In this episode of “How’d You Do It and Why Should I Care?" Laila speaks with Kim Flanery-Rye who is the Founder and Principal Consultant at MyKimisms, LLC. They talk about why she got into the DEI industry and the role that diversity, equity and inclusion play in the workplace and society at large.
In this episode of “How’d You Do It and Why Should I Care?" Laila speaks with Kim Flanery-Rye who is the Founder and Principal Consultant at MyKimisms, LLC. They talk about why she got into the DEI industry and the role that diversity, equity and inclusion play in the workplace and society at large.
Hi, everyone. Welcome to the next episode of the Bay Street capital holdings podcast titled, How do you do it? And why should I care? This series aims to highlight women doing amazing work in various industries. So today, we are so lucky to be joined by Kim Flanery-Rye, who is founder and principal consultant, MyKimisms. Hi, Kim, lovely to have you on the show.
Kim Flanery-Rye:You too. Thank you so much for inviting me.
Laila Arain:So I guess we can first start off with an introduction as to who you are, and perhaps an answer to the main question of the podcast, which is how do you do it? And why should I care?
Kim Flanery-Rye:Fantastic. Yeah. Again, my name is Kim. Honestly, why should you care about what I do, I actually work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion, as we know, of the massive changes that occurred in 2020, after George Floyd's murder, especially, there was definitely people like to call it an awakening. But obviously, it's been something that's been happening for centuries. But especially around that sort of like, sand, you know, like a line in the sand has made this industry definitely much more important, and others to really want to know more about it. So I think that's why it's what I do and why why I do it.
Laila Arain:Awesome. So my next question to you is what inspired you to join this industry and to become an entrepreneur? I know, it's really tough entrepreneurial scene out there, you know, it's like risks and failures galore. But I'm so glad that you know, you found your own company, and you're doing something you're really passionate about.
Kim Flanery-Rye:Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think many of us that are entrepreneurs, we are we have been entrepreneurs, all of our lives, even if we didn't have our own business yet. I, on the other hand, have had actually another business, I would say probably about 15 years ago, where I started my own organization for supporting local artists and designers and community around that in the northwest. So I started with about 40 local artists and designers and had about 140 different artists and designers that I supported through that business. So I think for me, always been an entrepreneur, and even within organizations that I work for, now that I have 20 plus years behind me, I can look at it historically, really, back and know that I've always created even roles and new departments within every job that I've ever had. And so I think this is it's just part of who I am, and how I just tend to function in the world,
Laila Arain:also, and so what were the best resources that helped you along the way, you mentioned that you've kind of been an entrepreneur all your life, you had a company founded like 15 years ago? I'm curious what helped you, you know, found this company, my Kim isms?
Kim Flanery-Rye:Yeah. So my Kimball isms is, again, focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, there's a couple of things that happened, really, that was probably significant in my life in the way that the change occurred. One is that I went back to get my master's, I got my, my MBA, through a university that was what's considered a Jesuit university. And for me, not particularly specifically focused on the Christian religion or anything like that, but I do love their approach to and philosophy, which is all about ethical leadership, how you show up in the global commons? How do you impact from a social justice and, and other way of looking and thinking, and since my master's in my MBA was for executives, and I was a, I was a working professional at the time and an executive that had a huge shift in the way that I want, I wanted to show up as an you know, as someone in, like I said, in the world, and at that time, I was an executive, that it's been in business. And it was a vice president at that time, and working at a business to business marketing, digital marketing organization. So I think that also helped me really set up really looking at it from a business foundation fundamentals and how I can approach my new business moving forward, for sure.
Laila Arain:Yeah, definitely. I would agree that that experience that you had with your first company would probably carry over into your second and that's really awesome that you kind of were very expertise when setting up your second company. But I'm curious as to in this second time that you had you set up your own company. What lessons did you wish you would have known before starting in the field of Diversity and Equity and Inclusion?
Kim Flanery-Rye:I think just like many of us that are in the As field, we have very, very diverse intersections that are us. And during this work is both pretty internally can be traumatic, as well as, as you're trying to teach others. So really understanding the balance of how do i Oh, my apologies while people are coming in and out of my space, and how do I really balance that that emotional burden, the emotional impact that has on me, while I'm trying to support others in their learning journey? Right. So I wish I had probably a little bit more understanding about that before I really got started. But again, there's it's part of the journey. I think, in any entrepreneur, certain things, I definitely learned a lot of things from my first business, and then all of that business experience to bringing into this one. But it was definitely that one wasn't I wasn't ready for for sure. Well,
Laila Arain:at least you learned our lesson. And you saw it as a learning opportunity. And you didn't kind of like shy away from the opportunity because of that. Because you obviously at the end of the day, with diversity, equity and inclusion work, you're dealing with people's lives, people's stories. And yeah, I think you took that very well.
Kim Flanery-Rye:Yeah, thank you. And again, we're installing part of the pandemic. So you get to see real life happening as going through a puppy's going through my house and adjustments. Yeah, that we do just I think, in general. So
Laila Arain:that's just a work from home ethic, I think. Yeah. And then so talking about learning opportunities. What would you say throughout your career was your biggest failure? And what did you learn from it?
Kim Flanery-Rye:I think the biggest failure, I think, especially as an entrepreneur, is that feeling like you have to do it on your own to be successful. And that is, I mean, a failure waiting to happen every stage along the way. Because, you know, as we know, in life, we can't do things on our own. And there's always a group of people that are there to help you succeed, and that they're more than happy for you to tap their resources, their community, the way that they can support with their expertise. And I think, you know, ultimately, that is something even still to this day, that I still don't always leverage in a way that would make me more successful, I think, I think that that's part of that independent is or maybe feeling like, you know, feeling like that I don't want to show up looking like a failure, or that need help, or all of those things that sometimes that we go through as entrepreneurs, the difference between how you want to, like, show up externally, and how you really, you know, behind the scene, like what's happening behind the scene?
Laila Arain:Yeah, definitely does some very helpful advice and sort of speaking about advice, what would you give as a piece of advice to somebody who is wanting to pursue a career similar to yours?
Kim Flanery-Rye:Oh, around diversity, equity inclusion, I would say for sure, just like the learning that I had, which is know that it is it can be an emotional, emotional term, emotional journey for you throughout the process, and be open to that and know how to rest in a way that can be healthy for your conscious and your body, it's going to be really important. And then of course, really understand that even in diversity, equity and inclusion, you're not you're also on a journey, and you're going to step in it a lot. And know that you this idea of expertise or an expert, I always have a hard time sort of wrapping my mind around that. Because I always believe that we're always students always learning. And so I think approaching it from that perspective of knowing that, that you are also going to fall into all those, I would say, traps of being a human, of doing things were unintentionally or not going to, you know, fall into the things that you're trying to teach others and how to avoid those.
Laila Arain:Definitely, there's some very helpful advice. And obviously, you're quite the season entrepreneur. So you've probably seen it all. What is one common myth about the entrepreneurship industry that you'd like to debunk right here right now?
Kim Flanery-Rye:Oh, my gosh. So this idea that entrepreneurs are, their ideas are just like, boom, light bulb moments. Right. I think that's why a lot of times people have and that is a definitely a myth. Most entrepreneurs, I think, in general, they probably have thought things through. They're looking at things where there's gaps in certain areas that they're like, could fill, fill, fill that gap, or that they're not necessarily innovators, right. Sometimes, they are maximizers. And they're folks that can really showcase certain things where you can make whatever that next thing are that they're launching to solve something else. And just because you're entrepreneurs, that doesn't mean, this is one of the other methods that it's because it can't work for anyone else. I think I've showed it throughout history, I work for several amazing other founders and entrepreneurs, and also enterprise companies. And I was able to sort of have that entrepreneurial spirit within those organizations. So it's not because we can't work for someone or that we don't want to work for someone, there's things that we're trying to solve. And there's a way that may have not been able to do in a different context.
Laila Arain:That's also and obviously, as an entrepreneur, you're probably really, really busy. But what is one thing that you've read or listened to recently that's really inspired you.
Kim Flanery-Rye:So I read a lot because of the space that I'm in. And also from my own learning, I think for me, one of the biggest impact that I've had this, in the last year of reading is cast. And I think just this idea of history, and Black history is American history. And the way that the idea of why it's so important when people say, you have to look at history from all different angles and sides, because there's been so much whitewashing when it comes to our historical reference, and I think just the way that she was able to write in the idea of, of also systemic racism, and various ways that it shows up, that book cast has been like, just, well, it's definitely not only just this last year, but probably one of the most influential books I've read. So far in my life,
Laila Arain:I've definitely had that book is definitely one to pick up. So make sure to check it out. And then following on from our conversation, obviously, I think entrepreneurship can sometimes be a lonely industry, but a lot of people got to realize it doesn't need to be so who are three people in your life who have been the most influential to you?
Kim Flanery-Rye:Oh, Mikayla Ayers, she is also the DEI space. She is an anti racist community builder, and her organization is called nourish, she is one of the probably most influential person because we tend to really work together a lot in this space as, as consultants, it can be pretty lonely, I would say, one of my original, original, but one of my managers and mentors, Annika leading who is a woman, again, a founder entrepreneur, I mean, just that kick ass woman who is just understands her place of privilege and white power that she has, and she shares the wealth shares the space. And all of that is just phenomenal. And, and just I can't, I can't say more about how wonderful she is. And then I would say, the third person really has to do with. And this is really hard for me, because I want to sort of like, put them in a group is what I would consider my chosen family. Right, my chosen family, those are the friends that have been with me, I have friendships that have been 23 plus years strong. And they're the ones that are my, you know, trusted advisors that I can go for anything and everything who will be there to hug me while I cry, who will you know, bring me champagne to celebrate, who will drop anything and fly, you know, to the place that I need for the support that I that I craving or need or didn't even know I needed at the time. And so that amazing group of people me just saying my chosen family I don't know even watching this. Don't know who they are. So they're just some of the most amazing people that I've had in my life.
Laila Arain:And then finally, to round off our conversation, what is one piece of advice that you wish you gave yourself at any point in your life?
Kim Flanery-Rye:Don't take yourself too seriously. Honestly, even even in like deep work, I would say in diversity and inclusion. Like it's just you can't you can't take things. You can't take yourself too seriously.
Laila Arain:Yeah, I agree. I agree. I would love me to stand on so thank you so much, Kim for taking the time to speak with me today. It was truly engaging to have this conversation
Kim Flanery-Rye:Well my gosh thank you so much and I really appreciate you reaching out and great talking with you as well thank you for bye bye