Jeanine: Hello everybody welcomes to the Empower World Coaching and leadership podcast. And it's just meets today with my very special guest. Marie's unable to join this particular Rachel what's the what's the word for. Because like I know the word but I'm not trusting my pronunciation chore ro.

Rachel Petero: Chore ro chore ro chore ro

Jeanine: Thank you chora sharing that word which I do have a little struggle with languages outside of my own so and here my limiting beliefs coaches. So, Marie’s not with me today and I am with my amazing friend Rachel Petero who is also a coach, an ICF certified coach. And Rachel is someone that both Marie and I had the great fortune to meet in Doha, Qatar. And this was when Rachel was living there at the same time that we were both living there and we were very fortunate to have Rachel join us on our coach training program and as a consequence of that experience, of course we were friends before this all. And with Rachel moving back to New Zealand, her country, Rachel had a beautiful vision and I'm going to hand over to Rachel to share what that was, had this beautiful vision and very fortunately, again, I'm using the word fortunate quite a lot here I'm noticing! Rachel invited us to partner her with one of the programs, one of the many beautiful and powerful programs that she offers. So, again I have been in a wonderful position to be able to support Rachel with at least one of those programs with the coach training based in New Zealand. And again, I’ll hand over to Rachel to share more about that. And we've been working together for a number of years now and I've had the privilege of seeing Rachel's vision grow and come to reality and expand and again she is a trusted partner and friend and with the with the rise, I guess many of us are appreciating the rise of Black Lives Matter which has always been there and thankfully there is more light being shone on this, Marie and I again we wanted to be able to support how do we as coaches, how do we enable that spotlight to be shone in a way that enables Diversity Inclusion equity? How do we unite and create a wonderful way forward? And again, have these beautiful courageous conversations that supports us all to come together and create better outcomes and it does mean experiencing tough questions, going deep, identifying blind spots, things that perhaps we never thought we did but actually we find out that we have got these blind spots and how to create a new way forward. So, I really want to thank you Rachel for joining us today to again support creating more awareness. So, before we deep dive, Rachel over to you to share more about you and where you're at the moment.

Rachel Petero: So, thank you Jeanine. My great friend for the welcome into your podcast, the Empower World podcast I feel really honored to be here in this space with you having just come out of our coach training literally.

Jeanine: We have!

Rachel Petero: Just spent the whole day with some amazing coaches here in New Zealand and also Australia.

Jeanine: Yes.

Rachel Petero: And we're able to do that because we're online so firstly thanking Jeanine for inviting me in. Second, is really just talking about a little bit about who I am. And I’ll introduce you to my beautiful countries. So, in where I'm from in my own view in my own language of Maori. So, in that hearing of my language, I’ve introduced you to my beautiful river which is the waika tu river, the mighty waika tu river. My very sacred mountain which is called topiary which sits alongside my mighty river and our very first cheerier was the man and the leader of our tribal area of waika tu. And since his leadership many years ago, a century ago we've had Seven Kings, one queen amongst those seven. So, it's a little bit of my history. I'm very proudly from waika tu and in New Zealand we are tribal. We are tribal. So, if you come to Auckland and you hear about an hour and a quarter and a walk-in south towards Wellington you will go through the waika tu regions. So hopefully for anyone listening you have travelled to my country and so I am indigenous of New Zealand. And so, I say this. I'm indigenous and I'm Maori and I'm a woman. Who really is proud, really proud to talk about my culture, to share my culture actually and to share it in the coaching space specifically through my business Rise 2025 Global and coach training is just one of the ways, one of the ways that we are bringing shining light into coaching as a beautiful resource as a tool, as a way of life to shine the light on issues actually like Black Lives Matter and many other things as coaches who are listening, you will understand the power of coaching and the space that we find ourselves and Covid first and foremost with the bigger topical conversations globally around Black Lives Matter and so much more. So, I just wanted to welcome anyone who is listening to this and so thank you Janine for that beautiful welcome.

Jeanine: Yeah cheora Rachel that so and thank you for your again your beautiful opening and the beautiful use of your language and bringing that in. And even though I don't understand the words I guess maybe because I’ve been partnering with you for some time now, five years, I get an understanding of the sentiment and the I guess the feeling and the emotion behind what you share and it's certainly again it's been a privilege to experience the culture and the language the rao and the traditions that I have experience through working with you. And it certainly feels, I don't know if this is the right word, magical but that's it really is such a privilege to be doing this work with you and incredible and the incredible Wahenie and Tanu that we've been working with so, Yeah.

Rachel Petero: Thank you.

Jeanine: Yeah, I do. I feel like I'm on my Co papa, my purpose with you. So along of course with the work that I'm doing with Empower world which absolutely is equally inspiring. So, Rachel thank you, I love that that story that you shared about your country as well. And I don't know whether this is taking us off the track of the diversity, inclusion and equity that we wanted to have dialogue about today. But I heard you use the word “we are tribal” and I wondered if you could share with our audience what that means when you say “we are tribal”.

Rachel Petero: Yes absolutely. So, Jeanine I’ll share from my own perspective, what tribal means to me knowing that I’m Maori and from different tribal areas across our country across the Moto and then will have a different interpretation potentially. So, from my perspective tribal means that, so, from a waika tu perspective we have our own protocols and I mentioned our knighting. Yeah. So that is unique to our tribal area yeah. So? Is our current king of and he is Maori King he is recognized across the country and it is unique to our tribal area is a waika tu all tribal member. So, within that you know within that word tribal is diversity actually yeah. We as waika tu are inclusive of all tribal areas across the Mutu however. It is a choice whether or not you are part of our knighting movement now what you would potentially call in a European sense a monarchy. So, we have great relationships as a knighting. We are a hundred and sixty-seven years of knighting of history as many of our other tribal iwi. So, what it means to each tribal area will be around their protocols and practices and they are slightly different slightly different. Overall our language is the same. We can all understand each other. So that is an advantage I believe here. There will be nuances and language and so that will tell me when I'm listening that people from this tribal area.

Jeanine: Yeah.

 It will be different things that I do and how I will acknowledge that will be different to some of my other tribal iwi, tribal areas. So, you know tribal means to be unique in your protocols, to be unique potentially in your language. And we will have different interpretations of what that means to us. And there's so much depth in that word tribal. I believe our conversation today fits perfectly into that into that conversation which is about different perspectives. So my perspective as a Maori woman and indigenous and working globally will be different. And actually, that's okay because isn't that what it's about? That we can have different perspectives and also, I have the awareness to recognize diversity as a strength.

Jeanine: Yeah.

Rachel Petero: And also, potentially as a stretch.

Jeanine: Yeah.

Rachel Petero: That helps to frame up our conversation.

Jeanine: Yes.

Rachel Petero: As we go in.

Jeanine: Yes, I believe it does. I'm trusting it does. I'm trusting that it does. And again, thank you for sharing your perspectives and know what came up for me was beautiful when you were sharing was a beautiful saying that a friend of an old friend of mine used to say to me that you know that it all makes up the rich tapestry of this life. All those different colors and textures of threads that become patterns that come together the faults the beauty that comes together to make the rich tapestry of life so.

Rachel Petero: Yes beautiful. Yeah. And I believe Jeanine that I want to live in a colorful tapestry world and imagine if it was all the same imagine if we were all the same. That's not the world that I want to live in. I want the color. I want the tapestry. I want to be able to stand in my identity and my culture. Also looking out to other cultures and recognize their strength in what they bring. I want to be able to stand in my culture and share of my culture that also binds other cultures and I believe that's what we do and through all programs for Rise. And I also want to be able to have a perspective that is different to someone else's and also to be respectful of how I share my perspective. Of someone else's culture someone else's perspective someone else's thoughts in a way that supports others to potentially see another perspective from me sharing and doing that in a really powerful way, I believe as we're coaching, comes into play.

Jeanine: Yes. So, coaching what I'm guessing is that beautiful approach of curiosity and deep listening, seeking to understand and asking those questions that evoke much greater an expanded awareness and possibilities moving forward, going out into the future. To create what is desired and that connection and those relationships and so much more that's what I'm potentially hearing.

Rachel Petero: Yeah absolutely. And I think it's a really powerful space for anyone in coaching or not to be able to stand in that and be okay to hold your own space first, but also to hold space for others that they might be able to go on a conversation within themselves and with each other that will support a way forward. And when we talk about Black Lives Matter know I remember that first wave, that first wave of what came out in the media. And I really you know, I really felt that. I felt what was going on for us… yeah for black women, men, families in America. And I really stood back and not taking it away from them really, I actually stood back and thought Oh so what does that mean for me as an Indigenous woman as well. Yes, I know. I remember not commenting a lot. I was processing a lot. I didn’t step into the conversation because it was so you know it was quite overwhelming actually, Jeanine is the word that comes up for me, I really wanted to come out of the social media, Actually, after a while and really just reflect for myself what does that mean for me as an Indigenous woman. If I was in that situation? If this had happened to my brother, father, uncle what would that mean for me? And so yeah that was my first reaction actually was to step back and observe what was happening. And it was almost quite surreal. I know this happens because it's happened before many times before and it continues to happen and not only in America. Let's be honest it's not only happening in America. And so yeah and I really took time to think about what would be my reaction if this was my people's. If this was my tribe. How would how would I have reacted? So yeah really interesting first reaction and then you know the rest of it unfolded from there, in conversation just like this Jeanine. Where I’ve been able to step into panels, I'm doing one on Tuesday morning 6:00 a.m. In the morning in the U.K. and that is about holding space for women in the arts who want to explore these conversations in a safe environment. And isn't that what coaching gives us? The opportunity to create safe environments where you can have those courageous conversations.

Jeanine: Yes. And I think that's so important. Because I imagine many people don't know how to have these courageous conversations. There could be the fear of actually “what if I put my foot in it? What if I say the wrong thing? You know I don't want to say the wrong thing but what if I inadvertently do that?”. And so I can hear that that's quite often a fear that prevents people from stepping up, stepping in, getting curious, exploring, for fear of hurting people as well. And of course, then that's the complete opposite. And everything in between.

Rachel Petero: And everything in between. So, you know as coaches and I think about stepping into you know the space that I'm stepping into on Tuesday predominantly white woman are all in the arts a good friend of mine has invited me in and hints I’ve seen yes and have really set up the space I’ve sent them everything as we do, Jeanine. All of those Ways of working and that actually as coaches I also have boundaries. I also have these ways of working and so if anyone is stepping into that space these are my expectations: respect of the conversation across the board. Yeah and inviting people to come on an experience actually, Jeanine. So, I got a lot of panels and I loved having the panel all that conversation. And actually, what I realized from doing that since Black Lives Matter and other things happening in the world is actually how can I even support more and one of the ways that I know through all the work that we do together is to go on an experience. And say that's what I'm really offering up to this group that we that I am hosting and it is only me or with a coordinator facilitator with a zoom lens because it's not my strength. I want to be in the facilitation as you know Jeanine. So, I'm offering them experience to see what they see, hear what they hear, feel what they feel from the perspective based on a person or a situation that they have found themselves in around diversity, inclusion, equity, Black Lives Matter, racism, white privilege, white fragility from their perspective. And then I'm going to invite them once we've done that to look at it from the other perspective, the person or the situation that they find themselves in. We all know about the speakers of your own coaching. And then I am actually going to invite them to experience it from a helicopter view, from a bird's eye view and that’s the process and I have an hour and a half to do that. So, I believe that that's... We could do that for three hours, five hours. But you know in that hour and a half I have I'm trusting that will support people even more outside of having a conversation we'll do a little bit of that. Yeah that's my intention and I'm trusting that that's the right approach.

Jeanine: Yeah. Thank you for sharing the opportunity you have and to support a group of people who sound like they're they want to learn. They're curious and that process that you're going to introduce that perspective work. So seeing through their own senses and then putting themselves into someone else's shoes which is a beautiful empathy building type of exercise and then to come outside of self to get another bird's eye perspective that can bring in some other ways of seeing and experiencing the world going forward or in the present moment or whatever it may be and I thank you for sharing that process and hopefully some of the coaches who may be listening to this will go “Aha. That's something I can do as well in my team” or whatever it may be. And it reminds me actually as you were sharing that Rachel, of the work that we're involved in with the ICF Australasia. So, one of my roles is the pillar head for coaching excellence with the ICF Australasia, a new role. And part of that is organizing, co creating with three amazing coaches that I'm working with, a month-long event to support coaches and support the profession of coaching. And I took over this role from Mary Britain who's also been on our podcast also from New Zealand, England originally but New Zealand is home for her and when she and I got together we really wanted to bring in this indigenous Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait perspective to the to the summit and we really wanted to acknowledge the land, the original owners of the land, the first people in the summit. So, it reminds me of the conversations that we've been having with you Rachel and with Crystal who is an Aboriginal coach. So, you know Mary and I and the rest of the team are so grateful for you saying yes to being a cultural ambassador. And I'm you know I'm really respectful and appreciate your you know again the boundaries that you and Crystal have both worked out. You know this is what we need in place to feel safe, to feel heard, to honor each other's cultures. And I again just really appreciate the depth and the thought, the mindfulness and the protocols that you're that you are both following to create again a beautiful space that we can all work within.

Rachel Petero: Yes. Yeah. So it is a real privilege to firstly be part of the summit because I think ICF Australasia is growing and expanding and to be part of that growth I believe is progress and if you think about things like black lives matter, it's about doing things differently moving forward. And so that's what I believe ICF Australasia are entering into that journey and they’ve come in boots and all. Which is wonderful to witness the and I think I invited crystal into this space because I think it's only right. It's Australasia so New Zealand and Australia need to come together and I feel stronger, I feel safer I'm skipping into that space as cultural ambassador alongside Crystal and so we're still working through our boundaries and so there’s things you know for our listeners that we have agreed on and things we haven't agreed on and that's okay. It's perfectly exactly where it's meant to be in terms of the conversation. And so, what I'm getting out of it is I'm really enjoying hearing the ICF Australasia teams stretch and grow their learning and their awareness around what it means to engage with Aboriginal and Maori and indigenous and another culture that is not their own. So, I think that's absolutely the way forward. We invite you to come and be part of the summit and Crystal and I are really starting off the summit with our cultural covid awareness and inclusion Co papa program that you know again it's very experiential. So, if you want to go on an experience and a journey you know come and join us, sign up for the V summit which I'm sure Jeanine will share as part of this podcast and be open to another experience and another perspective and feel safe in doing that actually.

Jeanine: Yeah. Thank you, again for saying yes and supporting a new way forward for ICF Australasia. It really is opening beautiful doors in terms of different protocols different language to use that is incorporating and recognizing and acknowledging again the diversity and inclusion and of course we know it's not going to be perfect. We know that there'll be lots of things that we can do better and we're looking forward to hearing that and we're looking forward to how we can again expand going forward because we know that it will continue this evolving conversation.

Rachel Petero: Yes, absolutely and I know and I can speak for Crystal as well is that we don't have all the answers, Crystal and I, and that's okay. We're coming from our own perspective is a really proud Maori, Aboriginal women who are both also in business and have been in doing really you know really doing well in our businesses and leading actually, leading a global summit through our cultural ambassador roles is also sending out a really strong message to other coaches, to other chapters particularly around ICF globally as to how this can work that actually there is a way forward. And so, whether you are in a conversation about Black Lives Matter, racism, white privilege, my hope out of this podcast is that you know that there is a way forward. That you have hope within yourself that there is a way forward. I know through a lot of the work that I'm involved in stepping into spaces where groups of people, individuals can't see a way forward and actually seeing them have those aha moments that “Ahhh I never thought that I could navigate my way through this”. Or “I never thought that there was another option” and then seeing that realization, I mean that's why I'm in coaching, Jeanine, is to see those ahaus, to see the growth to see the big deep breath of relief. Actually, there is a way forward saying you know my hope from sharing with you today is that that's how others see these big issues. And yes, they are. They are and they continue to be issues globally for minority, for diverse groups of people, women. You know we could have another whole conversation about gender. Tonight you know just leaving you with this I think I really trust that it will support you to go on your journey. And just to know that there is a way forward. I mean what a great gift.

Jeanine: Yeah absolutely. So, Rachel thank you so much. I know you've got a dinner date tonight.

Rachel Petero: Yes, I have with my husband.

Jeanine: Yes. So, in New Zealand with the unlocking of the lockdown it's time to enjoy, time to celebrate. And so, I thank you so much for sharing your perspectives. Coming from your shoes as an Indigenous woman of New Zealand, it's wonderful to hear those perspectives and your open heart, your open mind, being aware of what's important, what are the boundaries, but knowing that there is so many possibilities to move forward. So, I thank you for that beautiful heart and mind that I'm blessed to be working with often and on behalf of Marie and I, thank you for being again an amazing guest on this podcast that again we trust people listening to this will appreciate that generosity and that spirit within you, Rachel so.

Rachel Petero: Thank you Jeanine and can I endow session with a crickea.

Jeanine: That would be beautiful. Thank you.

Rachel Petero: Crickea for our listeners is a blessing it could be a prayer doesn't need to be religious it can just be an opening or closing of a space so I'd just like to share. And even though you don't know the meaning I just like you to pick up on the spiritual nature of this kind of Crickea so as you listen you could close your eyes whatever works for you.

Jeanine: Rachel thank you for that beautiful crickea.

Rachel Petero: We'll see you again next week.