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Leave a review and tell us this: where have you seen “acceptable difference” show up at work, the version of diversity that is allowed to be visible, but not allowed to lead?

In this episode of A Mixed Executive Perspective, Grace Fooden Correy examines how mixed identity is read, interpreted, and often misunderstood in corporate culture, using the fashion industry as a case study in power, perception, and belonging. Grace breaks down how fashion's color systems prioritize white skin as the default, while mixed and darker skin are treated as afterthoughts rather than a design inputs. Visibility is allowed, but often only in ways that feel safe to the system.

Grace shares lived executive experience from her time as Senior Design Director at J. Crew, including performative allyship in model selection, what sales data quietly reinforces, and the emotional containment mixed professionals carry when credibility is always being tested. She recounts a defining moment after launching a high-end swimwear line, when a major retailer looked past her and asked, “Who really did this line?” The question is not curiosity. It is a credibility checkpoint that reveals how leadership is policed when identity does not match expectations.

The episode also highlights signs of progress in fashion leadership and representation, and closes with a clear message for mixed professionals and parents raising mixed children: you belong.

How default standards reinforce power in creative industries

Why representation can be performative while leadership stays restricted

How identity policing shows up through credibility tests and assumptions

What emotional containment costs over time for mixed professionals

What authentic representation looks like when systems start to shift

If your podcast app supports chapters, use these to navigate.

00:00 Introduction and what this show is really about

01:00 Color systems, white as default, mixed as “acceptable difference.”

02:00 Performative allyship, model selection, and what the data rewards

03:00 Internalizing “do not make it a big deal,” emotional containment

04:00 “Who really did this line,” credibility tests, and leadership policing

05:00 Identity guessing, mixed race always in the room

06:00 Signs of progress, authentic representation, and mixed leadership

07:59 Close

If this episode resonated with you, please share it, leave a review, and join the conversation. Subscribe to A Mixed Executive Perspective and explore more from the BEP network, including A Black Executive Perspective, Pull Up Speak Up, and Need to Know with Dr. Nsenga Burton.

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Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

Welcome to A Mixed Executive Perspective, a podcast exploring identity, leadership, and belonging through the lens of lived experience.

In this inaugural episode, host Grace Fooden Correy outlines the show's purpose and shares her personal journey as a mixed-race executive navigating corporate America. From growing up in a biracial household to moving through professional spaces shaped by rigid norms and unspoken expectations, Grace reflects on what it means to lead while carrying multiple identities.

This episode lays the groundwork for future conversations by addressing the realities many professionals quietly experience but rarely discuss: fitting in, standing out, and the emotional and professional cost of trying to belong in systems not designed for complexity.

A Mixed Executive Perspective is a space for honest storytelling, thoughtful reflection, and meaningful dialogue. Whether you identify as mixed, navigate multiple worlds, or are simply seeking deeper insight into how identity shapes leadership, this podcast invites you into the conversation.

Subscribe, listen, and join us as we begin this journey together.

00:00: Introduction to A Mixed Executive Perspective

00:56: Understanding Mixed Identity in Corporate Culture

01:51: Personal Journey: Growing Up in Mixed Systems

05:13: Navigating Social Codes and Belonging

07:12: Challenges in Corporate Visibility and Inclusion

10:25: Reflections on Identity and Performance

11:46: Conclusion and Future Episodes