We recently connected with Brittany Martin Déjean and have shared our conversation below.

Brittany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

When I was 12, a car accident killed my younger brother and left my dad a quadriplegic. To me, he was still just my dad but I watched so many others stumble through awkward and uncomfortable interactions to try to connect or avoid him altogether. Years later, I caught myself acting the same way with someone with a different disability. I realized not only how deeply awkwardness shapes our interactions, but how engrained it is in our culture and how much damage it causes. For nearly two decades, I’ve worked in disability inclusion and it became apparent to me that lots of people in positions of power harbor this awkwardness and avoidance towards disability. It’s the barrier to inclusion we don’t talk about enough.

I know firsthand that disability is not the end of a meaningful life. It’s a part of someone’s identity and lived experience, I want others to see that too so millions of people are no longer excluded simply because others are too uncomfortable to try and afraid of making mistakes. I am a speaker and facilitator that transforms people’s perspectives on disability with my three step system that debunks misconceptions and helps people overcome their fear of mistakes.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am the daughter of a quadriplegic who has spent my professional career training leaders, speaking on stages, and running campaigns to change perspectives on disability on a global scale. My entrepreneurial experience running the nonprofit AbleThrive complemented my corporate experience at Airbnb, enabling me to see the gaps and misunderstandings that thwart progress. Now as founder of Inclusion Jumpstart, I am on a mission to get people comfortable with disability to accelerate inclusion. Combined with my Harvard education and nearly two decades of experience, I bring a rare blend of personal and professional background to address a taboo issue that needs critical attention.

I do keynote speeches and facilitate workshops for ERGs, teams, leaders who want to be inclusive of the disability community and either are intimidated or don’t know where to start. This includes HR teams who want to ensure they’re hiring fairly to product development teams who are building products and services for diverse audiences. I help companies avoid costly and avoidable issues that stem from awkwardness and avoidance, but result in discrimination. I ground myself in empathy, so people feel safe to admit their discomfort and ultimately overcome it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that success comes from hustle or that I have to sacrifice myself in order to succeed. When I ran my first disability organization, I was convinced that hours worked equated to success. What I’ve come to understand is that it’s more about alignment and rigorous prioritization that lead to success. I was someone who always felt like more was better, spreading myself too thin. When I was ready to move on from my corporate experience at Airbnb, I realized I didn’t want to do it all. I had to take time to figure out my niche – what brought me joy and had an impact. Once I realized that I loved helping people overcome their awkwardness about disability, and how much I felt like the topic was in the shadows, I knew what I wanted to do. I have a system of prioritization now that if an opportunity doesn’t align, it’s a no. I am focused on my goal and I know that by doing that, I have the best chance of reaching those who are looking for me to help them.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have been working in the disability space in some form or another for nearly 20 years. I have always kept my story and background at the forefront so people see me, my connection and my motivation before anything else. I’ve learned the value of trust, and sharing my experience and my ‘why’ has been the best vehicle for me to build a reputation that is authentic.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.inclusionjumpstart.com
• Instagram: @brittanymartindejean
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-martin-dejean/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InclusionJumpstart