Maria Ross, the founder of brand consultancy Red Slice, believes cash flow, creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive. Maria has authored multiple books, including the forthcoming The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion as an Engine for Success. Maria understands the power of empathy on the brand and personal levels: In 2008, shortly after launching her business, she suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that almost killed her and inspired her memoir, Rebooting My Brain. She has spoken to audiences ranging from The New York Times to BlogHer and has written for numerous media outlets, including Entrepreneur.com. 

In this episode, Karen and Maria discuss:

• Success Story of Maria
• Commit to Get Leads

o    Get to know your customers on an intimate level, not just what they will do with your product.

• Consult to Sell

o    Be in constant communication with your ideal client, even when you aren’t trying to sell to them. This allows you to hear their concerns, and hear what they aspire to grow and do and be.

• Connect to Build and Grow

o    If you treat a customer with empathy, you will be remembered and returned to. There is a longevity component of customer loyalty.

• Success Thinking, Activities and Vision

o    Practice presence. Step back, take a breath, and open your mind to another person’s point of view.

• Sweet Spot of Success