Tag: 3BL

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

Listen to the Podcast, here! Transcription provided, below.

Janelle (Host): Welcome to the Own Your Career Podcast. My name is Janelle Jordan, and I’m a Program Manager on our Talent, Performance, and Engagement team. I’m so excited to be here with you. Throughout this series, you’ll hear inspiring interviews with employees who have achieved career growth at GoDaddy through internal promotions and movement. In addition, you’ll hear tips, best practices, and advice to support your career journey. Career management is necessary for a successful journey, and we hope you’ll walk away ready to own your career. Thanks for spending time with us today. Now let’s jump into the spotlight with our guests. I am here today with Jacob Rodriguez, who is a Training Facilitator on our Learning and Talent team, here at GoDaddy. Hi, Jacob. Welcome to the podcast.

Jacob (Guest): Hey, Janelle, happy to be here.

Janelle: Let’s get to know you quickly. Can you share with us a little bit about who you are and what brings you joy outside the office?

Jacob: Yeah, I’ve narrowed it down to a couple things. It took me a while to think of this one. Who I am — I’d have to say I’m a nerdy husband. Like, I do finger guns at my wife. And so maybe dorky is probably the more accurate way to describe me. And a cat dad. We have two little fur babies, little stinkers. And so my wife full on says I’ve converted to a cat dad. Outside of work, honestly, just anything like Marvel and Star Wars related — action and Sci-Fi movies, watching martial arts movies even. I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten into like, The Game of Thrones or House of Dragon, that new series, just things like that. That’s kind of what I enjoy mostly.

Janelle: Okay, so as a playful cat dad and a Marvel fanatic, how deep do we go with the Marvel? Are we going to Comic Con? What are we doing? Are we just watching all the things?

Jacob: I watch all the things. I once almost got to go to Comic Con a couple years ago. I wasn’t able to, but I had a full on costume. It was actually a geeky character, though. One of my cat’s name is Natasha Rogue.

Janelle: Love! A favorite character of mine.

Jacob: Yeah, two names. Two characters. But I had to give her both. So she’s got a first and middle name.

Janelle: That’s so great. Well, welcome. Thanks for sharing with us a little bit about who you are. Let’s go into our first question. So, can you give our listeners an overview of your career journey? And that can be before GoDaddy and definitely while you’ve been here at GoDaddy!

Jacob: In terms of overall how I got into this industry, I can kind of start there. I got into this industry, actually, with a competitor. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Endurance or Bluehost, but I actually started with them back in 2017. I did about eight months of phone support (inbound phone support) for just the regular inbound queue, but then also their Advanced Technical team. Spent about a year after that on their Design team, building out websites for customers. And then I did a year in kind of like a corporate escalation level setting, similar to OCEO here, that Escalation team. While I did get to advance into different roles there, ultimately the growth I was looking for, I wasn’t able to accomplish. In 2020, I left and I got a role at a place called Mass Mutual, which part of what they did was like life insurance, but they also had a retirement plan division. I was there for about a year and I said, you know what? I miss the industry that I was in. I miss this web hosting world. So I decided to apply at GoDaddy, and that was in 2021. April, to be exact.

Janelle: I’m going to stop you right there. Was there something about GoDaddy that sparked your interest, or was it simply that they had openings in the field that you wanted?

Jacob: It kind of had to do with the fact that there was open roles. I’d never considered GoDaddy before, just because when you work for somewhere else, you’re all “team them” you know, you’re all proud to work there. And I never thought of GoDaddy until after I started missing the industry. And I was like, you know what? I’m going to give them a try.

Janelle: All right, so you applied for a role at GoDaddy and you got it the first time?

Jacob: I did. So I applied directly for Website Specialist II, and that’s what I got in as.

Janelle: Awesome. Okay. Where did you go from there?

Jacob: So I was only in that role for a few months, and that’s actually when I got this role as a Training Facilitator in Learning and Talent.

Janelle: So where I guess during your journey on the Website Design Services team, did the curiosity for Training or Learning and Development come into play? Or how was that introduced to you or how did that become part of your career journey?

Jacob: Yeah, honestly, we’d have to go even further back. One of the first jobs I had was at Olive Garden.

Janelle: Nice.

Jacob: I was a trainer, actually, at Olive Garden for a little bit. And I don’t know, I just think ever since I started work, I knew that I wanted to get into some sort of leadership or training of other people. And so in every role I’ve had, I kind of gravitated towards that. And so I did simultaneously apply for Websites Team Lead. At the same time I applied for Training Facilitator, they felt like very up my alley. So to say I was offered first Training Facilitator, and I was like, you know what? Even if I got offered the other one, I’m going to go with Training Facilitator. I just felt like there was more impact I could make there, and it felt more like I wanted to do

Janelle: So, It’s like you’ve always kind of known throughout your career that you love achieving expertise in your role and then sharing that knowledge with others and coaching and training them to be better in their roles. And that’s something that’s kind of exactly what you do as a Training Facilitator, but also would have been a primary job as a Lead, honestly. And so I think a lot of folks might make that decision. Do I go on to become a supervisor and a manager and a people leader or can I double down and continue to be an expert in my own field? It’s interesting. Or to leave completely because you are not designing websites anymore. So do you miss it?

Jacob: A little bit! I mean, some days there are times when I do miss the aspect of getting to know a customer and see them through this journey, start to finish, of building a new website or redesigning their existing. Because really when you’re on the phones, you meet a lot of cool and interesting people. And so sometimes there are days I miss it. But yeah, I don’t think I’d trade it though. I think helping get others to that point where they can go on that journey themselves. Very rewarding.

Janelle: Very rewarding. Very fulfilling. And that leads us to question number two. Can you tell us, Jacob, what do you love about your job here?

Jacob: Honestly, it’s just that like, seeing others go through their own journey that I did and really helping set them up for success, I think that is so rewarding in itself. To see someone go from “I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know what DNS is.” In just a few short weeks, “I got this, let me talk to customers now. Get me on the phone!” To see that confidence grow in them. And it’s funny because I was just telling someone that in this class I finished up two weeks ago that I saw in them fear that they had at first, how that turned to this confidence, I don’t know. Just something satisfying about that little growth.

Janelle: Super rewarding. Absolutely. And then you know that you’re part of their team. You’re part of Team GoDaddy. You’re really impacting the success of the organization and nothing feels better than that when you feel super connected to our mission here at the company.

Jacob: Absolutely.

Janelle: Thank you so much for sharing that. Question number three. Can you share with us what is the most important lesson that you’ve learned so far over the course of your career?

Jacob: Yeah, honestly, I would say there are two things if I can. First, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. I think that is probably the most invaluable lesson that you can ever learn for yourself. The other thing I would say is don’t be afraid to express yourself or voice your opinions to your leaders. I think those are going to be the two most important things I’ve learned.

Janelle: I’m going to pick on you, Jacob. Can you share maybe just an example of both. How about maybe the last time that you asked for feedback? Or can you share your preferred way of asking for feedback? Or if there’s a certain partner that you think is really critical? I think people always think that they need feedback from leaders. But who do you like to ask for feedback from?

Jacob: That’s kind of funny. Like, the entire learning team. We are very big on giving feedback. Peer to peer. We will get into each other’s classrooms and just observe. Observe not just how material is being facilitated, but the interactions. Maybe even like, “hey, here’s something you did good, but here’s how you could improve on that.” Just different things like that. So we’re constantly in this feedback loop, right? So we’re always, like, self improving. Outside of that, in terms of direct feedback that I had once, one of the more impactful things that I learned when I was in Website Design Services, I actually set up a meeting over Zoom with one of the main directors, and I had actually let him know, like, “hey, I want to get into leadership. I want to get into development. What are some things can do to help prep for that?” A couple of things he told me that were very simple but very effective. One was, even if you know the answer to something, maybe ask the question as if you didn’t, so that you can encourage your team to participate. You can show your team that it’s okay to ask for help. And so it was one of those, like, just lead by examples. And it was just one of those things. It was a way, I should say, I hadn’t thought of before, something simple as that.

Janelle: Not only is it leading by example, but it’s also showing vulnerability, which is a part of Servant Leadership, which is allowing people to know, like, “hey, I’m on your team. I’m not just leading the team. And I don’t know everything. And collectively we are going to do better when we’re all working together and we’re brainstorming together and we’re ideating together and we’re solutioning together.” When you are vulnerable and you ask for feedback, I can imagine the courage that it took. Set up a Zoom invite with someone several levels above you in the organization that you may or may not talk to on a daily basis. That’s a brave thing to do. But also, folks at GoDaddy are so receptive to that, right? And they’re like, yeah. And they show up and they’re thoughtful about it. And then you get these little nuggets that just stay with you forever. And then of course, now that you’re essentially coaching every single participant in your classroom, essentially you can pass that on. These little nuggets of wisdom.

Jacob: Exactly. That ability to give back I think is very meaningful. Very satisfying.

Janelle: It’s very satisfying. Yeah. And then the do not be afraid to voice your opinions to your leaders. I think that’s a big one here that folks at all different levels of the organization can worry about too much around like what is the right thing to say, what is the right timing, who do I share this with? And you start to overthink versus just being vulnerable and honest.

Jacob: Yeah. I do think we get in our own way sometime of that. I feel it comes down to like a comfort level where we don’t want to go out of our comfort zone. But I don’t know, maybe I’ve outgrown my comfort zone since I started working because I’d never been afraid to speak up and say, “hey, respectfully, why are we doing things this way? Why don’t we look at it a different way?” There’s no progress without that. There’s no growth without that.

Janelle: Yeah. Why is such a powerful question. And I’m so glad that you asked that. Even if that’s the one question that you can find yourself to be brave enough and courageous enough to ask your leaders, ask it. Ask it. And you’re deserving of that. That’s your job. Don’t be afraid to just ask the simple question. Why? Because you know what? That’s you showing interest and curiosity and getting involved and better understanding the direction and the decisions. And I think leaders want more folks to ask why.

Jacob: The fact that we all see things through different lenses. Maybe the way you see one solution or rather the answer to a problem, maybe there’s a better way, maybe the suggested way isn’t the right one. And so I don’t know, I just feel like if we’re not afraid, we can really make change.

Janelle: 1000% agree. Okay, last question. What is a common myth about your job, department or field of expertise?

Jacob: Not so much a myth, more so something that I think is overlooked. I feel like it’s easy to overlook the foundations and the goal, I should say, of the foundations that we’re trying to set with these onboarding classes. The real foundation is behavior. I feel the real foundation is attitude and good practice and how to really put our customers first and see them through this lens of this is a person trying to provide for their family. So I’m going to invest the time in getting to know them and getting to know their business. The reason I say that is because ultimately when we focus on that, rather than seeing them as numbers, it makes our conversations more organic, it builds better trust and then in turn, they’re more likely to trust our recommendations. And I think that foundation is easy to be overlooked. It’s easy to say product knowledge is going to be what gets these guys to be successful, but really it’s the behaviors.

Janelle: No, I think that’s so correct and so impactful and so valuable in what you’re teaching them, I guess, on the long term, over the whole course of their career. Maybe not just in this role, but in the next role and the role after that, and also just getting down to the bottom of what is going to make us most successful in serving our customers, period. Are these behaviors, whether it’s on the phone, via email, training customers, building website on our engineering team, making our tools better, all of that, right? They’re going to be better and more successful when we’re focused on the right behaviors and not just kind of tasks or even just information.

Jacob: Yeah, human first approach. These are people and I think when we view them as people, it makes it easier for us to care and feel more connection to them.

Janelle: And that’s got to be one of the things that really sets GoDaddy apart in this industry, is the way that we have the human first approach to everything we do, especially in care and services and hopefully our customers around the world really feel that. And so thank you for your impact in training and coaching and developing the folks who support our customers on the ground.

Jacob: Happy to do so.

Janelle: And thank you Jacob, for being on the podcast with me today and talking with me about your career journey and it’s been super fun. Can you share with our listeners the best way to reach out to you if they’d like to connect and learn more about what you do or for networking?

Jacob: Yeah, absolutely. Feel free to message me on Slack anytime. You can look me up. Or email me. Happy to talk anytime.

Janelle: Excellent. Thank you for listening to the own Your Career Podcast. We aim to inspire, motivate and empower our employees to meet and achieve their professional goals. If you are interested in being a guest on a future podcast or know someone who might, please visit the My Career Portal Career Spotlight page and complete the interest form. While you’re there, please check out the many resources and articles available. And as always, reach out to us with feedback, questions and ideas. We would love to hear from you. Thank you, Jacob, for spending time with us today.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GoDaddyLifeInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/godaddylife/LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/godaddylifeTwitter — https://twitter.com/GoDaddyLifeTikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@godaddylife?Career Page — https://careers.godaddy.com

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

For the 60-70 children in Northern Ireland who are diagnosed with cancer each year, the Children’s Cancer Unit is a part of their journey, as it’s the only place in Northern Ireland where children can receive specialized treatment for cancer.

Founded in 1984, The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity was established to raise the necessary funds to build a dedicated Children’s Hematology Unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. The Children’s Cancer Unit is part of a global network which facilitates crucial clinical trials with the objective of improving survival rates — and the quality of that survival — for children affected by these diseases.

“Since 2021, Aflac Northern Ireland has been a proud partner of The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity to help raise funds and support for children impacted by cancer and blood disorders and their families,” said Mark McCormack, vice president, Aflac Northern Ireland. “Giving back to the community isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a core part of who we are at Aflac.”

In June, Aflac Northern Ireland kicked-off their companywide fundraiser in support of The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity with a goal of raising £10,000 by November with fundraising activities including wellness walks, the debut performance of their very own Aflac rock band, ‘Duck & Cover,’ and a game of golf at the Aflac Northern Ireland Open. Now, in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, they have launched their ‘Raise the Bar’ campaign for The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity.

Working with a local social enterprise, Refuge Chocolate — who not only makes good chocolate but also makes it a priority to do good in their community — the Aflac Northern Ireland team is selling chocolate to friends and family throughout September and October, with all proceeds going toward the fundraiser.

Aflac Northern Ireland also hosted a visit from Naomi Spence, Head Play Therapist from the Children’s Cancer and Hematology Unit, to demonstrate how she uses My Special Aflac Duck® with her patients to help them express their emotions and ready them for treatment.

Through the partnership with The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, Aflac Northern Ireland has donated over 50 My Special Aflac Ducks to children affected by cancer and blood disorders.

Learn more about Aflac’s commitment to supporting children with cancer and blood disorders at AflacChildhoodCancer.org

Aflac includes Aflac and/or Aflac New York and/or Continental American Insurance Company and /or Continental American Life Insurance Company.

WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Z2301089

CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 6, 2023 /3BL/ – Discovery Education and Creative Visions—the nonprofit supporting positive change through storytelling, impact media, art, education, and technology—offers educators new resources engaging students in global issues. Designed to inspire students in grades 6-12 to become the next generation of storytellers and leaders, Creative Visions Classroom provides educators and students with a comprehensive, thoughtful collection of standards-aligned resources applicable in multiple disciplines.

The new Digital Lesson Bundle offers educators grab & go resources that can be plugged into any learning setting or curriculum. In this 3-lesson series, students define the issues they care about and break down the essential elements needed to take informed action. With the lesson plans, students build crucial real-life context for creative action by exploring the connection between storytelling and topics like human rights and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Combined with classroom activities, students learn to harness the power of storytelling and creative expression as tools to solve challenges and make a positive difference.

“Creative action is a powerful tool to affect social change and empower young people to use their voices to help address key issues of our time. Through storytelling, arts, and media, youth can express their passions and emotions, create empathy and connection, explore new ideas and solutions, and inspire action,” said Pat Chandler, Chief Executive Officer of Creative Visions.

Creative Visions Classroom is supported by the Artemis Rising Foundation, Blue Chip Foundation, Hasbro, Inc., and The William, Jeff & Jennifer Gross Family Foundation.

This year, Creative Visions Classroom also features powerful tools to support youth mental health and well-being through #CreateConnectCare, an initiative that invites students ages 11-18 to use their voices and creativity to break down mental health stigma and connect with and care for others who need support. Currently, 1 in 5 kids experience a mental health disorder every year, with marginalized communities at elevated risk for mental health challenges.

Learn more about Creative Visions Classroom at CreativeChangeMakers.org or within Discovery Education Experience. Learn more about #CreateConnectCare at www.CreateConnectCare.org.

“Educators need and want support to help students become the leaders they know they can be. This new lesson plan series is designed to provide students with tools to help drive positive change in their communities, and the world,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Social Impact at Discovery Education.

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

###

About Creative Visions 
Creative Visions empowers artists, filmmakers, musicians and other impact media makers to raise awareness of critical issues and drive positive change through storytelling – one of our most powerful tools for creating a more just, caring and sustainable world. A nonprofit organization and United Nations NGO, Creative Visions’ Impact Education programs support youth, educators and changemakers in using media, arts and technology to take creative action about the things they care about. For more information about Creative Visions’ Impact Education youth empowerment and educator resources, visit the Learning Hub at www.cvchangemakers.org. Learn more about Creative Visions at www.creativevisions.org.

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and social impact programs, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
Jess Burnquist 
Creative Visions 
jessica.burnquist@creativevisions.org

Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
gmaliska@discoveryed.com

Originally Published on LinkedIn

We’re honoring 25 years of MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation and its legacy of creating content to inspire change and empower underrepresented voices.

The MTV Social Impact team was invited to the Clinton Global Initiative conference and the United Nations General Assembly SDG Media Zone and Goals House events to discuss ‘In Bloom’ a series of short, scripted films for Paramount+ focused on #genderequity, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
 
We’d like to extend a special thank you to Georgia Arnold, co-founder and executive director of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, for the contributions she has made in helping drive #socialchange around the world through the power of #Paramount content. 
 
#WeAreParamount #SDGLive

ATLANTA, October 6, 2023 /3BL/ – Novelis Inc., a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today issued its sustainability report for the 2023 fiscal year (April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023). The report highlights the company’s progress toward its sustainability goals, which encompass key environmental metrics, employee safety, diversity and inclusion, and community engagement.

The company reported progress toward its goal to reduce absolute carbon emissions by 30% by 2026 from its FY2016 baseline, with a 14% reduction in FY23 (includes scopes 1, 2 & 3). One of Novelis’ key sustainability strategies is to reduce carbon emissions by incorporating as much recycled aluminum as possible into its products. In its 2023 fiscal year, the company achieved 61% recycled content across product lines globally. In that same period, Novelis recycled 2.3 million tonnes of aluminum, including more than 82 billion used beverage cans.

“I am very proud of our achievements this year, particularly our emissions reduction and recycled content numbers,” said Steve Fisher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novelis Inc. “We believe that maximizing aluminum’s circularity is the most effective way to decarbonize, and Novelis is leading the industry on that front by expanding closed-loop recycling partnerships with customers, investing in additional recycling capacity, and creating new alloys and processing methods to increase our use of recycled metal inputs. The success of these and other recycling initiatives help ensure we continue to deliver on our Purpose of Shaping a Sustainable World Together.”

In addition to the noted accomplishments in absolute CO2 reduction and recycling, the report highlights other achievements including:

Decreasing carbon emissions intensity by 17% from the FY2016 baselineReducing waste to landfill intensity by 10% from the FY2020 baselineDonating $7.5 million to charitable causesBecoming a strategic partner of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a nonprofit that introduces pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students to engineering, coding and robotics.

For more information about Novelis’ sustainability initiatives, visit www.Novelis.com/sustainability.

About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is driven by its Purpose of Shaping a Sustainable World Together. We are a global leader in the production of innovative aluminum products and solutions and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of low-carbon, sustainable aluminum solutions and to achieve a fully circular economy by partnering with our suppliers, as well as our customers in the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties industries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis had net sales of $18.5 billion in fiscal year 2023. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai. For more information, visit novelis.com. 

SOURCE Novelis Inc.

For further information: For further information: Media Contact: Julie Groover, +1 404 760 6461, julie.groover@novelis.adityabirla.com

Ore., October 6, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank has donated $10,000 to the Naturally Beautiful Project, a non-profit with the mission of providing a safe and judgment-free space for parents and children to learn the necessary tools to achieve healthy hair. The funds will go directly to the Naturally Beautiful Project Academy to sponsor attendees who will learn how to braid and then turn the skill into a thriving business.

The Naturally Beautiful Project was founded by Regina and Andru Morgan in 2017 to help introduce African-American hair culture to the Pacific Northwest region. Since then, they have helped hundreds of families who needed support for styling their children’s afro-textured hair.

“Their vision—to give all children with afro-textured hair a sense of pride and dignity, thus allowing them to embrace their own hair and culture—really resonated with me,” said Josh Lyons, KeyBank’s Market President for Oregon and S.W. Washington and Commercial Banking leader. “As the parent of Black children, I appreciate their ability to help my daughter celebrate her natural beauty and heritage and develop a sense of confidence related to her unique identity.”

The Academy is playing a key role in creating a ripple effect, he adds. “They are helping inspire entrepreneurs to build a financial future through small business ownership, while becoming a catalyst for change in the community.”

About KeyBank  
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion at June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

CONTACT: 
KeyBank | Laura Suter | 206-343-6953 | laura_suter@keybank.com

###

Taco Bell Blog

National Hispanic/Latin Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, is dedicated to showcasing the brilliant Hispanic/Latin culture. These grand celebrations include art exhibitions, music performances, parades, street fairs and more!

The observation started on September 15, 1968 as a weeklong celebration and expanded in 1988 to a monthlong commemoration. But why September 15? This date is the anniversary of the independence days shared by Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, also falling close to Mexico and Chile’s independence days on September 16 and September 18.

To honor this momentous month, we’re spotlighting members of the Hispanic/Latin community and their inspiring career and life journeys.

Brina R. (She/Her/Hers) – Associate Manager, Human Resources, Taco Bell International

Hispanic/Latin Heritage month is all about celebrating the diverse cultures that make up this community of people. For Brina, it’s a moment to showcase her pluralistic roots, which has made her who she is today.

“I love that I can bring these two cultures together in my household, showing my family what it means to be a Guatemalan living in the United States. Celebrating the warmth of the Hispanic/Latin culture, the delicious food, music, talents, as well as the adversities we have overcome is what makes this month so special.”

Brina was born in Guatemala and moved to the United States when she was five years old. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley in California, surrounded by American and Guatemalan traditions. Since high school, Brina enjoyed helping people learn new things and grow their careers. Little did she know these two worlds would collide in her role on Taco Bell’s Ibero-America HR team supporting franchisees.

“Growing up in a Guatemalan household and living in the United States, I never thought I would be able to apply my culture in my career. I’ve always been proud of who I am, so working on the international team and using my background to connect and communicate with others gave me a new perspective.”

When Brina first started on the international team, she knew Spanish would be part of her daily discourse. She was confident in her skills, but what she didn’t expect was how much business would be conducted in Spanish. This ended up becoming a goal for her to work towards.

“I grew up speaking Spanish my entire life, so there was no doubt that I was fluent in it. But the more time I spent working in Spanish, I knew there was a level of mastery I had to aim for. I had an American accent and didn’t know every word, especially corporate terms.”

Although she knew the language, Brina started second-guessing herself. She had to change her mindset to fully appreciate her bilingual skills.

“I knew I had to sharpen my skills, so I started surrounding myself more with Spanish. I watched more Spanish TV and read the language to better understand grammar and improve my writing skills. I jumped at every opportunity to speak Spanish to get more comfortable with it. Being in the role for several years now, I can look back and be proud of how much I have developed and the opportunities I have been a part of. I am also grateful for my team’s support along the way!”

Being on the international team has also changed the way Brina views people and their individual journeys.

“This role has made me more compassionate for others in all aspects of life, whether it be understanding their family history, their drive to pursue an education, or the passion they have for Taco Bell. It has also expanded my understanding of the Latin American culture, giving me a deeper appreciation for the diversity that is around us.”

At the same time, her biggest source of inspiration and empathy is her family.

“My husband pushes me to pursue my dreams and believe in myself. That is what I want to do for my son as well. I want to give him everything that my mom was able to give me. But more than anything, I want to teach him to be proud of who he is and raise him to dream big.”

If Brina could share one piece of advice to those going through a similar experience, it would be this: “The struggles our parents went through to raise us in this country are what makes us stronger. It’s not the typical life you may think of, or what you see on TV, but what you go through are the strengths you have. Be proud of them and don’t forget them.”

Check out more people stories!

Keurig Dr Pepper’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Interim Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Monique Oxender, joins ESG Talk host Mandi McReynolds to talk about the intersectionality of ESG and creating synergies within business, governance, and communities. They discuss the importance of connectivity and alignment across departments to ensure long-term impact.

Listen Now

Looking for more? Subscribe to the ESG Talk podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, and YouTube.

AUSTIN, Minn., October 6, 2023 /3BL/ – Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company known for its commitment to sustainability, recently had its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company has committed to reduce absolute GHG emissions from its operations 50% by 2030 from a 2019 base year. Hormel Foods also commits to reduce absolute GHG emissions within its supply chain 27.5% within the same timeframe.

The company’s ambitious targets are in line with the trajectory established during the Paris Climate Agreement to limit average temperatures rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“We are proud to announce these ambitious targets to help fight climate change,” said Tom Raymond, director of environmental sustainability at Hormel Foods. “It is going to require all team members, partners and supply-chain members to reach these goals and continue to decarbonize every part of our value chain.”

The company has already taken a variety of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including its energy efficiency and reduction efforts. In 2022, Hormel Foods increased its procurement of domestic renewable electricity from less than 10% to 100% through Power-Purchase Agreements that generate over 936 million kWh hours during 2022. For these efforts, the company has received awards from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Resource Solutions.

Additionally, Hormel Foods received a ProFood World Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Award for its efforts to reduce water and energy at its progressive processing plant.

For more information about the company’s 20 By 30 Challenge and environmental stewardship efforts, please visit the 2022 global impact report here.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS – INSPIRED PEOPLE. INSPIRED FOOD.™

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters®, SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus®, Jennie-O® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the “Global 2000 World’s Best Employers” list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine’s most admired companies, has appeared on the “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world’s most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

Originally published by Pepco

Life moves quickly and often presents new challenges and opportunities where least expected – a truth that Ashanti Hunt is familiar with.

Ashanti, who lives in Washington, DC, attended Bethune-Cookman University and played professional women’s basketball in Kuwait and Mexico from 2020-2022. Fresh off winning a championship gold medal in May of 2022, Ashanti decided she needed a change. “I usually come home after each season and get a part-time job to hold me over between seasons”, said Ashanti. “But my body has taken a beating after a couple of surgeries and I can’t do this forever, I need more stability.”

Ashanti was invited to a Ward 7 job fair where she met Brittny Pinto, Workforce Development manager for Pepco, who shared information about the Pepco Utility Training Program at the DC Infrastructure Academy (DCIA), which is designed to enhance technical, academic, and workforce readiness skills for entry-level positions within the energy and utility field. Ashanti was all in.

“Her dedication to finding and capitalizing on that opportunity for a better future was evident,” said Brittny. “Ashanti’s future is bright and with her drive and dedication, she’s unstoppable.”

Ashanti never considered the utility trade as a path for her, but she was able to make a seamless transition using the discipline she learned from her many years in professional sports. Persistence pushed her through the 14-week program which introduced her to new skills, such as flagging for road-side construction protection, first aid, and how to operate a bucket truck. She also prepared for and passed the challenging Construction and Skills Trade (CAST) exam through the program and refined her resume writing and interview skills.

“Ashanti was a standout participant in the program,” said Eric Borden, manager of Electric Operations Training for Pepco. “Throughout the program, she showed a high level of maturity, consistent engagement, and curiosity about the industry which was impressive. We were excited to have her as a participant and even more excited to see her successfully graduate,” he added.

Since completing the Pepco Utility Training Program at the DCIA, Ashanti has accepted a position with Pepco as an Overhead Apprentice Line Mechanic. While she still wants to participate in basketball, Ashanti says it would be more on a community level, as her new career is her primary focus.

Pepco and Exelon have proudly supported DCIA since its launch in 2018. The Pepco Utility Training program is intended to help meet the need for skilled infrastructure professionals in Washington, DC. Successful program graduates are offered positions with Pepco or one of our contractors in the region. As of February 2023, the program has graduated 196 District residents, helping them move into new life-long career paths. Learn more about the program here.