"You are allowed to say 'I don't know'"
Meet Jaz Broughton. She's on a mission to help high achievers create limitless careers
Get to know the faces behind Hustle Crew! Our incredible group of experienced consultants is dedicated to making your workplace, and your world more inclusive.
What has been your journey so far?
I’m a career coach, community manager, and creative connector. I am a lifelong career nerd. I had business cards since the age of 14 and have been working since I was 15. A self-confessed high-achiever I’m always walking towards a goal and love to bring folks along for the ride.
I lead the global product analytics community for Mixpanel and outside of that, I coach high achievers who are ready to embrace their ambition.
Why did you get into diversity and inclusion work in the first place?
I came from real estate to tech super ‘green’ and with eyes wide open. While I loved the diversity of work in the industry, I couldn’t escape the fact that when it came to the diversity of people, one certain ‘type’ was overrepresented.
Having squiggled my way into tech, I dreaded the thought of someone like me; black, British, female, with anxiety, without a background in STEM… looking at all the opportunities and excluding themselves automatically.
My diversity and inclusion work is my way of telling folks they are welcome, showing them they are welcome and working to make the environments just as welcoming and inclusive as they can be. I saw that I could do this through my personal experience as well as my coaching skill; to approach D&I as part of our career journeys, identities and personal development ‚ which led me to Hustle Crew.
What advice would you give to a leader or manager trying to make a change in their workplace?
You co-create solutions with your team just like teams co-create the working culture - Jaz Broughton
Listen. Start with listening. It can be easy to think you’re expected to pluck the answers to all challenges from the sky; you’re not. You co-create solutions with your team just like teams co-create the working culture. You are allowed to say ‘I don’t know’, and you’re allowed to ask the questions (respectfully) but also understand that once you have done that you can’t unhear the answer. So you have a duty and responsibility to do something with it. Take action on your new awareness.
What are you reading, watching or listening to right now?
I just finished watching Netflix’s ‘From Scratch’. The storyline, the acting, the passion and the humanity were riveting. When the credits rolled and Reese Witherspoon’s company was behind it, and Zoe Saldana is noted on production I smiled from the inside.
More stories from women will change the world; that looks like an opportunity, ownership, talent and revenue. This also meant the film addressed race head-on, presented blackness with texture; not a monolith and reminded us that art should just be allowed to just be art. Not be pigeonholed under “feminist films” or “black films”.
Want to work with Jaz and the rest of the Hustle Crew team? Get in touch here.
Future-proof your workforce with Hustle Crew
Would you like to improve your diversity and training programmes within your company?
Do you want to raise cultural awareness and understanding across all communities in your company?
Would you like to retain your top underrepresented talent by supporting them with the best resources?
Welcome to Hustle Crew.
Since 2016, we’ve been providing. Since 2016, we’ve been helping companies like Sky, Stella McCartney and more to become more diverse, through our Recommended Programme — which includes ‘Fostering Inclusion’ and ‘Understanding Bias’ workshops. Navigating conversations about diversity can be challenging, but driving long-lasting change in your company is possible.