I often recommend documentaries as a good way for people to learn more about others who they might not have a lot of experience with. But not all documentaries are created equal. There are so many decisions involved in ethical and responsible storytelling.

In this behind-the-scenes episode, Dr. Michael Baran interviews Oscar, Emmy, and Peabody award-winning documentary film producer Caroline Waterlow. Caroline isbased in New York City and has been working in the documentary film industry for almost 30 years. She produced such award-winning documentaries as OJ: Made in America, STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A, Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, and so many more. In this episode, Michael and Caroline talk about a wide range of fascinating issues: (a) ethical representation in documentary filmmaking, (b) rapidly building a culture of inclusion and safety with project teams, (c) bias and inequities faced by women in this industry, (d) building trust with people, (e) fascinating behind the scenes details about the making of the documentaries, and so much more. She ends by giving us a teaser of her upcoming work, dealing with themes of sex, AIDS, body positivity, and public access TV in New York City.

Resources mentioned:

Caroline Waterlow IMDb page

OJ: Made in America on Netflix

Stax: Soulville USA on HBO

Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae on Hulu

Cameraperson on HBO

Subject on Prime Video

It can be a challenge sometimes to get out of the present moment and take a more bird’s eye view of changes in the workplace through time. How have cultures changed over time, especially in terms of culture, biases, and inclusion? Why is this important for companies to consider, as they plan for the future?

In this big-picture episode, Dr. Michael Baran interviews internationally acclaimed strategist, author, speaker Effenus Henderson. Effenus went from working on a tobacco farm in North Carolina to Chief Diversity Officer for Weyerhaeuser Company and now President and CEO of HenderWorks, Inc. and Co-Founder of the Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion.

In this episode, Effenus talks about a wide range of important issues: (a) his journey and experiences with segregation and bias, (b) the economic imperative for organizations to nurture culture, and how they can do that, (c) trust-building leadership in today’s complex world, (d) invisible barriers to success in the workplace, and so much more. He ends by talking about what the workforce may look like in 15 years, when the US becomes a majority minority country and how businesses must adapt with an inclusion lens to that diversity.

Resources mentioned:

Effenus Henderson’s book SPINE

The Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion

Effenus Henderson’s LinkedIn

HenderWorks, Inc.

When you think of being an ally, what comes to mind? Are you thinking that being an ally means being respectful to everyone? Are you thinking about a scenario where someone is being bullied or insulted and you stand up for them or stand with them? While those are both important, they are not enough, if we really want to create cultures of more inclusion and safety for everyone.

In this action-oriented episode, Michael interviews highly acclaimed workplace influencer, speaker, and four-time author, Karen Catlin. Karen went from 25 years building software products and serving as a vice president of engineering at Adobe to now being one of the most widely-known thought leaders on the topic of allyship. In this episode, Karen answers questions that so many people have about allyship. She clarifies how allyship really means taking action and how allyship is essential for building workplaces where everyone thrives. She also shares some examples of ally actions that from her newsletter that goes out to 40,000 people every week, including the example from the title which is related to the common occurrence of men leaving “office housework” to women in workplaces. Along the way, she talks more her journey and her optimism about the ripple effect that ally actions can have for our workplaces and for the world.

Resources mentioned:

• Karen’s TEDx talk on women in tech
• The Wake Up book by Michelle MiJung Kim
• Sign up for Karen’s Newsletter
• More information about Karen’s books