Julie Kratz (she/her), founder of Next Pivot Point and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about honoring disability justice with a new quarter, building groundbreaking housing for adults with autism, tackling Denmark’s reading crisis, and more!
Julie Kratz (she/her), founder of Next Pivot Point and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about honoring disability justice with a new quarter, building groundbreaking housing for adults with autism, tackling Denmark’s reading crisis, and more!
Here are this week's good vibes:
Good Vibes to Go:
Bernadette’s GVTG: Looking for some fresh data to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts? The Human Rights Campaign foundation reports that companies in the highest Corporate Equality Index score quartile saw average revenue growth of 12.31% over 15 years, more than double the 5.23% growth of companies in the lowest quartile. Read more here.
Julie's GVTG: We need to be invite others to participate in allyship with a very clear, direct ask. They're actually waiting for the invitation. What if we were the one to give them, with no reasons not to join.
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Bernadette: in this week's episode, i'm joined by julie kratz, sheher, founder of next pivot point. this week, our conversation is about honoring disability justice with a new quarter, building groundbreaking housing for adults with autism, tackling denmark's reading crisis, and more. let's get started, julie. welcome to the show.
Julie: thanks so much for having me, bernadette.
Bernadette: uh, and by the way, julie is also author of we want you, an allyship guide for people with power. so congratulations on the new book before i forget. great book, by the way.
Julie: thank you, and thanks for being a part of all the things, the research, the promotion, the endorsements, all the things. thanks, bernadette.
Bernadette: my pleasure. can you tell folks a little bit about yourself and your work?
Julie: yeah. yeah. so my pronouns are sheher. i've done, uh, inclusion and allyship work, uh, for going on for ten years now. and it all started by just being a white woman recognizing my own lack of belonging in corporate spaces. so i spent twelve years in corporate before i started my business, and it really was because i didn't feel that elusive sense of inclusion in the workplace. i didn't see people like me leading. i didn't feel like i was really wanted or valued
Bernadette: fully. and so
Julie: when i started my business, it was really to help others feel more included, and i quickly realized it it just wasn't just about gender or even race. there's a whole variety of identity, uh, that comes into the conversation around diversity and inclusion. and, uh, i like to look at it through the lens of allyship. and the latest book is really written out of just what i felt like was a need following, um, this political administration, just a better understanding of folks in power and how to engage them, and they're really waiting for an invitation. and so the book is that invitation.
Bernadette: love it. i love it. well, it's just so much aligns with what i wrote about in this week's newsletter. um, you know, i have a, uh, an a my weekly five things newsletter and a survey that i do every year. and one of the responses that i, um, that i received in the survey last week was, uh, lots of folks were saying things like the people in their companies or organizations say tell them, we get this dei thing already, and it was overblown to begin with. so i guess the first question is is do you think dei was overblown to begin with, and, uh, where do we go from here?
Julie: yeah. i really loved what you had to say in this week's newsletter. i always anxiously await that in my inbox every saturday morning, so thanks for speaking truth and giving us those good vibes. overblown. you know? i'd love to know what part that people feel is overblown. um, when we look at what we've really accomplished, representation numbers haven't changed very much. you could argue they've gotten significantly worse worse for black women this year, and perceptions of inclusion and belonging in the workplace are still painfully low. and so what was too much? i think maybe it was the performative work that was too much, the statements, the donations, the workshops that lacked real tangible action or intention. um, and so if that was overblown, uh, maybe. but the the actual results, uh, and changes in the workforce and in society as a whole, uh, is painfully
Bernadette: low. yeah. yeah. i would agree. i mean and, certainly, the data shows that. and and, also, like, what's the alternative to have not taken those steps? i mean, i think that there was an international dialogue that came about, and i think that there certainly is a greater understanding by a lot of folks of the concept of systemic racism, even by people who think, okay. it was overblown. i think they at least get it now, and i think that's a good thing. right? there's a there was more certainly more dialogue about it even if they're over it.
Julie: mhmm. mhmm. yeah. and that's something, you know, five years ago, the average person probably still thought racism was a thing of the past, that it the problem that had been solved for before george floyd. and so that is something that's positive that people understand that these are real issues, um, whether they buy into, um, how to solve them and how urgent they are. i think that's the part that we're still struggling with.
Bernadette: yeah. exactly. because the perception that some of the solutions are unfair or reverse racism, etcetera. but i think that we certainly have had a a lot more productive conversations. and so i will take that as a a net positive as well. and, you know, i think that we have learned that all of this work is essential. um, it's not extra, but it's only effective when it's embedded into the the holistic way an organization functions. mhmm.
Julie: yeah. yeah. and and that's been my biggest lesson over these last few years is and i know you face the same challenges. you know, we'll try to do workshops, strategic planning sessions, you know, keynotes, and get all the folks from the organization involved. and the demographic that was often missing from my workshops and keynotes were senior leaders. and what does that say to the rest of the organization? this isn't really that important. uh, they're not really bought in, or this is something that's for us, but not for them. and so that that's a big miss that i'll i will recognize and own as something i should have tried harder to do is to really engage that group because i knew i knew when you had them involved, engaged, participating, and practicing alongside everyone else that the results were significantly better. uh, but the people plays around me is like, oh, it's alright. they're busy. it's like sure. that was just a big problem with the impact we were hoping to create.
Bernadette: i will say that a lot of senior leaders were there during my sessions. so i i'm grateful for that. i mean, i would i i don't know that i would say the majority, maybe, uh, but i can think about a a lot of sessions in which i was introduced by the chro or someone in the c suite, and even sessions that were hosted by an employee resource group. sometimes it was the executive sponsor, um, who's in the c suite or a higher level who is part of the slt who was there. so i'm i'm grateful for that, um, but i perhaps it was the exception, not the rule, unfortunately.
Julie: that's awesome. that's awesome. and, yeah, there was some of that. maybe i'm being a little hard on myself, but it felt like the thing that i really wanted for use the word embed to embed inside the organization as this has to be, you know, modeled and included at all levels, of course. yeah. and what often i saw were just kind of chunks of folks that didn't think it was for me. either it was like a functional area that was more male dominated or maybe it was the front lines or, like, i'm just, you know, making widgets. like, this isn't for me either, or the senior level, um, in some cases where they just had a lot you know, a very active calendar, and it was hard to squeeze in. and so that's that's the question i'm wondering about, bernadette, going forward is how do we make sure our work feels like it includes everyone, which seems ironic since the i obviously stands for that. but that's been something that i've i've wondered about because because of the backlash, because of some of the negative perceptions, because the acronym itself is so polarizing to even say anymore, how do we make sure people understand that this is for everyone?
Bernadette: well, i will so let's move into this week's good vibes. i will say, julie, that, um, you know, part of what this newsletter is about and the show is about is showcasing all of the different functional areas that touch this topic of dei. i mean, these stories are not just about hr. i mean, they really do touch all of the different roles that people play. so i hope that people find inspiration to embed this in their work through some of the stories in the show and in the on in the newsletter. alright. well, let's move into the first story, which comes from the us mint, which honored disability justice activist stacey park milburn with a quarter, which was the first time a, uh, a woman in a wheelchair shown in full with her tracheostomy tube was visible on this quarter. so fdr for, uh, franklin delano roosevelt former president was just a disembodied head on a dime. so this is, like, really showcasing the visibility and, uh, and her disability.
Julie: mhmm. yeah. i love that. i had no idea that fdr only had a space, and we know that, yeah, the wheelchair was very underscored during his presidency. it wasn't it was purposely made, not visible. so, yeah, what a cool example. i learn something new every time from your newsletter.
Bernadette: we'll have to collect some of those quarters. i mean, it's great that these are gonna be in circulation, and it's just, again, that level of visibility. people want to feel seen, and they wanna feel represented.
Julie: mhmm. mhmm. and disability, in particular, we know, is something that we shy away from, that we, you know, shush and don't wanna talk about as much. so i think this is even more important that it's that pronounced and then a a visible monetary way like this.
Bernadette: yeah. exactly. alright. the second story comes from thrive red bank in new jersey, which is the world's first neuroinclusive apartment complex designed specifically for adults with autism. so it's a 34,000 square foot building, which will feature thirty two one bedroom units plus a staff studio apartment. thoughtful design elements include sensory friendly spaces, low voltage low voltage lighting, and automatic shut off appliances. love this.
Julie: yeah. i've got an autistic kiddo, so, you know, i think people don't realize there's an 85% unemployment rate of autistic adults. wow. and given the labor shortages we're going to confront in the next few years, like, that's not sustainable. right? one in thirty six births. so i just love this because when i read that, i imagined my little girl having a inclusive space that helped her with all of the, you know, the sensory things, the you know, just the way she experiences the world. it shouldn't have to be so hard for her. mhmm. you know, the world wasn't designed with autistic people in mind, and so this is a great example of how we can shift that.
Bernadette: and do you i i i completely agree. and have you found that there's been the support your daughter needs at school? is that are are she getting what she needs? do you mind if i ask?
Julie: yeah. yeah. i mean, it's it's it's interesting right now. um, we just moved, and so she has access to universal special needs pre k, which is pretty amazing. i mean, i feel very privileged and fortunate to have that kind of availability and live in a community that cares about people and is willing to invest in education, not everybody has that. so, um, the biggest thing is in the developmental periods, you know, forty percent of autistic people are nonverbal. and so for a kiddo and she's verbal, but not in a comprehensible way. like, we we kinda speak her language, but for other people, especially teachers, maybe not so much. so having special access to speech therapy and even the technology for it is really expensive. so, sadly, there's a privilege baked into this like many of our systems, but we're getting a lot of a lot more support. i feel very thankful.
Bernadette: well, that's great. glad there's a silver lining. i always you always gotta find the silver lining. right? alright. uh, the third story this week is about gig workers who are about one in four americans, and many of those are members of traditionally marginalized groups. these are folks who are drawn to independence, but because of their gig worker status, they're left without health care, retirement, or paid leave. so doordash piloted a portable benefits program in pennsylvania contributing 4% of their earnings, gig workers' earnings, into savings accounts. so these, uh, folks used these benefits for basic needs that traditional jobs don't cover. now it's very cool, but only a band aid fix.
Julie: yeah. yeah. absolutely. i love that because gig workers are a huge growing part of our economy. right? and we know it disproportionately affects women. people of color tend to fall into these for the flexibility and just having control over your schedule, which is necessary as caregivers, etcetera. so mhmm. yeah. it sounds it sounds like a good start, right, bernadette? like, there's there's more that needs to be done here. we just don't know, like, if companies see this as an investment excuse me. see this as an investment that's really worthwhile. um, you know, think about retention rates. think about access to top talent. we know that with benefits, especially around flexibility, they are gonna get a good bang for your buck. so, hopefully, more companies see this in our truly capitalistic society.
Bernadette: yeah. i hope so. um, you know, and it's just a pilot in pennsylvania, so hopefully it will expand, and it will be able to kind of round out the the benefits or the experience that these these workers need.
Julie: mhmm.
Bernadette: it's just to take care of their families. alright. uh, the fourth story comes from the state of vermont, where one in twenty five children has a parent in prison. so for twenty years though, camp agape has been a refuge, a week long summer camp just for kids aged eight to 12 with incarcerated parents. this is pretty cool because it's, uh, the only place that kids don't have to hide their family story. these children of incarcerated parents, they're among the most invisible victims of mass incarceration. they're disproportionately brown, black, and low income. great program.
Julie: yeah. oh, that made me so happy. i'm i was a kiddo, um, not that my parents were incarcerated, but being raised by a single mom. you know? i remember wanting to go to summer camp like my friends did and just being, like, told, like, heck no. we don't have money for that. and so so see a story like this of kiddos that have access to this opportunity in the shared community of other kids that are experiencing it so they don't feel alone and they don't feel like they have to hide those stories. they can just be their full selves. like, how cool is that? and and it strikes i think it's a systemic issue because we know if your parents are incarcerated, your likelihood of being incarcerated is much higher too. and so mhmm. it also could help break the cycle and help kids get access to mentors and love and support that everyone deserves.
Bernadette: yeah. exactly. exactly. i mean, and, of course, that's only a band aid fix as well, but it's a great program, and at least it gives these kids a a place where they they feel less stigmatized or they feel like they can be a little bit more authentic. alright. and the last story this week, random random stories sometimes i find these, julie, and i'm like, what? how is this not how is this possible? okay. so this story comes from denmark, which just abolished its 25% sales tax on books, which is the world's highest tax on books. and they're doing that to reverse what officials call a reading crisis because only one in four danish 15 year olds, uh, cannot or one in four cannot understand a simple text. neighboring countries like norway, textbooks at 0%. what?
Julie: that is wild. well and this is an international thing too. reading rates are down for adults considerably, like, in the teens. and, you know, social media, phones, i'm sure has a lot to do with it, so we're reading elsewhere. but i've always been a big reader, and i can't imagine having a sales tax like that. 25%. yeah. i have some friends from denmark, and they they joke, you know, we're the happiest country, but it's expensive to live here, and the winters are brutal. yeah. but but in all seriousness, yeah, reading literacy is such a big deal. like, we need to think about how to take down any perceived barriers to that cost being one of them. and a great example of, you know, legislation and, you know, government working in the right direction too.
Bernadette: yeah. because this has now become a systemic issue that they have to solve. because a 25% tax on books, it feels punitive. right? it feels like we're punishing you for buying books. like, it's it's like a cannabis tax. we're punishing you. right? and so, uh, for the privilege of so, yeah, i mean, now they're addressing this systemic issue that it was ridiculous to begin with. unbelievable. mhmm. truly. alright. alright, julie. let's move into this week's good vibes to go. i'll share my good vibe to go, and then i'll invite you to share your good vibe to go. alright. so my good vibe to go is some fresh data for you to promote your lgbtq plus inclusion efforts. so the human rights campaign foundation reports that companies in the highest corporate equality index score quartile saw average revenue growth of 12.3% over fifteen years, more than double the 5.23% growth of companies in the lowest quartile. now can we say definitively that there is a correlation? i don't know. but there's definitely good, good data to support lgbtq inclusive policies. alright, julie. what is your good vibe to go?
Julie: actually, the perfect timing. i just listened to adam grant's latest podcast episode, and he interviewed an expert from the netherlands about moral ambition. the reason i'm mentioning this is what they have found in all the research that the author did for the book is that what drives people to be ambitious and in a good way, in a moral way, is being invited, being asked. so if you look at, like, any social movement, whether it was against the nazis in world war two or, um, here with slavery in the united states, it was somebody saying, hey. i need your help with this. can you come do this thing? and so i think it's just a great reminder of allyship and that we need to be inviting others with a very clear direct ask. they're actually waiting for the invitation. what if we were the one to give them no no excuses to not join?
Bernadette: it's true. especially if other people in their lives just keep them safe and comfortable and don't give them such invitations or challenge them challenge them in that way. so, yes, i love it. great great advice from julie and adam grant. awesome. uh, julie, how can folks get in touch with you?
Julie: yeah. it's super easy. um, i'm on linkedin. i post most days, uh, julie kratz, k r a t z. and then next pivot point is my, um, website. there's free training, great resources there, and i have a weekly forbes column as well. so you can find me any one of those places.
Bernadette: awesome. and don't forget julie's new book, we want you, an allyship guide for people with power. awesome, julie. thank you so much. you have been a great guest a great repeat guest. uh, great to have you back on the show. and, uh, folks, if you don't already get the five things newsletter, you can subscribe at 5thingsdei.com. thanks. have a great week.