June 29, 2022 • 25 mins
Today host Louis Carr speaks with Carlos Sanchez ,Diversity & Inclusion lead at Starcom US. He is also the National Chair of the Men of Color Alliance.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Louis Carr, host of the Blueprint Connect podcast.
The Blueprint Connect podcast is an extension of the Blueprint
Men's Summit, where we have consistently given men a prescription
for growth, not just for themselves, but also for their
families and their communities. During these podcasts, we will educate
(00:24):
and motivate our listeners about entrepreneurship, careers in corporate America, finances,
health and wellness, and relationships. Today's guest on the Blueprint
Connect podcast is Carlos Sanchez d E and I head
for star Com USA. Welcome Carlos. Thank you so much, Louis,
(00:48):
really pleasure to be here with you today. Thank you
for coming out. I see you get your socks cap
on the day. Huh yeah, I mean, you know, we're
still we're still uh kind of rallying the loss, but
we'll take it as a win. First home playoff game
and what thirteen years I think it's been, I'll take it. Okay,
So so so you know what we call that, Carlos
(01:10):
in the bar, all right, you moved the bar slightly slightly.
I know there's no such thing as an ugly loss,
but I mean, uh, you know, but a pretty loss,
I should say, UM, but I'll take it. You know,
was able was able to make the playoff game, the
Blackout game with my wife, so we had a great time. Okay, good,
good good. I'm not gonna mess with you too much
a man. Still sensitive topic. So Carlos tell us about
(01:34):
Star Calm the company. What do you guys do and UM,
where are you located? Give us some background on UH
and how their position in the marketplace. Great question. So, UM,
you know Star Calm UM is in media agency and
advertising agency. UM. We're part of Publish Group holding Company
(01:58):
UM and you know we provide brands advertising services and
really help to advance their presence UM, you know, in
through media in the advertising world. So you know, we
are a part of you know, offline things like TV,
radio or print, and we're also you know, driving online
(02:18):
initiatives UM, like on social or you know, UM search
different you know e commerce things like that as well.
So we essentially are here to provide media services UM
for big brands. And you know, we have a lot
of blue chip brands UM that are on our current
client roster and UM you know, as an organization UM,
(02:38):
star com is is a global organization so we operate
on a hundred plus markets. So tell us who are
some of your clients? Yeah, great question. UM, So we
we have many different clients. UM. You know, as I mentioned,
we're uh in a hundred you know, total markets. We
have about seven thousand global employees, but here in the
United States we have about four hundred employers, and some
(03:00):
of our employees are are working on brands here in
the US like Kellogg's, UM, best Buy, Lowe's, Samsung, UM,
Fiat Chrysler, North America, Craft, Higns, UH Visa. So we
have we have a really robust list of um, you know,
big blue chip clients that are right here in the
(03:22):
US that we're servicing. So we're we're really excited. UM.
We have you know, got some some some new wins
under our belt UM as well, So you know, really
just excited just in terms of both as the holding company,
UM is continuing to progress, but specifically how stark Com
is also progressing with our client lists as well. So
you guys have some real well known household brands that
(03:44):
I'm sure most of our listeners have heard of. Right, So,
as the associate d E and I, guy, what do
you really do? Great question. You know, it is kind
of one of those things things that if you think about,
you know, this new hot topic people are always talking
(04:05):
about D and I and what does it mean and
what are we actually doing? And what I'm responsible for
is this. I'm responsible for all fourteen hundred of our
US employees making sure like they feel like they belong,
making sure that every single day we're having opportunities to
engage in and create programs and initiatives and policy changes
(04:27):
that make sure that every single one of these four
hundred employees are are are able to be their most
authentic self. Um, you know, I establishing them leading a
board um of different you know leaders in our organization
and our aim on that board is to be the
working board and we're here to kind of you know,
interrogate ways to ensure that we are creating new policies, initiatives,
(04:49):
and programs that positively impact you know, all aspects of
our employees day to day as well as how we
can engage with our clients. Right. So, you know, we
think about the way we hire, how can we you know,
make sure that we're bringing belonging to the way we
managed promote um and ultimately how we engage with our
clients as well. So was this a focus Carlos before uh,
(05:12):
George Floyd and the events of May? Was this exists there? It?
Did it? Did you know? UM? In fact, you know,
Star Calm, even within pubs, was one of the first
agencies to kind of have a presence in in in
d and I UM. In fact, we launched UM an
organization called Spectrum in two thousand and twelve, so this
(05:34):
work has been done long before that. UM And in fact,
you know our our our belonging Advisory Board, you know
our board that I mentioned. You know, this board was
created in nineteen so this is well before you know,
the unfortunate tragic events that took place in So what
I'm really proud of is being a part of an
organization that has leaned in UM, but really done so
(05:57):
in a way that's uh making waves, right and not
necessarily just writing them. And I think there's a lot
of you know that going on right now, people trying
to ride the wave and all that. But I think
that what we're doing as an organization was really making
waves because we were doing as well before that, So
it's not reactionary in anyway. So clos how tough of
(06:18):
a job is it in a non diverse industry like
media marketing? Every time it's not a diverse industry, is
not How tough does that make your job inside of
start car? You know, the industry? It's funny, you know,
I was doing a quick Google search UM for a
separate project that was working on UM before today's conversation.
(06:42):
And my my quick Google search and anyone can find
this and estimates are about eight percent white in advertising
and marketing UM. And and that to your point, is,
you know, very kind of predominant representation of of that
group UM, and minorities are are very very smallly represented it.
And so what it's done is really put an emphasis
(07:03):
on how we think about things like ally ship, what
it means to be an ally how does ally ship
take form? And and and what it really is about
is that acknowledgement piece, you know, And I think that
it is tough. But what we've done is we've done
a lot of different initiations and a lot of different
work on creating ways to kind of highlight these points
(07:24):
of intersection of identity. And through that work and through
these programs, we've created very meaningful, meaningful conversations, and these
conversations aren't just at bad times. We've started to have conversations,
you know, outside of just tragic events. Those are reactionary conversations.
What we wanted to do and what I've done is
put into a philosophy that's created proactive conversation. So we're
(07:47):
helping to get these muscles moving and and and not
necessarily just flexing them when things aren't going well. And
what that's done is created and foster that environment of
belonging and also that of ally ship, because it's important
to be here for allies and as an ally for
different groups and what that means can be different. You know,
(08:09):
being an ally to somebody in a certain population, um,
while you're still maybe a minority in the total population
is something we're also you know, working on as well.
So to answer your question is really tough. But I
think that what we've done is, um, you know, started conversations,
making sure that we're being proactive right and in having
these established sub committees that we place on all of
(08:31):
our client teams so that folks are getting familiar with
this and um, you know, the muscle memory is being developed.
We'll be right back with more of my interview after
this quick break. You know, a lot of companies of
(08:54):
approach d n I as just the right thing to do, right,
and it is the right thing to do, definitely, But
how do you help companies turn the corner when it's
the right thing to do for business? Oh that's a
great question. And you know what, I think that I
(09:15):
think that there's a lot of things that just incorporate,
you know, in in corporate America in a lot of
different ways that you know, we have looked to think
about profits a lot of times, you know, just again
blanket kind of statement. You know, in corporate America, people
lead tend to look at profits from an immediacy standpoint. Um.
And I think that what's really interesting is Census is
(09:36):
really showing us, hey, look what work is not going
to work anymore? Right, And so to your point, yeah,
it is the right thing to do just as a
human being, but it's also the right thing to do
for any business. In fact, it's imperative that you do.
So being uninclusive in your approach from a marketer standpoint
(09:57):
is actually one of the biggest irresponsible the services a
brand could do to themselves just from a long term
perspective just based off of what the census is showing.
Right estimates I believe are something to the effect of,
you know, people of color will be the majority in
this country, may forecasting at I mean, that's around the corner.
So it's imperative for brands to kind of make that happen.
(10:17):
So to answer your question, you know, how do you
bring this conversation outside of just the it's part of people.
What I think is important that we're doing is thinking
about thinking about people in different ways and consumers are people,
are talent? Are also people? Right, and how we think
about them, um is really important in a way that
(10:39):
allows for us to create these opportunities to really create
positive experiences for our internal people and for ultimately consumers
and things like are Once and for All Coalition, right,
which I know we're working together on. You know, that
is still taking the idea of how consumers are able
to engage with media through representation, supplier diversity, right, Like,
(11:03):
that's taking this into a whole new direction, um, And
I think that that's really really exciting, and it ultimately
is taking brands to a place of this is the shift,
and this is what's happening because it's better for all businesses,
right from the supplier side, from the average sider side,
from the media side, from the agency side, Like this
is just the symbiosis here is so apparent that things
(11:25):
like what we're working on together now are really driving that,
you know, tactical solutions that we're creating like Prism are
also helping to you know, reinvent the way that we
think about inclusivity in the digital world too. So when
you think about the corporate world in general outside of
the walls of stern Calm, what do you see as
(11:46):
some of the biggest hurdles that we still have to
cross in order to make real progress in question? I
think that um the first and foremost as acknowledgement, right.
I think that there's still challenges with regards to acknowledgement
regarding you know, how certain you know, different entities in
(12:12):
the corporate space need to just start their journey right.
And part of the starting of any journey is just
acknowledging that you have to be on one. And I
think that there's still some challenges with you know, being
comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that is part of that journey.
You need to acknowledge that so acknowledgement doesn't just have
(12:32):
to be you know about all of these different things
we just talked about on the previous question, but it's
also about just acknowledging that you need to be comfortable
with being uncomfortable. And then I think the next thing
is persistence, right, the ability to be persistent in you know, Okay,
I've acknowledged that I need, you know, to grow here
or you know, have conversations that are uncomfortable there. But
you know, just doing it one time doesn't suffice. You
(12:55):
need to be persistent. This needs to be something that
we're doing so regularly that it becomes set in nature
and innate into what it is that you know, our
business model is starting to consider. And then I think
the last thing is measurement. You know, it's hard to
measure something if you want to haven't acknowledged it and
too aren't persistent with it. So I think that just
as a corporate you know, structure in this country, we
need to be able to measure this and the same
(13:17):
rigor that we measure other things. Because the measurement is everywhere,
why are we not doing it in the same way here?
So carlos Um, you know, I have this brand called Waymaker.
I have another brand called Blueprint, and they all are
designed to meet people of color where they are and
(13:40):
help them get to the next level. Right. So, we
believe in the waymaker community that there has never been
a successful person that has not had a way maker. Right. So,
who have been some of your waymakers in your life? Wow? Um?
(14:02):
I think that some of my way makers have have
been folks who have been mentors, but also people who
you know, we're able to recognize kind of my passion
and help me harness it and channel it. Um. But
I also think there were also moments that were way
makers as well. And you know, attending the Blueprint Summit
(14:24):
um in twenty nineteen. I think it was when we
was there. I mean that was a moment and on
a personal level that my journey was really starting to
pick up momentum. And I was getting this energy of
like I need to do something. I know I can
do something and make changes in these ways, but I
need to I just didn't know how to channel I
was struggling on how to harness it, and attending the
Blueprint Man Summit was a moment of acknowledgement of like,
(14:47):
you know what I'm where I'm supposed to be, and
what I'm hearing is motivating me and helping me to
realize that there's this potential I need to tap into
from a single way maker perspective, you know, I think
one person who has been a huge, huge influence on
me is Rhanetta McCanns. You know, she's somebody who I know,
we both know personally, but she's somebody who has helped
me in so many tremendous ways just to understand and
(15:10):
and figure out how to best channel And she's somebody
from a professional standpoint, you know, who's just been one
of the biggest influences I think on me personally and
has helped me tremendously just recognize my passion and understand
how how how to pursue it best. So she, I think,
has been, you know, one of those people. And again
it was it was It was interesting because our relationship
(15:32):
really started to take take a lot of steam and
and move forward. And at the same time, you know,
I attended your summing. It was just like these things
are just converging at the same time. So, you know,
it was a big moment um. And I think that
she has been a tremendous influence. When you think about
people who are in charge, uh D and I, they
(15:56):
usually don't come in packages as young as you are,
all right, right, So so who meant you in this direction?
And and and how did you get there at such
a young age? Great question too, Like I think that
you know, Hm. One moment that I had that really
(16:17):
let me know that I was going in the right
direction was this, UM. I attended a d n I
boot camp for an organization called She Runs It, and
she runs it as a woman's based organization. And I
went into this room UM and I, you know, was
literally one of three men and maybe seven hundred people there,
(16:38):
and I was like, at first, I was a little overwhelmed.
I was like, I don't know if I should be here.
And then you know what, I was like, if I
really want to think about what dn I looks like,
I need to be in this moment and lean in
and try and find this opportunity to make the most
of it. And it was literally one of the most
impactful seminar sessions I've ever attended because I just saw
(17:00):
this passion from these people and made a lot of
relationships from that event. UM and and to answer your
question who helped channel me there specifically? UM, there were
two people who were actually there at that event who
helped me, uh, really identify how I can be a
part of this. One of them was Sette Williams and
(17:21):
the second UM was Ronnie Dickerson Stewart, and both of
them have been huge influences and really helping guide me
into the d n I landscape. Both of them are
people I consider way makers, and I think that there
are people who are also you know, helping UM highlight
how young people can contribute in this arena. And both
(17:41):
of them who were huge influences. I had so many
conversations with them both and they're like, you you know,
I was like, I don't know if I should do this.
What do you think? You know, I'm having a pivot
away from my big media experience that I'm doing. And
they was like, no, you need to do this, you
gotta knact, you need to do this. And and both
of them have had so many conversations to help propel
me UM and get me into into this space. We'll
(18:04):
be right back with more of my interview after this
quick break. So, Carlos, I talk a lot about people
having vision, you know, being able to see it and
then go about being it right. So when you think
(18:28):
about five years from now, what does the industry look like,
and more important, what the star com look like? I think, uh,
I think five years from now, I think the industry
will get into a phase UM that is able to
(18:50):
use the same tools in new and inventive UM ways.
And I think that what the industry will look like
is UM the ability need to bring equity and inclusivity
UM in the channels that have lacked at the most.
And we think about some of our offline stuff, but
if we think about our online stuff, I think it's
(19:11):
also a way for us to really take things UM
that have worked but weren't designed to be inclusive, not
that they intentionally or purposefully designed to be uninclusive, but
leveraging them ways you know that are are future forward
and allowing us to use these solutions in ways that
haven't been invented. So to to to say what I
(19:33):
think the industry looks like in five years, I think
it's going to be the most trackable, measurable, and efficient
way to ensure that UM diverse audiences and our ability
to UM leverage our buying power are coming to a
convergence point. And I think that that is something that
brands know is coming, and I think that's something that
(19:54):
the industry and tech also feel are coming. And and
I think that in five years we should get to
a point where that um is a reality. In terms
of star Com, you know, I think that what we'll
see then is our ability to really help our brands
and new prospects understand how inclusivity can feel in a
(20:17):
tangible way with their people internally. And I think that
our ability to mirror for their ability to mirror what
we're doing and having that, you know, symmetry, because I
think star Com is doing a tremendously great job, and
I think that what we're doing is continuing to foundationally build.
And what I would see in five years is the
way that we're structured will be the for lack of
(20:39):
better words, you know, the the example, the model of
how other organizations and even clients can help, you know,
restructure themselves and in position. You know, that prioritization of
what inclusivity and belonging is and everyday today touch points
for employees. The final question cornels for those individu jewels
(21:00):
who will be listening to this podcast and who are
in corporate America and who may be feeling a certain way,
What is your suggestion to them who sort of feel
that they don't really have any control over this. It's
almost like either I get picked or I don't get picked.
(21:22):
You know, what is your suggestion to them in a
proactive way on some of the things that they should
be due that that they should do to be a
part of this process? You know, I think, um, I
think what folks should be doing is playing their game,
leaning into them, leaning into their stories, leaning into their experiences.
(21:46):
And I think that at a certain point in time,
people have these advantages, these this uniqueness, this this irreplicable
thing about themselves, and sometimes that's the thing that they
may be avoiding most, but that's actually a strategic advantage
because it's irreplicable. You can't duplicate that. And I think
(22:06):
for people to think about ways to ensure that, you know,
they're a part of this and and they're able to
lean into it and and provide and sees and capitalize
on the opportunity, because that's what I'm kind of hearing.
And I think that in order to do that, be you,
be you, and lean into you, and lean into everything
about you that makes you you, because that is something
that can't be duplicated. There's no cookie cutter for that,
(22:29):
you know. And I think at one point in time
in my own life, I was trying to play a game,
you know, the corporate America game with the rules of
of what you know, my white counterparts were using, and
I realized, I have this whole unique thing about me
and all people of color, black people, brown people, we
have this unique thing about ourselves and our experience, and
(22:49):
we need to play to that because if we've already
made it in the corporate America, we're already being able
to be successful at these designed, you know, kind of
templatized approaches to the game. But we have these, you meet,
things that are intangible and I can equate it. Not
to go down to sports analogy, but it's the ability
to use your legs. Standing back and being a pocket
passer is great, but if you use your legs, you've
(23:11):
now created a whole new dynamic skill. They can't be duplicated, replicating,
they can't be accounted for. It's an X factor. Lean in,
find your X factor and leverage that in every in
any way, don't be afraid of it, don't be ashamed
of it, use it because that's what makes you you,
and that's what makes it known that no one else
can be you. So Carlos, it sounds like you were saying,
(23:34):
show up as your authentic self. I have a I
have a twist to that, Carlin. I always say, show
up as your authentic best self. Facts, big facts, big facts.
I'll be not every part of you is for everyone,
and having the maturity, having a maturity to know when
(23:55):
and what is your time and place for what is important,
but be able to to to recognize what your best
self is vision and paint that and back into that
and live into those values. That's what that's that's I
think the unique opportunity of itself because to your point,
it can be dangerous to be too authentic, but I
(24:17):
think there's knowing your time and place with maturity is like, Okay,
not every part of me is for everyone, and we
all kind of have to go through that phase and
we're going to use our most authentic selves and not
play off of the script. To know your time and
place for everything. Man, this has been great, Carlos, Thank
you so much. Glad we're joining us on the Blueprint
(24:38):
Connect podcast. I thank you so much for this and
wish you the best of luck on your journey. Thank
you so much, appreciate, thank you for having me. Thank
you right
Hi, I'm Louis Carr, host of the Blueprint Connect podcast.
The Blueprint Connect podcast is an extension of the Blueprint
Men's Summit, where we have consistently given men a prescription
for growth, not just for themselves, but also for their
families and their communities. During these podcasts, we will educate
(00:24):
and motivate our listeners about entrepreneurship, careers in corporate America, finances,
health and wellness, and relationships. Today's guest on the Blueprint
Connect podcast is Carlos Sanchez d E and I head
for star Com USA. Welcome Carlos. Thank you so much, Louis,
(00:48):
really pleasure to be here with you today. Thank you
for coming out. I see you get your socks cap
on the day. Huh yeah, I mean, you know, we're
still we're still uh kind of rallying the loss, but
we'll take it as a win. First home playoff game
and what thirteen years I think it's been, I'll take it. Okay,
So so so you know what we call that, Carlos
(01:10):
in the bar, all right, you moved the bar slightly slightly.
I know there's no such thing as an ugly loss,
but I mean, uh, you know, but a pretty loss,
I should say, UM, but I'll take it. You know,
was able was able to make the playoff game, the
Blackout game with my wife, so we had a great time. Okay, good,
good good. I'm not gonna mess with you too much
a man. Still sensitive topic. So Carlos tell us about
(01:34):
Star Calm the company. What do you guys do and UM,
where are you located? Give us some background on UH
and how their position in the marketplace. Great question. So, UM,
you know Star Calm UM is in media agency and
advertising agency. UM. We're part of Publish Group holding Company
(01:58):
UM and you know we provide brands advertising services and
really help to advance their presence UM, you know, in
through media in the advertising world. So you know, we
are a part of you know, offline things like TV,
radio or print, and we're also you know, driving online
(02:18):
initiatives UM, like on social or you know, UM search
different you know e commerce things like that as well.
So we essentially are here to provide media services UM
for big brands. And you know, we have a lot
of blue chip brands UM that are on our current
client roster and UM you know, as an organization UM,
(02:38):
star com is is a global organization so we operate
on a hundred plus markets. So tell us who are
some of your clients? Yeah, great question. UM, So we
we have many different clients. UM. You know, as I mentioned,
we're uh in a hundred you know, total markets. We
have about seven thousand global employees, but here in the
United States we have about four hundred employers, and some
(03:00):
of our employees are are working on brands here in
the US like Kellogg's, UM, best Buy, Lowe's, Samsung, UM,
Fiat Chrysler, North America, Craft, Higns, UH Visa. So we
have we have a really robust list of um, you know,
big blue chip clients that are right here in the
(03:22):
US that we're servicing. So we're we're really excited. UM.
We have you know, got some some some new wins
under our belt UM as well, So you know, really
just excited just in terms of both as the holding company,
UM is continuing to progress, but specifically how stark Com
is also progressing with our client lists as well. So
you guys have some real well known household brands that
(03:44):
I'm sure most of our listeners have heard of. Right, So,
as the associate d E and I, guy, what do
you really do? Great question. You know, it is kind
of one of those things things that if you think about,
you know, this new hot topic people are always talking
(04:05):
about D and I and what does it mean and
what are we actually doing? And what I'm responsible for
is this. I'm responsible for all fourteen hundred of our
US employees making sure like they feel like they belong,
making sure that every single day we're having opportunities to
engage in and create programs and initiatives and policy changes
(04:27):
that make sure that every single one of these four
hundred employees are are are able to be their most
authentic self. Um, you know, I establishing them leading a
board um of different you know leaders in our organization
and our aim on that board is to be the
working board and we're here to kind of you know,
interrogate ways to ensure that we are creating new policies, initiatives,
(04:49):
and programs that positively impact you know, all aspects of
our employees day to day as well as how we
can engage with our clients. Right. So, you know, we
think about the way we hire, how can we you know,
make sure that we're bringing belonging to the way we
managed promote um and ultimately how we engage with our
clients as well. So was this a focus Carlos before uh,
(05:12):
George Floyd and the events of May? Was this exists there? It?
Did it? Did you know? UM? In fact, you know,
Star Calm, even within pubs, was one of the first
agencies to kind of have a presence in in in
d and I UM. In fact, we launched UM an
organization called Spectrum in two thousand and twelve, so this
(05:34):
work has been done long before that. UM And in fact,
you know our our our belonging Advisory Board, you know
our board that I mentioned. You know, this board was
created in nineteen so this is well before you know,
the unfortunate tragic events that took place in So what
I'm really proud of is being a part of an
organization that has leaned in UM, but really done so
(05:57):
in a way that's uh making waves, right and not
necessarily just writing them. And I think there's a lot
of you know that going on right now, people trying
to ride the wave and all that. But I think
that what we're doing as an organization was really making
waves because we were doing as well before that, So
it's not reactionary in anyway. So clos how tough of
(06:18):
a job is it in a non diverse industry like
media marketing? Every time it's not a diverse industry, is
not How tough does that make your job inside of
start car? You know, the industry? It's funny, you know,
I was doing a quick Google search UM for a
separate project that was working on UM before today's conversation.
(06:42):
And my my quick Google search and anyone can find
this and estimates are about eight percent white in advertising
and marketing UM. And and that to your point, is,
you know, very kind of predominant representation of of that
group UM, and minorities are are very very smallly represented it.
And so what it's done is really put an emphasis
(07:03):
on how we think about things like ally ship, what
it means to be an ally how does ally ship
take form? And and and what it really is about
is that acknowledgement piece, you know, And I think that
it is tough. But what we've done is we've done
a lot of different initiations and a lot of different
work on creating ways to kind of highlight these points
(07:24):
of intersection of identity. And through that work and through
these programs, we've created very meaningful, meaningful conversations, and these
conversations aren't just at bad times. We've started to have conversations,
you know, outside of just tragic events. Those are reactionary conversations.
What we wanted to do and what I've done is
put into a philosophy that's created proactive conversation. So we're
(07:47):
helping to get these muscles moving and and and not
necessarily just flexing them when things aren't going well. And
what that's done is created and foster that environment of
belonging and also that of ally ship, because it's important
to be here for allies and as an ally for
different groups and what that means can be different. You know,
(08:09):
being an ally to somebody in a certain population, um,
while you're still maybe a minority in the total population
is something we're also you know, working on as well.
So to answer your question is really tough. But I
think that what we've done is, um, you know, started conversations,
making sure that we're being proactive right and in having
these established sub committees that we place on all of
(08:31):
our client teams so that folks are getting familiar with
this and um, you know, the muscle memory is being developed.
We'll be right back with more of my interview after
this quick break. You know, a lot of companies of
(08:54):
approach d n I as just the right thing to do, right,
and it is the right thing to do, definitely, But
how do you help companies turn the corner when it's
the right thing to do for business? Oh that's a
great question. And you know what, I think that I
(09:15):
think that there's a lot of things that just incorporate,
you know, in in corporate America in a lot of
different ways that you know, we have looked to think
about profits a lot of times, you know, just again
blanket kind of statement. You know, in corporate America, people
lead tend to look at profits from an immediacy standpoint. Um.
And I think that what's really interesting is Census is
(09:36):
really showing us, hey, look what work is not going
to work anymore? Right, And so to your point, yeah,
it is the right thing to do just as a
human being, but it's also the right thing to do
for any business. In fact, it's imperative that you do.
So being uninclusive in your approach from a marketer standpoint
(09:57):
is actually one of the biggest irresponsible the services a
brand could do to themselves just from a long term
perspective just based off of what the census is showing.
Right estimates I believe are something to the effect of,
you know, people of color will be the majority in
this country, may forecasting at I mean, that's around the corner.
So it's imperative for brands to kind of make that happen.
(10:17):
So to answer your question, you know, how do you
bring this conversation outside of just the it's part of people.
What I think is important that we're doing is thinking
about thinking about people in different ways and consumers are people,
are talent? Are also people? Right, and how we think
about them, um is really important in a way that
(10:39):
allows for us to create these opportunities to really create
positive experiences for our internal people and for ultimately consumers
and things like are Once and for All Coalition, right,
which I know we're working together on. You know, that
is still taking the idea of how consumers are able
to engage with media through representation, supplier diversity, right, Like,
(11:03):
that's taking this into a whole new direction, um, And
I think that that's really really exciting, and it ultimately
is taking brands to a place of this is the shift,
and this is what's happening because it's better for all businesses,
right from the supplier side, from the average sider side,
from the media side, from the agency side, Like this
is just the symbiosis here is so apparent that things
(11:25):
like what we're working on together now are really driving that,
you know, tactical solutions that we're creating like Prism are
also helping to you know, reinvent the way that we
think about inclusivity in the digital world too. So when
you think about the corporate world in general outside of
the walls of stern Calm, what do you see as
(11:46):
some of the biggest hurdles that we still have to
cross in order to make real progress in question? I
think that um the first and foremost as acknowledgement, right.
I think that there's still challenges with regards to acknowledgement
regarding you know, how certain you know, different entities in
(12:12):
the corporate space need to just start their journey right.
And part of the starting of any journey is just
acknowledging that you have to be on one. And I
think that there's still some challenges with you know, being
comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that is part of that journey.
You need to acknowledge that so acknowledgement doesn't just have
(12:32):
to be you know about all of these different things
we just talked about on the previous question, but it's
also about just acknowledging that you need to be comfortable
with being uncomfortable. And then I think the next thing
is persistence, right, the ability to be persistent in you know, Okay,
I've acknowledged that I need, you know, to grow here
or you know, have conversations that are uncomfortable there. But
you know, just doing it one time doesn't suffice. You
(12:55):
need to be persistent. This needs to be something that
we're doing so regularly that it becomes set in nature
and innate into what it is that you know, our
business model is starting to consider. And then I think
the last thing is measurement. You know, it's hard to
measure something if you want to haven't acknowledged it and
too aren't persistent with it. So I think that just
as a corporate you know, structure in this country, we
need to be able to measure this and the same
(13:17):
rigor that we measure other things. Because the measurement is everywhere,
why are we not doing it in the same way here?
So carlos Um, you know, I have this brand called Waymaker.
I have another brand called Blueprint, and they all are
designed to meet people of color where they are and
(13:40):
help them get to the next level. Right. So, we
believe in the waymaker community that there has never been
a successful person that has not had a way maker. Right. So,
who have been some of your waymakers in your life? Wow? Um?
(14:02):
I think that some of my way makers have have
been folks who have been mentors, but also people who
you know, we're able to recognize kind of my passion
and help me harness it and channel it. Um. But
I also think there were also moments that were way
makers as well. And you know, attending the Blueprint Summit
(14:24):
um in twenty nineteen. I think it was when we
was there. I mean that was a moment and on
a personal level that my journey was really starting to
pick up momentum. And I was getting this energy of
like I need to do something. I know I can
do something and make changes in these ways, but I
need to I just didn't know how to channel I
was struggling on how to harness it, and attending the
Blueprint Man Summit was a moment of acknowledgement of like,
(14:47):
you know what I'm where I'm supposed to be, and
what I'm hearing is motivating me and helping me to
realize that there's this potential I need to tap into
from a single way maker perspective, you know, I think
one person who has been a huge, huge influence on
me is Rhanetta McCanns. You know, she's somebody who I know,
we both know personally, but she's somebody who has helped
me in so many tremendous ways just to understand and
(15:10):
and figure out how to best channel And she's somebody
from a professional standpoint, you know, who's just been one
of the biggest influences I think on me personally and
has helped me tremendously just recognize my passion and understand
how how how to pursue it best. So she, I think,
has been, you know, one of those people. And again
it was it was It was interesting because our relationship
(15:32):
really started to take take a lot of steam and
and move forward. And at the same time, you know,
I attended your summing. It was just like these things
are just converging at the same time. So, you know,
it was a big moment um. And I think that
she has been a tremendous influence. When you think about
people who are in charge, uh D and I, they
(15:56):
usually don't come in packages as young as you are,
all right, right, So so who meant you in this direction?
And and and how did you get there at such
a young age? Great question too, Like I think that
you know, Hm. One moment that I had that really
(16:17):
let me know that I was going in the right
direction was this, UM. I attended a d n I
boot camp for an organization called She Runs It, and
she runs it as a woman's based organization. And I
went into this room UM and I, you know, was
literally one of three men and maybe seven hundred people there,
(16:38):
and I was like, at first, I was a little overwhelmed.
I was like, I don't know if I should be here.
And then you know what, I was like, if I
really want to think about what dn I looks like,
I need to be in this moment and lean in
and try and find this opportunity to make the most
of it. And it was literally one of the most
impactful seminar sessions I've ever attended because I just saw
(17:00):
this passion from these people and made a lot of
relationships from that event. UM and and to answer your
question who helped channel me there specifically? UM, there were
two people who were actually there at that event who
helped me, uh, really identify how I can be a
part of this. One of them was Sette Williams and
(17:21):
the second UM was Ronnie Dickerson Stewart, and both of
them have been huge influences and really helping guide me
into the d n I landscape. Both of them are
people I consider way makers, and I think that there
are people who are also you know, helping UM highlight
how young people can contribute in this arena. And both
(17:41):
of them who were huge influences. I had so many
conversations with them both and they're like, you you know,
I was like, I don't know if I should do this.
What do you think? You know, I'm having a pivot
away from my big media experience that I'm doing. And
they was like, no, you need to do this, you
gotta knact, you need to do this. And and both
of them have had so many conversations to help propel
me UM and get me into into this space. We'll
(18:04):
be right back with more of my interview after this
quick break. So, Carlos, I talk a lot about people
having vision, you know, being able to see it and
then go about being it right. So when you think
(18:28):
about five years from now, what does the industry look like,
and more important, what the star com look like? I think, uh,
I think five years from now, I think the industry
will get into a phase UM that is able to
(18:50):
use the same tools in new and inventive UM ways.
And I think that what the industry will look like
is UM the ability need to bring equity and inclusivity
UM in the channels that have lacked at the most.
And we think about some of our offline stuff, but
if we think about our online stuff, I think it's
(19:11):
also a way for us to really take things UM
that have worked but weren't designed to be inclusive, not
that they intentionally or purposefully designed to be uninclusive, but
leveraging them ways you know that are are future forward
and allowing us to use these solutions in ways that
haven't been invented. So to to to say what I
(19:33):
think the industry looks like in five years, I think
it's going to be the most trackable, measurable, and efficient
way to ensure that UM diverse audiences and our ability
to UM leverage our buying power are coming to a
convergence point. And I think that that is something that
brands know is coming, and I think that's something that
(19:54):
the industry and tech also feel are coming. And and
I think that in five years we should get to
a point where that um is a reality. In terms
of star Com, you know, I think that what we'll
see then is our ability to really help our brands
and new prospects understand how inclusivity can feel in a
(20:17):
tangible way with their people internally. And I think that
our ability to mirror for their ability to mirror what
we're doing and having that, you know, symmetry, because I
think star Com is doing a tremendously great job, and
I think that what we're doing is continuing to foundationally build.
And what I would see in five years is the
way that we're structured will be the for lack of
(20:39):
better words, you know, the the example, the model of
how other organizations and even clients can help, you know,
restructure themselves and in position. You know, that prioritization of
what inclusivity and belonging is and everyday today touch points
for employees. The final question cornels for those individu jewels
(21:00):
who will be listening to this podcast and who are
in corporate America and who may be feeling a certain way,
What is your suggestion to them who sort of feel
that they don't really have any control over this. It's
almost like either I get picked or I don't get picked.
(21:22):
You know, what is your suggestion to them in a
proactive way on some of the things that they should
be due that that they should do to be a
part of this process? You know, I think, um, I
think what folks should be doing is playing their game,
leaning into them, leaning into their stories, leaning into their experiences.
(21:46):
And I think that at a certain point in time,
people have these advantages, these this uniqueness, this this irreplicable
thing about themselves, and sometimes that's the thing that they
may be avoiding most, but that's actually a strategic advantage
because it's irreplicable. You can't duplicate that. And I think
(22:06):
for people to think about ways to ensure that, you know,
they're a part of this and and they're able to
lean into it and and provide and sees and capitalize
on the opportunity, because that's what I'm kind of hearing.
And I think that in order to do that, be you,
be you, and lean into you, and lean into everything
about you that makes you you, because that is something
that can't be duplicated. There's no cookie cutter for that,
(22:29):
you know. And I think at one point in time
in my own life, I was trying to play a game,
you know, the corporate America game with the rules of
of what you know, my white counterparts were using, and
I realized, I have this whole unique thing about me
and all people of color, black people, brown people, we
have this unique thing about ourselves and our experience, and
(22:49):
we need to play to that because if we've already
made it in the corporate America, we're already being able
to be successful at these designed, you know, kind of
templatized approaches to the game. But we have these, you meet,
things that are intangible and I can equate it. Not
to go down to sports analogy, but it's the ability
to use your legs. Standing back and being a pocket
passer is great, but if you use your legs, you've
(23:11):
now created a whole new dynamic skill. They can't be duplicated, replicating,
they can't be accounted for. It's an X factor. Lean in,
find your X factor and leverage that in every in
any way, don't be afraid of it, don't be ashamed
of it, use it because that's what makes you you,
and that's what makes it known that no one else
can be you. So Carlos, it sounds like you were saying,
(23:34):
show up as your authentic self. I have a I
have a twist to that, Carlin. I always say, show
up as your authentic best self. Facts, big facts, big facts.
I'll be not every part of you is for everyone,
and having the maturity, having a maturity to know when
(23:55):
and what is your time and place for what is important,
but be able to to to recognize what your best
self is vision and paint that and back into that
and live into those values. That's what that's that's I
think the unique opportunity of itself because to your point,
it can be dangerous to be too authentic, but I
(24:17):
think there's knowing your time and place with maturity is like, Okay,
not every part of me is for everyone, and we
all kind of have to go through that phase and
we're going to use our most authentic selves and not
play off of the script. To know your time and
place for everything. Man, this has been great, Carlos, Thank
you so much. Glad we're joining us on the Blueprint
(24:38):
Connect podcast. I thank you so much for this and
wish you the best of luck on your journey. Thank
you so much, appreciate, thank you for having me. Thank
you right
Host
Louis Carr
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