Our blog’s just like any other, except it’s useful, nice to look at, and fun to read.

As we uphold our commitment to sharing annual progress against our DEI goals, it’s important that we reflect on the past year to not lose sight of our role in driving change. 2020 was a year of disruption. The Pandemic-Era. A Year of Social Unrest. A Racial Reckoning. Its impact will last a lifetime, and we saw its immediate effects in our workforce - it’s rapidly changing, and we know we have to continue adapting quickly. At Praytell, the status quo has never been enough, and we welcome the pressure to build a better industry.

This year for PRIDE, Prism, Praytell’s LGBTQIA+ Employee Research Group has its focus on community. Following 2020’s isolation during PRIDE, 2021 is the time to focus on something way bigger than ourselves. The past year and a half have been particularly challenging for all marginalized groups, with 42% of LGBTQIA+ youth seriously considering suicide and 94% believing that recent politics have negatively impacted their mental health — according to a recent report from the Trevor Project.

Our agency is built on optimism. We've always seen it as an essential ingredient in our best work and our company culture alike. Don't worry, our optimism isn't blind and doesn't come at the expense of clarity. In fact it coexists quite nicely with the other isms - stoicism, pragmatism and even pessimism.

As a group established just last summer, this year was the first time elevAsian was able to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month as a community at Praytell. Amidst an especially challenging time for us in the U.S., we took this time to celebrate our diverse community and cultures with programming that reflected that depth and breadth.

In March of 2020, employers everywhere were forced to quickly rethink their models to accommodate and adapt to the new normal – working from home. We saw hiring freezes across the board as agencies looked to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of their existing employees.

The past year has been notably difficult for everyone, but a 169% surge in hate crimes against the AAPI community has made this month all the more crucial in celebrating and appreciating our rich and diverse cultural achievements and presence in the states.

Cinco de Mayo is this week, which means some are bringing out their colorful straw sombreros and prepping the margarita mixes for happy hour. But for Mexican Americans living in the US, the holiday means so much more and nothing at all—at the same time.

In September of last year Apple rolled out it’s latest software update, iOS 14. Along with its many new features, the update announced the forthcoming implementation of additional security enhancements requiring all apps to show users a prompt asking for permission for the app to track them outside of the platform.

It’s Women’s History Month and who better to share a bit of wisdom than the moms of Praytell? Earlier this month, we sat down with a panel of moms from across the agency to learn how they have been navigating working from home, childcare and a pandemic over the past year. Their unfiltered takes on motherhood in today’s world shed a new kind of light on the unique challenges and triumphs experienced by this inspiring group of women.