An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Acknowledging diversity is part of creating strategic solutions. Round Tables and War Rooms with diversity open realistic conversation, cultural awareness and ideation.
As a part of our series about “How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Donjia Gale.
Donjia Gale is a business woman, media host, and public speaker. In 2002 her entrepreneurial journey began, and in 2017 she founded Donjia Gale Enterprises, specializing in brand development, artist management digital marketing. Gale’s early career experience ranges from telecommunications, banking, sales, marketing and wealth management at Fortune 500 companies, to on-air radio host, beauty and health brands, and production at such non-profits as the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. This diverse background served to groom her and culminate in what she ultimately does best: enhance and connect brands, consult and empower individuals both personally and professionally, and shine as the media presence.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into the main part of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you share a bit of your “backstory” with us?
Oh, that’s a novel in progress! [laughs] I have an eclectic background in corporate, business, entertainment and media. I have worked with Inc. 5000, Fortune 500, Private Jet Companies, Wealth Management Firms, Cinema Advertising, Women’s Broadcasting Network, Beauty Distribution and more. I grew up in an awesome, two-parent home in Colorado. I was a debutante, spent summer with my grandparents on the railroad, played volleyball and attended CSU prior to beginning my career. Each role has played a significant piece in exercising my natural talents in communication, consulting and visionary leadership. I have the gift of being the mom of two brilliant, extraordinary beings who have a passion for life, beautiful minds and many talents. I also enjoy travel, family, friends, flowers, and living life in love and luxury.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
One of the most interesting stories is my faith-jump to LA. Growing up watching 90210, Beverly Hillbillies, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Girlfriend, and countless films, LA was in my mind and has a place in my heart. In 2018 I was working with a cinema advertising company as a project manager and a role in LA kept being presented to me, but it was in sales. Though I have been heavily recruited in sales, it is not my favorite area of work. But this time my heart for LA was stronger than my dislike for sales, so I applied and was promoted to the role and on to a huge, unexpected adventure. I cried, laughed and prayed more than ever through this transition. Months in Airbnb’s in all kinds of neighborhoods while seeking a place to live, experiencing the Hollywood vibe and character of the city all while learning a new team and sudden layoffs happening at corporate. Oh, and a whole lot of changes happening in my family simultaneously! The uncertainty of a job in a brand-new state, rent 3–4 times higher, traffic and so much more all happening while learning and thriving in my new role in a fast-paced place. Shortly after arriving, the layoffs hit my team and I found myself in Beverly Hills with no job and absolutely no idea what was next. This was my grand re-entry into entrepreneurship in entertainment!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you tell us a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
“Be present and present yourself as the gift you are, a present of the present.” This quote is the absolute go-to for all things. Right now is all we have, every right now leads to the next. Being present allows me to experience life instead of reacting to plan for it. When I was broken, I had right now, the opportunity to breathe, think, change, create and shift my circumstances. When I am well, personally, professionally, financially, it’s the exact same. I embrace and respect right now, the present for all that it is and the power of what it is becoming.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
The first person that came to mind is my dad. His tough love, transparency, dedication and loyalty in leadership and our family was incomparable. Not perfect, yet remarkable, my dad is loved and remembered by many. I practice so much of what he taught me in leadership daily. He always said, “Be a leader, not a follower,” which has emphatic meaning to me on many levels.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
My bespoke consulting company is a collective of truth, transparency, reality and accountability. When working with clients I am often thanked for my insight and solution-oriented strategies. I am a solutionist and creative consultant. I ignite intention and action, ideation and awareness, sharing angles clients may have overlooked or ignored which turn into strategies that yield residual results personally and professionally. I am working with a writer as a client right now who recently shared with me an entire episodic collection that was created through our session. Through each interaction I activate my gifts and skills differently. It’s rewarding to see the results and the highest good for all in practice.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Last year I slowed down significantly in working with clients one on one. The world of “service” can be exhausting. There were significant changes I had to make within my team. I felt led to shift into new workspaces where I enjoy my days more and business consulting with executives and groups vs. one-on-one clientele, which is more of what I do today. In addition to that, I’m working on two fun projects. I am cofounder of the Embodi App with Karen V. Ritchie (in Canada) which emphasizes ethical healing in love and luxury. We have taken our consulting and healing work and put it into a dynamic space to practice real time with real results and with diverse, power-packed perspectives. I love working in entertainment. Artists continue to reach out to me, so I recently collaborated with Kalea Rae and Lala’s Listens in creating a Talent Collective called Curating Culture where we host events, share talent with producers/engineers and teach artists the best practices in gaining more exposure and moving forward in their passion and career. In time we will become the top talent pool for mainstream producers, agencies and those seeking new talent!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
It’s the entire core and mantra of who I am and what I do naturally. “To ignite intentional action in millions throughout the world in all I do, for the highest good of myself, my family, my teams and the highest good of all.”
Okay. Thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. This may be obvious to you, but it is not intuitive to many people. Can you articulate to our readers five ways that increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line?
I’m going to answer this with more transparency than I have in the past. This is a hot topic right now and my thoughts come from experience and observation.
I’ll start with this: it’s beyond troubling that “increased diversity” in the 21st century is an issue or goal for companies. It should be natural thought to desire different perspectives, outlooks, troubleshooting strategies and faces in every environment. The lack of truthful education and awareness about the origin of many ideas, concepts, inventions, perspectives and inspiration is a key flaw in our society. If our education and corporate solutions integrated reference to the truth and power of diversity, this would be obvious and outweigh judgment, racism and prejudice in every arena personally and professionally.
Acknowledging diversity is part of creating strategic solutions. Round Tables and War Rooms with diversity open realistic conversation, cultural awareness and ideation.
Increased diversity increases awareness and decreases sensitivity to the unknown. Collective and collaborative conversations spark realistic results. User generated content through web and social platforms proves this, the consumers get to speak to what works for them, which proves diversity delivers data that yields balance and qualitative actions.
Increased diversity is educational in and of itself. People come from home to work, school and play with the knowledge of their own upbringing, the sound of familiar conversation and ways. For me growing up in a very nondiverse neighborhood, where there were very few who looked like me, naturally forced the awareness to learn others and be opened to hear, listen and even practice ways that were like and unlike mine, which leads to my next point.
Diversity includes mental, physical and cultural variety. Creating environments that are conducive in these areas assists in eliminating limiting beliefs. Environments with increased diversity yield natural study and activate intuitive study which opens awareness, communication and understanding. It also activates actualization and thinking based on what is heard and observed in real time verses what may have been assumed, taught or coercively persuaded based on history, error thoughts and bias.
What advice would you give to other business leaders to help their employees to thrive?
Be more understanding and flexible in personal and professional life balance. The better your employees are feeling in their home/personal life, the better they will be at work in performance, attitude and effectiveness. Allow the time off, the days to pick up the kids and flexible in and out times with hybrid workspace as an option. The results and energy exchange are immeasurable. Listen more with your eyes closed… You can hear the depth, frequency and absolutes through sound and voice. Allow the energy and frequency of individuals to be heard and felt far before color, thought and cultural assumption.
What advice would you give to other business leaders about how to manage a large team?
Large teams need leaders with experiential knowledge and different styles of leadership in addition to expertise. I respect credentials, yet far too often leaders’ lack of diversified experience, awareness, approach and optimism creates closeminded and dense environments. Leadership requires more than years of experience. The qualities of leadership are diversity in thought, action, ideation, communication, execution and strategy. Companies are always looking for ways to increase their profits and RIO. Increased diversity is a solution. Without it there is a vast amount of money, talent, growth and opportunity that is being missed, silently killing the bottom line.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this.
I am not one who is in “awe” of human beings. I am in awe of the Most High and which expresses itself though us. With that said, I listen to the success stories of many with intrigue in how they navigated their biggest challenges. Most people are looking at the influence and fame. I want to hear the real story. Tamron Hall, Alicia Keys, Kris Jenner, Jessica Alba, Idil Ahmed, Jessica Holtz and Will Smith, to name a few.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I am transforming my work and talents into more of a lifestyle brand. People have been asking for years how I do it and now I’m going to share it. They can visit DonjiaGale.com to learn more about me and my new content, which is coming soon! And @LoveDonjia on IG and @DonjiaGale on all other social platforms.
Thank you for these excellent insights. We wish you continued success in your great work.
Donjia Gale On How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
