Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Short.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At the age of 7 I was selected to be trained as a classical ballet dancer. I went through several callbacks and out of hundreds of little girls 3 of us were selected to be trained. It sounds like a fairytale but in one breath I was selected and in the other breath I was told not to get my hopes up because little black girls are not normally ballet dancers. 30 something years later I had an amazing career I traveled the world and lived in Europe and Asia.

The discipline, creativity, and focus from dance carry over to my work today. I’m not on stage but I have learned how to engage people. I am a storyteller but use a different form. Traveling the world living in different countries and sharing in different cultures allows me to think beyond what I think I know.

When I founded The Cavu Group it was to build culture, think differently, and do it through the lens of others.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is smooth there will also be obstacles and challenges. When I was dancing many people felt that I didn’t belong in the company, or in charge of the dancers or the soloist. That was their challenge, not mine. My challenge was my knees every dancer has something mine were knee issues. There were many days and nights I spent with ice packs on my knees, rocking back and forth from the pain. Each morning I would get up and do it again.

Once I retired from dancing you couldn’t tell me I couldn’t do something! If there was a challenge I’d figure it out. If there is an obstacle in your way figure it out and keep it moving. It’s part of the course of living and there’s not one way to handle a situation. What works for one may not work for you so you need to understand who you are and the tools you have to handle the good times and the bad.

The industry I work in now focuses on speaking about Culture, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and it’s going through an identity crisis. I’m clear on my work and the importance of it many others are not. That means the challenge is to continue to do the work and share knowledge that people over policy will always win. It should not be a challenge to want to see and hear people and then build with them to create an equitable society, The struggle continues.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Cavu Group focuses on Expanding Beyond Your Current Culture. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have taken center stage in our conversations as we are undergoing a rapid transformation of the relationship between business and society. There are growing expectations that companies should not only be purpose-driven but take a leadership role in addressing social issues. The Cavu Group takes a different approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. We applaud everyone who is making an effort to understand how to advance their culture through DEI and accessibility goals, programs, outreach, and employee engagement. This is not an add-on to your business it should be part of the foundation of your business.

In order to advance your goals you must build DEI into your company’s foundation and build your Company Culture. The Cavu Group is your partner in developing unlimited visibility and ensuring your commitments are authentic, sustainable, and constantly evolving to achieve a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and beyond.

I am proud of the various industry and clients we work with. We are known for listening to those working in a company from the mailroom to the boardroom. We believe that the diversity conversation must be a full conversation about Gender, Race, LGBTQ+, Disabilities sight seen and unseen, and Accessibility. A client must want to do the work with me. It’s not magic as I stated before we are working with people and we need to take the time to understand each other and how each of us contributes to the mission and vision of a company. (and to the world at large)

I’m proud that The Cavu Group is also recognized for its Social Impact. We are also called to help restructure companies or departments through a DEI and Accessibility lens. When I work with a client and they say you understand us and I can see the change I’m proud. When I work with an individual and they say you see me and hear me I’m proud.

I love the work regardless of the challenges. We offer workshops, Facilitation of programs, and panels. Keynote speaking. Full or department restructuring as well as brand development. We also work for events and award shows as an accessibility officer. We are called for crisis management. (I am a certified mediator and conflict coach) Whatever The Cavu Group touches we want to make sure it’s impactful.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is seeing people succeed in whatever it is they want. That could be getting up each day to a major milestone. The word impact matters to me because if you think and move with intent, and with a goal you build a path to have an impact.

Kindness matters because if you can share kindness with others you can recognize how to be kind to yourself. Many people aren’t kind because they aren’t kind to themselves. If we take a moment to be kind to others we may see something amazing in them and recognize more of what we have in common than what separates us.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thecavugroup.com
• Instagram: http://instsgram.com/TheCavuGroup
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheCavuGroup
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/LeslieShort
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheCavuGroup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBtGZ7_ZEAH1LKNRK34EtAA/videos
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-ultd/id1515377295

Image Credits
Stanley Debase, Tony Rahsaan