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Welcome to Blended! This is a brand new show for Let\u2019s Talk Supply Chain and it\u2019s going to be a little bit different to what you\u2019ve heard before.

We talk a lot about the challenges facing our industry as a whole \u2013 changing technology, network complexity, surprises like COVID-19 \u2013 but what we don\u2019t talk as much about is the people. The people that really drive our industry forward. And specifically, the under-represented people in our industry.

I\u2019ve been flying the flag for women in supply chain for a few years now, through the podcast and some of my other endeavors, but Blended is going to go much further than that. Because it\u2019s not just women who are a minority \u2013 we need to be thinking about the LGBTQIA community, people of color, those with disabilities, whether they\u2019re visible or hidden.

As minorities, we need to join together to support each other and be each other\u2019s allies - to ensure we ALL have a seat at the table to make our industry the absolute best it can be.

Today in Episode 1, \u2018What\u2019s in a Name,\u2019 we\u2019re going to be talking all about the language we use when discussing minorities \u2013 what do these words mean to us, and to others; are there right or wrong words to use, and what are the subtexts of those words; and what does diversity, inclusion and identity mean to us.

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[03.29] Introductions to our Blended panelists.

• Prakash M Radhakrishnan \u2013 Courier Operations at Toll and award-winning YouTube producer with a focus on disability and mental health.
• Holly Qualman \u2013 VP of Marketing and Client Solutions America for Apex Logistics and adopted Korean-American woman, flying the flag for multi-racial unity.
• Matthew Hernandez \u2013 General Manger for North America at Xenata and representative of both the LatinX and LGBTQIA communities.
• Hope White \u2013 Founder and CEO of HD White Logistics, Founder of Hope White Consulting and Logistically Speaking Online and proud black woman.
• Greg White \u2013 Founder of Blue Ridge Global, host of Supply Chain Now and father of daughters, with native American heritage.

[11.23] The word \u2018minority\u2019 and its connotations.

\u201cIt\u2019s time to think about the world on a global scale.\u201d Greg.

• Is it a beneficial or derogatory term?
• Does it perpetuate the feeling of being \u2018other\u2019 or \u2018less than,\u2019 since its technical definition is less than half the whole?
• How does the insistence on labelling people affect mental health and self-esteem?
• How does being a minority affect your goals and ambitions \u2013 are they personal to you, or are they developed so you can conform to a societal norm?
• Are we designed to keep each other at arm\u2019s length; is the tendency towards segregation a result of evolution \u2013 how do we push the reset button on human nature?
• Are labels necessary at all, or are we all just people?

\u201cIt\u2019s another stage of evolution \u2013 before we develop the language for it, we need to understand how we got here.\u201d Matthew.

[33.20] What words should we be using specifically for the disability community?

\u201cThere\u2019s no rulebook \u2013 and the disability community feel the same.\u201d Prakash

[36.10] The impact of upbringing.

• Why the way that we\u2019re raised is so vital \u2013 prejudice is learnt, or tackled, at an early age.
• Why we need to support everyone to succeed, and make sure that those at a disadvantage get equal if not greater support.
• The danger in not taking on board peoples experiences and viewpoints because of preconceptions.
• How the use of incorrect labels muddies the water and creates confusion.
• Assumption is ignorance: the importance of being able to continue to interpret and learn.

[44.12] What words should we be using specifically for the LGBTQIA community and people of color?

• Why it\u2019s important to take the time to listen.
• How some words have traditionally been used to separate minorities and make them \u2018an other.\u2019
• Why education is so important.

[55.28] The importance of identity.

\u201cIt\u2019s not what you\u2019re called, it's what you answer to.\u201d Hope

• Why we all need to be in charge of our own identities.
• How descriptors have changed over time and the impact that those changes have had.
• Why it\u2019s OK to ask, as long as you\u2019re asking for the right reason.
• Why we need to pay attention to the nuances of individual identities.
• The responsibility of minorities to educate others.
• The importance of open and honest conversations, that come from a place of empathy and understanding.

[69.09] Today\u2019s buzzwords: diversity and inclusion.

So many of us minorities have to jump through so many hoops just to get a small slither of the pie.\u201d Hope

• What do these words mean to us?
• Can you have one without the other?
• How the meaning of diversity and inclusion can be influenced by how we\u2019re raised, or what we\u2019re exposed to on a long-term basis.
• Why diversity and inclusion also need to include processes to build the foundations for education and understanding and promoting acceptance.

Often\xa0in the corporate world, we know there\u2019s a problem, but we very seldom have the opportunity to talk about it openly.\u201d Matthew

[80.16] Our summaries of \u2018what\u2019s in a name.\u2019

• Keep an open mind \u2013 Holly
• Everyone has a story \u2013 Hope
• Don\u2019t be scared to ask the question \u2013 Prakash
• Take some time to self-reflect \u2013 Matthew
• Seek first to understand \u2013 Greg

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