An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Community/Employee Buy in/Collaboration
Trust
Open communication
Program implementation
Measures for success
In a world where diversity is often acknowledged but not always celebrated, we are taking a step forward to highlight the importance of inclusivity in building strong, vibrant communities. This series aims to explore the various facets of diversity — be it racial, cultural, gender-based, or within the differently-abled community — and understand how embracing these differences strengthens our social fabric. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Tess Padmore.
Tess Padmore is a children’s book author, mother, and survivor whose work centers on emotional healing, representation, and resilience. After struggling to find stories that reflected her family’s experiences with grief and adoption, Tess began writing the books she wished had existed — gentle, affirming stories that help BIPOC families talk about hard things. Her titles include Remember Rudy, which addresses loss through the eyes of a child, and Twin Tails, a story about identity and adoption.
In addition to writing, Tess is also an inventor and entrepreneur. She is the creator of Egghead Soques®, a line of inclusive headwear — including the first patented swim cap designed to fit textured hair. Whether through storytelling or design, her work is driven by one mission: to make sure no one feels left out.
For more info about inclusive, diversity-driven headwear, visit eggheadsoques.com. You can also follow @EggheadSoques on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or connect with Tess personally on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about celebrating diversity, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
In this second chapter of my life, I’ve been exploring my creative side after closing a 30-year career in the business world. The decision to start a small business was sparked by a turning point when my medical team, following several brain aneurysm ruptures, told me that my academic and professional pursuits were over. It felt like society had written me off, but I was determined not to be left behind. As part of my recovery, I took up aqua aerobics, which eventually led to the invention of an all-inclusive swim cap. My psychiatrist also encouraged me to start writing, and once I did, I realized there was an abundance of experiences I had to share.
Can you share an interesting or hopeful story where spending time with someone who did not look like you or who was different from you taught you something that has been useful to you?
I grew up in New York City, a true melting pot of cultures. From an early age, I was surrounded by people of different races, ethnicities, languages, lifestyles, and sexual orientations. Being raised in such a diverse environment broadened my perspective and gave me a deep understanding of the richness of human differences. It created a sense of familiarity that naturally replaced fear or discomfort with acceptance and openness toward others.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Respect — I believe that everyone we encounter is both deserving and in need of respect, and I expect the same in return. When you’re in a leadership role, sharing ownership with those you lead is essential to creating a well-functioning and collaborative organization.
I served as the Alaska Marine Highway System Support Services Manager, overseeing all administrative operations. The scope was substantial: a $70 million operating budget, $25 million capital budget, a workforce of 1,000 employees across two states, and seven different bargaining units. I directly supervised a team of 40 people.
When I stepped into the role, it quickly became apparent that morale among the administrative staff was low. Through one-on-one interviews, I learned that this group felt consistently disrespected and undervalued by other departments — despite the fact that their work was critical to the organization’s daily operations.
I met individually with each team member to understand their view of their responsibilities, gather suggestions for improvements, and learn about their professional aspirations. With that information, I restructured the team, provided targeted training, and created clear pathways for individual growth.
This approach fostered a culture of mutual respect and trust. As a result, productivity rose, morale significantly improved, and employees began to take real ownership in the success of the organization as a whole.
Patience — Everyone has a story — a unique origin that shapes who they are and how they operate. We may never fully know that story, but as leaders, it’s our responsibility to take the time to understand how individuals learn, communicate, and interact. This requires adapting our leadership style to foster a relationship that is supportive, respectful, and mutually beneficial.
One of the most challenging yet important aspects of leadership is not giving up on an employee. Throughout my career, I’ve made it a priority to understand each team member’s strengths and areas for growth. With that insight, I created detailed flowcharts of administrative processes to assess how responsibilities could be adjusted — sometimes significantly — so that an employee could remain in a role rather than face termination simply because they didn’t fit the existing structure. In some cases, I even identified individuals with the potential to take on more responsibility and promoted them into roles where they could thrive.
Listen — Truly effective leadership starts with listening. It’s essential to hear the voices of the people you lead — especially those on the front lines doing the day-to-day work. Often, they have the clearest understanding of how things actually function and where improvements are needed. Many of the best ideas come from these team members, not from the top.
At the Alaska Marine Highway System, the reservation clerks were the first point of contact with customers. Yet for years, no one asked them whether the reservation system was functioning well, what could be improved, or what customers were saying. That changed when a new System Director came on board.
During the nine years I worked under his leadership, I learned a great deal about what it means to lead with intention. He made it a point to introduce himself personally to all 1,000 employees — learning not just their names but also the names of their family members. He held monthly all-staff meetings at headquarters and emphasized that every employee played a role in the organization’s revenue and success. Each meeting began the same way: by asking the reservation clerks about current sales numbers and the customer feedback they were hearing. His approach made it clear that every voice mattered, and that listening was not just encouraged — it was expected.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal story that highlights the impact of diversity and inclusivity in your life or career?
The University of Rochester supports a supplier diversity program aimed at building strong relationships with high-quality small and diverse businesses. As part of that initiative, they began purchasing my Egghead Soques® chemotherapy caps for use by inpatients and patients in the infusion center at the Wilmot Cancer Center. The caps are also available for purchase on my website: www.eggheadsoques.com.
How do you approach and manage the challenges that arise when working towards creating more inclusive communities?
The greatest challenges I’ve encountered in building inclusive communities are resistance to change and communication barriers.
Resistance to change — When I’ve been faced with the most difficult situations, as a leader, I’ve had to be honest, blunt and firm and essentially give the person an ultimatum letting them know the change is coming and they have to make a personal decision as to whether or not they want to be part of it and embrace the positive results that may come from change. In most cases, I found that bringing the resisting person into the conversation early on, illustrating the benefits change, giving them the opportunity to explain their resistance and giving them some ownership in how change will be implemented is the most effective approach I found. Get person to discuss fears they may have and address those head on.
Communication barriers –
Bringing a diverse group of people together can be a recipe for disaster. As a leader it can also be a positive challenge. Using collaborative communication, honesty and promoting teamwork is the goal. Instilling trust, fostering respect and understanding will go a long way to bridge better communication skills to the entire team.
What innovative strategies or initiatives have you implemented or observed that effectively promote the importance of diversity and inclusivity?
- Being exposed to different cultures and languages early in life builds a sense of confidence and ease that empowers individuals — especially people of color — to navigate spaces where they might not typically be represented.
- When meeting someone from another country with a name that may be unfamiliar, I always ask how to correctly pronounce and spell it as a sign of respect. I encourage others to do the same.
- When communicating with someone who is not a native English speaker, I make a conscious effort to understand the rhythm and cadence of how they speak. This helps improve communication and shows respect for their voice and experience.
- I write creative nonfiction inspired by my lived experiences, with all of my books available in both English and Spanish. In my first two titles, Remember Rudy and Twin Tails, the main characters are dogs, and all the human characters are Black. In my upcoming book, Our First Garden, the entire cast of characters is also Black. My work is aimed at children in kindergarten through second grade. My presence — as a Black woman author, educator, and storyteller — is a powerful part of the message I bring to young readers, offering representation on multiple levels.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways We Can Build Inclusive Communities”?
- Community/Employee Buy in/Collaboration
- Trust
- Open communication
- Program implementation
- Measures for success
How do you measure the impact and success of diversity and inclusion efforts, and what changes have you seen as a result of these initiatives?
I am now retired, and throughout most of my professional career, diversity and inclusion were not commonly discussed or prioritized. These initiatives only began gaining traction as my career was coming to a close. That said, in my 30-year career, the one place where I experienced a truly diverse and equitable work environment was with the State of Alaska — an experience that stood out not because of deliberate policies, but because inclusivity was naturally present. I spent fifteen years there. In contrast, the other workplaces I was part of, both before and after, lacked diversity and inclusion, and significant salary disparities were the norm.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Children are at the center of everything I do in my small business. Whether it’s working to help reduce the drowning rate among Black children, writing children’s books that feature Black characters, or spending time reading to young audiences — every effort is rooted in my commitment to children. They are the reason behind it all.
The movement I envision is an aquatics and career exploration program, beginning with Black and Brown children around the age of 10. The curriculum would focus on:
- Learning how to swim
- Gaining an understanding of the natural water environments in their communities — whether lakes, rivers, waterfalls, or oceans
- Developing survival skills tailored to the specific risks posed by these natural waterways
- Raising awareness about the dangers of drowning
- Addressing both health and physical hazards related to aquatic environments
- Introducing participants to careers in aquatics beyond competitive swimming — such as oceanography, diving, lifeguarding, surfing, aqua aerobics instruction, and scuba diving
The program would also connect students with Black women across the country who are already working in these fields and are equally committed to empowering and educating Black youth.
How can our readers further follow you online?
- Website: eggheadsoques.com
- FB: www.facebook.com/eggheadsoques
- IG: www.instagram.com/eggheadsoques
- LinkedIn (Egghead Soques®): https://www.linkedin.com/company/egghead-soques/
- Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-padmore-b5819b73
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Celebrating Diversity: Tess Padmore Of Egghead Soques On How To Build Inclusive Communities was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.