Morale First
is available for all of your D.E.I.
workshop, training & speaker needs.
We love to serve inclusive organizations
led by inclusive leaders.
Check out all that we've been up to!
Yum Yum Morale is Now Morale First!
We are proud to announce the launch of Morale First as part of the ongoing evolution of our brand. Yum Yum Morale has grown and evolved over the years, and we felt it was time for a change. We have refreshed our logo to reflect who we are today and to symbolize our future.
With this, we aim to present ourselves better and cater you with better services in times to come. We appreciate your kind support. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Talisa Lavarry is now a Master Certified Life Coach with Certified Life Coach Institute accredited by International Coaching Federation
Having attained certification in August, Talisa Lavarry has taken her commitment to excellence a step further by earning her Master Certified Life Coach™ designation. This achievement signifies her dedication to honing her coaching skills and underscores her status as a proficient and accomplished life coach. Master Certified Life Coach™ (M.C.L.C.) serves as a pivotal opportunity for certified coaches to delve deeply into refining and mastering their coaching skill set. This advanced program provides a profound exploration of coaching techniques, enabling professionals to enhance their effectiveness in guiding individuals toward their goals.
Talisa Lavarry’s journey exemplifies a commitment to professional growth and a dedication to providing clients with the highest standard of coaching expertise.
Talisa Lavarry is now a Certified Life Coach with Certified Life Coach Institute accredited by International Coaching Federation
An International Coaching Federation (ICF) approved, 5-star, award-winning
world-wide accredited institute. C.L.C.I. has been in operation for over 14 years & are proud to say they have certified over 10,000 coaches of all coach specialties. They are a company who cares & was selected as one of Best Online Life Coach Certification Programs by Business Insider, The 7 Best Life Coach Certification Programs of 2023 by A Very Well Mind as well as one of the “Best Life Coach Certification Program of 2023” by Forbes Health.
“I know that certificates and certifications enhance bios and resumes, but most importantly the experience has made me a better coach.”
– Talisa Lavarry
Talisa Lavarry is now a Certified DEIB Specialist with AIHR
At the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), it is their mission to future-proof HR by offering world-class, online training programs for HR Professionals.
Any HR Professional who is committed to lifelong learning can expand their skill set with modern and in-demand HR skills. AIHR is the place to learn the skills you need to advance your career and secure a job at the forefront of HR.
DEI Practitioner & Anti-Racism Coach Talisa Lavarry has been tapped to serve as a community committee member for Seattle WA.
The Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) works with communities across the US and Canada to decide together how to spend public money. We create and support participatory budgeting (PB) processes that deepen democracy, build stronger communities, and make public budgets more equitable and effective.
Since 2009, PBP has collaborated with grassroots and government partners to launch PB processes in over 40 cities, empowering more than 739,000 people to directly decide how to spend over $400 million in public funds.
Talisa Lavarry Does a TedX Talk
In this 2021 TEDxSeattleWomen talk, Talisa Lavarry explains how true allyship is opening doors for the marginalized that they cannot open for themselves. She outlines three key tactics for us to employ on our journey to allyship and gives examples for how these play out in real life.
Talisa leaves us with an appeal to use her advice to create a personalized allyship plan and journey and reminds us that the things many of us take for granted may be the very thing that changes or even saves, the life of someone who is marginalized.
Talisa Lavarry joined Step Up 2023 to discuss Imposter Syndrome.
Talisa Lavarry, an accomplished speaker and writer, recently became a part of the Step Up 2023 program to share her insights on Imposter Syndrome. With a strong background in personal development, Lavarry’s talk highlighted the common feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt that many individuals experience in both their personal and professional lives. Through her talk, she emphasized the importance of acknowledging and overcoming these feelings to achieve success and fulfillment in one’s life.
Tali Lavarry spoke with employees at Seattle Credit Union in honor of Martin Luther King Day.
Tali Lavarry was proud to speak at Seattle Credit Union in honor of Martin Luther King Day. She was able to help initiate an important series of talks hosted by the credit union called Cafe Prosper. During the talk Tali was able to offer the attendants real examples of how they could be apart of being the change.
Tali Speaks To CSIS-Center for strategic and International Studies Tackling Imposter Syndrome – And How One Can Combat it
Diversity Leadership in International Affairs Project of CSIS presents, in collaboration with Talisa Lavarry from Morale First LLC, a moderated discussion for staff to confront and proactively build skills of resilience to imposter syndrome. This moderated discussion is aimed at concerns of competency and belonging. Tali will discuss predetermined questions and scenarios proposed by DLIA that are related to confronting imposter syndrome.
Moral First and Anti-Racism
I’m optimistic about meeting leaders where they are and offering them substantial transformation. One on one coaching with a black woman about your propensity to subconsciously utilize white privilege, count on white solidarity and become overwhelmed with white fragility is not going to be easy. What it will be is beneficial, life changing & an opportunity for introspection like you have never had before. Consider this a personal invitation to work with me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Talisa (Tali) Lavarry
Tali Speaks To CNBC About why Black And Latinx Women Are More Likely To Struggle With Imposter Syndrome – And How To Overcome It
“Just remember that we are all human. There’s no sense in you feeling like you are undeserving; you are in the room. Somehow, you got in there. I don’t care how it happened [or] if it was by chance. You are in the room. Work it. You belong there.” Talisa (Tali) Lavarry
The Case For DEI&B In The Workplace (Specially Designed For HR & Labor Law Professionals)
From small startups to Fortune 500s companies are facing harassment and discrimination charges like never before. While the need to both educate and train leaders in the workplace has increased so has the resentment. This training allows HR Professionals, Labor Law & Discrimination Investigation Professionals, Business Leaders & Stake Holders to hear a trained D.E.I.&B. facilitator present a winning case in regard to the value and importance of placing a priority on D.E.I.& B within their business strategies & plans.
Allyship and Me!!
A SELF-PACED PERSONAL GROWTH PLAYBOOK & JOURNAL FOR COMPASSIONATE HUMANS THAT VALUE EQUITY & INCLUSION
Dear Aspiring Ally,
In my Anti-Racism Coaching Practice, I am always asked how one can be a part of the solution. My simple answer is, “True allyship is opening doors for the marginalized that they can not open for themselves”.
My goal is to serve as your personal guide on your allyship journey as you unlearn what you’ve likely believed your whole life, replace false narratives with real, diverse ones, and take bold actions, whether people see them or not. Parts of this transition will be hard, however, hard things are not impossible. Join me as I lead you towards the necessary contextual background and practices to help you embrace anti-racism, use your privilege for good, and shape a more equitable world.
The CUT by New York Magazine taps top Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Professionals & Morale First's CEO Was Included
Excerpt: In Seattle, Tali Lavarry, a former corporate-event planner who had opened her consulting business a few months before statewide shutdowns began, was surviving on instant noodles and peanut-butter sandwiches when her phone started ringing; soon, she took on so many clients she had to hire four employees.
The onslaught was a jarring combination of exhilaration and chaos. One white male executive told Lavarry, “I think I handle colored people all right.” She politely disagreed.
A snippet from
Tali's Keynote Address
Maggie Greene Styles Sits with our Founder to have a heart to heart about the incident that pushed her into working in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Space
DSHS – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation kicks off their 2021 Statewide In-Service Conference with a Keynote Address by Author Tali Lavarry.
During Tali’s Dynamic Keynote Address named after her Best Selling Book Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague- Tali connects with the audience while delivering bite-sized pieces of the stories and messages within the book. Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague provides a first-hand account of the discrimination endured by Tali while working for corporations that failed to rise to the occasion when it came to creating and fostering a sustainable work environment for diverse hires. Revealing the injustices and hypocrisy that prevails, she makes a case for business leaders to examine their own unacknowledged biases and take action to address systemic racism. Through conversations with progressive white business leaders and professionals in the fields of human resources and diversity and inclusion, with their help, she demonstrates what has to be done to create real solutions that protect and fortify people of color and other marginalized groups.
Starred, A recruiting software company based in Amsterdam, North Holland has tapped Tali Lavarry, C.E.O. of Morale First to join them in a live webinar where they will discuss Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace.
Tali was recently featured on a panel with Jennifer Brown, Author of How to Be and Inclusive Leader and Rocki Howard, Chief Diversity Officer Smart Recruiters.
Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague by Talisa Lavarry Makes Its Way to The Consciously Unbiased Book Club!
Our Founder was featured on The Consciously Unbiased Book Club book list. She’s going to be in the company of greats like Barack Obama and author Isabel Wilkerson. We are extremely proud of her success and excited to share this accomplishment.
Confessions From Your Token Black Colleagues by Talisa Lavarry Lands On Forbes' Labor Day Book List Featuring New Books By Black Female Authors
The upcoming Labor Day weekend unofficially marks the end of summer, and was born after social unrest by American workers in the late 19th century sparked the creation of the labor movement.
Today many workers get a day off in honor of the federal holiday, which may also afford some extra time to dive into your reading list. Books can be a tool to immerse yourself in the experiences and stories of others, and to learn from one another.
Adam Grant Has Placed Author Talisa Lavarry's New Book Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague on His Fall Idea Book List!
According to Adam the new books to read this fall are about building careers and companies, rebuilding our lives and institutions, including those who have been marginalized, thinking more clearly, entertaining others, and sustaining our energy, our workplaces, and our environment. We’re so excited that our very own Founder found her way into this list with her new book Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague.
Morale First is excited about
Black Women's Equal Pay Day
“There needs to be a point of grace that allows hiring managers to think beyond what a candidate may look or even sound like,” says Talisa Lavarry, author of the new book Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague. “When it comes to minorities, our characteristics are oftentimes different from what most hiring managers typically gravitate towards. If managers are not intentionally challenging themselves to be inclusive, their subconscious idea of an ideal candidate is more than likely laced in bias. It all plays a role in the systemic racism that prevents a lot of Black women in particular from even coming close to checking all of the boxes. It’s beyond time for companies to acknowledge the unique struggles that we face and make reasonable accommodations and investments in creating welcoming, equitable and sustainable work environments that we can all thrive within.”
Maggie Greene Style had a heart-warming talk with our Founder about the very pivotal moment that led her to make Diversity, Equity & Inclusion her career. Tali also talks about what it means to be a real ally.
“Tali was extremely instrumental in speaking to our students, apprentices and journeywomen about the challenges faced by women in male dominated industries. Her talk about the award-winning film Sista in the Brotherhood was educational and encouraging.”—Rachael Wright, Career Coordinator; Bellingham Technical College
“Tali was an excellent Keynote Speaker for our Annual Council of Tradeswomen Equity Summit. She was very easy to work with and it’s obvious that she really knows her stuff. We’ve hired her for another project and look forward to working with her again.”—Michelle Miller, Director of Marketing & Outreach; ANEW
Anonymous Survey Responses:
“Tali was an excellent presenter. I was especially impressed by her generosity and poise given the monumental stress and grief of the past several weeks for Black people. <3”
“Tali’s presentation was very engaging and interactive. Loved the break-away sessions and case studies. Great examples to demonstrate the definitions of microaggression. Group sessions allowed great insight in various approaches to microaggression. Lots of food for thought!”
“This helped me to realize just how much destruction microaggressions can have on our bodies as well as our psyches. It helped me to understand that it is o.k. to feel “ALL” of the pain and trauma that is leveled against you every day.”
The Northwest Washington Council of Tradeswomen Equity Summit tapped Tali Lavarry, owner of
Morale First, a workplace diversity, equity and inclusion firm as their keynote speaker.
On February 27, 2020 Seattle, WA businesses, SHIFT, ANEW, and NAWIC presented their first annual Northwest Washington Council of Tradeswomen Equity Summit. They tapped Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practioner Tali Lavarry to serve as their keynote speaker and panel moderator.
The summit allowed industry leaders to share best practices on recruiting, retaining, and supporting women and LGBTQ individuals in non-traditional occupations.
The Equity Summit included a showing of the short film, Sista in the Brotherhood. This 20-minute film features a tradeswoman of color who faces discrimination on a new job site and must choose between making a stand or keeping her job. The event also included guest speakers, table discussions, and networking opportunities.
Participants included many of those working in the construction trades, engineering, advanced manufacturing, automotive, aquaculture, refinery, and vocational education occupations.
A yummy dinner was also provided.
Tali Lavarry, Owner of Morale First a workplace diversity, equity & inclusion firm joined ANEW to serve as a workshop presenter for their 4th Annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit .
The workshop allowed participants to see how easy it is to fall into a routine of practicing microaggressions, and how much damage these actions cause. They discussed productive ways to address said actions, while replacing them with more honest and open communication that creates a win-win for all parties.
Sarah Taylor from the Deep See Consulting podcast recently sat down with Tali Lavarry, Owner of
Morale First a workplace diversity equity & inclusion strategist.
They discussed the upcoming release of her book
Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague
Here is what they discussed during this episode:
- How Tali’s experiences as a “token Black” informs her work in diversity and inclusion and became the backbone of her book “Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague”
- How a series of microaggressions at her workplace caused Tali to reach an internal breaking point in her career
- Why “white solidarity” is a real problem for People of Color in the workplace, making it even harder to push back against racial bias
- Where stereotypes such as “the angry Black woman” come from and why they live within our unconscious minds
- Tali discusses the process of writing her book and how it is structured, and what lead her to write it
- How Tali has experienced internal realizations that she deserves better than some of the experiences she has had in the workplace
- Why Tali found herself having to fight against conditioned responses and internal corrections when writing her book
- Why Tali teaches white male CEOs the importance of taking a stand and speaking out against racism
- Why the pressure shouldn’t be on Black employees, but on the business leaders who can affect change within the organization
- Where you will be able to find Tali’s book once it releases in August 2020
Morale First is excited to announce that we are now a Certified Minority Woman Owned Business
Morale First DEI Strategy is a WMBE/DBE certified firm. We are dedicated to helping business leaders foster welcoming and sustainable work environments, for marginalized and disadvantaged people.
Seattle's F-Bomb Breakfast Club Has a New Podcast and They Recently Tapped Morale First's Founder Talisa Lavarry For A Discussion About Her New Book
We can’t build anti-racist workplaces without confronting the racist reality of modern workplaces. In her new book Confessions From Your Token Black Colleague, Talisa Lavarry helps us do that by drawing from a deep well of personally traumatic experiences to gift us a brutally honest look inside Corporate America for Black Women.
In this interview, just DAYS before her book is available to the public, Tali shares why she had to write it, even at great personal cost. And she shares her hopes for what those of us in power will do with the insights she is placing in our hands.
Kara Goldin sits with Author, Anti-Racism Coach, Speaker & CEO of Morale First Tali Lavarry
In this episode they discuss how planning an event where Barack Obama was the speaker changed her career, the moment her business working for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace took off, what what her entrepreneurial path has been like so far, and much more.
Tali Lavarry of Morale First was one of the latest scholarship recipients of the 32nd Annual Forum on Workplace Inclusion
US Bank and Augsburg University hosts a competition each year to select Diversity, Equity & Inclusion professionals at this well attended and respected annual event.
Tali offered a written submission discussing her passion for the industry and plans to push the initiatives of inclusive work environments forward.
Earning the ear and attention of the decision makers she earned access to this year’s festivities.
This year’s conference focused on new decade brings challenges that demand new solutions to meet the diverse needs of changing markets, customers, and talent. With eyes on the future, leaders must be open to shifts in their approaches to addressing workplace issues and more—they must be willing to learn from those who bring different ideas, experiences and perspectives.
Equipping our workforce with the diversity, equity, and inclusion skills needed to sustain our businesses into the future requires forward-facing and innovative thinking focused on both local and global solutions. It requires the agility to adapt to the digital environment, commit to global citizenship, and engender new ways of working together to deliver relevant products and services and create spaces where a diverse body of talent can thrive.
Tali had an amazing time, met lots of amazing people and looks forward to traveling back to the conference again and again year after year.
