Culture Shift: Affecting positive change in an unexpected industry through diversity and inclusion

On this episode of The GoGedders, our host Richie was joined by Rich Ballenger (President) and Richaad Reed (National Account Manager) of Lucas Millhapt. When the George Floyd tragedy happened and BLM kicked into gear, businesses everywhere were quick to make posts to support the movement, condemn racial injustice, and inspire change. ​​As the leader of the company, Rich wanted to do what was right, but wanted to do so in a way that was genuine. He didn’t just want to just put out a statement to go along with what everyone else was doing. So, he did something that’s arguably harder than going with the flow. He reached out to his employees during an all-employee communications meeting and said, “What should I do? What should we do? I’m all ears, and here to support however you need me to.”Rishaad responded, and the result was an Employee Resource Group that sparked a paradigm shift in the company’s culture. Tune into this week’s episode to hear the story – we promise, no matter what industry you’re in or what role you play, there’s something you can take away from this one.