EPISODE 2
John Gaiters on Bringing People Together
In this episode Andy chatted with John Gaiters to hear more about his quest to reshape the way business impacts unity and belonging. John is a young entrepreneur with big dreams to make an impact in the DE&I space by bringing people together for conversation, learning and action. It’s an incredible story worth hearing and a testament to the power of purpose and a willingness to venture into the unknown to take on a big problem worth solving.
Listen on your favorite podcast app:
Episode Highlights
1. The power of belonging
“In every region, in every community, there's someone who needs to stand up, not complain about what's going on, but actually be solution oriented. And so my purpose has been, to your point, belonging. Creating a culture of belonging and a strategy pipeline to help amplify minority towns in Northwest Arkansas.”
2. The active pursuit of unity
“You have to be strategic and intentional in identifying people of color, which takes work. This is not easy. And I think from a leadership perspective, a great leader takes time to build relationships. I think that's where true change takes place.”
3. The long quest ahead
“I think what keeps me going is realizing there's a lot more work to do. I know I'm not gonna be on this earth forever, but I want to create a platform so I can pass the torch on to someone else to raise up a generation that truly cares about one another.”
Download the Transcript (PDF)Resources mentioned in this episode
Liked this episode? Discover more at bigquest.com/podcast
Take me to more episodesFeatured in this episode
John Gaiters
John Gaiters is an entrepreneur and the founder of Trendsetters and the Arkansas Fashion Council. John was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a U.S. Air Force family; but considers himself a native Arkansan, being raised nearby on Little Rock Air Force Base. John has a Masters in Business Administration specializing in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelors of Business Administration specializing in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Central Arkansas.
About Your Host
Andy Murray
CEO and Founder of bigQUEST
Andy is a highly effective senior leader with a passion for growth, creating cultures that unleash talent, and building capabilities through collaboration across functions. He has held leadership roles across retail (Walmart), CPG (P&G), start-ups (Mercury 11, Saatchi X) and global organizations (Asda U.K.). A creative problem solver, innovator, and marketer, he is known for building high-performing teams and delivering results.
Andy is a lifetime Honorary Board member of the University of Arkansas's Center for Retail Excellence where he helped developed the Center's presence and Innovation conferences. He is also an Early Board Member for the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics college. Andy was inducted into the Shopper Marketing Hall of Fame in 2013 for his pioneering work in developing best practices and industry leadership in the emerging field of Shopper Marketing. He currently serves as Chairman of Asda Foundation.
SUBSCRIBED YET?
Listen on your favorite podcast app:
