Lived Experience Is an Asset – But It Isn't Free

In equity-focused consulting, lived experience is increasingly recognized as an asset. Consultants who have experienced discrimination, exclusion, or systemic barriers often bring perspectives that strengthen research, engagement, facilitation, and decision-making. These perspectives help build trust, uncover insights that might otherwise be missed, and ensure recommendations are grounded in the realities people face every day.

But as lived experience becomes more valued, it's worth asking another question: What does it take to do this work, day after day?

As consultants, lived experience informs our work, but it doesn't define it. We bring professional expertise, evidence, and rigorous methodologies to every project. At the same time, our identities can shape how we experience the work itself.

Doing this work well requires empathy, professionalism, and resilience. We work alongside people sharing deeply personal experiences of racism, ableism, gender-based violence, colonialism, workplace harassment, and exclusion. We educate others, facilitate difficult conversations, respond to resistance, and remain composed when discriminatory comments arise – all while advocating for meaningful change.

Over time, this emotional labour can accumulate. At ParriagGroup, we've learned that supporting our clients also means supporting one another. Reflective practice, debriefing after challenging engagements, strong team support, and knowing when to step back are all essential parts of sustaining this work over the long term. These practices help us remain thoughtful, effective, and present for our clients.

There is also an important lesson here for organizations: those with lived experience should not be expected to represent an entire community, disclose personal experiences, be responsible for educating everyone in the room, or repeatedly revisit painful experiences to advance organizational learning. Lived experience adds value, but it should never become an endless resource that organizations draw on without considering the impact on the people behind it.

Organizations have their own role to play. When engaging consultants with lived experience, it's important to value their expertise as much as their perspective and acknowledge that their contributions extend far beyond personal experience. It includes years of research, facilitation, evaluation, and strategy.

The goal isn't to remove emotion from equity work. It’s about creating conditions that allow people to continue doing meaningful work without carrying invisible expectations or unsupported emotional labour.

When lived experience is thoughtfully valued and intentionally supported, everyone benefits: consultants, the organizations we work with, and the communities those organizations hope to serve.