Communicate Like You Give A Damn Kim Clark

To kick off the Communicate Like You Give A Damn podcast, Kim Clark is joined by dynamic organizer, facilitator, speaker (and professional mentor to Kim), Deborah L. Johnson, affectionately known as “Rev D”. Together, they not only discuss what DEI means as a whole, but also connect the dots between how history has played a role in the current state of DEI and how to integrate these efforts into the modern workplace. Their discussion also hits on burning touch points such as how to do DEI work successfully while using the workplace as an arena for change. Rev D also walks us through the framework of her “deepest intent” and how to identify the true motivation for diversity, equity and inclusion. Communicators will leave this conversation begging the question: where do we go from here to answer our DEI “why”.
ABOUT REV D:
Rev Deborah L Johnson (Rev D) is a dynamic organizer, strategist, facilitator, public speaker, and spoken word artist, known for her ability to bring clarity to complex and emotionally charged issues. As an organizational consultant specializing in cultural diversity, she serves the public, private, non-profit, and military sectors. Her clients have included, MCA Universal, ATT, Apple Inc, Hewlett Packard, Kaiser Permanente, US Coast Guard Academy, Ford Foundation, SBC Communications, UCSF, Prudential, and Kodak. She is a successful co-litigant in two landmark California civil rights cases, including one setting precedent for the inclusion of sexual orientation in California’s Civil Rights Bill. For her social justice work, she has received numerous lifetime achievement awards.
Rev Deborah is the founder of Inner Light Ministries, a founding member of Agape International Spiritual Community with Michael Bernard Beckwith, and in the prelaunch phase of her new nonprofit, Unleashing Our Future. She serves on the Leadership Council of the Association of Global New Thought and the board of directors of Pachamama Alliance. For 13 years she was a faculty member in UCLA’s Anderson School of Management Executive Leadership LGBT Diversity Institute. Presently she is an instructor at Agape International, Holmes Institute, and the Soul of Money Institute with Lynne Twist.
Author of The Sacred Yes and Your Deepest Intent, Rev Deborah holds a BA from USC in Economics, an MBA from UCLA in Urban Land Economics/Real Estate Finance, a ministerial degree from the Holmes Institute, and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Agape University of Leadership and Transpersonal Studies. Her passion is building “The Beloved Community” and healing socio-political/cultural divides. Wherever she goes, including on the 3 shows of her RevDnow podcast channel, Rev Deborah’s message is one of transformation, inclusion, empowerment, and possibility.
A founding member of the Agape International Spiritual Center, Rev Deborah serves with Rev Michael Bernard Beckwith on the Leadership Council of the Association for Global New Thought.
Contact:
Website: Rev D NowInstagram: @revdnowFacebook: @RevDNow
About Kim:
Kim Clark (she/her) focuses her work on the communicator and content creator's role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is the co-author of The Conscious Communicator: The fine art of not saying stupid sh*t, an Amazon #1 bestseller and the leading voice for DEI communications and social justice messaging for brands.
She speaks at conferences, writes custom workshops, writes inclusive communications guides, and consults with companies on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion...

What is our DEI strategy achieving? Communicators need to be able to answer this question and Lily Zheng, DEI Strategist, Author and Consultant, tells all to Kim Clark on everything we need to consider when guiding leaders through effective DEI work that produces measurable outcomes. Lily is on a mission to help differentiate DEI activities and initiatives from real actionable long-term processes that aim to create accountability for those looking for genuine change. This episode is jam packed with gems from both Lily and Kim as they also take a deep dive into Lily’s book, DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing it Right, which serves as a guide for refining the way to a new North Star in the world of DEI.
Learn more about Lily Zheng’s books:
Reconstructing DEI: A Practitioner’s Workbook - available for pre-order hereDEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing it Right - purchase here
ABOUT LILY ZHENG:
LILY ZHENG (they/them) is a no-nonsense Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategist, consultant, and speaker who helps organizations and leaders achieve the DEI outcomes they aspire to. A dedicated practitioner and advocate named a Forbes D&I Trailblazer, 2021 DEI Influencer, and LinkedIn Top Voice on Racial Equity, Lily's work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and NPR. They are the author of Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace (2017), The Ethical Sellout (2019), DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing it Right (2022) and most recently, Reconstructing DEI: A Practitioner's Workbook (release fall of 2023).  Lily holds an MA in Sociology and BA in Psychology from Stanford University. They live with their wife in the San Francisco Bay Area and can frequently be found putting together yet another all-black outfit and enjoying good Chinese food. 
Contact:
Website: Lily ZhengInstagram: @lilyzheng308Facebook: Lily ZhengLinkedIn: Lily Zheng
About Kim:
Kim Clark (she/her) focuses her work on the communicator and content creator's role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is the co-author of The Conscious Communicator: The fine art of not saying stupid sh*t, an Amazon #1 bestseller and the leading voice for DEI communications and social justice messaging for brands.
She speaks at conferences, writes custom workshops, writes inclusive communications guides, and consults with companies on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion communications. Kim is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a cisgender woman, Native American (Muscogee Nation) and a mom of two kids with disabilities. These marginalized identities and the privileges that come with society seeing her as White motivate her daily for social...

It’s time to get political! Kim Clark brings in Director General of Communications, Shirley Anne Off, who’s been serving as the Justice Canada’s Head of Communications and Champion for Indigenous Peoples since 2016. As a representative of the government, Shirley Anne sheds light on what it takes for government communications systems to “show their work” by building trust and creating policies to serve in the best interest of Canadians. Shirley Anne also takes the audience through her personal journey of being in a position to do better in order to inspire foundational change that lasts. Kim and Shirley Anne even explore Shirley Anne’s contribution to Kim’s latest book, The Conscious Communicator: The subtle art of not giving a sh*t.
To purchase your copy of The Conscious Communicator: The subtle art of not giving a sh*t, visit here.
ABOUT SHIRLEY ANNE OFF:
Shirley Anne Off has been the Director General of Communications since 2016 where she leads a dynamic, creative and strategic team of communicators both in the NCR and the Regions.  Since 2017, she has also been Justice’s Champion for Indigenous Peoples.
Shirley Anne started her public affairs career in the not-for-profit and arts sectors and joined the federal public service in 1996 with Parks Canada. She later moved to what was the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, where she held a series of progressive communications positions including various management positions in Treaties and Aboriginal Government, Issues Management, Media Relations and Ministerial Liaison. In 2010, she became Director, Operations and Clients Services. She was appointed Associate Director General, Strategic, Corporate and Internal Communications in 2013. In October 2015, she took on the role of Acting Director General, Communications.  
Shirley Anne Off holds a Master’s of Arts, Communications with a specialization in feminist cultural policy from the School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University. She also earned a Bachelor of Education from University of Ottawa and graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours Bachelor of Arts. 
Contact:
LinkedIn: Shirley Anne Off
Register for the upcoming workshop with Kim at Https://communicatelikeyougiveadamnpodcast.com
About Kim:
Kim Clark (she/her) focuses her work on the communicator and content creator's role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is the co-author of The Conscious Communicator: The fine art of not saying stupid sh*t, an Amazon #1 bestseller and the leading voice for DEI communications and social justice messaging for brands.
She speaks at conferences, writes custom workshops, writes inclusive communications guides, and consults with companies on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion communications. Kim is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a cisgender woman, Native American (Muscogee Nation) and a mom of two kids with disabilities. These marginalized identities and the privileges that come with society seeing her as White motivate her daily for social change.
Communicate Like You Give A Damn Podcast
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According to Ashley T. Brundage, Award-winning leadership and empowerment expert, some people have more access to empowerment than others. As a transgender woman, Ashley used her own coming out journey to develop a leadership program through her company, Empowering Differences,  that drives out the “power” from empowerment for leaders. Ashley believes in leveraging differences to impact change as she shares with Kim her original resources to help others grow from the inside out while learning more about themselves. Not only does Ashley share her current efforts in the DEI space, but also teaches us what works and doesn’t work when striving to make progress as a senior leader of a large organization.
ABOUT ASHLEY T. BRUNDAGE:
Ashley T Brundage is the President & CEO of Empowering Differences. While seeking employment at a major financial institution, she self-identified during the interview process as a woman of transgender experience and subsequently was hired. Starting as a part time teller she rose to VP, Diversity and Inclusion in less than 5 years. She captured this 4-step process of empowerment to cultivate change in her new book and online course. Ashley credits her success to those closest to her for providing actionable allyship including her 2 teenage sons, Bryce and Blake.
Since beginning transitioning in 2008, she has worked tirelessly to promote awareness and acceptance of gender identity and expression. She works to accomplish this goal by volunteering in the community and holding education sessions for corporations. She served on the Corporate Advisory Council for the NGLCC- National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and was the past chair and creator of NGLCC’s TGX Initiative. She chaired the successful bid to host the NGLCC convention in 2019, and Visit Tampa Bay named her their Tourism Champion. In 2018, she started serving on the board of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. In 2019, she was voted on the National Board of Directors for GLAAD and served as the Vice Chair of the board before leaving in 2022 to focus full time on her growing company that expanded its reach by tracking how empowered people are for their common differences.
Ms. Brundage speaks locally and nationally about her transition, empowerment, workplace equality, leadership, and diversity, equity & inclusion. She has also been interviewed in several publications and media outlets, including Tampa Bay Times, The Business Journal, The Miami Herald, Fox, ABC, CBS, Las Vegas Review Journal, Milwaukee Biz Times, the Daily Beast, Fairygodboss, InStyle Magazine, BBC World Service Radio, Bloomberg Businessweek, Business Insider, and Forbes while being named their compassionate leader award. Ashley has been recognized in many areas and has received numerous awards locally, nationally, and internationally for her work and volunteerism. She was won the Stevie Award in 2021 and 2022 as the global social change champion for LGBTQ community. She approaches her advocacy and empowerment work very apolitically, and this is evident as in 2022 she served on a committee for the Biden White House and won an award from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a community spirit award for her commitment to women and girls in Florida.
Contact:
Website: Empowering DifferencesInstagram: @ashleytbrundageFacebook: Ashley T. BrundageLinkedIn: Ashley T. Brundage
About Kim:
Kim Clark (she/her) focuses her work on the communicator and content...

In this episode of Communicate Like You Give A Damn Kim speaks with DEIB practictioner and workplace strategist, Jessica Bantom. Jessica has recently published a new book called Design for Identity: How To Design Authentically for a Diverse World. Bantom and Clark dive deep into the world of design and marketing while talking through ways a company can stop being performative when it comes to design. They both know how important it is to have teams in every workplace with a diverse background and perspective. Jessica discusses how companies should strive to always practice authenticity and respect. We need to create mutual understanding of our roles as communicators to set the tone and be a role model for the organization - building an inclusive workplace. Kim and Jessica make a connection for how designers can be activists, challenging the systems, rules and procedures of a company. We need to design like we give a damn!
Want a complimentary promo code to download the audiobook version of Design for Identity? The first 3 listeners who send a request to info@jessicabantom.com will receive one via email. The only ask is that you leave a review once you finish the book - it's that simple!
About The Guest
Jessica Bantom is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) practitioner and workplace strategist whose mission is to enable individuals to take immediate actions that create meaningful outcomes for historically excluded people. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Marymount University, Bantom is a skilled management consultant with over 20 years of experience, a compelling speaker, and a certified facilitator and coach with a passion for helping people and organizations activate the values of DEIB to become more culturally competent and thrive in our increasingly connected global economy. Bantom is also active in the interior design industry as an interior design and color consultant and as an engaged advocate committed to promoting DEIB in the industry and in practice. You can learn more about Jessica and her book, Design for Identity: How to Design Authentically for a Diverse World, at JessicaBantom.com.
Follow Jessica Bantom:
Website
Instagram
LinkedIn
Buy The Book: Design For Identity
About Kim:
Kim Clark (she/her) focuses her work on the communicator and content creator's role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is the co-author of The Conscious Communicator: The fine art of not saying stupid sh*t, an Amazon #1 bestseller and the leading voice for DEI communications and social justice messaging for brands.
She speaks at conferences, writes custom workshops, writes inclusive communications guides, and consults with companies on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion communications. Kim is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a cisgender woman, Native American (Muscogee Nation) and a mom of two kids with disabilities. These marginalized identities and the privileges that come with society seeing her as White motivate her daily for social change.
Communicate Like You Give A Damn Podcast
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In this episode of Communicate Like You Give A Damn, Kim Clark talks with Maria Gamboa. Maria talks about the takeaways from her dissertation leading into consultant work. Gamboa believes there needs to be a major shift in mindset for inclusion. There are many group rights around voting. We must try to understand what policies impact certain groups. Maria believes that there are many inequities in language, concerning policy - especially under the DEI lens. How can we take responsibility to do better in policy creation? We must have discussion around integrity when creating and enforcing political campaigns. We must have the difficult discussions with everyone about what is considered ‘normal’ and what are stereotypes. Maria shares we must acknowledge the realities of inequities and always create discussion around policy reinforcement for certain groups. 
About the Guest:
Maria is a first generation immigrant, mother, wife, former academic and historian, and currently works as a consultant helping nonprofits and foundations develop strategic plans. She grew up in the US and Mexico, and is currently based in San Diego.  
Maria recently launched a blog where she examines mental health in the workplace for first generation professionals. You can follow her on LinkedIn or Instagram. 
About Kim:
Kim Clark (she/her) focuses her work on the communicator and content creator's role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She is the co-author of The Conscious Communicator: The fine art of not saying stupid sh*t, an Amazon #1 bestseller and the leading voice for DEI communications and social justice messaging for brands.
She speaks at conferences, writes custom workshops, writes inclusive communications guides, and consults with companies on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion communications. Kim is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a cisgender woman, Native American (Muscogee Nation) and a mom of two kids with disabilities. These marginalized identities and the privileges that come with society seeing her as White motivate her daily for social change.
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Here is the NYT article on the Fulbright, and my blogpost on "diversity money". Here is Amber Cabral's post on Juneteenth and the Walmart ice...