Without question the last 2-3 years have lit a fire under businesses, brands, governments and individuals with regard to how to think of and interact with diversity. In fact, the acronym of the early 2020s has to be D-E-I … Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity. 

While that refers to far more than just race, a good portion of the conversation around DEI circles around people of color. In the influence marketing space, that conversation has driven progress around the pay gap from white to black or brown creators, representation in influence marketing campaigns and sensitivities for businesses and brands to ensure they are not just checking a box, but changing behaviors. 

Without question, the conversations have led to progress. And that’s a very good thing. As an aside, if you don’t think progress in this category of our world is a good thing, I’d rather you didn’t listen to this podcast. 

Still, there’s much more progress to be made. I’ve made it a point to come back to the topic of diversity, equity and inclusivity, the conversations around race and how we can collaborate and cooperate more than not. Why? Because these conversations are what will continue to move us forward as an industry, a community and a species. 

Monique Russell happened upon me recently. She’s a dynamic speaker, trainer and communications guru who hosts a podcast of her own that focuses on diversity and inclusion and understanding black cultures. Her perspective is that it is incumbent upon us all – regardless of color or race – to do our own diversity, equity and inclusivity work to build unity. 

The show is called Bridge 2 U. It is now a member of the Marketing Podcast Network and a sister show to Winfluence in that regard. 

As such, I asked my new podcast partner of sorts to join us on the show. Today we’re going to talk to Monique Russell about communications, including the practice of influence marketing and marketing overall, through the lens of diversity. 

And you know me … I’m just dumb enough to ask the hard questions in hopes we land at an answer that bridges those gaps.

This episode of Winfluence is presented by CIPIO.ai where you can create a consistent flow of authentic user-generated content to fuel paid, earned, shared and owned campaigns that set your content marketing on fire! One of the main methods of doing that is by shifting your influencer marketing focus to a Community Influence Marketing one. That’s where you discover the influential voices in your own community of customers, fans and followers, and partner with them to create authentic content that recommends your brand. 

Download CIPIO.ai’s new ebook called The Marketer’s Guide to Community Influence Marketing. It’s a step-by-step manual that shows you how to do it. The result is a more cost-efficient way to engage creators and drive word-of-mouth marketing while capturing better-performing content for your paid and owned social media efforts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices