Five Years, 137,000 Listens: The Unexpected Ways Podcasting Builds Inclusive Global Communities

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Hey difference makers. A quick pause before we dive into the episode. If you've been enjoying these conversations and you want to take the impact even deeper, I'd love to invite you to subscribe to my Substack newsletter. It's where I unpack the behind the scenes insights from each episode of A World of Difference and share practical, thought provoking tools on trauma informed leadership across cultures, inclusive talent development and global organizations. When what the most forward thinking Chros and CEOs are doing right now and how you can make an impact in your workplace whether a nonprofit business or faith based spaces.

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00:01:05
Welcome to the A World of Difference podcast. I'm Lori Adams Brown and this is a podcast for those who are different and want to make a difference. Welcome to A World of Difference where we bring together voices from around the globe to spark change, to foster inclusion and challenge the way we see the world and ourselves. Today's episode is a little different. Today we are celebrating five years of A World of Difference podcast.

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Five years. I don't know what you were doing in early August of 2020, but I was longing for connection. After having been locked down here in Silicon Valley for months in the pandemic and with my social bubble of my family, we still were masking and being socially distanced six feet apart outdoors except for our little family bubbles. And we went to Yellowstone national park because we needed some space from months of being locked down and our little tiny Silicon Valley house, like many of you live in here and in Singapore as well and other parts of the world where real estate is expensive. And so we really enjoyed being outside and I, just weeks before that happened, had been thinking about how I was longing for connection with friends I had left in Singapore just months before, living here and trying to make friendships when everything shut down.

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And so I had been a podcast leech. I described myself as on the system for many years, having listened to podcasts for so long in Singapore on my morning jogs and hort park and on the MRT and throughout my travels for work. And I just began to realize I wanted to start a podcast. It was something I wanted to contribute to, but I wanted it to be a space where I would sit and listen to people who had differences they were bringing around the table and trying to make a difference with those differences, from authors of books I was reading, to people working in nonprofits or starting nonprofits, people who were founders of businesses that were making an impact in their business and with their business, and people working in politics and academia. So I'm a self professed learn it all.

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And in the spirit of learning it all, I want to listen to others, I want to read what you're writing. But I also am a learn it all in the sense that I like to figure out how to do things, new things, challenge myself. And so I didn't have everything figured out about how to start a podcast, but I figured out what I could and with the time and the pandemic of being locked down, had some time to learn the skills of podcasting and just did it. And as I've done other things in life, like learning languages or learning cross cultural skills, or picking up skills, skills in disaster relief and learning how to be a business executive, most of it is I learn from other people as well as just jumping in there and figuring it out myself at the same time. And so that's sort of how this podcast started.

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And I know that many of you are also learn it alls out there where you enjoy listening to the guests who've come on the show. I have had just the honor and privilege of a lifetime to sit on this end of the microphone at asking the questions and listening to the answers. Along with all of you difference makers, you're not only listeners, you're difference makers yourselves. And five years in, we've had over 250 episodes, more than 137,000 listens out there, and a truly global community spanning over a hundred countries and a top 3% global podcast. @ this point, I am just deeply honored and frankly humbled to be here with you at this milestone.

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And when I started A World of Difference, like I said, I had a vision, not just to launch another podcast, but to create a strategic platform for conversations that matter. Deep conversations with change makers, everyday innovators, CEOs, nonprofit founders, politicians who are using their power and their privilege to make a difference and bring all of you to the table to share what you're doing and to challenge us. We've explored everything from reimagining leadership in Silicon Valley to elevating marginalized voices in global workplaces across all industries. We've had guests who are writing books about how to eliminate toxic workplace bullying behaviors in your workplace. We've had guests on who have started whole global organizations for women to help elevate women and get women on corporate boards.

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We've had guests who have worked in D.C. politics, bringing water in Africa, who are making a difference in academia, business, as teachers, in classrooms, as thought leaders, changing systems. And honestly, I have learned so much about leadership just by sitting on this end of the microphone. And I, I think that you have too, because you've told me so. And every one of you that reaches out, whether it's through the personal website I have or through the podcast website and you tell me on LinkedIn DMs or through emails about a particular guest and what it's meant to you, every single time, it just brings a smile to my face because I know that this podcast has always been about including you. You as listeners, you as difference makers, to inspire you as I'm being inspired and challenged to make the world a better place.

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And from our very first episode, our guiding principle has been clear. Inclusion is not just some initiative. It's not words on a wall, it's not words that we say, but it's a mindset and it's a daily choice. And it's an imperative across industries in nonprofit and business and academia and politics. And there it wasn't just that there was a passion project on the side that I was starting.

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It was, and it still is, a part of a larger mission to shape the future of work, of leadership and human connection. And so over the years, as I've had the privilege of sitting down with these thought leaders, social entrepreneurs, authors, executives who are redefining what's possible. I have been changed and it's made a difference for me. Both the people that I've shared as guests and each of you, listeners and difference makers who have shared how it's made a difference for you and how you've shared these episodes with others to have those deeper conversations, which was always part of my why. We've heard stories from leaders in emerging markets building tech talent pipelines and corporate executives shaping culture at Fortune 500 companies.

00:07:28
We've heard of people who are working in law as lawyers. We read books by authors who are tracing their ancestry and trying to figure out what's going on in the past and how that affects our present and our future. And here's what's clear. We lead with courage and curiosity and cultural intelligence. We don't just change companies, nonprofits, politics, classrooms.

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We change communities and we change lives, including our own. This global community, you, the listeners, the difference makers, have been a part of every one of these conversations. Your engagement, your ideas, your willingness to wrestle with the complexity has shaped what this podcast has become. Five years of A World of Difference have taught me this. Inclusion is innovation, and different perspectives around the table really drive creativity and better decision making.

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And so leadership is both local and it's global. It's not enough to just think globally. And at some points, I questioned even having the title A World of Difference in the sense that it might sound too overwhelming and too big, but it's always meant more than just making a difference in the world. It's also about letting your difference shine as your differentiator, as the thing that you bring to the table that the world and that table needs to hear. So it's not just enough to think globally.

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You must listen locally, both to yourself and to those at the table with you. And also, what I've learned is that change is really a team sport. I was really privileged to be on sports teams when I was in my international school growing up. Many of those are still friends, and I learned lessons just playing on sports teams with them and going to championship games across the country of Venezuela and to other international school cities where we played against those teams. One of the things I learned in that was that every player and their role matters and roles and responsibilities being clear is how you win.

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But it also means that the best solutions emerge when everyone has a seat and a say, and so understanding that every part of the team matters and we must listen to each other. As a leader in the talent development space, I've seen firsthand that organizations who embrace these truths don't just survive, but they also thrive. So what's next? Well, we're going even deeper on the podcast. In the next season, you can expect more conversations from underrepresented voices in C suites on the future of work, AI ethics, and leading across cultures.

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Whether it's in academia, nonprofit, as authors, as lawyers, as people working in large and small nonprofits all around the world, leading across cultures, spotlighting underrepresented innovators in tech, business, and the arts. And then also some interactive episodes where you, our listeners, help shape the dialogue. Because the future belongs to leaders who can think strategically, innovate boldly, and include intentionally, as you difference makers know. So before we wrap up this anniversary celebration, I wanna say thank you, thank you, thank you to every guest who shared your wisdom to every listener, who's tuned in during your commute, your workout, and your quiet moments. To every difference maker in our global community.

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You are the reason this podcast exists and has done so well to become a 3% top global podcast. If this podcast has inspired you, challenged you, or helped you lead differently, please share it. I know that many of you have, and you do. Please post about it, tag me, invite someone into the conversation. Because together we can amplify what matters.

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Here's to the next five years into making a world of difference, one conversation at a time. Hey, real quick, before you go. If this episode made you think, made you feel, or made a difference in your day, here's how you can make a difference, too. Send this episode to five people right now. Seriously, five people in your text threads, Slack channel, or group chat who care about making the world better.

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You never know who needs to hear this today. And if you haven't yet, hit that follow button so you don't miss the next conversation. Then scroll down and tap five stars and leave a quick review. I read every single one, and your words help this show reach more difference makers. Just like you.

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Remember, your voice moves mountains. Sharing, rating, and reviewing. It's not just support, it's activism. Thanks for being here, thanks for being you. And most of all, thanks for making a world of difference.

00:11:54
Here on A World of Difference, we talk a lot about what it means to show up with courage, especially when the world tells us to stay silent. But here's the truth. Healing isn't meant to happen in isolation. We all carry stories of joy, of pain, of resilience. And sometimes we need a space that's just for us.

00:12:13
A space where we feel safe to process, to breathe, to be. And that's why I believe in therapy. And that's why I'm so grateful to partner with Better Help online therapy that meets you wherever you are. Better Help matches you with a licensed therapist based on your unique needs, whether you're dealing with burnout, grief relationships, or simply trying to make sense of your story. Because you matter.

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And your story deserves to be heard. As a listener of this podcast, you can get 10% off your first month at www.betterhelp.com difference. Again, that's betterhelp.com difference because you don't have to walk this road alone. Hey, difference makers, quick question. Have you ever felt stuck in your job, like you're meant for more, but you just don't really know how to make that leap?

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00:13:24
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00:14:23
And that sense of belonging and purpose? Well, that's where the magic happens. So if you're ready to go from stuck to aligned, from exhausted to energized, go to LoriAdamsBrown.com CareerPivot and join the Master the Career Pivot course today. And if someone just popped into your mind who's in that messy middle, forward this episode to them. You could be the reason they finally say yes to change.