Brené with Ruchika Tulshyan on Inclusion on Purpose

What It Covers

Brené Brown interviews Ruchika Tulshyan about her book Inclusion on Purpose, exploring actionable strategies for creating workplace belonging through both individual behavioral change and organizational systems, with focus on women of color.

Key Questions Answered

• •BRIDGE Framework for Inclusion: Be uncomfortable, Reflect on what you don't know, Invite feedback, Defensiveness doesn't help, Grow from mistakes, Expect change takes time. This acronym provides leaders with specific steps to develop an inclusion mindset and navigate discomfort when working across differences.
• •Disaggregate Pay Data by Race and Gender: Organizations often celebrate equal pay between men and women overall, but when data is broken down by race and gender combined, women of color earn significantly less. Asian women make 85 cents, Black women 61 cents, and Latinx women 54 cents per white male dollar.
• •Interrupt Interrupters in Meetings: Anyone can politely stop people who interrupt women of color by saying specific phrases like "I don't think she's finished" or "I'd really like to hear her point of view first." This simple practice becomes organizational norm after initial awkwardness.
• •Use Privilege to Amplify Without Centering Yourself: The Marilyn Monroe-Ella Fitzgerald model shows effective allyship: Monroe used her platform to get Fitzgerald booked at Mocambo club by promising to sit front row, but didn't share the stage. Recommend others for opportunities, then step back completely.
• •91% of White Americans' Social Networks Are White: Three-quarters of white Americans have no friends of color, and most people first meaningfully interact with someone different in the workplace. This data explains why many lack tools for inclusive behavior and why intentional skill-building is necessary.