I love podcasts! It doesn’t matter if it is a long commute, short commute, working out at the gym, cooking or completing hard tasks at work, you can find me listening to a podcast. Today I want to introduce you to one of my go-to pods: Living Corporate.
If you let me tell it, Living Corporate is Black folks making Black excellence all day, every day! While I think that Zach, Sheneisha, Latesha, Tristan, Amy, and Aaron (The Living Corporate team) would agree, they will also tell you that Living Corporate serves to amplify the voices of Black and brown professionals at work. Having been a guest on the podcast myself, I can tell you that they are nailing their goal! I love that, just like their website says, they seek to “Engage voices that often go unheard and have our conversations out loud.”
There are lots of podcasts out there, so you might be thinking, “Okay, I hear you Mike, but what really makes Living Corporate different?”
I had the pleasure to ask and learn just why Living Corporate really is so different and special from Zach Nunn. Here is what he told me.
Okay guys, so tell me, how did Living Corporate get started?
Living Corporate got started from a collective desire to see a space that affirmed Black and brown identity and experience in the workplace. We didn’t know exactly what that meant, but we were exhausted and not being seen and heard in the common discussions about navigating the workplace.
Amazing story! When did you record your first podcast?
We recorded our first podcast last Spring. It’s funny going back and listening to our trailer episode now and how far we’ve come.
Why a podcast?
So, I started with my own experience. I’m a fairly gregarious guy and put myself out there a lot, and roughly half the time, I’d get some nuggets of wisdom back that I’d stretch into something I could apply… but what does it look like for folks that don’t look like me who too are first-gen professionals in a highly political, often duplicitous… and racist environment? How do I leverage my networking talents and penchant for talking to anyone to benefit others? In mind, a podcast is the simplest and most cost-effective way to flatten the barriers to insightful conversations that we often only whisper in part, if at all.
A lot of people are interested in the future of work. How is Living Corporate leading people into the future of work?
Well, the future of work will be much more ethnically diverse. Think about it – this is the most free Black and brown folk have been in the history of America. For many of us, we’re the first folks in our family actively in a corporate setting. Having content that can educate on how to navigate these spaces while simultaneously educating those in the majority about how Black and brown folks understand and negotiate these non-inclusive spaces engages both sides.
Who do you look for to feature? Why?
Honestly, anyone out here who I believe could make for a great conversation. We’ve interviewed fortune 50 executives, battle rappers, activists…. it’s about the insights they can provide to our audience.
What impact do you hope to have on your community? The country? The world?
I want Living Corporate to be the place folks engage when they want engage the subject of otherness in the workplace. My hope is we create content that anyone who isn’t in the majority can touch and feel seen and heard.
You guys are looking to make BIG impact! That is exciting. What advice would you give other Black and brown professionals looking to start a podcast?
1. Be thoughtful in what it is you’re looking to accomplish with your podcast. Are you trying to turn this into a business? Is this just for fun? Do you want people to listen? Understand what you’re doing this for.
2. Plan and record content in advance and be consistent. So many of these podcasts start out really strong and are gone in 2-3 months.
3. Kinda an extension of 1, but here we go: *care* – quality matters and goes a long way.
In one simple sentence, what do you hope Living Corporate means for black and brown professionals?
Real talk in the corporate world.
Okay! I see y’all. I love this. But now tell me, what really makes Living Corporate different?
I mean, how many platforms do you see like Living Corporate? We’re engaging Black and brown execs, leaders, influencers, creatives, artists, public servants and educators and having authentic, accessible discussions about things relevant to nonwhite folks. We’re not doing this in a super respectable way – we’re rejecting white gaze by not shying away from uncomfortable discussions that don’t pull punches while at the same time inviting white folks to listen and perhaps learn something. Not only that, but we don’t just do a podcast despite our podcast being our most prominent offering. We create dope written content, have a few playlists, and a video narrated by a mentor of mine, Feminista Jones and written by a dear friend, Eric Michael Ward.
My time with the Living Corporate team was truly amazing, informative and inspiring. If you would like to check out their podcast head to your favorite platform (they’re on all of them) and search “Living Corporate,” or head to their website.