The summer of 9th grade, I got into a Greek Mythology summer AP class. Now I was considered a gifted kid (nowadays we realize that some of us were also a little neurodivergent but I digress) so I loved any extra educational opportunities. But also we didn't have any money to send me anywhere during the summer. My mom and dad worked so I was either in a program or at home watching Green Acres reruns, eating toast and Sunkist Fruit Snacks, and reading The Catcher in the Rye.

But this particular summer I was selected with a bunch of other kids across Detroit to spend our hot sticky summer in a cool air conditioned classroom reading the Greek classics. Kids of all different backgrounds, mostly Black, discussing Persephone and Medusa and, of course, Odysseus.

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So OF COURSE I'M SEEING THE ODYSSEY OPENING WEEKEND! And I did. And if you know me, you know I am about to make this connect the dots to work. Because it's all connected. Since the movie is nearly three hours (I didn't feel any of it btw), I'm gonna focus on cast and not journeys or else this will turn into a Vanity Fair essay (one of my favorite kinds - long form pieces). I don't charge a subscription fee so a character breakdown will have to suffice.

Editorial note: this is all in fun and fiction so please don't reply back with some "this isn't historically accurate" because, guess what, The Odyssey is a poem and not a documentary which is a shame since I'd love to see how someone like Helen can be born from an egg. But maybe that's coming in the future.

Odysseus - Absolutely not the CEO but perhaps the good hearted, smart, right hand person who goes and does the job without asking any questions (although in this case it absolutely pays to ask Agamemnon questions but more on him later). CTO? Listen, EVERYTHING WAS RATIONAL until Odysseus decided to exhibit his PTSD over having built AI, which ruined society because there were no guardrails, and then realized Odysseus himself became the very thing he tried to fight against. Old school but also creative and willing to try and protect the team, but also that old school behavior makes him a little egotistical and stubborn. Can be petty (see Polyphemus and the unnecessary arrow).

Penelope - Head of HR. I don't care what you say. Penelope kept thousands of wack suitors at bay without major catastrophe for 20 odd years. She even came up with a weaving program to keep them focused because, let's face it, some struggled with focusing. Also, quite literally was the CEO for 20 years in the absence of her husband. Made a bad hire on her team but also let that bad hire deal with their own consequences. Super loyal and commands attention.

Telemachus - The young upstart COO. The one who walks around and says hi to everyone and knows what they do, what motivates them, and what they might be able to do. Still has a lot to learn (like A LOT) but has no fear of building out in the open, failing a few times but getting right back up.

Antinous - New hire friend/son/frat brother/golf buddy of some executive who hasn't quite done the job and is more than happy to let other people do the job but absolutely wants the title. Zero accountability and very much questionable ethics. Poster child of workplace toxicity but kept around because he is good at getting clients.

Polybus - Antinous's work bestie who engages in all the shenanigans but doesn't realize he will for sure get shafted no matter how much he bro's up with Antinous. Also interestingly played by Corey Hawkins so there are layers about if Black men get to be the same kind of workplace toxicity poster boy or is this a survival mechanism since Polybus might need this job in ways that others may not.

Helen of Troy - Supposedly the reason this war started but all know toxic masculinity is the real cause and so Helen is likely Head of Marketing or Revenue Generation and works really hard to make sure her work is done but most of those around her can't stop talking about her looks or stop pretending that they aren't distracted by her looks. She's way smarter than people realize and fed up with it all.

Clytemnestra - Twin sister to Helen so perhaps Head of PR? Clytemnestra could spin a TALE! She can make you believe whatever but still has the same work ethic as her sister and so if you cross her, she can ruin you. Do not get on her bad side. And it's also not that hard to not get on her bad side.

Circe - Convinced she is the CFO. Like how else is she making all this food out of almost nothing? A wizard with inventory! Also, have you ever crossed a CFO? I'm just saying that she can take away all your resources and budget. Have you ever tried to work without resources? You might as well be a pig in a pen just lounging around doing nothing. Hehe.

Eumaeus - Faithful mid-manager who, likely due to ageism or being rough around the edges, was never promoted but could literally do everybody's job. People talk around him carelessly because they don't think he matters but my man is like Carl the Janitor in the Breakfast Club - he is the eyes and ears of this fine institution. Also has to work a lot longer than he wants to because they don't pay him enough.

Athena - Stay with me here - she's the mission and values of the company. Sometimes everyone forgets who she is but she's also supposed to be, well, the spirit of the company. The raison d'etre. People do things in her name that have nothing to do with her. She gets the sads.

Calypso - Head of Sales. Listen, keeping somebody chilling for seven years is a feat. Odysseus was happy there, or so he thought (the poem tells a rougher version), but Calypso sold him on a vision for seven years. Sold the Gods too, until one of them was like "Ok but wait, what's the ROI here?"

Menelaus - General Counsel. Listen, GCs are stubborn. The lawyering is lawyering with them. Your argument is going to have to be strong or else they won't even consider it. Even if it is strong they will still decide if they want to entertain it or not. Most GCs have moments of profound wisdom. But then they go back to dipping into the bully behavior.

Eurylochus - Head of IT or Logistics. Loyal to Odysseus until he started to see the PTSD was starting to take a toll on everybody, and even then was still trying to give grace. Even against the CFO Circe! However, once you follow a leader too far down a path and you don't know how to get out of it, your own demons start showing up and prevent you from making rational decisions. Perhaps he stayed in the job too long.

Sinon - Not in the original poem but a stroke of genius to add here because the monologue was chef's kiss. I digress. Sinon is THE TOP TALENT YOU WANT ON YOUR TEAM! Smart, loyal, willing to learn, afraid but will do it anyway. With great mentorship, Sinon could run an underworld.

Agamemnon - The CEO. You thought not? Listen, we barely see his face. He shows up to walk around during battle. He is gassed up so easily that he survives the war and only meets his fate when he gets home. Barely even thinks about the talent lost during those 10 years on the beach, and even less once they finally reach Troy. Has the FLYEST armor but of course, because he gets paid more than everyone else and also is seen by more people so has to be fly. Usually learns lessons a little too late.

Mentor - Head of Facilities and Security. Mentor knew EVERYBODY. Quiet and understated. If you asked him to do something, it got done. Had a stellar reputation across the land, so much so that some bandits were trying to take him out. Him! He's not even a major player but they knew he was valuable.

Phemius - the Bard or, in my culture, the Griot. The one who keeps things alive through oral storytelling. Perfectly cast - Travis Scott. Phemius is the Workplace Experience Manager. You're going to feel welcome, informed, knowledgeable about what's necessary, and the whole thing is going to be engaging.

The Gods - unlike most movies like this, we never see them. Which is genius. Because The Gods in this case are like the Board Members. Most employees never see The Board. And usually whatever The Board advises gets passed down like a game of telephone, and sometimes it's accurate and sometimes it's not. Case in point, Zeus's law is mentioned so many times in this movie and almost everyone has a different interpretation, from Agamemnon to Melantho and Melanthius (the twins who betray Penelope and Odysseus).

The Horse - The gift to Troy that causes mayhem since it's supposed to be a gift of peace for Athena's Temple. Now if I say Athena is our mission and values, this Horse is our product. It's meant to be in tribute to our mission and values, alas it's a ruse and only unleashes Odysseus's idea - unregulated AI.

This is by no means an exhaustive list and of course this is all in fun but I do hope you go see the movie and still talk about classics since our literacy rate is deteriorating. There are those who believe that we have no room for classics or critical thinking in our society and I for one think they are just showing how not smart they are. There is a joy in connecting things from our past to our purpose. If not, we are bound to repeat it.

I think I’m gonna reread it. What’s your favorite translation?

My good friend and practitioner dani herrera is booking up for Hispanic Heritage Month! 

She has 10 sessions planned for the season, and they're all built around what Latine employees are really asking for (career development, allyship, and leadership skills). Connect with her and check out her deck!

Talent Acquisition Week is coming! I'm on a panel and would love to see you there virtually.

WIPA SoCal is inviting me to speak at their August Event. Details TBD!

Fellow Theatre Kid and HR Strategist Kim Rohrer invited me on her podcast, So Drama, where we talk about how work and theatre intersect and how theatre actually prepared us for work.

Highlights include:
🎭 Why playwriting builds a thicker skin than almost any other professional training
💡 The power of the reframe: "I am not for everyone AND everyone is not for me."
🪞Show, don't tell: what bad theater and bad leadership have in common
🤝 The "one slot" problem: how gatekeeping in theater mirrors gatekeeping in HR
📚 Why impact outlives title, and what that means for how you measure your own success

Check out here and let me know what you think!

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