Hi Gary! My name is Jamesa and I’ve been a long time follower of you. I recently started a candle company (Aura of Opulence, LLC) so now I listen to you even more and put in to practice the nuggets of wisdom and calls to action to give on a daily basis. The fact that you are actively looking for, not only black employees, but black C-Suite candidates is absolutely amazing! A lot of companies hire black individuals while having hidden biases and preconceived notions. They hire because they are looking to fill a quota. They don’t attempt to train or teach black individuals the way they do with others. They hire without the intention of promotion. I’ve experienced all of the aforementioned situations as I am a black woman civil engineer educated at a HBCU (Florida A&M University) by day with C-Suite aspirations that are well known. I don’t feel heard but I keep moving forward. This episode give me hope that other companies and other leaders are listening, digesting, asking questions, and taking actions.
Gary, thank you!