Kelly is featured in InnerSelf!
InnerSelf is an online business magazine featuring tips and insights for finance, careers and business success.
The article, titled “Building Business Relationships with People Not Like You”, highlights the story of Rich & Jess Fierro of Colorado Springs. You’ve likely heard of Rich Fierro – he’s the Army veteran who took down the shooter at the recent Club Q mass shooting, saving hundreds of lives. But Kelly’s story of the Fierros has nothing to do with a mass shooting.
Kelly interviewed the couple and featured them in her book, "It's Time to Talk about Race at Work". Their story is remarkable – and a lesson on how to build truly meaningful relationships with people “not like you”. You can read the article here.
For speaking availability and fee information, contact Sally Shoquist: 214-217-6103 or by email here.
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Nashville, TN| March 6
NRECA
Virtual Keynote| March 7
National Diversity Council
Virtual Keynote|
March 8
Compeer Financial
Virtual Keynote|
March 8
TRIMEDX
Virtual Keynote|
March 13
Beaver Creek School District
Austin, TX|
April 17
Forum for Healthcare Strategists
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Super Bowl Ads Bank on Gen X and Millennial Nostalgia
Advertisers took aim at the Gen X and Millennial generations during the Super Bowl with the return of Zoolander, Clueless and more.
As has become tradition, companies and brands go all out for their ad campaigns during the Super Bowl, one of the most watched television events of the year. 2023 was no different, with celebrities like Bradley Cooper, John Travolta, Serena Williams, Ben Stiller, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez cashing in on some commercials.
Allison Gill of the Mueller, She Wrote podcast listed all of the trends she spotted that may appeal to people of her generation.
"Ok. Gen X ad tally: Safety Dance, Human League, Indiana Jones, Clueless, Michael Keaton Batman, Caddyshack, Zoolander." It was also suggested that Uber Eats' entire commercial featuring reworked songs from the '90s and '00s also counted.
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10 Facts about Black History Month You May Not Know
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Black History Month celebrates African Americans' history, contributions, and achievements. Almost 100 years ago, Black History Month began as a weeklong event. It's now a month-long celebration that takes place every February.
Black history embraces the 400-year-long record of Black life in America. It also includes stories and activism against slavery and modern-day racism.
Here are 10 Black History Month facts you may not know.
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The Mean Life of a ‘Midsize’ Model
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In Paris last month, at the Chanel couture show, there was something about one model that set her apart from the others on the runway.
Strikingly beautiful, Jill Kortleve has almond-shaped eyes, dark bushy eyebrows and chiseled cheekbones.
But what makes her an unusual star for the high fashion industry is that Ms. Kortleve is a U.S. size 8 to 10 — or “midsize,” as the middle ground between petite and plus size is increasingly known. “Straight” size, or under a U.S. size 2, remains, overwhelmingly, the fashion industry norm.
Diversity on the runways (or the lack of it) has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. So at a time when midsize fashion is gaining momentum elsewhere — in mass market apparel branding and on TikTok, where the #midsize hashtag has more than four billion views — why is it still overlooked by the overlords of luxury fashion? And, in 2023, what does midsize — or average — sizing even mean?
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Gen Z, Young Millenials are Normalizing Dating Coworkers
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Attitudes around office romance are beginning to thaw to the influx of more younger workers and waves of retirements, experts say.
Both Generation Z workers and younger millennials are more likely to say they’d be open to a workplace romance than other generations, according to fresh data from the Society for Human Resource Management. A third of younger Millennial and Generation Z workers were okay with it, compared to 15 percent of older Millennial workers, 27 percent of Generation X workers and just 23 percent of baby boomers and older workers.
On top of that, three-quarters of all workers said they were comfortable with others dating someone else from work.
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| | WORKPLACE TIP OF THE MONTH
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Avoid these two words when expressing empathy to a coworker (or anyone)
Empathy is getting a lot of attention now in the business world; it’s a big part of an organization’s inclusive culture. But sometimes, just two words can make an empathetic statement backfire, hurting the individual further, or at a minimum, diminishing the care and support intended . Those two words are “at least”. For example, say a coworker shares that she just suffered a miscarriage. Don’t say, “At least you know you can get pregnant.” Or a colleague shares that their child is flunking out of college. Don’t say, “At least your other kids are smart.” Or a coworker gets passed over for a promotion. Don’t say, “At least you still have a job.” “At least” comes across as minimizing the other person’s situation, hurt or concern. A better way to offer empathy to someone is to simply say, “I’m so sorry – that must really be heartbreaking”. (Or devastating. Or tough. Or scary. Or disappointing. Etc.) Then stop talking and listen. The other person may want to share more – or not. Empathy does not mean trying to cheer someone up or tell them to “look on the bright side”. Empathy is support and care for another’s situation. At least” invalidates their situation.
We can be empathetic simply by being there, listening and supporting, without offering advice or judgement.
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