Grace Stratton on Building Inclusive Change
Welcome to All Change Please a series highlighting individuals (from students to C-suite) who are reshaping their industries by carving out alternative paths to meaningful change.
It’s been a minute! I’m really excited to continue this series with the incredible Grace Stratton, who I was super fortunate to work with (and learn from) for the marketing launch of Adaptive Fashion at Zalando.
Grace is the Chief Executive of All is for All: a consultancy and creative agency working with brands to be truly inclusive and accessible for disabled people. They “work on changing the way society sees disability. Not as a problem to be solved - but part of our culture to be celebrated.”
Named in inStyle’s 50 Badass women and a part of Forbes 30 under 30, Grace founded All is for All at just 19 - now she leads a team who all understand first-hand what it’s like to live with a disability.
Let’s Dive in!
How did you get started with All is for All and in your own words, what prompted - and gave you confidence - to pursue this path?
Grace: I got started with All is for All because I felt I had a responsibility to build something to advance my community, and that nobody was going to do it for me. I didn’t really ever have confidence, or there wasn’t one moment I did, I think I just committed to doing my best everyday and that’s what I’m still doing, for our team and clients.
I’m always open to the fact that I can do and be better and that’s part of what keeps me going.
Let’s get practical! For someone looking to change their industry from within, what are the first three concrete steps you would suggest they consider?
Grace: Good question! The first would be to know and acknowledge those who blazed the trail that you’re benefitting from, we need to know and respect our history as we build forward.
The second would be, know that the small things matter - the small changes, the everyday things all add up.
And the third would be - have at least one person who you can share all your frustrations with!
Change can be slow. How do you maintain your motivation and momentum while pushing for systemic change?
Grace: Hold the line, and know that the little things that you do every day really matter and contribute to the difference you want to make.
How important has collaboration been in driving change? Are there specific partnerships or allies that made a significant difference?
Grace: Collaboration is everything - which is why we always say Counsel not cancel, meaning support people and help them to learn! Our partnership with Zalando, and the allies within Zalando have been significant and incredible supporters, and so too have our collaborators on the Inclusive Code.
Our collaborators are why we are here today!
Have there been any significant challenges or hurdles in your journey, and what did you learn from them that others might benefit from?
Grace: During the time when I set up my business, my dad became gravely ill and underwent a lung transplant, and saw his incredible courage - which inspires me to keep going, and taught me how much courage can do!
What advice would you give to someone who sees flaws in the way things are, but feels the social pressure to conform or is totally overwhelmed with the rate of uncertainty and giving up on feeling that they can change the status quo?
Grace: Do something small everyday that is aligned with how you want the world to be.
Change is a constant and something I’m really passionate about: getting curious not cynical about change to push things forward…for the better.
At a time when we readily accept "this is just how things are done," or feel overwhelmed by the amount of disruption and that impact is impossible, or actively want to create a better future but just don’t know where to start, these stories seek to demonstrate that there are always ways forward - whether that's finding new solutions to old problems or questioning commonly accepted "truths" about how things must be done.