The D.E.I. Backlash Hasn’t Changed Mel Gravely’s Story

Mel Gravely published a book in 2021 that he hoped would make it easier for business owners to talk about race. He’s still eager to have those conversations.

Good Morning!

Here are today’s highlights:    

• Why do turkeys get less expensive around Thanksgiving?

• Michael Girdley offers a guide to building a remote team.

• Would paying for weight-loss drugs save money for employers in the long run?

• The SBA is considering placing non-bank lenders under stricter scrutiny.

THE 21 HATS PODCAST

In 2021, Mel Gravely wrote a book, Dear White Friend, that was aimed primarily at fellow business owners: In the book, Mel tried to make it easier for owners to have genuine conversations about race. He suggested strategies for those owners, perhaps motivated by the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, who might want to engage. He acknowledged that emphasizing diversity can be hard work. He acknowledged that some of his own efforts had failed. But he also pointed out that he himself had been, in his words, “an affirmative action baby,” and that that investment had paid off for his college, his previous employers, and the city of Cincinnati.

• It’s been less than four years since Mel published Dear White Friend, but of course that was a very different time. This week, he talks about the backlash that ensued and the strategies he still believes can work for those who don’t consider diversity a dirty word.

• You can subscribe to the 21 Hats Podcast wherever you get podcasts.