The Inclusive Networker
The Inclusive Networker is a podcast dedicated to helping small business owners, solopreneurs, and network marketers develop inclusive marketing and sales processes that help them authentically reach diverse audiences and subsequently grow large, diverse networks of customers, business partners, or team members.
The Inclusive Networker
Closing the Gap for Women and Minorities in Business with Teresa Boughey
Embark on this powerful conversation with Teresa Boughey, a trailblazing icon in the corporate and DEI realm, whose life story is nothing short of remarkable. From her days as a teenage mother to her influential role as a UK ambassador for UN Women, Teresa's narrative is a masterclass in turning adversity into opportunity, inspiring all who dare to dream big despite their beginnings. This episode is not just a conversation; it's a master key to unlocking the doors of inclusivity and opportunity in the professional world.
Transitioning from corporate comfort to the thrill of entrepreneurship can be a high-stakes leap of faith, but Teresa stands as proof of what's possible with unwavering self-belief and the right network in your corner. She offers a unique perspective on how aligning your venture with global initiatives can amplify your impact and market presence. Join the conversation, and let's push the boundaries of what it means to be a successful entrepreneur in today's interconnected world.
In this episode, we talk about the following...
1. The practical aspects of making a successful transition from corporate to entrepreneurship.
2. The importance of sustainable scaling.
3. The value of collaboration over competition.
You can find Teresa on…
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-boughey-jungle-hr/
Website https://www.junglehr.com/
Book mentioned - Closing the Gap by Teresa Boughey
Want more from Dr. Raymona?
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drraymonahlawrence/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraymonahlawrence/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drraymonahlawrence/
Thank you for listening!
~Dr. Raymona
Hey, hey, hey and welcome, welcome. Welcome to the Inclusive Networker Podcast. This podcast is the SOS. That's all the inside scoop on systems operations and the support for women and minority-owned businesses. We help small business owners and solo-preneurs become aware of gaps in knowledge or awareness that could be keeping their networks and businesses small. We help women and minority-owned businesses to be able to support women and minority-owned businesses. So if that's you, or you want to authentically support women and minority-owned businesses, you are in the right place. But be warned you will be challenged. But here's the thing you won't be judged. I'm your host, dr Ramona. I'm the owner of the fabulous software as a service that's SaaS agency called I Engage you. I'm a speaker, coach, consultant, public health professor, wife, mom and a fierce challenger of broken systems that keep people from reaching their highest potential. I am so excited to be with you on your journey to becoming an Inclusive Networker. Let's jump right in. Hey, hey, hey and welcome, welcome. Welcome to this week's episode, this episode of the Inclusive Networker podcast. I'm your host, dr Ramona, and who am I calling into conversation today? Well, it is Teresa Bowie. I'm going to tell you all about her. I told you that I am bringing some women who are power, packed with information for you all to help your businesses thrive in 2024. So I'm so excited to have Teresa Bowie. So let me tell you about her.
Speaker 1:She is the founder and CEO of a national award-winning Jungle HR and Inclusion 24-7. Teresa is a TEDx speaker, a non-executive director and author of Amazon Best Seller, closing the Gap Five Steps to Creating an Inclusive Culture, which was highly commended as an exceptional book that promotes diversity at the 2020 Business Book Awards. Teresa is a UK ambassador for UN Women. She is also a business board member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women in Enterprise and is chair in the ESG success through sustainability work stream, influencing government on policy. Teresa is a NHS non-executive director.
Speaker 1:She also sits on the NHS Employers ED and iAdvisory Group and is on the board of advisors at the Royal Holloway University, london Business School. Teresa is also a keynote speaker and influencer in areas of diversity and inclusivity, equity and belonging. She has spoken at conferences including Festival of Global People, institute of Directors, diversity and Inclusion Roadshow, cipd Midlands annual conference. Teresa has been recognized as one of the top 100 female entrepreneurs and named the most influential business woman of the year at the Midlands MVBC Award. So, teresa, I am so, so excited to have you as a guest on the Inclusive Networker Podcast. Welcome, welcome.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, Thank you. Thank you so much, Gosh. She sounds awesome. This is just amazing. But thank you so much for the lovely, lovely intro and the lovely warm welcome.
Speaker 1:No problem. Well, I just want to start the way that I start with everybody and ask you what is your lens?
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you, gosh. Well, I mean, you've given such a fantastic intro to all of the things that I've achieved, but I suppose, when my lens would be, I want to take you right the way back to the start, I'm going to say, of my land at life. And this is through the lens within which I guess I've achieved all of those things. And I was a teenage mum, I had my daughter at 16 and I have a big magic birthday coming up this year which has got a big fat zero at the end of it and a big five in front of it. So, yeah, you can come and tell where I'm at with my journey.
Speaker 2:But you know, having a child at 16 was really really challenging. It was just at the end of my formal schooling, so I had to leave school. I was considered a health and safety risk and I remember I had to sit all of my exams completely and utterly by myself. There was no risk of cheating, so that was a benefit, but it was really really lonely and incredibly isolating actually. I didn't fit in anymore with my peers, my school friends, and I didn't fit in with the yummy mummies either, because of course, they had that social value judgment levied at me because, gosh, she's a teenage mum. And then they make all sorts of assumptions in terms of how you've arrived in that particular situation, forgetting that actually this is somebody that, yes, has found himself in that space. But they're very vulnerable and they're very lonely and scared actually.
Speaker 2:And I suppose for me then, that was my first experience at exclusion, because I say I just didn't fit in and it's something really that, as you will see from all of those amazing things that you shared, has really driven me, because I wasn't prepared to be all of the things that people suggested that I was going to become. As a result of that, I still wanted to make a difference in the world and I'm still definitely on that journey. I absolutely had aspirations for myself and for my daughter, and so those are the things that really drove me to want to make a difference, to understand the unique value that we all bring and say the journey that is very, very different for people that comes along the way, but to value that unique difference and create opportunities that are going to enable people to thrive. So that's a real lens for me.
Speaker 1:Yes, what an amazing story. And it's interesting how we are often put in the situation to feel excluded, and then that pushes us into this work. It gives us that passion, that deep commitment to these things and I always tell people that my lens was being an African American, raised in the deep South, and so there are all those types of things where we feel those situations, but then it pushes us into that greater purpose, and so I hear that in your story as well. Yeah, definitely, yeah. So, as we think about then pushing you into that purpose and the things that you're doing now, tell us a little bit more about the work that you do with diversity, equity and inclusion, and particularly with women and minorities, because that is what we really focus on here in the Inclusive Networker podcast. Tell us about the journey and how you got into the diversity, equity and inclusion work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure. So I continued with my studies, excuse me. So I continued with my studies because that was really important to me to do that. And I guess I had a great role model in my mum that was like, right, come on, you've still got to do your education. And let's face it, you know it's a lifelong journey of learning. We never really start, we just take it in very different forms. And so I continued with my education, but that was kind of evenings and weekends and all sorts of distance learning solutions and that enabled me then to move into corporate roles and in particular, I had a lens for working with people. They always say don't work with people and pets, they're very unpredictable. But as.
Speaker 2:I say that was the lens that I found myself in, you know, really, really passionate about, about working with people and providing them with a, in particular, a workplace environment that was going to enable them to thrive.
Speaker 2:And so HR is my, is my corporate background, and I worked for some organizations that really really understood how to get the best out of individuals and how to enable them to thrive.
Speaker 2:But sadly, as I moved through that corporate ladder, I also worked for some organizations that really really just did not get it, and the difference between the two was clearly quite stark, and it really again opened my eyes to what does this mean as an employee and an employer of choice, actually, because you know we choose. I mean, of course, most people have to go to work because it's a way of, you know, I'm going to say, funding their, their lifestyle, but we want to be an environment where you know our talent and our unique differences is really, really valued. And so I worked, as a saying, in a number of these really senior roles. And then my son came along and it was time for me to embark upon a completely new journey, and this time it was at the roller coaster of excitement that is called entrepreneurship and it is. I mean gosh, what a journey has been on.
Speaker 2:I think now I'm completely unemployable though, because I could not go back into working in a corporate space, but I do work with corporate organizations.
Speaker 1:I love that word Unemployable ladies. That is where we are getting to. I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you know, what my clients love when I work with them is the diversity of experience that I am able to share with them, and that is the unique gift as an entrepreneur that we are able to offer. It's that it's that kind of broad experience that we've gained from working with our different sort of client bases that we're then able to help the clients that we're working with, whatever kind of industry you're in, come up with the most innovative solutions that ordinarily they would not have thought about. And those are things that I just love about about being an entrepreneur. And so what we do is we help organizations mainly kind of myth in the SME language, it's more the M and the E size businesses to help them really think about what does an inclusive culture really look and feel like?
Speaker 2:But beyond, I'm going to say their people experience. This is about their customers. It's about their products and that they're offering their services, their solutions and the communities within which they serve. So we really get them to move the lens beyond. Just okay, what's the demographic of our business and is it representative? I mean, those are really important things, but it's about actually how do we move beyond that, and one of the big pieces of work we're looking at the moment through the work with the All Party Parliamentary Group is what does this mean for a supply chain? And this is where the entrepreneurs are really coming into their own, because how do they work with those bigger businesses to enable them to achieve their inclusivity journey? So there's lots going on. It's super exciting.
Speaker 1:Yes, and one thing I really love that you just talked about was this idea of transitioning from corporate to being an entrepreneur. And talk a little bit about that, because I know that a lot of the women who listen to the Inclusive Networker podcast are in their regular nine to five right now. They're wanting to get out, they want to just be a full time entrepreneur, but they've got to think about that transition. They've also got to think about how does their current job, or the current work that they do, help inform the entrepreneurship that they're looking for. And so tell us a little bit about how you made that transition and how you bought in that skill set that you have from corporate into what you do now as a DEIB practitioner.
Speaker 2:Yeah, gosh, it was, I think, number one. You have to be brave because there are so many moments. Sorry of call that, you know. I sort of was like, yes, I'm going to do it, and then I was like, oh no, it's a bit scary, and I think so.
Speaker 2:I think there's a number of things. I think you have to have your own personal belief and passion. I think you have to build your cheerleading community around you and recognize that there may even be times, dare I say within your own immediate family, where they're not going to be as supportive because they're suddenly going to go well how are we going to pay the bills and, yes, okay, that's a really big factor, but you know what, if you're going to let Fia hold you back, it's just not kind of the partner that you want to be with.
Speaker 2:So this is where your network will be absolutely vital and I think your network into well, lots of areas actually, but you kind of need to build a network of entrepreneurs that have been there, done that, and they help you to fast track your experience, quite frankly, and they're willing to share that, that kind of level of expertise. So that's sort of the first thing. And then the second, I think, when you're in that corporate space. Again, if I cast my mind back to, you know, the million years ago when I set up my business, I hadn't realized the power of my professional network. So I was working in that corporate space, I knew a lot of. I mean, I was really fortunate to work at the C-suite level, so this is Chief Exec, managing director level, etc. I just took that network for granted because I knew them. But when I ventured out on my own, suddenly that network was absolutely vital for me to be able to reconnect with them, to be able to have conversations with them to open the doors for me in terms of potential work. I also had to get over myself, quite frankly, because I was, I would be going. Oh no. Well, I remember from my corporate days that they were really busy and they may not have actually time to talk to me, and you cannot operate a business like that.
Speaker 2:You have to think that this is a value added conversation that you are about to embark upon and you are giving them value through that discussion, because it's not about you having a discussion to sell to them. It's about you having a discussion as you would if you were in that corporate space that says tell me about your world right now, what's keeping you awake at night. And therefore, you know, you then have that opportunity to showcase your expertise and that's where you will start to kind of make those connections. So for me it was.
Speaker 2:It was all of those factors. You know belief in yourself, be brave. You know, find that group around you that is really going to believe in you and help to fast. When I say fast track, they'll just share their experiences because they've done the learning for you. So you know, just kind of go okay, that's really really helpful. And then think about your professional network that you have already and find a way to capture that, whether it be in a spreadsheet or a CRM type system. So, customer relationship management system, linkedin, you know those kind of routes are going to be key.
Speaker 1:That is so good, so we can just stop the podcast right there, because that was just so good, nugget.
Speaker 1:So be brave, network and make sure you understand the network that you have now, because a lot of times we're just itching to get out of that job. But building those networks and making sure that we have those solidified, because they're going to help to build what we have as an entrepreneur on the other side, I love that and then get over yourself. That is so good. Yes, all right. So now we know what we were doing in the transition and now we want to. We're in the entrepreneurship, we're ready to scale. So you often talk about, teresa, this idea of scaling sustainably. So, as that relates to women in business, what do you mean by scaling sustainably and what are some ways that we can do that?
Speaker 2:Sure. So I think there are a number of factors with that. I think we know that if you kind of look at society and the world as a whole, we there are a number of sort of big issues that we have to tackle, climate change being being one, and we also then have to think about, you know, the inclusivity element of it. So those are two, two really really big things, and one of the areas that I'd really really encourage all entrepreneurs to really consider is their product and services through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. And if they haven't thought about that, that is a brilliant, brilliant framework to think about when I'm running my business. What is the purpose and how can I link, then my purpose through and with these United Nations Sustainable Development Goals? So if I give you an example, we ran a large program for Costa Coffee in the UK and we were invited to pitch for a piece of work. So we responded to the tender and we were one of 11 organizations that made it through to work to kind of the pitch itself, and this pitch was 11 minutes. So we had to. They'd had our proposals, we had to present ourselves to this board. It was an in-person presentation and we had 11 minutes to pitch who we were, what we were, what we stood for and what we were going to deliver. And, quite frankly, 11 minutes is really really hard going, and so for me, I did pitch to the organization and talked about what we were going to do, but for us, part of what we were going to do was getting to know them as an organization. I couldn't go in there and tell them in 11 minutes what we were going to do because I didn't really know or understand their business. But the key thing that absolutely clinched it for us was when I told them what our purpose was and for us, we were.
Speaker 2:We are committed to the United Nations development goal all around equity, and we talked about how that shows up for us through the work that we do.
Speaker 2:So a percentage of our kind of engagement with clients the revenue goes back to the hunger project, which delivers entrepreneurial education for women in underdeveloped countries to enable them to move out of hunger and poverty, and when we shared that, as kind of this is, this is part of our why you could literally see the lights turn on for them, and that was one of the key things that enabled us to achieve and succeed with that pitch because it aligned with their purpose of giving back. And I think when you're being an entrepreneur, it's really important to think about what is your, why? Of course you're you're being sustainable is about money, because of course, that's a sustainable element of your business. You know, do we have a product or service that we can sell into the, into the world, and it'd be sustainable? But actually, sustainability is also about what is the impact that this has in society and those that United Nations sustainable goals is a brilliant framework for organizations, for entrepreneurs, to really think about.
Speaker 1:Yes. So where is the best place to find those? Do we just Google it and go to the end of the week?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can send you the link. Absolutely, there is a framework and done. There's 17, 17 sustainable development goals and within there there are lots of kind of subsections and I'm going to say, ideally you could pick one or two that your business is really, really passionate about and align with those and, honestly, it will set your business apart because what we know is that, going forward, those larger businesses, that often us, including myself we form part of somebody's supply chain and therefore what we do and how we deliver will enable those larger businesses to achieve their objectives and their success in terms of sustainability.
Speaker 1:So let's, let's bring this home for the person that's thinking my business is just small, I'm just in this small area of the US. Why do I need to tie my purpose into the sustainable development goals and all of these big things that she's talking about? This doesn't relate to me. So to bring it home for that person, why do we still need to do that?
Speaker 2:So there are 17 United Nations Sustainable Global Goals and so, for your example of the listener that you were talking about, I'd really encourage them to think about what is the topic of their keynote. So, if they are focusing on, let's just say, they could be a well-being keynote. You know, when they go around and they talk about women's health, which is really important, well, if you look at goal number three, that's all about good health and well-being. So you know they can absolutely take a look at what does goal number three really really look and feel like and therefore, how can I promote that? I'm aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Global Goals and this is the contribution that they are making in society. If they and if they wanted them to build upon that even further.
Speaker 2:Goal number five is all about gender equity. So again, you can see how they can link the two together. We've got where else are we? If they are focusing on, I'm going to say, coaching and mentoring and skills in education, which is then going to link through to enabling a particular group of individuals to secure work themselves, well, goal number eight is all about decent work and economic growth. So again, it's there's the purpose there that is linked through that says I'm passionate about this because I want to look at gender equality and I'm also going to look at decent work and economic, because I know that if I give them the skills and the education then they will be able to kind of move into different spaces and their impact will be greater on society. So you can start to see how some of them are really really interconnected. There's goals all around industry, innovation and infrastructure. So if you've got any entrepreneurs out there that are really coming up with which I'm sure they do women do, don't? They come up with amazing ideas? So you know, how are they using that thought leadership to really break down some of these barriers with those goals all around reduced inequalities.
Speaker 2:There's goals all around sustainable cities and communities. So again, what are they doing in those communities? That is going to be all around sustainability. What else have we got below the water? What are they doing about climate action? And then this is another one about peace, justice and strong institutions.
Speaker 2:So there's kind of something for everybody in there and it's a brilliant framework and it will really set them apart from their competitors and it will really help them when they are pitching and thinking about being part of someone else's supply chain. This is what they do and how they can add that value.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is so good, because a lot of times we just think about this, what happens in this local area, and then we say enlarge my territory, I want to be great, I want to be able to have business in all different countries and to have huge impact, but then we haven't thought of our business, even when it was small, in terms of the global impact that it could have.
Speaker 1:And so thinking about this, even when the business is very small, what is the global impact, what is the sustainability of this business in the larger global marketplace is so important, and so that's something that we miss and we always think about. Well, what can't set me apart? Everybody sells this or everybody does this, but everybody is not hearing this piece about aligning those goals, making sure that you are set up and ready for that global marketplace. So that is so good that you don't really need to do that. Go to the UN sustainable development goals, link it to your purpose and make sure you go ahead and start to think along those lines so that you can really thrive and lead in the global marketplace.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. We talk about when businesses want to scale. We know that not every business wants to. Every entrepreneur wants to create a multimillion pound empire, right, I mean, it's true, and I want to, in truth, create a lifestyle business. You know, I know for myself, if I'm honest, I want a lifestyle business. You know I don't want. I mean, I do say I value what money is able to offer for me, but I value what entrepreneurship also gives to me, which is that freedom and flexibility. What is important to me is making the impact that you've referred to, and therefore, this is where we talk about scaling deep rather than necessarily scaling big, you know. So, again, it's not about hundreds of employees and it's not about, you know, big, big buildings, et cetera. It's about actually what is the biggest impact that I could possibly have on the world and what do I want my legacy to be. And that's where I think, as entrepreneurs, we've got an amazing gift and a most amazing opportunity.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And as you're talking about this and thinking about really going deep with the work that we do and with the impact, last week on the show I talked about the who, not the how, and we always think about, oh my goodness, how am I going to make this global impact, how am I going to be able to go deep with the work that I want to do? I only have been in this small space for this period of time, and so when we think about the who, not the how, that allows us to have that bigger impact, and so we're talking about this idea on the inclusive network of networking, and so I know you have some really good tips for us about how do we really incorporate the who, not the how, and what are some great tips that you have for networking for women and minorities in business?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that kind of who, not how, is really invaluable. And again, if I sort of give you an example in the corporate space, if we are to go further, faster together and solve some of these kind of the world's biggest problems, of which, you know, inclusivity and climate change is absolutely up there we do have to reduce our mindset about scarcity and about, I'm going to say, competitiveness. So it is really important to have both of those. However, rather than thinking well, I can't share and I can't collaborate because they're my competitors, it's important if we're going to say, if we're going to go on this journey of making a bigger impact, we think about, actually, if I partnered with somebody that offers complimentary I'm going to say services or solutions, how can we go faster together? Or, actually, how can we create a solution that enables us that's me, potentially, and my competitor to solve some of these bigger problems? So I think one of those things that I would encourage people to do is to think about who can they partner with that is really going to enable their organization to go further and faster.
Speaker 2:I think, again, it is about surrounding yourself with the community of entrepreneurs that have and usually they're from really, really different backgrounds and experiences, but they've got a rich experience to share with you. So I'm part of a number of entrepreneur, growth and accountability groups and I think accountability is key. Actually, I am a serial creator of things and I need someone to hold me to account that says Theresa, you've created that, now you need to get it to the market. I have so many kind of best kept secret products that I've created that I haven't shared with anyone, and so, again, that accountability is going to be key. So just think about who can you partner with and be really creative. Think outside of the box, think about your product and service and how can you really package it in such a way that it solves your client's biggest problems, and more, as I say, surround yourself with this network and push yourself into spaces that you hadn't kind of thought you could. And what was the next one? Yeah, just again, be brave, I think, is going to be the key.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, those are so good, and I know that a lot of times we feel like we're alone as entrepreneurs. People think they're out on an island and they don't have anybody that understands what they're going through. But building those networks and being brave, getting out they were talking to people getting rid of the mindset that somebody's going to steal your idea or somebody's going to take your business is really holding us back, and so we've got to think about how do we go further right, not faster and how do we make sure that we are connected with the people who are going to help us to move further in this business. Yeah, so those are so good. So, as we end this, tell us about your latest book and any other things. How do we stay in touch with you, what are some things that you're doing and how can the inclusive network or community keep up with you?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, Gosh. Well, you're very welcome to stalk me on LinkedIn. So please do share my kind of profile details on LinkedIn. But, yeah, you can stay connected with me there. We do have a new book that is kind of in the making at the moment and that will all focus around the entrepreneurs and impact. So the kind of the methodology that we are creating is all around impact. I do have my book for those that are working with organisations, helping them to think about their inclusivity journey, so they can get a copy of my book Closing the Gap Five Steps to Creating an Inclusive Culture. And yeah, you can find me on Twitter as well, so at inclusion247. So those are just a couple of the ways that they can get in touch and stay in touch with the journey that we're on.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, teresa, thank you so very much for being a guest on the Inclusive Networker podcast and thank you all for listening to this week's episode of the Inclusive Networker podcast. You can find Teresa's information in the show notes and we will see you on the next episode of the Inclusive Networker. Bye, and that wraps up another episode of the Inclusive Networker podcast. I want to express my sincere gratitude to you, our listeners, for joining us on this journey of learning and growth. Your support and engagement are truly, truly appreciated. But before we go, I have something special for our business owners out there. If you're looking to take your business to new heights, I've created a game changer just for you.
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