We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Liz Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Liz, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

One of the most unexpected and frankly, disheartening challenges I’ve faced in business was when a trusted client contact acted unethically and put my business and team in a deeply compromising position.

We were working with a large international organization, and they made up a significant portion of our revenue at the time – around one-third of both our income and workforce were dedicated to the account. What I didn’t know was that the client contact had begun asking one of my team members to do work for his personal side business, instructing them to bill those hours under the official contract with his employer. When I discovered what was happening, I confronted him directly and made it clear that this was both unethical and unacceptable.

Rather than acknowledge the wrongdoing, he threatened to cancel our contract. Then, behind my back, he told my team that I was shutting down the business and moving overseas—he even managed to convince one of my employees to leave and join the client organization, despite a clause in place to prevent poaching. That loss wasn’t just about staffing; it was personal. It hurt.

At that point, the client organization had prepaid $80,000 for upcoming work. And even though that money could have been used to stabilize the business during this shakeup, I made the decision to return it in full. I withdrew the funds as a bank cheque and personally delivered it back. I didn’t want even a hint of impropriety connected to our name.

In the short term, it cost us significantly. But in the long run, it reinforced the kind of company I’m committed to building; one grounded in integrity, even when no one’s watching. Leadership isn’t just about making the right decisions when it’s easy. It’s about who you choose to be when everything’s on the line.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I didn’t set out to become a globally recognized expert in inclusion and organizational culture. In fact, I was expelled from school at 13. I didn’t come from money or connections or a clear path. But I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior; why some people thrive in certain environments and others struggle, no matter how talented or hardworking they are. That question eventually became my life’s work.

My company, Include Inc., is a consulting firm dedicated to building thriving cultures and inclusive organizations where people and performance can truly flourish. My work lives at the intersection of behavioral science, organizational strategy, and human experience.

Over the years, I’ve worked with global corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits to help them transform not just policies and processes, but the everyday decisions, environments, and behaviors that determine whether people feel safe, supported, and empowered to contribute. I’ve developed original frameworks (including the 8-Inclusion Needs of All People® and The SPACE Model™) that have been adopted by practitioners and leaders around the world. Last year, I also published The Strategic Inclusion Playbook—a comprehensive guide for creating inclusive organizations.

What sets me apart isn’t just the science or the strategy, it’s the lived experience. I’ve seen what it’s like to be silenced, underestimated, or excluded. I’ve also seen how powerful it is when organizations get it right…when culture becomes a catalyst for innovation, loyalty, and high performance. That contrast drives everything I do.

I’m most proud of building this business as a legacy for my son Dominic, who tragically died by suicide in 2023. Include Inc. is not just a company – it’s a mission. Everything we do is designed to make workplaces safer and more human. We help leaders look beyond performative gestures and implement systems and behaviors that create real, measurable impact.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my work, it’s this: Inclusion isn’t just a checkbox. Culture isn’t just a vibe. These things shape whether people get a fair shot at success—or fall through the cracks. And when you build an organization where everyone can thrive, high performance takes care of itself.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think what’s helped me most is that I show up as a real person.

In a world full of corporate buzzwords and performative leadership, I’m unapologetically authentic, and that means being vulnerable, too. I don’t hide the hard parts of my story. I talk openly about being expelled from school, navigating toxic workplaces, and losing my son to suicide. Those experiences don’t disqualify me. Instead, they make me human. And they shape how I work with people and organizations today.

I also believe in sharing knowledge generously. I don’t gatekeep what I’ve learned from decades of experience in behavioral science, organizational strategy, and human-centered design. I want people to have access to practical, evidence-based solutions that actually help them do better, not just look better.

But reputation isn’t built through content alone. It’s built through care. I genuinely care about the leaders I work with and the people in their organizations. I want their environments to be safer, more honest, and more empowering. I don’t work with clients just to tick boxes, I’m invested in real outcomes. My approach is compassionate but clear-eyed. I’m not afraid to challenge assumptions or call out what’s not working, but I do it in a way that helps people grow.

Ultimately, I think people trust me because they know I’m not just here for the contract. I’m here for the change.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

By far, the best source of new clients has been delivering keynote presentations.

When I did the analysis last year, I found that around 80% of my ongoing consulting and capability-building work has come from someone seeing me speak, either at a public event or as part of an internal session for their organization. Often, it starts with one keynote. I’ll deliver a session that resonates deeply with people, not just intellectually, but emotionally. And afterward, the conversation continues. Clients will say, “We need more of this,” or “Can you help us go deeper?”

I think it works because I don’t just speak at people, I connect with them. I use storytelling, vulnerability, humor, and evidence-based insight to challenge the way people think about culture, leadership, and inclusion. Rather than trying to inspire people for 60 minutes, I’m trying to shift something in them that lasts long after the applause.

Those moments on stage are trust-building. And when that trust is earned in real time, clients feel confident bringing me in to work with their teams more closely, whether that’s through strategic advisory, training programs, or culture transformation initiatives.

So in a way, my keynotes are more than a speaking gig, they are the front door to deeper, long-term partnerships that create real impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theincludeinc.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlizwilson/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedrliz-include
• Other: https://a.co/d/5M8nbXR