Breaking the Mold: How adversity drives inclusion

A conversation with Slalom consultant, Jimmy Son

Who inspires you and why?

Everything that I have accomplished and will accomplish is because of my parents. They (and many others who share similar stories) immigrated to America for a better life for themselves and their children. Their journey was marred with war, death, racism, a language barrier, and broken hearts. And because of this they are my ultimate inspiration.

I’ve learned a work ethic second to none. Growing up in a community where people can lose their way, my parents kept me grounded and were constantly involved in my life. We were a single income family; my mother worked long hours in the service industry while my father stayed home with me.

I never lose sight of what they had to sacrifice to give me a better shot at life. My hope is that my children understand this as well.

Tell us about a time you have felt like an outsider, and what did (or could have) helped you feel more included? How has that experience helped you to feel more included or inclusive of others?

I tend to feel like an outsider in the Twin Cities and more generally in our line of work—consulting.

Being a person of color in a community that can be seemingly homogeneous, one can’t help but to feel like an outsider. Same goes for our line of work as our clients and Slalom peers are some of the most talented people I have been around. At times I can’t help but feel like an outsider looking in because my “humble beginnings” differ so drastically from the majority of the people I interact with.

I’ve been in conversations in the work place around graduate programs, family Alma maters, weekend lake cabins, school systems, etc. where that didn’t apply to me growing up nor carry much weight with me now as an adult because of my life experiences and how they have shaped me.

I think Slalom does a great job of recognizing our differences and celebrating everyone’s authenticity, down to the individuals I interact with who carry our core values through and through and are very cognizant of the people around them. I hope by sharing my story I can bring awareness to the fact that we are indeed different in many ways. It would be a bonus if someone who reads this can relate to my story and feel like less of an outsider. I can’t tell you how good it felt to meet someone in our office who also had to endure the oddly deep orange government cheese growing up.

In an effort to be more conscientious of others’ difference/preferences, what would be a goal you would set for yourself to make sure others feel included? Why would setting this specific goal be important to you?

My goal has always been to make others feel included by getting to know everyone I interact with on a personal level. I’ve carried this throughout my career with colleagues and clients alike, and that’s what probably makes me successful. If you talk to people who know me they’ll tell you that I’m an open book, and because of that I tend to build great relationships. Some shells are harder to crack than others, but by being vulnerable it allows others to be more comfortable in their own skin.

This is important to me because I have a story that has shaped my experiences and my own personal/professional personality. If we all spend time to get to know each other a little more, relationships grow, bonds strengthen, and exclusivity diminishes.

If you could write a book about your life, what would the title be and why?

The title would be, “Humble Beginnings.”

I’m a child of refugees, grew up on subsidies, government assistance and section 8 housing. A fair amount of the people I grew up with lost their way, and I am the first person in my family to attend college.

I have battled a lot of adversity throughout my life from bad schools, parents struggling to make ends meet, and seeing gang violence around me. Being a child of immigrants from a third world country I learned English as a second language making my early education harder than most other American born kids. At school age I was interpreting for my parents and filling out paperwork for them at social service offices.

I wouldn’t say I grew up in the ‘inner city,’ because that term is reserved for some of the toughest communities. But my suburb was not all palm trees and convertibles either. In a community that explodes with immigrants from less than first world countries, there tends to be a generation that has issues with acclimating and succeeding.

But from these Humble Beginnings, I was able to persevere.

Why do you stay at Slalom?

I stay at Slalom because of our core values. We show up and do what’s right. Being able to love what I do and build a professional future that makes sense for me is very gratifying. Being equipped with the tools, training, and mentorship to succeed is a big factor of why I stay.

I also stay because Slalom invests in its employees (a perfect example being the opportunity to share this story!), getting to know us on another level, and sharing our stories to help create a more inclusive environment. I’ve left organizations where I just didn’t fit the mold and felt like an outsider. But by Slalom embracing all of us individually and celebrating what makes us different, we can all belong in this one place when the outside world may say otherwise.

Interested in working with Jimmy? Contact recruit-minneapolis@slalom.com