Business Inclusivity: An interview with Diversity Coach Zoi J

Building a strong diversity and inclusion strategy that is free from bias is vital for a business to grow beyond 2021. We chat to Zoi, who recently launched her Diversity Coaching for Professionals and Creatives business to tell us more.

Diversity and inclusion in business is more important than ever before. Despite thinking we live in progressive times, last year highlighted the underlying problems that still exist in our modern society. This is apparent both in and out of the workplace. Building a strong diversity and inclusion strategy that is free from bias is therefore vital for a business to grow beyond 2021.

With that in mind, how does one introduce equality and inclusivity to one’s brand? 

How do you introduce equality and inclusivity to your brand? 

We chat to Zoi, who recently launched her business Zoi J |Diversity Coaching for Professionals and Creatives. Zoi runs 1:1 coaching sessions and corporate training to help professionals understand diversity, to become more inclusive and thus make a difference to the way the world conducts business.

Zoi J | Diversity Coach

Q. Hi Zoi, Could you tell us about your career journey and your business came to be?

I did a Music Tech degree in the UK but decided not to pursue a career in the music industry. During uni I worked for a music festival and started my career in events. I taught myself HTML and CSS and created websites for friends and pubs I used to work for.

After Brexit, I moved to New Zealand and worked for the RSPCA over there. Since then, I’ve freelanced as a Digital Marketing Strategist, Social Media Manager, and Web Designer. I’ve worked for Dementia Australia as their Content Strategist and recently worked for a creative entrepreneur as their Digital Project Manager, where I created and marketed digital products and e-learning resources. I then did a course in UX Design where I learned about Design Thinking and Human-Centred Design practices and thought to myself… Well dang, why am I learning to use these models to contribute to capitalist society? Is there a way I can implement these practices to genuinely help people? 

I had always taken interest in social justice movements so when the time came for me to quit working and spread my wings to do my own thing, it had to be in diversity coaching. I had taken a bunch of American based online courses on diversity and inclusion. I noticed that America had a lot more resources and communities compared to Australia. I knew what I had to do – I had to be one of the few that started the conversation, the conversation on diversity, here in Australia. We all have our callings in life, I knew that this was mine. 

Zoi J | Diversity coaching for professionals and creatives

Q. Can you tell us about the diversity coaching services you offer?

I offer 1:1 coaching for small businesses and corporate training packages. The coaching package is a 3-week framework where I take clients through an audit of their business, help fill in the gaps and then to create a diversity plan with them. This allows my clients to cater to a wider audience, helping people from marginalised groups feel more represented and included. It’s a win win situation. I’m also working on an online course, which is targeted to those who can’t afford coaching services, but want to make their businesses more inclusive and diverse.

Q. What is the easiest way for a small business to be more inclusive?

An easy way would be for Australian business owners to recognise that the land that they live and work on is stolen. Add an Acknowledgement of Country to your website footer, to your email signature; if you’ve got a podcast, add it to your intro; at the start of presentations. The next step would be to learn why, and you can do this via your local state government website. If you’re in Victoria for example, you can access this information via: https://www.aboriginalvictoria.vic.gov.au/acknowledgement-traditional-owners

Q. Comparing your experiences living in the UK vs Australia, which country would you say is more inclusive in a professional sense?

I’ve lived in quite a few different countries – India, New Zealand, Australia and a bunch of places throughout the UK. The UK is a complex country with regard to issues revolving around class and race in particular. Being brought up in London and then going to university in the north of the UK, the disparities between these two areas regarding class and race were massive. London is the most diverse and inclusive city I’ve ever lived in – race was rarely an issue. But the north was different – I had to get used to things like people being surprised I had an English accent (since I am Asian) and people using the term half-caste, which is a derogatory term for people being from two different nationalities.

I have to compare living in Australia, even Melbourne, which is such a diverse city, to living in the north of England. Australia is full of microaggressions, which I just didn’t experience at all when I was in London. I can’t speak on behalf of everyone else in the country here but I can say that based on my experiences, Australia has a long way to go in terms of diversity and inclusion.

Q. You have chosen two organisations to donate 5% of your revenue. Can you tell us why you have chosen these two organisations?

Mossfolk is an easy one – it’s a non-profit for young adults with mental illness that I am working with on a new website. I’ve also been asked to become a board member and I have lived experience with bipolar, so maybe I’m biased but I fully believe in the services that they provide and the community that they create for people.

I chose Aboriginal Housing Australia because as someone who’s not a white Australian and immigrated to the country, I fully acknowledge that I am living and working off stolen land and want to give back to the First Nations community.

Q. Having educated yourself extensively in the area of diversity, has anything taken you by surprise?

To be honest, the journey of learning about diversity and inclusion is a rocky one. At first I was in a state of depression for about a week or two. It’s hard not to be. I couldn’t believe that I had waited this long to be enlightened about certain issues, and this made me feel guilty. On top of that, I felt sad about all the injustices that were happening in the world. But, what is  fantastic and what has surprised me, is that the feeling doesn’t stick. I swapped my sad stories for articles and online courses on how I could do better. I swapped my sadness for determination, zeal, integrity… But obviously not humility. Hearing about injustices really sucks but just like a nurse or doctor getting over their first fainting spell after their first operation, you do get used to it, and it makes you an even stronger force to be reckoned with!

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and if you want to be the best person you can be, you have to deal with stuff.

Q. Would you like to share some of your ‘wins’ to date.

So much has happened in the last couple of months. There are so many different things that pull you in so many different directions. Something that I’m really passionate about is my vlogcast and I’d like to acknowledge the small win of getting my vlogcast out every week, regardless of what I’ve got on. 

Q. Tell us about your Book Club.

The book club is still in its early stages. I’m just about to have the beta test group book discussion. We’re reading Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, again, to acknowledge the fact that we are living on stolen land and learn more about the experiences of First Nations People of Australia. Since some of the groups will be mixed, it was really important to me to create a really robust set of guidelines for everyone to follow and it was really important for me to protect the marginalised community and have acknowledgements and guidelines such as, ensuring we use gender neutral language, showing respect for lived experience and respecting peoples’ time. 

Q. And finally, what are your top three tips for a small business owner to become more diverse-aware and/or inclusive?

  1. Learn about the country that you’re in and show respect.
  2. Have a look at your circle of influence. Check your social media channels and have a look at who you follow, what’s your feed like? Do they all look like the same type of people? Is it a diverse group? These people influence you daily so it’s important to make sure that the information we’re receiving comes from a wider array of opinions and people.
  3. Are you using diverse imagery on your website or social media? People buy from businesses that show that their product or service is for them. How many people are you turning away because of your imagery? Something to remember is that diversity isn’t just about race or gender, there are so many other types of people to represent in your imagery; people from different age groups, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and class to name a few.

Is your business due for a diversity audit? To book a 1:1 coaching session or corporate training package with Zoi go to: www.zoij.co

Zoi has also launched “5 Diversity Win-Win-Wins” A free eBook of 5 digestible topics on diversity for your business with actionable steps. Download here: zoij.ck.page/ebook