We were lucky to catch up with Thomas Foley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Thomas, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

That’s a great question and one that I think about almost daily.  Before sharing some ideas on creating a more inclusive workplace, I think it is important to recognize that creating a more inclusive workplace is both the right thing to do for your team and the right thing to do for your business.  Creating a culture where everyone has a true sense of belonging sparks greater engagement, retention, innovation, and profit.

The first step in driving greater inclusivity is to know your “why.”  Why is it important for you personally to advance a culture of belonging. 

Data informs us that greater diversity in the workplace generates greater performance.  But I am not sure this data drives individual action.  What motivates you to stand up when witnessing microaggressions?   What sparks you to take action when someone in the workplace is marginalized?

For me, I feel inequity.   Early in my legal career, I was acutely aware of systemic inequities and hostile workplace environments. These inequities triggered my emotions – discomfort, frustration, and infuriation. I felt that I had to speak up and change the culture. As I challenged a system that was unjust, I was asked why would I pursue the change when the likelihood of success was very slim yet the impact on me may be great. My response was simple: “If I see a brick wall that should not be there, I have a choice…I can turn around and walk the other way or I can run into the wall. If I choose to run into the wall, I know that it will hurt, and I may not knock it down, but I will weaken it.  And, those that run into it after me will, ultimately, knock it down.”

As you can hear, I think the most important ingredient for creating a more inclusive culture starts with your personal “why.” We can only create a truly inclusive culture when we care about ensuring equity.

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

Of course. I often share that I started my career practicing law in New York, handling large civil litigation, mergers, acquisitions, and real estate matters. After practicing for about 15 years, I transitioned to explore social impact business opportunities, launching Indigo Group on the belief that businesses must drive social impact. Yet, this quick biography neglects to share that the year between graduating from Colgate University and attending law school.  For that year, I taught High School in New York City – I was 21 years old and teaching seniors in high school, many of whom were just two years younger.  Our life experiences were very different.  While I hope that I created impactful learning experiences for the students, the students certainly created  a lasting impact on me. That one year helped seed my passion to drive greater equity.       

Jumping to today, I am partners with Tiffany Derry in T2D Concepts, LLC, a purpose-driven hospitality group that strives to bridge the gender and racial wealth gap in the industry. T2D owns and operates the fast-casual concepts, Roots Chicken Shak, as well as Roots Southern Table, a nationally recognized full-service restaurant in Farmers Branch TX.  I also help lead NextUp’s Allyship program to advance women in the workplace and regularly speak and facilitate workshops for corporations aiming to advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I shared a bit about how I got to where I am today through my year teaching high school. Well, that was a pivot in itself.  I planned to go directly to law school after college and expected to be admitted to my top choice for law school.  But, I guess the admissions team didn’t see it the same way I did.  This hurt and forced me to rethink my priorities.

On a lighter note, you may say that I didn’t pivot as much as travelled full circle. During high school, I was crew chief at McDonald’s, in college, I was a server in a full-service Italian restaurant, and during law school, I served as a host at a local restaurant. Then, I practiced law for just over 15 years and now find myself back in the restaurant business.

Any advice for managing a team?

Culture first! In launching our businesses, we focus on Passion, Principle, Purpose, and Profit ….in that order. It is vital that your team not only understands the mission but embraces it.  I also believe that transparency and consistency are key in managing a team. 

When we talked about the ingredients for an inclusive culture, we focused on the “why” – from the individual perspective.  When managing a team, it is important to focus on the why from the institutional perspective.  We emphasize our mission and our core values; why we do what we do!

We rely on our core values to guide our decisions and actions, creating consistency for our team.  We also discuss and explain our decisions to ensure our team has clarity on the reasons we are proposing certain actions as well as invite our team to share ideas and suggestions on how we can continually evolve, improve, and learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.indigogroupllc.com and www.t2dconcepts.com
• Instagram: @txfoley
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasfoleydallas/
• Twitter: @txfoley
• Other: @rootssouthtable

Image Credits
Alyssa Vincent and Mia Valdez