We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaesic Wade (they/it) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaesic, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly, it was a no-brainer after many years of failed attempts at working for others in the neurotypical, ableist society we live in (though I’ll admit, it took me some time to accept this new path). Simply put, I don’t fit the mold. And now I’m realizing that I was never meant to, as I’m embarking on a new journey that I know will have a greater impact on the world than I could have ever reached as someone else’s employee. Year after year, I would burn out from my jobs, making me feel worthless because I couldn’t make money the way I was expected to. And while many of those jobs held meaning for me, I’ve always felt called to be and do something more. I hadn’t found my life’s purpose yet; I just kept finding things that were adjacent to it.

I’ve known from a very young age that my life’s purpose would be in the world of helping others. In fact, for much of my life, I wanted to be a teacher or psychologist. While those careers didn’t fully pan out, I did eventually find ontological life coaching, and something just clicked. People have come to me for support, understanding, and advice all my life. Why not make a career out of something I already do? However, even after completing my schooling to become a coach, something wasn’t right. (I do hate the reality of capitalist compulsory careers; I’d life coach for free if I could, and I will one day.) While I love my clients, and I will continue to love supporting those who hold marginalized identities to live authentically purposeful and fulfilling lives, again, I knew there was more in store for me.

Finally, after taking stock of all my training and experience over the years—facilitation, education, support and connection-based work—I’m finding myself breaking into the corporate world. My mission is to usher in a cultural shift with others who are doing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, by focusing on comprehensive workshop trainings combined with continued coaching support. I get to influence change on a greater scale, by supporting businesses to forge inclusive work cultures where cohesion is possible through embracing, valuing, and celebrating the diversity of their employees and the people they serve.

There is only so much work that can be done from the ground up to shift culture. I believe my life’s purpose is to be a part of the work from the top down by leveraging my privilege and teaching not just from what I’ve learned formally, but also what I’ve lived through as a queer, neurodivergent, disabled person. I started with a blog, became a life coach, and now I am an Accessibility & Inclusion Consultant & Coach. And I’m so excited for the future.

I mentioned privilege, and I’d like to speak on it briefly. Besides being a White person, I also come from a middle-class family. I’ve been in an intense autistic burnout since leaving my activities assistant job at a nursing home back in 2019. Part of my privilege is that my mother has been supporting me since then so that I have been able to recharge, recalibrate, and get on the right track.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Many companies have DEI initiatives that either just don’t take off, are misguided to begin with, or they don’t last after the first training. My business is in making a lasting impact with the most current information involving queerness, neurodivergence, disability, and White fragility in the workplace. I’m not just offering a one-off training on gender, or neurodivergence, etc. I am offering a training paired with a two month coaching contract (which can be extended), where I walk alongside faculty and staff in their transition to new understanding, and help develop policies that reflect this transition. I also coach those who hold these identities so that they can realize what’s true for them (within or without the workplace) and be empowered to take authentic action toward their goals.

I am most excited about spreading compassion and seeing people gain new perspective in real time. I operate out of the 3 C’s: curiosity, courage, and compassion. I list curiosity first because I believe that if you are truly grounded in curiosity, then courage and compassion are easy to find. I am excited to see people learn more about the world around them, and learn more about themselves because they’re understanding others better. And I can’t wait to see the magnitude of lasting impact from working with one institution after another—to see inclusive spaces form left and right, where everyone can contribute and everyone can thrive. Not to say that this isn’t messy work, that mistakes won’t be made, or that change will happen overnight. But I already believe in the possibilities of tomorrow as people work towards systemic change, and I’m so grateful and eager to join the fray.

I think what sets me apart is my genuine belief that the world CAN and WILL get better. The more we engage in the conversations I’ll be bringing to the corporate world (just for example, as others are doing this work too), the more we will see culture shift to be more inclusive and beneficial for all.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy by any means. I’ve suffered through a lot of trauma and misguided effort after misguided effort to get here. But after a certain point, I started to see my struggles as character-forging experiences; I built a voice for myself, and gained strength and courage where I might not have otherwise. Our hardships don’t define us, but how we choose to interact with them absolutely plays a role in who we become. Radical acceptance and mindfulness have been the keys to me embracing the chaos and pushing forward regardless—aside from the love of my communities, of course.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way:
– Listen to your gut more. If something feels off, or unaligned, don’t waste your energy trying to convince yourself differently.
– When you find your people, invest in them.
– Resting is just as important (if not more important) as working.
– Believing is seeing, seeing is believing. You have to visualize what you want and focus on it—claim it—for it to come true, all while doing the work to get there and believing that you will get there.
– Let go of the outcome, stay in the footwork.
– Simp for yourself harder. Self-love, understanding, and compassion are paramount to living the life you want and helping others to do the same. We cannot pour from an empty cup.
– F*ck colonialism and f*ck capitalism.

Queer Cult is my blog, where all marginalized identities are allowed to be VOCAL, VISIBLE, and are seen as VALID. Queer Culture Coaching stands firmly on the same belief. (You can follow the blog @thequeercult on both Insta and Facebook, or queercult.org)

As far as other things about me, I am also a performer and artist of many kinds. I am a musician (justjaesic.bandcamp.com; @justjaesic on Insta, @jaesichere on Facebook), a dancer (when my body allows it), DJ for partner dance(s), drag performer, painter, the list goes on!

A flyer made of a white background and the Polyamory Pride Flag, which is a yellow heart within a white triangle on the left, and from the top down, stripes of light blue, salmon pink, and eggplant purple. The words, “A Polyamory Support Group, Sundays at 5pm EST starting January 22nd,” are in white, on top of the stripes of the flag. Under the flag in black lettering: Come with your relationship woes and celebrations. Feel heard, seen, and learn from each other. Receive coaching from Jaesic Wade, ontological life coach. Register at bit.ly/polamsupport. Email contact@qccoaching.com for questions. Suggested donation of $5-15.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve been so lucky to come back to Rochester as an adult. I really thought I was done with New York when I left for Michigan at 18 years old, but here I am, falling in love with my hometown. If I had a friend visiting me for a few days, I would use up every minute to show off the amazing nooks and crannies of Rochester (which, to be fair, I’m still learning about myself). Of the places I know though, I’d definitely take them to Equal Grounds for breakfast, our local queer café. Equal Grounds can be equated to a queer Town Square, where ideas are shared, friendships are made, and community is built. Very grateful for that place. Or I’d take them to the Modern Art Gallery for brunch and incredible art. Then there’s the Public Market, Highland Park, Mt. Hope Cemetery, the Strong National Museum of Play, the Strasenburgh Planetarium, Ontario Beach (if it’s the summertime; Seabreeze, a little local amusement park, is also great), literally the list could go on and on. There are so many museums, parks, and Rochester-specific entertainment, it’s hard to believe this city is as small as it is! The arts scene is popping too. We could catch a concert at Eastman, or Photo City Music Hall, Flour City Station, Water Street, Muck Duck Studio, just to list a few. I’d also take them to Roar to sing karaoke or catch a drag show. Rochester always has something going on!

Presented by Queer Culture Coaching. Gender 101: How to be a Better Ally. Be the Ally you want to be! Learn about gender identity and how to engage and respect the trans community. Gain resources and build skill in allyship work! When: Sunday, January 22nd at 1-4pm EST on zoom. Register at bit.ly/practicingpronouns.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would be nothing without my communities and the mentors I’ve had along the way. I think one of the biggest contributors to my life, however, is Callie McKee. She’s one badass woman in the DEI world. Of her many contributions to society, she founded the University of Michigan Theatre Company (UMetc). I had the privilege to be a part of the UMetc my junior and senior years of college. I’ve always had a decently developed sense of justice, but Callie and her work really blew the door wide open for me. And while I learned, and helped others learn, about anti-racism, the bystander effect, microaggressions, mental health, working with diverse teams, and so much more, I also learned to start believing in myself.

Callie’s work wasn’t just work. She put her soul into everything she did, and she loved all her students and faculty fiercely. Her belief in me became my belief in myself, and her passion for compassionately changing the world has inspired me ever since we worked together. Callie has been absolutely integral to my development as not only a career DEI activator, but also as my most authentic self.

On a more recent note, my drag dad, Tanner Linton (Tayler Mayde in drag) is absolutely someone I want to give a shoutout to as well. He’s an incredible role model and outstanding community member (and dad). He puts on shows weekly for other drag kings (which is hard to come by), as well as strives to be as inclusive as possible (he often uses ASL during his performances, and finds interpreter volunteers for his shows). Tanner works as a recovery counselor for those struggling with addiction after being sober for years now himself. I really look up to Tanner, and I’m so grateful he’s taken me under his wing. Drag was a piece of me I didn’t realize I was missing until I found that euphoric rush during my first performance, and Tanner has only positively influenced my growth within the drag world. His dedication to sharing knowledge and helping his kings build confidence and skill is unparalleled. Community always comes first for him. He pours love into every relationship he has. Rochester wouldn’t be as enriched as it is without him, and I wouldn’t be who I am either.

On a black background the letters ‘Q’ and ‘C’ are interlocked and lined with a striped rainbow pattern. Underneath the letters, the slogan “Vocal. Visible. Valid.” is in white, all caps lettering. Underneath the slogan is the @thequeercult handle.

Website: queerculturecoaching.com

Instagram: @thequeercult (blog)

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/queerculturecoaching

Facebook: facebook.com/thequeercult (blog)

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@queercult6466/videos (blog)

Other: queercult.org is my blog URL

Image Credits
Andrea Westerlund

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