When the corporate world lost its charm, our returning guest, Devon Peterika, stepped into the world of entrepreneurship full time. She has traded in her comfort zone to take charge of a cause close to her heart: finding the right companies and roles for Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resource, and healthcare professionals. Devon Michelle Recruiting was born.
Devon Peterika's story is more than just a business chronicle; it's a narrative of understanding, empathy, and empowerment. We delve into the systemic racial challenges faced by the Black community and the grace required to educate those who are unaware.
As we wrap up, we explore the tightrope between personal and professional life, a balancing act all entrepreneurs can relate to. Devon shares her journey to:
Get in touch with Devon here:
The Culture Ministry exists to create inclusive, accessible environments so that people and businesses can thrive.
Combining a big picture, balanced approach with real-world experience, we help organisations understand their diversity and inclusion shortcomings – and identify practical, measurable actions to move them forward.
Go to https://www.thecultureministry.com/ to learn more
If you enjoyed this episode and maybe learnt something please share with your friends on social media, give a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts and leave a comment. This makes it easier for others to find A Dog Called Diversity.
A Dog Called Diversity is proud to be featured on Feedspot's 20 Best Diversity And Inclusion Podcasts
Thanks for listening. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
When the corporate world lost its charm, our returning guest, Devon Peterika, stepped into the world of entrepreneurship full time. She has traded in her comfort zone to take charge of a cause close to her heart: finding the right companies and roles for Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resource, and healthcare professionals. Devon Michelle Recruiting was born.
Devon Peterika's story is more than just a business chronicle; it's a narrative of understanding, empathy, and empowerment. We delve into the systemic racial challenges faced by the Black community and the grace required to educate those who are unaware.
As we wrap up, we explore the tightrope between personal and professional life, a balancing act all entrepreneurs can relate to. Devon shares her journey to:
Get in touch with Devon here:
The Culture Ministry exists to create inclusive, accessible environments so that people and businesses can thrive.
Combining a big picture, balanced approach with real-world experience, we help organisations understand their diversity and inclusion shortcomings – and identify practical, measurable actions to move them forward.
Go to https://www.thecultureministry.com/ to learn more
If you enjoyed this episode and maybe learnt something please share with your friends on social media, give a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts and leave a comment. This makes it easier for others to find A Dog Called Diversity.
A Dog Called Diversity is proud to be featured on Feedspot's 20 Best Diversity And Inclusion Podcasts
Thanks for listening. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Welcome to a dog called diversity. This week I have a repeat guest who I am super excited about, because when she came on my podcast last year, I think she was such an energy and such a joy, and so it's so great to have a back. Welcome, devin Petereca.
Speaker 2:Hey, what a dooboo. I'm going to be my authentic self today, because I only represent me and my brand, and it feels good to be authentic.
Speaker 1:That's all we want, right? Yeah, I'm with it. That's all we want. So Devin and I work together, and she is based in Miami.
Speaker 2:Naples Florida. Naples Florida area.
Speaker 1:Naples, florida, which is a beautiful part of the world, also a bit of a challenging part of the world politically, but we're not here to talk about that.
Speaker 2:I'm waiting for the day that I get to sit down with our governor like can you help me understand? Let's talk about it, yeah. I understand that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you've done some crazy things. Dude Really.
Speaker 2:I got yeah, I got a lot to talk to him about and I literally am genuine, because we frequent some of the same places that I go and I'm like, wait for the day that he walks in. I'm like, hey, how are you doing, governor, let's talk about it. He should be afraid. He should be afraid.
Speaker 1:But I invited Devin back to the podcast because last time, when she was on, we talked about working in diversity and inclusion within organizations, which is pretty challenging. But since then, both of us have left the corporate world and have started our own business and I just wanted to talk to her about all things. You know, how did she decide where to focus her work, how it's going so far, how it's feeling? So it's really. You know, this is a selfish episode, it's for me. So how long have you been running your business, Devin? How long have you been out of the corporate world?
Speaker 2:Well, I've been out of the corporate world actually, but it's been about three to four weeks now. I actually did do some consulting and a little bit of recruiting on the side under a business DPSquare but I closed that out because it was, you know, when I was in Kentucky and I just wanted to start fresh. So I started Devin Michelle recruiting. So I started in May and kind of getting the foundational things in place. You know all the things is great doing a business, but then you got to do the documentation and stuff of the government and all that fun stuff. So I've been, you know, trying to get everything in place to make sure I'm compliant. But Devin Michelle recruiting focuses on recruiting only for D and I professionals, hr professionals and healthcare professionals. And I know the healthcare professional seems like a little whammy in the whole situation.
Speaker 2:But I have a personal experience with the disparity of healthcare and I'm not trying to get mushy today but if you want to have me on for another episode for me to tell you the story. But I lost a son long story short and I saw the treatment of me different in that process versus my white counterparts and it was mostly white nurses. But when I worked in the healthcare field before in the DNI space, I realized that there's a huge disparity for all races out there and a lot of time when you go for a provider they go to the cookie cutter solution of what's in their textbook. But there's some things that you might need to address culturally. There are some things that culturally DNA, genetics, things happen and I'm just a big advocate like my son was diagnosed with well, not diagnosed, he's an active puberty and he needed to see an endocrinologist and the doctor wanted to pump him through a hormones and I'm like let's find a person of color, because I don't think you know what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:He's eight, he was seven at the time and I found the person of color, things like, and then they stopped and took a beat to explain to me you know what Devin? There's two phases of puberty. He's not in the puberty phase that we need to be concerned about, to put hormones in them. We're going to monitor it, have him come back every six months and that's what I want someone that is not doable about and want to dive deeper than the surface to take care of me and my family. So that's why the healthcare providers on there as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that, and you've got experience working with healthcare people as well, so that makes sense.
Speaker 2:I do, I do, and actually, back in the day before I went hardcore into human resources, I actually used to be a clinical research assistant for the cardiologist department at the University of Kentucky and I've worked for Frontier Nursing University in just all these great places where I got to experience relationships and interactions and learn a lot from medical providers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's such a great fit for you and. I'm so excited for you Thank you and to ask you when I finished in my corporate job, I it was like this weight had lifted off my shoulders and I didn't realize how much I was looking forward to doing something for myself, so tell me about that for you.
Speaker 2:So I experienced the same thing and but it was multi level, like when I stepped away from the role, and one thing I will say is research supports that when it comes to DNA professionals, we only hang in a role for like three and a half years because of the mental health stress and all the things that come with it. I've never heard about mental health being so strong until recently in age because you're trying to do a culture shift.
Speaker 2:Well, culture shift actually requires behavior change, so anytime you don't do organization and do it takes time, right, and so people say they may want to do D&I but they may not know how, they may not know what's required, they might not understand the concepts of what you're recommending for best practices. So it's just a little frustrating. It's like you're beating your head against the wall because I've worked for. The funny thing is I realized, you know, as I've been, really when I was assessing like do I really want to focus my own business, I realized that in the D&I space I've been working in it for like 20 plus years, as well as HR, because when I worked in nonprofits I work for disparity in, you know, children's education and all these things with the Center for Family and Community Services and like I'm, like I've been doing no wonder how such a strong passion here right, but to answer your question, like holistically I felt like a 10,000 pound weight has lifted.
Speaker 2:I have so much peace is not necessarily even about a W employer I was with is more of being able to control the narrative of my life and what I will allow to come into my peace and my inner, my inner world, because you know, sometimes we get so caught up in work and just trying to do a good job and trying to figure it out that we forget about us and I'm like I have kids. I want to spend more time with my kids. I want to, you know, and so I've been working since the age of 12. You know, I would do summer jobs until I could do full time and that's kind of what's the political moment for me of like that's tired balls, you know you're right.
Speaker 1:I also think you know you were saying you've been doing DNI for your whole life, essentially. And you know, as a black woman in the US, you're not just doing it in employed work, you're doing it out in the world when you're experiencing discrimination. And you know, even Devin, you always send me little tick tocks or videos or things that illustrate the challenge of black people in the US usually, which I appreciate so much, it's so helpful, and so you're doing that there as well and we're sharing stuff. You're you're helping educate me, so of course, you're tired.
Speaker 2:I don't even realize how much pressure and weight that it's like you are now the educator and all of the things in the space. Like I even had someone drop into my LinkedIn and it's no shade by any means, and it was during Juneteenth and she was like hey Devin, she knew I worked in the DNI space. What do you think about this? We want to do. This represent Juneteenth at our, at our. It was a church service that they were doing honor in it and I looked at the image that I would not, absolutely not, thank her for asking and then so I was about to like try to build her because in me I just naturally like to support people like, oh, let me do it for you and I'm like I don't have the capacity, so I just grabbed like images that she can like glean from by my baby. That was gonna make your whole church fall apart If you go with that image, because, again, I think people want to do the work right, but they just don't know how.
Speaker 2:Sometimes you know and and but I'm thankful for the people that asked the right questions, but being a black woman in the family, with discrimination and isolation and all the things that come with the race and being a woman or my ethnic group. It's exhausting. Like my sons, you know, diagnosed with autism, I'm advocating for him at a school, you know, and all these things, and my daughter has her unique. So I'm constantly in advocating mode and I'm like I just need a whole map. I just want to map.
Speaker 1:Jesus, but you have always been so kind to me and had so much grace with me when we work together. Because I wouldn't understand an issue and I'd be like Devin. Can you explain to me why or how this impacts the black community? And I think one of them was around, you know, trying to work out whether you know what were the rules if you hadn't been vaccinated against COVID. That was one of the ones and I was like Devon tell me about why black people wouldn't want to be vaccinated and of course, that meant we could potentially discriminate with them. And you know you have such grace when a white person comes along who doesn't know, you know you will.
Speaker 2:Yeah, especially if I like you in real life. I don't like everybody in real life, but if I see someone genuinely want to be educated and is generally someone that I care about, I want to be able to be that person for you, cause I don't want you going out into the world being crazy because I care about you. That's like having you walk out with a book of you knows. I mean, I tell you that is so true, oh goodness.
Speaker 2:But people don't usually take the time to try to get understanding. I never, I never forget I was talking to an individual and I was. They asked the question. So it was after George Floyd, about a year and two, and all of a sudden D and I it wasn't cool and the person framed the question and said well, in the US, is it still a bit concern over there with racial issues? Because I was like yo, george Floyd was just documented because we have social media. We've been lynched and dragged from times for decades and decades.
Speaker 2:So it's and that's the other big piece is that, yes, these, some of these things happen in the US and it happens with the casting system and other countries and things like that.
Speaker 2:But when you're not associated with another country or another thing, you need to be open to understanding and not just assume that the way you move in your country is the way that things are moving here and so it's just one of them things that and I think that infuriated me so bad when that person asked me that question, because I'm like, oh my God, the ignorant said this out here, jesus, and and it was like that person that I was speaking to did not comprehend that I was like I wanted to literally punch her Because it was just like you assume. It's okay, we just have it documented now. That's the only difference. Look at, is it Teal? Because he whistled or something at a white woman back in the day and they literally murdered this little boy because they you know he was trying to flirt with a white woman that was married and then she lied about the circumstances. This has been going on for generations my mom's decade generation, my grandmother's and further on. So I'm like when are we gonna get our life?
Speaker 1:together. Yeah, tell me about. Let me try a different question. Starting a business was something I always wanted to do. I had had various experiences throughout my career which just reinforced that I didn't want to be at the whim of decision-making in large businesses. I wanted control over my destiny and much bigger influence over my destiny. But sometimes working out what is the thing that you want to do in the world that makes your heart sing, that gives you purpose and that will also pay the bills- that part.
Speaker 2:I'm a ball on a budget. Yes, it must get paid.
Speaker 1:So how did you come to going um Devon Michelle recruitment Is it? And this is what I want to put out into the world?
Speaker 2:Well, I've always kind of had my side gigs, whether I was teaching dance on the side, private lessons and things like that. The entrepreneurship thing kind of runs deep in the blood of my family. But every time I would kind of get to that finish line I would be paralyzed by fear. And you know, dp Square, when I had that, it was some partnership me and my daughter had. I would only trust it enough to do it part-time, you know, because I was like I didn't have confidence in myself, like I can support anybody to the wills fall off. But when it comes to me being the front-based and this is all my responsibility, I would get fearful. And I realized I'm currently 44 and I was like I want to bet on me. What is the worst could happen. You know worst case scenario I know when the mortgage is due, like I paid my. You know I planned for this moment, so I played paid bills up. Worst can happen. I won't be a publics to make sure my mortgage is paid, but I'm still going to be pushing the recruiting and I'm joking. Things are great, but it was.
Speaker 2:I had to get myself in the mindset Devin, it's time to bet on you and this is a space that just is really passionate to me because I've worked in HR for so long.
Speaker 2:I love the DNI space and then the story that I told you regarding the healthcare piece, and in each of those, like, I don't feel like I have afforded to anymore to do the work, but I want to make sure that I get people placed in the right places and even in that I'm okay.
Speaker 2:If I assess that an employer with a DNI professional just want to check a box, I'm probably not going to work with them, because what I'm not going to do is set up potential candidates in roles that they could be tapped down and experience the mental health challenges that I experienced over the past year, because that was really real for me and you know I didn't know the impact it could have, but now, knowing I do not want that, I want people to take the charge on and be in the healthiest environment, and so that's why it's been my sweet spot that I'm passionate about the industry and the roles, but also that I'm passionate and making sure that people get in the right fit where they're happy, and then, of course, how to find the client needs, so I can deprive you.
Speaker 1:It's so funny. When I made the decision to leave and start my own business, my worst thing like what's the worst thing that could happen would be that I fail and I go back to a corporate job. And that wasn't even a bad thing, really. I've had a pretty successful career for 20 years. So I think sometimes we overemphasize what can go wrong and the fear that we have and especially women, especially women.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's just, it's an innate thing that we do, unfortunately.
Speaker 2:But this was one time that I was like I've done it by everybody else's rules and I've had some poor supervisors in my career to the point that I'm going home crying or frustrated or with anxiety and I'm just like no, I just want my joy back, I want to be happy. And this is why I was like I get, and I actually had the same thought. I was like, well, if I don't do this hardcore, I might as well go back to a corporate role. So let me go ahead and bet on me. So that was kind of my attitude going into it. And then I just kind of went guns blazing and I almost forgot the network of people that I know. I'm like oh my God, I actually know a lot of people in various senior role, leadership, you know, whatever and I'm like let's do this, and it gives me a place that I can still get back into places that I'm passionate about but at the same time, remove me from the stress that I actually can enjoy my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what do I think you can underestimate how satisfying, heartwarming, purpose driven it is to find someone their next step in their role, in their career. But also, you know, work is really important. It gives us meaning, and so to provide that for people is super cool, super cool. And you've got your first job already, which I'm like. You've been at this three or four weeks. You've got two roles that you're placing.
Speaker 2:I'm like what's your name, I'm Deanna and a nurse practitioner role and they're telehealth. So if you know anybody that is in this field that is interested in remote and have multi state licensure when you hear this park as please, set up my website.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, from there, tell us about how people can find you.
Speaker 2:My website is wwwdevinmachelrecruitingcom and after I bought the demoying I realized I probably should have just put dmrcom. But hey, we're here out in these streets, but you can find me on the website and I'll share my email address and everything with you. There isn't Instagram, but I don't wanna focus too much on social media, but I want social media to be a place of education for people of all the things of these spaces that I have a passion about, whether it's leadership, because I think a lot of times, even in supervisors, getting new roles, a lot of times people are promoted into new roles based on their expertise from their previous roles, but the people management is different.
Speaker 2:And there's nobody helped them cross the bridge. I wanna be able to offer that support. I wanna be able to build. I have a lot of ideas that are coming that I wanna be able to provide, things which I'll find out in the future. At least it invites me back, she still likes me, but I wanna be able to close the gap in the deficit and development. I wanna be able to close the gap in representation. I wanna be able to just, I wanna fulfill my purpose and I feel like I can do it more effectively here as a recruiter and a consultant versus being in a role, because D&I just became cool, but three, four years ago, so nobody really understands well D&I mechanism. I mean there are some companies doing it great, don't get me wrong. There are some amazing companies doing it really well that I'm like all MG, but everybody's not there and, with that being said, I wanna help them get there if they want to really get there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that, and you're pretty active on LinkedIn as well. I guess people find me, I am yes, people can find me on LinkedIn.
Speaker 2:I forgot what my? What is it called? The URL, not the URL, not the hashtag. I feel so uncool because I can't remember my handle name there. It is my handle, you handle it. I can't remember. I think it's Devin and Chaturica on there. Put it in the thing for the people.
Speaker 1:I'll put it in the show notes for the people.
Speaker 2:And then it will also. My page is on there as well for Devin and Michelle recruiting us on there as well.
Speaker 1:Brilliant. I'm gonna go check out your website because that's cool. I think you should.
Speaker 2:I will.
Speaker 1:I think it's kind of dope. I will Well. Final question what are you optimistic about now? What are you looking forward to in the future, Personally and professionally? Both Give us both.
Speaker 2:I am looking forward to enjoying my life. Sometimes working in corporate hour, I mean corporate world you work so many hours that you're like, oh, I missed the game. Oh, I'm looking forward and being optimistic about being in those valuable moments with my children and professionally, I am looking forward to being unfiltered.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's the best I am really Because you know when you speak and I've spoken at different conferences or whatever over the series of my careers but you have to always keep in the back of your mind you represent the organization. If they don't agree with that, whatever you got to, there's a push, but I want to be able to be my true, authentic self, share truly how I feel about various topics. You know, even share some of my experience on how to overcome some things or what this feels like for a minority or a person or a woman, whatever the case may be. Those are the things I'm optimistic about. Is that is by my rules?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and that beats the best, the absolute best, yeah.
Speaker 2:Over everything.
Speaker 1:I do want to give you some bad news about running your own business, though, and having time for things. I am working all the hours, and I had in my head not only do I often work really long days and work into the night, and then in my head I always block out Fridays because I want that day to be. Usually I'm exhausted by Fridays. I want to plan stuff, I might want to do some deep thinking on something, and you know, just as an example, tomorrow I've got a coffee meeting with someone doing. I've got a meeting to test some technology for some programs. For next week I've got another meeting with some people. I'm completely failing at that. You know. I thought I could manage my time and everything would be better, and I work on the weekends.
Speaker 2:Well, and I am one of the things I'm doing and I don't know if I'm cutting my money resources off, potentially, but I don't know. But last year was a really rough mental health year for me and because of that I have created boundaries in my life. I too will not be working on Fridays unless it's like a fire emergency, like it has to be ridiculous, right. But I'm willing to give myself Monday through Thursday and do all the things I need to do. But even in that I give myself grace, because what I recognize is, if I'm not good, what? The quality of work that I produce is not going to be good and no one's going to be satisfied. And so I don't know if I'm like you know, hey may not be able to make more income, but right now God has really blessed me in regards to the resources and income that I've been able to make based on my circumstances.
Speaker 2:I was a whole single mom in college y'all, and I am not a statistic and with that I'm just like money's not everything, it's like it's great and you can probably do more, but I haven't even had time to do more because I'm not working all the time, because I'm really just taking the charge of creating boundaries in my life with the business and I'm at the place that if something does become overwhelming that I feel like I'm stretching myself to thin, I will. I'm not afraid to hire somebody. I'm just not, because what I'm not going to do is have my own business in a place that give me most freedom and peace and be stressed out more than I was in corporate America. That's what we're not doing in this season or next season.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I'm going to come back to you in six months. We're going to see how that one's going. And also, I just hired you. You're going to owe me accountable. I will. You did you hired someone? I have an intern starting actually today, on the day that we're recording. I've hired a co-working space. I'm so professional and we're going to go and meet and I'm going to get her started on some of my work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you got me clutching my invisible pearls over here. Yes, you better do it, lisa. Yes, I love it. I'm really excited for you and actually I have to admit, you with a doll called diversity and culture ministry actually were very pivotal in me even considering stepping out full time, and so I just want to say that I appreciate you, because sometimes people are looking at you and you have no idea and you're inspiring someone and you're encouraging someone. So I just want to say thank you, because by you being seen, you step out in faith. I was like yo, I got this, like I'm dope, I got charisma, I can make a tree talk Like I got this.
Speaker 1:You so do, and thank you so much for coming on my podcast again. It's always so delight to speak with you.
Speaker 2:I will never tell you no, sis, I'm just never like where's this from? I would never. We are we are.