Vinny Welsby (they/them) is a world-leading expert on dismantling anti-fat bias and diet-culture, TEDx speaker, and best-selling author. They went from being homeless and abused with self-esteem that was achingly low into the courageous fat activist and change maker they are today. Vinny helps people fall in love with their bodies and is dedicated to shifting the way society views fat bodies.

Follow and connect with Vinny through any of the following:

Website: https://fiercefatty.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fierce.fatty/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiercefatty
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/vinnywelsby
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fierce-fatty-podcast/id1481565570

What is Vinny watching and reading right now?

• F.D Signifier: https://www.youtube.com/@FDSignifire
• Tradwives and the White Supremacists Who Love Them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgQeoMEj0NY
• Dr. Pimple Popper: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgrsF4TYwmrV0QsXb8AoeHQ
• 90 Day Fiance: https://www.discoveryplus.com/

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I first came across Chris Hooten on LinkedIn about a month ago when I had so many thoughts swirling in my head around the silence of so many equity and inclusion professionals in my circles of influence with the ongoing genocide in Gaza. A deliberate choice to uphold a sense of comfort in a job that requires you to be truth tellers and deeply uncomfortable to uphold a sense of integrity. Chris’s perspective that they were openly and unapologetically sharing online felt like the truth that so desperately needed to be said, and so I invited them to join me in dialogue in exploring the dire need for integrity in the work of equity and inclusion, especially for white practitioners who hold a deep amount of privilege and access.

Meet Chris:

Chris Hooten (they/them) is a leading speaker, advisor, and advocate for LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and BIPOC affirming cultures and with over ten years in leadership, advocacy, and professional development, Chris has worked alongside incredible organizations like the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Levy Restaurants, POCIS Seattle, and Bastyr University to build equitable and and accessible organizations. They inspire clients to embrace intersectional neurodiversity to remove barriers and promote success for all. They offer a range of services, including workshops, professional development, speaking engagements, and coaching that solves equity challenges. To learn more about their impact, visit chrishootenconsulting.com.

LinkedIn post from Chris that inspired this episode here.

References from the episode:

Norman Finkelstein - https://www.normanfinkelstein.com/
Maintenance Phase podcast: https://www.maintenancephase.com/
The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Mate: https://drgabormate.com/book/the-myth-of-normal/
Israeli government admits to sterilizing Ethiopian Jewish women: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gave-birth-control-to-ethiopian-jews-without-their-consent-8468800.html

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Today you're in for a real treat, a conversation with someone who has a beautiful capacity to help us all rethink the way we work and the way we resign ourselves to urgency culture, to upholding the systems of white supremacy and capitalism - that keep us exhausted.

I first came across the work of Lydia Philip (she/her) through a series of blog posts she authored for Evenings and Weekends Consulting on rest and urgency culture. I really want to encourage you to take a few minutes to read those posts that are linked below before you jump into the dialogue today to provide a richness of context and insight that Lydia so thoughtfully captures through her words. She's incredibly generous with her approach to work, to liberation, to a world built on possibilities that are rooted in honouring our sense of collective humanity.

Blog series on urgency culture:

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/rest-is-a-social-currency-who-is-banking-it

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/a-state-of-unrest-are-we-perpetuating-urgency-culture

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/how-to-embed-rest-in-your-organization-s-policies-and-practices

https://www.eveningsandweekendsconsulting.com/post/urgency-culture-how-did-we-get-here-and-where-are-we-going

https://ions.ca/resisting-a-rest-how-urgency-culture-polices-our-work/

More about Lydia:

Lydia is passionate about engaging in and contributing to work that is a catalyst for transformative change. She's a gifted storyteller and published writer and researcher, and she's intentional about using her voice to inspire new ways of being together to create thought provoking work and to help shape a more just equitable future.

As the content strategist at Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia, Lydia is energized by her role in meaningful communication, advancing people centered practices, and sharing organizational learnings. Most recently, her writing on resisting urgency culture and prioritizing rest has sparked conversations throughout the country.

She was featured in the Globe and Mail, All Nova Scotia, and she was one of five individuals in Canada selected for a writing fellowship on work and working with the Philanthropist Journal. At heart, Lydia is a creative and caring disruptor, an advocate for centering people in the work always, and a big believer in the power of re-imagining she has the privilege of living near the ocean and many lakes in Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia), the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaw People.

Connect with Lydia through LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-phillip/

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