At ShedLight, we believe there is a way for your brand to contribute to society by objectively focusing on issues that the brand can connect to in an authentic way, listening to the voices of target consumers as citizens, and listening to employees—your most important brand ambassadors. 

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The sheer force of our middle class has been our driving economic engine and cultural foundation for 70 years.  It’s how we define ourselves as Americans and what we aspire to, no matter how much we earn.  The end of World War II was a watershed moment in our history.  There was bottled-up demand for goods, and wartime factories began churning out cars, refrigerators, and other consumer goods for American homes.  America’s unprecedented economic growth was supported by a rising middle-class fed by workers from rural and urban America, Mexico, Asia, and the Great Migration from the Southern US.  But for too many Millennials, this has not been the case.

Context: The American Dream Interrupted

The foundation of the modern American economy was set in motion by the Silent Generation.  These Americans, born between 1925 and 1945, came of age in the shadow of the Great Depression and World War II.  They were hard-working and accustomed to just making ends meet.  As the post-war economy burgeoned, their fortunes improved, and they were able to create a better life for their children—those we know as Baby Boomers, born between 1947 and 1964.  They became the largest, most affluent, and best-educated generation in US history.  We recommend Tom Brokaw’s treatises for two great historical perspectives—The Greatest Generation and Boom!.

Boomer children and grandchildren, the Millennials, were born between 1981 and 1996.  As the first digital natives, they are well-educated and one of the most diverse generations in US history.  But for them, the American Dream is fading fast: Too many of them have become America’s new working poor.

Here’s a glimpse into the lives of these three influential generations in their voices.

Millennial Experience: The Great Economic Stagnation

After decades of post-war prosperity, income has stagnated over the last 40 years, leaving 40% of Americans unable to make ends meet. As a generation, Millennials are being left behind because of low wages, lack of affordable housing, and crippling college debt.    

Marketers and business strategists use complex segmentation models and algorithms to create effective ways of targeting key buyer groups–and, over the last five to ten years, targeting Millennials has become all the rage.

Marketers have rushed to understand Millennial’s digital behavior, brand affinities, and buying habits.  But while we were trying to sell them more stuff, we failed to focus on understanding the impact of the economic challenges they are facing.  

Repeatedly, our research has revealed that significant numbers of millennials feel the need to have side hustles due to underemployment.  A speech therapist shared her story of taking on clients outside of regular working hours to pay back college loans. A teacher drives Uber by night to pay for medical insurance.  The reality is that a whole generation has grown up in tentative economic situations that have made them distrust institutions and governments.  Most Millennials came of age during the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath and felt its impact on their ability to work and reach financial milestones. Despite these circumstances, too many Baby Boomers malign Millennials as selfish and entitled. Sean Illing offers another perspective worth considering in How the baby boomers — not millennials — screwed America. 

Intergenerational squabbling is not productive. But we can agree that, as business leaders, brand marketers, policy-makers, and NGOs, we have failed this generation.  Therefore, we must address the economic and social issues impeding millennials (and subsequent generations, such as Gen Z) as they work to reach milestones that depend on earning a sustainable living, from paying off college loans to buying a home and saving for retirement.  Is this the foundation we want to set for future generations?

What changes are necessary to strengthen future generations’ economic fortunes?  The $15.00 minimum wage is a good start, but as marketers, we must tackle this problem on several fronts and cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.  How can we get started?  

1. First, go beyond the data to listen to the stories and challenges of Millennials in their voices. Use interactive methods to co-create solutions that drive economic and social well-being for your consumers, your employees, and society as a whole.  Ethnographic consumer insights sessions with Millennial consumers and employees are excellent ways of ensuring their voices are heard. Learn about some new approaches we use–they are a font of great ideas!
2. Second, understand policy solutions and incorporate this thinking into your Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Purpose strategies. While there are many paths to building wealth in America, historically, several pillars of opportunity have played primary roles. These include access to education and training, the ability to secure a steady and well-paying job, support from family and community networks, and the ability to build savings and financial assets.
3. Third, remember that all of your employees under age 41 are Millennials and Gen Z. Make sure you consider their unique concerns as you consider internal policies.

We are in this together and need your ideas, perspectives, and stories of progress.  So please reach out to us at info@shedlight.org.

Suggested Reading and Viewing:

Bloomberg Wealth + Equality

Millennial Grandparents

Emerging Millennial Wealth Gap

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Enjoy this travelogue video, to get a sense of our where we went and who we met:

Watch our Pre-Launch Party, to hear about our five-item “to do” list for America (and ShedLight!)–because the South exposes the problems faced across America, in the starkest reality.

And attend our second annual StorySLAM, Lessons from below the Mason Dixon Line. It’s an evening of storytelling, music and ideas that you won’t want to miss: In addition to selected storytellers from our trip, we’ll talk with Tena Clark–Author of Southern Discomfort, Grammy winner and activist–and Wendy Lewis, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pioneer–working with the National Baseball League and McDonalds, and founder of AllyShift. Find out more and RSVP!

The post We’re back from our Southern Swing…and it changed us. appeared first on ShedLight.

Social impact is about where you are silent, as much as what you say. It’s about the voices you decide not to listen to, as much as those you include. In November, ShedLight.org is taking a field trip South to reveal the stories of real people who are reframing local narratives and making the small changes in their communities that get culture “unstuck.”

Real change isn’t legislated, it’s locally grown. Join our journey to support Southern Changemakers.

Unheralded local Changemakers have made parts of the South incubators for social change. These people are smashing existing paradigms and re-imagining their communities in the process. But in today’s hyper-political, DC-focused media environment, their work is unseen, making it hard for them to raise needed funds—and impossible for any of us to feel their progress.  

ShedLight’s “Southern Swing” will help us go beyond stereotypes and myths to understand the fundamental transformations happening every day in the South—within the context of its culture and in the shadow of its history. 

As business and brand leaders, we play a crucial leadership role in driving positive social change for the wellbeing of our communities and organizations.

Focusing on the stories of Southern changemakers, will help increase their power by connecting them to other communities facing similar challenges.  Also, our Southern Swing will foster connections between people doing on-the-ground work and individuals and organizations who want to learn from and support them with knowledge, time, money, and other resources.

The “home-movie style” storytelling videos that we create and share will humanize the day-to-day realities faced by these changemakers. They will give you an intimate view of problems being solved, as well as the beliefs, culture, food, music, and art that drive the positive spirit of their communities. This will shine a light on how culture is shifting in the South and how you can help build bridges across the geographic divide we often experience.

Our Journey:

1. Richmond, VA was the capital of the South, so it’s only logical that we start with some of the history that goes along with understanding the culture of the South and its impact on the present.
2. In Lynchburg VA, we plan an unlikely pair of visits to understand the yin and yang of local culture, including Liberty University and conversations with a local performing arts non-profit.
3. Rockingham, NC makes most people think of NASCAR—but in addition, we will also investigate the energy of the local community in sparking conversations about “grown folks’ business.”
4. In Wilmington NC, we will go straight to the source: the local barber shop, where we’ll hear from locals about the attempt to transform the North side and learn from the accomplishments of a 77-year-old community activist.
5. We will wrap up our trip with a visit to Charleston SC, where we will explore the history of the Gullah people and the current social justice initiatives of a local church. We will also savor some great food and share some amazing Southern music.

While we won’t be sharing these stories at SXSW,  we will share them throughout the trip and in our Winter StorySlam so stay tuned!

The Ask:

1. CHECK OUT our Fundrazr page for more details will be posting throughout the trip. Travel with us virtually and ping us with questions.
2. Please DONATE to the cause to receive your great ShedLight gifts and participate in upcoming events.
3. Most importantly, remember to SHARE on social media!

Funds will be used to help us create a ShedLight storytelling video essay of the trip while supporting local changemakers and their community-based organizations with high-quality videos that they can use in their outreach, on their websites, and in fundraising. ShedLight.org will include the videos in conversations and presentations, as well as on our website, YouTube channel, and other social media.  

We all look forward to a day when we can all recognize our mutual humanity, no matter where we’re from or our political leanings. This trip, and our video storytelling, are just one small step.

About ShedLight

We Work with You to Navigate our Shifting Culture.

We help organizations include the untold stories of all of the people you sell to, serve, employ, and influence so you can confidently navigate this moment of complex cultural change. Together, we will co-create a roadmap that shows you when to lead and who to follow; what partnerships to pursue, and how to authentically serve your stakeholders. In today’s tough social environment, this is how you achieve success.

We’d love to hear from you

Please follow us.

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Last year, our society seemed to have had a series of revelations: We learned that many hourly workers were essential, as they risked their lives to stock grocery shelves or supported our homebound neighbors at low wages. We discovered that people with underlying conditions like diabetes were more likely to get sick and die from COVID-19. We have realized that women are more likely to leave the workforce to care for children and support homeschooling. And we faced the idea that each of these conditions is more likely to impact the families and communities of Black, LatinX, and Native Americans. Finally, the murder of George Floyd shocked us, as it revealed so much about the systems that theoretically exist to protect and support us all. Simply put, the events of 2020 allowed our broad race and class-based disparities to register (finally) in the American psyche.

2021: “Opening up” and reinforcing disparities?

But what did we really learn, and what actions are we taking? Change doesn’t happen by itself, so as people of privilege—as individuals who manage workflows and people, and earn enough to not worry about next month’s rent—it’s important that we remember those lessons and not just move on. 

As a result, the proliferation of the Delta variant is doing more than increasing COVID risk, it is intensifying our existing health and income disparities. But in 2021, we no longer see that impact…In our drive for “normalcy”, we just see vaccine avoidance. 

We need to focus on both vaccine avoidance and the impact of disparity.

But as a society, we cannot just walk away from COVID-19 as quickly as we’d like. It’s true that the pandemic will persist without high vaccination rates. But if we don’t address underlying health and income inequities, our recovery will exacerbate the American divide. Someone close to me proudly stated that New York’s vaccination rate was “so much higher” than some other states—so I suggested that he look at our NYC vaccination rates by zip code, where some neighborhoods have vaccination rates lower than Mississippi. Or another friend’s misplaced concern that ShedLight’s work related to the ‘middle-class slide’ might not be so relevant in the future, given the strength of the economic recovery. In fact, class and race are determining who is more likely to be successful in the post-COVID economy, reinforcing and widening the same disparities that Americans bemoaned just last summer: For example, the current unemployment rate in zip codes located in Harlem and The South Bronx is currently as much as four times higher than the rate found in my white, highly educated zip code in waterfront Brooklyn. And according to the New York Times, those without a college education and those working low income, hourly jobs were almost ten times as likely to be unemployed by the pandemic. As of May 2021, the number of people working low-wage jobs in the US had declined by eight million jobs. In contrast, the number of highest-earning jobs actually increased, indicating that the COVID-19 recovery may only reinforce race and class disparities, despite our “awakening” last year.

The new normal: Embracing imperfection as a starting point for action.

We have to hold two ideas in our heads at the same time: it’s crucial to vaccinate as many people as possible. And we must right some of the wrongs that we finally acknowledged as a culture in 2020. For example: We do need to protect ourselves from the Delta variant. That said, one unintended consequence of NYC’s plan to bar unvaccinated people from restaurants could be the closure of the last food outlets in low-income, low vaccination areas that are already food deserts.

Last Spring we seemed on the verge of recognizing something important about ourselves, our city, and our region (and maybe even our country?): We are all interconnected. Remember when healthcare workers from around the country came to NYC to help us weather last year’s storm? We discovered that my health is influenced by your health; and that your ability to get a job done is directly influenced by the ability of others to work and send their children to school or daycare. That a system capable of killing one of its citizens is capable of ending or limiting the lives of others without notice. The biggest lesson of 2020 is that our well-tended bubbles are imaginary, of our own creation—and that eventually, what impacts one impacts us all. Yes, we all live independent lives, but a rich life involves many personal connections. And by avoiding certain conversations with those who don’t look, think or live like us, we do ourselves a disservice—because we fill in the blank spaces with assumptions. And you know what they say about assumptions, right?

The post In 2020, we recognized hard truths about race and disparity. Why do we just want to move on? appeared first on ShedLight.

Given today’s extremely unstable job market, especially for Millennials, we’re studying employment—and the barriers to maintaining rewarding work that can sustain a decent living.  One thing is really clear: Despite all of the talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, employers still hire people that fall within their comfort zone in terms of credentials and image.

For years, we have been participating in advertising and design industry events like award presentations, and are always struck by the lack of diversity in the room at the executive and creative levels. In a field that is fed by pop culture trends and new thinking, it is ironic that there are so few people of color.

People in a position to hire designers seem to have miraculously just discovered that their agency lacks diversity, adding that they feel powerless to make a change.   How many times have we heard executives lament that they would love to increase diversity but don’t to where to find “qualified” candidates?  

To build diversity in employment, companies must take a broader view of what it means to be “qualified” and forge a more active partnership between industry and communities of color.  In the absence of companies playing a stronger role in this area, local organizations are stepping into the vacuum. Scope of Work (SOW) is out to bring greater diversity to the design field. They are building a pipeline of talent through what they call a “three-pillar system organized around members (i.e., company partnerships), a fellowship program, and a talent agency.”   

Through their fellowship program, talented people can build skills and find work as paid interns.  Importantly, they require that member companies go through coaching to understand the dynamics of power and privilege, and how to create a work environment that fuels the success of a diverse talent pool.  Scope of Work challenges the notion that people of color will find meaningful career opportunities merely through exposure to White employers.  Their approach is to help partner companies rebuild their work cultures, by considering the needs of the ‘whole person’ in helping people succeed.

Our take:

Companies should and could be supporting this work.  At ShedLight, our research reveals that diversity is a two-way contract that starts before people are hired and continues throughout careers.  And for companies to be successful, they must understand the emotional needs and unique cultural backgrounds of their employees.  This is not only essential for society, but can yield stronger business results through greater market understanding and representation. For more on Scope of Work, here is a link to their website: Scope of Work.   

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By Cheryl Stallworth, cofounder at ShedLight.org. Cheryl is an experienced corporate executive and a social impact and brand purpose thought leader.

Our recent national focus has been on eliminating police shootings. This is obviously crucial to demonstrating that we are a country that no longer sanctions the killing of people for minor legal infractions, and that Black lives really do matter. ShedLight’s research reveals that most people focus on overt racism (and no one we’ve talked with considers themselves a “racist,” by the way). But in matters of race, there are many shades of gray: from stereotyping and implicit bias, to the systemic or structural racism that is the root cause of social and economic problems plaguing Black communities. This is well-documented in economic research. Corporations have tremendous political and economic influence.  And it is our collective responsibility to use this power to formulate social impact strategies that reduce systemic racism.

The Myth of Meritocracy: A leadership imperative

The American Dream is built on meritocracy, “If you work hard, you can make it.” This ideal makes it convenient for politicians, policy influencers, and business leaders to deny the existence of systemic racism. But, the reality is that hard work alone does not necessarily result in upward economic mobility or long-term wealth creation. Until we acknowledge this fact we cannot create a better future for all Americans. Check out this excerpt from Michael Sandals Book, The Tyranny of Merit, which eloquently topples the myth of the meritocracy. Our research also reveals that there is no perceived meritocracy among people who work every day and cannot make ends meet. And for Black Americans, structural racism only intensifies the problem. Also, economic struggles have a profound emotional cost. For a deeper perspective in the voices of everyday people, check out our American Stories video essays. Middle Class Dreams, Working Poor Reality and Of Many, One: Why Doesn’t America Love Us Back?

How does Systemic Racism Impede the Creation of Generational Wealth?

Your Black and Latino employees are not beginning their careers with the same advantages as your White employees. In Examining the Black and White Wealth Gap the Brookings Institute cites numerous historic examples of Black American attempts to create real wealth. But practices such as redlining, biased implementation of the GI Bill, employment discrimination, and Jim Crow laws have created a permanent Black economic underclass.

The Brookings Institute also found that in 2020, Americans inherited $765 billion in untaxed income. This represented 4% of household earnings. What’s more, inheritances are often used for additional wealth-generating investments such as real estate and college tuition. But for Black Americans the dream of wealth creation has been deferred, to quote Langston Hughes. The problem is so endemic that attempts to create wealth have even been met with bloodshed. The destruction of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District is a tragic reminder of how Black Americans were massacred for achieving the American Dream.

According to the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute, a think tank with expertise on issues facing low and middle-income Americans, the economic fortunes of Black and Latino Americans are not improving. White middle-income households (earning between $37,201 and $61,328 per year) own an average of $86,100 in assets. Assets average $11,000 for Black families and $8,600 for Latino families in the same income range.  

Moreover, this gap in wealth creation is growing. According to Calvin Schermerhorn’s article in the Washington Post, Why the Racial Wealth Gap Persists, More than 150 Years after Emancipation, “Unless current economics change, black families will be poorer on the 175th anniversary of Emancipation than they were in 1980.” This is without considering the devastating financial impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Why Focus on Corporate Governance and the Capital Markets?

Business leaders have told us that now more than ever, corporations have a vital role to play in creating wealth for Black communities. And, in reducing the negative impact of systemic racism on American economic advancement, as a whole. Creating a financial system that drives economic justice would enable under-represented people of all races, to create generational wealth–including White working-class people.

As we’ve seen throughout history, income-generating investment assets (for example, equities and real estate) have been the key to financial freedom for higher earning White Americans. We’ve all heard the expression, “Let your money work for you.” Stock ownership is where true accountability resides in Corporate America. Those who are not able to take part in this financial ecosystem cannot gain real power in a capitalistic society. Correcting systemic financial inequities would help close the unsustainable wealth gap in America. It also would make it possible for all Americans to get a fairer shot at achieving the American Dream.

At ShedLight.org we believe, as a nation, America cannot allow people to work every day while not having the means to create a strong financial foundation for future generations. 

Taking Action Among Employees: How Can We Give More Power to the People?

1. Listen to the voices of workers and give them a stronger voice in corporate governance.

Miguel Padro, Senior Program Manager for the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, shares great ideas in his unflinchingly honest blog post, America’s Corporate Governance System is Racist Too. White households headed by college graduates own 78% of all corporate stock in America, while households headed by Black and Latino college graduates own less than 3%. So even higher income people of color are not benefitting from the significant economic traction that stock ownership affords. Furthermore, they are not gaining access to the power investors exercise through the voting process that gives them a say in corporate governance. Mr. Padro’s piece raises a provocative question, “What would corporate governance look like if we truly tried to address racism and enabled greater participation of under-represented workers?” He goes on to say, “Corporate governance may not commit physical violence against people of color, but the very design of corporate governance eliminates their voices and causes real harm.”

2. Focus on Stakeholder Value versus Shareholder Value.

In our recent discussion with Miguel Padro and Judy Samuelson, Founder and Executive Director of Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, both emphasized the importance of workers, or “stakeholders”, in delivering a great customer experience. Companies are not democracies. But an opportunity exists to make companies stronger by giving workers a voice in crafting the corporation’s purpose, and a say in corporate governance through board participation. This shift in focus from shareholder value to stakeholder value will only make the companies and the communities they serve more relevant. It also will give employees an opportunity to contribute to and share in the company’s prosperity in a meaningful way. Achieving this will require that we forge change by reimagining corporate rewards, incentives, and compensation.

3. Remember, Your Daily Decisions Matter!

Judy Samuelson reminds us that we are all part of the problem because we make conscious decisions as consumers and investors. We focus on price, convenience, and ROI versus the things we say we care about. 

ShedLight’s view is that as citizens, customers, business leaders, investors, and employees, we must make corporations more accountable for correcting the wealth imbalance by making our voices heard. We are proving our ability gain ground on social justice. We now need to translate this power to the fight for economic justice.

Cheryl Stallworth has been CEO of Firefly/Milward Brown (a Kantar company) and a senior executive at Colgate-Palmolive and The Coca-Cola Company.

Please connect with her on LinkedIn

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