In The ZOUD
In The ZOUD is where we stop avoiding the hard conversations about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - and start saying the things people usually whisper, avoid, or soften.
Hosted by Sylvia Stevenson, this podcast takes you into the Zone of Uncomfortable Debate - the place where real learning happens, assumptions get exposed, and leadership is tested. No sugar-coating. No corporate gloss. Just direct, meaningful conversations with people who are willing to name the truth about culture, power, race, identity and inequality.
If you’re tired of performative statements, tick-box strategies and safe conversations that change nothing, this is your space. Here, we ask the questions that make people shift in their seats — because that’s where change begins.
Welcome to In The ZOUD — if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change anything.
In The ZOUD
7 Things My Mother Gave Me: Day 1 - Patience
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In this first episode of the 7 Things My Mother Gave Me series for International Women’s Day, I reflect on a simple Jamaican proverb my mother often used while I was growing up:
“One one cocoa full basket.” Little by little, the basket fills.
In this short reflection, I explore how this wisdom continues to shape how I think about growth, relationships, and the theme at the heart of this year’s International Women’s Day: Give to Gain.
Sometimes the most meaningful things we build, as in trust, knowledge, opportunity, and change, happen one small step at a time.
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Until next time, keep leaning into the conversations that matter.
As we celebrate International Women's Day, I've been reflecting on the many things my mother gave me growing up. They weren't just material things, but things far more valuable, such as wisdom, values, and life lessons that have stayed with me throughout my life. You know, my mother had a way of sharing those lessons through simple Jamaican proverbs. They were sayings that she would use at just the right moment. At the time they sounded simple, but over the years I've come to realise they carried generations of wisdom. So, over the next seven days and in honor of International Women's Day, I'll be sharing seven things my mother gave me through the proverbs she used while I was growing up. And today, day one is all about patience. One of the first things my mother gave me was patience, and she used to remind me of it with a simple proverb, one one quarko, full basket. In other words, little by little things add up. She was teaching me that progress doesn't usually happen all at once. It happens through small steps taken consistently over time. Small efforts, small acts of kindness, small moments of perseverance. And before you realize it, the basket begins to fill. In other words, you begin to develop that skill of patience, that ability to be patient, especially when we want things to happen quickly. Now that lesson connects beautifully with this year's International Women's Day theme, give to gain. Because when we give encouragement, support or wisdom, even in small ways, those small acts can grow into something meaningful. So today, think about one small way that you can support someone else. Because just like my mother said, one one quarker, full basket. Come on, let's give to game.