Today we’d like to introduce you to LaVada English.
Hi LaVada, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am the founder and owner of Bright Places, a learning and development firm focused on leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion education. I do this work because I believe every human has a purpose for living; if there is anything in the way, we should address and remove those obstacles. Our occupations take a significant part of our lives; we do not need to be stressed or marginalized at work.
So how did I begin working in this space? After marrying young and becoming a mother at age 20, I completed my undergraduate education and began working for a large pharmaceutical company in New Brunswick, NJ. Here, I had the opportunity to travel across the US, building relationships with diversity focus organizations and universities to pursue top candidates to bring to the company. As the diversity talent consultant, I partnered with leaders across the organization to hire for all functions, including marketing, operations, engineering, sales, and more. I educated decision-makers in the art of hiring people with different lived experiences. I helped candidates understand what would be required of them as they adapted to their lifestyles and worked inside a big corporation. I led multiple projects and efforts within the diversity space for several entities.
My roles were fulfilling because I identified and positioned hundreds of candidates on the track to success. After some years, what became apparent was that the teams in which I placed my candidates often needed to prepare to embrace people’s differences. They were good at laying out the red carpet in the recruiting process but failed to retain a diverse talent slate. Brilliant hires would call me and express their concern about being safe in their environments. They felt the leadership or teams needed to be more invested in their success and often felt pressure to minimize the nuances of their personalities and perspectives. It was confusing as they said they hired them for their “differences.”
Throughout my career, I encountered the minimization of authenticity in workplaces. Decision-makers approach diversity as an identity rather than a fact; a person is not “diverse,” diversity of people is a fact of different lived thoughts, feeling, and behaviors known as culture. When organizations check a diversity box after hiring a person for how they look and then force those individuals to assimilate, the result is a group of people who think alike. And we know that when everyone thinks alike, no one thinks much, and that’s not diversity, my friends.
So after years of earning my scars in corporate America, three beautiful daughters, and a divorce, in comes my company, Bright Places. My fearless quest is to change the way decision-makers navigate people’s differences. My clients come from sectors including government, big pharma., law, cosmetics, marketing, IT, and more. They seek strategies to increase diversity retention and serve their diverse clients more effectively. It’s good business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Any business has challenges as it grows and changes to meet the market’s demands. Consultants face the excitement of clinching the next contract, and it takes thick skin to believe you will be OK to pay your team and keep going. I can honestly say it’s the best decision I ever made. “Where your heart is, there is your treasure.” words I believe from my faith.
I struggled most when I was taking on too much by myself. Clients gained trust in my abilities and asked for more and more. While I never failed to meet a deadline, I had to streamline services and build a strong team. You simply cannot offer everything or manage everything. I focus on my most substantial gifts and solidify programs before launching new offerings. My team is incredible! I can only reach as far and go this fast because they do what they specialize in to scale the business.
You leave money on the table if you run your business like a freelancer rather than an Owner and CEO.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bright Places. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Bright Places, We partner with business decision-makers to ensure the behaviors of the people within the organization align with their stated values. We design and deliver education programs and people strategies. We also coach executives one-on-one and speak at events.
Our strategies are designed through a lens of “Intercultural Competence.” We understand the risk when leaders lack the skills needed to foster inclusion. Without blame or shaming, we help our clients build their ability to see, embrace and design change that leads to equitable practices. Our clients see an increase in retention and a decrease in EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) litigation.
Here’s our difference, we support your journey, acknowledge the history, fear, and resistance to change, and begin educating from the most practical step. Our experienced team is accredited in psychology, organizational development, instructional design, and human resource leadership. Still, we are most proud of our ability to see the unique needs of our clients and provide transparent, timely, and valuable guidance.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Globe Newswire reports that the worldwide corporate training industry is projected to reach $487 Billion by 2030. More than 80% of managers survey by LinkedIn Learning report their organizations are increasing investments in education and plan to do so long-term, People thirst for knowledge and appreciated employers who care about their professional growth. As a matter of fact, when employers offer opportunities to “up-skill,” retention increases.
Leaders are seeking knowledge beyond basic education and looking for ways to make lasting impactful culture and people operational changes. Over the next 5 to 10 years we anticipate a higher demand for external learning and development consultants. Why? Because consultants bring broader perspectives to challenges and remain disconnected from the cultural dynamics of the organizations. When allowed, this neutrality helps leaders to address biases and consider options they may have never realized existed.
Pricing:
- Coaching Sessions Start at $500
- Education Sessions begin at $6000
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brgtplaces/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brgtplaces/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brgtplaces
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brgtplaces
- Website: Bright Places
Image Credits
Kenneth Dolin Photography
