Welcome to Be the Glitter, where we talk about tough topics with giggles and leave inspiration that sticks. In this episode, we talk about one of the sticky subjects that pops up in Pride Month: DEI.

What if the training meant to reduce bias was quietly making it worse?

Dr. William Cox is a social psychologist with a PhD from UW-Madison, founder of the nonprofit Inequity Agents of Change, and author of the new book Overcoming Bias Habits: An Evidence-Based Guide to Creating a Joyfully Inclusive World. He has spent 20 years developing and testing bias reduction methods through more than a dozen randomized controlled studies. In this episode:

✨ Why giving people information is one of the worst ways to change behavior

✨ How some DEI training causes managers to avoid colleagues of color

✨ The zip code story that will make your jaw drop

✨ Equality vs. equity — explained with one perfect example

✨ Why diverse joy is a scientifically proven tool for reducing bias

Resrouces mentioned:

📚 Book: Search "Overcoming Bias Habits" everywhere books are sold

🎙️ Podcast: Diverse Joy (top 5% of all podcasts worldwide) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diverse-joy/id1692372910

🔗 Free resources + training: www.biashabit.com

Music provided by Chillhop Music Aviino - Hotel Lobby Birthday Party https://chll.to/1ac17f01

A Special Thanks to Be The Glitter's Sponsor, New Valley Labs, Where Founders Bloom! https://www.newvalleylabs.com

Music provided by Chillhop Music Venuz Beats, Bao - Circles https://chll.to/8af1d579

For more from Wa'am: https://linktr.ee/waamwrites

#DEI #BiasTraining #DiverseJoy #OvercomingBias #BeTheGlitter #Inclusion #SocialPsychology #WorkplaceInclusion #LGBTQ #evidencebasedpractice

🌟 "No matter where I go, guess who shows up? It's me." Feeling overwhelmed by everything happening in the world? Trans Latina life coach Tawni Sophia Acosta shares practical tools to navigate fear, reset your nervous system, and discover you're more powerful than you think. In this conversation, Tawni guides us through simple breathing exercises you can use RIGHT NOW - including box breathing and the "learning state" technique - plus deep wisdom on managing trauma, building healthy support networks, and finding trans joy even in the hardest times. What You'll Learn: ✨ Box breathing technique to reset your nervous system (do it anywhere!) ✨ The "learning state" eye exercise to break out of fight-or-flight ✨ How to acknowledge anger as information, not enemy ✨ Why "no matter where you go, you show up" changes everything ✨ Building healthy support networks as a trans woman ✨ Navigating intersectionality: Trans, Latina, and human ✨ White male privilege loss during transition (and what it taught) ✨ Why community cooperation emerges in crisis ✨ Setting boundaries with social media consumption ✨ The difference between toxic positivity and real transformation TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 02:15 - Meet Tawni Sophia Acosta 05:30 - Intersectionality: Trans & Latina Identity 08:45 - Navigating Current Political Reality 12:20 - White Male Privilege Loss During Transition 16:40 - The Power of Community Response 20:15 - Managing Fear vs. Denial 24:30 - BOX BREATHING Exercise (Try it now!) 26:45 - LEARNING STATE Eye Technique 30:20 - Building Healthy Support Networks 34:50 - Anger as Information 38:15 - "No Matter Where I Go, I Show Up" 42:30 - Affirming Career Fair Story 46:20 - Transform, Don't Just Let Go 50:10 - Social Media Boundaries 53:45 - Gratitude & How to Connect BREATHING EXERCISES FEATURED: 🧘 Box Breathing - Breathe in 4 counts, hold 4, out 4, hold 4. Repeat 4x 🧘 Learning State - Look up, extend peripheral vision with fingers, reset ABOUT TAWNI SOPHIA ACOSTA: Tawni Sophia Acosta (she/her) is a life coach and founder of Empowered Journeys. She helps people remove the "gunk" so they can shine bright and pursue goals aligned with their authentic selves. As a trans woman, Latina, and Buddhist practitioner since 1988, Tawni brings intersectional wisdom and practical tools for transformation. 🔗 Connect with Tawni: 🌟 Website: https://www.empowered-journeys.com 📅 Book a free connection call with Tawni https://www.empowered-journeys.com/contact EPISODE SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by New Valley Labs - a startup studio by founders, for founders. Not consultants with PowerPoint frameworks, but scrappy outsiders who've been in the trenches. New Valley disrupts the norm and amplifies diverse, underrepresented founders building the next generation of unicorns. Welcome to New Valley, where founders bloom. 🚀 Learn more: https://www.newvalleylabs.com 📧 Email: hello@newvalleylabs.com ABOUT BE THE GLITTERPODCAST: Tough topics with giggles, inspiration that sticks. Hosted by Laura Paisley Beck (Wa'am of Wa'am Writes). 🎙️ More Episodes: https://www.waamwritesllc.com/podcast 🌟 All Links: https://linktr.ee/waamwrites KEY QUOTES: 💬 "No matter where I go, guess who shows up? It's me." 💬 "We're more powerful than we really think we are." 💬 "Anger is there for a reason. It's informative." 💬 "We're all connected. We're all interdependent." 💬 "The journey gave me strength I never knew I had." Music provided by Chillhop Music Aviino - Citrus Snow https://chll.to/ce0cf279 Music provided by Chillhop Music Venuz Beats, Bao - Circles https://chll.to/8af1d579 #TransIdentity #LifeCoaching #BreathingExercises #MentalHealthTools #NervousSystemRegulation #BoxBreathing #TransLatina #LGBTQWellness #AnxietyRelief #TraumaHealing #Intersectionality #TransJoy #CommunityBuilding #Mindfulness #SelfEmpowerment #CopingSkills #FightOrFlight #GroundingTechniques #TransWisdom #InclusiveWellness #BeTheGlitter #FindingYourPower #NavigatingFear #HealingJourney #AuthenticSelf

This is where it all started—no script, no plan, just two queer entrepreneurs refusing to dim their light.

Join Wa'am and Yolanda Brown (Copyright Brown) as they coin the phrase that became a movement: "Be the Glitter." Spread love like glitter spreads—getting into crevices, showing up seven months later, impossible to forget.

You'll hear:

• Why DEI rollbacks are like cutting table legs with a chainsaw
• The "frog in a well" moment that changes everything about inclusion
• How small businesses run this country (yes, really—90%+ of revenue)
• The Alphabet Gang's superpower: compound experiences that create "one plus one equals 45"
• Why rest isn't luxury, it's resistance
• Mac and cheese philosophy: how intersectionality makes everything better

This episode is raw, authentic, and full of the giggles we promised. Two Black queer women talking about values over profits, collaboration over competition, and why your neighbor's small business matters more than you think.

Perfect for: LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, BIPOC founders, anyone tired of corporate rainbow-washing, and everyone who believes business should feel like community—not capitalism's grinding machine.

Warning: Contains unfiltered joy, strategic napping advocacy, and plans for an Alphabet Scouts league (coming 2027, bring your sash).

🎧 Listen if you're ready to: Stop dimming your light, align your values with your business, and remember that if you're not in with inclusivity, you're out of touch. To give Yolanda Brown some business, visit her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativebrown/ Wa'am's LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/waamwrites

Music provided by Chillhop Music Birocratic, Dotlights - Looming https://chll.to/88aae67c

72 Countries Later: What Travel Taught Me About LGBTQ+ Safety on Be the Glitter Podcast with Rae Dillon of CopywriteRight, UK. Rae Dillon has traveled to 72 countries as a queer person—and what she's learned might surprise you. In this conversation, Rae (CopywriterRight, UK) shares how travel transformed her understanding of safety, belonging, and what it means to be "out" in the world. We talk about why she often felt safer abroad than at home, how language shapes inclusion (like ditching "expat" for "foreigner"), and why workplaces thrive when people can show up authentically. Topics we cover: ✨ Traveling as an LGBTQ+ person and challenging safety assumptions

✨ Why inclusive language matters—both in travel and at work

✨ Creating workplaces where people don't have to hide who they are

✨ How authenticity leads to happier, more productive teams

✨ Cultural respect as the foundation for safer spaces everywhere

Connect with Rae: https://copywriteright.co.uk/

And give love to our sponsor: https://cfopowerup.com

Music: Music provided by Chillhop Music Marcus D - All That Glitters https://chll.to/a8a234db

and for Eliana's Ad: Eliana's ad: Music provided by Chillhop Music Aviino - Citrus Snow https://chll.to/ce0cf279

About Be the Glitter: Be the Glitter ✨🌈 Podcast talks about tough topics with giggles and leaves inspiration that sticks. This podcast amplifies voices from marginalized communities—sharing stories of resilience, creativity, and transformation. ✨✨✨✨✨ Your Reviews help this little podcast reach those who need it! ✨✨✨✨✨ Hosted by Wa'am. https://linktr.ee/waamwrites 🌈 Subscribe for more conversations that celebrate authenticity and challenge assumptions. #LGBTQ #QueerTravel #InclusiveWorkplace #DiversityAndInclusion #TravelStories #Authenticity #BeTheGlitter #QueerPodcast #InclusiveLanguage #WorkplaceCulture #DEI #QueerVisibility #SafeSpaces

Trans muralist Evelyn McBride is painting queer representation into public spaces—and making it impossible to ignore. From a "glass closet" to bold bi-flag colored murals, Evelyn shares her journey to visibility, the power of art that helps LGBTQ+ folks see themselves, and why taking up space matters now more than ever. "You're going to have to accept that the mural at your local coffee shop was painted by a trans woman. We're here." 💫 KEY TOPICS: • Trans artist journey and identity exploration • LGBTQ+ representation in public art • Murals as activism and visibility • Queer art and design • Coming out and authenticity • Chosen family and community support • Art school during the pandemic • Working with queer businesses 🌈 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: • Columbus College of Art and Design • Hey Famm (LinkedIn alternative) • Bi-flag color palette symbolism • Labrys (double-sided ax) lesbian symbolism • Janet Mock and other trans visibility advocates 🎙️ ABOUT BE THE GLITTER: Be The Glitter is the podcast where we talk about tough topics with giggles and leave inspiration that sticks. Hosted by Wa'am (aka Laura Paisley Beck), we create space for authentic conversations about identity, healing, and what it means to live fully and visibly.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you loved this episode, please subscribe, rate, and share with fellow art lovers and LGBTQ+ supporters! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 More links: https://linktr.ee/waamwrites

Connect with Evelyn McBride: https://www.evelynmcbride.com/

https://dribbble.com/eveofswords https://www.tumblr.com/eve-of-swords https://www.instagram.com/eveofswords

For Midwest Mujeres ad: Music provided by Chillhop Music sadtoi - Beach Volley Club https://chll.to/d9efc2c2 Evelyn's Music provided by Chillhop Music Parkbench Epiphany - Dumbar https://chll.to/d55259b7

#BeTheGlitter #TransArtist #QueerArt #LGBTQRepresentation #MuralArt

What if the people who shine the brightest are the ones who've walked through the darkest fires? In this deeply moving episode, intuitive astrologer and energy worker Ana Devine (they/she) shares their powerful journey from growing up in a restrictive religious environment to stepping fully into their authentic identity. Ana reminds us of a truth we often forget: healing doesn't make our pain smaller—we grow bigger to hold it. Through psychotherapy, energy work, and profound self-discovery, Ana has learned to create a "myelin sheath" around their wounds, honoring them without letting them define their entire existence. In this conversation, we explore: • Why joyful people aren't naive—they've survived and chosen compassion • The journey of identity and becoming more yourself than ever before • How to practice self-care when you're in your darkest moments • The power of practical magic: from personal styling to astrology • Why "you should be healed already" is like pulling the e-brake while trying to drive faster Ana's message to the world? Be kind to yourself. And if you don't know how, that's okay—they get it, and they're here to help. 🌟 CONNECT WITH ANA: Website: AnaDevine.com (Ana with one N) Services: Intuitive astrology readings, angelic reiki, energy clearings 💫 RESOURCES MENTIONED: • YouFeelLikeShit.com - Self-care tool for when executive function is shot • Emmaline Chappel - Personal styling (emmalinepersonalstyling.com) • Phoebe Robinson - Comedian, author, "You Can't Touch My Hair" • Alok Vaid-Menon - Poet and thought leader on gender Thank you to our sponsor: www.MidwestMujeres.com! 🎙️

ABOUT BE THE GLITTER: Be The Glitter is the podcast where we talk about tough topics with giggles and leave inspiration that sticks. Hosted by Laura Paisley Beck (Wa'am), we create space for authentic, heartfelt conversations about healing, identity, and what it means to be fully human.

Sponsor ad opportunities and more links here: https://linktr.ee/waamwrites 👍 If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear Ana's message.

"For Midwest Mujeres ad: Music provided by Chillhop Music sadtoi - Beach Volley Club https://chll.to/d9efc2c2" For Ana's: Music provided by Chillhop Music Lady Donli, Jms - WantU2Stay https://chll.to/f4bc617e #BeTheGlitter #AnaDevine #IdentityJourney #SelfCompassion #Healing #IntuitiveAstrology #TransJoy #QueerJoy #MentalHealth #SelfCare #Authenticity #PersonalGrowth #EnergyWork #Podcast