Episode 17: Go beyond tweets and quotes. Do more good!

Hi Friends.  Thank you for tuning into another episode of Pandocap.  We have a special guest today that I will introduce shortly but I wanted to start with why we are focused on this discussion.  

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many major corporations are tweeting out statements of concern and support for the Black community. The awareness is what is needed at this moment and action. Corporate America has an obligation to go beyond tweets and quotes by committing to an agenda that will advance racial equity in meaningful ways.

This is where Ambassadors Circle and the Vote With Love initiative comes in.  This organization has been at the pulse of society’s increasingly urgent challenges.  They will discuss how they have created a community that inspires and works to do more good which is needed now more than ever. 

Q: J & LT can you please share your background with our audience and your journey to today? 

A: Social justice issues and racial justice issues have always been at the forefront of our lives.  This is why we saw a need to create community through The Ambassadors Circle and take it one step further with our Vote With Love initiative.  Vote With Love is a non-partisan civic engagement campaign meant to drive a historic turn out for the 2020 election.  The focus is to inspire a more informed and thoughtful vote than ever before.

Q: As we saw Alexis Ohanian step down to make room for a black candidate.  Do you think more leaders or will encourage this kind of representation?  

A:  Mr Ohanian is making an incredible statement by taking this step.  In leadership representation matters and effective leadership is being moved by your team, customers, and partners. If you don’t have representation you are missing out on the richness of the diversity of thought. You also may not recognize that oftentimes the polices, procedures and practices of the organization are designed to benefit a certain type of individual or community. You may not realize who those policies are also harming.   Leaders who have the opportunity to make bold moves, we encourage you to make those moves now and if you can’t do that then just start by encouraging your leaders to understand unconscious bias.

Q: How do you connect with the community in an authentic way to develop engagement for organizations? 

A: Key terms to understand

• Trauma informed 

• Empathetic 

• Acceptance 

If we understand the presence and impact of trauma on certain communities, we can better understand where people are coming from and move towards more authentic relationships.  Then empathy can grow within us and we can develop empathetic muscles which will allow us to become better listeners and be more patient. And then by practicing acceptance, we can broaden our scope of understanding. It’s also important to know that accepting your personal actions and their impact to the makeup of society can take time.

Everyone wins when people are trauma informed, empathetic and act with acceptance in a sustainable way.

Q: What are your projections for the end of year and going into 2021?

A: We are focused on November 3rd and inspiring a historic voter turnout. 

Viewers can go to www.votewithlovegear.com to get shirts and masks and help support our efforts. Enter “Pandocap” at checkout and get 15% off.  Bulk orders and discounts are available if you want to outfit your entire company.

Thank you again for joining us on this special edition of sharing expert advice on Pandocap and stay tuned as we help give voice to the next generation.  Vota Con Amor!