Joe Gerstandt | keynote speaker, freedom fighter, freak-flag flier

See you in Vegas? The 2015 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference & Exposition is rapidly approaching and it is in Las Vegas this year. This is a big conference, so there would be lots to do and see regardless of where it was held, just due to the fact that it brings something   [Read More…]

I get told from time to time that we should only talk about certain kinds of difference. People have actually gotten angry at me for suggesting that diversity means difference (which it does), and that difference takes many forms. If the dictionary offends you please take it up with the dictionary people. More often than   [Read More…]

This is my flag. I love this flag, it has seen a lot of the world with me. It was given to me during my time in the United States Marine Corps by a guy that had been in longer and seen more stuff. I was young and stupid and sloppy and he had decided   [Read More…]

I do not have a lot of heroes, but one of them is Bayard Rustin. A really visionary and courageous guy. I wish that his story, his work, his life were more well known. A true pioneer…there should be monuments. I presented yesterday at the SHRM Annual Conference on The Future of Diversity and Inclusion: 5   [Read More…]

My work has been focused on diversity and inclusion from the beginning, and over the past 2-3 years, authenticity has become my third primary focus. There are a number of reasons for this. 1- I am trying to fill my buzzword bingo card. 2- My own personal experience tells me that authenticity is hard work   [Read More…]

South by Southwest happens every year in March and it has become one of my favorite conferences to attend and speak at. Getting on the agenda as a speaker is fairly difficult…they are currently trying to sort through 3,000 proposals for the 2014 show. One of those proposals is mine and I am asking for   [Read More…]

“Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.” -Walt Whitman I am a lot of things. I am a straight, white, male living in Omaha, Nebraska. I am a business owner, a speaker and an author. I am a father, son, brother, husband, uncle and cousin. I   [Read More…]

I have some friends who participate in a retreat each January to “name their year.” It helps them to be more intentional toward the coming year. I have been wanting to do the same thing this year, though was not able to participate in the retreat. Just within the past couple of days I have   [Read More…]

The human body is composed of a variety of systems.  Each of them has a unique role and they all depend on each other.  Bones, muscles…digestive, cardiovascular, nervous systems, etc.  Similarly, an organization is an integration of intermingling and overlapping systems.  Organizations generally have some physical infrastructure.  There is also the workforce, the organizational chart,   [Read More…]

I like to talk about the importance of flying your freak flag.  It is a message which seems to resonate and it is largely about authenticity…being who you truly are…making your unique contribution.  One of the questions that I always ask people to reflect on is “do you know what you are here for?”  I   [Read More…]