I first came across Chris Hooten on LinkedIn about a month ago when I had so many thoughts swirling in my head around the silence of so many equity and inclusion professionals in my circles of influence with the ongoing genocide in Gaza. A deliberate choice to uphold a sense of comfort in a job that requires you to be truth tellers and deeply uncomfortable to uphold a sense of integrity. Chris’s perspective that they were openly and unapologetically sharing online felt like the truth that so desperately needed to be said, and so I invited them to join me in dialogue in exploring the dire need for integrity in the work of equity and inclusion, especially for white practitioners who hold a deep amount of privilege and access.Meet Chris: Chris Hooten (they/them) is a leading speaker, advisor, and advocate for LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and BIPOC affirming cultures and with over ten years in leadership, advocacy, and professional development, Chris has worked alongside incredible organizations like the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Levy Restaurants, POCIS Seattle, and Bastyr University to build equitable and and accessible organizations. They inspire clients to embrace intersectional neurodiversity to remove barriers and promote success for all. They offer a range of services, including workshops, professional development, speaking engagements, and coaching that solves equity challenges. To learn more about their impact, visit chrishootenconsulting.com.LinkedIn post from Chris that inspired this episode here.References from the episode:Norman Finkelstein - https://www.normanfinkelstein.com/Maintenance Phase podcast: https://www.maintenancephase.com/The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Mate: https://drgabormate.com/book/the-myth-of-normal/Israeli government admits to sterilizing Ethiopian Jewish women: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gave-birth-control-to-ethiopian-jews-without-their-consent-8468800.htmlLicensed intro music from NoMo

Today you're in for a real treat, a conversation with someone who has a beautiful capacity to help us all rethink the way we work and the way we resign ourselves to urgency culture, to upholding the systems of white supremacy and capitalism - that keep us exhausted.I first came across the work of Lydia Philip (she/her) through a series of blog posts she authored for Evenings and Weekends Consulting on rest and urgency culture.  I really want to encourage you to take a few minutes to read those posts that are linked below before you jump into the dialogue today to provide a richness of context and insight that Lydia so thoughtfully captures through her words. She's incredibly generous with her approach to work, to liberation, to a world built on possibilities that are rooted in honouring our sense of collective humanity.Blog series on urgency culture:https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/rest-is-a-social-currency-who-is-banking-ithttps://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/a-state-of-unrest-are-we-perpetuating-urgency-culturehttps://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/how-to-embed-rest-in-your-organization-s-policies-and-practiceshttps://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/urgency-culture-how-did-we-get-here-and-where-are-we-goinghttps://ions.ca/resisting-a-rest-how-urgency-culture-polices-our-work/ More about Lydia:Lydia is passionate about engaging in and contributing to work that is a catalyst for transformative change. She's a gifted storyteller and published writer and researcher, and she's intentional about using her voice to inspire new ways of being together to create thought provoking work and to help shape a more just equitable future.As the content strategist at Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia, Lydia is energized by her role in meaningful communication, advancing people centered practices, and sharing organizational learnings. Most recently, her writing on resisting urgency culture and prioritizing rest has sparked conversations throughout the country.She was featured in the Globe and Mail, All Nova Scotia, and she was one of five individuals in Canada selected for a writing fellowship on work and working with the Philanthropist Journal. At heart, Lydia is a creative and caring disruptor, an advocate for centering people in the work always, and a big believer in the power of re-imagining she has the privilege of living near the ocean and many lakes in Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia), the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaw People.Connect with Lydia through LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-phillip/Licensed intro music from NoMo

I’ve been away from this platform for so long navigating through several big changes in life and on the brink of burnout but with everything going on in Gaza, I am so called to build on what I’ve already publicly said because without a shadow of a doubt, Gaza and Palestine have changed me to my core -  there is no going back to the ways things used to be and there is no option to stay silent. I also can’t stay quiet as there is an urgency within me to talk about what’s happening and add a perspective that is deeply personal to me as a Muslim woman, an equity practitioner who centers justice in her work, who seeks to always center the most marginalized and someone who is called to use my platforms to denounce systems of oppression. So, here is my impassioned, raw and personal call to ask you to come out of your apathy, your silence and to fight for a #FreePalestine.I'm including here some information that has helped me understand the depth of what is in front of us with the centering of primarily Palestinian voices and stories:Can Israelis and Palestinians See Eye to Eye? || Creators for Change | Middle Ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jj8vne0ca0What It’s Like to Grow Up in an Israeli Settlement | Op-Docs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eac1l1ozfLcPalestinians Film War in Gaza: ‘So They Know We Existed’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_L_088DiwThey Called Me a Lioness - A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom by Ahed Tamimiand Dena TakruriMarc Lamont Hill Speaks On Israel-Hamas War, International Law, History + More https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPRua0u7hYYPeople and references in the episode:Ahlam Yassin, American-Muslim educator Zohra M. Khorashi, American lawyer  Drawn2IntellectZara ChoudharyRa'fat Al-DajaniAparna Rae LinkedIn post:https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7140362168260046848/United Nations Global Compact Network Canada toolkit on advancing advocacy and solidarity: https://unglobalcompact.ca/knowledge-hub/page.php?id=34https://defenceforchildren.org/israels-detention-of-palestinian-children-is-an-outrage-to-humanity/https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/https://www.un.org/unispal/nakba75/https://www.npr.org/2023/05/15/1176097958/un-nakba-day-explained-anniversary-palestine-israelLicensed intro music from NoMo

Sit back with a notebook, pen and a cup of tea and listen to the thoughtprovoking, dynamic and awe-inspiring Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi (she/her) talk about workplace saviorism and how we can inspire a paradigm shift in traditional workplace cultures to move beyond trying to fix Black, Indigenous and racialized people to amplifying our talents and standing in solidarity with us. Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi is a changemaker, speaker and author. She is founder of Accelerate Her Future, a leading career accelerator in Canada providing tailored programs by and for Indigenous, Black and racialized women pursuing careers in business and tech while developing networks of solidarity and action. She is also the founder of Divity Group, a facilitation and learning design practice focused on equity and inclusion and leadership development. A TEDx and Walrus Talks speaker, Golnaz has been named as a top 50 Changemaker by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business and a New Entrepreneur to Watch by Future of Good.Connect with Golnaz and her team at Accelerate her Future here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggolnaraghi/https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerate-her-futurehttps://www.instagram.com/accelerateherfuture/What was mentioned in the episode:Sponsor Effect: Canada  - https://bhasinconsulting.com/private/61f85232b82fcThe Wake Up by Michelle MiJung Kim - https://www.michellemijungkim.com/wakeupBrown Table Talk podcast with Dee C. Marshall and Mita Mallick - https://www.browntabletalkpodcast.com/Secure the Seat podcast and writing retreat with Minda Harts - https://www.mindaharts.com/podcast + https://secure-the-seat-writers-retreat.teachable.com/p/secure-your-seatDon’t Just Mentor Women and People of Color. Sponsor Them by Rosalind Chow - https://hbr.org/2021/06/dont-just-mentor-women-and-people-of-color-sponsor-themThe Colour Gap podcast - Stop calling us resilient - a conversation on burnout, wellness and self-care with  Chivon John The Colour Gap podcast - Redefining success for women of colour with Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi, Founder Accelerate Her Future and Divity GroupIf you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you - follow me on Instagram Licensed intro music from NoMo

Come on an honest exploration with me about the ugly and real truth about working in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. A space often overrun by performative, comfort upholding initiatives, where real solutions based on equity are often overlooked in favour of risk aversion and maintaining the status quo. As with anything you can come to expect with the Equity Gap podcast, we go there and we talk the truth, because without it, we get nowhere. My intention with this episode is to balance out the realities, to help you take off any rose-coloured glasses and see the work for what it really is and then to find a way to stay the course should you decide to move ahead. I hope it makes you a bit uncomfortable, but ultimately helps you think about the good, bad, ugly and the possible.DEI practitioners who you should know and follow:Dr. Janice Gassam Asare - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicegassamphd/Elizabeth Leiba - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethleiba/Sharon Hurley Hall -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonhh/Karlyn Percil-Mercieca - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlynpercil/Jodi-Ann Burey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaburey/Michelle MiJung Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjmichellekim/Lily Zheng - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilyzheng308/Ruchika Tulshyan -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtulshyan/Dr. Elisa Glick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-glick433/Trisha Hersey - https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggolnaraghi/ If you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you (follow me on Instagram @theequitygap, e-mail at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzianoorally/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equity-gap-podcast/).Licensed intro music from NoMo

To those that proclaim to not see colour, to claim reverse racism, who use the word woke as a weapon and who believe in the idea of a meritocracy, this episode is dedicated to you. Let's unpack all the problematic things people say about race.References from the episode:BC Human Rights Commissioner: https://bchumanrights.ca/be-anti-racist-colour/The Myth of Reverse Racism: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/08/myth-of-reverse-racism/535689/Dear White People, Please Stop Pretending Reverse Racism Is Real:https://www.vice.com/en/article/kwzjvz/dear-white-people-please-stop-pretending-reverse-racism-is-realDeSantis criticized for mandating Asian American history while banning courses on 'systemic racism':https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/desantis-criticized-mandating-asian-american-history-banning-courses-s-rcna84972Here’s Why Reverse Racism Isn’t Real:https://everydayfeminism.com/2017/04/reverse-racism-isnt-real/HOW WOKE WENT FROM "BLACK" TO "BAD"https://www.naacpldf.org/woke-black-bad/McKinsey - Women in the Workplace 2022https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplaceIf you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you (follow me on Instagram @theequitygap, e-mail at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzianoorally/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equity-gap-podcast/).Licensed intro music from NoMo

Do you know the reference man? He's been the biggest and most invisible force in your life and workplaces and you likely have no idea who he is. Let me tell you more about him in this episode and walk through how our workplaces are designed to cater to the Reference Man and ultimately uphold white supremacy and sexism through commonly unquestioned ideals like professionalism and culture fit.References from the episode:Korn Ferry, the Reference ManCaroline Criado-Pérez - Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for MenThe Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards - Tema Okun and Keith JonesProfessionalism as a racial construct - Leah GoodridgeMcKinsey Women in the Workplace - 2022If you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you (follow me on Instagram @theequitygap or connect with me through e-mail at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzianoorally/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equity-gap-podcast/).Licensed intro music from NoMo

Take a peek inside my ADHD brain, my late in life diagnosis and how the intersections of race, gender and being first generation Canadian make the process of coming to terms with such a diagnosis more complicated and nuanced. If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or learn more at shahzianoorally.comTranscripts of all episodes can be found hereLicensed intro music from NoMo

This first episode of the Equity Gap podcast is a sort of calling in to the white people in my circles of influence and any white person listening to this on how to engage, do the work and walk the walk.  With anything you’ll come to expect from this platform, it’s not designed for comfort. The work of dismantling the system of white supremacy is about challenging power structures that have kept equity deserving groups from advancing and living up to our fullest potential and it requires straight, raw and honest conversations to evoke some of the change. Many of us have a lot of unlearning to do around equity, so what I share on this platform is meant to challenge, and it will likely cause discomfort, but ideally it will make you think.  If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or learn more at shahzianoorally.comTranscripts of all episodes can be found here Licensed intro music from NoMo

Introducing the Equity Gap Podcast - a space to talk about race, gender and other forms of marginalization in the workplace and beyond. If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or learn more at shahzianoorally.com Transcripts of all episodes can be found hereLicensed intro music from NoMo

Resilience should no longer be a point of celebration - too many of us carry the weight of expectations to work harder, do better and play a constant game of proving ourselves in workplace environments that aren't designed for us as Black, Indigenous and women of colour. In this dynamic and powerful conversation with Chivon John - Workplace Wellness Lead for Shopify, Board Member, Speaker and Entrepreneur, we dig into the power of true self care to move further towards being well at work and accessing and celebrating the fullness of ourselves to truly thrive in our lives.  More about Chivon - Chivon John is a Workplace Wellness Leader and Mental Health Advocate devoted to helping high achievers unlearn overwork and burnout as a necessary price of ambition.Inspired by her own journey of learning and unlearning what it means to be well at work, Chivon helps organizations and individuals re-define having a strong ‘work ethic’ as one that includes caring for their overall wellbeing. As a purpose driven leader, she regularly speaks on the topics of workplace wellness, burnout prevention and remote and hybrid work.In addition to her work in wellness advocacy, Chivon is the Global Wellness Lead at Shopify, serves on the Board of Directors for Taking It Global and is the founder of LightWork - a consultancy examining the things that weigh us down at work. You can learn even more about Chivon and connect with her below:www.chivonjohn.com Connect with Chivon on LinkedInSubscribe to her newsletter: LightWorkIf you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comLicensed intro music from NoMo

Meet Moji Taiwo: Creator & Host - The Immigrant Experience Show, Author, Speaker, Coach, Facilitator and Retired Civil Servant Moji Taiwo is the author of - I GIVE because I’M BLESSED – I’M BLESSED because I GIVE – ‘A Chronicle of An Immigrant’s Journey’. Moji is also the Creator and Host of The Immigrant Experience Show (Tieshow) on Diversity TV's YouTube Channel. Tieshow is intended to be a platform to openly discuss matters of importance to the collective immigrant population (first and second generation), individuals and families.In this conversation we glean so many gems of wisdom and insight from Moji on her own journey to Canada, her experiences finding her voice and success and most importantly, how to honour the immigrant experience to take up all the space you desire and deserve.You can learn more about Moji through www.mojitaiwo.com and you can purchase Moji's incredible book through Amazon at https://www.amazon.ca/Give-Because-Blessed-Chronicle-Immigrants-ebook/dp/B07B44V2KB/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1M53NF354DVUK&keywords=moji+taiwo&qid=1652677743&sprefix=moji+taiwo%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comLicensed intro music from NoMo

Hustle culture feels outdated, archaic and unnecessary in a world that has shifted so deeply. So many of us have had awakenings around our relationship to work and labour in the last 2 years, yet reconciling that within ourselves is complicated. How do you work through the push and pull of unlearning what you once believed, of opting out of that which no longer serves you? Listen in to find out. Licensed intro music from NoMo

"If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive" - Audre LordeSo much of the journey to finding career joy and a path that fulfils you is rooted in knowing ourselves and as Audre Lorde says "defining myself for myself" - leaning into the possibilities of what comes next for our pathways rooted in an uncompromised perspective of who we are in our hearts first.  Listen on to discover ways to get to a place of career joy, on your terms.If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Licensed intro music from NoMo

I don't know, there is something I hate about the pressure to create and fulfill new year resolutions that are often rooted in fixing things we find flawed or imperfect about ourselves. The desire to fix what isn't even broken in the first place is such indoctrination from a society that deems us not being enough without hustle culture, discipline and perseverance. No more new year, new me BS. The latest episode of the podcast is a hopeful reframe for all those sick and tired of buying into the false reality of some flawed versions of ourselves.  If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Licensed intro music from NoMo

If you stick around, what you'll find in this episode is a compilation of all my musings, learnings and ah ha moments that may help you see your path a little more clearly and ideally set you up for whatever is to come for your career in 2022. Whether starting your career or changing paths at any age and stage of your life, these sentiments ring such truth that I wish I had heard them and embraced them years ago - and with me, you will always get the unconventional viewpoint. If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Licensed intro music from NoMo

When I started my career in HR, I somehow ended up in recruitment - truly by accidental happenstance. And boy did I learn a lot - about what it was like to be on both ends of the job searching process. I discovered so many things about how undermined the recruitment function can be, how few resources are dedicated for companies to humanize the experience for job seekers and the years I spent in the recruitment space sparked a passion project for me - a blog that was all about serving the job seeker, to help remove some of the mystery around the experience and that all led me to here - pivoting a few times to finally land on this podcast to relay insight, advice and my unconventional career strategy for other racialized women. In my brainstorming process for this episode, I came across an old blog post of mine that I thought I would resurrect. An open letter of sorts to job seekers to provide real perspective and insight on what it’s really like to be the recruiter and how to really master the game to connect in meaningful ways. At the time I was a tad frustrated with the hate rhetoric that I was seeing regularly on LinkedIn about how awful recruiters were, so I wanted to shed light and provide perspective on those recruiters that actually had integrity and good intentions, because not all of them do. To paint a picture of what we were up against and how to get inside the brain of a recruiter. So here it is, an open letter for job seekers from a former recruiter originally written and published by me in July 2014.If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Licensed intro music from NoMo

Planning, visioning and setting goals should be my Capricorn selfs dream, yet they really aren’t. And naturally, the last 18 months have me rethinking, a lot, about what it means to be so focused on goals, career plans and making decisions based on other peoples roadmaps or expectations - how we’ve all been programmed to think in milestones, goals and achievements and how much I think we desperately need to move away from that, yes, really.Long term career plans limit you from accessing curiosity and an interdisciplinary approach to finding purpose, meaning and joy in your day to day work. Listen in to hear more on how you can lean into curiosity, core desired feelings and design a career to love, on your terms.References in the episode:Adam Grant - https://twitter.com/adammgrant/status/1429080982607519747Danielle LaPorte - https://shop.daniellelaporte.com/pages/the-desire-mapJoel Leon - https://www.instagram.com/iamjoelleon/If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Licensed intro music from NoMo

I think it’s time we all get out of the scarcity mindset. You know the one - where you stick through, hang out where you’re not all that excited to be, stay in the job to collect that pay cheque or rack up that experience because we’re told we should, because we’ve been taught to be polite, thoughtful, not rock the boat and because we feel like we don’t have options.  Truth bomb - you do have options, plenty of them and your lack mentality is not serving anyone, especially yourself. In this episode, we chat through 3 signs it's time to break up with your job.  You deserve to thrive at work, don’t wait for the right time to put yourself and your dreams first. It’s 2021 and never has there been a better time to shake that scarcity mindset off, to rethink your programming and consider the possibilities of a life lived on your terms. If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Licensed intro music from NoMo

I've felt for a long time that the happiest and most successful people amongst us have a gentleness in which they speak to themselves, in which they look at failure and move through adversity. Yet I wonder why so many of us struggle with self-compassion, with being kind to ourselves and showing up for ourselves in the same ways we show up for our nearest and dearest and what kind of detrimental impact this has on our careers and our ability to truly thrive at work.In this episode, we explore why you need to be kinder to yourself and more importantly, how. All that negative self talk, all the times you beat yourself up for being human  and the ways in which you don’t give yourself space to make mistakes is detrimental to your progress in ways that will hold you back from accessing the places and opportunities you really deserve. Let's change that together. If you ever want to connect, provide feedback, share your story or give me any perspective on topics you want me to cover, reach out anytime at thecolourgap@gmail.comThe Colour Gap Podcast is part of the Alberta Podcast Network, locally grown, community supported.Research cited in this episode:Give Yourself a Break: The Power of Self-Compassion: https://hbr.org/2018/09/give-yourself-a-break-the-power-of-self-compassionThe power of self-compassion: https://www.tenpercent.com/meditationweeklyblog/the-power-of-self-compassionLicensed intro music from NoMo