EMPATHY-LED

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 firsthand the power of having someone in your corner who believes in you more than you believe in yourself. After a successful professional soccer career playing for Charleston Battery, then Seattle Sounders FC, Colorado Rapids Soccer Club, Montreal Impact, and Chicago Fire FC, Micheal founded the Azira Foundation in 2020 as a way to pay his debt of gratitude to his benefactor(s), whose love and support can only be repaid by paying it forward. The Azira Foundation is on a mission to give children in Uganda access to education, nutrition and character development. Their vision is to serve as a beacon of hope for the children and the community they serve, and as example to inspire us all to also find ways to practice the highest form of gratitude: PAYING IT FORWARD.

EmpathyLed EP13/S02

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 great brand. He's built an entire career crafting two amazing brands Focus Lab and Odi, and rebranding some of the most successful B2B companies in the world, including Adobe Marketo, Salesloft, Zuora, Braze, Outreach, LaunchDarkly, Twilio, Adobe, ASAPP, Luminate, Netflix, and Shopify, among others. In this episode, we talked about the kind of clarity, intentionality, and consistency required to build great brands. We talked about the opportunity that brands in the B2B space have to show up in the world with more humanity and empathy since those who do are so few and far between. I asked Bill a closing question about how he wanted to be described and remembered as a leader. His answer could be summarized with "caring".

EmpathyLed EP12/S02

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 the purpose of a company is to enhance the human experience. Products, services and companies are worthless, in and of themselves, because they only gain value in the context of people’s lives. So the challenge for every entrepreneur is to understand that context, then to design products, services and experiences that reflect that level of empathy for those they seek to serve. Creating more human and authentic experiences is the throughline that stitches together Julius’ work. At MUA, his latest venture, he explores the power of reflection, introspection and mindfulness to transform people’s relationship with their work and change companies’ cultures in the process. In our conversation, we talked about finding one’s purpose in life, and letting that purpose guide and inform how we choose to show up in this world and the kind of contribution we want to make.

Empathy-Led EP11/S2

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 talked about his various contributions to this important mission. We reflected on Africa’s place and being African in the context of the modern world. We discussed how to best raise the next generation of independent thinkers, leaders and change agents.

Empathy-Led EP10/S2

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 others' truths and let the Truth emerge from your research. During our conversation Sue walked us through how she accomplishes this seemingly impossible feat and what she's learned about people in the process. Susan Collin, spends a lot of time thinking about people-- whether it's personal, business or the fleeting relationships she has with participants for qualitative research during in-depth interviews and focus groups. After many years doing quantitative research at her company RTi Research, she switched to the qualitative side and now serves as the Senior Vice President, Director of Qualitative Services. While most people either identify as left or right brain, she is highly analytical and fluent in people. It's a rare, and powerful, combination. Her left and right brain synergy was evident during our conversation.

Empathy-Led EP09/S2

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 empathize with our audiences in order so to create campaigns and deliver content that have a better chance of motivating people to lead more sustainable lives.

Empathy Led S2 Episode 8

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 leadership, and the role of a leader to cast a clear vision and assemble a team willing to contribute their gifts, talents and passion in pursuit of that common goal. In the process, Marc highlighted the importance of remembering and understanding the humanity of those in our charge so we can best align their needs and aspirations with those of the business. That’s empathy-led.   

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 workplaces.   

Whether you're an employer looking to diversify your workforce or an employee with a disability seeking to advance your career, this episode is a must-listen. Anessa provides actionable advice and a wealth of resources for anyone looking to promote greater inclusion and equity in the workplace.   

Join us as we explore the important topic of disability rights and learn from one of the leading voices in the field.   

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 human being I encounter.  

As a thought leader in the role of empathy in marketing and the workplace, he is a contributor to Entrepreneur’s Leadership Network and frequently speaks on the topic at conferences, corporations, colleges, podcasts and with the media.  

He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and lives in San Francisco with his husband and 3 cats.  

Empathy is a skill that requires practice and Rob offered practical steps each of us can take in every encounter to become a little more empathetic.

1. Suspend your judgement

2. Listen actively

3. Ask great questions

4. Integrate knowledge through understanding

5. Use solution imagination

Listen to the episode and, most importantly, pick up a copy of the book to understand what each of these steps means.

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 it requires empathy to understand people's needs, wants and aspirations so you can build a city where people can hear and see themselves represented.