Voyage Raleigh Article September 2022

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Vernita Stevens.

Hi Vernita, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I am a retired United States, Marine Master Sergeant. When I walked into the recruiter’s office in 1993 and they told me that as an elite fighting force most women don’t make it through the program, I accepted that as a personal challenge. I not only made it through – but I retired- from the program! As a child, I was taught to stand tall and be a voice for others as much as an advocate for myself. An empowered upbringing and facing some barriers involved with being a female Marine sparked me. What I had to overcome, and the knowledge that I gained, fueled my second career as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainer, keynote speaker, and business consultant.

My business, Paradigm of Possibilities, provides instructional training and meaningful conversations on topics like unconscious bias, workplace inclusion, bystander intervention, and navigating difficult conversations.

Entrepreneurship and being a veteran, female business owner paved the way for my current position as the Vice President of DEI in Charlotte.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I can’t say the road has been incredibly smooth, but I can say that I have become stronger with each struggle. I already mentioned being challenged early on at the Marine Corps Recruiter’s office, Hearing people say that I couldn’t do something and me proving them wrong became a regular occurrence and fueled my forward progression.

Last year, I dealt with emotional burnout when finishing my master’s degree. The feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm were so strong that I was nearly crippled. I finished, but it took all the strength I could muster. Please learn from me and prioritize self-care and rest, so that doesn’t happen to you.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as well as Bystander Intervention. My mission is to help organizations ensure DE&I, and that safe intervention is woven into the decision-making process, demonstrated in its mission, vision, values, and operational priorities. I’m known for helping organizations to understand their own, and their team’s, implicit/unconscious biases as well as the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion being key to opening doors to equity and teams feeling respected and valued.

An inclusive workspace starts from within. This begins with modeling the leadership, stakeholders, and board members having those difficult conversations and incorporating strategies that recognize their strengths and embraces the areas that may need improvement that create a welcoming space for feedback growth my passion is helping teams get to the most equitable places possible.

I’m most proud of modeling and teaching true listening. Today more than ever people are talking but not paying attention! When listening, the first thing I do is listen to their goals and desires, where they see themselves in the future, and what concerns they have. I then model active listening and encourage developing a plan, goals, clarity, and a successful strategy to move forward.

Active listening is a skill that I model for the community youth that I proudly work with within my nonprofit organization, The 2P Center of Excellence. In addition to active listening, we aim to bring awarenesses to the importance of Bystander Intervention to create Upstanders in the future. Creating a nonprofit to help our local youth, and also youth across the nation was incredibly important to me and I take pride in the work we are doing.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I envision us continuing to move forward into a more inclusive, equitable world. I’m excited for the time that DE&I is the norm.

Contact Info:

https://voyageraleigh.com/interview/conversations-with-vernita-stevens/