We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taryn Talley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taryn below.

Hi Taryn, thanks for joining us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

As with anything, making impactful change requires intentionality. Over the last ten years of my career I have focused on building intentionally inclusive workspaces that have a culture of belonging coupled with leading with empathy.

For me, the foundation of an inclusive workspaces is about respecting others, listening to folks and being as transparent as possible. Diverse experiences and perspectives recognized and accepted.

From that foundation – you build from the ground up.

As a Brown Transgender woman – I’ve been in spaces that didn’t support me or see me as I am – having dealt with my fair share of misgendering and disrespect.

After establishing that foundation, it important for team leaders to be consistent in mirroring those values – in everything you do.

One example that I can share, is a couple of years ago – a Sr leader posted a pic in a common area of a colleague that in that leader’s mind was humorous.

I found it offensive and took it down. I explained to the folks who saw that it was an inappropriate and hurtful act and that it had no place in this organization.

As leaders we have the power to act and influence others – never forget that.

Taryn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For my personal brand, I’m a marketing leader with 20+ years of experience in my field – my list of career successes are long.

I’m also a mixed race (BIPOC) transgender woman who uses her platform to publicly advocate for equality, equity and justice. I support all of my intersections and communities.

My goal in life is to make a positive impact for folks in historically marginalized communities like my own. I want my legacy to be the folks I’ve helped along the way.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I came out at work in 2019 – my LinkedIn profile was immediately out of date in more than one way – I decided to create a new one from scratch a few months later.

Since I had transitioned, I decided to start fresh. Connecting immediately with supportive co-workers and then I set out to find possible connections that fit my ethics and what I stood for.

A year later, I took my advocacy much more public, sharing my journey in consistent, relevant posts – as well as promoting other content from my connections.

I’ve grown my LinkedIn and Instagram followings substantially over the last two years and feel like I have an engaged platform.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Friends and family say that my resilience is a superpower… to me, it’s who I am.

I credit my mom for my resilience… I learned from watching her on her journey.

I’ve been in digital marketing for over 25 years, About every five years I get caught up in a layoff due to a market crash, recession or a once in a lifetime pandemic. My resilience immediately kicks in – I’m not defined by what’s happen to me (like a layoff), I’m defined as a person by my reaction to it.

I go to work networking with folks, finding new opportunities – looking for freelance clients or supplementing my education or job related topics.

I fight through.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taryntalley1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taryn-talley1