A Conversation with Brian Butler: Making Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace a Permanent Feature
Posted on Mar. 18, 2022 / Home Page, Diversity & Inclusion / Subscribe 0
Brian Butler, founder and owner of Vistra Communications, recently spoke to PRSA member Leslie Farrell about his start in public relations, his commitment to diversity and the importance of community involvement. PRSA Tampa Bay recently recognized Brian with the Deanne D. Roberts Excellence in Community Relations Award to recognize his dedication to pro-bono public relations to support community organizations throughout his career. He truly believes giving back is a key to success.
You had an impressive career in the military before starting Vistra Communications. Why did you decide to create a communications firm?
I loved every day that I wore a uniform. I learned a lot, met great people, managed troops in combat one end, and got to tell the Army’s story on another end. I served as a public affairs officer, and got to tell Army and Defense stories at a big level. I really understood the value of telling a story. I got the chance to travel the country and travel the world and tell the story. I also spent two years in the White House, under President George W. Bush. For a little kid out of South Florida, I was batting much higher than my average. When I was growing up in Riviera Beach, some of my teachers said ‘don’t go to college or trade school.’
I returned to Tampa and couldn’t find a job. I started the company, because I couldn’t find a job, from my house in Lutz in 2007. I had to figure out what I could do, to ask myself ‘what do you know how to do?’ I had a marketing degree and I knew reporters around the country.
I started with a couple small nonprofits, like Positive Spin, that helped families in need.
To what do you owe Vistra’s success? You have grown it into a company with more than 120 employees and a great reputation.
The large number of people who pray for us daily. The faith we have. The ability to make a difference and make an impact in the community and make that a high priority. The ability to make meaningful relationships. The ability to build a great team.
Finding people; constantly building relationships and displaying values.
What advice do you have for others to ensure we are creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace in the field of public relations and communications?
You must be deliberate about it. You have to be deliberate every day about it. And if you aren’t, the opportunities pass you by.
I challenge leaders all the time…If you spend all your time with people who look just like you, you are probably part of the problem. As leaders in the community, we should surround ourselves with people with different viewpoints. In the Army, that was easy because people were from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. When it came time to get the job done, we’d put on the uniform and just go do it.
I also try to stay connected with the audiences we are trying to reach.
In another interview, you’d said: the most pressing challenge is making a culture of diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace a permanent feature. What are some of the benefits of having a diverse team?
Because we have such a diverse team, I never have to worry about “group think.” When you have up at the whiteboard, an engineer next to a journalist, and a numbers person, you get a different solution for the client.
When you bring in (people with) different backgrounds and cultural experiences, you get different results and solutions.
In your letter published in the Tampa Bay Times in 2020, I’m a CEO, a retired Army officer and a Black man, you wrote, “Training, de-escalation and treating all people equally are key. Community conversations and respect for others are likewise key… Let’s work together and ensure meaningful communications and dialogue about tough issues. We can do this together, or we will do this apart.” Can you give any specific advice to public relations professionals about what we can do to improve things?
Put the pen down and listen. Get off the keyboard and listen. Have conversations with people and you hear things you’ve never heard before. The difference between riding a bicycle through a neighborhood, a motorcycle, a bus or a car – it’s the same neighborhood, the same houses and streets, but with each of those ways of going through it, you’re going to have different experiences.
Leslie Farrell is a member of PRSA’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
0 Comments