7678: From Diversity To Dojo.

In a move that likely has no ties to Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, Carmen Van Kerckhove has decided to retire from the race and diversity game and take up a new fight—literally—running Brooklyn-based karate school Urban Martial Arts with her husband.

Carmen’s race-based résumé includes founder and publisher of Racialicious, co-founder and president of diversity training firm New Demographic, cultural commentator for CNN, MSNBC and other media sources, creator of multiple blogs and more.

Let’s hope Carmen’s retirement is in the style of Michael Jordan or Brett Favre. All the best.

7130: Calling Culturally Curious & Clueless.

To all Madison Avenue culturally curious types—and even culturally clueless types—Carmen Van Kerckhove is calling you out. Actually, she’s requesting that you call her to participate in the latest FREE teleseminar. Here are some details:

‘Just Be Yourself!’
How Race Gets in the Way of Expressing Our Authentic Identities.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

What kinds of racial stereotypes do you find yourself battling on a daily basis? What elements of your authentic self are you suppressing? How is race getting in the way of your self-expression without you even knowing it?

On this lively, information-packed 60-minute call, you’ll learn:

• How the quest for racial or cultural authenticity can thwart your true identity.
• What “covering” is, and what it has to do with your civil rights.
• Why it actually benefits you to know what racial stereotypes exist about your ethnic or racial group.

This FREE call is a content-rich preview to the newest session of Carmen’s program, The Racialicious Experience. If you’re a fan of the Racialicous blog, you won’t want to miss it! To learn more and register, Click Here Now!

Not sure if this program can help Mad Ave White folks come to grips with their own confused racial identities, but it can’t hurt to find out, particularly since the teleseminar is FREE.

Don’t emulate the advertising industry by ignoring racial issues for decades. Click Here Now!

6873: Free Sex Call.

Carmen Van Kerckhove of New Demographic is offering a FREE Teleseminar Event. Here are the details:

Love and Sex:
What’s Race Got to Do With It?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
1:00 pm EST

Carmen will spend the hour discussing Interracial Relationships.

What is it about the combination of race and sex that makes it so explosive? How is race getting in the way of your relationships without you even knowing it? What racial dynamics are driving the unconscious choices you’re making when it comes to your relationships?

Learn the answers and more. Lines are limited, so register now!

Get the details and sign up here.

6637: 500 People Can’t Be Wrong About Diversity.

Over 500 people signed up for Carmen Van Kerckhove’s FREE teleseminar titled, “The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Implement a Successful Diversity Strategy and Win the Respect of Your Organization.”

Why, you can almost feel the progress happening on Madison Avenue already.

If you missed the event, catch the audio download here—but hurry, it won’t be available for long.

Plus, you can order the home study course version of Carmen’s Diversity Career Success training program right here. While the FREE advice is over, you’ll still get a special bargain. Simply reserve your copy by 5:00 pm EST on Thursday, April 16, 2009, and you’ll be able to split your tuition for the training program into 2 easy monthly payments of just $199!

Ron Popeil and Billy Mays can’t offer better deals. And it’s a lot less than what Vince Shlomi pays for prostitutes. But seriously, this is really cheap for Madison Avenue executives accustomed to coughing up big bucks for award show entries or social media seminars.

Don’t delegate diversity. And don’t delay. Learn more right now, right here.

6624: Put Diversity In Your Easter Basket.

Why is the Easter Bunny almost always White? Should we draw racist workplace implications from the jelly beans he distributes? And why do the chocolate bunnies receive the worst treatment?

Unfortunately, you won’t find the answers to these diversity questions at Carmen Van Kerckhove’s FREE teleseminar. But here’s what you will learn:

The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Implement a Successful Diversity Strategy and Win the Respect of Your Organization.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:00-6:00 pm EST

In this idea-packed teleseminar, you’ll discover how to:

• Uncover the self-sabotaging behaviors that get in the way of your own success.
• Overcome diversity fatigue at your organization.
• Frame the value of diversity in terms of your senior management’s priorities, instead of your own.
• Demonstrate to your senior leaders—in specific and measurable ways—how diversity can help achieve their key strategic initiatives.
• Become a trusted advisor to your senior management.

Remember, it happens on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:00-6:00 pm EST. It’s the perfect pre-Easter present for the culturally clueless and diversity defenders on your list.

Phone lines for the FREE teleseminar are limited, so sign up today. All you have to do is click here now.

6613: Free Diversions And Diversity.

Here’s a Friday double-feature presentation. Check The Five Deadly Venoms trailer. Then preview The Five Diversity Secrets starring Carmen Van Kerckhove.

You can catch the full show by signing up for Carmen’s FREE teleseminar:

The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Implement a Successful Diversity Strategy and Win the Respect of Your Organization.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:00-6:00 pm EST

In this idea-packed teleseminar, you’ll discover how to:

• Uncover the self-sabotaging behaviors that get in the way of your own success.
• Overcome diversity fatigue at your organization.
• Frame the value of diversity in terms of your senior management’s priorities, instead of your own.
• Demonstrate to your senior leaders—in specific and measurable ways—how diversity can help achieve their key strategic initiatives.
• Become a trusted advisor to your senior management.

Phone lines for the FREE teleseminar are limited, so take five minutes and sign up. All you have to do is click here now.

6598: Diversity Training 2.0

Carmen Van Kerckhove thinks most diversity training is, well, stereotypical. Ineffective too. So she launched diversity education firm New Demographic, and she’s out to change the game.

You can join the revolution by signing up for her FREE teleseminar:

The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Implement a Successful Diversity Strategy and Win the Respect of Your Organization.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:00-6:00 pm EST

In this idea-packed teleseminar, you’ll discover how to:

• Uncover the self-sabotaging behaviors that get in the way of your own success.
• Overcome diversity fatigue at your organization.
• Frame the value of diversity in terms of your senior management’s priorities, instead of your own.
• Demonstrate to your senior leaders—in specific and measurable ways—how diversity can help achieve their key strategic initiatives.
• Become a trusted advisor to your senior management.

Carmen is founder and publisher of the race and pop culture blog Racialicious, she tours nationwide to speak out on matters of race and diversity, and she frequently appears on TV via CNN and more. Plus, she runs other blogs and hosts the podcast Addicted To Race. The woman makes Cyrus Mehri look like Miley Cyrus. And now you can hear Carmen for a lot less than Miley—because the new teleseminar is FREE.

Delegating diversity is so yesterday. Whether you’re a Chief Diversity Officer or a culturally clueless cubicle commoner, you will benefit from listening to Carmen’s 21st century advice. So grab your iPhone, BlackBerry or any other telecommunications device and dial for diversity.

Phone lines for the FREE teleseminar are limited, so sign up today. All you have to do is click here now.

6581: Ancient Chinese Secret…?

OK, sorry about the post title—couldn’t resist the classic ad reference.

Carmen Van Kerckhove is presenting a new FREE teleseminar:

The 5 Secrets You Must Know to Implement a Successful Diversity Strategy and Win the Respect of Your Organization.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:00-6:00 pm EST

In this idea-packed teleseminar, you’ll discover how to:

• Uncover the self-sabotaging behaviors that get in the way of your own success.
• Overcome diversity fatigue at your organization.
• Frame the value of diversity in terms of your senior management’s priorities, instead of your own.
• Demonstrate to your senior leaders—in specific and measurable ways—how diversity can help achieve their key strategic initiatives.
• Become a trusted advisor to your senior management.

Carmen is founder and publisher of the race and pop culture blog Racialicious, and she also directs a diversity education firm called New Demographic. She tours all over the place to discuss matters of race and diversity, and makes frequent television appearances via CNN and more. Plus, she runs other blogs, hosts a podcast and probably operates a Laundromat on the side. Carmen has keen and contemporary perspectives on the issues, so you should listen up and learn. And given the collapsing economy, you can’t beat the FREE offer.

Stop delegating diversity and get actively involved. You don’t have to be a Chief Diversity Officer to attend and benefit. The culturally clueless are cordially invited to help the advertising industry move forward. Here’s your chance to create change—without spending any pocket change.

Phone lines for the FREE teleseminar are limited, so sign up today. All you have to do is click here now.

6403: Culturally Clueless? Click Here Now.

It’s not too late to enroll for Carmen Van Kerckhove’s five-part tele-course titled:

Diversity Career Success:
How to Take Your Organization From Culturally Clueless to Diversity Dynamo
(and Skyrocket Your Own Career While You’re At It)

It all begins February 5—that’s tomorrow for the calendar clueless.

Now, it’s possible that some of you are thinking, “Oh, it’s not for me. The program is intended for HR Directors and Chief Diversity Officers.”

Technically, you’re right. But you also know that in the advertising industry, final hiring decisions are rarely made by HR Directors or Chief Diversity Officers (no offense to the individuals in those roles). So it’s not completely fair to put all the diversity responsibility on them. But who should sign up to connect with Carmen?

If you’re wondering if you should attend the tele-course, click here now.

If you’re an advertising executive with hiring authority, click here now.

If you’re tied in any way, shape or form to the advertising agencies that signed diversity pacts with New York City’s Commission on Human Rights, click here now.

If you’re associated with Omnicom, click here now.

If you’re from Merkley + Partners, you’d better click here now.

If the majority of minorities at your shop are mailroom attendants, security, receptionists or janitors, click here now.

If you think a $297 investment is more affordable than the amount Cyrus Mehri is seeking, click here now.

If you want to help solve a problem that has plagued the advertising industry since at least 1930, click here now.

6396: On Madison Avenue, Mafiosa Are A Hit.

Last week at The Big Tent, complaints about Italian-American stereotypes in a Verizon Wireless spot led to stereotypical arguments. The offended were accused of being too PC. Too liberal. Too oversensitive. They were told to lighten up—and were even branded as chimp-screaming bigots. Why, there was nothing to be upset about in the commercial. Italian Americans are not the victims of stereotyping.

A few days later, we have Denny’s Super Bowl spot titled, “Thugs.”

Perhaps the culturally clueless morons should be fitted for cement shoes. Or maybe their Mad Ave bosses could attempt to recondition them via Carmen Van Kerckhove’s Diversity Tele-Course. At only $297, it’s an offer you can’t refuse.

6390: Diversity Help Is Just A Phone Call Away.

On February 5—that’s this Thursday—Carmen Van Kerckhove launches her five-part tele-course titled:

Diversity Career Success:
How to Take Your Organization From Culturally Clueless to Diversity Dynamo
(and Skyrocket Your Own Career While You’re At It)

If you’re involved with your company’s diversity initiatives—or you just want to gain enlightenment—you should check out the program.

If you’re from Madison Avenue, you definitely must enroll. For generations, advertising executives have been phoning it in when dealing with diversity. Now you can phone it in and actually make progress. You’ll pick up the knowledge and insights you need to achieve success—and avoid looking like these guys or looking at this guy.

To learn more, click here now.

6378: DDB Needs Talent. In The C-Suite.

Advertising Age published an amazingly asinine article titled, “Recruiting Top Talent in a Downturn,” written by two executives from DDB Worldwide in New York. Go ahead and read the drivel if you have five minutes of your life to completely throw away.

Of course, you can scan the 950+ words and not find a single reference to diversity. This is hardly surprising from an Omnicom shop—especially one that apparently views minorities as candidates for the mailroom.

The authors are Chief People Officer Greg Taucher and Chief Communications Officer Jeff Swystun. First of all, what the fuck is a Chief People Officer? Secondly, when did Chief Communications Officers become qualified to comment on hiring? DDB recently elected a Chief Diversity Officer, and Omnicom followed with a similar appointment. Why weren’t these individuals tasked with presenting a perspective on luring top talent? Could it be because they have no true authority in the matter? Or does the quest for top talent exclude non-Whites?

The moronic musings of Taucher and Swystun include:

Six months ago, we were all battling in the “war for talent,” in which much of the leverage arguably was in the hands of the recruit.

Recruits will still be discriminating when it comes to choosing agencies to work for as part of their broader career strategies (if they are smart). That means the brand and culture of an agency will see new and increased relevance.

The selling points agencies emphasize to attract talent are changing rapidly. Let’s face it: Advertising agencies all wish to communicate creative, youthful personas. That is why we enjoyed and have clung to aspects of the dot-com era—foosball, pool tables, half-day “sabbaticals,” popcorn machines, free-beer Fridays.

Six months ago, ... much of the leverage arguably was in the hands of the recruit. Um, what industry have Taucher and Swystun been working in? Downsizing and dumb management have seriously restricted job seekers’ career options and tactics—and they lost their bargaining power long before the summer of 2008.

Recruits will still be discriminating … That means the brand and culture of an agency will see new and increased relevance. Okey-dokey, but will agencies such as DDB still be discriminating to maintain their brand and culture?

Advertising agencies all wish to communicate creative, youthful personas. With foosball? Um, DDB comes off like a toupee-toting divorcee cruising college campuses for coeds. And is the writers’ remark really rooted in ageism?

It’s hard to imagine what might have motivated Taucher and Swystun to share their outdated and out-of-touch pap. But their public display of cultural cluelessness makes them the perfect recruits—for Carmen Van Kerckhove.

Messrs. Taucher and Swystun, CLICK HERE NOW!

6364: Diversity Job Fair Is Cool. Sponsor Is Not.

Adrants, New York University and Business Development Institute are presenting the Advertising Industry Diversity Job Fair and Leadership Conference in New York City on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. The trio should be commended for their continued commitment to the cause.

However, it’s interesting to note the Recruiters & Sponsors include Merkley + Partners, the agency that scored a big fat zero after its first year of signing a diversity pact with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Here’s the agency’s blurb:

Merkley + Partners has been built by senior advertising executives who have all worked at large agencies on large brands. We focus our collective experience and expertise on solving clients’ problems in diverse and rapidly changing markets. In this way we’re large enough to be entrusted with some of the world’s most well regarded brands, while small enough to focus senior talent on every client’s business. Our mission: to make connections. Making connections. For our clients. For ourselves. We are in the business of connecting people to brands. We make connections that stick. For our clients, we create a bond that connects a brand and a consumer. We create a connection between words and images that changes people’s behavior. Internally, we connect with each other... We connect by being very people-friendly. We connect within our own halls. We connect by spreading thoughts and ideas, one person to another.

Um, so why can’t these fools connect with any minorities? Seems like their opening line tells the story. The place was “built by senior advertising executives who have all worked at large agencies on large brands.” In other words, M+P is an exclusive club where only big agency refugees with big agency experience gain entry. Are these guys supporting the Advertising Industry Diversity Job Fair and Leadership Conference for legitimate reasons—or are they just seeking to avoid the wrath of the New York City Commission on Human Rights and Cyrus Mehri? M+P claims to “connect by being very people-friendly.” What “people” are they talking about? The agency should invest $297 and connect with Carmen Van Kerckhove.

6358: Dialing For Diversity.

Carmen Van Kerckhove’s FREE teleseminar lured over 500 listeners. Now Carmen is extending the call for diversity with an exclusive five-part telecourse this February titled:

Diversity Career Success:
How to Take Your Organization From Culturally Clueless to Diversity Dynamo
(and Skyrocket Your Own Career While You’re At It)

For folks seeking to elevate their diversity skills—or Madison Avenue executives attempting to acquire their very first clue on the subject—the program is sure to deliver. The FREE handouts are over, however, as registration will cost $297. But that’s a bargain compared to most professional seminars. Hell, the typical advertising executive pays more than that to keep their BlackBerry and iPhone running. Plus, the small investment could help reduce the amount of loot Cyrus Mehri intends to squeeze from the ad industry.

Don’t delay! To learn more and register CLICK HERE NOW.

P.S., Signing up a friend or associate will make a perfect gift for Black History Month.

6353: Diversity Operators Are Standing By.

Carmen Van Kerckhove is a passionate crusader for diversity. In fact, she’s downright obsessive about the subject—she’s a bona fide Diversity Diva. Carmen has expertise and fresh opinions that go way beyond the stereotypical diversity programs. She co-founded Racialicious, the provocative blog about the intersection of race and pop culture. She hosts the podcast Addicted to Race. She’s president of the diversity education firm New Demographic. Carmen has taken her soapbox to CNN, NPR and MSNBC, and lectured at places like Harvard, Princeton and Columbia. She also runs other blogs and projects covering issues of inclusion, racial identity and Keanu Reeves (her second source of obsession).

Carmen is launching a new project that kicks off with a FREE teleseminar on Wednesday, January 21 at 5pm EST (yeah, that’s less than two days away). The FREE teleseminar is titled:

The 3 Biggest Diversity Blunders
Your Organization Could Be Making Right Now
(And How to Avoid Them)

You can register and learn more about the FREE teleseminar by clicking here now.

The teleseminar is bound to be informative and insightful for all. And if you’re from Madison Avenue, you damn well know your organization could benefit from Carmen’s perspectives. Let’s face it, the typical advertising executive would feel lucky to only be making 3 big diversity blunders. Maybe Carmen will offer an advanced course for modern-day Mad Men. In the meantime, you can pick up some basic knowledge for FREE before the impending Cyrus Mehri lawsuit.

Again, you can register and learn more about the FREE teleseminar by clicking here now.