Last month, I had the privilege to speak before Meeting Professionals International – Rocky Mountain Chapter (MPI). I was introduced to MPI through a series of very happy coincidences and I’m so glad I know the value they bring. These are the folks who make events happen. From conferences to expos, they help you choose […]
During spooky season, we talk about our fears. One thing that scares all of us is starting something new. I invite you to start something that scares you this October. It’s fun to plan, to brainstorm, to dream. The fear creeps in when you have to do the things you’ve planned and dreamed. I’m often […]
You’d think the title of this newsletter would be a no-brainer. But one man found himself stranded overnight on a Colorado mountain after his co-workers made the descent without him, leaving him behind! Readers, there are much better ways for a leader to deal with a team member who isn’t performing to team standards. Let’s […]
In Latin America, business relationships start with making friends. I met the Asociación de Pymes, Microempresas y Emprendimientos (APPCE – Colombia) and the APPCE President, Edgar Felipe Arcila on my Trade Mission to Colombia in March. APPCE helps Colombian micro and small business entrepreneurs scale their online businesses. In this interview, we deepen our friendship […]
Congratulations! We have made it to the middle of the year. June is a great time to take inventory of your year thus far and start to make plans for the remainder of the year and beyond. Here are some tasks you should consider as we head into the second half of the year: Budget […]
Last month, McCord Consulting Group was one of 64 companies invited, as an export-ready company, to participate in the U.S. Commercial Service Trade Mission to Panamá, Costa Rica, and Colombia. MCG met with companies in both Panamá and Colombia that were ready to do business with McCord Consulting Group. This was a career-changing experience where […]
As we close out the first quarter of 2024, I am seeing a lot of teams focus on their abilities to work together and strategize as we get deeper into the year. Many teams are setting short-term goals that will help them realize successes as we race to the middle of the year. Here are […]
McCord Consulting Group was featured in the February 2023 issue of Panamá Cyberspace News. In the issue, I talk about how I embodied the tenets of courage, confidence, and fearlessness as I expanded my business to Panamá. Read the feature by clicking the picture below. For more information about hosting a keynote with your team, […]
McCord Consulting Group turns 10 years old this month! Thank you for being a former client, thank you for being a future client, and thank you for your support through the years. As McCord Consulting Group expands into Panamá and McCord Speaks continues to grow, I wanted to give you this little video treat to […]
I am excited to introduce you to McCord Speaks, a new offering from McCord Consulting Group. McCord Speaks allows me to talk to audiences and encourage them to break free of the status quo to advance to their next level of development. McCord Speaks launched in September 2022 and the response has been fantastic. Here […]
I am proud to introduce you to the newest branch of McCord Consulting Group. I have opened a branch in Panama and I am excited to tell you more about the business consulting offerings that will be available there. This is a dream several years in the making and I am thrilled to offer the […]
I was excited to continue my conversation with Drew McLellan of the Agency Management Institute about DEI in the public relations industry. If you missed the first interview on the ROI of DEI, you can catch it here. In this podcast episode, Drew and I have a frank and informative conversation about creating a DEI […]
Disposing of your trash in Boulder, CO is a multi-step process. In most public areas there is a receptacle for recyclables, compostables, and landfill trash. It normally takes me about 45 seconds to survey my refuse and make sure I am choosing the correct receptacle. It’s not an inconvenience and I’ve become more adept at […]
Agency Management Institute (AMI) is the organization for marketing and public relations agency owners. Through their network of agency owners, they “provide a safe, confidential and supportive environment in which to learn, explore and successfully master business best practices so they can build profitable, sustainable and widely respected agencies.” I was introduced to AMI founder, […]
While facilitating a workshop, an attendee asked me what they should do if the CEO’s desire to embrace diversity, equity, and diversity does not match the Board’s willingness to implement DEI policies. It is the responsibility of the Board to set the direction of the organization. Through strategic planning and visioning, the Board defines what […]
I am excited to work with the Boulder Public Library to facilitate a discussion about Ijeoma Oluo’s book, So You Want to Talk About Race. Ms. Oluo will be providing an author talk in November. My session, A Deeper Dive into Examining Questions from “So You Want to Talk About Race” will examine questions […]
I’ve been consulting with businesses for nearly a decade on the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But, the topic has become wildly popular to a larger number of individuals in the past three months. Practitioners in this space know that the window of interest for this topic will only be open for so long […]
The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days. Black people of Montgomery, Alabama boycotted the public bus system’s segregated seating system, forcing Black people to ride at the back of the bus. For 381 days, Black people, who constituted 75% of Montgomery’s bus ridership, walked and instituted ride-share techniques (Uber’s concept isn’t anything new to Black […]
After publishing last month’s newsletter, several of you reached out to me personally, asking what you could do to dismantle systemic racism in our country. Here are two actions you can implement today: Take DEI Training Every Year Taking one training on diversity, equity, and inclusion does not make you proficient. Remember how you […]
As the country opens up after being on lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many people and businesses that are ready to get ‘back to normal’. As you take steps to reopen your organization, I challenge you to abandon the term ‘normal’ and look to ways in which you and your business will operate […]
I am eager to resume my newsletter’s focus on workforce and board of director diversity. However, I think there is a more pressing need for information about how organizations can access resources to weather this COVID-19 storm. Please find some resources I hope will be helpful to your business during this economic downturn. Continue […]
In this unprecedented time of global pandemic, I wanted to take some time to provide a message of hope. There will be a lot of changes in the future. All we can hope for is that we remain nimble and creative to find ways to work differently so that we can come through this challenge. […]
Many organizations use the month of January to welcome new board directors and look towards the year ahead. In that forward looking, the organization should also start planning for its annual retreat. The annual retreat usually takes place at the beginning of the third quarter and provides the board an opportunity to benchmark the success […]
In 2014, the #ExeronatedFive (nee: #CentralParkFive) received a multi-million dollar settlement from the State of New York for their wrongful conviction and imprisonment related to the case of the rape and battery of Trisha Meili. Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor in the case, has come under fire in 2019 following the success of Ava DuVernay’s film, […]
How you gonna have a corporate meeting that Beyoncé deems to grace with her presence and not have a single black face in the room?! Reebok learned the hard way that the lack of representation cost them millions of dollars when Beyoncé walked out of the meeting and took her Ivy Park label to Adidas. Reebok denies […]
If you think the #MeToo hashtag is new, or that it was started by Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano, you’d be mistaken. The famous hashtag was first created by Tarana Burke in 2006. Ms. Burke began her hashtag activism when, while speaking to a young girl who survived sexual assault and was at a loss for […]
As of this writing, the federal government has reopened until February 15, 2019. 800,000 federal employees were not paid for over a month during our nation’s longest federal government shutdown. I feel deep sorrow for the employees and contractors who were affected by the shutdown. I hope they all receive their back pay and an […]
Duty of care is one of the fundamental legal responsibilities of a board director. In short, duty of care means that both individual board directors and the board as a whole should pay attention to and care about the organization’s activities and operations. While this seems easy in theory, board directors seem to have a […]
‘Creatives’ is the buzzword that seems to be everywhere in our current lexicon. Creatives describes those who are willing to think outside of the box to make our daily lives more efficient, more effective, and more beautiful. Creatives describe the writers who pen opinion pieces that allow us to understand different perspectives in a language […]
Jack Dorey, Elon Musk, and Papa John are three CEOs who have been in the news lately for going rogue, impacting their companies’ profits and causing headaches for their board of directors. Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, has been criticized for continuing to give Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist, racist, and Sandy Hook denier, […]
I was honored to be asked to present a webinar for XY Planning Network titled How to Promote Diversity within Your Organization. XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are dedicated to serving the needs of Generation X and Generation Y clients. At the end of the webinar, I was […]
Happy Black History Month! The month of February is the month we celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to this country. Customarily, the celebrated are usually long dead, their contributions consigned to the history books. This month, I want to highlight a living black history figure and his connection to nonprofit organizations. The Super Bowl was played […]
Happy New Year! The new year is an exciting time for organizations because they can plan for all of their accomplishments for the year to come. In your planning, you should make sure your board directors have a refresher course on their duties and responsibilities as board members. Board Governance 101 is great for returning […]
Your board directors do a lot of the organization and the annual end of the year Holiday party is a great way to say ‘thank you’ for their service. Invite your board to participate in your organization’s end of the year celebration so that board directors can interact with staff in a relaxed and comfortable […]
It’s important to find ways to energize your board of directors. One easy way to energize your board is to lead them on a tour of your organization’s operations and facilities. Oftentimes, directors are only familiar with the Executive Director and the staff who periodically present at board meetings. Initiating a tour of your operations […]
It’s October so it’s on point to talk about tricks and treats. In August, Black Girls CODE was presented with $125,000 from Uber. Uber is currently in turmoil after allegations of institutional workplace sexual harassment, senior executives fleeing the company, and the departure of former CEO Travis Kalanick who is accused of not addressing the […]
I was interviewed last month to discuss board diversity on the KGNU radio show, PoCo in BoCo. People of Color in Boulder County (PoCo in BoCo), hosted by Nikhil Mankekar and Tracey Jones, takes a look at what it means to be a person of color advocating for equity and representation in Boulder County. According […]
It’s easy to preach what you should and should not do to attain effective board governance. But, when I see it in practice, it makes my heart soar! I have worked with the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center (CJDC) in the past. The organization does amazing work, advocating for juvenile offenders in the State of Colorado. […]
I am excited to be sponsored by the University of Colorado Office of Advancement at this year’s Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute’s annual conference. Check out the announcement below for more details.
I can’t believe we’ve made it to the middle of the year! Congratulations! McCord Consulting Group has been busy the first half of the year. Before I take a much needed pause in June, I try to re-evaluate the first six months and make plans for the second half of the year based upon what […]
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was dragged by the media last month when he said, “We have a board member who is an adviser to the Trump administration, Peter Thiel. And I personally believe that if you want to have a company that is committed to diversity, you need to be committed to all kinds of […]
I am excited to present on the Advanced CNP Track for the Alliance Management Institute in January. I will be speaking to the group about the importance of Board diversity and give practical ways to look at diversity and how to achieve it in your Board of Directors. I am excited to be working with […]
Join us for a discussion about the value of diversity, how a diverse board can actually increase your bottom line, and easy ways to incorporate diversity on your tech board. This session is useful for: ★ Current board directors who want to diversify their board ★ Those who want to learn more about serving on […]
I am so excited for the Cabaret Gala tomorrow night! I am delighted that I am being honored as a 2016 YWCA Community Champion. I am also excited to be grouped with Peter Braun, Sharon Caulfield, and State Senator Rollie Heath. This week, I reflected on what it means to me as a black woman to […]
Only two more days until the big event hosted by the YWCA of Boulder County. If you haven’t purchased your ticket to the Cabaret Gala, do so soon! This week, I am using my platform to reflect on what it means to be a black woman striving to uphold the tenants of the YWCA of […]
It’s hump day! We’re half way through the week! That means it’s almost time for my honor from the YWCA of Boulder County. This week, I am using my platform to reflect on what it means to be a black woman striving to uphold the tenants of the YWCA of eliminating racism and empowering women. Today, […]
This weekend, I will be honored by the YWCA of Boulder County next to some pretty remarkable people. This week, I am using my platform to reflect on what it means to be a black woman striving to uphold the tenants of the YWCA of eliminating racism and empowering women. Today, I will answer a […]
McCord Consulting Group would like to extend congratulations to Nikki McCord’s fellow YWCA Honorees. MCG encourages you to support the YWCA of Boulder County and purchase a ticket! Saturday, February 27, 2016 6 pm – 10 pm Glenn Miller Ballroom, Boulder, CO $100 per person The YWCA of Boulder County invites you to a night […]
Click here for the link! Nikki McCord, McCord Consulting Group Hometown: Dallas, Texas Why is your job awesome? My clients come to me because they are looking to make an intrepid leap in a new direction. My job is awesome because I get to suggest innovative ways of doing business, and then I get […]
March is Women’s History Month! Let’s start the month learning more about Janet Yellen, the first female Federal Reserves Chair. Yellen has an impressive background. After earning her degree at the University of California at Berkeley, she received her doctorate in economics from Yale University. She previously worked at the central bank as an international […]
This week MCG joined the rest of the country celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What struck me during my day of reflection is that one person, partnered with like-minded individuals, was able to change the course of history. It’s quite ambitious to think that any one person has the […]
The MCG team was fortunate to escape the Boulder Flood unscathed. However, many residents and businesses weren’t so fortunate. When fortune smiles on you, it’s nice to do something for others. That’s why MCG is teaming up with the Boulder Small Business Development Center to assist Colorado businesses affected by the flood. MCG team members […]