Looking Outside Looking Outside Words: Jessica Southard, Senior Insights Leader Mars Inc
In Episode 8 of Looking Outside we explore the power held by words with wordsmith, curious human and Senior Insights Leader at Mars Inc, Jessica Southard.
Jess and Jo explore how words can be magical, can empower and motivate, but also how they can be destructive and divisive. To do that, Jess shares her personal experience of communication in her Army intelligence days leading soldiers, the transition to the complex world of business, and how she treats words with responsibility raising her three children.
As well as a little bit of the science, and what happens to the human brain when we read, see, or hear messages.
Jo and Jess also discuss the importance of critical thinking in a world lacking empathy and not lacking conflict. A world where we seek comfortable predictability (and fluency), and the impact artfully and carefully used words, messages and communication can have for positive change.
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To look beyond the familiar, Jess reads a lot, usually three books at a time. With books she leverages human psychology, behavioral science and history to make sense of the world. Jess also works at diversifying her perspective via what she is exposed to. For example her news feed includes broad global sources (Washington Post, New York Times, Fox, CNN, Al Jazeera, local Australian news, BBC).
Check out Jess’ book recommendations:
- Amy Herman: Visual Intelligence, sharpen perception change
- Mauro F. Guillen: 2030, How today's biggest trends will collide and reshape the future of everything
- Mary Reckmeyer Ph.D.: Strength's based parenting, developing your children's innate talents
- George Friedman: The Storm before the Calm, America's Discord, the coming crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph beyond.
You can dive further into language with the two Ted talks mentioned on the show:
Amy Cuddy: Your body language may shape who you are
Lera Boroditsky: How language shapes the way we think
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Jessica Southard is a Senior Insights Leader at Mars, Incorporated currently managing their Strategic Foresight and Innovation programs globally. She has a combined 19 years of CPG “insights” and military “intelligence” experience with numerous roles both local and global across P&G and Mars. She is an extreme learner with a strong bias for action and is most known at Mars for her passion and success in applying behavioral and cognitive science to marketing, business, and driving change within an organization. She’s fascinated with the human brain and the illusive “why” behind human behavior, consistently applying both to convert “insights” into compelling recommendations that are distinct, memorable, and effective at driving action. Outside of work, she is an avid runner, and busy mom of three living in Nashville, TN.
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Looking Outside is new podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. With each episode we’ll hear from some of the most influential and original thinkers.
The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore. Jo has been marketing and innovating inside of the consumer goods space for over a decade. Today she heads up strategic foresight for Mars Wrigley North America. Jo follows her curiosity, seeking out fresh perspectives by looking outside her market, industry and field of knowledge.
Find out more about Jo & Looking Outside at www.looking-outside.com.
Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.
Check out Jo’s foresight podcast Future Imagined (produced for Mars Wrigley).
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Looking Outside is created by Joanna Lepore. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2022.
OBOY and Alsever Lake music features in Episode 8, via Soundstripe.