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Fostering Inclusion and Growth: Mentorship, Networking, and Workforce Development in Associations · Associations NOW Presents

0:03
Lowell Aplebaum: Greetings everyone. Welcome to episode
0:05
three of Associations NOW Presents, an original podcast
0:09
series from the American Society of Association Executives. It's
0:13
my pleasure to be with you. My name is Lowell Aplebaum.
0:15
Typically, you'll catch me as host of Association Rockstars.
0:19
It is my pleasure and my honor to be the host of this episode
0:23
today, which is a part two, as we look into workforce
0:27
development as our theme. We'd like to thank our episode
0:30
sponsor Visit Omaha for their support of this podcast. And if
0:34
you've not yet listened to part one of this two part series on
0:37
workforce development, we'll be right here.
0:39
So go on, take a listen and come on back for our conversation
0:43
today. And we are excited to have two wise, wise individuals
0:47
from our community for our conversation today. For each of
0:51
you all, just give a brief introduction, a sentence about
0:55
certainly your name and your organization, but I'd love for
0:58
to hear each of you introduce yourselves, if you will, with a
1:01
little bit about your own professional journey, right? So
1:04
we think about workforce development, what developed you
1:08
in the workforce? And today's conversation is going to have a
1:11
large focus on network and community and relationships. So
1:16
feel free to put into your own journey story, any critical
1:19
relationships that were really important to your own journey
1:24
along the way. And so let's first start Eduardo Arabu is the
1:29
CEO the National Hispanic Corporate Council and the Latino
1:33
DEI Collective. Eduardo. You want to tell us a little bit
1:36
about yourself and your own journey?
1:38
Eduardo Arabu: Yes, absolutely. Thank you Lowell for that
1:40
wonderful introduction. I'm thrilled to be here and be a
1:42
part of this conversation with my colleague Justin Reyes as
1:46
well. A little bit about myself. Yes, I am the CEO at the
1:51
National Hispanic Corporate Council, that organization
1:54
focused on helping Fortune companies on their
1:57
competitiveness and corporate performance around workplace and
2:01
marketplace strategy. And so we work with major Fortune 1000
2:05
companies are under Hispanic and Latino strategy for talent,
2:08
customer, supplier, community relations and their employee
2:12
resource group as well. The Latino DEI Collective focuses on
2:16
amplifying, cultivating and elevating Latino DEI
2:19
practitioner. So Chief Diversity Officer, Vice President of
2:22
Diversity Equity and Inclusion, not only in Fortune company, but
2:26
government, nonprofit, sports and many other sectors as well.
2:31
I'm based in Chicago. My background is Venezuelan. I
2:33
consider myself bicultural. So was born in Venezuela, but grew
2:37
up in Chicago, Illinois. I spent about seven years in Washington,
2:41
D.C., as well. I think my career trajectory to where I'm at is a
2:46
little bit unorthodox. Many of you in the association space, we
2:49
didn't sign up for it. We were voluntold to put you into it,
2:52
and here we are. My background consisted of corporate
2:56
functions, HR and government affairs, public policy. I have
3:00
my time in Washington, D.C., and so more of a business public
3:04
policy background also works in sports and Government Affairs
3:08
and many other functions as well. One unique opportunity
3:12
that I had was to complete a fellowship with the
3:15
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, where I
3:18
had a chance to go to Washington, D.C., working
3:20
corporate affairs and government affairs as well. As we
3:24
mentioned, relationship, the executive director of the
3:28
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, when I did
3:31
my fellowship forward several years, was the executive
3:35
director at the National Hispanic Corporate Council. So
3:38
we're emphasizing on relationship. My time as a
3:41
fellow in that program, go on to go to work in force and go to
3:46
pursue a Master's Degree in Public Policy at Carnegie
3:49
Mellon. End up back in Washington, D.C., and I get a
3:52
phone call from then executive director at CHLI now executive
3:56
director at NHCC, and he taught me to be the number two person,
4:01
right hand person to support the National Hispanic Corporate
4:04
Council. Five years later, the board promoted me to Executive
4:08
Director, then CEO, and ever since then, been looking for
4:12
ways to contribute, collaborate, into the association sector and
4:16
give, take, learn, connect, learn, all those wonderful
4:19
opportunities as well.
4:21
Lowell Aplebaum: Excellent. Thank you. And our second, no
4:25
less distinguished, wise thought leader for today. Justin Bradley
4:29
Reyes, is the membership manager for Latinos Corporate Directors
4:32
Association. Justin, why don't you tell us a little bit about
4:35
your journey?
4:36
Justin Bradley Reyes: How do you Lowell or Hola, as I'm trying to
4:40
implement into my vocabulary, especially in the tune of
4:43
Hispanic Heritage Month. But as you mentioned, my name is Justin
4:46
Bradley Reyes. I'm the membership manager at the Latino
4:49
Corporate Directors Association, and have been privileged to hold
4:52
this role within LCDA over the last couple of years, almost
4:56
three years and everything membership, managing membership,
5:00
recruiting Latino talent, developing our regional
5:03
networking, engagement with our members in the field, and just
5:07
ultimately, just empowering members to utilize the resources
5:11
the network, the people at LCDA, to amplify their journey to
5:17
corporate board. A little bit about LCDA before I dive into
5:20
myself. LCDA has been fully functional for about 10 years,
5:25
and the mission of the organization is to create a
5:28
pipeline for Latino talent, Latino executives, the creme de
5:31
la creme of corporate America into serving on corporate
5:36
boards. There's a ton of data out there. Feel free to visit
5:40
latinocorporatedirectors.org. But just a little snippet is the
5:44
fact of the matter is with the US population of Latinos, at
5:48
about 20% of the US population. Latino representation on
5:52
corporate boards, specifically within Fortune 1000 companies,
5:56
is at about 5% and so our mission is typically to create a
6:00
pipeline so that we can reach parity and ultimately support
6:05
corporate organizations to create a network where they may
6:09
not have a Latino executive in hopes to elevate the deep pool
6:14
of Latino talent that does exist, unfortunately they may
6:17
not have the network to get to that point again as a membership
6:21
manager, day in, day out, it's been a privilege to be a part of
6:26
an ecosystem of highly accomplished Latinos, first NASA
6:29
astronaut and later director of NASA, Dr Ellen Ochoa, a
6:33
powerhouse attorney, Roel Campos. You have individuals
6:37
like Marty Chavez who are on the alphabet board. It's just
6:41
phenomenal that I have the chance to work in support of
6:44
these individuals. Although I'm not a corporate America expert,
6:48
through my role as a membership manager, I'm able to contribute
6:51
to the machine that is LCDA. Now, over the last nine years,
6:57
I've made a career in association management, or as I
6:59
tell some folks, I'm in the acronym business. So whether
7:02
it's the national association home builders, NHB, ABC, NASDA,
7:07
now, LCDA, I've had the opportunity to be a part of
7:11
something much larger than who I am. It allows me to scale the
7:15
impact of my work beyond where I call home, and it's really
7:20
because I have an inborn fondness for associations that
7:23
merge public and private partnerships to uncover
7:26
solutions for whatever industry that they serve. And so that's
7:29
just been a phenomenal journey, and it all started with an
7:32
organization called NASDA, National Association of State
7:35
Departments of Agriculture shortly after graduating from
7:38
college, with the intention to teach in the classroom, which I
7:41
did. But just before that, I had a brief sit in DC where I had
7:45
the opportunity to attend congressional meetings and just
7:50
interact with these senior policy officials around
7:52
agriculture. A few months before that, I was working in the
7:55
fields of South Texas wearing boots and jeans and a cowboy hat
7:59
and just working my butt off, just lots of manual labor, and
8:03
then shifting to a setting with suits and policy, it just really
8:08
transformed my outlook in life and expanded the horizon that I
8:12
have in terms of what can I do, not just in education, but
8:16
professionally. And it was so infectious that two years later,
8:19
I decided, let's make this a full time gig. So after working
8:24
two years in the classroom, started with NHB, and been all
8:28
downhill since then. I am Latino, a Mexican-American
8:31
distend. But of course, being from Texas, being proud Texan, I
8:35
am Tejano, which for the audience, if you don't know what
8:38
that is, it's an individual of Mexican-American descent, born
8:41
in Texas. So thought to be a little extra there. But anyway,
8:45
small town in Texas. My family is multi-generational American
8:49
but really the back load of my family is we're ranchers, we're
8:52
farmers, we're cowboys, and so it was really a great to be a
8:56
part of that. But again, fast forward today. I now call
9:01
Charlotte, North Carolina home with my wife, a government
9:04
affairs professional with Lowe's, who used to be a trade
9:06
association professional, as well as my niece Raylene, and,
9:09
of course, my two fur babies, Bailey and Begonia.
9:12
Lowell Aplebaum: Thank you. In both of your journeys, there is
9:15
this aspect and this element of network and community. And so as
9:19
we're thinking about workforce development, I want to talk
9:22
about that for a little bit. I want to talk about from two or
9:25
three angles. So the first let's talk about for the
9:27
responsibility of associations and organizations that often are
9:32
the organizers right of these critical places where
9:35
professionals come together, where the opportunity is should
9:39
be in the room for those relationships to be made that
9:42
can then lead to career journeys, to those opportunities
9:47
that nordo You said someone to tap you on the shoulder, to say,
9:50
No, you need to come to to my organization and work here. We
9:53
need to have you. I'm just curious about either of your
9:56
perspectives, about what role you think associations, the
10:00
organizations themselves, and leaders can play in facilitating
10:04
more equitable networking opportunities, whether that's
10:07
live at conferences or remote or hybrid ways. Right? How should
10:11
associations create the spaces so more of those critical
10:15
connections can be made?
10:17
Eduardo Arabu: I would say, to answer your question, the
10:19
responsibility falls on two sides of the coin, right? One is
10:24
individual. As leaders in that space, whether entry level or
10:29
more senior role, have a responsibility to make sure that
10:33
they find the most opportunities that they can program, get
10:37
involved, volunteer, all that good stuff from an individual
10:40
perspective. But I also think that the organization also has
10:44
to be intentional, and part of that process, and so in terms of
10:48
creating equitable networking space and so forth, is to
10:51
evaluate their own principles: DEI, diversity, equity and
10:56
inclusion and belonging, or as ASAE called it, conscious
10:59
inclusion. And to evaluate organizationally, top down,
11:05
bottom up, where can they be more inclusive and offer those
11:08
opportunities? And so whether it's at the organization, board
11:11
of director, the executive staff, the middle management,
11:15
entry level intern, all the way internally, from a workplace
11:18
perspective and also from a marketplace perspective, your
11:22
customer, your stakeholders, your members, also community
11:25
relations effort and supply chain supplier diversity, and
11:30
also granting opportunity from external perspective as well.
11:34
But I think if the organization can be intentional on what they
11:38
want to do and provide those opportunity to make those
11:42
connection, right? The networking, I think it's really
11:44
important to create capacity building, to create access to
11:48
senior leader, to create assets or pathways of career mobility,
11:53
career navigating, and even just offering safe space and ways to
11:57
feel inclusive and belonging, right? Those employee resource
12:01
group or affinity groups, or a ways where you can be other at
12:05
your level or of your background, and have that space
12:09
to have conversation, whether it's work related or career
12:13
development or many other opportunities. So organizations
12:18
that are intentional, and I keep bringing that up there, they
12:21
want to make that conscious effort to provide networking
12:25
platforms, I think, really add to the inclusivity and
12:29
engagement of the associate at the organization
12:32
Lowell Aplebaum: On either of your journeys, both of you sound
12:35
like you've had meaningful moments where you've connected
12:37
with key individuals that have Been accelerants along your own
12:41
journey along the way. Do you feel like that? Either of you
12:44
are naturally inclined, like you walk in the room and you just
12:45
feel comfortable talking to anyone, right? Or there are
12:49
those that perhaps walk in the room and feel like, who am I
12:51
supposed to talk to? The obligation you started with
12:54
there Eduardo, which is the individual obligation for
12:57
building the professional community that you need. And I
13:00
just want to leave it open as you think about the experiences
13:02
you've had or the experience that you would impart in terms
13:06
of advice or insight to those listening in, how do you go
13:10
about building that community? How do you walk in the room and
13:14
figure out who to talk to or actually talk to anyone?
13:17
Justin Bradley Reyes: Yeah, I'll chime in here. So I think I'm a
13:20
little bit of an outlier, but it's because of my mother's
13:22
upbringing. She was a very social person. Unfortunately,
13:26
she did not have the opportunity to finish her high school
13:28
education, but that didn't limit her career outlook. First Center
13:32
of Excellence was doing the work that she did and commanding the
13:35
respect of the community that we served in, whether it was
13:38
ironing or cleaning. My mom in the community, small town,
13:41
Cotulla, she would clean the homes of the judges, the county
13:45
sheriff, these just influential individuals in the community.
13:48
And because of that, it exposed me to a network that was just
13:53
non traditional. And so with that said, I'm like I said a
13:57
little different. When I walk into a room, I just I'm
14:00
inquisitive. I'm very curious about how things work. I love to
14:04
learn how other people's stories, to borrow lessons that
14:10
I can apply to myself. But more than that, it's about I'm a
14:14
sponge, and whatever I learn or whatever experiences that I'm
14:18
able to have, whether or not their mind. You know, I try to
14:23
share that with other young Latino professionals, other
14:27
young professionals who may not have the opportunity to sit in
14:30
the same spaces that I do, and just to impart just these
14:34
antidotes of interactions that I have and and I think ultimately,
14:38
what it falls on is just to get to that point, it's creating
14:42
these safe, intentional spaces for these individuals with
14:46
untraditional pathways in terms of careers and supporting them,
14:51
instilling self efficacy, instilling opportunities to
14:55
develop strong, soft skills so that we're better able to
14:58
communicate. I think that's really what. It is at the end of
15:00
the day, is communicating, but more than that, it's about
15:04
executive presence. How do you advocate for yourself, asking
15:08
the right questions and following up on interactions?
15:11
You have this moment where you're in a room, virtually,
15:14
you're in person, where you meet these folks, but what's the
15:18
follow up? What are these? I say simple, but best practice this
15:22
so that you're able to develop a much more authentic relationship
15:25
from rapport, because then it's almost like an interview. You're
15:29
checking each other out and seeing, do we vibe with each
15:32
other? And if we do, how do we intentionally continue this
15:35
relationship? Where one I can borrow from? Maybe it's your
15:39
platform, your access. Maybe you're a hiring manager or
15:43
influential in that space. And likewise, I think Eduardo had
15:47
mentioned this earlier. It's a two way street. So one I learned
15:50
from you, but likewise, in interacting with me, you learn a
15:53
little bit about me. Now, I'm only one part of the greater
15:57
Latino ecosystem of 20 plus countries, but that little
16:01
sliver of interaction, I would hope, would educate you and
16:06
teach you a little bit more about a culture that's just
16:08
different than what you're used to.
16:10
Eduardo Arabu: I think, just to keep you very humble, actually,
16:13
a phenomenal networker is an individual that really goes out
16:19
there and make it happen, even if it's just a simple
16:22
introduction or simple hello or so forth. They want to give them
16:25
a shout out for that. He's always challenging me and
16:28
saying, Hey, do you know so? And do you know so? And I'm like,
16:30
No, I don't. How do you know them? ABC, and he's always make
16:33
those connections. Super excited to be with him. I think we're on
16:37
a different spectrum of being introverted, extroverted, and
16:41
somewhere in there, we would manage accordingly how we want
16:45
to engage in the reception and a conference and a meeting and so
16:49
forth. And I think for most multicultural people of color
16:53
and folks, we tend to be very inclusive and welcoming, right?
16:57
We want to build community. We want to break bread together,
17:00
right those type of scenarios. And when we go to the
17:04
quote-unquote "corporate world" or association or professional
17:07
world, we tend to be a little bit more introverted, not sure
17:11
how our culture or how we interact, mix them well with
17:16
more of a professional trick type of environment and so
17:19
forth. It's looking for ways to build those relationships, make
17:22
those connections be meaningful, follow up and things like that,
17:25
but you never know who you can meet in the room. And I really
17:29
think it takes practice. It takes a little bit of
17:31
preparation. It takes a little bit of best practices in terms
17:34
of how to network, how to introduce yourself. People love
17:38
to talk a lot about themselves. So how do you pose question?
17:42
Then let that person take the burden of the pressure and let
17:45
you be more of a listening and looking for ways to make that
17:48
connection. Oh, you were in DC, so was I? Oh, you're from
17:51
Chicago. When they right, you start to build those common
17:55
trades, common skill, common goals and things like that. That
17:59
nothing the burden, the pressure. But it's not easy, and
18:02
it all depends on the person level of confidence to do that,
18:07
and over time, practice, make perfect.
18:11
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18:13
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19:10
Lowell Aplebaum: Most of you had a overlap of talking about
19:12
creating spaces. Justin, you refer to it around the idea of
19:16
forming a network happens best in that safe and intentional
19:19
space. Eduardo, you were talking about an inclusive space that
19:23
you feel like you belong. I was wondering if either of you could
19:27
just reflect on moments that you've walked into these spaces
19:32
and you have felt that the space has been designed to be
19:35
inclusive and safe and intentional, right, like when
19:38
that has been done. Well, is there anything you can describe
19:44
so that those listening that want to create those spaces,
19:47
right? What would you say when you walked into those spaces?
19:50
What had been done that you experienced that? So maybe
19:53
there's something there to learn from.
19:56
Justin Bradley Reyes: I guess. Can I go ahead and chime in
19:57
here? So as I mentioned. I'm about nine years into
20:01
association management professionally, but as a member,
20:03
a volunteer, an advocate, a leader, I've been a part of an
20:06
association since I was 14, so almost 20 years. It is at 20
20:10
years. But when you bring that up, the first thing that pops in
20:14
my head FFA, which used to stand for Future Farmers of America.
20:19
But what was phenomenal about this association was that I grew
20:25
up in a predominantly Latino community, but in the greater
20:27
ecosystem FFA, it's pretty diverse. Not once did I ever
20:31
feel like I was less than in terms of being Latino, we would
20:36
wear these blue corduroy jackets with our names and where we're
20:40
from in the back, and that's what united us. And what was
20:44
phenomenal about it was just the the culture, the ecosystem of
20:48
support, passing it back, if you will. Here's the FFA model,
20:53
learning to do, doing to learn, learning to live, and living
20:57
serve. I'm in my 30s, and I still live by this day in, day
21:01
out, and it's because of the positive experiences that I had
21:04
there that had it not been for the FFA, I would have never
21:09
joined agricultural Teachers Association of Texas when I was
21:12
a teacher, or the American rabbit Breeders Association when
21:15
I was trying to figure out, how am I going to select the
21:18
appropriate rabbit project for my students, and then later on
21:21
their life, ASAE, Association Forum. These are organizations
21:25
that that one had a culture where I could be my best
21:29
authentic self, but likewise allowed me to expand my
21:34
knowledge, to seek assistance, mentors, and ultimately, to this
21:39
day, sponsorship from peers like Eduardo, who are able to elevate
21:43
my profile to a much wider audience, so people know that
21:47
I'm here, and if there's an opportunity for me to connect
21:51
and help, reach out and I'm there, when you talk about that,
21:55
it all started very early on with that student organization.
22:00
Eduardo Arabu: For me, I've been officially involved with
22:02
Association space for the past 10 years - first five years as
22:06
the deputy at NHCC, and now a CEO. So it's been a collective
22:09
of 10 years. But from a formal professional development, career
22:14
development and things along those nature, maybe for the past
22:18
two years, mostly, so to the ASAE, which have been a
22:23
phenomenal platform. I've never seen anything where leaders of
22:28
different organization come together to support each other,
22:31
from A to Z and creating all the different spaces, whether it for
22:36
us, by us in a certain demographic or culture, into
22:40
intersectionality, into allyship and to bringing others to the
22:43
room and so forth. So I never experienced anything. And so
22:47
shout out to ASAE for what they do and the work that they do
22:50
with conscious inclusion and many other aspects of their
22:53
programming. And so I think it's important to not only create
22:58
those spaces, but also seek it out. Yeah, you don't know what
23:01
you don't know. So if you're trying to be on a corporate
23:03
director, the LCDA is a space for that. If you're trying to
23:08
advance your career in accounting, there's the
23:10
so-and-so association of accounting or engineering or law
23:14
or medical, whatever it may be that there are many
23:17
organizations that support that development within those
23:20
organization, we need to make sure that they're inclusive and
23:23
not just one particular group, one particular demographic. And
23:27
what we spoke earlier about creating those spaces allow for
23:30
inclusivity, belonging workforce development and many other
23:34
areas, but then also having inclusive intentional
23:38
programming. And I benefit a lot of this by going to program that
23:43
our bridge program to grad school, bridge program to
23:46
working on Capitol Hill, Bridge Program to Corporate America.
23:49
These are not only safe spaces, but they're intentional and
23:54
they're inclusive and promote that certain community to
23:57
advance whatever sector, whatever field organization that
24:01
they want to participate in.
24:04
Lowell Aplebaum: Time always goes by quickly on these
24:05
conversations. I want to ask one more question, I think, and then
24:08
we'll start to wrap up. We've been talking about on the
24:11
journey about creating spaces and creating connections, and
24:14
the critical nature of relationships and support of
24:17
workforce development within the minority environment, but also
24:20
in the general funnel. We live in a day and age where, as much
24:25
as people love to be together, time is a challenge, and the
24:28
cost and distance to being in person can be just wondering in
24:32
your experience, either of you, as you think about a more hybrid
24:35
or mobile or virtual opportunities for professional
24:40
community connection, creating that inclusive space that could
24:43
elevate the voices we need to see shine and learn. Do you have
24:46
any reflections on how that aspect of virtual right, that
24:50
aspect of distance, comes to play in terms of workforce
24:54
development, building a career, seeing strong minority voices be
24:58
part of our leadership?
25:00
Justin Bradley Reyes: So, I've had the opportunity to work
25:01
remotely over the last nine years, spending seven years in
25:05
Kansas City and now Charlotte, North Carolina. But one of the
25:09
most significant challenges in working for an organization like
25:13
LCDA that's completely remote is staying top of mind within
25:17
networks. So what does that mean? Without the ability to
25:21
walk in a room and be seen day in day out. I think, especially
25:26
for minority professionals who work remotely like myself, we
25:30
just have to work a little extra harder to ensure that we're
25:33
noticed and that we're again top of mind, whether it's for career
25:37
volunteering or simply contributing to projects with
25:41
that said, what can be done. And I think a lot of that for me
25:47
within ASAE, for example, is showing up to the ASAE Annual
25:51
Meeting, showing up for micro-volunteering
25:53
opportunities. One, I'm giving back to the community. But two,
25:57
I'm able to interact with other individuals who hold values like
26:00
myself and forging genuine relationships, or at least for
26:05
me, finding new role models that I can follow on LinkedIn and on
26:09
the Internet of Things, and borrow themes of their
26:11
leadership that I can apply to in my home and community. But
26:15
with that said, it can be challenging, it can be cost
26:18
prohibitive. I think organizations like ASAE, with
26:22
their DELP program, with the CAE scholarship, with the USAE/ASAE
26:27
travel scholarship, those types of programs help minority
26:32
professionals overcome these cost barriers. These individuals
26:36
are wanting to show up, but sometimes, as it may cost a
26:40
significant amount of dollars and investment just to get to
26:45
the location and to register and all that. So I think that's
26:49
really important for organizations and associations
26:52
to keep in mind, how are we creating an equitable space, and
26:56
if it doesn't exist, what are some resources that we can
27:00
allocate so that communities like remote working minority
27:04
professionals can utilize, so that can share the space,
27:08
contribute to that culture and ultimately grow professionally.
27:14
But I think, again, those are just some of the things that
27:17
that I think have helped me, personally in my own journey,
27:20
Eduardo Arabu: I've had the opportunity to work remote for
27:23
about 10 years before it was cool or necessary. However you
27:27
want to look at it, some people adjust differently for that.
27:31
Some people like it. Some people don't. And there's lots of
27:34
challenges around that space of hybrid remote. Return back to
27:38
office strategy. There are some opportunities and challenges for
27:42
our conversation in terms of professional development and
27:45
workforce development as well. I think if we look at it from an
27:50
internal perspective, that visibility, it's harder when
27:53
you're working remote or hybrid, especially if you're onboarded
27:57
virtually, if you have a remote team, if you are 100% hybrid,
28:03
100% remote, you may not have those traditional water cooler
28:07
conversation or some other opportunities of senior
28:10
leadership seeing you, and I think that's very important to
28:14
have that visibility that you consider for project or
28:19
promotion, mentorship and many other opportunities. So you have
28:23
to take it upon yourself again, personal responsibility. Think
28:27
out, connect, reach out, identify if it's not available,
28:32
then start it or start that conversation with some
28:35
colleagues and so forth. Your career growth is tied to the
28:40
network that you're able to build, because that is capacity
28:43
building. Part of that leads to mentorship, opportunity, and,
28:47
more importantly, sponsorship opportunity. The difference
28:50
between that mentors help you grow and advise you and coach
28:54
you the sponsorship. They talk about you when you're not in the
28:57
room. They are intentionally saying that after I leave or
29:00
after this project is done, so and so if pipeline for the next
29:05
level or the next opportunity, or what it might be, I think
29:08
it's important for you to challenge yourself. If it's a
29:12
two, three days work week in the office, try to make it three or
29:16
four, try to do the best you can. And I always adjust it and
29:20
become accustomed to certain liberties of working from home,
29:24
but make sure that you are navigating that part correctly,
29:27
that you are showing up to at many meetings. You're on campus
29:30
as much as you can, and then when you're there, you're
29:33
strategically reaching out to mentor sponsors, senior leaders,
29:37
asking for project networking, hosting a happy hour, whatever
29:41
it may be, all of those opportunities, and then also
29:44
externally, if the other part of the conversation is, where can
29:48
you externally get with ASAE volunteer opportunity, your
29:53
society, community volunteer leadership position, and many
29:58
other ways and not wait? For the day, that you need your next job
30:02
or your next role, that you are actively building a network.
30:06
You're actively branding yourself, promoting yourself as
30:09
a thought leader, as a strategist, someone who is
30:13
competent, someone who's accomplished and have the
30:15
confidence to lead and manage the next phase of their career
30:19
and an opportunity for that, an organization as a whole. How can
30:24
they offer everything that I just mentioned? How are they
30:26
intentionally creating the state space, the inclusive
30:30
programming, allowing for development when you're in
30:34
person, team, development, capacity, building, asset to
30:38
network, all of that, not only waiting for someone to ask for
30:42
it, but as an organization offering it, and at least
30:45
listening to what are the needs of the associate and how can
30:49
they play a role in that integrated workforce
30:51
development.
30:52
Lowell Aplebaum: Love it. All right. I have at least five
30:55
thoughts that pulled from our conversation today, but I'll let
30:58
you two go first. Just as we're winding down from our
31:02
conversation or from your own life experience, as you think
31:05
about workforce development--the roles and the place that you
31:09
have had in your own journey, and those that are looking and
31:12
listening to this conversation to be a guidepost, a partner
31:18
along the way of their own journey--what is one piece of
31:20
advice or one insight that you would take and share if someone
31:24
is looking to take the next step on their professional journey?
31:29
Eduardo Arabu: I would say one piece of advice is maybe a
31:32
couple of pieces of advice we don't want this to end. I would
31:35
say one is to be unapologetically yourself and be
31:40
bold. It is who you are and ask for things. Raise your hand,
31:44
speak up, let others know your career path. Take an assignment.
31:49
Just being very vocal of who you are and what you want and the
31:53
expectation, and hopefully the organization is able to create
31:58
those pathways. If not, you may have to seek opportunities
32:01
elsewhere, but at least you are true to yourself to your goal,
32:05
and hopefully that leads to the objective that you have.
32:08
Justin Bradley Reyes: Well, man, so many thoughts here as well.
32:11
The first thing that gets in my mind is this term that I've been
32:13
using for a couple years that learned from a mentor the
32:16
Greater Kansas City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Carlos
32:19
Gomez, get your hands in the matzah. What does that mean? Get
32:22
in the kitchen. It's one thing to see the cook making these
32:27
exquisite meals, but it's another when you lend a hand. So
32:32
with that said, whether you're a minority professional or not, I
32:36
think it's really important for us. Eduardo mentioned the
32:39
allyship aspect of it, right? There's an association for
32:42
everything, especially when you talk about minority serving
32:46
organizations that their mission statement or their mission
32:49
objectives, just like Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, is you
32:52
don't have to be the premier expert, but you can augment your
32:56
understanding. You can augment your efforts by partnering with
33:00
organizations like the one Eduardo leads at NHCC; ALPFA,
33:04
the Association of Latino Professionals for America. If
33:07
you're talking about public policy, if you're trying to
33:09
recruit government affairs professional, guess what? The
33:12
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute has a program that
33:16
brings in interns to work in Capitol Hill who work around
33:19
public policies. There are organizations out there doing
33:23
great work to serve different parts of lack of parity on X, Y
33:27
and Z, but be uncomfortable in getting comfortable with getting
33:32
involved with contributing to that point, mentorship,
33:37
sponsorship, hiring. That's another thing too. Is what are
33:41
your organization's hiring best practices? Are you regionally
33:45
attracting talent beyond a 50 mile radius of your
33:48
organization's located? Are you targeting HBCUs? Are you
33:52
targeting HSI? Like I said, we can go on and on. Of course I
33:56
would have to throw in. But you have organizations like SACNAS,
33:58
the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans
34:01
and Sciences led by my mentor, Juan Amador. I have to give him
34:05
a shout out there, because he's really what got me into the
34:08
scene and where I'm at currently. But again, there are
34:11
these organizations led by passionate people who are
34:15
committed to the mission statements, and if it's a
34:18
daunting task, just reach out and ask questions. You might
34:22
uncover opportunities for formal partnerships, but at the very
34:26
least, if that's not the outcome, it's at least learning
34:29
a little bit more. Not just about learning more, but it's
34:32
about ignoring less. And so that's what I challenge, not
34:36
only minority professionals, but our allies in the community, is
34:40
get involved within these ecosystems. You never know who
34:44
you're going to meet. You never know what you're going to learn
34:47
that's really going to create a significant impact in the
34:49
organization, and ultimately, the industries that you serve.
34:53
When you think about workforce development,
34:55
Lowell Aplebaum: Love it. I'll just say two or three of the
34:57
questions I'm walking away with from the. The brilliance you all
35:00
have shared today. I love the question of, how do you stay top
35:03
of mind in your network, right, especially when we're at
35:05
distance? How do we do that? How can our organizations create the
35:08
opportunity for meaningful visibility so that those who
35:11
could benefit from mentorship and sponsorship find those
35:15
opportunities to do how do you come to professional
35:17
relationship development opportunities with questions and
35:20
curiosity you become top of mind by learning about others. And
35:24
then the one I took near the end, how do organizations create
35:28
safe space and inclusive proactively and not wait for
35:31
someone to ask for it? Just a few of the questions I captured
35:34
from you all. Eduardo and Justin, thank you both so much
35:37
for spending time with us and for sharing your perspectives as
35:40
we talk about this critical topic.
35:43
Eduardo Arabu: My pleasure.
35:44
Lowell Aplebaum: Thank you to everyone who is listening in to
35:46
this episode of Associations NOW Presents. We hope you'll join us
35:49
each month as we explore key topics relevant to association
35:52
professionals. We discuss the challenges opportunities in the
35:55
field today and highlight the significant impact associations
35:58
have on the economy the US and the world. We'd like to thank
36:01
our episode sponsor Visit Omaha once again for more information
36:05
you can check out visit omaha.com meetings and be sure
36:08
to subscribe to our podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you
36:11
listen to your favorite podcasts for more information on
36:14
workforce development in the association space, visit
36:17
associations now online at associationsnow.com Until next
36:21
time, stay out there. Stay leadership. We look forward to
36:25
talking to you again soon.