It silenced me from contributing…..

My accent (I am from South London) was mimicked by an agency CMO and diversity champion during a meeting for the agency woman's network.

I felt diminished, ashamed and it silenced me from contributing anything further during that meeting or the others we had. Until that moment it had been a great personal opportunity to have had a seat at that table of influence in the industry.

We need to ensure social mobility.

Lesson? We need to have respect for diversity including all aspects of people's identity including their voice; their accent.

How you moved forward? I lasted 16 months at the agency, didn't make any friends and couldn't thrive there. Subsequently since leaving; I've produced and developed teams who have delivered award winning, innovative work for our employers. Diversity wins.