Today’s guest considers herself an accidental advocate, motivating others to embrace the kind of social behaviors that trigger societal shifts.

Experienced in fostering open dialogue in professional settings, she helps build awareness and visibility of equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competencies that serve as a foundation for improved collaboration, cooperation, and communication.

She is an inclusion activist whose TEDx Talk “Coming Out of Your Closet” became a viral sensation. Her intrepid, relatable, and intrinsically comical style has made her an in-demand speaker, including events at Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, and keynoting an LGBTQ Conference at Harvard University.

She is a speaker, equality advocate, and author of “Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader.”

Please join me in welcoming Ash Beckham.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is both a willingness and an ability to be the example.”
• how she learned to be an example of leadership while playing basketball in high school. “Heart doesn’t score baskets.”
• understanding the world outside of our responsibility.
• finding greatness in a supportive role.
• her desire to work in corporate America because her parents were entrepreneurs.
• how she learned that there wasn’t only one way to be.
• her first business owning a vegan Indian food cart.
• what she learned at her first Ignite event about being passionate while delivering a message.
• how to support and be visible authentically as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and avoid paralysis of politeness.
• how Ash nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network.
• how she incorporates networking into the micro moments of her day.
• what she’s looking forward to in the next year.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com.