Caluori, the CMO at Chief. You know, I talk a lot about capacity erosion—that feeling where your mental load is so heavy you're basically walking through quicksand while trying to run a marathon . Sabrina gets it.  She's been in those high-stakes rooms at Paramount, hitting a wall of burnout so thick she didn't eve...

I've always said that allyship isn't a proclamation you make—it's an aspiration that lives in the eye of the beholder . For a long time, we've been told that to be a real ally, you have to be this fearless, extroverted warrior constantly jumping into the line of fire . Let's be real: most of us are just trying to hit our step goals and remember to eat less salt without feeling like we're failing a...

I am just vibrating with excitement after my chat with Aiko Bethea ! If you've followed her work as I have, you know she's basically the gold standard for building cultures that actually mean something . We got into the nitty-gritty of her new book, Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable , and let me tell you, it is the blueprint we need right now . I even got a little unplanned coaching session mysel...

I am so excited to share this conversation with my wonderful colleague and friend, Dr. Catherine Kleshinski from Indiana University. We've all been there on a random Monday morning when someone asks, "How was your weekend?" and we're dying to share a picture of our new puppy or the chaos of a first birthday party. I used to think these me-search moments were just simple trust builders—and they are...

It is such a wild time to be in the world of training and development, isn't it? I've had this persistent hunch—call it a "zag" when everyone else is "zigging"—that as much as we're obsessing over AI, the real secret sauce is still our human intuition . I recently sat down with Anthony Salcito from Coursera, and it turns out my hypothesis wasn't just wishful thinking.  We've all seen those robotic...

This week, Celeste Warren, a globally recognized thought leader, author, and former Fortune 100 Vice President, returns to discuss her latest book,  The Truth About Equity . Celeste shares her insights on: Defining Equity: Moving beyond the buzzwords to understand equity as a pragmatic approach to meeting people where they are. The "Fence" Analogy: Exploring the systemic "isms" that create barrier...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Janice Gassam Asare, founder of BWG Business Solutions and author of the new book, Rise and Resist: How to Reclaim Workplace Equity and Justice .   Following a period of intense personal and professional backlash—including being targeted by high-profile political figures—Janice discusses why looking to historical legacies of resistance is the key to enduring t...

Jennifer Brown is back to unpack her new book, The Shape of Change, the journey through allyship and change. Together, we discuss: How change can feel like being in a dark hallway and trying to find the path forward in uncertain times What inclusive leadership looks like when we are called to be brave in unprecedented times The tools to build resilience to shape the changes necessary to our import...

Culture isn't just a poster on the wall. Culture is the heartbeat of a thriving business. This interview with Teresa Johnson, CEO of Color Me Mine, explores the incredible journey from being a single mom to purchasing a pottery studio on a credit card, leading a franchise empire of over 150 locations. Teresa shares her secret sauce for scaling businesses through intentional culture and the unique...

In this episode, Julie Kratz welcomes Jennifer McCollum, President and CEO of Catalyst, a global nonprofit focused on workplace equity. They discuss the critical role of men in gender partnership and the release of Jennifer's book, Men at Work. The conversation delves into the systemic challenges women face, the data supporting inclusive leadership, and how men can transition from passive support...

In this episode of Allyship in Action, Julie Kratz is joined by HBR writer, executive and team coach, Kathryn Landis, to explore capacity erosion—the gradual depletion of energy and focus facing today's leaders. In an era of constant change and cognitive overload, Landis shares how leaders can reclaim their impact by shifting from micromanagement to intentional empowerment and strategic reflection...

Alyssa Dver, founder of the ERG Leadership Alliance, joins us this week to highlight the critical shift toward structured governance and the use of hard metrics to demonstrate how these groups drive corporate engagement and long-term business impact. My Key Takeaways: Governance is the future of ERGs: Alyssa emphasizes the shift from informal groups to structured organizations with clear governanc...

In this episode, Julie Kratz discusses global workplace culture strategies with Abi Adamson, founder of the Culture Partnership and a LinkedIn Top Voice. Abi introduces her "SERN" framework—Soil, Exposure, Roots, and Nutrients—as a way for leaders to move beyond performative DE&I and begin gardening their organizations for sustainable growth. Three Key Takeaways Cultivate Your Culture Like a Livin...

Lily Zheng is a no-nonsense DEI strategist and best-selling author of DEI Deconstructed and Fixing Fairness . They discuss the limitations of traditional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and introduce Lily's FAIR framework: Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation. Lily challenges the industry's reliance on "one-and-done" training and advocates for a 90/10 split—prioritizi...

In this episode, I'm sitting down with the incredible Dr. Caroline Fleck, clinical psychologist and author of the transformative new book, Validation . We often talk about allyship as a series of seemingly small, intentional actions, and some of the most profound work happens in the small, everyday moments of how we see and hear one another. Dr. Fleck joins me to pull back the curtain on validatio...

This week, I welcome David Glasgow and Kenji Yoshino, co-authors of the new book How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America . As leaders of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, David and Kenji discuss the legal and political landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) following the 2023 Supreme Court decision on affirmative action....

In this episode, Ciaran McArdle, CEO of XL Sports World and author of The Soccer of Success , joins Julie Kratz to discuss how the principles of the "beautiful game" can be used to transform corporate leadership. McArdle shares three key strategies for high-performance leadership, drawing parallels between the soccer pitch and the professional workplace: 1. Tailored Leadership: Meet Team Members W...

Join us for an insightful conversation on the critical state of workplace culture and talent retention with Sean D'Arcy, Chief Solutions Officer at Kahoot!. Based on their latest research, we explore a startling paradox: many leaders are burned out, and nearly half would give up their title to feel engaged at work. This lack of manager engagement creates a difficult environment for the newest gene...

This week, I welcome researchers Hana Milanov and Amelie Pahl on their work exploring entrepreneurship through the lens of first-time parents. The researchers interviewed founders who were already deeply identified with their "venture baby" before having a "biological baby," challenging the common narrative that parenthood diminishes career success. They discovered that instead of being a hindranc...

Mark Scullard is this week's guest from Wiley. Wiley's research recently found that managing change was the biggest area of professional development investment for leaders. He shares how to meet someone where they are at in times of tremendous change. My key takeaways are: Acknowledge and Address the Emotional Toll of Change (The Change Curve): Leaders must understand that employees will naturally...

Get ready for your annual "Christmas morning" with this deep dive into the 2025 Lean In Women in the Workplace Report. In this candid conversation with Rachel Thomas, Co-founder and CEO of LeanIn.org, we discuss the key findings from the largest study on the state of women in Corporate America. The discussion highlights alarming signals in the data, including a potential rollback in the company's...

Jon Rosemberg is the author of the new book, A Guide to Thriving. He was a successful leader in Corporate America and made a pivot to executive coaching. This conversation with Jon was truly insightful, reminding us that workplace culture and retention aren't just HR buzzwords, but are fundamentally linked to our ability to shift from surviving to thriving . My takeaways were: Prioritize Employee...

In my new interview with Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure, we discussed the evolving educational landscape. She made a few key predictions for the future of education in an AI-driven world: 1. The Blended Curriculum: Academic Content Merges with Human and Career Skills The traditional focus on purely academic content will radically shift. The future curriculum will be a blend t...

This week, I interviewed Claude Silver, the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX. Her new book, Be Yourself at Work, offers key insights into the role of authenticity in the workplace culture and its impact on retention. Here are my three key takeaways: 1. Authenticity as a Business Superpower for Workplace Culture The core message is to "be yourself at work," which Silver argues is today's greatest bus...

Kristen Kavanaugh is the author of Courage Over Fear and the founder of The Agency Initiative, working to connect people's work with meaning in alignment with their values. Previously, she was the vice chair of the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity & Inclusion and the senior director of inclusion, talent & learning at Tesla. Here are my key takeaways: Values Dissonance Drives Talent Away: Th...