Meet Leslie Short | Founder The Cavu Group and author of Expand Beyond Your Current Culture

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Short and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started The Cavu Group because I was exhausted being in meetings and hearing that diversity and inclusion is so hard to achieve. The way companies spoke about D&I was as if they were buzzwords and magical. I finally said I need to shift the conversation and mind shift. I wanted to create conversations and sessions that’s about people not buzzwords. I wanted a company that would help people, companies and organizations turn intent into action that would be focused and accountable.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Cavu Group is not my first business. My first business was in Japan. I opened a theater after retiring from being a professional dancer.. I designed, choreographed and ran the business with Japanese business partners. While dancing I lived out of the US for 13 1/2 years living in various counties and then moving back to the US gave me a very different prospective on culture. I’m able to look at culture through the eye of a female, a black women, religion, cultural understanding. I am also a Chaplain, mediator and conflict coach. The above plus owning a second business in the US designing and producing luxury events while running companies and consulting for celebrities and corporations has given me advantage once I decided to open The Cavu Group. I bring all that I have experienced, studied and can create a diversity, equity and inclusion firm that foundation is about culture. Challenges- life can be a challenge it’s how you handle them that makes a difference. Some people said hey aren’t there enough firms doing the the same thing. I said yes but no because I knew I would be positioning the business differently. When the world took a turn I was ready because I stayed focused on what I thought and knew would be needed to help shift minds and attitudes. Lesson learned go with your gut and know your worth of what you bring as added valued to a situation, industry moment. I want companies and organizations to know that I look at people first and I start with leadership and the added value you bring as who you are before you add a title. Understanding that we need to review ourselves and own our own mindset before we can create a mind shift to build an inclusive and equitable business. “Expand Beyond Your Company Culture”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Before the Pandemic. The question would be what do they enjoy doing then I go from there. I have favorite restaurants where I know the owner and staff so of course we will go for drinks and dinner at those places. Pending what’s happen in the city at that time I’m sure there are events I’ve been invited to that I would bring my guest with me. They can be a mix of a fashion event, special event for a venue, a talk on a new tech launch, I also do activist work so those events could be political or cultural. Because my week is crazy diverse I’d let them select what they want to join. There will be a walk through downtown Brooklyn where there is so much history, parks, food and culture. I’m in NY so things move fast so I would see what are the interesting things happening at that time and let them select.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I always shout out my parents. I never saw limits in my path. I was a professional ballet dancer and my career started professionally when I was 12. My parents drove from school to dance studio to the second dance studio as I did homework in the car and danced for two different companies. When others said there is no such thing as a black ballerina my parents said you can do and be whatever you want. They would say whatever you want to do be the best you can be at it and and remember why you want to do what you are doing. People ask my how did I find my voice. It was never lost because my parents never diminished it and because of them no one else could shake my base and that has faired well in business. I’d love to shout out to all the enterprenurs, it’s not easy but it’s worth it!!

Website: www.thecavugroup.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/TheCavuGroup

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/LeslieShort

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCavuGroup

Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheCavuGroup

Youtube: The Cavu Group

Other: Podcast: Visibility Ultd. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/visibility-ultd/id1515377295

Image Credits
Eddie Arrossi Tony Rahsaan Jennifer Sharpe Stanley Desbas