We caught up with the brilliant and insightful McKenzie Wren a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi McKenzie, thanks for joining us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

Absolutely! It is my passion! Diversity and inclusion are buzzwords right now and what I know for sure is that it takes deep commitment to build a thriving inclusive culture. My work as a whole helps people learn to talk to each other in a way that strengthens relationships so that organizations can begin shifting their culture to be more inclusive. It’s easy to take a one-off diversity training but true inclusion centers relationships and helps create or strengthen feelings of belonging. If you feel you belong, you feel that your voice matters, that your presence and contributions are important and you feel a sense of community. In our incredibly polarized world, centering relationships is more important than ever. I believe in a “call in” culture, not a “call-out” culture. How can we call each other into conversation across differences rather than just cancelling each other, unfriending and judging. Don’t get me wrong – all the ‘isms that assault us daily like homophobia, racism, sexism etc. need to be addressed. I just believe that the way to do that is by creating listening spaces where curiosity and compassion drive conversations. When we center relationships and explore where we want to go together, organizations can create a shared vision and work together to bring that vision into the world. It’s not easy but it does work. A key piece of creating this space is for people across the organization to be equipped to interrupt when things start to go off the rails. The other day, two colleagues in a meeting began to escalate a conversation but their colleagues who had been trained to interrupt were able to invite everyone to take some breaths and thus calm their pulses and remember the relationship. Once the pair was out of the “highjack mode,” i.e. the fight or flight zone of danger, the conversation was able to resume with curiosity and sharing. All the policies in the world (which are very important) will not make a difference if people are not committed to doing the personal work of inclusion.

McKenzie, 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 launched Wren Consulting in 2015 with a mission to help organizations create culture on purpose: thriving, inclusive cultures that disrupt and challenge inequities. Before that I worked in Clarkston, GA, called “the most diverse square miles in the US,” for 10 years including serving as Executive Director at the Clarkston Community Center where I developed a deep passion for community building through facilitation. I believe that culture at work matters. Work should not have to be an oppressive grind for anyone and I believe we have the power to shift the way that we come together in organizations. Part of this work is identifying practices that perpetuate inequity whether that be related to issues of education, unequal pay, restroom access, holiday celebrations or basically anything that falls under the umbrella of culture. What do people talk about at the water cooler (sigh, when we used to gather at the water cooler!) Using the power of conversation and the tools of collaboration, I help schools, businesses or organizations identify the right solutions for them and help them own the process of change. Our primary work is to help organizations increase engagement and create an environment of authentic inclusion where all feel welcome to bring their best selves and their best work. We help create culture on purpose: intentional culture that supports collaboration, equity and inclusion and success. Peter Drucker famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” and it’s true. So my partners and I help organizations explore their culture. We use bold approaches that create the conditions for change to happen from within.

Since 2015 I have served nearly 50 client-partners ranging from single sessions to multiyear relationships. I earned my master’s degree from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health where I also taught students on leadership and community engagement. Some of the things that set me apart are that I am a visual artist with a background in complementary medicine and I often integrate art, healing practices and theater techniques into my work. I have a background in storytelling and performance plus I am trained in some super cool techniques and practices like Asset-based Community Development and the Collaborative Operating System as well as drawing from the deep wisdom of the Presencing Institute and the Art of Hosting. I almost always work in partnership to ensure that organizations have the right people to help them move their work forward.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Without a doubt it has been word of mouth. I am a believer in the strengths approach of StrengthFinders and two of my top strengths are strategic and relator. I realized early on that going to lots of networking meetings was really hard and exhausting for me and caused me a lot of stress and that my social media competence was lacking in terms of focusing on or paying for the kind of support that I would need to really amplify my voice. A coach helped me look at my strengths and figure out how to be strategic about how to work my relationships. I am fortunate to have a deep network in Atlanta because I have been here so long and am part of many different communities. In the early years, I did a lot of outreach to my existing networks and all of my initial work came through word of mouth. These days that is still true – I hear about opportunities through my network or people refer me. It’s an honor to be referred and when people use their social capital to refer me it means a lot. Because I rely on a trusted network, I always brig my best work so as to not let the person who referred me down!

I am working to expand beyond Atlanta which means beginning to contact 2nd degree connections or asking who knows anyone in other states that might need the work I do. It’s being fun to reach out to a more national network. I work with clients in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Mississippi but if you know folks across the country send them my way. Or in Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Accra – why not? International would be lovely as well!

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 I didn’t have to know it all or do it all. I think that’s a huge deal! I was fortunate to have people along the way who could help me see where I should focus my energy and where I needed the support. The challenge was that in the early days, I didn’t have any savings or capital to invest in my business – I had to hit the ground running and start earning to support my family so there were a lot of things I had to do late at night simply because I didn’t have the money to outsource them. I’m still a single shingle but I have bookkeeping support and when I need materials created I outsource it and I also occasionally hire other support as needed. That is a real freedom because trying to do everything myself was exhausting and left me feeling less than competent. I think if I were doing it differently, I might have gotten a small business loan so I could have developed my marketing and branding more comprehensively earlier on. I did find a lot of support by attending groups like IMC, NAWBO and SEAF. These groups helped me learn how to ask for help as well as offering resources for the support I needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wrenconsulting.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrenconsultingatl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultureonpurpose
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenziewren/
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/Wrenderings-103275531154396