Today we’d like to introduce you to Shola Richards.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Thanks for the opportunity to share my story! I will never forget the day that my journey started. One morning over a decade ago, I dressed for work, gathered my keys, and got in my car not bothering to shower or even brush my teeth, because esteem doesn’t matter so much when you’re operating on pure, unadulterated despondency.
My job where I’d quickly advanced as the top regional performer in the company was a place where I’d numbed to the thrills of achievement and success because quite frankly – it’s hard to feel accomplished when you’ve been broken inside. I’d spent too long on the receiving end of what society politely calls “workplace bullying.”
Which is a euphemism for toxic adult behaviors that enable a perpetrator to get what they want, maintain a status quo, and leave rattled and resourceless people in their quake? That morning on the 405 freeway, exhausted from the drama, with an unrecognizable version of myself at the wheel, my depression weighed in with a solution – that instead of going to work that day, I should simply drive off the road.
Even though I knew my workplace was irrational… I didn’t know irrational was contagious. So I swerved off the interstate. But in that half second I spent careening off course, my reflexes responded, and I yanked the wheel away from disaster. After clipping the guardrail, I swerved back into the flow of speeding traffic. Adrenaline is a powerful drug. And just like that, I was fully, irrevocably awake.
Ultimately, I did go into work that day. And I promptly handed in my resignation. That alarming incident was a catalyst for my career as a keynote speaker and consultant, but so was the time wasted in normalized abuse – the unchecked, death-by-a-thousand-cuts bullying that happens daily to sixty-five million people in this country alone. Statistically, this trend is worsening.
In other words, bullying isn’t unusual. It’s endemic. In my research, learning, and authoring of books, I’ve steeped in big questions like what constitutes a “bully?” How is it possible that we nurture them and their resulting misery in our professional environments? Why do we tolerate the intolerable? How do we take care of ourselves when we experience and confront these soul assassins? How do we build processes that expose toxic behaviors and discard it?
How do we identify it in all its forms from overt intimidation to the most undermining manipulation? How are good people supporting this behavior? How are good people participating in it? What exactly are the consequences? And also, when people aren’t themselves because they’re impeded from doing their work while too busy surviving the workplace, who are they? And what out-of-character behaviors are they capable of?
My work isn’t about rehabilitating mean and manipulative conduct. It’s about restoring the severed lines of communication their behavior creates which has dire consequences on a company’s safety and bottom line. It’s about ending generations of professional suffering and creating healthy work environments where people actually have the opportunity to do solid, incredible work.
People are stronger, smarter, more productive, more creative, and happier when they’re treated with respect. Which means so are you. Which means so am I. That is my story, and it’s why I do this work. Everyone on this earth deserves the right to work in a safe, healthy and bully-free work environment, and I will rest until that is our new reality.
Great, 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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that is the main reason why I have appreciated the journey so much. Whether it was starting my own keynote speaking and consulting business after attempting suicide, writing two books, or overcoming my daily fight against my own self-doubt–none of it has been easy. And honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
The short version is that I work with businesses all over the country to create safe, collaborative and bully-free work environments. People know me most as an author and keynote speaker, but I also conduct in-depth workshops on the importance of workplace civility, and I provide one-on-one coaching for professionals who are struggling in their jobs for any reason.
From what I’ve heard, what sets me apart is that I’m not simply coming from a place of theory–I’m coming from a place of authentic experience. I can look anyone in the eye who is struggling in their jobs, and sincerely say, “I feel you–I’ve been there too.” More importantly, though, I can also show them a way out of their struggles as well.
This isn’t a passing hobby for me. I am dedicating the rest of my life to ending generations of professional suffering simply by changing how we treat each other at work. I know that people can feel my passion and energy for making the world a kinder place when they talk to me, and I think that’s one of the main reasons why I earned the nickname “Brother Teresa.”
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Fortunately, I grew up surrounded by a great deal of love, kindness, and support from family–so, thanks in large part to them, my childhood was a very positive one. Strangely though, my favorite memory from childhood was the first time that I stood up to a bully.
When I was younger, I had a speech impediment and jacked-up teeth that made me an easy target for the bullies. I remember once when a kid in my class threatened to beat me up at recess unless I gave him the jacket that I was wearing. Even though I was terrified, I looked him in the eye and defiantly yelled as loud as I could, “No! I’m not scared of you!” And to my surprise, he backed down and never bothered me again.
Little did I know, but that elementary school interaction played a large role in helping me to understand the mindset of bullies, in general. Most bullies are cowards who thrive off of the fear of others. But once you show that you’re not scared of their tough guy/gal routine, they usually don’t have a Plan B when Plan A fails.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SholaRichards.com
- Email: Shola@SholaRichards.com
- Instagram: @positivitysolve
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ThePositivitySolution
- Twitter: @positivitysolve
- Other: www.ThePositivitySolution.com
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