EP339: Dr. Ella F. Washington - How To Build A Workplace Utopia

01/10/23 • 30 min

“This also means diversity of thought, because even if you have a demographically diverse team, but everyone went to the same college and thinks the same way, that’s still not going to be able to leverage and maximize the benefits of diversity.”

-Dr. Ella F. Washington

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is more than just taking a course or hiring from particular demographics. It’s about how we want to feel at work and in society, and how we make others feel. Intention is everything and yet many people find themselves afraid of saying the wrong thing, this paralysis then also prevents us from saying the right things.

When you are open to the possibilities in other people’s lived experiences, you are far more likely to be able to have the conversations you perhaps didn’t even know you needed to have.

Dr. Ella F. Washington, founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, organizational psychologist, author, and DEI culture expert is this episode’s featured guest. Ella speaks about the need for workplaces and workplace cultures to let everyone be their authentic self at work. If everyone isn’t thriving at work, feeling valued, respected, and happy, there is something wrong.

Whether you are an individual, a small bookkeeping business, or a big one, it is inspiring to listen to Ella’s vision for what workplace culture could be. If you want to have these complex conversations but aren’t sure where to start, this is the episode to get you comfortable with what you don’t know.

During this interview, you'll learn...

The value of building a utopia of inclusion, diversity & equity at work
How to understand & challenge biases
The importance of intention in building a healthy workplace culture

Click here to find out more about Ella.

Connect with Ella on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Click here to get your copy of Ella’s new book, The Necessary Journey.

Time Stamps 01:36 - Ella talks about her career journey 03:38 - The core of diversity, equity & inclusion 08:39 - Thinking about & challenging our biases 10:52 - Creating great working environments 14:33 - Building a workplace utopia 17:30 - The power of intention in workplace culture 19:14 - The Necessary Journey, stories of client success 23:08 - Considering your whole sphere of influence 26:42 - Ella talks about her book

-Dr. Ella F. Washington

When you are open to the possibilities in other people’s lived experiences, you are far more likely to be able to have the conversations you perhaps didn’t even know you needed to have.

During this interview, you'll learn...

The value of building a utopia of inclusion, diversity & equity at work
How to understand & challenge biases
The importance of intention in building a healthy workplace culture

Click here to find out more about Ella.

Connect with Ella on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Click here to get your copy of Ella’s new book, The Necessary Journey.

Previous Episode

EP338: Kristy Yoder - Unlocking Your Bookkeeping Business Potential With Delegation

“If you’re forcing yourself to do those tasks you don’t enjoy doing and you’re not good at, please start delegating!” -Kristy Yoder

Happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of 2023!

Running a bookkeeping business can be overwhelming, especially at this time of year, so much needs to get done and it can often feel like we are the only ones capable of doing it right. Problems start to arise in our businesses when everything that needs our attention, only gets a portion of our effort.

Delegation is key in business. What tasks can you source to other people, so you have more time to focus on your passion? Remember, clients don’t stay with your service just because you do their books, they stay because they recognize a passion in you for something they struggle to do. Maybe it’s time to start recognizing those passions in others, and how they might help you to build and scale your bookkeeping business to new heights.

Our first guest of the year is the founder and CEO of Smart Virtual Assistants, and host of the Master Delegator podcast, Kristy Yoder. She found her passion in helping people learn to delegate the things they aren’t good at, so they can focus on the things they are. This episode is a masterclass full of useful tips to find and train the right people for you.

If you are having trouble letting go of the need to do everything, aren’t sure of how to train a VA, or are afraid you’ll be stuck with employees that don’t make your life easier, this is the episode to help you overcome those fears!

During this interview, you'll learn...

The value of building strong & trusting relationships with your virtual assistant
How to hire a great VA
The importance of delegating tasks to focus on your passions

Click here to find out more about Kristy.

Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.

Click here to listen to the Master Delegator Podcast.

Time Stamps 01:39 - Kristy talks about her career journey 04:35 - The importance of delegating work 07:22 - Barriers to proper delegation 11:15 - Common mistakes when hiring a VA 16:45 - Great operating procedures empower great businesses 18:22 - Learning to love the tasks clients hate 21:02 - Tips to help you hire a great VA for your bookkeeping business 25:50 - How Smart Virtual Assistants can help you 28:55 - The best way to end bad relationships 31:26 - The Master Delegator Podcast

Next Episode

EP340: Spotlight - Jennie Moore - Owning The Awkward Conversation: How To Articulate Your Value

“The first thing to becoming successful is defining who you want to work with, who is your ideal client?” -Jennie Moore

Welcome back to another Successful Bookkeeper Spotlight session with your host, Louie Prosperi.

Our lives revolve around conversation, we hope that all of our interactions will be good, but often, this is not the case. Differences of opinion, expectation, and understanding can lead to some really uncomfortable conversations.

Not wanting conflict can often paralyze us, freezing us into doing work or continuing to do work we never agreed to do. Scope creep is going to happen, but what is important is how we deal with it. Allowing our clients to change the scope on a whim is going to cost you thousands of dollars a year, not to mention leave you feeling potentially resentful and burnt out.

Jennie Moore, owner of Moore Details, and partnership manager at Ignition is this spotlight episode’s featured guest. She has spent her career helping people have awkward conversations, set boundaries, and learn to articulate their worth. She speaks powerfully about finding the fun in your bookkeeping business, embracing mistakes, and communicating value.

If you are struggling to set the scope at the beginning of your client relationships, feeling unable to express your worth despite helping your clients become more profitable, or would just like to learn how to speak about yourself with more confidence and courage, then this is the episode to shift unhelpful and negative mindsets into positive and courageous ones.

During this interview, you'll learn...

The value of owning the awkward conversation to articulate your worth
How to embrace a digital mindset in your bookkeeping business
The importance of being clear about the scope of your services

Click here to find out more about Jennie.

Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SPECIAL OFFER for Successful Bookkeeper listeners - Get 50% off Ignition Pro or Scale for 3 months! Find out more HERE!

Time Stamps 01:47 - Jennie talks about her career journey 03:05 - Balancing the personal and professional 05:48 - Influencing product by following our passions 08:28 - Being a part of something you love 10:06 - Learning from our mistakes to create success 15:01 - Out-of-scope work is a profit killer 22:12 - Setting your standards from the start 24:48 - Embracing the digital mindset 29:10 - Finding the right automatized services for your bookkeeping business 35:28 - Owning the awkward conversation