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This is the second episode of Let\u2019s Talk Supply Chain\u2019s brand-new show, Blended.

Blended is all about opening up conversations and giving the mic to all of the underrepresented voices in our industry \u2013 women, the LGBTQIA community, people of color, those with disabilities, whether they\u2019re visible or hidden, and many more.

Today in Episode 2, \u2018Story of my Life,\u2019 we\u2019re going to be delving into our guest\u2019s personal stories: the experiences that made them who they are today and the impact, both positive and negative, that those experiences have had on their lives and careers.

[03.23] Introductions to our Blended panelists.

• Madison Mobley \u2013 Senior Account Executive at Fairmarkit
• Lamont Robinson \u2013 President and CEO at Robinson LaRueCo Consulting, LLC
• Claudia Freed \u2013 CEO and President at EALgreen
• Martin Stark \u2013 IT Strategic Sourcing Lead at University of Sydney and Founder and CEO World Gay Boxing Championships
• Angie Reno \u2013 Director of Procurement, Government Services at Crowley

[09.35] Martin\u2019s story; from serious ill health to harnessing his courage, finding his voice and following his own path.

\u201cOur experiences propel us forward.\u201d Martin

[12.18] How minorities can find themselves the butt of the joke and often find themselves joining in, in order to fit in and not rock the boat.

• Why we need to keep sharing in order to move the dial of what\u2019s appropriate.
• How inappropriate humor, and using jokes to demean, is not particular to one community.
• How we can use these incidents as opportunities to educate and ask questions.
• How jokes can often be a repeated turn of phrase, learned from previous generations, used without truly thinking about or understanding the meaning.

\u201cI\u2019m a black Mormon (which is rare!) so I\u2019d get a lot of those \u2018jokes;\u2019 and if I don\u2019t stand up and speak out, I\u2019m doing not only myself a disservice but also anybody else that's at a disadvantage.\u201d Lamont

[17.40] Madison\u2019s experience as a black woman growing up in the suburbs, and the panelists reflections on language.

"Forums such as this, where we\u2019re telling stories and educating each other around all the different flavors of humanity, are so important. And the more we do this, the more visibility we have into one another\u2019s real life experiences - and then you can begin to adjust how we speak to one another." Madison\xa0

[19.37] Claudia\u2019s story, the boardroom experience that opened her eyes and the groups reflections on the power of words.

\u201cIt said to me that women are not valued in financial transactions.\u201d\xa0Claudia\xa0

• The implications of words, and the intent behind them.
• The proliferation of casual discrimination in the workplace.
• English as a second language, and understanding nuance and phraseology.

[30.03] Madison\u2019s story, how it led to her passion for humanitarianism and the panelists reflections on background, privilege and self-improvement.

• Taking a hard line vs a soft line.
• Using your privilege for good.
• Being an example to others.
• Calling each other out when you need to.
• What it means to fit in, or not fit in.
• The danger of labels and assumptions based on issues like gender, race, religion or sexuality.

[51.55] Angie\u2019s story, facing misogyny in the workplace and the groups reflections on behaviors and encouraging change.

• How do you take your experience and learn from it or change it?
• How do we think about gender bias?
• How our experiences impact us and/or change our behavior.
• Our reactions to our experiences, and other people\u2019s perceptions of those reactions.

\u201cAs women we\u2019re in a dichotomy: on one side we have to be assertive and confident, and on the other side we have to be very mindful that we\u2019re being watched, in terms of our reactions.\u201d Claudia

[70.13] The one piece of advice the panelists would share from their personal stories:

• If you\u2019re not aligning, get out! \u2013 Angie
• Follow your passion \u2013 Lamont
• See color, and seek to understand \u2013 Madison
• Have courage, fear nothing and live your life for yourself \u2013 Martin
• Believe in yourself \u2013 Claudia

You can connect with all of our amazing panelists on LinkedIn - Madison, Claudia, Lamont, Martin and Angie - if you'd like to find out more.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

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