We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew French a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
I’ve been in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space for nearly 10 years. Having worked with hundreds of organizations across industries on their DEI strategies the one glaring feature that many organizations don’t realize is that DEI takes time, effort, and resources. The perception is that DEI is about celebrating holidays and observational months like Pride, Women’s History Month, MLK Day, etc., but to create systemic change workplaces have to invest in education, goal setting, and metrics to move the DEI needle forward. One of the best places to start is educating your leadership on being an inclusive leader.
I consulted with a large tech firm on their DEI strategy and when I suggested we start with the education of DEI to leadership there was push back. They wanted to start with creating Employee Resource Groups, but how could those ERGs thrive if they didn’t have support from leadership? Being an inclusive leader is pivotal to making a difference in the workplace. That company decided to go with another consultant and that’s fair. If my approach isn’t where you’re at, then it is best to find a DEI consultant who can meet your needs. For the organizations I have assisted with building out their DEI strategies it starts with educating leadership on the “business case” and “people case” for DEI. Once we’ve went over the multiple areas for why DEI is important (increased retention, increased productivity, higher morale, etc.), then it’s to the hard part. Creating habits that demonstrate an inclusive leader. Teaching soft skills is hard…..like really hard.
The focus is to make the leadership aware that being people centered and truly meaning that is at the heart of DEI. Some ways leaders can be more inclusive include:
Make sure everyone is given equal opportunities to grow, develop and take on additional responsibilities. Don’t just delegate or nurture one person. Spread it across your team.
Encourage open communication between with your team, to foster a sense of trust and understanding. Disagreeing is okay and moving past disagreements towards solutions helps to reinforce that sense of psychological safety and belonging.
Be aware of employees of all backgrounds and abilities. Educate yourself through on different identities and experiences through research. Get to know each employee and more about their lived experience.
Stay informed about diversity and inclusion initiatives, both in your own organization and in the wider world.
Listen to, empathize with, and learn from all employees to gain a better understanding of their unique perspectives.
Lead by example and be willing to make changes to better foster an inclusive workplace.
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 started my professional journey in Higher Education working in Career Centers. My role focused on Career Coaching students and alumni on the job/internship search. For many of the folks I coached, their identity played a huge role in their professional journey. So I began to integrate more identity focused programming and career coaching topics into what I did. For example, how to find inclusive employers, answering probing interview questions, finding identity based professional associations, etc.
This led me to consulting with recruiters from around the country on authentic recruitment and messaging practices. I wanted to make sure what they told students and alumni was transparent and honest. After nearly 8 years in Higher Education I started my own consulting Company Awesomely Authentic LLC. I really got started in the side hustle of my own business because I would have professionals in my network ask me if I did trainings or consulting. Seeing the opportunity and with a little push from a mentor, I jumped head first into creating my own vibe of DEI. Awesomely Authentic is the product of ten years of experience working with the LGBTQ+ community and DEI, eight years of professional career coaching, and a love of the ‘90s. It is a blend of these aspects that come together to create an authentically high-energy tailored experience to each presentation and training in order to help organizations, companies and employee resource groups reach their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. My goal always being I want people to feel heard, seen, and valued for who they are. For me the 90s also lends itself to being a more inviting space to discuss DEI. Many folks are nervous to discuss identity in the workplace and through my positive energy and the bright colors of the 90s brand I have adopted, this creates a space where DEI is safe and fun for everyone to learn and create change.
Awesomely Authentic now does trainings and workshops for government, tech, finance, and nonprofit clients around the world. I have educated over 6,000 professionals worldwide on LGBTQ+ identities and allyship, unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, creating safe spaces through Employee Resource Groups, and strategic planning for their DEI goals. I love the work I get to do and one of my favorite events to do is the Queer Vaudeville Showcase. I am a huge lover of the classic show I Love Lucy and always loved their vaudeville shenanigans. I use this concept in the Queer Vaudeville Showcase to highlight LGBTQ+ people across the spectrum of identities and talents (drag, signers, poets, mentalists, etc.). It is a LGBTQ+ educational event and talent showcase like no other! Folks get to learn from LGBTQ+ individuals across the spectrum of identities. In between learning more about LGBTQ+ identities and experiences they also get to enjoy the talents of these amazing performers. It truly brings the vibrance and love of our community to the workplace!
https://www.awesomelyauthentic.com/queervaudeville
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
While Awesomely Authentic predominantly focuses on assisting companies in their DEI journey, I still want to help job and internship seekers find the best employer and career path for them. I had launched an 8 week professional development program called Authentic U. It was a virtual experience where we meet weekly and covered a variety of identity and career topics. I loved the program, but financially I wasn’t able to sustain the program. I wanted to make it accessible to folks, but in order to cover the resources needed I went into the hole for the venture. Now I have been working on a new iteration of Authentic U where it is a self paced 10 hour course for folks to explore the intersections of their identity and career, as well as hone in on their jo search, LinkedIn, networking, and resume. While Authentic U has had to change and the inital idea wasn’t sustainable, I had to be okay with feeling that hiccup and moving forward that in the end will still help people and not burn me out in the process.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Through my loving energy and care for my clients I have actually built most of my client base through word of mouth. Initially I had to get folks to trust me and take a chance on a new solo consultant. To build up that credibility I offered to do a few trainings and one consulting gig for free. All I asked for in return was a quote for my website and to list them as a client. Once I had those listed and was able to show positive outcomes I started sharing my services on LinkedIn, in professionals organizations, and with conference planners. That has increased clients and revenue every year since starting Awesomely Authentic. This growth has allowed me to give back in ways I never thought imaginable. I have been able to volunteer with national nonprofits on their DEI programs, spread education about DEI world wide, and to create an upcoming scholarship for Appalachian youth making a difference in their communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.awesomelyauthentic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesomelyauthentic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/awesomelyauthentic