fbpx
Empower Ethnic Role Model List 2020 Press Statement

Empower Ethnic Role Model List 2020 Press Statement

Veza Global Founder, Manpreet Dhillon, Listed as Empower’s EMpower 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leaders List

 Vancouver B.C., Today, Veza Global founder and CEO, Manpreet Dhillon, was ranked 15th on EMpower 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leaders List supported by Yahoo Finance. The annual list showcases business leaders who are breaking down barriers at work and working hard to smash the ceiling for ethnic minorities in the UK, Ireland, Europe, and people of colour in the United States and Canada. Past leaders on the Ethnic Minority Executives and Minority Leaders lists have included: Farah Siddiqui, Andrew Monu, and Deon Pillay. 

These lists continue the conversation around equity, diversity and inclusion. I’m so grateful that as hard as this work is on some days, we can have conversations around #blacklivesmatter in the workplace, people can ask for leadership to notice where equity needs to be, leadership is vulnerable in their communications when things haven’t been right. It is now that we can create the change most of us have wanted to see.

Manpreet has earned recognition for her continued dedication to supporting ethnic and gender diversity in the corporate landscape when being named the 15th of EMpower 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leaders List. Annually, EMpower names the top role models across the UK and North America breaking the barriers for ethnic minorities.This list is published by INvolve, an organization championing gender and ethinc diversity leaders and executives.  

Through career and business coaching, workshops, and international trade missionsVeza has been working globally to elevate women to leadership roles and attain board seats. Veza also offers corporate equity, diversity, and inclusion training and consulting services working on country wide and province wide initiatives with selected organizations including UN Women, Organisation for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons, HR Tech Group and Immigrant Employers Council of BC Manpreet Dhillon founded the organization in 2017 after independently consulting in the diversity and inclusion space since 2011.  Individually, Manpreet is a twice contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul as well as a contributing author for online platforms including  Forbes and Thrive Global speaking about leadership of women of culturally diverse backgrounds, feminine and masculine leadership, social justice, social impact, gender/culture diversity. 

Representing multiple sectors and industries, those on our EMpower Role Model Lists have not only achieved success in their careers but also used this to actively drive for more inclusive workplaces. Full list of winners and role models can be found at: https://empower.involvepeople.org/

Supporting the emotions of team members of cultural backgrounds

Some of your team members from cultural backgrounds may be experiencing an added layer of emotion as they may remember past experiences or ancestral experiences. As manager, you can support them in a few different ways as listed in the video.


If you are interested in exploring what else you can do for your team right now, we can schedule a complimentary call to support you. Please schedule it here: https://bit.ly/3bUiNGo.

Supporting diverse populations

In these uncertain times, my thoughts have been with the populations that I have been working to support for the last few years – those from the underrepresented groups. Usually I am focused on the equality of pay for people of color, however we spend a lot of time working with organizations on hiring people who are newcomers, people with disabilities and Indigenous that I can’t help to think about how we can help them. I need your help to do that. 

These individuals are usually the ones who are already struggling to find meaningful employment and many times close to the poverty line (26% -33% of those in poverty are immigrant and Indigenous women). Times where there are so many layoffs and companies are impacted financially, these individuals are some of the first who will be losing their jobs. 

Here are a few strategies that I am thinking about. I would love to hear your thoughts on how to support these individuals further:

For companies, who haven’t laid people off yet, strategize with your team on what is possible. Are there opportunities available to the company right now that were not available before? Is there another way to decrease expenses while keeping team members employed? 

Donate locally. Many of these individuals will be accessing the Adopt a school program and the Food bank. Please give to local organizations like the food programs or women’s shelters or other programs (please comment with suggestions below).

Gather resources in your community. Is there a place on your street or in your cul-de-sac where food can be left that people can access without having to ask for it (this is a total out of the box idea but think big people)?

As a company, give relief to your customers if possible. It will help with their cash flow and stress.

Set up a call with someone outside of your immediate circle and just connect. Connection can be what gives someone hope that they are not alone. 

I would love to hear your suggestions and ideas on how we can support these individuals.

Why you’re struggling to find balance in life

Why you’re struggling to find balance in life

We’re asked to put our lives into silos. Create separation between work life and home life. Between our bodies and minds. Between our hobbies and our careers. Even within our very personalities. 

Boundaries are incredibly important, but this is different. You set boundaries for yourself based on what gives you the most peace of mind. 

Silos form when we try to mold ourselves to fit society’s expectations. We can’t for one second believe that stress or conflict at home doesn’t affect our work performance or vice versa. Besides, trying to maintain these separations leaves many of us feeling exhausted and unfulfilled. The silo approach doesn’t recognize that individuals live full, whole lives that need to be nurtured to have healthy, productive, well-adjusted people thriving in our society. 

At Veza, we reject the idea that our lives can be chopped up into discrete parts. 

We know that we all carry with us at least some trauma or insecurities from our childhoods – whether that was a bad home situation, trying hard to please our parents, or being excluded/teased at school. We have internalized ideas from our cultures about what our lives should look like. We have to heal these aspects of ourselves, because even when we think we’ve moved on, those beliefs (i.e.: inadequacy, feeling unlovable) still linger under the surface. Rising up when we are under stress or get triggered. Influencing our decisions at a subconscious level. Influencing whether we believe we belong at the table and whether we have anything meaningful to say or contribute at all. 

We see the greatest success when our lives are balanced. When we care for our bodies and spirits, we are more creative and focused. When our relationships are strong and healthy, we feel more supported and confident. When we turn our passions into careers, we feel engaged and fulfilled. 

The point is: all aspects of our lives are connected. The leaders who have the most impact and seem to be going at it effortlessly have often managed to integrate all aspects of themselves. They have built careers that allow them to operate in their strengths and are based on what they truly believe and care about. They prioritize time for themselves that keeps them functioning well, whether that’s a meditation practice, making art, or exercise.

We’ve created a framework for this process that we’re using in our upcoming Connected Leadership Incubator. Over 6 months, we will look at 6 pillars of leadership – the first 3 focused on our internal selves, the next 3 focused on how we connect out in the world. The goal is to unlock not just your potential, but you as a person.

The program is offered entirely online with an in-person leadership retreat at the end. We will have online lessons you do on your own time, one-on-one coaching, and group calls every two weeks. By joining in on the mastermind coaching calls, we see how much our journeys overlap with others’. We get to supercharge our own growth by learning from each other’s wins and challenges, while building a deeper sense of community and support. 

We hope you’ll join us. Click here to learn more and sign up for the Connected Leadership Incubator starting this spring.

The Coaching Industry Destroyed My Confidence (And Made Me a Better Person)

The Coaching Industry Destroyed My Confidence (And Made Me a Better Person)

I have a love/hate relationship with the coaching industry and coaching in general. Having been a coach for over ten years and been coached over eleven years, I have seen the impact first hand of what coaching can do for you. 

My gripes came in when the industry took a turn where it fed on the fears and insecurities of individuals rather than focusing on their strengths and potential for growth. 

We saw that the industry was constantly telling people how they were somehow “wrong” if they didn’t easily make 6 figures (without talking about the amount of work and back end is takes to make that happen), living the laptop lifestyle (again having a marketable skill, automation, support and delegation are an important part of the success of this lifestyle) and everything that was “wrong” with you was based on energy, feelings, and belief systems.

I fell into it too. I went through a phase of trying to fix myself because I felt that I wasn’t good enough. I was reading all the marketing that was constantly telling me that in order to make me buy solutions so I wouldn’t feel that way. I worked with experienced coaches and newbies – I let all these people into my energy and my consciousness. I would get off a coaching call, feeling a little less like myself since I had taken on the energy of yet another person who was trying to get in my head. Who wanted to frame what I needed to solve in myself and why I needed to work with them. 

The kicker really came to me in January this year, when I finally figured out the real reason why I would feel overwhelmed or feel a little depressed. It wasn’t because I didn’t believe in myself, there was something wrong with me, or that past trauma was impacting me. It was because I had side effects from concussions that I didn’t realize were impacting me. My brain would become overstimulated in crowds, computer screens made me exhausted and unable to function, and fluorescent lights were energy suckers for me. 

It was a sigh of relief knowing this was a concussion issue. What angered me was that I had invested heavily in the coaching industry thinking I had to fix something within myself when in reality, it was a physical challenge from past injuries. 

What happened after is where the magic was. As I recovered from the concussions, I became more discerning about where I needed growth and where I needed compassion. I also became more discerning about what type of coaching I needed, what type of support I needed.

Do I regret all that I invested in coaching? No, not at all. It taught me who I really am at the core. It taught me to recognize what resonates and what doesn’t. And most importantly, it taught me how to trust myself. Yes, I could have invested a lot less and made fewer mistakes, but I have compassion for myself because in the end of it all, I gained so much as a person. 

The coaching industry has flaws, but there is a real place for it as well. If I hadn’t wanted to grow into the person I am today, I wouldn’t have invested in myself. I strengthened my leadership skills, increased my productivity, learned to work smarter rather than harder, understanding my strengths and weaknesses, I learned to ask for help with more ease, trust others more when I have delegated, I also learned when I needed to leave a situation and know how to assess when to enter a new one. 

Coaching is something I believe in strongly. I recommend everyone have a coach on a retainer that they can bounce ideas off, use as a soundboard, be accountable to, and who creates a container to allow your growth. Sometimes (most times), it is best to have someone outside of your normal day-to-day life provide the insights and shed light on your blindspots. 

When choosing a coach, I recommend becoming clear on what your goal with coaching is. Then seek recommendations for coaches from people you trust. Know for yourself what is important for your own transformation- if they use tools, worksheets, emotional intelligence tests, etc. You may not know their tool in and out, but asking about their methods should be a part of the interview process. I encourage you to try interviewing a few coaches to find a fit of style of coaching. 

Here are some key questions to ask when interviewing your prospective coaches:

  1. What type of people have you worked with before?
  2. What type of success have your past clients had?
  3. Where did you learn coaching techniques? (I strongly recommend engaging someone who has gone through a coaching program and has a coaching certificate. The ICF (International Coaches Certification) is great as well, but not all great coaches have it. Usually corporates, not individuals, are the ones that look for the ICF certification). 
  4. What was their background before coaching? (The industry is unregulated, therefore it is important for you that they bring relevant experience and education.)
  5. What are their fees? (Remember that you are paying for their education, experience, skills, and talent over the years, so their coaching fees should reflect that experience.)

Everyone can benefit from coaching at different points in their career, but as it is a significant investment in yourself, make sure you find someone you want to work with and who you feel can provide the support you need!

If you are considering pursuing coaching with Veza Community, schedule your complimentary coaching consult today! We’d be happy to answer the above questions and anything else you might be curious about.

UA-49958673-5