We’re kicking off season 4 of the BSuite podcast with an exciting interview featuring Flo Nicolas. She is the co-founder of DEI Directive, a technology company that helps businesses gather and respond to data about their workforce, and a newly elected member of the board of New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility. Listen in as Anne and Flo discuss:
- how to leverage transferable skills during a career change
- how startups can build strong cultures of inclusivity and belonging
- how to use a valuable business skill set to benefit the community at large
There was a time when I felt like I was not empowered or didn’t have a voice, and I didn’t do anything. When I finally did wake up from my coma, as I call it, I felt like I had to do something to help other people, people who are disadvantaged, whatever being disadvantaged looks like.
Key Takeaways
Flo Nicolas’ “Non-Boring” Career Evolution
Anne and Flo open with an overview of Flo’s career trajectory. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, Flo went to law school, subsequently passed the bar exam and launched her legal career. She eventually shifted into corporate telecommunications where she applied her business and legal acumen in a new setting. Flo is proud to be a “non-boring” lawyer who brings creative energy and out-of-the-box thinking to her many professional responsibilities. Today, Flo leverages her competitive skill set in her multiple ventures as an entrepreneur, TV host, technology enthusiast, and advocate for inclusion in schools and communities.
Startups, Small Teams & Inclusive Company Culture
Visitors to Flo’s LinkedIn page will learn that she’s a co-founder of DEI Directive, a technology company that offers corporations valuable “people analytics.” While larger companies often rely on human resources data to track the ROI of their diversity initiatives and to monitor compliance, Flo emphasizes that companies of all sizes can benefit from measuring and tracking their employees’ sentiments. Small businesses and particularly startups, she points out, are uniquely positioned to establish inclusive company cultures because they’re starting from blank slates. The challenge that younger and smaller organizations face is ensuring that their people-centered cultures remain as their organizations grow.
Flo urges values-aligned business leaders to make it clear to their current and prospective employees and partners that “We are about creating a place where people belong. That is our mission and we stand by it. For this organization, this is our stance.” At Richardson Media Group, we couldn’t agree more.
Taking Action and Leaving a Legacy
Flo shares that she’s always been driven and motivated, and she doesn’t balk at a busy schedule. She thrives when her day-to-day routine varies, as it so often does for business leaders who prioritize the well-being of their families, communities and themselves. Since the COVID pandemic, she’s felt more inspired than ever to use her skills to empower others. On the board of directors of NHBSR, where both Flo and Anne serve, she likes that it’s made up of business leaders who are committed to action and who consistently ask themselves: “You have all this skill set. How can you use it for good?”
Flo also acknowledges that “there’s nothing glamorous about working when your gas tank is at zero.” In true “non-boring” fashion, she advocates for cocktails to be served to parents during back-to-school shopping sessions. Cheers to that!
