E128 - Starting a Diverse Agency (Tracy Levesque, Yikes Inc.)

Jan 5, 2021

In today’s episode, Allie sits down with Tracy Levesque, Co-President and Co-Founder at Yikes Inc. - the team that builds smart, effective, creative web solutions for businesses and nonprofit organizations. 

Allie and Tracy talk about diversity and inclusion within the company, finding the best pool of talents, the effects of name biases, and prioritizing diversity when hiring people.

Tune in and learn running a diverse agency!

Episode Resources

• Yikes Inc - Professional WordPress Development & Design
• Tracy is on Twitter
• Visit WPAMA
• WP Buffs is on YouTube
• WP Buffs Website
• Tweet WP Buffs

What to Listen For:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:50 Welcome Tracy Levesque of Yikes Inc.
• 01:34 What is Yikes Inc?
• 04:01 What’s unique about an agency?
• 07:01 How do you prioritize diversity when hiring?
• 11:49 The best place to find a good pool of hires
• 14:27 What exactly is a pipeline problem?
• 16:50 If you need to network, go out and meet people
• 19:05 Men and women co-working in the WordPress space
• 21:06 Challenges in connecting with diverse talent during the pandemic
• 22:20 What is name bias?
• 29:02 Diversity and inclusion
• 41:11 Running a business during a pandemic
• 45:03 Things to focus on to prove you are qualified