Fearless Conference 2022. Reflection. Celebration. Invitation.

One week ago, The BrandLab hosted our second annual Fearless Conference. As I've sat with so many incredible nuggets of wisdom and insight from those that shared their voices, I thought I'd take a minute to reflect, celebrate, and invite you to take another step with us.

Why Fearless?

Four pillars guide the work of The BrandLab. Three of the four pillars focus on connecting talent from Indigenous, Black, Brown, AAPI, or Latinx backgrounds to careers in marketing and advertising. The fourth pillar focuses on the work we do with our marketing and advertising partners to support their efforts to reduce bias and create workplaces of inclusivity and belonging. This is where our Fearless work lives. This is why we have a Fearless Conference. We want to see the industry become a space where professionals of color thrive.

Reflection

Two days of speakers filled stages and screens with insight, vulnerability, and challenges for each of us as individuals and co-workers.?

Young leaders, and The BrandLab alumni Roberto Del Real Jr., Karina Vela, and Jerrit Payton II, took the stage first with the amazing Kelli Williams moderating. This group challenged us to listen and connect more intentionally with our teams. They modeled and mentored in bold ways.?

When we aligned on this year's theme of mental health and DEIB in the new workplace, the idea of having Dr. Joi Lewis - author and leader in radical self-care - couldn't have had us more excited. Dr. Joi DID. NOT. Disappoint. Her wisdom, encouragement, and tangible action steps for practicing self-care - when we want to and when we don't, were incredible. I'm kicking off each morning with the hand-over-heart meditation.?

The BrandLab Board Chair, Mike Caguin spoke with Sonya Roberts, Maurice Cooper, and Myron King. The group of industry leaders vulnerably shared the ways they care for themselves and how they look to create space and connect resources for their teams - Reminding us that we must proudly acknowledge the differences of those on our teams to create more inclusive workplaces.

Then industry leader, marketer, and founder of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA), Jerri DeVard took the stage and shared her love of roller skating and the marketing industry. She challenged workplaces to shift from thinking about culture fit to culture add, and she challenged white co-workers to be the ones to ask the questions often left for leaders of color to bring up in the workplace. She talked about her personal experience being a "lonely-only" and her hopes for BECA, an organization focused on advancing Black leadership in the marketing industry.

The BrandLab will launch in Milwaukee this summer, making it even more exciting to have had two Milwaukee based partners - Jeremy Triblett and Shalina Ali - kicking off day two of the Conference last week.?

Jeremy Triblett, a leader in training and presentation design and creator of the Microaggression Game, led us through a deeper understanding of the ways our bias shows up, examples of microaggressions, how we respond, and tips for how we can intervene and hold ourselves accountable. The importance of intervening when we see or experience a microaggression and the language to practice this action was a re-grounding I'll be taking forward.?

Shalina Ali, Co-Executive Director of True Skool Milwaukee, got us all talking. Sharing experiences of virtual work and how this new model can create challenges that we must be intentional about addressing to create inclusive virtual workspaces. She challenged us to individually discuss with those that work for you or with your leader - what a healthy environment looks like for you?

Edelman brought together a panel of industry leaders including Paul Saiedi, Felicia Joy, Sly Peoples, Jed Lam, and Brianna Dimond that openly talked about boundary setting throughout their careers - the good and the bad. This crew had wisdom drops all over the place, but no one could stop talking about Felicia Joy's, "No." Is a complete sentence." Come on now!?

Dr. Amber Cargill supports and provides resources for the mental health needs of all NFL players. Her perspective on preparing and responding to stressors were simple and powerful. I will continue reminding myself that when it comes to my needs -? I have the answers within.??

Loren Blandon closed out the Conference highlighting research, learnings, and new challenges within hybrid workplaces. She challenged us to consider taking the less traveled path when you understand what you value, what you want, and what you bring to the spaces you're showing up. It definitely got me excited to dig into Ikigai. My copy of the book just arrived.?

Celebration

Last week would not have been possible without the incredible The BrandLab (TBL)? team and our event committee! Thank you especially to Victoria Menchaca (Conference Event Lead), Taylor Gaudion (Marketing) and Jamila Joiner (Fearless Program Manager). To our event committee Morgan Kennedy, Antonio Rivera, Liz Pangerl, and Roberto Del Real Jr..?

Shout out to the full TBL team for your support and engagement Thomas Toley, Shalisa Wilson, Koisey Hiama, Taylor Colegrove, Kweku TeAngelo Cargile Jr., Imani Ray, Michaela Clubb, Kirsten Brown-Persley.

Invitation

A two day journey together. Now what??Here are just a few ways to take the next step with us.

1) Sign-up for our newsletter at thebrandlab.org for an opportunity to get recordings of the content from last week if you missed it and learn more about future Fearless Conversations.

2) Message me or Jamila Joiner to bring Fearless workshops to your organization.

3) Head to thebrandlab.org to learn more about how you, your team, and your workplace can support The BrandLab mission to change the face and voice of the marketing and advertising industry.