What happens when a former White House policy nerd realizes the real work of culture change isn't in politics? Let's find out!

In this episode, we chat with Rhodes Perry, social entrepreneur, author of Imagine Belonging, and founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting, for a thoughtful, grounding conversation about what it takes to build belonging at work when the ground keeps shifting under all of us.

We dig into why the epidemic of loneliness at work is a business risk most leaders aren't tracking, why Rhodes welcomes diversity of thought but draws a hard line at diversity of respect, how somatic leadership and nervous system regulation are becoming essential skills for leading through chaos, and what it means to support trans, non-binary, and gender diverse colleagues when just existing feels targeted. Rhodes also shares how burnout cracked him open five years into building his company, why he made unapologetic trans joy a personal commitment, and why the leaders we've been underestimating the longest are the ones this moment is calling for.

It's one of those conversations where we left feeling steadier and a little more hopeful, and we think you will too!

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Episode Preview
01:50 - Felicia and Rachel Intro
11:57 - Welcome, Rhodes!
13:09 - The Epidemic of Loneliness at Work
15:38 - From the White House to Founding Rhodes Perry Consulting
18:35 - Why Belonging? The Heart Behind DEI
23:54 - Diversity of Thought vs Diversity of Respect
27:51 - Somatic Leadership and Regulating the Nervous System
33:34 - Why Getting Into the Body Feels Hard
38:54 - The Sludge of Transformation
43:36 - Does the DEI Industry Still Have a Place?
47:22 - What This Work Really Asks of Leaders
50:51 - Supporting Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse Communities
59:53 - The Future of Work and the Rise of Minority Leadership
64:04 - Rhodes's New Book, Out This Fall
64:56 - Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Rhodes

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