How do you actually use your assumptions, experiences, and messaging to create a brand that truly connects with and speaks to people? Today Dava Guthmiller and I are going to tackle that very question. Dava is a believer in connections - what connects people with brands, eaters with foods, businesses with environments, creativity with the process, and communities with each other. We talk a lot about the creative process, the emotion behind all forms of creativity, and the role of empathy in the creative process as well as in connecting with your audience, be they consumers, constituents, or communities.

Key Takeaways:

Emotion matters to brand. There are emotions in the act of creativity for the creator and in the act of consumption from the consumer.
An empathetic brand comes down to the people - not just what you're putting out, but how are you creating interaction and conversation.
Listen and connect with those outside of your standard sphere, you never know what you will learn.

"You either confirm five assumptions or you discover 100 opportunities. It's better to discover the opportunities first, and then go ahead and confirm assumptions afterwards, if you feel like you need to." — Dava Guthmiller

About Dava Guthmiller:

Dava Guthmiller, Founder and Chief Creative, Noise13

Co-Founder, InVisible Talks and InVisible Ventures

Dava Guthmiller is a believer in connections--what connects people with brands, eaters with foods, businesses with environments, creativity with the process, and communities with each other.

As the Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Noise 13, the San Francisco brand strategy and design agency, she is the driver behind building thoughtful, sustainable brands. From sustainability to diversity, to empathy & humanity, their renewed focus is to craft brands that are doing good for people and for the planet.

A design evangelist, Dava is the Co-Founder of In/Visible Projects. At its core, In/Visible Projects believes in the power of design. Healthy cross-functional collaboration leads to innovative decision-making. Design is the superpower that unlocks business value, but also advocates for the end-user. In/Visible Projects runs an annual conference, In/Visible Talks, in January, salons and smaller creative events year long, and manages the In/Visible Ventures community.

Always inventing, Dava is also an advisor, mentor, and investor. speaker, moderator, and artist. She sits on the advisory boards for all things good--Good People, Good Food Foundation, and the Visual Media Alliance. She is also part of the REGEN1 team building tools and big picture plans for a regenerative food system. Dava and Noise 13 have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Dieline, Print Mag, and Creative Boom.

Connect with Dava, Noise13, and InVisible:

Noise13: noise13.com

Twitter: twitter.com/davag

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davaguthmiller

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/in-visible-ventures/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/noise-13/

Instagram: instagram.com/davag

Instagram: instagram.com/noise13design

Invisible Talks: http://2021.invisibletalks.com/

Don’t forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Connect with Maria:

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

Dava Guthmiller: The Key to an Empathetic Brand