Leading up to International Women’s Day, Zeno’s Jackie Cox Battles kicked off PRWeek’s series of perspectives from women in PR facing the professional and personal challenges of surviving the pandemic. This is her story. 

I pride myself on being a pretty positive and resilient person. It’s all about perspective. Choose happiness. Life is what you make it. Be grateful. And though I still subscribe to this philosophy, the pandemic has turned me from optimist to realist forcing me to address a silver lining that has dulled or disappeared entirely.

When it comes to representation, especially within media, we constantly hear about how much it matters. But what does that really mean? From empowering all of your employees to be their authentic selves within any space, to integrating intersectionality into how you interpret representation -- considering ways to amplify all kinds of Black voices, and more, there are many ways that you can do your part in ensuring that your team members feel seen and heard in and out of the office all year long. Take a look at what some of our employees had to say.

When we look back on the turning point of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may find that some unexpected heroes made all the difference. It could be that your local barber, the mayor of your city, your pastor or your neighbor will be the unsung heroes who helped get 100 million people in the US vaccinated in 100 days or 70 million vaccines in French arms by the end of August. 

Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel." As a POC, I think about this quote often because of how people make me feel due to the color of my skin. And this feeling travels with you everywhere – the grocery store, the airport, a restaurant and even in your own neighborhood. Why do people of color have to be treated differently? Aren't we all the same? Aren't we just as human as everyone else?

At Zeno, ensuring all employees have a sense of belonging is essential to our diversity, equity and inclusion. In this new content series “Zeno for Everyone,” we’ll share personal stories from Zenoids and learn about how different backgrounds and histories shape perspectives and enrich our experiences. #ZenoForEveryone

Zeno surveyed more than 1,000 young Americans aged 14-28 who are simultaneously disrupting the world by driving change in a broken system while crying out for help with their own besieged, disrupted lives.  We call them “Generation Disrupted.”  In this time of monumental uncertainty, the public and private sectors must understand the new values, hopes and fears of this disproportionately powerful group of practical problem solvers who will take us into the future.