Photo: Gray Door Photography
Wow. This episode, y’all. Talk about vulnerability and hard conversations about diversity … and one incredible woman.
Goal Diggers, meet Lauren Taylor, the brilliant, bold creator of “The Letter” magazine. She is bubbly yet polished, and truly an inspiration. And I just knew I could trust her to be open with me…Because recently, it was pointed out to me that I have lacked diversity in my guests on Goal Digger, and I was so taken aback… because it was true. And I hadn’t even realized…
This moment struck me— was my privilege so strong that I had grown blind to my mission for a TRUE community? Made up of all colors, sizes, backgrounds? Before this epiphany, I had already asked my amazing friend, Lauren Taylor, to join us on the show… and I just knew that we had to have an honest conversation on this topic.
Lauren shared her honest heart (and her incredible brains!) with us in this episode while sharing personal experiences with racial profiling, lack of diversity in the creative industry … and how she keeps making her mark in the world— on her own terms.
FIRST THINGS FIRST, LAUREN:
Lauren Taylor, you guys. She is a true firecracker and she let us in behind the scenes into how she started and grew “The Letter”. This magazine has such a beautiful mission— built on sharing and giving stories, creating a genuine connection, and cultivating an uplifting, empowering community, The Letter is making its mark. Lauren was feeling unfulfilled in a corporate job, had just moved back to her childhood home, exited a long-term relationship… basically, #AllTheThings were changing– and changing quickly. And then she thought of The Letter— and within a few weeks, it was launched. There are so many juicy details to this leap within the episode, and I can’t wait for you to hear this story from Lauren’s perspective!
BREAKING BOUNDARIES:
One of my favorite parts about Lauren, and how we initially became friends is her openness. As we discussed the role of race and differences within the creative industry, I could hear the truth in her voice. Lauren is undoubtedly tough, and while she acknowledges being judged by the color of her skin, she is adamant that it will never stop her. She approaches these narrow-minded judgments with bold confidence and often speaks about “making her own path” if there is no option in front of her. She speaks of the importance of “being the first”… Essentially, if you feel a void, you need to approach your dreams with a “no excuses” attitude. While it breaks my heart that this incredible woman could be judged on anything besides her brain and her heart, I am so thankful that she is willing to live fearlessly and dream big regardless.
HOW WE CAN ALL IMPROVE
One thing that I wanted to touch on is how that I, and my creative industry peers, can move forward and improve. Truthfully, I cried during this episode because I said I am so scared of saying the wrong thing, that I have tended to say nothing at all… But Lauren said it is all about conversation and intention— she mentioned that starting the conversation is beautiful and that diversity and inclusion shouldn’t be “hush hush”, it should be outward and celebrated. I loved this perspective— that there is always room for growth and progress in the midst of “awkward” topics, and I want to strive to continue to bring inclusion to the forefront of conversations. There are so many beautiful women in this Goal Digger community, and I want to make sure that everyone feels heard, seen, and celebrated.
There you have it, friends. The most incredible woman. Lauren is bold, authentic, and allowed for a fully human, incredibly candid conversation on race, inclusion, and diversity in the creative industry. An area that I am committing to build up and foster in my own life and business.
I don’t know how to summarize this episode except that we WENT THERE— true stories of race, diversity, and inclusion. And the biggest takeaway? We can all do better… We NEED to do better.
Unfortunately, black bloggers and POC are not not on the minds of white bloggers and brands. Black women spend 55 billion dollars annually on travel, hair and food but we are least marketed group of people. It’s very unfortunate but it’s reality
This is so awesome. Thank you for recognizing this and acknowledging it and making a change.
I loved this episode. It was a nice change from the typical content. It would be nice if we’re going to inclusion and representing all women, it would be nice to speak on and/or feature women from the LGBTQ+ community, even more specifically transwomen. I don’t know if there are any transwomen out there in the creative community but it would be wonderful as an LGBTQ person to hear more from Queer/Transwomen in main creative education spaces. I find the only Queer and Transwomen that are being featured are shown to work specifically in the LGBTQ market only and it’s usually only spoken about in circles of other LGBTQ people. It’d be nice to hear from these people in a more mainstream market. Passing the microphone, shining the spotlight, and giving a soap box to these women is the best way to promote full inclusivity and showing the world that these women are here and bring something to the table. As a whole, I liked the episode and it’s a great start in more inclusivity in the podcast but I challenge you to dig deeper and go beyond race to represent even more types of women.
Today I binged listened to your podcasts. The more I listened the more engaged I became. I love the variety of your content and especially appreciated the honest exchange between you and Lauren about diversity. It as an example of the conversations all of us should be engaging in without fear of saying something wrong or offending. Kudos to your for sharing your vulnerabilities and facing your fears with your audience. By doing so, you encourage others, including myself, to do the same. I am way out of your demographic, yet find your content empowering. So may I suggest another challenge? Interviews with older woman who are navigating and juggling career, family and everyday life. The challenges and circumstances within their stories can offer a point of view that widens the conversation even more. All the best and continued success.
Joselyn, thanks for tuning in! Love your suggestion, we will add that to the list!