5 Things / Least Interesting
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Recently, I had a wonderful guest on 5 Things in 15 Minutes named Celia Daniels, a brilliant South Asian trans woman who runs a consulting firm in California. As she was introducing herself, she mentioned that she happens to love music, has an awesome 25-year-old daughter, and went on to share other passions. She described her trans identity as one small part of her whole self, and perhaps, a least interesting part. The older I get, the more I feel similarly about my lesbian identity.
Trans women were banned by the International Chess Federation this week. Come on now. Really? It’s increasingly common for us LGBTQ and other marginalized folks to be reduced by the media, politicians, and apparently chess federations, to the least interesting part of ourselves. That’s exactly why all of us should keep telling our stories. To keep sharing our mundane, passions, struggles, and joys. That’s where we find our common humanity.
One of the questions I often ask my guest before we hit “record” on 5 in 15 is, “What did you do this weekend?" I find that I can learn so much about a person by what they share. With stories, we can find connection points. And with connection points, we can solve anything.
Here Are This Week's Good Vibes:
The Trans Handy Ma’am
I’m late to the game on this, but this week I learned about Mercury Stardust, aka the Trans Handy Ma’am. Mercury provides minor DIY / fix-it advice and tips across social media and has gained a massive following (2mil on TikTok). Mercury says, “All of them [advice askers] have someone in their life that they wish they could ask help from, but they can’t.” Their videos are authentic, joyful, and incredibly helpful! Check them out – totally good vibes.
Inclusive Tours at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection's "Double Meaning" program offers inclusive tours for blind, partially sighted, and sighted visitors. The Venice Museum provides tactile reproductions of artworks along with descriptive sheets in Braille and high-legibility characters. This initiative allows visually impaired visitors to experience art independently. This is so cool because art should be accessible to everyone, including the 1 billion people around the world with visual impairment.
Hiring Refugees Is Good for People, Good for Business, Says Stickley CEO
Historic furniture manufacturer Stickley has been actively hiring refugees to address the shortage of skilled labor in the American furniture industry. Over the past 40 years, refugees have come to constitute nearly 50% of the company's 1,600-person workforce in Manlius, NY, comprising 23 nationalities. Stickley's CEO, Aminy Audi, views this initiative as a humanitarian effort that enriches both the refugees' lives and the company's work culture. Hiring refugees is so smart, and something I’ve written about extensively with Chobani. By tapping into the refugee population, Stickley is modeling the potential for other industries to embrace diversity and contribute to the American dream.
Companies Offering To Pay For Abortion Travel See Uptick In Recruitment
Corporations that offer abortion-related travel reimbursement for employees in states with limited access due to new abortion bans see improved recruitment. And also, they can lead to backlash from male employees. The study analyzed data from Indeed and Glassdoor, highlighting an almost 8% increase in interest in job postings by companies offering such benefits. However, Glassdoor ratings for senior management and company culture dropped, primarily among employees in male-dominated roles. This matters: there’s no doubt that extending reproductive benefits is found to likely enhance an organization's financial performance and attract a more diverse workforce.
Popcorn Stand at Lincoln Financial Field to Be Staffed by People With Autism
The Philadelphia Eagles is collaborating with "Popcorn for the People" to build a popcorn concession stand at the Lincoln Financial Field that will employ adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. A U.S. Department of Labor report states that around 85% of individuals on the autism spectrum are unemployed, which is the highest among any disability group. What I love is that the partnership will not only provide jobs for the disabled community but potentially serve as a model for similar initiatives across sports.
Call to Action:
Podcast recommendation! I’m enjoying Fixable, hosted by my sheroes, spouses, and leadership experts Anne Morris and Frances Frei. This is an advice show and the calls are great!