Meet Bahja Johnson, Head of Equality and Belonging at Gap Inc., and she joins Amber Cabral to explore some incredibly important topics, like colorism, privilege, and the unique challenges that the world of retail and fashion faces when it comes to making a positive impact. Bahja highlights the pivotal role that equity plays in the fashion industry and the critical importance of making equitable decisions, especially when it comes to areas like product design and hiring practices. They also discuss the amount of courage it takes for leaders to drive change and the necessity of translating diversity, equity, and inclusion goals into tangible, financial terms. After all, real transformation in the retail industry requires strategic thinking, financial incentives, and an unwavering commitment to nurturing diverse and inclusive spaces. Trust, impact, and time all come into play when we’re working towards lasting change. Bahja believes in using her privilege to make a real difference and she’s absolutely unapologetic about it. Her journey is filled with incredible sponsors who recognize her potential and give her the support and opportunities she needs to flourish. She emphasizes the incredible significance of sponsorship in one’s career journey and encourages us all to seek out sponsors who truly believe in us, even if they challenge us along the way. Ultimately, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom, touching on leadership, diversity, and the incredible power of leveraging privilege to drive positive change. So, get ready for a conversation that’s not just insightful but also deeply inspirational. You won’t want to miss a moment of it!
KEY POINTS:
-As a leader, fear of failure is a key barrier to diversity and inclusion
-Don’t expect instant results, invest in your own time, study customer feedback, and adapt strategies as needed
-Recognize and use your privilege to ensure diversity and equity in your organization
-Seek sponsors who believe in you and can create opportunities
-When you find a sponsor, be clear and direct about your needs and what you want to achieve
-Remember that you always have something to share
QUOTABLES:
“We had a responsibility as an industry to be able to think about all people.” -Bahja Johnson
“It takes time to build trust. It takes time to build trust in a relationship. It takes hard to build trust with a partnership.” -Bahja Johnson “Everything is better with equity in mind.” -Bahja Johnson
“I need you to be able to use your privilege and your power and your impact and your title to uphold everything that we’ve taught you.” -Bahja Johnson “If I didn’t do something with all of this privilege, it’d be a slap in the face to every single person before me who didn’t have as much.” -Bahja Johnson
“I feel like we have to have the expectation that having a mindset of equality and belonging takes time. ” – Amber Cabral
GUEST INFORMATION:
Bahja Johnson | https://linktr.ee/bahjajohnson IG | @bahjaleila | https://www.instagram.com/bahjaleila/… LinkedIn | bahjajohnson | / bahjajohnson Facebook | bahja.johnson | https://www.facebook.com/bahja.johnso… Twitter | @bahjaleila | https://twitter.com/bahjaleila?lang=en
PODCAST HOST:
IG | @bamcabral
LinkedIn | @ambercabral
Facebook | @amber.cabral
Twitter | @BamCabral
Grab a copy of Amber’s books at Amazon!
Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture
Say More About That: …And Other Ways to Speak Up, Push Back, and Advocate for Yourself and Others –
Guilty Privilege is produced by EPYC Media Network