00;00;00;08 - 00;00;35;13
Coach Dora Mendez
Welcome back, amazing leaders to season three of the Building Leadership Community Podcast. I'm your host coach Dora mendez, and today's episode is truly special. We are honored to welcome a leader who embodies what it means to be an equity warrior in every sense of the word. Someone who shows up authentically, unapologetically, and with a fierce commitment to building capacity, advancing justice, and empowering the next generation of changemakers.
00;00;35;15 - 00;01;10;17
Coach Dora Mendez
Our guest today is a queer Latinx millennial who is redefining nonprofit leadership as a strategist, educator, fundraiser, coach, and champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He raised over 14 million for causes that matter. He's coached hundreds of nonprofit board leaders. He's trained leaders around the globe, and he's doing all of this while pursuing his doctorate and living his values every single day.
00;01;10;20 - 00;01;45;19
Coach Dora Mendez
What does he not do? You are all going to fall in love with him as much as I have. Today we welcome Jonathan Meagher-Zayas, founder and chief strategist of Equity Warrior Strategist, LLC. By the end of this conversation, you will walk away with actionable strategies to build capacity in your organization, a deeper understanding of what inclusive leadership truly looks like, and a powerful reminder that equity work isn't just a buzzword.
00;01;45;22 - 00;02;04;28
Coach Dora Mendez
It's a daily practice, a commitment, and a calling, something that we know about here at, the Building Leadership Community Podcast. This episode is your invitation to lead with courage, authenticity, and impact. So let's settle in. Let's take a breath and get ready.
00;02;05;02 - 00;02;29;28
Coach Dora Mendez
Hello and welcome to Building Leadership Community Podcast. I'm your host, Dora Mendez. I am the founder and CEO of Coach Dora LLC. Our guests will be entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community leaders that drive social impact. It can be lonely at the top, but it doesn't have to be.
00;02;30;00 - 00;02;42;00
Coach Dora Mendez
It means so much that you join us week after week for these conversations. You are back with us for season three. It can be lonely at the top, but it doesn't have to be.
00;02;42;00 - 00;03;06;15
Coach Dora Mendez
That's why we started this podcast. If you are new to the Building Leadership Community podcast, we are so glad that you are here. Don't forget to like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode! Say hi in the comments and if you're watching us on YouTube, please hit that subscribe button at the bottom of your screen so we can continue to give you great content.
00;03;06;22 - 00;03;38;24
Coach Dora Mendez
We have some great resources to share with you today. If you are thinking of starting your own podcast, check out our mini course, The Entrepreneurs Podcast Blueprint. I've partnered with my husband and co-producer Dylan Rogers to create five easy to follow video modules, along with a workbook that you can download and follow along at your own pace, and you get a very handy AI prompt sheet that will make getting your episode out there into the world a breeze.
00;03;38;26 - 00;04;16;15
Coach Dora Mendez
The link is in the description. Also, this video includes affiliate links. If you purchase through them, it helps us keep bringing you amazing, inspiring content as well. We are continuing this season with powerful conversation and today is no exception. Let me tell you about our guest. Jonathan is the founder and chief strategist of Equity Warrior Strategies, LLC, a queer Latinx millennial nonprofit leadership strategist dedicated to addressing equity issues, building capacity, engaging communities, and motivating leaders to get stuff done.
00;04;16;16 - 00;04;57;15
Coach Dora Mendez
With over 14 years of professional nonprofit experience. Jonathan has worked across fundraising, communications, volunteer management, program management, leadership development. I can go on and on and on. One of his biggest achievements is raising over $14 million through major gifts, corporate relations, events, foundations, philanthropy, government grants and annual giving. Just the whole gamut of supporting organizations. Jonathan is also an experienced community engagement and communication strategist, having led social media campaigns.
00;04;57;17 - 00;05;27;27
Coach Dora Mendez
He has coached and supported hundreds of nonprofit board leaders. But Jonathan doesn't just do this work. He studies it, too. He holds a master's in social work, with a degree in a macro concentration and a master's in public administration, which is also my degree MPA, with a concentration in Nonprofit management from the University at Albany, SUNY. He earned his bachelor's degree in religion, linguistics and Gender studies from the University of Rochester.
00;05;27;29 - 00;06;08;25
Coach Dora Mendez
He is a Certified Fundraising Executive, a Certified Diversity Professional, a certified T.A. m Team Communication Styles Facilitator, and holds a board source Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consultant. I could go on and on and on about, Jonathan's brilliance. He's a global educator who has trained hundreds of nonprofit leaders. But why don't I stop talking and let Jonathan pour into you today, and let's bring him on to the stage.
00;06;08;28 - 00;06;10;13
Coach Dora Mendez
Hi, Jonathan.
00;06;10;18 - 00;06;14;20
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Hi Dora! I'm so happy to be here. Thanks for having me.
00;06;14;22 - 00;06;18;14
Coach Dora Mendez
I'm glad. Can you pronounce your name? For our listeners and our viewers?
00;06;18;15 - 00;06;35;26
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Of course. Yes. A proud last name. My name is Jonathan Meagher-Zayas. So, my husband and I combined our names when we got married, and so we intentionally and build on that. But I know it doesn't look easy to pronounce, which is okay, but, yeah, it's Meagher-Zayas.
00;06;35;29 - 00;06;41;03
Coach Dora Mendez
I love that. And then Zayas part is Puerto Rican. Am I correct? Yeah.
00;06;41;09 - 00;06;54;21
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah. So, yeah. Maha is my husband's Irish Gaelic ancestors. And then sires is my mom's Puerto Rican sign, which we took to honor her and my grandpa, which are so key to my leadership story.
00;06;54;22 - 00;07;18;05
Coach Dora Mendez
So wonderful. Because that's a great segue, because, you know, my, my paternal side is Puerto Rican, the Mendez is Puerto Rican. And that's something that we share. We we have so much in common where we both, are champions of DEI. We're both educators. We both have master's in public administrations. We both have our ladies. We we just have so much in common.
00;07;18;06 - 00;07;38;16
Coach Dora Mendez
And, but your lens is very unique. And so that's part of the reason why I wanted to have you on our show this season. Season three. We've had the most diverse, group of leaders. And I think you're going to bring so much value to our listeners and viewers. And I want to start there. Exactly there.
00;07;38;16 - 00;07;43;02
Coach Dora Mendez
Which is tell us, about your unique leadership story.
00;07;43;05 - 00;08;12;25
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah. Oh, I'm so excited to connect or because I know we have so much in common and it helps make the connection and community building even stronger. So, so, kind of quickly to begin, like I mentioned, my, mother and my grandfather and they kind of kick off and start, I would say, my leadership journey because my mother and my two grandparents, her parents were so key and influential to inspire me throughout my career.
00;08;12;25 - 00;08;44;17
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So, my grandparents, originally from Puerto Rico, they came upstate New York, where I grew up in Syracuse, New York, and started their own churches. My grandpa founded the first Hispanic Pentecostal church in Syracuse and just had a passion and dedicated to serving the community. And then my mother is an experienced educator in the Syracuse Public School District doing dual language education, and always went above and beyond and recognizing the systemic barriers that her students face.
00;08;44;17 - 00;09;05;13
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So, I start with them because they really have guided and inspired me throughout many moments in my career and like, why I'm still so connected and doing this work. So, but I started, really a passion. I think when you go off to college, you see, trying to figure out what you want to do, and I always knew I wanted to make a difference.
00;09;05;13 - 00;09;15;03
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
I didn't know exactly what it was. I didn't, I actually was that overachieving student where I did, I think six internships during my undergrad year at college. Like.
00;09;15;05 - 00;09;15;19
Coach Dora Mendez
Wow, I.
00;09;15;19 - 00;09;30;20
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Just had to try it all and stuff like that too, which is great because I did one with New York State and I was like, state work is not for me. My husband works for the state, but not for me. And you get learn and explore. So, it's in there that I fell in love with nonprofit work.
00;09;30;20 - 00;10;03;05
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
I my first internship was with an LGBT community organizing organization. We were organizing around transgender equity. In 2011, I want to say, like, you know, and kind of advocating for efforts there. And then I fell into fundraising and got connected with the community, to translate some of that skill. So that was all an undergrad that just found this passion for nonprofit work and this opportunity to blend the, like, accountability of the public sector with the creativity of the private sector.
00;10;03;08 - 00;10;42;05
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
To address our community's most pressing problem. So, so the overachiever in me was like, oh, I'm ready for this. I'm passionate. I want to I'm going to go to grad school and not just get one master's, but two. So that's what led me to Suny Albany. Where I got my master of Social work, a master of Public administration, and it was a great opportunity to just take all the great learnings from social work of the social equity lens, the assessments, direct rapport and communication skills with the public administration lens of just accountability, financial management, leadership, governance, and combine them.
00;10;42;05 - 00;11;08;27
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
And that I started working in the sector. So and transitioned easily. I had worked always in the sector, various roles. I started off primarily as a fundraiser, but when you're a fundraiser, you need to help out, many other aspects of nonprofit work. Like, I can't just raise programs for an organization that struggles with staff retention, or the programs are, up to par, you know?
00;11;08;27 - 00;11;41;15
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So I always found myself always trying to elevate the resources for the organization and then also helping out kind of elevate, you know, the staff engagement, the program management, the excitement from there, the board engagement. So I was always tapped into many opportunities. And, it did get to a point where I was a little like burnt out, you know, frankly, just because I think we get to a point when we're, like, working so much and we realize that, and then I actually transitioned to work for a local community foundation.
00;11;41;18 - 00;11;47;08
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So I got to be under the funder side, which was, incredible opportunity. They designed the role.
00;11;47;08 - 00;11;57;26
Coach Dora Mendez
So I want to just, slow you down for a bit for our listeners and viewers because, not everyone, understands what you mean by the sector. So there's a private sector.
00;11;57;29 - 00;11;59;12
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Right? Yeah. Which is a sector.
00;11;59;16 - 00;12;23;24
Coach Dora Mendez
Right, which is to making corporations and traditional, like, you know, products and corporation. And then there's the public sector, which is government and nonprofits and. Yeah, and then what I always tell my students is that nonprofits, doesn't mean no money, because you talk about this $40 million, it doesn't mean no money. It's just how the money is used.
00;12;24;00 - 00;12;39;28
Coach Dora Mendez
So it's not used to like, give shareholders profits, right? It's used to, of course, do something that benefits the community in some way. So that's what I just wanted for our listeners and viewers. I just want because we know this language is, you know, but I realize.
00;12;39;28 - 00;12;40;04
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
It's.
00;12;40;11 - 00;12;51;15
Coach Dora Mendez
Beginning for for some of our listeners and viewers, this might be a little jargony, but when when you say the public sector and nonprofit in particular, we're not saying no money. These are businesses.
00;12;51;17 - 00;12;52;17
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Oh, of course, right.
00;12;52;18 - 00;13;15;09
Coach Dora Mendez
That have operations. Right. So when you're talking about staffing and air and retention, right. These are businesses. But the purpose, and the mission of these businesses is service. So it's so it's a different model of business. But they these are businesses. It doesn't mean nonprofit doesn't mean no money. It's just how the money is used. So I, I didn't mean to cut you off.
00;13;15;09 - 00;13;16;01
Coach Dora Mendez
I just wanted to.
00;13;16;01 - 00;13;16;16
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Oh no, I.
00;13;16;22 - 00;13;29;11
Coach Dora Mendez
Had a little asterisk there so that our listeners, I want to make sure everyone's really following along with you. And so now your where in your journey where you're now at a community.
00;13;29;13 - 00;13;29;27
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah.
00;13;29;27 - 00;13;38;05
Coach Dora Mendez
Foundation. And so set of fundraising to help serve the community. Now you are funder.
00;13;38;07 - 00;13;38;14
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah.
00;13;38;15 - 00;13;43;29
Coach Dora Mendez
Giving money to a community. So that's what we mean by community foundation. So yes, I think that's where we left off.
00;13;44;01 - 00;14;10;06
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah. No, thanks for the clarification and I apologize. I, you know, you get so excited and you're like, yeah, of course I know this, you know, and building on that. So yeah, I appreciate that. So and I mentioned this key point because it was so key for my career. So I, you know, transition to working for a community foundation, which is essentially like, a foundation gives out money and gets out grants to nonprofits.
00;14;10;06 - 00;14;39;10
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
A community foundation is the civic type of foundation where we pull funds from many people together, and then people can give out and grant in their own way or support. So instead of starting your own foundation, you can partner with the Community Foundation to help, give out funds. And it was there that I realized specifically for me is this passion for, being really, intentional and helpful for nonprofits, but not doing the direct work myself.
00;14;39;10 - 00;15;13;16
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Like, I love, I love being like the macro social worker in me who loves, thinking a little bit above the systems, being a little bit higher for that. So, my, you know, mission from turning from serving the community is like, my community I serve is the people who are serving the community, too. So that's kind of was a key, pivotal moment for me to recognize my passion and excitement and kind of setting myself up for, you know, working what I do now, which is a key reflection for me.
00;15;13;19 - 00;15;40;23
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
In that point, and I had worked at this community foundation during the beginning of 2020, which we know is the start of the pandemic. And it was a really pivotal moment for me to just recognize the power and opportunity that some of these organizations had of convening resources really quickly, granting out funds, listening to government leaders who, frankly, didn't have the capacity or strategy yet to know how to implement stuff to.
00;15;40;23 - 00;16;04;22
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
But knowing that people were not working, they had food needs, health care needs, recognizing that, and a key moment because, you know, the start of the 2020, the pandemic turned into our, age of civil unrest and the racial reckoning in our country when many people realized the systemic racial oppression that existed in our country and around the world.
00;16;04;22 - 00;16;27;01
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So and it was like a pivotal moment for, you know, us as a sector impact to kind of think about the community, how we were stepping up and serving the community and being, the only I was the youngest person on staff. I was the only queer person. I was the only person who had any ancestry outside of Europe.
00;16;27;04 - 00;16;59;13
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So I it fell to me. And this kind of passion, allowed me to create a lot of opportunities and resources for folks along the sector. So, you know, during this time, I created leadership programs for emerging, professionals who wanted to work in the space. We created a leadership program for people who wanted to serve on boards with the intentionality and helping diversify, nonprofit boards and kind of overseeing that, this training program for executives.
00;16;59;13 - 00;17;12;06
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
And, even so, like this, we call it a roadmap, essentially, like this intense guide on how boards can help diversify their staff and, and their organization. So.
00;17;12;09 - 00;17;40;08
Coach Dora Mendez
Speaking of that, because that for me, that that touches a nerve because, you know, I'm, I spent most of my career in human resources and people and culture, and so I'd love to hear kind of like, I feel like all the work that you've done, all the education you've done, and then pivotal moment in our history, milestone moment in 2020, I love to hear, like, the genesis of this equity, this equity warrior who I love.
00;17;40;12 - 00;18;12;02
Coach Dora Mendez
I would love to. Yeah. Yes, I'd love to hear like I love this like the term itself. And because, you know, when I hear it, when I hear warrior, I think of someone who's very aggressive. But you're you're so pleasant to be around. It's clear that you're also a collaborator just based on your, just your style and, also your work history, like you and doing things in community.
00;18;12;04 - 00;18;36;01
Coach Dora Mendez
So when I hear warrior, I think of someone who's, like, aggressive and tough. But I don't get that from you. I get like a crush. And so I, I love, I love I mean, there's obviously a reason why the, the word warriors there, right? Yeah. So I'd love to kind of hear the genesis of like how or why and this is what you wanted us to put in your tagline, right?
00;18;36;07 - 00;18;42;23
Coach Dora Mendez
Of course. Yeah. That is the thing that you want it. So I'd love to hear. What's the origin story of the Equity Warrior?
00;18;42;25 - 00;19;17;10
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
You know, I it's great timing too, because like that point in my career realize I had the skills and opportunities to help advance organizations in this work, but I didn't professionally have the title of a director of DEI or DEI specialists or, you know, like I was always add on and so integral and so some of my both, you know, professional roles and volunteer roles and I remember, you know, especially in the time in 2020 when people are like, I'm an ally, I'm trying to like, advocate and champion.
00;19;17;10 - 00;19;47;02
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
And I just for me wanting to distinguish my own sense of, why what what was I intentionally trying to do and also, like, set myself up so that, like, you know, there's a difference for someone sharing in social media post about social, you know, is social justice. And me, who's ready to go in the organization and say, let's do an assessment on where oppression and ideologies influence all aspects of your organization and step that up.
00;19;47;02 - 00;20;12;00
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So I was trying to figure out what that looks like. And also for me realizing, that this is an ongoing process and what we're really trying to address and kind of dismantle are these oppressive types of ideologies that have influenced how we speak, how we talk, how we act, expect certain people to act, how we organize our resources, how we vote.
00;20;12;03 - 00;20;31;17
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So I always thought like that was a key, you know, issue that I was having too, as well. And recognizing so, I think I don't know exactly the origin of like, who first call me a warrior, but I brought it like it came up and I just casually embraced it like I was like, equity warrior.
00;20;31;17 - 00;20;55;06
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Great. Like, love it to. I also love, you know, it was for me during this time where I was, like, kind of reckoning with, where my family's come from and my ancestry, and recognizing that too, as well, and recognizing warrior means so significant terminology for our indigenous ancestors and how they embrace and show the community to as well.
00;20;55;06 - 00;21;17;10
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
And recognizing that a lot of our indigenous ancestors use the term warrior not as an aggressive type of, you know, approach, but a more of like, how are we centering what's important to the community? How are we showing up? How are we using our skills to kind of contribute to the collective good? So that was kind of my terminology and thinking that I also for that.
00;21;17;12 - 00;21;48;05
Coach Dora Mendez
When I, when I hear how you break it down, I see the term warrior as someone who is taking action. Because you mention like it isn't like someone just hashtag BLM, you're actually the person who is in the organization not only just like planning and strategizing, but figuring out how to execute. Sure. How to how to execute and teaching people and training people how to execute what's on the paper in real life to break down these systems.
00;21;48;05 - 00;22;33;24
Coach Dora Mendez
So, you know, when I think of you as a warrior, I think of you as someone who takes the action, you take who knows how to take the action, actually knows how to build systems and teach people how to take the action necessary to make the change that's necessary. And so that being said, I love this idea because, you know, I think about, you know, like my paternal, my, the, my paternal maiden name is, Mexia, which is Spanish for like, magic king.
00;22;33;24 - 00;22;54;17
Coach Dora Mendez
Right? Yeah. Or like royalty. So I, I just love the whole analysis to sort of like the roots in the ancestry. Yeah. So let's let's talk a little bit let's switch gears a little bit and talk about how why community is so important to you. You know, leadership can be lonely. It can be lonely and isolating.
00;22;54;19 - 00;23;11;17
Coach Dora Mendez
And, so here's your, like, opportunity to share what community means to you and maybe share a little bit of, wellness tips. I heard you earlier talk about, like, burnout in your past. Yeah. So I love to hear, like, why community is important to you, and, Yeah. Oh, yeah.
00;23;11;19 - 00;23;48;10
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
It's, you know. Oh. That's great. Yeah. I, you know, I, you see, the most supportive communities are spaces where I'm allowed to be my authentic self and show up and bring in and able to help others kind of do the same as well. So that's how I always define like what a strong community is for me is the opportunity for that authenticity and allowing others to be their authenticity, you know, self too, because that is so key for avoiding things like burnout, moral injury and other areas where you're not getting the support needed to continue.
00;23;48;10 - 00;23;50;04
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
You know, some of the important work for that.
00;23;50;04 - 00;23;54;05
Coach Dora Mendez
So can you define what do you mean by moral injury?
00;23;54;05 - 00;24;16;24
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah, it's a term that actually came from the medical field. I don't love the term burnout. I use it because it's people can easily understand, like, oh, you're getting tired of a system and doing that. But we, we know that the best people ever go into these roles and opportunities, and they could be the most talented people and the burning out, not because they can't handle it.
00;24;16;28 - 00;24;35;25
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
It's because they're experiencing what some folks have had of moral injury, of like, they're doing so good to work, they'll self-sacrificing the system, and the system is taking advantage of them and not supporting them, instead of actually letting them thrive and grow and kind of build on that. So, I like to shift that terminology.
00;24;35;25 - 00;24;36;21
Coach Dora Mendez
I see that.
00;24;36;21 - 00;24;37;24
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Because it's.
00;24;37;26 - 00;24;39;03
Coach Dora Mendez
Frame.
00;24;39;05 - 00;24;39;24
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah.
00;24;39;26 - 00;24;48;27
Coach Dora Mendez
Okay. Because when you say burnout, it's really on like the person from when you say “moral injury”, it's like the system has failed this person.
00;24;49;04 - 00;24;49;19
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah.
00;24;49;19 - 00;25;11;13
Coach Dora Mendez
And and yeah I0I love this reframe I love it as “moral injury”. I just think that's so that's fascinating. Thank you for sharing that. Where it's the burnout is is is really centered on like the person and where this moral injury is on the system that has failed the person.
00;25;11;15 - 00;25;39;24
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah. Agreed. Because we I love this week. It's, what that is to I like one of my favorite colleagues mentioned the term grace. Like giving grace. And what does that mean? And it's usually going soft on the person, but hard on the problem. So, you know, a why are we shaming people who are overworked, underpaid and dealing with so many systemic barriers instead of saying, hey, can we just make this easier?
00;25;39;24 - 00;26;26;06
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Because I want my nurses, my teachers, my social workers, my frontline staff to be the best possibly ever because they're doing the most important jobs ever, you know, recognizing that. So, and what does that look like from a systemic level, you know, especially as we're seeing now, is the rollbacks on health care. The, the lack of investment in some of these areas, too, is just like systemic issues that are impacting, you know, so essential folks in our communities, but also impacting underrepresented, under-resourced groups to begin with, because most of these folks in these roles come from, you know, communities of color, LGBTQ communities, women, you know, these roles are already, you know,
00;26;26;06 - 00;26;49;10
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
systemically undervalued. So, and that's why I think so important for these communities to really show up and that community because, I really think, like, we're really going to navigate this together by collectively supporting each other and coming together. Like that's how I see the most and of so navigating issues and tough topics from that point.
00;26;49;12 - 00;26;52;16
Coach Dora Mendez
So that's what community means to you bringing.
00;26;52;19 - 00;26;53;11
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Know.
00;26;53;13 - 00;27;01;02
Coach Dora Mendez
Bringing your authentic self and and community with others to solve, to be able to navigate and solve problems.
00;27;01;08 - 00;27;02;02
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah.
00;27;02;05 - 00;27;24;07
Coach Dora Mendez
And, you know, I know that I could talk to you forever and it's clear you have so much to say and so much experience. I would love for you to to share. You know, what advice you have for the next generation of leaders? Yeah. You want to. Would you? What would you tell your younger self when you first started out early in your career?
00;27;24;09 - 00;27;47;11
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah. It's a great question. I would always say to is, strengthen your self awareness skills. Like, the more that you understand who you are, what your strengths are and how you like to show up and what you need community, the better it is. Can, the easier it is going to advocate for what that community and your career need.
00;27;47;11 - 00;28;13;05
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So I mean, like, we don't have to be good at everything. We are inherently all having different roles and opportunities. And the more that you better understand what type of strengths you have, what that role is, the better you can then sit into how you can show up and support others in that way. So really key, you know, I would say, number one, develop your critical self-reflection and awareness skills.
00;28;13;08 - 00;28;26;02
Coach Dora Mendez
I love that self-reflection and self-awareness. I just I love that so much. I think that's great advice and I don't think anyone has given that yet. To.
00;28;26;07 - 00;28;27;01
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So.
00;28;27;03 - 00;28;28;25
Coach Dora Mendez
I really.
00;28;28;28 - 00;28;50;19
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
I mean, I there's so many ways that you can develop it, like depending on, like if you're an internal or external processor. So I'm an external process as you can say, I could talk forever. So I have my groups of friends. I have my therapist, my husband, when he's forced to listen to me, like all these people that need to let me process all my thoughts and stuff like that.
00;28;50;19 - 00;29;25;08
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So have it, figure it out. So. But you might be a better journal. Or like you need to go outside and walk and meditate. But the key part to just because I think, you know, as we're seeing so many people, lack this critical self-reflection, they don't know how they're showing up in spaces like, you know, like a lot of, toxic behaviors in the workplace, like micromanaging or, defensiveness, or fear, frankly, is showing up because people aren't taking the time to critically aware and be like, not just like, what am I thinking?
00;29;25;08 - 00;29;36;27
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
But why do I think this, you know, how is this influencing how I interact with people or how I want to show up or what I'm trying to achieve so that I can be the best person you know I possibly can.
00;29;37;00 - 00;29;51;16
Coach Dora Mendez
So I love that. So you're tying the self-reflection to leadership, because if you don't understand yourself and understand how you are showing up in spaces, it's hard to lead.
00;29;51;19 - 00;29;51;27
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah.
00;29;51;27 - 00;30;16;17
Coach Dora Mendez
To ask and ask others to follow. Sure. So I just I love that notion. So how can people how how would you like our audience, our listeners and our viewers, viewers, to, learn more about you? Keep in touch with you. Yeah. I'm going to give you some space here to share what you would like, with our listeners and viewers.
00;30;16;19 - 00;30;41;18
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Yeah. I would say, love to always connect. Feel free to find me on LinkedIn. That's probably the platform I'm the most active on. I know that, I follow, that's how Dora and I first got connected, so feel free. Always follow me on LinkedIn. Intentional resources and sharing posting down there too as well. I've done a lot of intentional work on my website, so feel free to check that out.
00;30;41;25 - 00;30;49;14
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
Not just has information on my business and my services, but, resources like other types of content there.
00;30;49;17 - 00;30;55;26
Coach Dora Mendez
We're going to put these all in the description, but I would love you to say the website name for our listeners.
00;30;55;28 - 00;31;18;06
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
It is Equity Warrior strategies.com. So you can easily find it that way. I think I've done a good job of doing the SEO where Equity Warrior comes up and it's me. So I'm trying, you know, so but definitely check out connect on LinkedIn do website. I have some exciting stuff coming up in 2026 that's not ready to announce yet.
00;31;18;06 - 00;31;37;17
Jonathan Meagher-Zayas
So, always feel free to connect. And, you know, then you can see what those will be in terms of resources, training, content, live engagement. So, that's probably the best way. And I'm always open to conversations like this where I get to connect and build community with our folks as well.
00;31;37;19 - 00;32;03;22
Coach Dora Mendez
Jonathan, thank you so much for being here. I know that our listeners and viewers are going to get so much value out of your story. You have such a unique story. You you are so accomplished and so on, so many levels. I love this. My big takeaway is this notion of moral injury. I think that's that's a new concept for us here.
00;32;03;22 - 00;32;34;11
Coach Dora Mendez
And I just love that. And so I want I can't thank you enough. I want to ask all our listeners to viewers to make sure they like, share and subscribe if what we've discussed today resonates with you, and if you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to hit that subscribe button. Hit that button. The, and, I just I can't wait, for folks to hear what you have to say and hold on for for a minute as we roll our closing credits.
00;32;34;13 - 00;33;03;23
Coach Dora Mendez
You've been listening to Building Leadership Community. Watch on YouTube @CoachDoraM. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts, follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube @CoachDoraM. Visit me on the web at CoachDoraMendez.com. Hosted by me, Dora Mendez. Produced by Dora Mendez and Dylan Rogers. Graphics, editing, and sound mixing by Dylan Rogers.
