The VIP Lab

10/28/2021

📝 I’d like to have it noted for the record that I, Andraya “F Bomb Dropper” Lund, am NOT here on the promo reel for .co Grow A Business series dropping anything more than truth and knowledge.
Wait… what’s that you say? There’s more b-roll? 🤭 Well F•€

07/23/2021

Today was one of those . It was a rare occurrence of the stars aligning to allow for a AND an that was on point (with no coffee spills on white pants! 🙌🏽)! But what really made it magical was getting to with one of my favorite clients/partners/friends.
The team at The Coven once again honored me by asking me to come back to talk about . The coolest part? It’s for their members who are looking to grow their businesses!
When my girl Alex Steinman told me about this series and The Coven’s commitment to helping their members thrive in their leadership, scaling of their businesses, and providing opportunities for these organizations to and not only for those who have been historically marginalized and excluded - but for everyone - I was all-in before her last sentence was all out!
Why is the team at The Coven one of my favorite clients to partner with? Aside from adoring the four founders, I have believed in, and supported, their mission and vision since day 1 because it aligns with my life’s work: Building equitable futures.
This isn’t co-working space as you have always thought of it. This is . This is . This is . This taking your , , and to the .
Check out The Coven’s website for more info on membership options - physical or virtual! There are even opportunities to host events in one of their gorgeous locations in Minneapolis on Eat Street or at their flagship location in St. Paul in the historic Blaire Arcade building in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood.


https://www.thecoven.com/spaces

06/09/2021

When seeing the pain and suffering of others, righteousness shouldn’t be the first response. Yet, this is usually the case when pointing out acts of or .
Instead of putting ego aside to stop and listen to the perspectives of those impacted, which should be done in this time of great divide, defensiveness and anger are usually the only response. 👉🏽 Here’s the biggest thing: You don’t have to agree with what someone is saying in order to hear their perspective. 👈🏽
If the world truly wants people of color to believe there is a desire to come together, that there is no intent to do harm, that all are truly welcome, then it’s imperative to put ego aside in order to simply listen to the perspectives of those who do not look like you.
How else can you learn about what it’s like to see the world through the lens of someone else and what those images may mean?
How else can you learn what it’s like to hear things as someone else and process what’s being said?
How else can you learn what it’s like to grow up in this world as someone else and what shapes their lived experiences?
How you respond to the pain of others says volumes about your character. What do you want that message to say about you?

04/21/2021

Today....
Tomorrow the fight continues.
✊🏽

04/13/2021

If the words “If you’d just comply, you’d have nothing to worry about” has come out of your mouth or has crossed your mind or has been something you have agreed with someone else saying, you are NOT an ally.

Start over. Do better. Listen more. Talk less.

03/30/2021

Dear :
The next few weeks are going to be tough for Black folks during this trial; especially those here in the Twin Cities. If you want to truly show , do them a solid & heed this advice:
1. Give them room to process: If they aren’t talking about it, don’t pry. That said, it’s okay to extend a sincere gesture of concern in asking “How can I best support you right now?”
2. Stand in the gap: Execs/peers/etc may be critical if they're distracted/unproductive/hypersensitive/etc. Have their back. It’s a very difficult time for them. Use your ordinary privilege as a superpower & stand-up to protect their jobs.
3. Fight the trolls: Black folks don’t have the energy to defend George Floyd’s honor & character. They don’t have the headspace to argue the obvious fact that a knee to the neck kills regardless of blood toxicity. Speak up & let your white brethren know that you aren’t going to let them go unchecked.
4. Make your word matter & keep alive: Keep posting and if you get one of those trolls trying to make you parse between the hashtag, let them know you support all of it. Don’t relent. Don’t be trapped by someone’s narrative or FoxNews trickery. full stop.

03/11/2021

They say that green is the color of luck and I sure do feel lucky today as I was able to get my first dose of the 💉🍀 Covid is disproportionately affecting and killing the BIPOC communities so it’s incredibly important for my fellow to take the pledge to .

03/10/2021

Here’s why calling out and learning about is important: This incident happened 7 years ago and it’s impacting a decision for an organization and a professional today.

Words and actions matter. How you show up and how you treat people of color matters. How you see, or don’t see, people of color matters. How you treat people of color who are leaders in your organizations and communities, yep, you guessed it, it matters.

Remember that.

The chief executive officer of Tegna Inc. apologized for an incident in which he mistook a Black lawyer and professor -- who later became a candidate for the company’s board -- as a hotel car valet.

03/03/2021

Women, especially , have normalized sacrificing our physical and mental health in order to prove our worth and value in the workplace.

: The day you begin to make the biggest impact is the day you show up for yourself, as yourself.

02/04/2021

Are you on Clubhouse? If you ate and you have some time on your hands tomorrow at 10am CST/11am ET you should join my friend and fellow coach, Amy Schultz Money Coach, and I for a chat! 👩🏻‍🤝‍👩🏼

We will be taking questions and offering a safe space for some on the the struggles we women face in the workplace, entrepreneurship, and on all things DE&I. ✊🏽

👉🏽Follow .schultz and on Clubhouse 👈🏽

12/05/2020

Another instance of a person of color being terminated for doing the job they were hired to do because they didn’t compromise their integrity in order to comfort a system designed to support

Timnit Gebru, a well-respected leader in AI research, coauthored a remarkable paper that showed facial recognition faulty in identifying women and people of color, which means its use can end up functioning as a mechanism for . She champions and the team she helped build at Google is one of the most diverse in AI.

The actions Google has made in response to her doing the right thing is unacceptable.

As the saying goes: Actions speak louder than words.

I say: Words just prove who someone is trying to convince you they are. Action shows you. Their actions also shows you what their priorities are.

Moral of the story: Google has shown they will prioritize profit over discriminating against women and people of color.

Timnit Gebru, one of the few Black women in her field, had voiced exasperation over the company’s response to efforts to increase minority hiring.

11/30/2020

The Gifts in Giving Thanks: There are remarkable gifts to be found for ourselves, and others, in the practice of gratitude. The best leaders all practice the art. Read up on the easiest way to start this practice today on the blog.

There are remarkable gifts to be found for ourselves, and others, in the practice of gratitude. The best leaders all practice the art. Read up on the easiest way to start this practice today on the…