Archives: Podcast Episodes

“We are finding that putting people first and delivering results are not two separate goals.” So says my guest today, Donato Tramuto. Today, we talk about the case for compassionate leadership and how to achieve it. We discussed so much in this very poignant and passionate interview where we each shared some very personal stories and philosophies – Donato talks about how his childhood hearing loss and being bullied sharpened his compassionate character, how he doubled down on purpose and people after experiencing his profound loss on 9/11, and how he has tailored his prestigious career to focus on people and connection first in order to lead to performance and profit. Donato shares the definition of compassionate leadership and how it shows up in action. Why we must update key roles in the organization, such as HR, CEO’s, and why much of this starts with the Board itself. We speak about what Gen Z and Millennials bring to the workplace and a new practice he calls “collbovation”.  This interview will be all the proof you need that the most successful leaders lead with compassion, not ego. SO MANY PROFOUND GEMS you’ll want to write down and keep by your workspace – enjoy!

Key Takeaways:

• To avoid empathy overload, use Donato’s Three T Concept: Tenderness, Tenacity and Tough Decisions. 
• It doesn’t matter how much you did or how much you will do, what matters is that you did something. If every person could do a little more good in the world, the world would be a wonderful place. 
• Compassionate leadership has to be a two-way street. You must be empathetic in the face of disagreeing and in finding common ground even in the face of adversity. 
• You have to ask the questions that allow you to understand the other person’s pain. 

“You rent your title; you own your dignity.  I’ve never looked at my life by the title that I have but by its purpose, meaning and problems that have to be solved.” —  Donato Tramuto

About Donato Tramuto, CEO, Business Leader, Innovator, and Philanthropist:

Donato Tramuto is a global health activist, former CEO of Tivity Health, and founder of the Tramuto Foundation and Health eVillages. He was the recipient of the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award in 2014, alongside Hillary Clinton, Robert De Niro, and Tony Bennett, and the 2017 Robert F. Kennedy Embracing His Legacy Award. 

In his new book, The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results Tramuto makes the case that compassion is a key leadership principle that:

– Powerfully drives trust, success, and innovation;

– Raises morale, builds stronger teams, and improves overall performance;

– Creates sustainable commitment to an organization’s mission and values.

Tramuto interviewed nearly 40 successful leaders who practice compassionate leadership and reveals the best strategies from their playbooks. He then combined these interviews with his own insights, numerous studies, and original, qualitative research of 1,500 participants to unleash the measurable data and benefits of compassion in the workplace.

Connect with Donato Tramuto

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donato-tramuto-71594344/

Book: The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results (Fast Company Press)

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

What gets in the way of empathy? Our judgements, ego, and biases. It can even impact our ability to connect with colleagues and our customers. But good news: My guest today, CEO and empathy activist Rob Volpe shares research and stories from his latest book Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. 

He shares 5 steps to overcome empathy barriers and apply the insights to your brand and customer. We discuss how some marketers unknowingly dislike their customers, and how that gets in the way of effectively attracting them. We discuss the world’s current empathy crisis – and how hopefully Gen Z will light the path for us!  You’ll also hear from Rob’s cat, Domino and we discuss our favorite ice cream flavors to illustrate how a lack of empathy can lead to bad business decisions.

Key Takeaways:

• You have to get to a place of empathy to understand what is motivating your consumers. 
• The higher up you get, as a leader, the more insulated you become. You do not always have to have the right answer and you can be wrong. Be willing to ask the questions to build out your empathy skills. 
• Empathy enables the skills that let us be the people that we want to be.
• Judgment (that is, being judgmental, casting aspersions, and making assumptions) tends to be the thing that gets in the way of empathy the most.

“There’s more work in the upfront to have empathy and to get to that place of empathy, but once you’re there, it makes everything else a lot easier because you’re going to be more successful.” —  Rob Volpe

About Rob Volpe: CEO & Empathy Activist

Rob Volpe 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. 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.

Connect with Rob Volpe:  

Website: https://5stepstoempathy.com/

Book: Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rmvolpe

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpathyActivist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empathy_activist/

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: 

Red Slice

Are you engaging in violent or nonviolent communication? Knowing how to make the shift is vital to being an effective leader – and communicator. Today, I got the chance to speak to Ben Easter, founder of Lucid Shift Coaching. Ben and I unfortunately both share the title of brain injury survivor – and in this episode, he shares how that experience led him to learn all he could about effective communication. We discuss the power of the brain to adapt and learn new skills and strategies – and how that relates to how we communicate with others.  Ben shares what violent and non-violent communication look like and how to spot them in yourself. He gives us a sample role play and practical strategies to shift into non-violent communication, and we discuss how self-reflection, language choice and boundaries play a big role in that shift. This episode will cause you to reflect on how you talk and invite you to find a new way of interacting with your colleagues, employees – and yes, even loved ones.

Key Takeaways:

• Nonviolent communication is a language of expressing what’s alive in us to other people in such a way that we give them opportunities to contribute to it.
• Noticing the language we use is the first step to becoming a nonviolent communicator. Need, Have To, Must, Should, and other such word choices are red flags for stepping into violent communication. 
• Nonviolent communication is a practice. The more you notice and do it, the more you will connect the neural pathways. 

“Defense is the first act of aggression. If we come in with the idea that we’re defending something, things get tense. Rather than defending, I like to think about enrolling people. What are we doing? What do we both care about?”  —  Ben Easter

About Ben Easter, Founder Lucid Shift Coaching:

Benjamin Easter is the Founder and Head Coach at Lucid Shift Coaching where they are on a mission to help badass business owners to break through their limiting beliefs and outthink their challenges so that they can have more freedom and impact.

Connect with Ben Easter

Website: www.LucidShiftCoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamineaster/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucidShiftCoaching

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucid_shift_coaching/

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

Every single human experiences death and loss at some point and yet our systems and organizations are not set up to be empathetic to those needs. When a loved one dies, not only are there a thousand logistical tasks like booking a funeral home, getting life insurance paid out, or canceling credit cards – you have to deal with all of this in the worst possible emotional state. The more employers can support their employees practically and emotionally during these difficult times, the better. 

My guest, Ron Gura, put technology on the case to ease the burden for the bereaved. Today, we talk about the end of life market, the personal story of how this company came to be, how leaders can show up for the bereaved, what people now expect from their workplaces when dealing with major life events, and how the company itself embeds empathy into everything from product design to employee experience. We also talk about why mission-driven companies are poised to win – and how yours can, too.

Key Takeaways:

• Sympathy is just words and doesn’t mean anything. Empathy has power and potential to radically transform society. 
• By putting yourself in your employees’ and consumers’ shoes at every step of the way, you don’t need to overthink what it means to have an empathetic culture. 
• If your company and employees understand what it is that you are trying to do for your clients and, deep down, what it is that they need, the empathy will come and be infused in everything you do. 

“If employers want to aim for long-term meaningful relationships with employees, then it’s not just going to be the cocktails and the big events, it’s also going to be that meaningful action that you do when things get rough, when I’m dealing with something that is bigger than me.” —  Ron Gura

About Ron Gura, Co-Founder & CEO, Empathy:

Ron is a tech entrepreneur who has brought his love for developing empowering products to startups and major international corporations alike. He is co-founder and CEO of Empathy – Empathy was created with one mission in mind: to help families deal with loss. With a combination of technology and human support, the Empathy app helps families through all the financial, legal, emotional, and logistical challenges after losing a loved one.

Connect with Empathy and Ron Gura:

Website: https://www.empathy.com

Empathy recently released a report looking into the cost of dying in the US, financially, logistically, and emotionally. https://www.empathy.com/costofdying

Twitter: https://twitter.com/empathy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empathy-com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empathyforfamilies/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empathy_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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

What do you get when you cross hip hop, YouTube, and science education? You get my guest today, Maynard Okereke. Maynard is a science communicator best known as the Hip Hop M.D for making science fun for kids – and getting them involved in S.T.E.M. fields. 

Today Maynard shares his story about how he got from civil engineering to being the Hip Hop MD – and we share the crazy story of how we met more than a decade ago!  He talks about what it’s like to work with young people and teachers to spark curiosity and foster passion – and how those lessons can help your organization better connect with young people and attract them with a more innovative, diverse workplace. He shares how important it is to make topics fun and relatable to both kids and adults  – great advice for all you team leaders and marketers out there. 

We dive into why innovation, especially in tech, requires play and imagination, and how we can break science’s norms and stereotypes to not only encourage young people to pursue STEM fields, but encourage their natural curiosity  – and hopefully spark that in adults as well.

Key Takeaways:

• If kids can’t see it, they can’t be it. Be who you are authentically and share your knowledge and information. Who knows who you will touch when you do?
• People need to own the work that they do. They need to understand the purpose, the passion, and the vision in it. 
• If you aren’t around people with different backgrounds and who look different than you, you will have one perspective and have a harder time connecting with those around you as you are stuck in your own perspective. 
• Stay curious. You’re never too old to explore something new. Curiosity is the number one trait of empathetic people (and it will bring you inspiration and excitement)!

“We know that diversity is where it’s at – in order to bring new innovations to the table, to bring new life. Technology is driven by diversity.” —  Maynard Okereke

About Maynard Okereke: Hip Hop M.D., Science Communicator

Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D., graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Civil Engineering.  He is an award winning Science Communicator, having received both the Asteroid Award for “Best Streaming Content” and the People of Change Award for his community outreach efforts.  His passion for science and entertainment, along with his curiosity for new innovation has taken him through an incredible life journey.

Noticing a lack of minority involvement in the S.T.E.M. fields, he created Hip Hop Science with the goal of encouraging minorities and youth to pursue more advanced career paths.  His background in engineering, acting, business, and credible work within the music industry as an artist, make him uniquely qualified to engage on a wide variety of topics from an entertaining perspective.  This is highly reflected in his weekly vlogs and daily social media posts which provide both humorous and informative #SciComm content.

Connect with Maynard Okereke:  

Website: http://www.HipHopScienceShow.com

Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/thehiphopmd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardokereke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiphopscienceshow

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiphopscienceshow

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

How can you design high empathy interactions to create better relationships at work….at scale? Today, I’m talking with Aaron Hurst, the foremost expert on the science of purpose and fulfillment at work, about successful cultures and how technology enables empathy and collaboration so each person can find fulfillment. 

We discuss the important early role of empathy in Aaron’s life, through his grandfather’s work founding the Peace Corps. Aaron dispels the 3 common myths about purpose (you may be surprised by a few of these), and we talk about what employee empowerment really means. This conversation is vital if you are a leader looking to create a winning culture, retain your best talent, and scale empathy and collaboration within your company.

Key Takeaways:

• Take ownership of purpose. It is not about the cause, it is about you. 
• Our mindset and how we process the world is actually what creates the fulfillment and not necessarily the job itself, or what we’re doing. 
• If your purpose is defined in a way in which it creates a fixed mindset about what jobs you can do, it’s not the right mission or purpose.
• It’s very rare that someone’s issues at work have anything to do with anything other than relationships.

“What creates meaning for people, is actually not the work itself. It’s the process of reflecting on the work and making it meaningful.” —  Aaron Hurst

About Aaron Hurst: CEO and co-founder, Imperative

Aaron Hurst, the CEO and co-founder of Imperative, is the foremost expert on the science of purpose and fulfillment at work. Imperative is a peer coaching platform that uses the power of peers to support each other over time to become increasingly effective and fulfilled. The science-backed platform combines the effectiveness of coaching with the impact of building trusted peer networks that are proven to build resilient and high performing cultures. In 2014, he brought global awareness to the rise of the fourth economic era in history, the Purpose Economy. Previously, as the founder of the Taproot Foundation, Aaron catalyzed the $15 billion pro bono service market. He has written for or been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, World Economic Forum, Fast Company, MIT Sloan Management Review and was named a LinkedIn Influencer.

Connect with Aaron Hurst and Imperative:  

Website: https://www.imperative.com/

Aaron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhurst/

Imperative’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/imperative/

Imperative’s 2022 Workforce Purpose Index: https://www.imperative.com/2022-workforce-purpose-index

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

What exactly is Conscious Capitalism? It’s a way of looking at business responsibly, ethically, and mindfully. It’s a global movement that redefines how we look at business and asks us to look at not just shareholder value, but STAKEHOLDER value. Here’s a bit from the Conscious Capitalism Credo:

We believe that business is good because it creates value, it is ethical because it is based on voluntary exchange, it is noble because it can elevate our existence and it is heroic because it lifts people out of poverty and creates prosperity.

Today, I talk with Frank Smith. Frank is the founder of Mosaic Personnel, a recruiting firm in Oklahoma City but he’s also a leadership trainer and the leader of Conscious Capitalism’s Oklahoma City chapter. Frank shares the definition of Conscious Capitalism and its four core tenets – and you won’t be surprised to learn how empathy fits in nicely when it comes to leadership and culture. We discuss the relationship between recruiting and culture development, and some ways that companies big and small are creating intentional business cultures rooted in conscious capitalism. 

Key Takeaways:

• Even if someone has the same credentials, they may not fit at different companies. Conscious Capitalism is about elevating life through work, both internally and externally within an organization. 
• Younger generations want to feel like they are making an impact in the world. Conscious Capitalism resonates with them as it gives them an environment where they can feel seen and heard and know they are making a difference. 
• Curiosity is an underrated skill. It is the number one trait of empathetic people.

“If, as leaders, we do this the right way, we actually are a force for good in the world, and not somebody that’s creating more and more of the problems in the world.” —  Frank Smith

About Frank Smith:

Founder, Mosaic Personnel and Chapter Leader, Conscious Capitalism

Frank has been a business owner for 30 years in various industries. He is the founder of Mosaic Personnel and the leader of the Oklahoma City chapter of Conscious Capitalism. During this time his real passion was creating a workplace people want to come to work at. Whether Manufacturing, Retail, Distribution or Professional Services the same rules apply to accomplish that. Frank spends his time as a trainer and executive coach to help people create Intentional Culture in the workplace. Frank has been married for 33 years and when he isn’t working, he enjoys traveling, golf and car racing.

Connect with Frank Smith:  

Mosaic Personnel: https://mosaicpersonnel.com/

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/frank-smith-5b74795

Driving Happiness at Work: https://drivinghappinessatwork.com/

Other References Mentioned:

Conscious Capitalism – Global Organization: https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/

Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business by John Mackey

Firms of Endearment by Raj Sisodia

The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities By Patrick Lencioni

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: 

Red Slice

According to research, empathy, when combined with ambition, is the #1 trait of successful salespeople. If you’ve ever struggled with sales, if you lead a team of salespeople, or if you just want to get better at selling your ideas, this episode is for you! I got the chance to talk to my friend and sales expert, Leah Neaderthal, and she’s dropping all kinds of wisdom on what it takes to successfully make more sales and grow your revenue and impact. Today we talked about the link between empathy and successful selling, why some sales strategies fall flat if you don’t take an empathetic approach, how to help your clients sell within their organization on your behalf, preventing prospects from ghosting you, and how to get more comfortable selling, whether it’s enterprise software or just a new idea at work. 

Key Takeaways:

• The secret sauce to selling is a little bit of intuition, a lot of book learning, and your empathy.
• Put everything in terms that will benefit the client. There are opportunities to do that in every touch point, from setting up meetings, to requesting responses, to the meetings themselves.
• The sales experience contributes to the brand experience. All of it falls under the customer experience, even if they aren’t a customer yet. The sales process is a rehearsal for what it is like to work with you. 
• The best way to prevent ghosting is to start asking questions about how decisions get made, then you know what their processes are, and you will know better how to respond. 

“If you want to get better at selling, learn the tools of selling, but don’t change anything about you. Because the way that you show up, that’s the magic and you can layer that on to the tools. When you put those two together, that’s where the magic happens.” —  Leah Neaderthal

About Leah Neaderthal:

Leah Neaderthal is a sales coach for women who run B2B consulting and coaching businesses, the founder of Smart Gets Paid, and the host of The Smart Gets Paid podcast. A three-time business owner who started her career in corporate marketing, Leah didn’t learn to sell by being a commissioned salesperson. She taught herself everything she could about selling, overcame “selling shyness,” and created a sales approach that feels comfortable, builds strong client relationships, and gets results. Prior to starting Smart Gets Paid, Leah built, grew, and sold three businesses. 

Connect with Leah Neaderthal:  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartgetspaid/

Smart Gets Paid Podcast: https://www.smartgetspaid.com/podcast/

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course: Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

What does it mean to leverage your culture as a competitive advantage? What does culture even mean, and why is it so important that an organization articulate and live out its values? This episode will answer all your questions, especially if you’ve ever thought culture is “just HR’s problem.” My guest, author, educator, and culture expert Josh Levine, founder of culture design consultancy, Great Mondays, shares his expertise on why you need to intentionally design a culture that helps you innovate, perform, and win. Today we define modern company culture and discuss why culture is the ONLY sustainable competitive advantage. Josh shares how to turn the tide on the great resignation, how to evaluate if your company values are helpful or harmful, and how the proliferation of communities in modern business has led to the consumerization of the employee experience – and what you can learn from that to attract and retain top talent. 

Key Takeaways:

• The larger the company, the further removed the leaders are from the day to day culture of the organization. Working with culture ambassadors within your organization can help you to understand what is happening on the ground. 
• Organizations should reevaluate their culture every 2-3 years. Values are not indelible. They can evolve, and they should do so.
• Your values are your priorities. While all may be important, you can’t work on 40 things at once. You have to understand what are the most important values to your organization and understand what they mean. 

“Culture is the cause and effect of every decision that we make. It’s not just an input and an output, but it’s a cyclical reinforcing system. It’s about decisions and behaviors.” —  Josh Levine

About Josh Levine:

Josh Levine is an educator, designer, and best-selling author, but above all, he is on a mission to help organizations design a culture advantage. He’s the founder of Great Mondays, a culture design consultancy. Josh’s book Great Mondays: How To Design A Company Culture Employees Love was selected as one of BookAuthority’s best culture books of all time.

Connect with Josh Levine:  

Website: https://www.greatmondays.com/agency

Company Culture Design Consulting. We help companies find, tell, and live their story. We call it culture design, and believe that when employees know why they work, they are more motivated, more invested, and are happier doing it. And damn it, we believe even Mondays can be great. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/akajoshlevine

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajoshlevine

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatmondays_culturedesign/

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: 

Red Slice

Why so many brand communities (and even social cause communities) fail is because they are not truly communities. They are simply a collection of people. For a community to thrive for the long term, you need mutual concern, ongoing stewardship – and yes, empathy. If you build it without that – I promise you, they won’t come. My guest today, Carrie Melissa Jones shares how to build a successful community – and also how to avoid costly failure. Today we talk about why most brands fail at community building – please don’t repeat these mistakes! Why empathy is the key to community design, and how we can cultivate empathy for those we interact with online. She even outlines the first step you need to take if you are building a community from scratch. So many great gems in this episode, and you can check out her book for even more.

Key Takeaways:

• Social networks or social media are not the same as community. The key to community is mutual concern with trust as the cornerstone.
• Research is important to understanding what your desired community needs. Connect individually or in small groups with those key people who can help you understand what is important.
• Building a community does require design thinking with empathy, because you’re building a community of humans.
• If the community is not helping people make progress and connection, they will stop participating.

“What makes community really unique is that unlike watching a webinar where you could learn something and solve a problem on your own, some problems can only be solved by collective organizing and collective action.” —  Carrie Melissa Jones

About Carrie Melissa Jones:

Community Builder & Researcher, Author, Founder and Chief Strategist, Carrie Melissa Jones Consulting

Carrie Melissa Jones is an author, community builder, and researcher of online communities. Her work has influenced the world’s leading online brand communities including the American Medical Association, Patreon, Google, and two U.S. presidential campaigns. She is the author of the award-winning book Building Brand Communities: How Organizations Succeed by Creating Belonging with Charles Vogl and a student, teacher, and researcher of virtual communities at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Connect with Carrie Melissa Jones:  

Website: https://www.carriemelissajones.com/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/caremjo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriemjones/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriemelissajones/

Book: https://www.buildingbrandcommunities.com/ 

Courses: https://www.carriemelissajones.com/training 

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

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice