R.O.G. Return on Generosity

94. Jenn T. Grace - Multiply Your Impact

94. Jenn T. Grace - Multiply Your Impact
“What if I can be the catalyst behind hundreds of authors getting their thought leadership and their message and their purpose on a stage, how greater of a legacy and impact can I leave behind?” — Jenn T. Grace
Guest Bio:
An award-winning author, nationally recognized speaker, and savvy publishing strategist, Jenn T. Grace is the founder of Publish Your Purpose, the acclaimed hybrid publishing company that gives first-time authors the secrets to getting their books written, finding an eager audience & marking their place in the publishing world. Publish Your Purpose is a certified B Corp social enterprise that meets the gold standard of socially and environmentally friendly business practices.
Jenn leads ambitious authors through every aspect of writing, editing, and publishing so their book strategically aligns with their business objectives. Whether it’s a business guide that shows the breadth of their expertise or an emotional memoir that takes readers deep into life’s challenges, she helps authors articulate their purpose and fulfill their mission.
Jenn has published the books of nearly 100+ business owners, entrepreneurs, speakers, and memoirists so more diverse stories can exist in the world and her authors can make a positive impact and achieve the recognition and success they deserve. She is the author of six books, including her memoir, House on Fire. Jenn has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.
Jenn lives in Connecticut with her family and enjoys being outside with her son, kayaking, and admiring the birds and nature around her.
You can read more about Jenn’s journey of becoming a book publisher here.
Favorite Quote:
"Ask for forgiveness, not permission." — Grace Hopper
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Share your experiences to help others along the way.
Recognize others – offer a compliment, acknowledge something positive, make a connection. 
Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Generosity is not just seeing what needs to be done, it’s doing what needs to be done.
Resources:
Jenn T. Grace on LinkedIn (ln/jenntgrace)
Jenn T. Grace on Instagram (@jenntgrace)
Jenn T. Grace on Twitter (@jenntgrace)
JennTGrace.com
Publish Your Purpose - Jenn T. Grace
Publish Your Purpose - Resources
Publish Your Purpose - Publisher Questions
Books Written by Jenn T. Grace
HuffPost Article on Jenn T. Grace
Fearless Communicators - Jenn T. Grace
Consciousness Leaders - Jenn T. Grace
Reach Or Miss Podcast Episode with Jenn T. Grace
The Author's Corner - Jenn T. Grace
Bridge Between Network Diversity Index quiz
Coming Next:
Episode 95: Building Bridges Generous Leadership Coaching Tips with Shannon Cassidy, R.O.G. Host and CEO Bridge Between, Inc.
Credits:
Jenn T. Grace, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

93. Crucial Conversations | Generous Leadership Coaching Tip

93. Crucial Conversations | Generous Leadership Coaching Tip 
Have the conversation. 
Host: Shannon Cassidy
Shannon Cassidy is Founder and CEO of bridge between, inc. a boutique leadership development firm specializing in behavioral change, executive presence, effective communication, collaborative teamwork, empowering leadership, and conflict resolution. She provides Executive Coaching, Facilitation (team sessions, retreats, conferences) and Keynote Speaking (conferences, annual events, ceremonies) and Mentoring Programs (associations, ERGs, leadership circles) all custom designed.
Shannon combines her keen ability to get to the heart of every matter with a proven track record as a corporate leader. Before founding bridge between, she spent years building profitable businesses and driving innovation and leadership initiatives. This real-world experience formed the bedrock of her success, enabling her to provide clients with the strategies, tools, and inspiration to thrive during organizational change and lead with vision, values, and purpose.
Shannon has authored several articles and books including Discover Your Inner Strength (2009), The 5 Degree Principle: How Small Changes Lead to Big Results (2013), V.I.B.E. A Self-Discovery Journey to Authentic Leadership (2014) and Grounded in Gratitude a one-line-a –day, five-year gratitude journal (2015). Her current efforts focus on the benefits of Generosity at Work.
Episode Info:
Thank you for joining me on this bi-weekly Building Bridges Generous Leader Coaching Tip.
This week’s focus is on Crucial Conversations based on this book. The book helps us to understand that when the stakes are highest, we tend to show up as our worst.
At work, this looks like:
Talking to a coworker about an offensive comment
Giving boss feedback about behavior
Critiquing a team members work
Giving an unfavorable performance review
Why do we show up so badly at these pivotal moments?
They are uncomfortable; we’d rather avoid them, so we wait too long and we feel stressed which causes us to Flight or Fight. Crucial conversations calls this silence or violence.
Silence sounds like: “Something bothering you?” “Nope.”
Violence sounds like: “Something bothering you?” “Yes. You.”
The way Crucial Conversations explains the flow:
We See and hear something
We Tell a story about it
We Feel some kind of way about the story we just told
We Act based on that feeling
 The three stories that take us to silence or violence are three kinds of stories:
Victim story “it’s not my fault.”
Villain story “it’s totally your fault.”
Helpless story “there’s nothing I can do.”
Choose your next move wisely. It will make all the difference.
Resources:
Network Diversity Index Quiz
YouTube Channel
R.O.G. on Apple Podcasts
R.O.G. on Spotify
Coming Next:
Join me next week with Jenn T. Grace. Until then, stay generous everyone!
Credits:
Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

92. Shane Portfolio - Why ”Priority” is Singular

92. Shane Portfolio - Why "Priority" is Singular 
“A culture is defined by the worst behavior you are willing to accept.” — Shane Portfolio
Guest Info:
Shane is a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Army, where he was a Platoon Sergeant recognized as a Top Gun for Colorado and served as a leadership instructor for Combat Arms Units. Shane is also a lifelong learner; after earning his Bachelor of Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver in Computer Information Systems and Management Science, he went on to earn several advanced degrees, including master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership from Regis University and in Telecommunications from Denver University. He is now in his PhD program focused on diversity and inclusion in the technology industry, with an expected completion of 2022. 
Shane Portfolio is Senior Vice President of Field Operations Engineering for Comcast Cable leading the company’s One Network, XOC, Headend Operations and Plant Maintenance organizations. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations and Engineering for Comcast Cable’s West Division, with responsibility for engineering, technical operations and advanced services for more than six million customers. Shane oversaw the Division’s fiber network and IP-based infrastructure. He also led the Division’s technical operations and engineering teams responsible for testing and deployment of new technologies and resources to deliver innovative new products and services as well as a reliable network and customer experience.
Previously, Shane served as Regional Vice President of Engineering for the California region, responsible for the oversight, guidance, direction and vision for all technical engineering aspects throughout the Comcast California footprint. With a career at Comcast spanning 23 years, his journey has taken him from the Central Division’s Engineering and eXcellence in Operations Centers (XOC), which monitors the network around the clock to identify and address issues that could impact service for multiple customers, to the National Engineering and Technical Operations center, which oversaw Comcast’s nationwide backbone and wholesale organization, to leadership roles in IP Operations and network capacity planning. Shane’s extensive experience, leadership ability, and passion continues to assist with setting the pace and direction of the Engineering teams across the enterprise.
Favorite Quote:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —  Dr. Maya Angelou 
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
The Great Reset:
Mission clarity. Do you see the value and purpose of the work you do each day? What is fulfilling about your current role? Is the mission of my organization clear to you? Does it inspire you to bring your best energy to work? Are you making a creative contribution to the mission?
Career growth. In what ways are you growing? You listen to podcasts to grow – that’s admirable. In what other ways are you growing? What opportunities are available to you within your organization? How are you taking responsibility for your continual improvement? Do you see an opportunity for development and advancement? Is it a career or a job?
Curiosity culture – is your voice heard? Can you ask questions? Are you encouraged to be curious? That sense of wonder is the missing ingredient in any Fixed mindset, stagnant culture, situation, and relationships. How well do you model a growth mindset.? For example: are you inspired by the success of others or do you judge them as lucky or brown nosers? Do you see challenges as opportunities for growth or unfortunate things happening TO you? Growth mindset is something we can practice daily.
Two more:
Focus on your priority
Prioritize self-care
Resources:
Shane Portfolio on LinkedIn (in/shaneportfolio)
Shane Portfolio — Comcast.com
Shane Portfolio Bio
Network Diversity Index Quiz
Coming Next:
Episode 93: Generous Leader Coaching Tip on Crucial Conversations with Shannon Cassidy
Credits:
Shane Portfolio, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.
 
If you'd like to experience this episode with closed captions, please listen on Podbean: Episode #92. Shane Portfolio - Why ”Priority” is Singular

91. R.O.G. Recap 2022 (so far) and What’s Next

91. R.O.G. Recap 2022 (so far) and What's Next
“Work in progress!” — Shannon Cassidy
Guest Info:
Shannon Cassidy is Founder and CEO of bridge between, inc. a boutique leadership development firm specializing in behavioral change, executive presence, effective communication, collaborative teamwork, empowering leadership, and conflict resolution. She provides Executive Coaching, Facilitation (team sessions, retreats, conferences) and Keynote Speaking (conferences, annual events, ceremonies) and Mentoring Programs (associations, ERGs, leadership circles) all custom designed.
Shannon combines her keen ability to get to the heart of every matter with a proven track record as a corporate leader. Before founding bridge between, she spent years building profitable businesses and driving innovation and leadership initiatives. This real-world experience formed the bedrock of her success, enabling her to provide clients with the strategies, tools, and inspiration to thrive during organizational change and lead with vision, values, and purpose.
Shannon has authored several articles and books including Discover Your Inner Strength (2009), The 5 Degree Principle: How Small Changes Lead to Big Results (2013), V.I.B.E. A Self-Discovery Journey to Authentic Leadership (2014) and Grounded in Gratitude, a one-line-a-day, five-year gratitude journal (2015). Her current efforts focus on the benefits of Generosity at Work.
Favorite Quote:
“I never lose. I either win or learn.” — Nelson Mandela 
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Check out any past episodes you missed. They each provide unique and valuable perspectives on how to be a generous leader.
As we journey together into Q4 2022, we will alternate between guest interviews and short coaching tips on how to be a generous leader.  My goal is to record those episodes as videos and upload them to YouTube. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and share your comments.
Resources:
Network Diversity Index Quiz
YouTube Channel
R.O.G. on Apple Podcasts
R.O.G. on Spotify
Coming Next:
Episode 92: We will be joined by Shane Portfolio
Credits:
Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

90. Jan Siegmund - Lead with Authenticity

90. Jan Siegmund - Lead with Authenticity
“The biggest impact in any organization for your wellbeing is your direct supervisor…a CEO or CFO talking nice words about inclusion are not as meaningful if they don't translate in day-to-day life.”
Guest Info:
Jan Siegmund is Cognizant’s Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he leads the company’s worldwide Financial Planning and Analysis, Accounting and Controllership, Tax, Treasury and Internal Audit functions. He also oversees Corporate Development, Investor Relations and Enterprise Risk Management. Prior to joining Cognizant in September 2020, Jan served for seven years as Corporate Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a $14-billion global human capital management technology and service provider. Earlier in his two-decade tenure with ADP, he held the roles of President, Added Value Services Division, developing and executing the company’s growth strategy, and Chief Strategy Officer, with responsibility for corporate strategy, M&A, government affairs, and product management and marketing. He began his career at McKinsey & Company. Jan is a member of the Board of Directors of The Western Union Company, where he is Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compliance Committee. He holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Technical University Karlsruhe, Germany, a master’s degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a doctorate in Economics from Technical University of Dresden, Germany.
Favorite Quote:
“The important thing in life is not perfection – the important thing is bending the curve towards the better.”
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Actions we can take as a person::
Clarify answers to these deep questions:What is my authentic voice? 
What is my V.I.B.E.? Values, Interests, Beliefs and Energy Sources. 
What makes me unique?
As a leader:
If you are not a member of the LGBTQIA’+  community, and not aware of the realities and truths of associates who are, do your work. Learn. Understand. Glaad: The Value of LGBT in the Workplace
SHRM: Ensuring Workplace Inclusion for LGBTQ Employees
Out & Equal: 20 Steps to an Out & Equal Workplace
 If you are aware and understand, be intentional about signaling your allyship and help others.
Perhaps, you don’t celebrate Pride month. Be respectful of those who do.  Listen to Episode 86 with H Walker for more.
Resources:
Jan Siegmund | I AM | Diversity in Leadership | Cognizant
Cognizant — Diversity and Inclusion
This is what Jan mentions at the end of the interview. The details are shared on our YouTube Channel. Cognizant Earns Perfect Score in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index
Cognizant on LinkedIn: Driving Forward Diversity, Inclusion, and LGBTQ+ Allyship
Coming Next:
We are taking our summer break. We will return with episode 91 on August 30.  In the meantime, enjoy past episodes and have a healthy and enjoyable summer. Episode 91 will air on August 30th, with a recap of the first half of 2022 and highlights for the second half. Enjoy the summer!
Credits:
Jan Siegmund, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

89. Amber Hikes - Weaponize Your Privilege

89. Amber Hikes - Weaponize Your Privilege
“If allyship is about solidarity, accompliceship is about leveraging your privilege, like kind of weaponizing your own power… I'm not just here to cheer you on. I'm here to fight with you like it's my own fight and accomplices believe in their bones that their comfort is less important than someone else's liberation.”
Guest Info:
Amber Hikes (they/she) is a social justice advocate, community organizer, TED Talk Speaker, and unapologetically queer and Black. As the ACLU’s first Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, they provide vision, leadership, and direction for the ACLU’s nationwide strategy to support equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across all aspects of the organization’s work and efforts. Amber serves as both the internal and external ambassador on the importance of EDI as a crucial cornerstone of the ACLU’s culture of belonging.  
In 2017, Amber introduced the world to the More Color, More Pride flag, launching a global conversation around anti-racisim in the LGBTQ community. On the heels of this monumental work, Amber released a TED Talk helping all of us be better mentors, sponsors, and believers in collective liberation. With 2 million views, Amber’s TED Talk has built a network of intersectional accomplices changing the landscape of equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.
Prior to joining the ACLU, Amber served as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs where they developed policy and served as the principal advisor to the Mayor on issues that affect the LGBTQ community. At the Mayor’s Office, Hikes set their sights on fighting and advocating for the most impacted populations within the LGBTQ community – specifically youth, elders, immigrants, transgender people, and people of color. In their time leading the office, Amber advocated for anti-discrimination legislation at the municipal level, passed one of the nation’s most trans-inclusive police policies and added black and brown stripes to the rainbow flag, prompting an international conversation about race and discrimination within the LGBTQ community.
A community organizer from an early age, Amber’s full-time career began in education access advocacy—as the youngest Upward Bound director in the country, at the University of Pennsylvania. The moral compass of Amber’s work, intersectional inclusion, can be traced throughout her organizing and her work supporting and facilitating the pursuit of postsecondary education for youth of color experiencing poverty and homelessness. 
Hikes has been recognized nationally by OUT Magazine as “Community Organizer of the Year” in the 2018 OUT 100 and by Business Equality Pride as one of the 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40. Hikes earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and Psychology and English degrees from the University of Delaware.
Amber believes in employing an intersectional lens in all aspects of community work and leans daily on the words of sister Audre Lorde: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives.”
Favorite Quote:
“There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” — Audre Lorde
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Clean your house.
Remediate your mistakes.
Resources:
Amber Hikes
Amber Hikes on LinkedIn (in/amber-hikes-69129913)
Amber Hikes on Instagram (@Amber__Hikes)
Amber Hikes on Twitter (@AmberHikes)
Amber Hikes - Wikipedia
ACLU.org/Action
ACLU Additional Training and Resources
Network Diversity Index Survey
Coming Next:
Episode 90: We will be joined by Jan Siegmund, CFO of Cognizant.
Credits:
Amber Hikes, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

88. Rhodes Perry - Belonging at Work

88. Rhodes Perry - Belonging at Work
“The workplace can be a place where we are able to break through this feeling of loneliness.”
Guest Info:
Rhodes Perry, MPA (he/him) is a bestselling author, sought-after keynoter, and an award-winning social entrepreneur. Nationally recognized as a diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader, he has 20 years of leadership experience having worked at the White House, the Department of Justice, and PFLAG National. Media outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press have featured his powerful work. He serves as the Founding CEO of Rhodes Perry Consulting, a global leadership and management consulting firm helping visionaries and change makers build psychological safety, trust, and belonging at work. Rhodes’ team partners with leading brands including Genentech, PNC Bank, and Kellogg’s along with government agencies like the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Department of Interior and larger nonprofits including the American Red Cross, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Together, the firm co-creates transformative change management solutions building equitable cultures centering those least likely to feel a strong sense of psychological safety and trust on the job. The firm specializes in executive coaching, leadership development, DEI capacity building, and strategic planning solutions. Rhodes created and hosts the annual Belonging at Work Summit, a virtual DEI conference empowering inclusive leaders to build community, gain new skills, and recommit to building healthier workplace cultures. He is also the creator and host of the popular podcasts, Imagine Belonging at Work and The Out Entrepreneur. Together, these shows have empowered over 150,000 inclusive leaders - and those on their way to joining them - in building workplace cultures of belonging.
Rhodes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Gender Studies from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Administration from New York University. He currently serves on the National LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce’s Transgender Inclusion Task Force, on the University of Notre Dame’s Alumni Rainbow Community Board, and on the Cascade AIDS Project’s Board of Directors
Rhodes spends his free time bicycling world-wide from the French Alps to his hometown peaks in the Cascades and welcomes suggestions for his next great cycling adventure. More about Rhodes may be found at www.rhodesperry.com.
Favorite Quote:
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” — Angela Y. Davis
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
How well do we model the four ingredients of belonging?
How are we recognizing, rewarding and honoring all that our talent brings to the workplace? \
How well do we enable others to feel connected authentically? 
How are we invested in psychological safety so we can ask for help, admit mistakes and offer constructive feedback without fear of negative consequences.
Pide and purpose. How do we enable a feeling of alignment  with the bigger mission and purpose of the organization?
Three other things we can do:
Intentionally practice using gender inclusive language.  
Do your work. Self-educate. 
Keep your heart and mind open. 
Thank you for being loyal listeners of ROG. Beginning in July, after the Pride series, ROG is taking a summer break. and will return on August 30th with a recap of the first half of 2022 and an update on what’s ahead for the duration of this year. 
Resources:
RhodesPerry.com
Rhodes Perry on LinkedIn (in/RhodesPerry)
Rhodes Perry - ConsciousLeaders.Com
LinkedIn Learning - Understanding and Supporting LGBTQ+ Employees
Build a Gender Inclusive Workplace: Ways You Can Show Up for Your Transgender and Nonbinary Colleagues 
Have Our Backs: Show Up for Your Transgender & Nonbinary Colleagues
We've Got Your Backs: Show Up for Your Transgender & Nonbinary Colleagues
Network Diversity Index (NDI)
How the LGBTQ+ community fares in the workplace
Coming Next:
Episode 88: we will be joined by Amber Hikes, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer · ACLU
Credits:
Rhodes Perry, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

87. Cathleen Quigley - Understanding Transgender Identity and Transition

87. Cathleen Quigley - Understanding Transgender Identity and Transition
“Listen to how they perceive themselves and try to give them the benefit of the doubt that they know better about themselves than you do.”
Guest Info:
Cathleen Thomas Quigley is a transwoman engineer, performer, philanthropist and activist. She attended high school in Athens, Georgia before graduating with degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1984. She started the Residential Broadband Business Unit at Broadcom Corporation in 1996 and drove the development of the first DOCSIS Cable Modem, Cable Modem Termination System and integrated digital video integrated circuits and systems. She is a named inventor on over one hundred fifty US and European patents covering many of the building blocks of DOCSIS cable systems, as well as numerous digital video, mesh computing, mobile and wireless communication concepts. After retiring from Broadcom’s Office of the CTO in 2008, she has consulted in and served as an expert witness in broadband technology. Prior to Broadcom, she developed data communications chips and some of the first 100mb Ethernet chips for National Semiconductor and participated in the IEEE 802.3u and 802.14 standards activities. She is a Broadcom Fellow and has been honored by her alma mater, the Georgia Institute of Technology, as a member of the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni and Council of Outstanding Young Engineers. She runs the Quigley Family Foundation and serves on various non-profit boards including the College of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. After too many years among engineers and scientists, she became a singer/songwriter and has released a CD called “Aversion to Reason” which, thankfully, is out of circulation. An avid guitarist, she sings and performs in a variety of venues mainly in Georgia where she lives with her standard poodle, Ruby.
Favorite Quote:
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" —  Arthur C. Clarke
R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:
Learn and practice the language of inclusion. 
Acroynms and Terms: 
LGBT,  LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+ means: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/ Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Ally.  The + intends to include those not specific to one of those identities.  
Sexual orientation is who you are attracted to intimately. 
Sexual or gender identity is gender you identify as your own. Male, female, binary, fluid, etc. 
Cisgender is the term used to describe someone who identifies with the gender assigned at birth. Cathleen was assigned male at birth and identifies as a female.
The trans community is the most discriminated against and marginalized. Especially those who are BIPOC Transgender community.
Learn about people from other communities; to be your best and most authentic self and create workplaces where everyone belongs.
Resources:
Transgender FAQ
Glaad.org — Transgender Reference
A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth
Understanding Gender Identities
Understanding Transgender People: The Basics
The Truth About Trans
Coming Next:
Episode 88: We will be joined by Rhodes Perry.
Credits:
Cathleen Quigley, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.