Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Deneen L Garrett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Deneen L, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

“Deneen L. Garrett elevated the voices of millions of women of color and empowered them to Live a Dream Lifestyle. Because of Deneen, they… (…tried again, exceeded a goal, lived a dream lifestyle).”

This is the legacy I aspire to leave behind as well as someone who created generational wealth.

Deneen L, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have over 20 years of experience empowering others through coaching & developing, championing diversity & inclusion, and creating opportunities. I attribute much of my success to the art of relationship building, professional development and the investment of others as mentors. I’ve also created several panels and a skilled speaker and moderator.

When preparing for my 2009 move to Las Vegas, I prayed to learn what my passion and purpose was. After my involvement with our corporate Employee Resource Groups (ERGs),-under Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), volunteer organization, The Pioneers,-under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)/Community Engagement and attending our ERG conference, I knew I wanted a career in D&I or CSR. I put in the work, built relationships and 5+ years later, I was promoted into D&I.  Not only was this my dream career, it was a newly created role. Bonus!!!  

During my years in corporate Diversity & Inclusion, I leveraged talent acquisition, employee development, and sponsorship initiatives on behalf of marginalized employees. I also co-founded an Inclusion Council and led projects impacting 250,000+ employees.

Prior to retiring in June of 2022, I was the lead for our Women of Color (WOC) Leadership Development Program for high-performing/high-potential WOC. In addition to designing the strategy and rolling out programming to strengthen the long-term capabilities of women of color and their supervisors, I launched an enterprise-wide continuous learning and employee / social engagement platform for employees designed to up-skill allies and advocates for women of color.

I’m a Passionate, Innovative, Executioner (P. I. E. ) who leveraged years of program management, HR and leadership to launch Deneen Consults; a speaking, coaching, consulting business. I’m also the Creator and Host of the An Intimate Conversation with Women of Color podcast which I launched in 2020. An Intimate Conversation started as a panel to provide LGBTQ+ WOC and Allies a platform to use their voices. Additionally, I’m a published author, “Upward: Leadership Lessons for Women on the Rise” and active on several boards.

I elevate the voices of women of color, build community and Live a Dream Lifestyle.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In January of 2021, I was moved from my dream career. Although I’ve witnessed how people played checkers with the lives of others, I decided it was time I played chess so I “chose myself” by setting boundaries, thinking about my worth and reflecting on the life I wanted for myself. This led to me deciding I would retire in June of 2022.

Fast-forward to January of 2022, I declared “Live” would be my word for the year and Live a Dream Lifestyle would be my focus. I dreamed about what this would look like, decided travel, I LOVE to travel, would be my main component and drove to make it happen (my 3 D’s). I structured my life so that if I wanted to go to a museum in Chicago for the day, I could.  As a matter of fact, I recently flew to NY for the day for the Jean-Michel Basquiat King Pleasure experience.

Any advice for managing a team?

When I lead teams, I get to know my folks individually. I share personal and professional information about myself modeling the behavior and encouraging they share as well. I provide exposure to their aspirations and give opportunities in alignment with their goals. This builds relationships which is a core of mine and boosts morale. I demonstrate that I see, value and appreciate them.

Additionally, it is important to have a “bench”. Coach and develop your successor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://deneenconsults.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deneenlgarrett/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deneenlgarrett/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5A_Z9OzVXnvWx96xvmlv_g?themeRefresh=1
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/deneen-consults-detroit?osq=deneen+consults