Maria Ross, Empathy Advocate, Keynote/Workshop Speaker, Author, and Podcaster

Maria Ross is a speaker, facilitator, author, and empathy advocate who believes cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She's spent decades helping forward-thinking leaders and teams connect and engage through empathy to accelerate growth and impact. Maria has authored multiple books, including her most recent title, The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries, and also hosts The Empathy Edge podcast. 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. In it, she explores the critical importance of empathy in healing and overcoming adversity. Her next book The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries, arrives on shelves in Fall 2024.

Maria has appeared in many prominent media outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, Wisdom from the Top with Guy Raz (NPR), [...], ABC News, Entrepreneur and Thrive Global. She has spoken to audiences ranging from TEDx to The New York Times to Salesforce to The 3% Conference. Her thought leadership writing has appeared in multiple publications including [...], Newsweek, and Huffington Post. Maria lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, young son, and rescue mutt and serves clients worldwide.

Introduction

Chapter 1: Empathy Explored
Chapter 2: Why More Businesses Need to Cultivate Empathy Now

Part I: The Empathetic Leader and Individual
Chapter 3: Benefits of an Empathetic Leader
Chapter 4: Habits and Traits of Empathetic Leaders: How to Build and Flex Your Empathy Muscles

Part II: The Empathetic Culture
Chapter 5: Benefits of Empathetic Cultures
Chapter 6: Habits and Traits of Empathetic Culture: How to Build and Sustain an Empathetic Culture

Part III: The Empathetic Brand: How to Cultivate an Empathetic Reputation with Your Customers and Community
Chapter 7: What Makes a Brand Empathetic?
Chapter 8: Benefits of Empathetic Brands
Chapter 9: Habits and Traits of Empathetic Brands
Chapter 10: More Empathy, More Success

Acknowledgements
Further Reading