In this episode, Robin and Michael chat with guest Chris Rollins - keynote speaker, community builder, and creator of Ripple Effect Leadership. Join us to learn about creating inclusive and high-trust environments, and the importance of continuous practice and self-improvement.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Chris Rollins.

Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

Growing up, I was an avid golfer—so committed, in fact, that I went to a boarding school for golfers for the last two years of high school to pursue my dream of playing professionally. This landed me a scholarship to play Division I at Davidson College.

1. Storytelling is an act of generosity
2. To make people do, first make them feel
3. You likely underestimate your impact in the world

This month, I’m excited to spotlight a friend, fellow speaker and coach, and someone who is also committed to supporting LGBTQ+ leaders. I met Sarah Scala via my QueeHR community several years ago, and she’s been a consistent presence bringing ideas, questions and sound advice for others in our group. I admire her journey to come out more publicly as a certified LGBT business in the last couple of years and help her clients develop more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.

What did you want to be when you were a little kid?

One of my fondest memories as a kid was watching golf with my mom. We’d be watching the Masters on TV while I chipped in this little practice area I set up in the living room. As a lefty, Phil Mickelson was my guy. He always carried a smile, gave a thumbs-up to his fans and had a bold creativity on the course that I admired. But I idolized Tiger Woods. Like many kids my age who grew up around golf, I wanted to be like Tiger when I grew up.

The world of work is constantly undergoing transformation. The challenges we face today from building diverse, inclusive, equitable work environments (while not new, ever more pressing) to navigating rapid changes in technology require innovative solutions. When you look at these challenges in the context of how polarized our workplaces and our world have become, the call for change becomes even more urgent.

Tampa, a city bathed in warm Florida sunshine, is known for much more than its pristine beaches and subtropical climate. It is a melting pot of diversity, culture and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit. In 2023, this West Coast gem remains a hotspot in the quest for personal and professional growth. What better place to find guidance and support than in the vibrant community of coaches who have established themselves in this city? In this article, we’ll present you with a list of the best coaches in Tampa, professionals dedicated to helping you achieve your goals and unlock your full potential.

B.X. Barclay, MA is a speaker, educator, and financial accountability coach who empowers audiences to think about financial wellness, financial planning, and retirement. They are the founder of Trust Your Rhythm, where they offer services as a Financial Accountability Coach. B.X. creates imaginative and empowering sessions for folks so that they can build a sustainable financial roadmap and thrive in life.

You know when you meet someone and you immediately think, I’d like to be friends with that person? That’s how it was for me with Nicole Anzuoni.

I’ll never forget Nicole’s genuine curiosity in getting to know me as a person when we first met. So often, we jump into work and business and try to find ways to connect in those areas. But my conversation with Nicole was mostly focused on getting to know each other on a personal level.

That’s the level of care, love and generosity that is also reflected in her leadership.

Chris Rollins joins Andrea Butcher on the Being [at Work] podcast to share his story of self-discovery and acceptance, highlighting the importance of a single conversation and its ripple effect in creating inclusive and connected teams. They delve into the power of choosing love and humility over fear and the significance of creating a safe and accepting environment for everyone. This episode will inspire you to embrace your authenticity and become a leader who uplifts and empowers others. Get ready for a thought-provoking and heartwarming conversation!

Christopher is a husband, father, belonging expert, self-proclaimed corporate activist and someone I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the last few years through the QueeHR community. What started as a virtual friendship thankfully led to a spontaneous in-person meetup in Times Square earlier this year. I was in town for a wedding, Christopher was visiting the city for work, and after spotting his selfie on LinkedIn, I hopped on the 1 train to meet him 20 minutes later!

His infectious energy, unapologetic authenticity and big smile light up the spaces he’s in. Krispy Kreme is lucky to have Christopher's expertise where he serves as the Global Head of Belonging; Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility.

What I love about Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are the opportunities they present for leadership development. Especially for folks who are earlier in their career. These tend to be some of the most promising future leaders in those businesses who bring an admirable amount of passion and commitment to their work. Detrek Cooper with SAP is no exception. To me Detrek is joy, light, laughter, integrity and heart.

On June 21, the team hosted Chris Rollins, Founder & CEO, Ripple Effect Leadership, in an internal event on strengthening our path to allyship using small moments of vulnerability, kindness, empathy, curiosity, and humility to create ripple effects on your team, no matter where you sit in the organization, and impact your efforts toward inclusion.

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Kara Duffy, Business Coach, Entrepreneur and so much more on her Powerful Ladies Podcast. While most of her guests are women, she’ll occasionally switch it up (because she can!) and we had a great conversation about how golf makes me a better speaker, how to know when to be the CEO vs the talent, and we deep dive into why my methodology is radically changing today’s corporate landscape.

It was the sweet Nike high-tops that admittedly first drew me to Adrien at a local networking event with the Tampa LGBT Chamber of Commerce. But it was her smile, kindness, charm and warmth that had me think “I need to be friends with this person!”

I come to find out that Adrien, among other things, leads the HR function for Ice Cold Air, the business that she and her wife run together in Tampa.

Adrien has a deep commitment to leading people-first, and being the kind of leader who is intentional about the ripples she creates in this community and world.

Our Pride celebrations this month featured a keynote address with executive coach Chris Rollins on how to become a ripple-effect leader. Presented by our Pride ERG in partnership with our VetNet and NextGen ERGs, the session addressed ways we can build cultures of inclusion and trust so that we can all bring our authentic selves to work.

The first word that comes to mind when I think about Noelle is generosity. She’s generous in spirit and generous in her commitment to serving and helping others. She’s also a generous connector, thoughtfully facilitating mutually beneficial relationships.

When I first met Noelle at a networking event in Tampa, I immediately felt safe in her presence. She became a haven for me at events where I didn’t know many people, and quickly became a friend I respect and admire.

Companies and organizations have always measured the performance of their employees through one lens: results. As the world evolves into a younger generation and new work-place dynamics, this level of measurement misses an important factor; employee development.

Employees are becoming more selective of where they decide to work, and in turn they measure the “performance” of their company and managers. What individuals are most focused on is their overall experience, and if they face burnout from pressure, they often lose motivation to stay.

I have to admit, the growing wave of anti-LGBT legislation in Florida has given me pause with the work I'm doing.

Am I safe to get up on stage and share my coming out story?Will people use hateful language toward me?
Are people going to get up and leave?
How will they respond?

I've played out the scenarios in my head.

And the truth is, some of them are scary.

To me, Geronda is heart, warmth, courage, kindness and play. Geronda has been a consistent presence in our QueeHR community the last couple of years, and models leading with vulnerability. She never shies away from asking hard questions, or sharing challenges she’s facing to support the learning of the group. I experience Geronda as incredibly humble; someone who genuinely elevates and supports others without seeking anything in return. I’m thrilled to spotlight Geronda Wollack-Spiller, DEI Program Manager at thougthbot, and share her truly authentic wisdom with you all!