Meet Lola Adeyemo | TEDx Speaker, Author and Employee Resource Group (ERG) Expert

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lola Adeyemo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lola, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had never really seen myself as an entrepreneur, My husband and I started our first company in 2016, but I didn’t ever consider being full-time at the beginning. But then, things started changing and shifting. I was a corporate employee, who I had always been until I wasn’t, and I wanted to do many different things! I set out to figure out what would happen if I peeled back the layers to reveal my purpose and did what I wanted to do. Solve the problems I cared about? Develop the solutions I was not seeing? I took one step at a time in the direction I wanted, and I am still doing that.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am an Employee Resource Group (ERG) Expert and don’t use the word expert lightly. It does not mean I know everything there is to know exhaustively, but It means that is my passion, and I support the entire lifecycle. As a corporate employee, my ERG experience was a huge part of my experience, and I didn’t see enough focus on supporting the ERG leaders both internally and externally. I wanted to change that. It was not an easy decision to focus on ERGs; first, although I was passionate about ERGs and their success, it was something I saw as a hobby, and I didn’t see a business path there.

What is an ERG? ERG is an acronym for Employee Resource Groups. There are multiple variations of this acronym that companies use but refers to the same thing – there are internal communities within the workplace that are built around different identity intersections e.g gender, ethnicity, life transition stage etc. My book and Podcast community is called “Thriving in Intersectionality”. My work is all about a focus on guiding professionals to thrive in the corporate workplace by finding communities of belonging.

Eventually, when I stopped resisting and accepted that I wanted to focus on ERGs then began the HOW journey. Determine all the touchpoints and areas where this support can be impactful and craft my offer; in this case, my signature ERG optimization workshop and my keynote talks. I had many conversations with ERG leaders, DEI leaders, and other DEI professionals. I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and what I could do but didn’t enjoy.

I changed my title a few times and did coaching programs, but ultimately, I am learning to lean into the freedom to explore this journey. It’s okay to change, I need to continue learning, and I can only improve and fine-tune my services. No entrepreneur will have the same path as you, everyone is an expert on their own journey but you have to figure out your own path. Take what you will from each person’s journey and make your own path.

What I am most proud of? so many things! The “Community of Global Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)” on Linkedin was started from an idea for a missing community and the friendships and partnerships that have brewed from the monthly calls; Giving a TEDx talk that involved a lot of vulnerability and sharing my story; Becoming a published Author! All of these while spending so much more time with my kids than when I was in corporate. I can’t capture all that sufficiently. It all started with taking bold steps.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1: Start quietly. One of my favorite neighborhood coffee places to start – Blue Mug Coffee. Then a the beach on a weekday midday is a must for a quiet Day 1. Actually, hear the waves! take a nap, and have a conversation to the sound of the waves at Carlsbad beach (I live in Escondido so North SD is a start). Then wrap up the self care day with dinner at Vintana Wine + Dine inside Lexus of Escondido.

Day 2: Making the way down, a sightseeing trip to La Jolla for a view from Mt. Soledad and a beach walk then dinner somewhere downtown La Jolla. Spice and Rice Thai is one of the spots my husband and I love for a casual no fluff authentic Thai cuisine.

Day 3: We have to have a Coronado Day! No SD without crossing the bridge

Day 4: If we make our way downtown Hornblower cruise view will capture the history and details that I probably cannot do justice to. A stop at The Mental Bar in Encanto is not to be missed though (My lavender tea or lemonade and the cheese/guava pastry). One of my new favorite discoveries.

Finally, some downtown love to visit Balboa park and check out night life in Little Italy

I guess it’s a lot about the outdoors, the view and sights and I am not as picky about the food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Two Organizations in San Diego where I started as a volunteer and then got on the board of directors – my first board experience in the same year PMI San Diego and HBA San Diego. I am especially grateful for the HBA/CSweetner partnership that allowed me to find mentors outside of my corporate organization who shared their insights and pushed me out of my comfort zone. One, in particular, Lisa Serwin (whom I have never met except virtually), was key to me stepping up and making some bold decisions at my company and encouraged me when the time came to step out. I am also grateful for the ATHENA San Diego community of women in STEM. Having that network and the resources was key to taking some bold steps.

Of course, I did have (and still have) a few women, Anu Iwanefun, Dr. Dami Akani, Carrier Sawyer, Sarah Bacerra, Dr. Tosin Musa, Adetola Winters, and many former managers and mentors who were and still are voices in my ears. When I doubt myself, worry about money, have business strategy questions or personal dilemmas, and need those objective perspectives? I know they are always a text or call away and I have leaned on them.

Website: www.lolaspeaker.com

Instagram: @EQImindset @ImmigrantsinCorporate

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lolaaadeyemopm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lola.adeyemo1