Stephanie Aida Felix Consulting

I have been saving this for the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Let’s talk about multiculturalism, heritage and identity. I grew up on a small island in the Caribbean in a multicultural family, my mother is Afro-Caribbean/Black and my father is Puerto Rican. I moved to the US mainland when I was 18 to attend the University of Miami (Go ‘Canes ????). To say it was a culture shock is an understatement, and it wasn’t typically the big things you would think of, it was a dozen small things: introducing yourself was new, coming from a place so insular everyone knew you or your family, my accent was different and strong so I had to speak slowly, or differently, this was my first introduction to code switching, but the biggest adjustment was how little people knew about multiculturalism (or geography to be honest). Where are you from? Where is that? What does that mean? What are you? Why do you sound like that? In my first 5 years on the US mainland I had dozens of strangers engage in unsolicited guesses about my heritage: Jamaican (most popular), Trinidadian, Brazilian, Black and Asian, I even once got Aboriginal Australian from a random man in a store in Harlem. There was also a couple next to me while waiting for the metro rail in Miami arguing about whether my hair (because it was long) could be real, and an employee that left feedback in a post program training survey that he couldn’t understand a word I was saying. I have always loved talking about my people, my heritage, my culture, but I didn’t want anyone confused by it. So I spent some time figuring out what to call myself so that people understood: mixed was understood but archaic, obviously biracial makes no sense because Hispanic is not a race, Afro-Caribbean was good but a lot of people didn’t and still don’t understand Latinidad also includes the Caribbean, I considered Afro Taíno after I found out about my indigenous heritage, Black was a given and I ultimately landed on Afro Latina, even though that still doesn’t always feel right since it’s typically someone that has African heritage from a Latin country vs someone with parents of different backgrounds. But the truth is finding the right words, finding the right label, was never for me. I’ve never been confused about who I am a single day in this life, never not once. This hustle to find the perfect phrase or pairing of words that encapsulates everything about my story and my ancestors’ story is futile and frankly very silly. I see it now for what it is, a waste of time. In fact, imagine my disappointment when I see this same rhetoric and now faux confusion reflected in the election cycle conversations years later about how a woman can be Black and many other things too. So, let this Hispanic Heritage Month remind you that you do not have to label your humanity. Your story is much bigger than just a few words. ???????? #HappyHispanicHeritageMonth

If you aren’t discussing climate equity or climate justice you are in fact, not doing justice to #DEI.

Thoughts? https://lnkd.in/gqJNt7uC

Let’s talk about SirDavis, Beyoncé’s newest launch with Mo?t Hennessy. It may not be immediately clear from her post on Instagram, but SirDavis is named in honor of Beyoncé's paternal great-grandfather Davis Hogue. He was a farmer and a moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition. He stashed whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and family to find and enjoy.?It’s a part of her heritage, her legacy. But beyond that, it is part of the growing extension of her ode to Americana, a reclamation of the American spirit for a culture and community of people that historically…built but did not own. I want to see more of this. As with anything related to #DEI inclusive marketing is organic, it treads the line between bold (visionary, innovative, daring) and subtle (the messaging is so innate the product doesn't exist without it, it is intrinsic to its purpose, its reason for being). It tells the stories that are often left untold. This is how we do this work well #inclusivemarketing

Now that the Olympics have wrapped, the most important takeaway, thank you for the wisdom Akilah Hughes!

In this time of continued uncertainty and volatility a quick and sincere note of thanks to all of my client partners. Identity, social responsibility, impact, culture, equity are some of the most consequential conversations of our time, and your commitment to the work speaks volumes about your values, your brand, and your future legacy.

Let’s have a real discussion about the state of marketing…

Exciting news from Stephanie Aida Felix Consulting! After months of reflection, we're proud to unveil our new visual identity. Shades of brown represent the diversity and richness of skin tones, while the deep blue symbolizes the vastness of the ocean. Our new logo also pays homage to Stephanie's heritage with the inclusion of her middle name, Aida, and her late paternal Grandmother's namesake, Aida Ventura Felix, born in Vieques, Puerto Rico. We believe that identity and culture are the driving forces behind our work, and we're thrilled to celebrate this new chapter with all of you. Let's continue to work towards diversity, equity, and inclusion with a renewed sense of purpose. #DEI #DiversityEquityandInclusion #SocialImpact

Stephanie Aida Felix Consulting got its first press coverage and I am ecstatic! And also reminding myself that all good things are not only deserved, they are earned. Check me out in the Washington Post! https://lnkd.in/eaAzGU7r

As we mark the start of #BlackHistoryMonth, sharing this post from last February. TL;DR: We are flourishing anyway.