Great Women of Texas 2019: MiShon Landry

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MiShon Landry

CEO, Inclusive Leadership Institute DBA Culture Consultants

 

From a young age, MiShon Landry shared an aspiration and genuine interest in small business ownership. After working in the talent acquisition/human resources industry for a Global Fortune 500 company, she began her own small business, Integrity Staffing.

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Through her natural ability to help and encourage others, she created a 200-plus member women’s network called Circle of Friendship.

After operating her business for five years, she returned to corporate America, where she worked for the largest human capital management (HCM) company in the world, at the forefront of the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Today, she is a certified diversity professional and owner of Inclusive Leadership Institute. She left the HCM organization to follow this dream in 2015.

A native of Fort Worth, but a military brat, she has traveled extensively, which she says has given her an appreciation for a variety of cultures.

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“She is an intelligent and inspirational leader who shares her many talents with our community with the goal of lifting up others,” notes her nominator, Leah M. King, president and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County. “She is a vocal proponent for encouraging children to pursue STEM activities and hopefully leading to STEM careers.”

Culture Consultants was a top 25 finalist in the Fort Worth Business Plan Competition, top five finalist in the Ground Zero Pitch Challenge, and honored as a LUNA Award Business Advocate of the Year nominee.

Landry is involved in the community through her volunteer efforts with the Keep NRH Beautiful Commission Board, Tarrant County Food Policy Council, Advisory Board for Iron Dallas, Volunteer Event Lead for the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, a STEM volunteer for Black Girls Code, Leadership ISD of Tarrant County and Texas CASA.

Rick Mauch

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What advice would you give to young women rising to a position of prominence?

Don’t self-sabotage. Often, we are our worst enemy when we could easily be our own best advocate. No one or nothing is perfect. You have to simply make the very best of every opportunity and obstacle that comes your way. Finally, always have a mentor.

You could choose to spend your time in many ways, why do you choose to spend it the way you do?

I am still learning the art of saying no to things that do not align with my personal and professional goals, as well as giving myself permission to explore things that do. The key is knowing your goals and how you want to align your actions.

 

  Who is the most significant role model and/or mentor in your life?

The first would be my dad, Earnest. He instilled ethics and hard work. The second would be my former leader, Patrick. He believed in me and saw my strengths when I didn’t see them. The last would be my husband, David, who has always been a solid foundation of support, guidance and a bit of a therapist for me. Recently, I’ve adopted (inherited) two additional mentors, Shannon and Tamara, who have been incredible ladders of support for me during difficult and fantastic times.

 

What book, TV series, movie or play influenced you while growing up and why?

The TV series I loved growing up was The Cosby Show, because it was the first black show that broke stereotypes around race and class for people of color.

What would you like for us to know that we might not know to ask?

I am still a work in progress. As a person of faith, I have found that if I allow my guiding principles to help me in decision making and thought process, I generally think less about should have, could have and would have. Finally, no man is an island. We all need others to help us along the way, and seeking help from others isn’t as much a sign of weakness as it is of strength. My favorite quote: Strengthen your strengths and outsource your weaknesses.