Building a great company culture isn’t about winning the amenities race, but about having an organization where everyone feels a sense of belonging and ownership for the missions.What you end up with is a company full of people who think like the CEO, where an engineer feels compelled and comfortable enough to share his ideas about how to improve marketing.This is the culture that Adeola Adedewe and his team at Kredete are working really hard to create.Watch the full conversation to hear just wh...
Apr 05, 2024•58 min
When I asked James Yoder what the secret to scaling a business is, he answered it as most empathetic leaders would: "Building your team and trusting them." To some people, trust-- like empathy-- seems too mushy or impractical when applied to business. But I think about it in very practical ways. The hardest part about scaling a business is that the founder(s) get further and further removed from daily operations. They no longer have their hands in everything and now have to trust other people wi...
Mar 29, 2024•38 min
In this episode we talked about the power of self awareness to make us more empathetic as people and as leaders. We discussed what it takes for leaders to lead empathy and for us to build organizations where people feel seen, heard, and cared for. If any of these ideas resonate with you, then this episode is for you. Helton is a certified Mindfulness Meditation & Yoga Educator that finds purpose in bringing calm and ease to others. In his practice he believes that helping others to better co...
Mar 23, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Welcome to Empathy Led. Season 03, Episode 02 Five powerful takeaways from my conversation with Laura We need more representation of the disabled community in the media and marketing. It doesn’t need to be dramatized to have an impact, either. Normalizing it is impactful. People with disabilities are, first and foremost, people. Disability is just another way of existing, not better or worse than any other human experience. Disability is not a tragedy. There can be tragic circumstances associate...
Mar 19, 2024•58 min
For companies like Bella Tunno, and founders like Michelle Buelow, the debate around the effectiveness of brand purpose is strange because, to them, purpose isn't a tactic. It's in their DNA. Purpose isn't a scheme to lure customers, get a sales advantage, or attract and retain the best employees. It's a fundamental belief that business is a tool to make society, and the world, a better place. On this Women's Day we pay our respect to women on a mission. Michelle and Bella Tunno are perfect exam...
Mar 08, 2024•49 min
Did you know that Kidney Diseases are one of the ten leading causes of death worldwide? I certainly didn’t. Not before my conversation with Steven Rick. Steven is intimately familiar with the devastating effects of kidney diseases. Several of his family members have been affected and continue to battle against this silent killer. Fighting against Kidney Disease is a two-prong problem that Steven and others are working hard to solve. And we should certainly join the fight. First, we need to raise...
Jun 23, 2023•50 min
At the grio agency, we often warn our clients against the dangers of competition. We remind them that when you compete, you often use your competitors as a reference for what you should do, instead of focusing on those you seek to serve and trusting in your own vision. But it would also be foolish to completely ignore other players in your industry. So we advise them to think of their competitors not as enemies but as allies that are out to solve the same fundamental problem for customers. Allie...
Jun 12, 2023•47 min
A few years ago, Grant McCraken made a compelling case for why every company needs a Chief Culture Officer . He argued that, although corporations are often blind and deaf to the world around them, they need to have a better pulse on Culture in order to succeed in this rapidly-changing and interconnected world. His point was that we need people like Michael McConnell who have not only the cultural fluency but also the ability to translate their observations into actionable insights. In this epis...
Jun 11, 2023•54 min
Despite our uncanny ability to understand and relate to other people, some human experiences, like living with substance use disorder, are too complex for us to understand without having experienced it ourselves. Even someone like Kristin Kelly Blinson, CFRE, who has spent almost a decade working with and helping people in recovery, admits she still doesn’t have all the answers. But our conversation was full of insightful nuggets for anyone genuinely seeking to understand the experiences of peop...
Jun 11, 2023•51 min
In this episode, Dr. Leigh George makes a compelling case against using demographic markers or a product-centric approach to try to build inclusive brands. The first is inherently exclusive, while the second limits brand expansion. Instead of alienating some people using demographics, or defining your brand by what you do, make it about an idea that is fundamental to our humanity and our shared human experience. If you're trying to be truly inclusive, she recommends that you "build your brand on...
Jun 11, 2023•59 min
Education is something most of us feel a deep connection to, which is why we are all so vocal about all the ways it should improve to meet the needs of those it is designed to serve. While we have an opinion, and are certainly entitled to one, I love hearing directly from those on the front lines about how they think we should reform education. Mathu Gibson's perspective reflected just how much empathy he has for students, families and educators.
Jun 11, 2023•48 min
Rashaan Peek has over 20 years of experience working in, and with, nonprofits to help them advance their respective causes. She has experienced and seen firsthand what an uphill battle it is to use nonprofit as a vehicle to create systemic and lasting change. While she continues to celebrate and support nonprofits, her advice to aspiring change-makers is usually not to start one. Instead, she recommends starting a business and to use it as a tool to create the change they want to see in the worl...
Jun 11, 2023•45 min
My guest, Lucas Cuadros, is a deep thinker. Someone who is as comfortable wrestling with abstract concepts as he is solving practical problems. I asked him why empathy mattered so much in business, and his answer reflects the depth and clarity of his thinking. "Business exists in our collective imagination", he said. "It only exists in the human world and therefore it works under human laws [...] The way to be good at anything that exists in the collective imagination of humans, is [to] understa...
Jun 10, 2023•55 min
Tell the truth! This is the simple charge Juliet D'Ambrosio has for companies. Telling the truth is how people people become trustworthy and how they build meaningful relationships. Since customers are people, it’s also how brands can earn their trust and loyalty. When brands fall short of this simple mandate, it leads to the false promises, purpose signaling, greenwashing, and performative allyship that are eroding the trust people have in brands to help them make progress in their lives and ch...
Jun 07, 2023•53 min
"Being a University President is closer to being the Mayor of a small town than it is being the CEO of a company because of how democratic college campuses are by design." -- Rhett Brown, Wingate University This is the perfect quote to help you understand the kind empathetic leader Rhett Brown is. One who values casting a clear vision, having a passion for the mission, collaboration, diversity, and consensus building. Though he calls himself an "accidental leader", there's nothing accidental abo...
Jun 07, 2023•45 min
Who comes to mind when you think of the people whose love, kindness, generosity or support shaped or even changed the entire trajectory of your life? The people who invested and in poured into you so you can become the best version of yourself. The ones who believed in you long before you believed in yourself. Those who showed you a love so powerful and so unconditional that it scared you at first because you didn’t know that such love existed or that you were worthy of it. Micheal knows firstha...
May 30, 2023•50 min
The biggest lesson I've learned from Tony Hsieh, the late founder of Zappos, is that brand and culture are two sides of the same coin. Tony understood, better than most, that your brand is a cumulative expression of everything you say and do, and ultimately, it is defined by how you show up in the world. Without a culture to support, uphold and deliver on your company values and promises, you can't possibly build a great brand. Bill is one of those rare leaders that understand how to build a gre...
May 26, 2023•44 min
Entrepreneurship, for me, has been a spiritual journey– a quest to find the truest expression of who I am and the contribution I want to make in the world. It’s a means to leverage my passions, gifts and talents to advance causes that I find meaningful and exciting. When I first met Julius, it quickly became obvious that he, too, treated entrepreneurship as a spiritual journey. And our connection was immediate. Julius is one of those entrepreneurs with whom I share the fundamental belief that th...
May 26, 2023•48 min
Given the immense power of art, fashion, music, film and advertising in pop culture, artists and marketers may have more power than lawmakers and politicians to change our world. However, they first have to accept the responsibility to tell diverse and authentic stories; uphold ideals of equity and fairness; fight for representation in every room and on every stage. As a spoken word poet, filmmaker, and adman, my guest Ndukwe Onuoha has certainly accepted this responsibility. In this episode, we...
May 26, 2023•40 min
Trust takes time to build. But when you're a qualitative researcher, like Susan (Rubenstein) Collin , you're not always afforded the luxury of time. You have to jumpstart and fast track the trust process with interviewees; people with whom you'll only have a fleeting relationship. Hers is one of those jobs where you constantly have to flex your empathy muscles to build connection fast; to understand others' world and, at times, even inhabit it; to escape your egocentric bias in order to hear oth...
May 26, 2023•51 min
In this episode with Jonny, we talked about life as a parent, partner and business owner, and the importance of looking after ourselves and protecting our energy. We talked how to build an empathetic culture; the kind they have at his company Seed, where they live by the mantra "Be useful. Be Kind" Finally, Jonny made a compelling case for how to solve one the greatest challenges of our time: climate change. Jonny believes that to get to Net Zero we need creativity. We need to understand and emp...
May 25, 2023•52 min
In this episode with Curtis Drafton, we talked about life growing up as a Cuban African-American and how his roots and family values prepared him for a life of service. After serving in the military, Curtis returned home to challenges that many veterans face, ultimately experiencing homelessness for a few months. After putting his life back together, he founded the US Veteran Hall Fame to help give his fellow veterans the hero’s homecoming and support they deserve. My conversation with Curtis is...
May 24, 2023•43 min
In this episode, our conversation with Ronnie Q uillen took us across various topics, from psychology, neuroscience, storytelling, marketing, and advertising, to the unbreakable nature of the human spirit. Ronnie is a master storyteller who is driven and fascinated by the seemingly unlimited power of the human spirit. Ronnie founded a media company, turned marketing agency, to tell stories of limit breakers-- those constantly pushing and redefining the boundaries to the human potential. Through ...
Feb 17, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode with Marc Gibson, we talked about #technology: its fundamental purpose and incredible evolution over the years, as well as how it powers our lives and businesses today. We talked about #entrepreneurship and how, fundamentally, business is about risk management– making the best of the opportunities others often can’t see or aren’t brave enough to seize, while also protecting ourselves from ruin by capping the downsize-- to borrow the finance term. Finally, we talked about leadersh...
Feb 10, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Stillness is key. In that space of heightened awareness lies our opportunity to choose what deserves our attention and to choose our response to external stimuli. In that space we also learn to be more empathetic and more creative because empathy and creativity both require that we suspend our judgment in order to seek understanding and truth. In this episode with Tim Elliott, we talked about his journey to finding stillness and how this new found skill bleeds in every aspect of his work and lif...
Feb 04, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this episode, we sit down with Anessa Powell, a passionate advocate for people with disabilities in the workplace. Anessa has extensive experience working in the field of disability rights and has dedicated her career to creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces for people with disabilities. She shares her personal story of overcoming barriers and discrimination, and offers valuable insights and strategies for employers and employees alike on how to create more inclusive and welcoming ...
Jan 27, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode with Rob Volpe, we got very practical about how to become more empathetic. Rob is an astute observer of life and a master storyteller who brings empathy and compassion to the human experience. As CEO of Ignite 360, he leads a team of insights, strategy, and creative professionals serving the world’s leading brands across a range of industries. He is the author of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time, which I absolutely recommend to every ...
Jan 20, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this episode, Michael Smith, CEO of the Charlotte Center City Partners, shared with us the key ingredients required to build a great city. And he would know since his organization is largely responsible for turning Charlotte into the attractive, vibrant and dynamic city it has become over the past 20 years. To build a city where people can live, grow and thrive while feeling like they belong, Michael says it's important to start with values and to not compromise on those values. He added that...
Jan 13, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode, we had an amazing conversation with Jeni Bukolt, founder of Haven Creative where it's their mission to create community inside and around companies. Jeni talks about the power of empathy and storytelling to build great organizations and brands. She believes that all problems within organizations are communications problems and that once you get people talking, collaborating and working together, you're not only able to build high performing teams but also strong cultures. To lea...
Dec 06, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Although maximizing business profit should be the same as increasing customer value, it only is in theory. In practice, maximizing business value often comes at the cost of customer value. However, that's often shortsighted. To scale and grow in a sustainable way, companies have to be intentional in aligning business and customer value. To that end, at grio, we challenge our clients to focus on maximizing customer profit.
Nov 07, 2022•5 min•Season 1Ep. 8
