Voices of Change: Leslie Short's Mission to Redefine Culture and Inclusion

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Living the Dream Podcast with Curveball. If you believe, you can achieve. Welcome to the Live in the Dream with Curveball Podcast, a show where I interview guests that teach, motivate, and inspire. Today's guest has built a career by refusing to be in someone else's box. Leslie Short is the founder of the Cav group, and it is a group that works at the intersection of business, culture, and brand, and helps organizations expand from where they are now to what's possible. Leslie is a two-time author, and she is an accessibility officer for major film and television award shows. So we're going to be talking to her about everything that she's up to and gonna be up to and definitely be interested in hearing about what an accessibility officer is and does, since I work in accessibility and I use accessibility. So, Leslie, thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Thank you for having me, Curtis. Great to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Well, I think you hit everything almost on the nose there. But I will say, you know, I've had a crazy career in life. I'm very blessed to have started my career as a classical ballet dancer. Did that for, you know, 20-something over 20-something years. Retired when I opened up my theater in Japan. I owned the first male review show ever in Japan. So it was a very big deal. People told me I was ruining the culture, yet it was ranked the best business venture of 1994. And that was an amazing opportunity to strike that deal when everyone said it couldn't be done. I did it and ran it for three years and then came back to the states, produced for television. Everyone told me I couldn't do that because it didn't have a communications degree. And I went on from there to, you know, uh work with uh clothing line Fubu. I was president of marketing, advertising, and PR for them, and then opened up my first firm here, KIM Media, which focuses on uh branding and PR and uh curated events, and you know, years later decided that I really want to take everything that I've learned from dancing and living in Europe for 10 and a half years and Japan for three years, and really build a firm that focuses on culture, but that also understands different cultural norms. And that's where if you were going to have a conversation about culture and whether it's workplace or a community, we must speak about, you know, gender, race, disability, sightseen and unseen, as well as you know, veterans and gender. It all comes under at the end of the day, we're speaking about people. And that's what I do is speak about people and help them to be able to grow in a way that is organic for them, but also in a way that they can succeed in systems that are always not built for everyone.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Well, I know your journey is very unconventional. So talk about the mindset that uh you you know you've had to not stay in a box or in a lane that people have created for you.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

To be honest, I have been very blessed by having great family. I say family and faith, but my family, the way I was raised, there was no box. If you wanted it, you go did it. And if you didn't want to do that, then what are you learning from it if it wasn't what you thought it was? So I've always had that from a very early age. You know, so many people say, I, you know, I'm finding my voice, and I understand that because so many people's voices have been cut from whether it was the way they were raised or community or you know, just people around them or who they are. I never had to find my voice because it was, I was always told I have one, and I had no problem using it.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Well, you worked across so many industries and cultures from Europe to Japan to corporate America. So, what did those ventures teach you about adaptability and identity?

SPEAKER_01 4:44

One, you always have to know who you are, and I'm so glad you asked. That's a uh a great question in regards to identity, because it's very easy to lose yourself when someone else has an image of you already. And I knew who I was again because of family and faith. I stood very strong on who I was, whether it was at the age of seven or fourteen or twenty-four or you know, we keep going. Uh, and so that was important that no matter what I did, it resonated with my soul and my spirit. And anyone that knows me knows I'm a big one about if my spirit is unsettled, that means if I don't feel that it's right, then it's not right for me. It may be right for others, and so when you go into different cultures, you also have to understand that you may know you, but others do not, nor do you know them. So you must be able to be flexible enough to understand and appreciate where you are and figure out how do you fit into where you are, because it's not their job to make you fit into their culture. Yet you hope that they are welcoming and inclusive of, but there are some cultures that are not, and you have to find your way how you're gonna maneuver.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Well, I know you built Japan's first male review show. That's not something you hear every day. So tell the listeners what that is and what it was like and what it taught you about leadership and risk.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

You know, I was a dancer and I was about to retire, and I kept walking by this one building, and the song kept coming into my head, and I kept seeing the choreography in my head, and I ended up building an entire show in my mind. Now I had no money to buy this theater, this building, but I just knew by living in Japan, the the Japanese young women used to follow me around when I was shopping because I did the theater, I did TV, I there was, I think it was the only black woman living in Japan at that time. Of course, there's women on the base, but just during that period that was also in theater and was up and out front, and they used to follow me around, and I was like, if you're gonna follow me, then you're my unofficial, official focus group. And I realized that there was a hole in the marketplace, which we all knew that focused on women because it's a culture that focuses on men. That's just what it is, and but I saw something different. I saw when the young women would come to the show, I saw when grandma and her kimono would come to the show. There was something more to be had, but no one was addressing it. And when I had the opportunity at a dinner to have that conversation with the owners of my theater, I took that opportunity. And within probably 10-15 minutes, no more than a half hour, he shook my hand and said, Go make it happen. And I have friends that were sitting at that table, and they said I went from one of them, a dancer, to an owner. And we wrote that contract up, and within two weeks, I was on a plane back to America. I wanted to bring dancers from Broadway and ballet companies as well as singers. I went to Paris, I went to London, and I assembled this group of young men that were beautiful artists, dancers, I guess it's singers, and I created a show as similar to the Chippendales, but not the same as it was a theater show. And I the requirement was I needed to make a 50s number because the Japanese audience like American 50s, and I added that 50s number, the twist in there, and I catered it to the audience that was there at the time, the Japanese women, how they I felt that they would accept it, and from what they told me, and with all the death threats, with all the this is not possible, why does she have the power? Because I was the first, also Gajin to be part of leadership in this company. That was just unheard of. I wasn't a lawyer, you had lawyers that came, you know. I was not a teacher, you saw teachers there, but to have this American dancer go from a dancer to leadership in one of the most powerful companies in Japan was pretty much unheard of. It taught me a lot.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Absolutely. And speaking of that, you also helped grow FUBU into a global brand. So talk about what lessons from that experience that influenced how you approach business and culture today.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

You know, everyone told me not to go to Fubu. Told me I was making the biggest mistake of my career because it wasn't, they felt it wasn't my culture. People said, Oh, well, you came from Europe and you came from Japan, you're never gonna understand hip-hop and they're not your folks. And I didn't understand hip-hop, and I went to Damon and the guys, I said, Listen, I don't know a hip from a hop. But what I do understand is people, and I understand how I can help move you into new spaces, and that's what they wanted. And so I learned that it's it's counter-reacting the perception of who people think you should be or where they want you to be to what you can be and how you walk into those rooms and present yourself. And those were things I was able to do with FUBU as the owners and as a brand.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Well, as someone working at the intersection of business, brand, and culture, what do most organizations still get wrong about culture?

SPEAKER_01 10:45

They think it's just something that happens. If you throw everyone in the room, they'll get along. We all know that's not the case, right? And so you have to understand that it has to be built. There's work that needs to be done. What is it that you want this organization to represent? Not outside the walls only, but inside the walls. And you have to take into consideration who you've bought in to help build a brand and to make it live every day and be respectful. And notice how I even said the word respectful of who they are and the talents for which they bring, instead of trying to mold them into what you think again they should be. And I think companies still get that wrong. They just think if they open the doors and put a pool table on a pizza party, everyone's gonna be happy.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Well, after facing things like racism, sexism, and and you know, going in uncharted water, what what gave you the resilience to keep uh pushing forward after going through all you've been through in your career?

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Because anything that has to do with sexism and racism and those types of things, that's not about me. That's about the people that are trying to project that on me. And when you learn that early on and you realize it, and I'm not, I don't sugarcoat it. I'm not saying, oh my goodness, I just brushed it off. But there was times I had to stand up for myself and be my own best advocate and let them know I see what you're doing and it will not work. And I've also had people that have supported me in that, that that advocacy of standing up. It's if you want something bad enough, you're gonna figure out how to fight your way through it, and that's what it's about.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

Or talk to the listeners about your book. You know, uh, you got one call, someone had to be the first. And so, you know, kind of let the listeners know about both your books, why you decide to write them, what what they can expect when they read them, and where to get them.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

Absolutely. My first book is called Expand Beyond Your Current Culture. And I wrote that for leadership and for CEOs when everyone kept saying how difficult it was, exactly what you asked me, how to build culture, how to find diverse employees, what does it mean to have accessibility? And I said, you know what? I can't have these conversations every day, even though I have them every day. But what I need to do is gather and put them into a book and almost give a guideline, just a basic guideline on what should happen in an office and things you can do to build culture and how you need to expand beyond your present culture. And that goes to everyone because if you're not open to others, you're open to nothing. That's my theory. And the book I have now that's being released May 5th is Someone Has to Be the First. And when I'm doing speaking engagements and out and about, people always say, I hear snippets of your life, but I don't really know all the stories. I know you've done tons of things, and this was an opportunity to share, it's my memoir, to share my life, to share my journey with the lessons good and bad in it, but also show people that you may be the first to do something. Just make sure you're not the last. And that means build what you need to build, but you need to turn around and look and make sure that you are um paving a path for others to follow in the way that works for them. And that's what I hope people take away. One of the takeaways from someone has to be the first. And to travel. Get up and go.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

And they're available on Amazon.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

They're available on Amazon, on Goodreads, Barnes and Nobles, anywhere you like to buy your book, and always independent bookstores.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Well tal uh you also worked as a chaplain. So talk about how that experience shaped your leadership and uh decision making.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

When I was a little girl, I used to always pray to God, I want to come work for you, but do I have to wear the same outfit every day? And I think God said, I gave you talent to dance, go do that. And so when I had the opportunity to become a chaplain, which was I fought, trust me, I fought going to seminary because I wanted to focus on death and dying. And my friends kept saying, You should go to seminary. And I kept saying, nah, I don't really need that. But I went to work in a hospital to volunteer, to take this volunteer course to understand what families needed to was going through before we spoke about death and dying and the business of death and dying. And I went into that hospital and I never left. I went to take this course and I started volunteering, and I had the opportunity from that to become part of a chaplain state, New York State chaplain for us. Then the chaplain in the hospital was retiring, and they called and said, We would like for you to come be the interim chaplain. It was supposed to be four weeks. It ended up to be much longer than that. I think everyone forgot I was there at one point. And it was the most amazing opportunity I've ever had, and it's one of my, if not the, the biggest accomplishment, which says a lot with a lot of the things that I've done, but it teaches you to really walk in and take everyone for who they are at the moment that they are, with zero judgment. Because when you're sitting in a hospital, laying in a hospital, that is the most vulnerable time you will ever have. And people just need to connect with someone that's not only a doctor, and that humbled me. And yeah, I I absolutely adore Chapman C and I use it now, even as I'm in workplaces, because you take that piece of being able to listen and have a piece of humanity with you wherever you go.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Well, I know you worked as an accessibility officer for major award shows to talk about what the role of an accessibility officer is and as far as inclusivity, inclusivity, what progress are we making and what do we still need improvement at?

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Oh, we need so many improvements. But let's talk about what is working right. I have some amazing clients that I am working with that really don't look at us at accessibility as an add-on. I still have to fight for things, but I'm in the meetings months to months as the show is being planned. And they are, I've gotten them to the point where they're looking at me saying, are the ASL interpreters already hired? I'm working with the company that that does um captions, the ramp, all of those things now are a given. I'm always now trying to push the envelope. What are we doing for hearing impaired? Are we making sure captions are on everything? Are we making sure that the room itself is accessible? How are people getting from point A to point B? Are the bathrooms accessible? What are we having for meals? Are we airborne? Because we can't only speak about the accessibility that we see. And then if there's any actors or actress or guests that are coming, I do my best to have a conversation with them in advance of them arriving, not only with their team, but with them. What do you need to make this evening smooth? And that's what's more important to me to make sure that I advocate for whatever is needed to the best of our ability to have that there. The shows that I'm working with get it, they have no issue with it. We always say we can be better in regards to making sure that not only are they clear in the room, but are they up on stage? Are they presenting? Are we looking making sure you're looking at their projects? And those are conversations I get to have. And though it is the beginning and I see changes, there's still so many more changes that we need because it shouldn't be an add-on. It should be a given from where tables are set, how things are set, and how people get to move. So it is inclusive without having to keep saying, Oh, we're occlusive and we do these two things. It's not about accessibility, it's about usability for me. The people that need it, can they use it? Or do we just have it there?

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Well, besides your upcoming book, tell us about any other upcoming projects that you're working on that people need to be aware of.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Oh, I have some clients that are launching products that can't speak about at this moment, but they're really cool tech projects. Uh the book is the big one. Look for me on tour. I'm being booked now on tour and speaking engagements. And I there's some things I can't speak about, but I'm gonna say I'm gonna be East Coast and West Coast and now looking to hit the middle of the states and always international.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Well, so people can keep up with everything that you're up to, though that's your contact info.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Absolutely. You can find me on LinkedIn at Leslie Short and on social media at the Cavel Group, T-H-E-C-A-V-U group, G-R-O-U-P. And that's across IG and Facebook and everything else.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

All right. Well, close us out with some final thoughts, maybe if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on. Any final thoughts you have for the listeners?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

I just want to let everyone know that stand in your own truth, live out loud, whatever that means to you, and don't let fear take over the things that you want to do. And that means you can do it step by step. Everyone doesn't have to go in blazing. You can definitely take your time, but build what's in your soul.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Absolutely, ladies and gentlemen, and be sure to pick up Leslie's book on May 5th and definitely keep up with everything that she's up to. She's a passionate person, and you know, she she believes in, like she said, uh everything that she does, it resonates with her. So follow rate review, share this episode to as many people as possible. Also, share www.curveball337.com with everybody you know to keep up with all things living the dream. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. And thank you for everything that you're doing, Leslie. And thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Thank you very much, Chris. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

For more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast, visit w dot curveball336. Seven dot com. Until next time, keep living the dream.