<p>Who decides what is mainstream?</p><p>In today’s episode, I talk to Gelaine Santiago about how she rewrote her script and lead her companies by focusing on <em>her</em> story. Gillian began her businesses' branding by following the conventional idea of “mainstream,” but it wasn’t until she ditched that idea that she saw her customer base grow like never before.</p><p>Gelaine is the CEO of Cambio &amp; Co, a Filipino jewelry company, and Sinta &amp; Co, a Filipino wedding company. Through running those companies she has learned about the power of storytelling, and now helps small businesses and entrepreneurs reach new audiences through the mastery of storytelling.</p><p>We also talk about:</p><ul> <li>How to defy the gatekeepers</li> <li>What mainstream <em>actually</em> is</li> <li>How brands can authentically represent differences even if their team are not a part of those communities</li></ul><p>Connect with Gelaine:</p><ul> <li><a href="https://www.gelainesantiago.com/" target="_blank">Her website</a></li> <li>Her brands <a href="https://www.shopcambio.co/" target="_blank">Cambio &amp; Co</a>. and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sinta_co/" target="_blank">Sinta &amp; Co.</a></li></ul><p>Interested in building your inclusive brand with me?</p><ul> <li>My new course Representation Bootcamp and my new and improved Brand Academy are coming your way very soon.</li></ul><p>Want to know when they launch and get other insider benefits?</p><ul> <li><a href="https://trybusiness.lpages.co/belonging-university-notification-list/">Join my mailing list</a></li> <li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-and-marketing-podcast/id1604907821">Follow this podcast</a></li> <li>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en">@soniaethompson</a></li> <li>Or find more information on my website: <a href="https://inclusivemarketing.co/">inclusivemarketing.co</a></li></ul><p><br></p>

<p>An inclusive brand means an inclusive culture. In this episode I cover how to approach building a company culture that is healthy, competitive, and most importantly: inclusive.</p><p>Some of the points that I cover include:</p><ol> <li>How building a core document (value statement, company statement, or mission statement) codifies company values and culture for your team</li> <li>Ways that brands weave their core company values into their social media content</li> <li>3 high level steps to build and nurture a company culture that is healthy and competitive</li> <li>Lead by example</li> <li>The importance of starting the work at the top of the company ladder in order to set a tone for the entire company</li></ol><p>Interested in building your inclusive brand with me?</p><p>My new course Representation Bootcamp and my new and improved Brand Academy are coming your way very soon.</p><p>Want to know when they launch and get other insider benefits?</p><p><a href="https://trybusiness.lpages.co/belonging-university-notification-list/">Join my mailing list</a></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-and-marketing-podcast/id1604907821">Follow this podcast</a></p><p>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Or find more information on my website: <a href="https://inclusivemarketing.co/">inclusivemarketing.co</a></p>

<p>Brands have power. Your consumer wants to see a reflection of themselves in your marketing. They want to be treated equally, not discriminated against for any pre-existing conditions.&nbsp;</p><p>In this episode, I share my journey of finding health insurance after quitting my full-time job and going freelance and my struggles of getting affordable coverage due to my pre-existing condition.</p><p>I also cover examples with Unilever, my husband Jonathan’s experiences, and the ADA.</p><p>What is the impact on the people who have the problem that your business solves who can’t achieve the process of the transformation you deliver because they can’t access it?</p><p>Interested in building your inclusive brand with me?</p><p>My new course Representation Bootcamp and my new and improved Brand Academy are coming your way very soon.</p><p>Want to know when they launch and get other insider benefits?</p><p><a href="https://trybusiness.lpages.co/belonging-university-notification-list/" target="_blank">Join my mailing list</a></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-and-marketing-podcast/id1604907821">Follow this podcast</a></p><p>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Or find more information on my website: <a href="https://inclusivemarketing.co/">inclusivemarketing.co</a></p>

<p>In this week's episode, I interview Deseree about how a company’s brand and DEI (Diversity Equity, and Inclusion) must be considered and developed to create a positive employee experience.</p><p>Company culture has shifted away from “you’re lucky to have this job,” and instead given a lot more control to the employee. Deseree and I go over what companies need to think about to attract ideal talent and then retain them.</p><p>We go over:</p><ul> <li>The importance of investing in the candidate and employee experience</li> <li>How creating a good company culture can directly impact your employee's ability to deliver their best work and be their best selves</li> <li>How to balance social proof without doing it in a performative way</li> <li>Is it important to think about all different levels of employees (full-time, part-time, contractors, etc.)?</li></ul><p>Want to connect with Desiree? Her website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.colorvizionlab.com/for-job-seekers" target="_blank">colorvizionlab.com</a></p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-and-marketing-podcast/id1604907821">Follow this podcast</a></p><p>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Or find more information on my website: <a href="https://inclusivemarketing.co/">inclusivemarketing.co</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>Tevia has been in the fitness business for 18+ years, and in today’s episode, I talk to her about her role in creating a more inclusive space in the fitness world.</p><p>We cover:</p><p>What inclusive means in the fitness world, price inclusivity, location inclusivity, and how all of those play a factor in Tevia’s business</p><p>Tevia’s experience running her own Cycling Studio and how she broke down norms by bringing on a more unique set of instructors than what the industry standard used to be</p><p>How CycleBar creates a community bound by inclusivity specifically by working outside of the studio walls</p><p>CycleBars work in fundraising for different causes including MS, environmental damaged areas, and riders who are in need</p><p>If you'd like to hear a bit more about me and what I can do for you, you can:</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-and-marketing-podcast/id1604907821">Follow this podcast</a></p><p>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Or find more information on my website: <a href="https://inclusivemarketing.co/">inclusivemarketing.co</a></p>

<p>As you can probably tell in the title of today's episode- I'm sharing a bit more about me and how I became an Inclusive Marketing Strategist.&nbsp;</p><p>I share my journey through multiple different corporate jobs, at places like Inc and Johnson &amp; Johnson, and how those jobs taught me the importance of inclusion. I open up about some of the tough moments that really shaped who I am today.</p><p>Along with my career path, I also cover my travels across the globe: my journey to China and India, as well as my experiences in South America and a few of the details of my love story!</p><p>Thank you so much for listening, and being a part of this ongoing journey. If you enjoyed today's episode please consider sharing this episode or rating it below!</p><p>If you'd like to hear a bit more about me and what I can do for you, you can:</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-and-marketing-podcast/id1604907821" target="_blank">Follow this podcast</a></p><p>Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en" target="_blank">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Or find more information on my website: <a href="https://inclusivemarketing.co/" target="_blank">inclusivemarketing.co</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>The future is more diverse than it has ever been, which means the makeup of the people your business serves is shifting.</p><p>In this episode, I go over how to translate the changing demographics of the day-to-day world into your business marketing.</p><p>Together lets reimagine who your Ideal Customer Avatar is to be more inclusive to all, not just to the “typical” customer that businesses spent decades focusing on.</p><p>Interested in learning more? Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en" target="_blank">@soniathompson</a></p><p>Or check out my website: <a href="http://soniathompson.com/" target="_blank">soniathompson.com</a></p>

<p>In this episode, I interview Antoine Andrews, who has been in the diversity field for almost 20 years and is currently the Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer at Momentive (formally known as Survey Monkey).</p><p>We cover:</p><ul> <li>The research done on diversity on Momentive</li> <li>The shift in consciousness he's noticed over the last 15-18 months</li> <li>What he believes is most important to gain from the research</li> <li>What he thinks is most important for businesses to focus on moving forward</li></ul><p>Interested in learning more? Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/?hl=en" target="_blank">@soniathompson</a></p><p>Or check out my website: <a href="http://soniathompson.com/" target="_blank">soniathompson.com</a></p>

<p>Welcome to the first episode of the Inclusion and Marketing Podcast! In this episode, I cover what inclusivity <em>really</em> is.</p><p>It’s 2022, and it’s time for every business owner to know how important it is to completely redefine their rules. Gone were the days where just adding a seat to the table is enough. One size does not fit all.</p><p>Join me on this journey as I dig deeper into not only how to be more inclusive, but why it is the future of business marketing.</p><p>Interested in learning more? Follow me on Instagram: <a href="//www.instagram.com/soniaethompson/" target="_blank">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Or check out my website: <a href="https://www.soniaethompson.com/" target="_blank">soniaethompson.com</a></p>

<p>Welcome to the Inclusion &amp; Marketing Podcast! Here is a snippet of the first few minutes of the very first episode, titled <em>When It's Not Enough To Just Add Seats To The Table (And What To Do Instead), </em>releasing on Tuesday, January 18th!</p><p>If you would like to connect with me and learn more about how I can help your brand with revamping its marketing to be completely inclusive:</p><p>My Instagram: <a href="//www.instagram.com/soniaethompson" target="_blank">@soniaethompson</a></p><p>Website: <a href="//www.sonaiethompson.com" target="_blank">sonaiethompson.com</a></p>