‘We want to connect over the things that make us the same’
In honor of Pride Month, we spoke with Take 5 Car Wash team members Sydney James and Cory Burnett to learn more about their LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group (BRG).
Editor's note: Below is an edited transcript of the conversation about forming Take 5 Car Wash’s LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group (BRG).
Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of talk about diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Driven Brands knows we are at our best when we celebrate our differences and unite over what connects us.
We recognize that we work in a typically male and hetero-dominated industry; we aim to break those stereotypes and ensure everyone knows they have a seat at the table. As part of our diversity and inclusion initiatives, BRGs have been steadily forming within the business for some time. But it wasn’t until a company rally last August that the idea of starting one for our LGBTQ+ community was mentioned to our Take 5 Car Wash team.
“One of our colleagues, Michael Eubanks, talked about it with us,” notes Sydney James, Director of Field Marketing for Take 5 Car Wash and co-chair of the LGBTQ+ BRG. “The company wanted to create a sense of belonging, spread acceptance, empower people, and support this community.”
A few months after the rally when the seed was planted, the LGBTQ+ BRG officially launched in January 2023. The first initiative has been creating an internal platform that serves as a place for conversation among LGBTQ+ team members and allies and houses information and resources. So far, 30 people have joined.
Sydney notes that, ultimately, the goal of this BRG is to improve the work life of her LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies. She believes that doing this will be a business-wide win. “We want to connect over the things that make us the same so we can use that energy and that feeling of unity to make the company better,” she notes. The next action item for the BRG is to encourage more people to join the BRG and further educate team members on how they can support the LGBTQ+ community.
Cory Burnett, Director of Marketing for Driven Brands, is co-chair with Sydney on the BRG. Cory notes that part of the education piece is to inform people about why the Pride movement matters by digging deeper into its past. “We want people to understand why we are celebrating. It’s not just about putting up rainbows everywhere — it's what we’ve had to go through to be comfortable in our skin in today's world,” he says. Sydney chimes in, “And helping people realize that just because we're pushing for equality doesn't mean we're taking that away from other people.”
While they’re just getting started, Sydney and Cory have big plans for the BRG in 2024. For now, they’re excited to have a platform where they can speak on LGBTQ+ topics in the workplace and get conversations started. “When I joined Driven Brands in July last year, and they still had their Pride logo on LinkedIn, I thought it was cool to be a part of a company like this. My previous company was the opposite — they were like, ‘we won’t talk about this’,” he notes.
Cory is happy his new colleagues won’t have to experience what he did and wants them to know they will always be met with unwavering support. “We want a safe place for this group that spans beyond work. If you don't have somebody to talk to among your family and friends, people like Sydney and I support you. We’re here for you.”