Our guest on Episode No. 5 is a man whose background is almost as diverse as his view of the world. A former Captain of the United States Air Force, Chris Moreland is a guy with corporate experience that includes selling fossil fuels, soft drinks, financial services, travel, software and now healthcare. He currently holds the position of Chief Inclusion and Diversity Advocate at Vizient, one of the nation’s premier healthcare companies.
He’s a man on an absolute mission to change people’s lives by giving them a broader perspective about other human beings, and he won’t let anything stop him from doing just that. Tune in as our host Brian Burkhart gets the full scoop about the childhood struggles Chris endured as a young African-American, the importance of finding your life’s purpose early on and his mission to change the way human beings see one another.
INTERVIEW NOTES:
:50 — Far more than a football story
3:24 — A mission that includes everyone
3:53 — You don’t want to hit the gym with this guy!
4:37 — Who needs a shirt with a suit?
6:47 — Grit and determination are key ingredients for persistence
16:24 — There is no script to life
17:14 — If you’re not the popular kid, you can’t let that define you
19:58 — The Tale of Two Languages: Neighborhood vs. School
23:49 — Your experiences create a view of the world that you carry through life
25:31 — One of the quickest, most effective ways to form a leader
27:31 — Double life: Closeted homosexuals have been part of the Military for decades
34:26 — Half serendipity, half choice led to current position of Chief Inclusion and Diversity Advocate
36:20 — “Eventually, I want to grow up and be white…it was too difficult for me to be black growing up”
38:24 — “I felt like I was buying my happiness”
39:42 — Pissed at life: An all-time rock bottom
43:13 — Time to find life’s purpose
44:16 — Chris’ life purpose: Changing people’s lives by giving them a broader perspective about other human beings
46:34 — Who are we to shut down people’s dreams of a better life?
48:32 — People like Chris are meant to help others who can’t (or haven’t) see things in a new way
49:35 — You cannot blame another human being for their backgrounds and perspectives
54:08 — “I will never show up unauthentically ever again…I will not hide myself, I will not cover up who I really am”
56:58 — “Find out why life was breathed into you as early as you can in life and be that person as often as possible”
1:01:44 — The bumps along the road are opportunities to learn and grow
1:05:38 — Achieving diversity and inclusion doesn’t happen naturally — it requires hard work
1:12:03 — More resources to help with diversity and inclusion
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