Diversitea

In this episode, Chris and Lee are joined by the brilliant and refreshingly honest Nathyn.

Fresh off his 40th birthday and proudly owning his identity as a combined ADHDer, Nathyn takes us on a journey from the corporate grind to carving out his own path in diversity and inclusion — with a special focus on neurodiversity. He opens up about getting diagnosed later in life, years of masking, and the “aha” moments that led him to become a passionate advocate and start his own consultancy.

But it’s not all deep reflection — expect some spicy takes too. Together, the trio dive into what’s really going wrong in corporate D&I efforts. From performative “tick-box” exercises to the hollow fanfare around calendar dates like Black History Month, nothing’s off-limits. Their message? Stop the surface-level stuff. Instead, look inward, do the work, and recognize the incredible (and often hidden) neurodiverse talent already in your workplace.

Oh and we can't forget about a memorable 'what are you dunking' anecdote!

After a short break, Babs and Lee are back to tackle the "shit show" of recent media and political events through a D&I lens. They dive into the frustrating narrative of D&I's supposed demise, passionately arguing for its fundamental importance and highlighting often-overlooked aspects. The conversation then navigates the contentious transgender rights debate, particularly the bathroom issue, with disbelief and concern. They also touch on the spread of misinformation, the puzzling stances of political groups like Reform UK, and their somewhat cynical take on the media spectacle of the all-women space launch. Looking ahead, they discuss the quiet lead-up to Pride Month and the often performative nature of corporate involvement. Despite the serious topics, the conversation is peppered with personal anecdotes, humorous tangents (including a memorable "teeny tiny penis" keyring), and ultimately a call to continue fighting for a more inclusive world.

In this episode of DiversiTea, we're joined by the incredible Khakan Qureshi, founder of the social support group Finding a Voice and recipient of the British Empire Medal for his advocacy in LGBTQ+ equality.

Khakan shares his powerful journey as an activist, starting later in life and navigating the complexities of being a gay Muslim man. 1 He opens up about the challenges he's faced, including online abuse and burnout, and the importance of finding your tribe and creating safe spaces.  

We delve into the importance of intersectionality, the power of representation, and the need for more positive stories in the media. Kakaan also discusses the nuances of faith and sexuality, encouraging listeners to educate themselves and find their own personal truth.

This episode is full of inspiring insights and honest reflections on identity, resilience, and the importance of community. Join us for a cup of tea and a conversation that will leave you feeling empowered and hopeful.

This week's LGBT+ History Month episode of Diversitea, we're joined by Kevin Drew, Director of Ascentant Accountancy based in Derby this week. Kevin discusses the pressures and expectations he faced within the sector before building his own inclusive business.
We chat to about the power of community, running an accountancy without judgement, being an advocate and ally at Derby Pride and more.

This week on Diversitea we spill the tea with Michelle Butler. Michelle has worked as a youth alliance coordinator for community action Derby and now in programme support. We spoke to her about her work within the LGBTQIA+ community, the awareness, work and allyship that she so passionately talks about.

She discusses why now more than ever allyship is so importnat and why listening and turning up for others is an integral part of being a good ally

Michelle is a trailblazer for the LGBT+ community, from her work in derbyshire to representation of LGBTQIA+ people in sport!

Grab yourself a piping hot cuppa and enjoy!

Activism & social change. This year's theme for LGBT+ History Month feels more fitting than ever. It's also timely to speak to Founder of Diversity Scotland, Tony Mccaffery who discusses challenges for gender equity and their Gender Queer identity journey.

Tony is not only articulate but speaks so much honesty and truth when it comes to the social constructs of gender. Not to mention, their dog being somewhat a local Scottish celebrity.

We were so excited to be joined by the fabulous Saski for this wee's episode.

Saski is a renowned and well established LGBTQ+ Inclusion Consultant and in her own words, fabulous lesbian. As well as being the official PRIDE host, radio presenter, panel moderator, she is also a professional singer and proud Queer parent. Is there anything that she can't do!?
We kick off LGBT History Month by discussing the education pieces she does in schools, with the metropolitan police and organisations. Why now, more than ever, it's important to be an ally, why LGBTQIA+ sex education should be liberated and much more.
Her infectious personality made us laugh especially when it came to discussing sex education.

No guests, just family for our festive special. Join Chris & Lee as they talk festive traditions, highlights of season 5 and their aspirations for the year ahead.

In our season finale of Diversitea, we sit down with the incredibly talented queer country pop artist, Smashby. Known for their viral TikTok videos and joyful presence, Smashby opens up about living authentically, the healing power of music, and why reporting hate crimes is crucial.

We dive into their journey as a queer artist, navigating social media, mental health, and the importance of speaking your truth. Smashby’s wisdom, positivity, and candid insights make this conversation a perfect way to wrap up Season 5.

Tune in for an uplifting and thought-provoking episode with Smashby! This one’s full of joy and inspiration.

What an absolute force of nature Chikere is. It was a pleasure to have her join us for episode 9 of Diversitea.
Chikere (Chee-kay-ray) is a DEI leader and a proud black woman who's championing, educating and commemorating inclusion, especially race within businesses.
Chee spoke to us about the importance of going from an ally to accomplice, amplifying diverse stories and voices, not making assumptions based on race and reclaiming black narratives.
If you ever have the opportunity to hear Chikere speak, take it. She's not only inspirational but her words speak volumes. The work she does and continues to do is incredible and we loved chatting to her.

we're delighted to announce Disability Advocate and all round amazing human being Mark Webb as our special guest for episode 6!
Mark has an incurable progressive illness called Multiple Sclerosis (MS), delivers disability awareness and advocacy workshops, is a keynote speaker and TEDx talker.
We met Mark on a panel back in March and his positivity, knowledge, humour and thirst for life is endearing. He joins us to talk about his experience with working at Dixons, reasonable adjustments, being kind, his purple personal branding and Chumbawamba....
Purple Tuesday helps organisations to celebrate accessibility and inclusion. Purple is the symbolic colour of disability and with the Disability Power 100 Event and Purple Sock Day around the corner, forget green for Wicked and Red for Christmas, it's Purple's time to shine. 💜

From Disney World to the military to Mental Health Advisor and Psychotherapist trainee.
Matt has done it all! It was great to have him on the podcast to speak about the science of therapy and why listening is a great healer. The myth that therapists give advice and so much more.

We're joined by friend, business owner and all round lovely human being Emma Glover for episode 3.
Em is the Director of Victress Digital and a close friend of Lee & Chris. Over the past few years, she's become a big advocate for therapy, learnt that we can be our own biggest critics and talks about how routine keeps her grounded.
We also talk about her love for anything emo or ginger. We were also shocked that Head Automatica got old and the lead singer looks like he owns a yoga retreat. More shocked that Paramore's first album was released nearly 20 years ago! Emo music is now apparently 'Dad Rock'.

In this week's episode we are joined but the Waffle house podcast host Taylor James. Taylor discusses his own journey with mental health, how the one-size-all all approach doesn't always work and the power of finding your tribe!

Also, we get answers to the the burning questions:

Who does Chris Look like?

What is the most superior drink?

And what is the best waffle topping!

We are now back with a fresh new feel and a wonderful cohost Lee. Listen now to episode 1 of season 5 now! This weeks episode ‘ tea for two’ covers the story of how Lee and I met, expectations of being gay, stereotypes, intersectionality and a host of other topics!

Welcome back to Diversitea!  To kick off season four, Chris, your host, and director of www.yourdandi.co.uk interviews the pop-punk band Action Adventure. The band went viral with the release of their 59-second hit 'Barricades' which they say was their elevator pitch to the music industry. The song went viral due to the messaging that was prominently featured in the song. The opening line 'Would you listen if we looked any different' really struck a chord in the genre especially as most bands within this scene are predominantly white. Action Adventure has gone from strength to strength since recording this episode. You can find them on Spotify and listen to the single here!

https://youtu.be/-ytREQPfaXg

In this week's episode, we chat with Zoe Ogden the people Director of Impression, A digital marketing agency in Nottingham. Impression was Your D+I's first client when we first launched. We discuss with Zoe the benefits of Diversity and Inclusion to a fast-growing business and what their plans are for the future

Episode recorded September 2021

This week, I chat with Sam Warner about all things autism. From how the latest TV shows represent autism to the importance (or lack thereof) of having a formal diagnosis, Sam shares her personal views as an autistic woman. We also discuss how companies and events can better accommodate their autistic staff and attendees, including changes that can make spaces better for both neurodiverse and neurotypical people.

In this episode, we spill the tea with Tom Finn, Founder of Edwards and Finn. We discuss the current climate in the hospitality sector and the impact of Corona Virus has had on the industry and Tom's story from being a young dad struggling with imposter syndrome to now running his own business. Tom also shares about the other side of his business where he supports young people who have come from broken homes, being involved in drugs and had a tough upbringing, getting into the world of work.

Grab your favourite cuppa and enjoy!

In this episode, I spill the tea with Rita Varga, co-founder of Raizup (formerly Women in Hospitality Travel Tech!) Try saying that fast and ten times! We discuss Rita's career, including how WHTT came to be and why WHTT is looking to help diversify the sector, as well as life as a working mum of a two-year-old.

So grab your favourite cuppa, sit back, relax and enjoy!

A year ago a little-known app called Tick Tock was starting to become popular with everyone stuck in lockdown.  From dance crazes to lip-syncing to showcasing his beautiful rainbow Latin X family NYC Gay Dad (Jose Rolon) has become one of Tick Tocks break-out stars! His videos are full of heart and showcase the day to day of being a single dad living in New York during a pandemic.  Like most, they have had to learn to homeschool as well as keep his 3 kids all under the age of 10 years old entertained.

Tune in this week as we speak to Jose on being a single, widowed gay dad, creating positivity in his content, as well as the impact covid has had on his day job as a wedding and events planner and what is next for this Tick Tock content creator.

So grab yourself your favourite cuppa and enjoy!

Ever wondered why Chris got into Diversity and Inclusion? Join Joe Colman as he finds out more about Your D+I's founder and Director as we get to know a little bit more about what makes him tick as well as his own experiences of discrimination he faced as an out gay man, from being sacked for being gay to heading back in the closet and how this spurred him on to start his own Diversity and Inclusion consultancy.

Grab your favourite cuppa and enjoy!

In this week's episode, I'm joined by Brandon Ashford, a Paralegal, and Jess Woodsford, founder of Inclusive Futures. We discuss the personal experiences of social mobility as well as what businesses and institutions can do to have more of an impact on the lives of people from these groups. We also chat about the positives and negatives of the Social Mobility Pledge and whether Social Mobility is the forgotten part of Diversity.

So grab your favourite cuppa, sit back, relax and enjoy!

This week, I spill the tea with Katie Neeves. Katie gives a frank and open account of her life from childhood to adulthood, from experiencing gender dysphoria and identifying as a cross-dresser to the moment she realised she is a transgender woman. We also discuss representation and perceptions of trans people in the media and what businesses can do to be more inclusive, including the importance of trans awareness training.

On this week's episode, I'm joined by Rich Miles, CEO of the Diversity Standards Collective. We discuss how representation in media has started to evolve and how we are finally seeing a wider range of representation on TV and in media and advertising. We also discuss how brands such as Hotter are getting it right when it comes to target marketing and how TV show Schitt's Creek is finally giving us the representation we need on TV!

Hotter Advert = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syo7dda9_mk

So grab a cuppa, sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this week's episode, I am joined by Aimee Gaudin and Zahrah Kazim the founders of Become. Become is a social enterprise dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace.  Become. equip young women of colour with the skills and support they need to start their career, through mentorship, events and industry networking.

​Their goal is to increase the number of women of colour in senior positions and help to close the gender/race pay gap.

Find out more https://www.becometheprogramme.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimeegaudin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahrah-kazim/

#womeninbusiness 

To celebrate the launch of Dinc. The new social and professional networking App focussed on changing the narrative for people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to one of obtainable success and accomplishment.  They are a free to use community of networks, businesses and people collaborating and promoting positive inclusion and diversity, We invited back the Diversitea Avengers including some new faces.  We discuss the point of Diversity and inclusion and why it is so important to continue to be change agents.

Guest include

Stuart Blair - Texthelp

Devi Virdi  - Head of Diversity and Inclusion WHTT

Joe Colman - Diversity and Inclusion Ally and Employability advisor at NTU

Aimee Gaudin - Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and Founder of Become.

Saa Yalcin - Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and Talent Programme and Recruitment advisor at Citrix

In this episode, I have a great catch up over a cuppa with Sophie Turner, founder of #yesshecan. We chat about her career, moving from accountancy to business owner, and her journey that brought her to forming #yesshecan. We also talk about what is happening in business and the impact the Black Lives Matter movement has had on Sophie personally and professionally.

In this week's episode, we discuss the term 'BAME' and whether it is the right way to address Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in business as well as how far we take the term 'minority'.  We also discuss what more businesses can do to support employees from these backgrounds.

Edit - Saadet discusses the number of people who don't agree with the term BAME.  It is in fact 60%

In this episode, I'm joined by guests Ruth Saville, Daniella Turnbull and Jack Graves to talk about our personal experiences with mental health, including depression, anxiety, trauma and other disorders. We also discuss how businesses can better support employees with mental health difficulties and healthy coping mechanisms such as cooking, working out and even adding colour to our daily lives.

CW: suicide, eating disorders

We spill the tea this week on the viral video 'Be A Lady They Said', discussing how some of the messages may resonate in business and if the graphic images used throughout the video were needed to get the point across.

My guests are Vanessa Johnson-Burgess, Director of Inclusive Recruiting and Sophie Turner, founder of #YesSheCan

So sit back, pour yourself your favourite cuppa and enjoy!

On this episode we spill the tea on all things Neurodiversitea (see what we did there?!). Our guests include: Paige Randall, Nikki Hayford, Stuart Blair.   We discuss what employers can do to support more applications from neurodiverse talent, as well as how they can support them in the workplace and from home during Covid 19.  We also speak about what universities can do to be more inclusive of neurodiverse students at jobs fairs and through careers teams. So sit back, pour yourself your favourite cuppa and enjoy!

Hello and welcome to the first Diversitea podcast.

This month’s episode is called Don’t Call Me Queer - a discussion around the word queer, the pro’s and cons and why education is important if it is to become a recognised term in business.

The conversation then looks at the importance of LGBT representation in business – The benefits – The struggles. And why do so many people go back in the closet when they join a new business?

So, grab yourself your favourite cuppa, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Hosted by Chris Allan

Special guests:

Alex Ehmke - Pink News

Hannah Williamson - AstraZeneca

Charlotte Summers - Freelance

Pat Caldwell - FundApps