Have you ever felt an instant bond with someone, a quick kinship that was built on a shared POV of the world and experiences? This week’s guests were that for me and I am excited to have learned so much from them and become friendly with them. This week we sit down with Jackie Hernandez, CoFounder of New Majority Ready and Jack Rico, Managing Partner of New Majority Storytelling.
New Majority Ready helps businesses and brands connect with the increasingly multicultural world. We have a frank discussion about the continued lack of diversity in executive leadership, media and entertainment. And we talk about what companies can do to be more intentional on the hiring front to become a more inclusive place to work.
Some of our favorite quotes (along with the timestamp) are below.
On why Jackie co-founded New Majority Ready:
3:54 I think that is one of my missions with New Majority ready. We want to really drive positive change and inclusion through marketing, and it's really by explaining and not just demanding. And so to me, this is all marketing 101. You know, people would say, Well, I don't have Spanish creatives, so I don't need to do Hispanic, and I'm like, OK. It's not just about language, it's about culture. And now, if you look, the biggest growth in the census was multiracial. So you know, there you have to really understand consumer identity. It's about really bringing to light the stats and the numbers, but in ways that advertisers and marketers don't have it glaze over, that they understand and they say, Oh, wow I can grow my business if I empathize with these large groups of individuals who really need to be seen.
On the future of multicultural storytelling:
8:09 - Jack- And it seems like it's not even making a dent. It's because you need to clone Lin-Manuel Miranda a thousand times to have all those clones create content for a generation's worth to actually feel like it's equal representation all across the board. So as much as I love Encanto and what it's done so far. We need about a million Encantos for us to really get that point across.
8:35 Jackie - I was going to say on the flip side, too, I think it's about really how businesses not only have the stories they're telling, but how they communicate them. There are two stories that I really love. One was my big fat Greek wedding and the other one was Crazy Rich Asians. And I am not Asian, I'm not Greek. But I related very much to that whole story in the way the stories were told and the marketing of it. And so I think, you know, when Jack said it's about creating multicultural stories for all of America, we live in that world. You walk down the street of different parts of America and you see people from different backgrounds, but you still relate and it's through human truth and identity.
On how they support each other in life and in business:
12:42 But. I knew that there was a level of joy that you don't get to experience, and necessarily when you're with corporate America, there's a certain sense of freedom to be able to believe in your ideas that your ideas matter and that those ideas are really going to hopefully change the world or improve the world in some sort of contribution. And you know that you have that idea, you just need full support on it. And so for Jackie, I am her biggest fan. I am her biggest supporter. I want her ideas to become reality. But I think with new majority ready, a new majority storytelling, this was the perfect hybrid of how we can come together and use our strengths and skills to create a hybrid that is unique in the marketplace.
On how they find the right client fit:
22:56 And so I won't work with clients that just don't get it because they don't really want to get it. But I have worked with clients at different levels in that other line. And it's really about kind of really helping them understand, and the way to do that is making it relevant instead of making it preachy. I don't think anyone wants to be preached at right now.
On crafting your personal story:
30:54 At the end of the day, we're all telling a story. So because of that, the idea is, look at your life. What in your life is interesting? What ideas have you heard from friends and peers that make it? Where is the conflict that you live in your life? How can we tell that conflict happening? Find a solution to that conflict through art and through storytelling? And the biggest thing to me is just look at your life, see how it's played out. What somebody might say is your story is not interesting. Defy them. My story is interesting, and it takes just a pen or a keyboard to start writing your story. And then hopefully. And I think that the marathon is to be able to pitch as many people that story that somebody will connect with because all it takes is one. Yes, and you're in.
Interview with Jackie Hernandez, Co-founder of New Majority Ready and Jack Rico, Managing Partner of New Majority Storytelling