Chioma Onwutalobi Brown of SCO Group: 5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society
By: Alexandra Spirer
Tags: Inclusion, Entertainment, Entrepreneur, Leadership

Thank you so much for doing this with us Chioma! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. My father was always very passionate about entrepreneurship. In fact success was the only option presented to us growing up. I moved abroad on my own at the age of 17, and considering I didn’t know any one else in the country, I had to grow up and learn hard and fast, which meant that I had to teach myself a lot of things. Leaving Africa was a bit of a culture shock, and was also the first time in my life where I became very conscious of that fact that I was black. At one point I was working in a small listed company, which meant that I was often attending meetings as the only female and the only black person in a room full of middle-aged white men. All these experiences, as well as my background from being raised in Nigeria, ultimately shaped who I am today in a lot of ways.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

Yes, there are so many, it’s hard to choose just one. I’ve recently been reading ‘Get On With It’ by Algy Cluff, who I really admire. I’d recommend this book for any young entrepreneur, as it highlights his boldness and go-getter spirit, which you really need to have as an entrepreneur.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

One of my favorite quotes is “you have to move different if you want different”. I run an independent company and we’ve been able to successfully introduce a brand new print magazine in an era where we’re constantly told that print is dead. One thing we tried to do was, in addition to focusing the magazine on people’s success stories, take a very personal approach, which is in contrast to a lot of other publications which tend to come across as stuck-up and non-relatable, especially in the social media generation. Taking a very different approach was one of the factors that I believe led to the success of Glam Africa Magazine, 5 years on.

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

Leadership is really about knowing who you are, knowing what you stand for, and communicating these values confidently to the people behind you. I’m a very different CEO now than I was when I started, aged 24. The confidence and clarity I gained over the last few years, as an individual but also in terms of the vision of the company, made it easier to communicate this to my team, but also to build a team that clearly understands the vision and direction.

In terms of leadership style, a leader should be selfless and operate with integrity, no matter the cost. Leadership is about creating an environment that fosters trust and certainty. You should work alongside your team and understand them as people, as well as give them the frame work and the opportunity to grow and take charge. Micro-management is unproductive, so I always ensure each member of my team is to set up in a way that they have the tools to confidently carry out tasks. At times, this means it may take slightly longer. They may make mistakes along the way, but this ultimately gives them the opportunity to grow and create value within the team. In all honesty, when a team member is unable to grow within an organization, it is in their best interest to move on and seek other challenges.

In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?

It’s so important to prepare your mind and body for the daily challenges that come up in business. As difficult as it seems, I do my best to stick to a good daily routine, which includes everything from getting a good night’s sleep to eating well and staying fit. For me, having that routine has made those tough days less tough.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This is of course a huge topic. But briefly, can you share your view on how this crisis inexorably evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?

I think what we’re seeing now is the result of years of years of built up anger and frustration. The conversation around ‘Black Lives Matter’ specifically has been going on for almost a decade, but even before that, systemic inequality and conversations around civil rights have been going on for centuries. It’s such a shame that it took a situation like what happened to George Floyd for so many people to finally say, ‘okay, something’s not right here’. We’ve been seeing this, we’ve been saying this. George Floyd’s murder was a painful reminder of the reality of many black people, and for it to come in the middle of a pandemic, and at a time when the world should be at its most united, makes it all the more painful. I just hope that people everywhere will use this opportunity and the increased global awareness to make active changes to the way they treat and interact with people from different backgrounds because we all have a part to play if we’re going to overcome the inequalities in our society. I think the major difference right now is allyship. It’s not just black people using their voices, people from all backgrounds in countries everywhere are speaking up about inequality now. It’s no longer a taboo subject.

Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to promote Diversity and Inclusion? Can you share a story with us?

All of SCO Group’s platforms were built with inclusivity in mind. Glam Africa is a black-focused and Africa-focused publication. Hayat Media was made to represent and document the lifestyle of Muslim women. Creating these platforms gave people from these communities the chance to be seen, heard and celebrated. In 2017, we went a step further by launching Diversity Forum Live. The aim of DFL is to educate people who are outside of the BAME communities about the ways they can promote inclusivity within their businesses or organizations using the resources they have at their disposal.

Working with partners from diverse communities, we published and distributed educative materials and created a safe space for these organizations to have open dialogue with people from these communities about their experiences and their suggestions on implementing more inclusive policies, from hiring to marketing, and everything in between. Diversity Forum Live is now leading a call for businesses and individuals to commit to spending a percentage of their monthly expenses on business owned and operated by members of underrepresented groups. We also recently launched BlackBiz, an online directory where black-owned businesses and service-providers can be found easily. We’ve also worked with organizations like The Aleto Foundation which provides mentors for black underprivileged youths.

This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

Our society is changing very rapidly, and in the next few decades, people who belong to ‘minority groups’ are expected to make up the majority of the population in countries like the US and the UK. If your goal is to communicative effectively to your customers and appeal to as wide a demographic as possible, it is far from your best interest to have a team that only understands or relates with a proportion of your customer base.

On the one hand it’s been amazing to see many major businesses taking active steps to be more inclusive, but so often they come across as insensitive, stereotypical or patronizing, which leads to a lot of backlash from the public. More often than not, the issue could have been avoided altogether if they had simply had a more diverse team. What good is it trying to look diverse on your social media pages and on your billboards, if in your boardroom everybody looks exactly the same? The best way to be diverse is to actually be diverse.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share your “5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society”. Kindly share a story or example for each.

AS INDIVIDUALS:

1. Champion equality, even in its lowest forms, and speak up whenever you see something that is unjust

2. Empower marginalized groups so they can acquire the resources to build themselves up and attain a greater standing within society. This may include supporting organizations aimed at uplifting members of these groups, as well as spending/buying from these groups as well as spending/buying from these communities

3. Educate yourself and the people around you so that your interactions, attitudes and behavior towards people from marginalized backgrounds are intentional and enlightened

4. Integrate with these communities so that you fully understand their stories, cultures and experiences

5. If you’re in a position to uplift others, be sure to promote and recommend individuals from underrepresented groups. This will go a long way towards leveling the playing field and ensuring equality of opportunity for everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity.

AS BUSINESSES:

1. You can reach a broader audience and become an agent for social change through inclusive marketing and communications strategies

2. Hiring policies in the workplace should incorporate active and forward-thinking initiatives to redress the inequalities between ethnic groups

3. You want your organization to accurately reflect the diversity of your consumers, and this might mean empowering members of underrepresented communities to occupy more space in the industry

4. Be intentional. Make sure you commit to promoting businesses and products run by people from various backgrounds, and don’t be afraid to put your money where your mouth is

5. Raise awareness, educate and support underrepresented groups. Use your privilege to be an agent of change in every way you can

We are going through a rough period now. Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain?

There will be some level of improvement but there is still so much work to be done. In the wake of recent events, many people have shown solidarity, but a good number of them were flawed in their messaging, delivery and the actions that followed. Its okay to be quiet for a bit. Sometimes, you need to take a step back and understand the situation instead of rushing to take action. Society won’t change in a day, so make long term plans of how you will take action in your personal life, at work/in business, or in general interactions. This will do a lot more than poorly thought out or reactionary initiatives, which are typical of optical allyship.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I would love to sit down with Jeff Bezos. I have always admired Amazon’s ethos, and the way he’s been able to build this successful company. One thing they’ve done that I really admire is diversifying their offerings to their consumers, even when it meant recording negative year-end figures to achieve their longterm goals. I’m looking forward to that lunch.

How can our readers follow you online?

I am most active on instagram @chiomaonwutalobi, but you can find the links to all my social platforms on my website — chiomaonwutalobi.com