Should You Do It Just Because Everyone Else Is?

​​There’s something about doing the expected that makes me do the opposite. I didn’t cook the first six months I was married just for that reason. Like why talk about Women’s History Month just because everyone else is doing it? The “month” celebrations feel pandering when companies or politicians wait until a specific month to…

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Charity will Never Bust You

Marc Schulman, owner of Eli’s Cheesecake Chicago continues founder and dad Eli’s tradition of NICE as a business strategy. Marc talks about being a community partner in every sense of the word–in Chicago, with his approach to his team, and building business partnerships. Ohh…and that cheesecake! Key Takeaways Marc carries on the tradition of his…

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So Much for No Pants on Zoom

What’s just out of range of view when you are on Zoom? I have carefully staged a corner of my basement into a 4-foot-wide illusion of professional workspace. Some just use virtual backgrounds. A colleague got a new shower curtain and sets up in her bathroom—the only space in her house with 4 walls and…

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Appearance vs. Identity

Well before Loving, Judge Marylin Atkins, who is multi-racial and raised by African American parents, married a White Roman Catholic priest. They had two daughters, Elizabeth Ann Atkins and Catherine Marie Atkins Greenspan. Both look white and identify as multi-racial and Black.   Mother and daughters joined Intercultural Spark to talk about what it means…

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How to Be the “Someone” in “I Wish Someone Would”

“Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama launch podcast together” shouted a Fox News headline this week.   The project is titled ‘Renegades: Born in the USA’ and it launched Monday, exclusively on Spotify. The show promises to explore their “parallel journeys…their lives, music, and enduring love of America—despite all its challenges.” At the risk of being too…

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There’s an Emoji for THAT?

Did you know if you ask Google “where’s the middle finger emoji?” it automatically appears?   I learned that because of the snow. (Thank you, Chicago snow!) After shoveling the second foot of snow from the driveway Monday night only to find it impassable again Tuesday morning, my friend in New York texted “the snowstorm…

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What Stands Between Us, Diversity Conversation Flash Cards

How many levels of judgment do you experience before you even speak? Starting with a visit to the doctor’s office, Lucky and Deanna share their honest perspectives on daily living in the US, as a Black man and a White woman. Lucky and Deanna will ask each other questions and share personal experiences, and also…

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Familiarity Breeds Comfort

Did you watch the Super Bowl on Sunday? Was it for the game? The half-time show? An excuse to indulge in chips, chili, and beer?    Who am I kidding? It’s all about the ads.   What was your favorite ad this year? Mine was “Drake from State Farm.” The commercial showed Jake from State…

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