The Empathy Edge

In today’s episode, we are going to go back to Empathy 101. With a wide range of experience as a licensed psychologist and advisor, today’s guest, Susan Spinrad Esterly, and I will be discussing Susan’s work with individuals, groups, and companies to achieve their highest level by bringing humanistic values, insights, and principles into consciousness. We explore the meaning we make of what happen...

More and more, companies are learning that simply bragging about features and functions is not enough. Customers, especially those in the younger generations, want real value and a brand and story they can believe in. Today’s guest, Gina Hortatsos, is one of the modern marketing leaders that know how to make time to stay connected to the changing customer needs, even under constant pressure. In ou...

We all have a platform and we all have a story. What many of us don’t realize is the power that is in our stories and in our vulnerability. All of our stories matter and there are so many different ways in which we can tell our stories. Today, I get to have a conversation with LeRon Barton, an author, a speaker, and an essayist whose topics cover racism, mass incarceration, politics, gender, and d...

Allyship at work is how each and every one of us, on an individual level, can support and empower underrepresented groups to ensure everyone can thrive at work - and that only leads to more goodness for the company. Today, author, speaker, and inclusive workplace expert Karen Catlin and I discuss how to be a real ally, what allyship means, and a shocking new way to look at privilege in your life....

Today I have a great conversation with Patrick Morrissey, whose previous and current experience gives him an insight into how empathy can lead any sales and marketing team to success. In this episode, we talk about how empathy is a success trait in marketing and sales, what role it plays in effective storytelling, and how empathy is required to adapt to your customer’s changing needs, as well as h...

In this world where zipcodes and timezones don’t matter for collaboration, it is more important than ever to understand the human side of being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are both born and made, and they come in many different types. By understanding these different archetypes of entrepreneurship (both for yourself and for those around you), there is an advantage to be gained throughout the di...

In today’s episode, I have the opportunity to speak with brand leader and CMO Rodney Hutton. In his 25 years of experience with some of the world’s most notable brands, he has honed his full expertise in business management, design, merchandising, creative development, and global marketing strategies. Rodney shares his unique journey into leading some of those global brands, and how he has done so...

How do you successfully manage change within your organziation? The key is to remember that change impacts PEOPLE - and you need to ensure they feel seen, heard and  valued in the process before any change can happen. That requires hiring leaders with high emotional intelligence. Today’s guest, Lisa Reynolds, is the vice president of change management at CHRISTUS Health, an organization that is 50...

As a mother, an entrepreneur, a master business coach, a wellness consultant, and the founder of Less Caption More Action, today’s guest, Gabrielle, is especially well placed to talk about how we can all use our voices and our platforms, however large or small they may be, to impact change in the world. Gabrielle and I talk about her experiences as an entrepreneur and using her gifts and talents t...

Data-driven leaders, tune in to today’s episode! We don’t often think about creativity as being integral to the role of data analysis, but it is. Today, I talk with Alessandra Cotugno, a global brand strategist and an advocate and pioneer of humanizing data to identify behavioral change. She believes that the data speaks to us if only we ask the right questions. She also explains that to hear what...

In today’s episode, I have an amazing conversation with one of the true leading brand innovators in the industry - Marty Neumeier. Marty has worked with so many innovative companies to advance their brands and culture and written many books on the topic that I, and millions of others, have fallen in love with. With empathy being such a strong thread through everything he talks about, we discuss th...

Join me for my conversation with Wedgewood Pharmacy’s Dan Rowan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and  Jodi Donohue, Director of Marketing, to see how Wedgewood Pharmacy has proven that you can achieve high levels of empathy and meaningful customer communication no matter the size of your company. Wedgewood started as a local community pharmacy and has grown to one of the largest compounding...

Gear up for this sneak peek into the mind of marketing leader Kristen Elliott, VP of Marketing for Eddie Bauer and how she encourages creativity and makes tough decisions. In this episode, Maria and Kristen talk about how a global brand thrives while still maintaining its values and how to stay connected, both as employees and with their customers, even during this time of physical separation. The...

The ability for you to be you at work and feel like that is respected, valued, and appreciated. That is psychological safety. While not always talked about or viewed as important, psychological safety is one of the key factors in building a high-performance team and company. More importantly, it is the key to activate your employees to align and buy into your company’s purpose and mission.  In thi...

In this episode, Maria and Rebecca discuss: Why mission is the key to creating a culture where people outperform and outdeliver. What is a “good” culture and how you can start creating one.  How to retain the DNA of your culture as you scale and grow.  What the incoming talent generation expects from cultures and how to retain top talent.   Key Takeaways: A good culture is one that aligns on the c...

In this episode, Maria and Elisa discuss: How to have constructive political debates and conversations with people that you don’t agree with. The challenges of and the responsibilities in the media to balance debate, opinion, and civil discourse.  How to get involved and stay informed no matter what the outcome of the election.    Key Takeaways: Speak for yourself. You cannot possibly speak for an...

In this episode, Maria and Ian discuss: Building a business out of empathy that is sustainable and serves the community.  The growing trend of conscious consumerism and making it a priority in your business. Parker Clay’s mission and how it is helping to attract the right customer and keep them loyal.    Key Takeaways: There is no business without people - they make your business.  As consumers, w...

In this episode, Maria and Renee discuss: What mindfulness is, how it fits into your busy life, and why it matters.  The link between mindfulness and empathy. Practical skills you can use to practice presence. Why there is a strong correlation between teams and leaders that operate with mindfulness and how they perform, innovate, and collaborate.    Key Takeaways: One of the benefits of mindfulnes...

In this episode, Maria and Scott discuss: The myth of work-life balance and why it hurts your employees more than helps them. Why there is more than one standard organizational structure that can lead to a successful business - and why leaders who refuse to understand that will fall behind. Five workplace concepts that won’t exist in five years - and how to prepare for them now.  What type of cult...

In this episode, Maria and Kara discuss: Why Kara calls herself an “accidental entrepreneur.” How to stay close to customer needs as your business grows.  Kara’s new book, Undaunted , and what she hopes aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders will take from it. Building a profitable growth company while still maintaining integrity.    Key Takeaways: Social media is a constant way to gain insight from y...

In this episode, Maria and Kathy discuss: Creating an environment of trust in the workplace and why it matters.  How to use improv techniques to enhance innovation and creativity. Using comedy and improv to create a safe space.   Key Takeaways: When trust goes up, humor goes up, and when humor goes up, trust goes up. It’s a virtuous cycle!  If we are not hitting that minimum viable culture of safe...

In this episode, Maria and Jay discuss: What an empathetic brand really means. Empathy as a talk trigger for word of mouth marketing. How your brand can show empathy digitally. A game-changing story of situational empathy that made Jay a brand fan for life Empathy in action - experiences that Jay has had that you can do in your business now, regardless of size.    Key Takeaways: Everybody cares ab...

In this episode, Maria and Cory discuss: What a compassionate culture looks like and finding the passion in compassion.  What a Director of Compassion is and how that benefits an organization.  How you can hire for empathy so that a compassionate culture can take root.   Key Takeaways: Empathy and compassion are innate to humans and can always be improved, even if they were conditioned out of us....

In this episode, Maria and Kim discuss: How empathy at senior levels of leadership drives operational performance.  Why being curious as a key leadership success factor.  A three phase approach to running empathetic meetings where everyone can thrive and, yes, work can actually move forward.    Key Takeaways: Clear, deliberate, constructive feedback is empathetic. Be detailed in your praise of you...

In this episode, Maria discusses: 5 benefits empathy brings to your leadership, business, and brand. The costs of disengagement and the benefits of engaged employees.  Engaging with Millennials and Gen-Z.    Key Takeaways: Empathy has been shown to have a direct impact on everything from customer loyalty to innovation to profits. When we really understand our customers from a three-dimensional lev...