Meet Mario Jovan Shaw | Leadership Coach & Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mario Jovan Shaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mario Jovan, how does your business help the community?
I passionately believe that we are facing a global leadership crisis. Good leaders are stepping down while inadequate ones are taking their place, resulting in a troubling lack of diversity and increasing isolation within leadership teams across various sectors. This is not just a minor issue but a significant impediment to progress and innovation.

BIPOC Leadership Coaches present a powerful solution to this problem. These coaches possess the unique ability to support and empower leaders who are on the front lines, working tirelessly to make our world a better place. Leaders who benefit from the guidance of Leadership Coaches not only remain in their roles longer but also achieve their goals more swiftly and effectively.

This is precisely why Messy Roots is unwavering in its commitment to supporting BIPOC Leadership Coaches for social impact. Our collective efforts have the potential to create profound and lasting change in communities around the globe. By backing these coaches, we are investing in a future where diverse, capable leaders can thrive and drive meaningful progress.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Messy Roots is a movement growing leadership coaches of color in various fields. We firmly
believe in the transformative power of coaches to make a global impact. Those called to coach
possess the remarkable ability to uplift and guide leaders actively engaged in impactful
projects around the world. Coaches equip these leaders with the essential tools to make
change and #grow into their most authentic selves.

Part of the remedy lies in #GROWing leaders actively engaged in this global effort. As
leadership coaches, we utilize our transformative power of meaningful conversations. This is
the vision behind Messy Roots. Our work is steeped in growing BIPOC coaches and delivering
a curriculum that is anti racist. Through our coaching development programs, we aim to
dismantle racialized structures within the coaching profession. Our backdrop for this
approach is an article entitled, “We don’t see colour!”How executive coaching can help leaders
to create inclusive corporate cultures by acknowledging structural racism in its ecosystem” by
Roche, C. & Passmore, J.

The article delves into a critical gap within coaching literature, namely the lack of attention to
systemic racism’s impact on coaching practice, especially from the perspectives of coaches
who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC). Against the backdrop of
heightened awareness of systemic and structural racism catalyzed by movements like Black
Lives Matter, the study aims to fill this void by conducting a year-long qualitative investigation.
Through virtual focus groups comprising BIPOC coaches from the United States, the United
Kingdom, Kenya, South Africa, and New Zealand, the research explores what changes are
necessary for coaching to adopt an antiracist approach effectively.

The impact of racism and other forms of oppression on BIPOC coaches is profound, extending
beyond mere underrepresentation and exclusion to encompass material and psychological
harm. Systemic racism ingrained within coaching structures manifests visibly through the lack
of diversity and inclusion but also insidiously through the trauma associated with
marginalization and exclusion. BIPOC coaches emphasize the need for a paradigm shift
towards co-creation across differences and an intersectional approach to address these
entrenched issues within the coaching industry.

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?
The most fun and exciting places that I love to visit here in North Carolina would have to be Pauline’s Tea Bar! It’s so chill there! You can read a book or find some time to draw! Such a peaceful place. When I’m not there, I like to go walk the Greenway which is another place that just brings me peace from such a busy world.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to the incredible coaches in our program who are dedicated to enhancing the quality of their coaching while also growing their businesses as entrepreneurs. This work is far from easy and demands a tremendous amount of focus, especially for BIPOC Leadership Coaches striving to break the glass ceiling and make a significant impact in the communities they serve.

One example that comes to mind is a BIPOC Leadership Coach here in North Carolina who is working with teachers educating students with special needs. The support this coach provides, helping teachers achieve their goals and succeed through access to resources and reflective opportunities, has profoundly impacted the school community.

This is the power that coaches wield in transforming communities. I am thrilled to continue supporting these individuals as they grow and make a difference.

Website: https://www.messyroots.org/

Instagram: MyMessyRoots

Image Credits
Messy Roots Coaching Conference.