Blog
Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, provides expert insight to the job search process that puts your career in gear with tips for interviewing, networking, job search strategies and how to create a winning resume and cover letter.
The Vital Role of Black Entrepreneurship in US History
Black-owned businesses have a long and rich history in the United States. But today, minority-owned businesses have a harder time getting access to capital and, therefore, have higher rates of failure compared to white-owned businesses. The plight of minority businesses in the US is finally being recognized and addressed. In 2024, the federal government put $30B into a Small Business Opportunity Fund for minority-owned businesses. In the wake of social protests in 2020, companies like Citi and JPMorgan Chase pledged millions of dollars in funding to uplift Black and Hispanic-owned businesses. These actions are the first steps on a long road to equitable opportunity for all businesses….
Why DEI Matters for Everyone
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are on the chopping block, which should concern everyone. One by one, DEI programs at some of the country’s biggest companies began falling apart in 2024, and efforts to reverse DEI initiatives are ramping up in 2025. Major companies, including Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Ford, Toyota, Meta, and Amazon, heeded the calls and dialed back their DEI programs, particularly after social media-driven campaigns by conservative influencers. This means ending racial training programs for staff and evaluations designed to boost supplier diversity and withdrawing from the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index….
What Companies Get Wrong When It Comes to DEI
Ask any CEO about DEI, and they will inevitably say that DEI is a key business imperative. But make no mistake, companies do not implement DEI programs out of altruism. Businesses started caring a lot more about diversity after a series of high-profile lawsuits rocked the financial industry. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Morgan Stanley shelled out $54 million—and Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch more than $100 million each—to settle sex discrimination claims. In 2007, Morgan was back at the table, facing a new class action, which cost the company $46 million. In 2013, Bank of America Merrill Lynch settled a race discrimination suit for $160 million. Cases like these brought Merrill’s total 15-year payout to nearly half a billion dollars. In short, CEOs care about DEI because not caring costs them – big time….
Building a more inclusive workplace
I recently received this question from a client:
I am in the final rounds of interviews for a new position in my field. The work is exciting, the company is growing, and the compensation is well within my desired range. I am nervous about undergoing a background check. I am concerned that verifying my education is going to raise some issues with them. I am transgender and conferred both my undergraduate and graduate degrees under my previous name, Stephanie. I’m now a man, and I go by Stephen. I dread the thought of having to explain myself to total strangers (yet again) and justify my identity. What should I do?….