Why Most DEI Initiatives Fail and How to Succeed With Kayla Bartel and Veltria Roman
Too many of us know the feeling all too well — clocking into work each day while leaving parts of ourselves at the door. We mute our voices, downplay our identities, and suppress our truths to survive in spaces that demand our labor but reject our full humanity. In this week’s powerful podcast episode, I’m joined by the visionary team at Humanity HR to explore how we move from performative diversity efforts to workplaces rooted in psychological safety, emotional integrity, and cultural authenticity.
This conversation isn’t just another corporate DEI critique — it’s a collective reflection, a reclamation of power, and a blueprint for transformation. Together, we share our personal stories of navigating microaggressions, spiritual burnout, and the emotional labor of showing up authentically in environments that weren’t built for our wholeness. Then, we flip the narrative to imagine what’s possible when work becomes a space where the soul and the strategy co-exist.
The Hidden Cost of Spiritual Burnout
Many of us carry silent wounds from the workplace — not just the kind measured in missed promotions or pay gaps, but the energetic and spiritual toll of constantly being on guard. Whether it’s the subtle digs in staff meetings, being left out of key conversations, or the emotional labor of “educating” others on your identity, the impact runs deep. Over time, these experiences create a kind of spiritual burnout. You don’t just feel exhausted — you feel unseen, misaligned, and fragmented.
During the episode, we unpack how this kind of trauma manifests and how too often, traditional DEI initiatives fail to address it. Diversity training without emotional safety becomes a box-checking exercise. Inclusion without healing becomes another form of labor. It’s not enough to hire people from diverse backgrounds — organizations must do the internal work to ensure those people can thrive without sacrificing their truth.
Why Traditional DEI Efforts Often Fall Short
Let’s be honest: the DEI industrial complex is failing. Many initiatives focus on optics over impact, policies over people. They offer language without transformation, often centering comfort for the dominant culture rather than creating actual safety for marginalized folks. That’s why so many people still don’t feel seen, heard, or valued — even in workplaces that proudly tout their DEI credentials.
With Humanity HR, we go deeper. They share insights from years of practice helping companies move beyond surface-level change. That means rethinking hiring practices, reimagining accountability structures, and removing shame from conversations around race, gender, and identity. It’s about building systems where emotional honesty and cultural awareness are embedded into the DNA of the organization — not stapled on as an afterthought.
Building Workplaces that Honor Wholeness
One of the most powerful parts of our dialogue centered around the idea of psychological safety — not just as a buzzword, but as a living commitment. When people feel safe to make mistakes, to speak up without retaliation, and to set healthy boundaries, you unlock a level of creativity, innovation, and trust that no diversity metric can capture.
We talk about how emotional integrity must become a core leadership competency. This isn’t just about HR policies — it’s about people. Can your team be honest with you? Can they rest without guilt? Can they name harm without fear of being labeled “difficult”? These are the questions that shape the culture of an organization more than any vision statement.
The Humanity HR team offered practical tools for fostering this kind of workplace, including frameworks for mistake tolerance, conflict navigation, and boundary setting — all rooted in a deep respect for cultural nuance and emotional safety.
The Metaphysical Lens: Leading from Truth
As a metaphysical business coach, I bring a spiritual lens to leadership and entrepreneurship. And in this episode, we explore how metaphysical principles can support leaders in their journey toward more inclusive, soul-centered workspaces. It starts with alignment. When you are out of alignment with your truth — when you’re leading from ego, fear, or scarcity — that misalignment ripples out into your team, your clients, and your culture.
I guide my clients to reconnect to their inner knowing, to trust the wisdom of their bodies, and to lead from a place of grounded presence. That’s how we begin to heal — individually and collectively. We talked about practices like breathwork, energy clearing, and intuitive decision-making as leadership tools. Because true leadership isn’t just about KPIs — it’s about integrity, resonance, and legacy.
A Call to Evolve
This episode is more than a conversation — it’s a call. A call to rethink how we lead, hire, and build. A call to center humanity in our HR practices. A call to honor the soul as much as the strategy. Whether you’re building a brand, leading a team, or simply trying to show up more fully in your work, this dialogue offers real tools and deeper wisdom to support your path.
We don’t need more leaders who know the right words. We need leaders who are willing to do the right work — the messy, vulnerable, transformational work of evolving themselves and their organizations.
So if you’ve ever felt like you had to shrink to succeed, if you’ve ever been the “only” in the room, or if you’re committed to creating spaces where everyone can rise in their fullness, this episode is for you.
Listen in, and let’s build something different — together.
Learn more from Kayla, Veltria, and the incredible team at Humanity HR. They’re not just HR experts — they’re culture-shifters bringing heart, clarity, and accountability into spaces that need it most.
Visit their website at https://humanityhr.com. Follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook and on Instagram @humanityhr, @kaylakristine8783, @veltriadenise
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