62. How I made it from childhood abuse to DEI powerhouse with Rocki Howard

Rocki Howard became frustrated with the lack of resources that leaders of SMBs have to create safe environments for their people, which drove her to build Diversiology.io - a platform designed to support SMBs in their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. She is also a speaker, podcaster, a mother of four and so much more. But the road to get to where she is now wasn’t easy. Rocki grew up in an abusive household and poor economic conditions. She shares with us the inspiring story of how she was able to “come out of survival mode”, become her authentic self and start supporting others. Rocki was pushing for diverse recruitment at a time when most businesses weren’t interested. When she did find a role as a Chief Diversity Officer, she was saddened to see that she wasn’t provided with the resources to make the change that she knew needed to happen. Now, Rocki joins us on The D&Igest to share her story and give her insight into what leaders can be doing today to make the change needed to drive their business and create a supportive and safe culture. In this episode, we cover -  How Rocki survived the challenging conditions of her upbringing and was able to use her experiences as fuel for helping other excluded people. The power of reaching out. The empowerment that comes with becoming your authentic self. The point at which Rocki’s career took off. How Rocki’s role as a Chief Diversity Officer didn’t give her the ability to make the change that was needed. Why D&I roles are being cut. One thing business could be doing to get started with D&I tomorrow. LEARN MORE Diversiology.io - https://diversiology.io/ Grown Woman Life podcast - https://www.grownwomanlife.com/podcast Diversely - https://www.diversely.io/ Diversely on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverselyio/ CONNECT Rocki Howard on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockihoward/ Helen McGuire on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenmcguireme/ Diversely on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverselyio/ LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0FRssDsAUpx1WCbxDfvFoG Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-d-igest-a-diversely-podcast/id1607041648