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 happens in our lives and delve deep into what empathy actually means, how we define it, and why some people have more empathy than others. Never fear, though, because empathy can be taught and is a skill that we can all practice to strengthen individual empathy through one of the three access points we, as humans, have to empathy.  Key Takeaways:As a leader with an empathic stance, your mission is to find out how you can make the people you’re leading be their best, look their best, and do their best.Empathy is a muscle that can strengthen. It may feel a little fake at first, but the more you do it, the more natural it becomes.Shared understanding, especially in the workplace, is worth its weight in gold. That shared understanding serves as the framework for empathy. "When people feel heard, they feel less vulnerable and they feel like they can connect a little better. We all like to be heard, we all like to have a witness." —  Susan Spinrad Esterly, Ph.D. About Susan Spinrad Esterly, Ph.D.:Susan Spinrad Esterly, Ph.D.Psychologist and AdvisorPh.D., Clinical Psychology, University of California Los AngelesB.A., Human Biology, Stanford UniversityI grew up in a family that valued science, ideas, and intellect. My father was an accomplished computer scientist, high tech pioneer, and thought leader. He was Director of Xerox PARC during its heyday in the late ’70s and ’80s, and I witnessed close-hand the development of famously ground-breaking innovations in personal computing and technology. My own penchant for growth and invention started early. As a teenager, I co-created an overnight-success start-up with my mom and brother – selling Rock Woogies crafting kits to retailers in the Los Angeles area. I have come to realize that power of mind, so highly regarded by my family and certainly a key element of our essence, comprises only a part of our personal story - when we nurture and honor our mind, body, heart, and creative spirit altogether we open the floodgates to our full life force.As a Licensed Psychologist and Advisor, I bring 30 years of wide-ranging experience to my work. I have been a clinical consultant, academic researcher, and instructor at Stanford University, UCLA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I was Clinical Training Director for the Masters in Counseling Psychology Program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. I am expert in and make frequent use of the Enneagram, a personality typology that is a powerful instrument for personal and leadership growth.I offer individuals, working groups, and companies the tools to achieve their highest level by bringing humanistic values, insights, and principles into consciousness, elevating how we engage with one another, and exploring the meaning we make of what happens in our personal and work lives. I maintain a vibrant, varied private consulting practice in Palo Alto and I am a Leadership Coach at The Center for Excellence in Nonprofits. Additionally, I work pro bono for A Home Within, a nonprofit that provides free psychotherapy services to current and former foster youth, and I serve on the Board of the nonprofit Acknowledge Alliance, dedicated to providing social-emotional learning to students and educators in the SF Bay Area. I keep my right-brain in shape by creating and recording music with my long-time rock & roll bandmates, with whom I have been writing, singing and playing guitar since 1998. In 2019 I co-founded the record company, Magiscope Records.  Connect with Susan:  Website: MagiscopeRecords.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susanspinradesterly 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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 our conversation today, Gina shares how an empathetic, authentic culture attracted her to the company she is with now and how they continue to leverage those values for positive leadership and a high performing team.  Key Takeaways:It is important to lead with confident vulnerability, communicate effectively, and not be afraid to model that vulnerability. The role of a CMO is to drive change forward and help everyone in the organization understand the WHY of what the company does.An empathetic person knows the humanity behind a purchase decision - people buy with their hearts, not with their heads. Empathy and purpose enable you to resist short-term pressures to achieve long-term success, with both employees and customers. "It makes my job so much easier that our team truly feels like they can bring their authentic selves to work because it gives us a constant calibration that we wouldn’t have otherwise." —  Gina Hortatsos About Gina Hortatsos: Gina Hortatsos is the Chief Marketing Officer at LogicGate, an agile governance, risk, and compliance process platform. A servant leader, Gina brings 22 years of enterprise software marketing leadership experience to LogicGate. Prior to LogicGate, Gina served as VP of Marketing at FourKites, Inc., where she built and scaled the Marketing function for a high-growth start-up. As AVP, Global Marketing at Hyland, Gina oversaw global programs, field marketing, operations, events, and demand center. Outside of the office, Gina loves to cook, read, and travel (though not currently). She lives in Chicago with her husband Mike and their three sons.  Connect with Gina and LogicGate:  Website: logicgate.com/Twitter: twitter.com/LogicGateFacebook: facebook.com/LogicGate.PlatformLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/logic-gate/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ginahortatsos/  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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 dating. As we discuss his story, we spoke about why many diversity and inclusion programs don’t work, why it is important to share your story, and we delve into race relations and the misunderstandings between different cultures and different races. Key Takeaways:It’s cool to be inspiring - we can all live in a way that inspires others.We need to create ongoing diversity practices, not single moments treated as a trend. Diversity without equity is useless. Just because you have a spot on the team, doesn’t mean you’re a player and it doesn’t mean you’re changing the system. When you listen to people, that is when true learning starts.  "I refuse to dumb down or water down our experiences. My job is to layout my truth, my experiences. I’m not here to sway you to one point or another. The truth is out there. It is up to you to decide if you want to do something with it." —  LeRon Barton About LeRon Barton: LeRon L. Barton is a writer from Kansas City, Missouri currently living in San Francisco, CA. A graduate of Paseo Academy of Fine Arts, LeRon is the author of two books, Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American Drug Culture and All We Really Need Is Love: Stories of Dating, Relationships, Heartbreak, and Marriage. In addition to his books, LeRon is an essayist whose topics cover racism, mass incarceration, politics, gender, and dating.  These works have appeared in Black Enterprise, Salon, The Good Men Project, Your Tango, Media Diversity, Raconteur, Elephant Journal, East Bay Times, and MoAD. LeRon is an international speaker who has given multiple talks and appeared on TEDx, Al Jazeera, the University of San Francisco, Speakers Who Dare, Glide Memorial Church, Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, and Defy Ventures. In his spare time, LeRon enjoys mentoring African-American youth, teaching Creative Writing at the San Francisco County Jail, and backpacking around the world. Connect with LeRon Barton:  Website: LeRonBarton.comTwitter: twitter.com/MainlineLeRonFacebook: facebook.com/LeRonLBartonInstagram: instagram.com/leronlbartonLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leron-barton-cwna-2b700b1 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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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. She shares practical tips on how to be an ally in your everyday interactions, thus creating a more engaged, inclusive workplace. Key Takeaways:Being an ally is very simple - it is using your position of privilege to create an opportunity for somebody else.Privilege doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard, it is just something we have because of the social groups we belong to. You can have a ripple effect in your own company. Pick a couple of things and just get started, others will pick up those behaviors and act in a different way as well.  "The first step to being a real ally is understanding that someone else’s situation may be different from yours, and you can’t discount it just because you’ve never experienced it yourself." —  Karen Catlin About Karen Catlin, Author of “Better Allies”: After spending 25 years building software products and serving as a vice president of engineering at Macromedia and Adobe, Karen Catlin witnessed a sharp decline in the number of women working in tech. Frustrated but galvanized, she knew it was time to switch gears. Today, Karen is a leadership coach and an acclaimed author and speaker on inclusive workplaces. She is the author of three books:  "Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces," "The Better Allies™ Approach to Hiring,” and "Present! A Techie's Guide to Public Speaking." Connect with Karen:  Website: KarenCatlin.comTwitter: twitter.com/betterallies & twitter.com/kecatlinLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kecatlinInstagram: instagram.com/betteralliesCheck out all of Karen’s books: BetterAllies.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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 how marketers can leverage empathy to more effectively support salespeople. He also shares how to flip the model of selling to one that is more customer-centric,  and what executives need to do to strengthen empathy to create more trust and help their teams outperform Key Takeaways:As marketers, we need to transition from “What’s my strategy for the customer?” to “What is my customer’s strategy and how can I help?”Your job in marketing is to help sales sell. To do that, you need to be in contact with your customers and sales force. Help the customer buy in the way they want to buy, not just in the way you want to sell. Empathy is the bridge to trust.  It comes from a place of understanding what a someone is going through, and even if you don’t, being genuinely curious to find out. "If you’re looking at upping your sales game in a difficult market, it’s about looking at people, problems, and potential." —  Patrick Morrissey About Patrick Morrissey: SVP & GM, Enterprise Sales & Marketing Business Unit - Upland SoftwarePatrick Morrissey is the SVP and GM of the Revenue Optimization business at Upland Software focused on helping Global 2000 companies unlock digital sales transformation and deliver customer outcomes. Before taking on this role, Morrissey was Chief Marketing Officer at Altify, responsible for all aspects of marketing as well as channels and alliances. Previously Morrissey was CRO of Simpplr, where he managed sales, marketing, and customer success, delivering 100% annual growth. Prior to joining Simpplr, Morrissey held multiple executive positions at Salesforce.com, Business Objects, and Scient. When not fighting software crime, you can find him and his family in the mountains in Lake Tahoe.   Connect with Patrick Morrissey & Upland Software:  Website: UplandSoftware.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-morrissey-40b161/Twitter: twitter.com/PatMorrisseyPodcast: revenueoptimizationradio.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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 different stages of your business. In my conversation today with Susanna Camp and Jonathan Littman we discuss these archetypes, why teams should be complementary not clones, and the passion people have for different things that brings humanity to business.  Key Takeaways:Entrepreneurship is a team sport. The smartest leaders are not looking for clones of themselves, but for complementary types of people. No matter how small the team, every team should have a Collaborator. It’s a journey - every project and every company goes through stages that need different types of leaders.  "Everyone brings their own identity as shaped by their unique experience, circumstances, and lenses of understanding. That's why leaders need to celebrate diversity and give agency to the people on their teams." —  Susanna Camp About The Entrepreneur’s Faces:The Entrepreneur’s Faces: How Makers, Visionaries, and Outsiders Succeed, the new book by bestselling Innovation scribe Jonathan Littman and Wired pioneer Susanna Camp, is the story of ten authentic entrepreneurs. Are you the Athlete, Outsider, Guardian, or Accidental?  That’s for you to mull over as you experience their Awakening and Shift, watching as they tackle what we call the 7 Stages of Growth. The Entrepreneur’s Faces will help you identify the ten essential entrepreneurial types to propel your professional growth and better gauge potential partners on the journey. The ten individuals profiled in the book are real-life success stories, each characterized by an emblematic type, people who master challenges with a characteristic approach and echo the models and behaviors of renowned innovators and entrepreneurs. They’re archetypes, or Faces, and we know from our workshops that you’ll be drawn to find yourself in a few of these Faces, to identify with our protagonists’ strengths, in their profiles, stories, and enduring lessons. Jonathan Littman collaborated with IDEO on the bestsellers The Art of Innovation and The Ten  Faces of Innovation (more than 650,000 copies sold worldwide in 12 languages). The author of ten books, five of his works have been optioned for films. His award-winning journalism has appeared in Playboy, the LA Times, and Forbes.  Susanna Camp is the Editor-in-Chief of SmartUp.life. A journalist specializing in emerging technology, she was an early team leader at Wired magazine, and has also been on the staff of  Macworld, PCWorld, and Outside magazines. Connect with The Entrepreneur’s Faces:  Website: TheEntrepreneursFaces.comBook: The Entrepreneur’s Faces: https://amzn.to/3ieDikDQuiz to Find Out Your Entrepreneurial Type: https://www.theentrepreneursfaces.com Connect with Susanna Camp:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susanna-campTwitter: twitter.com/susannacampSF Connect with Jonathan Littman:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonathan-littman-0619325Twitter: twitter.com/jonlittman 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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 through honest conversations with his team regarding business, crisis, and race. We discuss why brands can take a stand and do the right thing, and the difference between being “political” and simply being humane. Key Takeaways:Call out the discomfort, call out the not knowing. The ability to be unsure is okay. The power in attempting to connect and showing personal and professional vulnerability is priceless. The business of business is meeting and interacting through honest dialogue and candid conversation.In today’s highly polarized society, the way for companies to rise above it is to default to their humanity. "Leadership is about getting it done, but it isn’t about ‘you’ getting it done. Successful leaders leverage the talent at their disposal to get it done. How you do that is stylistic, philosophical. It’s the blend of elevating somebody who works with you to a thought leader position, being an arbiter of open and comfortable discussion, and creating an environment where dialogue is encouraged and candid to be able to leverage your team." —  Rodney Hutton About Rodney Hutton, Chief Marketing Officer, Ethan Allen:Rodney Hutton is an entrepreneurial product-driven brand marketing executive. Hutton’s full suite of expertise in business management, design, merchandising, creative development, and global marketing strategies, have been groomed over 25 years of working with some of the world’s most notable brand marketers including Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Ann Klein, and Iconix Brand Group, amongst others. In 2007, Hutton founded Fashion Iconic LLC, a consulting firm that offered private equity groups strategic insights and options into brand value in both pre- and post-acquisition considerations.  In 2015, Hutton, in partnership, founded Simon James London & Empire Beauty Group, an innovative boutique fine fragrance and beauty company that designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes a growing portfolio of unique licensed fine fragrance and organic beauty brands. Since 2019, Hutton has served as the CMO of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., one of the nation’s largest furniture and interior design companies, and has been instrumental in driving the brand’s growth and modernization efforts working closely with legendary Chairman and CEO Farooq Kathwari. Hutton holds a Bachelor of Arts in business and political science from the City University of New York. Connect with Rodney Hutton:  Twitter: twitter.com/_FashionIconicLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rodneyhutton 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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 50,000+ strong. Despite the organization’s large size, Lisa is able to connect associates to corporate strategy, coaching leadership teams, and individuals to manage organizational transformation, including helping people adopt culture strategies, processes, and system implementations. Listen in and hear the secret ingredient of making sure that your change initiatives take root, no matter how big or how small the organization, and how to hire for emotional intelligence and empathy.  Key Takeaways:Resistance is a normal reaction to change. As leaders, we can plan for that resistance and, with empathy, lead our team through the change rather than rushing them through it. In every interview, before you can assess someone else’s EQ, you need to check your own EQ and be aware of your own biases.“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could  - some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is the new day; you shall begin it serenely and with to highest spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson "We tend to hire people for their IQ, but people get promoted by their EQ. If you don’t listen and just drive, drive, drive, without involving people, that’s when it impacts your career." —  Lisa Reynolds, Ph.D. SPHR About Lisa Reynolds: Vice President of Change Management - CHRISTUS HealthLisa has been with CHRISTUS Health for over 20 years and is the Vice President of Change Management.  Lisa leads the people side of organizational change and transformation, ensuring alignment to business strategies while enriching the CHRISTUS Health culture. Lisa connects Associates to the corporate strategy, coaching leadership, teams, and individuals to manage organizational transformation, including helping people adopt culture, strategies, processes, and system implementations. Prior to this role, Lisa was the Vice President of Talent Management and held previous roles in organizational development, patient experience, and risk management. Lisa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Regis University, an MBA with a healthcare emphasis from Louisiana State University, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Lisa’s passion is being a development chemist who serves as a catalyst that assists others in finding and unleashing their talents to discover their full potential.  Lisa believes everyone has the power to create a positive emotional state and create his or her own destiny.  Lisa has presented topics ranging from Executive Onboarding, Associate Engagement & Recognition, Gaining Stakeholder Buy-In, and Integrating Culture in the Associate Lifecycle at national conferences such as Human Capital Institute Performance Management Innovation Summit, LEAP HR, Consero Talent Acquisition & Talent Management Summit, American Society for Healthcare Human Resources, and Fierce, Inc., and Fierce Inc.Lisa also enjoys running, dark chocolate, volunteering for Back On My Feet, and laughing with colleagues, friends, and loved ones.  Connect with Lisa Reynolds:  Twitter: twitter.com/PumpedCoachWebsite:  www.christushealth.orgLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisa-reynolds-7485401b  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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 to help others, especially women of color, to grow their businesses, and what it means to bring your authentic, human, self to your work and platform. No matter where you are, who you are, or what your platform looks like, we can all make a difference and as you listen today, you, too, can bring positive change to the world.  Key Takeaways:Too many people overcomplicate the entire process of building a lifestyle business, especially women. It can be easier and lighter. It can be simple. You do not need to suffer to be successful. Lean into your strengths and enjoy what you do. The cause has to be more important than the fear that you have of speaking out.We can all do something. We can take action within our own spheres. Our businesses are a tool to do that.  "You don’t need to overthink it. Take imperfect action. However it is now, what is in your heart right now is good enough." —  Gabrielle Thomas About Gabrielle Thomas: Gabrielle Thomas is a Toronto-based entrepreneur, mother, master business coach, and wellness consultant. With fifteen years of working as a therapist in mental health and addictions, fourteen years of professional coaching, and seven years of working on the business side of things.  In the last three years she is best known for her Simple Gets Paid straight talk business coaching.  Gabrielle works to empower all women, but especially women of colour. Featured by Marie Forleo, Australia’s Queen of Confidence, and on dozens of podcasts in the health, business, and wellness genres, Gabrielle is the founder of Less Caption More Action, a global initiative focused on the economic empowerment of underrepresented communities.  Connect with Gabrielle Thomas:  Website: GabrielleThomas.coLess Caption More Action: LCMA.coInstagram: instagram.com/thegabriellethomasLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-thomas-6ba1851b1/SPONSOR THANK YOU!  Big thank you to this week's sponsor, Elisa Camahort Page, consultant, advisor to entrepreneurs and leaders, co-founder of BlogHer, and co-author of Roadmap for Revolutionaries. Learn more: elisacp.comDownload your free guide: 7 Tips To Break Through Barriers…the Ones You Face and the One You Build (https://www.elisacp.com/7-tips-to-break-through)Ready to make some waves? Book a free introductory 30-minute consulting/coaching call with Elisa right here: https://calendly.com/elisacpCheck out Elisa's book Road Map for Revolutionaries at Elisacp.com/books) Listen to her provocative and insight podcast The Op-Ed Page (messy.fm/opedpage)   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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

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 it has to say, a data analyst needs to be both creative and empathetic to uncover the unconscious Why. She has amazing insights into these topics and more for creating a connective brand.  Key Takeaways:There shouldn’t be a disconnect between the data analysis and branding - they are interconnected. There is no such thing as knowledge without creativity. Nothing replaces the human heart and human conversations.The job is not to ask questions; the job is to understand silence.If you torture data long and strong enough, you get a really good sense for what is oging on “The data speaks to us by clustering in a certain way. Your role as an empathetic data analyst is to understand the “why,” give it a name and story, and then connect more points to gain the true insight.” —  Alessandra Cotugno About Alessandra Cotugno: Alessandra Cotugno is a global brand strategist and former strategy partner at Ogilvy. As an expert in global brand management as well as data-driven storytelling, Alessandra has 17 years of agency experience at WPP’s Communication Group where she served as Head of Planning & Insights for the BAVGroup practice in EMEA, the world's largest database of brands and customer attitudes.Alessandra is a pioneer of humanising data to identify behavioural change, helping strategists move from analytics to creativity. Her long list of clients includes Danone, Group Bel, Sanofi, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever. Together with Dr. Sue Mizera, Alessandra has won two Atticus Awards for Original Thinking in Branding; her findings and methodologies have also been published on ADMAP and WARC.com  Connect with Alessandra Cotugno:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alessandra-khosa-cotugno-2b1377a4/  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.comLearn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice