"Erica Ferguson is master facilitator and global orator who brings humor, passion, and fun to everything she does. Her ability to connect with audiences of diverse backgrounds and beliefs in a meaningful way, makes her an incredible practitioner but an even more relatable human being. Erica is unafraid to challenge and encourage listeners to embrace their authentic selves through her effective storytelling and pragmatic style. Whether speaking with a group of athletes or a group of business executives, Erica brings a depth of knowledge and skills that positively impacts her listeners to pursue their highest potential and not simply survive in life but thrive in it."
- Trayonna Floyd Hales, Director of Talent & Performance at Warner Bros. Discovery
"Enthusiastic. Engaging. Energetic. Erica was everything we asked for and more! She managed to pull off an incredibly engaging session even in the virtual setting. By incorporating movement and prompts for attendees, she took away the barrier of a virtual meeting. You felt like she was on stage right in front of you. Our attendees rated her session as one the highest of our Sales Summit."
- Brittany Saylor, Manager of Events & Campaigns at SpotO
"Erica is a dynamic DEI expert who can lead and develop tools and resources that help associates at all levels understand the importance and impact of inclusion. Our team had the pleasure of working with Erica as a facilitator and a consultant. As a facilitator, we were thrilled with Erica’s approachable, authentic style. She brought a high level of credibility to our learning sessions and her courses were the highest rated by associates. As a consultant, Erica’s thought partnership was invaluable. She helped us evolve our thinking and approach and, with her help, we developed an effective module on inclusive leadership. We truly enjoyed our experience working with her and often seek out opportunities to continue working together."
- Kea Morgan, VP, Communications, Associate Experience, Diversity & Inclusion, and Philanthropy at Ascena Retail Group, Inc.
"My team and I partnered closely with Lead Different to design, develop and execute a critical management development program at WarnerMedia. We had the challenge of needing to launch the program under a tight timeline and scale the program to over 5,000 managers within a year’s time. When we faced this business need, we knew we needed to seek out partners who were up to the challenge and had the right level of experience to provide valuable thought partnership and a dynamic and inclusive approach to engage our diverse and global manager population in a virtual environment. From the moment we met Erica Ferguson and Dr. Julie Shaw, we knew immediately that we found the right partner. They were transparent, flexible and fun to work with every step of the way. Lead Different borrows upon their wealth of experience in sports and management to make learning interesting, creating connection points for leaders that are easy to translate and apply on the job. It was such a pleasure to work alongside this dynamic duo and I am already looking forward to our next collaboration!"
- Rebecca Josephson, Former VP, People Growth & Leadership Development at Warner Bros. Discovery
"When you hire Lead Different, you can expect best-in-class instructional design, high-energy and effective facilitation, and a strategic partnership that will enable you to deliver the best and often award-winning results to your business. Our work together has been recognized by Brandon Hall (Silver Award in Leadership Development) and both Julie and Erica were recognized as 2021 HRO Superstars for their outstanding contributions to leadership development and learning. This is further testament to this amazing company. If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind learning experience, look no further than Lead Different Consulting."
- Trayonna Floyd Hales, Director of Talent & Performance at Warner Bros. Discovery
"Dr. Julie Shaw and Erica Ferguson with Lead Different Consulting are true leaders in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Both are a pleasure to work with, consistently demonstrating their passion for creating inclusive and equitable spaces. With their wealth of knowledge and experience they explain complex concepts and ideas in a way that is easily understood, making them an invaluable resource for anyone looking to improve their understanding of DEI. They have a genuine interest in understanding the experiences of people from a variety of backgrounds and infuse that curiosity into their trainings which are engaging, informative and transformational. Overall, I highly recommend Lead Different Consulting and look forward to seeing the positive impact they continue to make in the DEI space."
- Danielle D., Head of People & Community at NVE
"I worked with Dr. Julie Shaw and Erica Ferguson of Lead Different Consulting on a project for student-athletes, coaches and administrators during a very tense time socially in America. The topic of “Navigating Antiracism: For Our Student-Athletes and Ourselves” was met with great professionalism, passion and caring. They taught us to not only lead, but helped us to be comfortable being uncomfortable with our conversations. With a background in teaching, coaching, and leading Dr. Shaw and Erica are able to share guidance with first-hand experience to make the individual as well as the team improve."
- Aaron Woliczko, Senior Associate Commissioner at West Coast Conference
