Hi and Wow!
Can you believe 2022 is almost in our rear-view mirror? This is the time of year I reflect and plan. It was for me, as many of you know, a helluva year from a health standpoint, but I came through with flying colors and am grateful for the miracles modern medical tech provides us. Still can’t get over hip replacement recovery was less than 3 weeks before I was walking like I was 30 again.
On the business side of life, things have been wonderful. DBE landed several exciting clients this year, including Associated Press and Fratelli Carli, and our team continues to deliver on our Omotenashi promises with each other as well as with our other stakeholders. Feels great.
This week’s shares are all content that caught my attention and made me think in new ways. I hope they do the same for you:
- As we collectively learn to appreciate the importance of good mental health in the workplace – and everywhere else – I found this piece from NPR eye- It talks about therapy being a predominantly white field and how that impacts therapists’ ability to help people of color. Consider this: “Therapy is a predominantly white field in the U.S. — 80% of psychologists, 63% of counselors, and 59% of social workers are white, according to Data USA, a website that constructs visualizations of public federal data.”
The NPR piece talks about a movement underway to “decolonize” therapy, working to raise awareness about structural racism, microaggressions, and other systemic challenges “built into” the therapist education system. As with so many other parts of our world, the first step to fixing a problem is recognizing it’s there.
- Zoom was only the beginning. Then there were animated virtual offices like Orbital and Teamflow. Next up: actual virtual offices… for better or for worse.
Noteworthy 🖋
Chief
I joined Chief in August of 2021 and have been increasingly impressed with the ability of the organization to deliver on promises. Now at 20,000 members with a waiting list of 60,000 applicants, Chief provides executive women peer-to-peer support in the form of monthly “Core” groups. The speakers are top notch, think Amal Clooney, Shonda Rhimes, and Michelle Obama, to name just a few. And then there are the clubhouses, beautiful offices and meeting lounges across the country, free for members to use when they find themselves in New York, San Francisco, and in early 2023, London, among other cities. The goal is to help women executives navigate the challenges unique to them with other women who understand those challenges personally. I’ve belonged to a number of organizations with similar missions over the years. Chief is, by far, the one that really delivers what I’ve been seeking. Here’s a recent article from Bloomberg for more.
- And speaking of Chief, here’s something about authenticity in leadership. The article asks if women leaders’ perceived “flaws” can be a secret weapon during crises. I think we’re no longer seeing awareness, vulnerability, empathy and compassion as “flaws” and the data keeps proving me right. I mean, what’s braver than showing vulnerability and winning through that genuineness? If you know, you know. What do you think?
Do Good Spotlight
🌟 St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital 🌟
“The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.” Families in the midst of the most challenging times never receive a bill. Learn about the cause and how you can lighten the burden on the patients and families being supported by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
- I overlooked this when I was sharing ahead of Thanksgiving, but hey, now we have all those family gatherings in December to navigate, so here you go – setting healthy boundaries when everyone gets together to celebrate.
- And this one too: use the time with older relatives to ask the questions you may not always have a chance to ask them.
I hope you have good plans for the weekend and that the rest of this week is smooth sailing. And please stay focused and curious — it’s a winning combination.
Enjoy!
