Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in organizational development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Darrylyn Swift, Co-Founder and CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of EOD Global, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

EOD Global is an internationally recognized consultancy that helps organizations assess their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility efforts and prepare organizational leaders to develop a strategy, communications, change management, and implementation plan. EOD Global also provides DEIA training solutions around DEI compliance standards from the ISO in developing an inclusive workplace, identifying the cognitive and psychological factors that impact and drive our feelings, beliefs, and behaviors toward various social identities, unconscious bias, equity in the workplace, racial trauma in the workplace, creating an anti-racist workplace, becoming an ally and more.

Our strategy work addresses inequalities in organizational systems, policies, processes, and practices, as well as people’s conscious and unconscious biases and behaviors. Our expert strategists, coaches, public speakers, and trainers are educated and certified to provide organizations with a comprehensive method to understand the risks and opportunities across the organization's entire enterprise.

In our efforts to ensure affordability and accountability in building fairer, more inclusive, socially responsible organizations that can help people, regardless of identity, background, or circumstance, to access work and develop knowledge, skills, and abilities critical to their organizational and personal development and well-being, our signature DEIA portal drives equity, inclusion, belonging and justice best practices throughout the organization. Our comprehensive suite of tools, methodologies, and expert consulting has been designed to transform an organization, within any industry, without using a one size fits all approach. We work with organizations to cultivate a culture where employees from all backgrounds and social identities can thrive.

Tell us about yourself

I've been a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategist, public speaker, coach, and trainer for over 30 years before DEI was a major "thing." My expertise has been in developing leadership and management strategies with a keen focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, especially in creating environments where feelings of belonging are abundant. Thru the work I've done with conducting assessments, developing strategic plans, providing leadership guidance, and developing project plans and training, I have watched leaders transform their culture by creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable workplace where belonging and humanity thrive.

That's my motivation. It's all about focusing on the humanistic side of people strategy. It's not about the numbers for me, although DEI work does impact the bottom line, it's about centering the people and making sure their physical, emotional, and cognitive needs are met. It's about creating environments of psychological safety where people feel welcome to bring however much of their authentic self that THEY CHOOSE to bring to work without feeling judged. And it's about creating environments where their social identities, beliefs, and personalities don't stand in the way of their success. My work in the diversity arena addresses the main drivers that help people see the VALUE of accepting, leveraging, and celebrating different identities and ideologies. I like to dig deep into the cause and effect of people’s personal beliefs and feelings, their origin, as well as historical inequities, and their impact on today’s society.

Before opening my consulting firm, I was a former senior manager at Deloitte for more than 11 years, working to develop and implement DEI organizational assessments and training.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My prior work has led me to realize that the approach most companies have been taking and the lens that we've been addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice has not been effective or efficient and that we MUST approach things differently. So I, along with my team, developed frameworks for training and implementing DEI within organizations, which can be customized to focus on the key challenges organizations, teams, and individuals might face. This has been a huge undertaking but has DISRUPTED the way we work and the impact we have on our clients.

We've shifted to also meeting the psychological and emotional needs of people so they can reach a level where there is understanding, acceptance, and value. This hasn't been an easy task and has been in development for more than 5 years. So I'm very proud of the work and the impact. Yes, we help organizations understand the response to the questions "what is the value in diversity" "what are the barriers met on a personal, team, and organizational level" and "how does it impact my organization and the community around us," but we focus more on the WHY! It's the WHY that changes people's perspectives and makes them take a personal reflection on who they are and what they believe. It sounds simple, but that's the hard part. So developing a methodology to get to the HEART of people, and aligning the heart (cognitive) to the heart (emotions), has been a game changer. That's what I'm most proud of because it impacts our most valuable resource, people.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Having to wear many hats simultaneously. As a small organization making a big impact, I have to deal with all operational areas of my organization, which includes human resources, sales and marketing, communications, strategy and development, leading, engaging and inspiring my staff, managing relationships, and dealing with the unknowns. This means that it's hard to switch my brain from "work" mode and being "on" 24/7. So I've had to learn to identify external resources that can assist me and delegate work that isn't at the leadership level to other resources.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Build systems - To be the most effective and efficient, you must put the right systems in place. Many business owners try to be everything within the business in an effort to save money, but the inefficiency will actually cost your business in the long run. So find the right technology and tools, but first, identify the systems needed for sales and marketing, communications, employee engagement, and more.
  2. Say no - Every job can't be for you. I first started chasing any engagement just to bring money into the organization. However, people would spread the word about how great our work was and how inexpensive it was. You don't want to be the "inexpensive" brand in the market. You want to be a brand where people would instead pay for your VALUE and even pay a higher cost. So determine your costing structure and your pay rates, and ask for what you want. And don't be afraid to say NO to some of the opportunities that come to you.
  3. Focus on self-care - Being a business owner can be the hardest job you've ever had (mentally and physically), even though it's more rewarding. That's why practicing self-care is crucial. It allows you to stay in tune with and create alignment between your mind and body and helps you to develop and nurture good business habits, such as identifying when you need to take a break, breathing techniques, creating a soothing environment to work in, fueling up to increase your energy and staying aware of your mental health. Neglecting self-care can have devastating results.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.eod-global.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EODGlobal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eodglobal/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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