In this podcast, I talk to my friend, Joy Mason, CEO and founder of Optimist Business Solutions, and the founder of The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute™ (SSREI), which is an innovative leadership program designed to upskill Black Women to be complex problem solvers. We discuss her background in continuous improvement, why she started Optimist after her retirement (and why she named it Optimist), what led to the creation of SSREI, along with some project examples. We discussed the importance of data, especially for identifying and reducing inequities. She discusses some of the books she’s written and why she wrote them. She also provides excellent suggestions for others looking to tackle equity issues in their company or local community by focusing on processes, instead of trying to drive out bias from every individual. I apologize in advance for the audio, my WiFi was poor, and I had to call into our interview, so the video does not match my audio, and it can get choppy at times. Fortunately, the audio was much better for Joy, which is the most important part of this episode. The full video can be seen below, or go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev6o8tMMXcU Links * Email: [email protected] * Joy Mason – LinkedIn * Optimist Business Solutions * The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute™ * Books * 5 Steps to Sustainable Solutions for Women In Business * Purpose – A Shift from Driving It to Embracing It * Article about Joy’s grandfather’s award: Article #1 | Article #2 | Photo * * Recent article about SSREI If you enjoy this podcast, please follow us on your favorite podcast app.