Nikki Lerner - "Go out and practice everyday."

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week's wisdom comes from a conversation with culture coach and consultant, Nikki Lerner. Tune into this entire conversation here.

[SCOTT] If there was just one final piece of advice, a practice, a quote, a maxim, an idea, that would help someone be just half a shade braver in stepping into the uncertainty of improving themselves around culture and come from, what would you say to them?

[NIKKI] I'll say two things. I may have said this on the show before, one of my favorite quotes comes from Marie Forleo and she says, "Clarity comes from engagement not thought."

It's the same in cultural work. You have to go out and practice every day. There's only so much reading you can do. There are only so many, you know, "How to Be an Anti-Racist" books you can read before you go out there and go to a new neighborhood to get some coffee and meet somebody that's not like you. You know?

You have to go engage in order to get better. So I'd say that.

The second thing is that, you know, most people believe that there are some people that are just born in the world and they can navigate cross-culturally perfectly. You know, and they just have the gift they're the genius. That's what most people believe.

But what the truth is, is that it's a practice, just like anything else. And it's a skill that you can learn, just like anything else.

The only reason I know, or am more practiced, or involved in this more, even, you know maybe than you, Scott, is just because I've lived it. Right? It's just more practice. I just got more practice. That's it.

And so, if that's the case, that should encourage all of your listeners because what that means is that you can keep getting better cross-culturally the more you engage. Because it's practice. I get excited about that.

[SCOTT] I love that. Learn by doing and adopt a practice so that you can build the skill.

[NIKKI] Yes.

[SCOTT] I love it.

Nikki delivered two powerful steps you can take into possibility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion.

How can you embrace these two steps today?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

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