In recent years of social uprising, Covid lockdowns and our recurring opportunities to look at how and why we do what we do, I have been asking myself a lot about what inclusivity really means to me, to the work we are doing at Business 4 Good and overall, what it means for women in business. To say I have been to the drawing board a few times is a vast understatement and I suspect that I will not stop drafting anytime soon. There is this ongoing urge for me to do more, say more and do my best to ensure all women globally feel welcome in this world. Even when I, honestly, do not.
It has been said we often build the worlds we wish to live in. I can say with absolute certainty that is exactly what we are building. Now let me be clear: I realize every day that I absolutely do not have the answers to what a truly inclusive world looks like. But what I do know is what it does not look like. With that said, I have made it my mission to remain open to input, feedback, comments, concerns, cancels and call outs.
Canceled Once a Week
When we first launched the platform in Fall 2021, I was canceled once a week. Seriously.
First by a cisgender white male who told me I "was not man enough" for this to be a successful endeavor of building a marketplace by women, for women. Ha, OK bro. The next week I was not Brown enough, the week after that I was not Gay enough and the week following, not Hebrew enough.
As a small statured but loud, queer, Jewish woman, I have also had my own experiences of not knowing exactly where I fit in. And that is why I want to make sure that anyone and everyone who wants to do life differently knows that we are building stages together so that we can all be welcome.
If the systems that be will not include our valuable perspectives, we will build our own. Thank you very much, bro.
The Intersection of Diversity
Let us talk about the value of the intersection of diversity in people, in fields of business, and in various levels of experience as an entry to inclusivity. Over the arch of time, we can see that knowledge shared from people with more experience is as valuable as the pure, unadulterated innocence of insights from new thought leaders. Same can be said for each person's human experience offering a unique perspective, especially when that point of view is coming from a variation of cultural background, a different socioeconomic level, or even just from an alternative area of study, expertise or line of work.
Slowing Down for Inclusion
When I talk about inclusivity with our core crew, I lead with the intention that to be inclusive is to listen more than talk, to slow business down because in order to include everyone, this will take time.
The Hard Truth
Slowing down for inclusion is really hard for me. I really do want everyone's voice to be heard whilst simultaneously being super efficient so as to also honor people's time. Spoiler alert: it does not happen that way because to listen takes time, to stop the express train of business takes pause and to really do business differently takes the long way. Every day, I am re-working our timeline, drafting another way to include more perspectives. I am 1000% a work in progress on this, every day. And I am ok with that.
When we talk about #Tequity and the future we are building, inclusivity is not a mission statement on a website. It is the daily practice of asking who is not in the room and then redesigning the room so they can get in. It is the willingness to be uncomfortable, to be corrected, to be canceled, and to keep building anyway.
Because if I never really felt I belonged, I am going to make sure you do.
Inclusivity is a feeling, not a destination. And we are building a world where that feeling is the foundation.
Love,
Rose
