Heather Grace Hanson is a positive psychology based life coach helping entrepreneurs move away from stress and self doubt, and increase their energy and self-confidence. Click the button below to schedule a free Discovery Call if you’re interested in 1-on-1 coaching.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
I am committed to standing in solidarity with our underrepresented and oppressed communities of black people, indigenous people, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
I recognize the inherent privilege I have as a white, straight, cis-gendered female business owner, and I acknowledge the system of structural racism and white supremacy that we all live in. I also acknowledge the part that I and my business play in upholding the system of white supremacy, and I commit to doing my part in the life-long work of unraveling systemic racism and all forms of oppression.
As I work to undo my own unconscious racism and biases, that have been taught to me my whole life, I know I will make mistakes. I don’t want to, but I know it will be inevitable. I’m aware that racism is so deeply baked into American society that there is no way I could be aware of all the ways that I’m upholding white supremacy.
My Promise to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ People
If you choose to call me out and point out something I’m doing that is hurtful or wrong, your feedback will be met with gratitude, an apology, and a promise to do better going forward. However, I will not be waiting for someone to come and educate me. I will be engaging in on-going education and analysis of my thoughts, behaviors, policies, and marketing materials to find and correct my actions going forward. If you choose to enter my world, whether that is by purchasing from me, enjoying the free content I put out, or joining my email list, I want you to feel welcome, included, and free to be yourself. I will not censor anyone’s voice in my community, unless that individual is expressing any form of hate speech which would make another individual feel oppressed or unsafe.
My Promise to White People
I am committed to building a diverse business, which includes welcoming people of all colors and identities into my courses, communities, and programs as clients, as well as by hiring and working with a diverse group of people. If another member of my community communicates to you that something you said or did was hurtful, racist, or prejudiced in some way, I will expect you to uphold the values I’ve expressed here. I will expect you to reply to that feedback by sincerely listening instead of getting defensive and make a commitment to reflect on the feedback so that you can do better in the future. You don’t need to fear making a mistake, because we all will at some point. The important thing is to acknowledge it, apologize, and do better in the future.
If you share these values and want to be a part of a diverse community of people all seeking the same goal of improving their life, their business, and the lives of others, then I welcome you.
If you do not agree with these values, or if my values make you uncomfortable in any way, I ask you to please not purchase from me or join my community on Facebook, and please unsubscribe from my email list because I’m not the right teacher for you. There are many other ways you can gain the knowledge that I teach, so I would urge you to seek that knowledge elsewhere. If you do enter my communities and express any form of hate speech, I reserve the right to revoke your access to the community.
Specific Actions I’m Taking to Uphold My Values:
Tracking All Business Spending
I’ll be tracking all business spending to track the percentage of money am I spending with BIPOC providers. My goal is to be spending at least 30% of all business spending with BIPOC providers by 2022.
The types of expenditures I’ll be tracking are:
Business Education (courses, books, workshops, etc)
Software (any software I purchase or subscribe to in order to run my business)
Contractors (anyone I hire to help me with any aspect of my business)
Employees (I don’t have any employees now, but if I do in the future, I’ll track the money spent on salaries)
Miscellaneous Purchases (props for photos, office supplies, etc.)
Charitable Donations
Work With Companies Who Share These Values
I commit to researching the values of the companies I do business with, and I will cut ties with businesses who are not making an effort to support BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.
PERSONAL EDUCATION
I commit to engaging in consistent education to dismantle my own internalized racism, which I know will be lifelong work. I will read books/articles, watch videos/documentaries, take workshops/courses, and any other forms of education I can find.
APLIFYING BIPOC VOICES
I commit to sharing more photos on social media featuring BIPOC models, as well as sharing and promoting content from other BIPOC business owners, coaches, artists, etc.
Sharing My Progress
I commit to sharing publicly my progress on these action steps. Updates will be posted below as they are available.