How To Do Representation in Marketing the Right Way (+ Consumer Perspectives) Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint— a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Representation matters. We hear this over and over again. And most people agree. However, not all representation is created equal, and this is important to recognize, especially to ensure your efforts in including more people in your marketing are received positively rather than being met with frustration and skepticism. As the number of brands embracing inclusive marketing and prioritizing visual imagery that accurately represents their target audience grows, it becomes crucial for marketers to become well-versed in how to do representation in marketing the right way. When done right, it demonstrates to underrepresented consumers that you’re committed to them and their communities. When done right, representation in marketing makes the people you serve feel seen, supported, and like they belong with you. Below are what consumers have shared with me in recent years about what is important for them to see in terms of representation. But first, to make sure we’re on the same page, let’s talk about why representation in marketing is so important. Why Representation in Marketing Matters ...

Does Your Language Help or Harm Your Professional Relationships? Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. A single word can make or break a relationship, especially in its early stages. This includes relationships with sales prospects, clients, and co-workers. Most of us were raised to think that language and action are two separate things. That words don’t really matter. That an issue involving language is “just semantics.”   But in more than two decades of researching how language actually works, I’ve learned that language is social action. In fact, every single thing you say or write can cause a relationship to improve or deteriorate. By paying attention to our language and making sure we’re using the more inclusive version, we can avoid painful mistakes. Here are three ways you can make sure that your language makes people feel recognized, taken into consideration, and valued. How To Be Mindful of Language in the Workplace 1. Pay attention to names. A common type of problematic language is being careless or disrespectful of names. This is especially hard on people with low-frequency names. But with some effort, you can make people with “foreign” or “difficult” names feel respected and welcomed. Spell names correctly....

Creating a Culture of Inclusion: Revolutionizing Professional Standards Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. In today's rapidly changing corporate landscape, the concept of “professionalism” is undergoing a transformative shift, one that may completely radicalize the working world for better. For years, traditional professionalism standards have shaped how individuals present themselves and navigate the workplace. However, these standards have been criticized for their lack of inclusivity, sustaining inequality and limiting opportunities for historically underrepresented groups, especially Black and Brown individuals. This article explores the historical context behind these constructed principles, the reasons they exist, and ways to empower BIPOC/POC professionals in their respective journeys towards creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces. Table of Contents: Unveiling the Origins of Traditional Professionalism Standards Embracing DEI&B: Catalysts for a Progressive Workplace Rethinking Traditional Measures of “Professionalism” Forging a Brighter Path: A Future of Empowering, Inclusive, and Diverse Professionalism Unveiling the Origins of Traditional Professionalism Standards In the corporate landscape of America, the concept of “professionalism” has long been ingrained in the fabric of the working world. But to understand its current limitations and exclusionary nature in the present, we must look to...

5 Must-Read Books for Building Brands and Wealth by Entrepreneurs of Color Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a new blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. White authors dominate book publishing, and it can be difficult for people of color to find successful entrepreneurship stories written by founders, CEOs, and marketing executives with similar cultural backgrounds.Penguin Random House, a “Big Five” publisher, reported that 76% of their released books in 2019-2021 were by white contributors. This percentage may correlate with 74% of their staff being white. Between statements to prioritize DEI efforts and leadership restructuring—like at PRH after their bid to acquire Simon & Schuster was halted—time will tell if publishing houses will make significant strides in diversity across their rosters and workforces. Learning from someone with lived experiences you can relate to is invaluable and affirming. It's a chance to feel less isolated when creating the blueprints for a company you once thought was an improbable dream. To learn new avenues for success and strategies to build your business, community, and wealth, here are five must-read books by entrepreneurs of color. 1. This Is Not a T-Shirt: A Brand, a Culture, a Community–a Life in Streetwear by Bobby Hundreds Image Source In his...

Entrepreneurs of Color on YouTube: How They Market Their Businesses & Monetize Videos Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Publishing an ad or working with influencers isn't the only option to get your business in front of an audience on YouTube. And with 41% of YouTube users being ethnically diverse, this multicultural demographic is eager to watch and support brands and entrepreneurs who they feel represent their culture and life experiences. Small business owners are starting channels to share videos that connect deeper with their customers, introduce themselves to new consumers, and even earn some passive income. When Azia Anderson, the founder of prty grl beauty, started sharing videos about her Black-owned business, she saw it as a way to educate other aspiring business owners in addition to marketing her brand. “I just felt like everyone could win,” said Anderson. In this post, we'll share examples of YouTube videos by entrepreneurs of color who double as video creators and how to become eligible for monetization through the YouTube Partner Program. Table of Contents The Opportunity on YouTube for Entrepreneurs of Color YouTube Video Ideas for Entrepreneurs of Color How to Join the YouTube Partner Program 7...

16 Grants for LGBTQ+ Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurs Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Small businesses are the lifeblood of America, and those owned by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs make a hugely positive impact. According to a 2022 report by the NLGCC, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, LGBTQ-owned businesses contribute over $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy and support over 33,000 jobs annually. But as any entrepreneur knows, starting and growing a small business is not just hard work, but it can be expensive. Startup and growth costs are especially challenging for business owners in marginalized populations, such as the LGBTQ+ community, who face higher levels of financial insecurity and fewer resources than their peers. Fortunately, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs can apply for grants specific to their community, or grants that are known to be inclusive of them. If you want to fund your LGBTQ+ small business with a grant, check out the list below. Grants for LGBTQ+ Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurs Small business owners commonly fund their ventures with loans, credit cards, lines of credit, and/or investors, but all require repayment, potentially with steep interest fees. While grants are harder to obtain, they’re coveted since the money is gifted and doesn’t have to be...

10 Business Grants for AAPI Entrepreneurs (+ Where to Find More) Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success. Courage and hope reside at the heart of building a business. Hope for a better quality of life, financial stability, and, if we’re lucky, generational wealth for our families. However, for Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs, spinning an idea into a profitable business requires startup funding that is often difficult to access because of systemic barriers. As an alternative to venture capital, angel investments, and loans, business grants can help bridge this gap by awarding money that doesn’t require repayment or equity exchange. This post will explore where AAPI entrepreneurs can find business grants, and how to apply for them successfully. Why are grants helpful for AAPI business owners? Although the AAPI community owns around 2 million enterprises, including small sole proprietorships, and is the most rapidly growing ethnic group in America, grant opportunities specifically for AAPI businesses are scarce. Beyond the absence of support for these aspiring business owners, AAPI entrepreneurs are also hesitant to apply for the small number of available funds and grants due to cultural and language barriers. According to a survey conducted by Bank of America, 37% of...