The Two Piers Podcast

Join us for a captivating exploration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace with two distinguished experts, Darius Johnson and Leland Jourdan of FTI Consulting . Darius Johnson, a visionary DEI practitioner, and Lee Jourdan, former Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Chevron, offer unique perspectives on the future of DEI. In this episode, we uncover the journey of these...

Nicte Cuevas is an award-winning bilingual brand strategist and designer, as well as the owner of Nicte Creative Design . She connects color, cultura, and design into a purpose-driven brand strategy for visionary companies. Through empathy-driven methodology, Nicte evolves, invigorates, and amplifies businesses’ unique brand positions. Her roots from Venezuela, Mexico, and Colombia deepen her love...

This week we're joined by Indra Gutiérrez , president of Gutier, a fully integrated services leader in design, procurement, construction, and project management. Indra shares her inspirational journey from adversity to empowered leadership and discusses how her identity and her challenges have shaped her career and contributed to her success. Indra has over sixteen years of experience working...

In this episode, join us for a message from our founder as we dive into the exciting transformations happening within our business. You'll discover how we're enhancing our strategy for greater efficiency, streamlining content delivery, and opening up new avenues for professional development. We're all about maximizing impact and empowering you on your journey.  Links to the people a...

We’re joined in this episode by Ally Cedeno , the founder and president of the Women Offshore Foundation , a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to reducing the gender gap on the water. With an undergraduate degree from the US Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from Rice University, Ally is also an accomplished HR professional and DEIB strategist working in the maritime and energy industries. She joins us...

In this episode, we’re joined by Two Piers Advisory Board member, LaToya Stallworth who shares her insights on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). LaToya is an Operations leader within the energy industry. As an alumna of both Florida A&M, a Historically Black University, as well as Harvard Business School, a predominantly white institution (or PWI), LaToya has a unique persp...

In this episode, we’re joined by Yael Iffergan , Managing Director at INFINITalent Partners .  Yael shares her insights, as a strategic recruiting leader, into the current job market. She discusses the benefits of exploring your options and the ins and outs of navigating resumes, interviews, negotiations, and offers. Yael tells it straight as she pulls back the curtain on what happens behind the s...

Today we're joined by guest Adam Forbes , the original Corporate Escapologist . He's here to talk to us about the possibilities beyond corporate and valuing the breadth of experience that corporate roles have given us. Adam spent 25 years working happily and successfully within the four walls of major corporates in marketing strategy, business development, and finance, ducking and weavin...

We’re joined by guest, Jacqui Bishop , a renewable energy real estate attorney, and nervous system informed leadership facilitator. Jacqui hosts the Thriving Leader interview series which provides tools for professional women to reconnect with pleasure. She’s also the author of the upcoming book, Melted in which she shares her epic journey of awakening after decades of chronic stress. In this exci...

We’re wrapping up our four-part June Pride series this week with a short and sweet episode as we close out the month’s festivities and celebration. We’re joined by Liz Kovarsky , Director of the Working Communities Challenge Initiative with the Midcoast Youth Center . She discusses her efforts in organizing the first annual Pride celebration in the bucolic shipbuilding town Bath, Maine. From ideat...

We're back for the second half of our two-part episode about Pride. Two Piers Advisory Board members Gene Valentin and Jason Gray rejoin us to discuss Pride in terms of intersectionality, identity, labels, and “cancel culture.” We also touch on some recent developments that have occurred in between recording part-one and part-two.  This is a two-part episode as part of our Pride Series this m...

We're joined by two of our Advisory Board members: Gene Valentin and Jason Gray, who share their lived experiences and insights regarding Pride: what it means to them, where Pride has lost its shine, and how individuals and companies can be more effective allies. This is a fairly unusual episode for us. It's more of a panel discussion than an interview, and it's pretty raw and unfil...

We're kicking off our June 2023 Pride series with Dr. Steve Yacovelli , aka The Gay Leadership Dude. Steve is an expert in diversity and inclusion, change management, and leadership both in and outside of the workplace whose not-so-hidden agenda is to make the world a bit more inclusive for us all. He’s worked internally for folks like The Walt Disney Company, IBM, Tupperware Brands, and seve...

In this bonus episode to close out Asian Heritage Month, we're joined by Senior Scientist, Noushin Mir, Ph. D. , who discusses her personal and professional journey with us and shares her insights and experiences along the way.  Noushin's story begins in Iran where she was an Associate Professor of Chemistry, and continues in the US where she now works in the private sector and continues...

Leadership coach Laura Jack joins us to discuss compassionate communication and how it relates to leadership as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. As a keynote speaker and trainer, compassionate communication and leadership coach, international best-selling author and founder of the Compassion Code Academy, Laura equips conscious leaders with compassionate communication and coaching skills s...

We're joined by guest Erik Schwartz - CEO of PeopleSERVE, Inc. , an IT placement firm, and Hirelytics, Inc. ,  a recruitment analytics firm. Erik is passionate about leveraging technology to further diversity, equity and inclusion in the recruitment and hiring processes. He shares his professional insights with us, as well as his personal story of challenge and growth as an autistic leader an...

In this episode, a friend of Two Piers, Robbie Leigh , joins us. Robbie is an empowerment coach who helps introverted, highly sensitives own their strengths and step into their power. Together, we explore the concept of adaptability. This trait, so often revered as a strength and skill, can also present its challenges in terms of identity and sustainability. For more info on how to work with Robbi...

It's that time of year! Women's History Month and International Women's Day are upon us. This episode, our founder and host, Erica, discusses the tension between image and impact as companies lean into Women's History Month marketing. She also discusses her personal reflections on female-centered community in light of a recent visit to Texas and the work that Two Piers has been...

This episode, we’re joined by Brooke Taylor, a Transformational Career Coach for female leaders, organizational consultant and speaker, and former Marketing Lead at Google. Brooke discusses the phenomenon of the "Success Wound," a concept she identified and coined, which is the pain high-achievers experience when they mistake their success for their self-worth. We talk about what success...

This episode, we're joined by author, creative coach and facilitator GG Renee Hill, who shares with us the power of journaling. In this conversation with GG, we explore how journaling can be incorporated into our lives and what types of benefits it brings, from self awareness to productivity to healing. This powerful practice can help us connect to our inner values, or navigate challenging si...

We're joined this episode by a distinguished guest and global expert: Senior Vice President Health, Safety, Environment & Carbon at bp, Dr Fawaz K Bitar, known to many as "Fuzzy." Together, we explore the supportive relationship between a culture of inclusion and belonging and safety performance.  Fuzzy has been with bp for over 30 years and worked in the UK, US, Azerbaijan, Col...

This Friday, November 11th is Veterans Day in the United States. This national holiday honors those who have served in our country's armed forces, and was originally recognized in 1918 to mark the armistice that ended World War I . This year, we have Colonel Angela Reber joining us to discuss ways that organizations can support veterans who are transitioning into the civilian workforce, or wh...

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15th to October 15th. This episode, we're joined by fellow Two Piers coach, Dr. Anthony Luevanos, to discuss the history and significance of Hispanic Heritage Month and answer some common questions.

In this episode, host Erica D'Eramo, a self-proclaimed introvert, is joined by guests Maryellen Roberson and Melissa Olivadoti, an extrovert and ambivert, respectively.  We discuss the definitions of these concepts, as well as what they mean to us in our daily lived experiences. We also touch on the value of self-awareness and the benefits and costs of flexing beyond your comfort zone, partic...

This week, we're joined by two of our summer associates, who discuss their experiences searching and applying for internships, as well as some of the pitfalls and challenges they've faced along the way. If you haven't applied for an internship lately, rest assured that the world has changed. Along with their personal experiences, we also discuss some of the common red flags to look...