Maria Ross

Format: 60-minute keynote or expanded 2-hour leadership workshop. Virtual or in-person.

Perfect for:

• C-suite, operational leaders, HR leaders, conscious professionals looking for motivation in the new world of work.
• Leadership and association summits and conferences
• User or customer conferences
• Corporate professional development programs
• Strategic team off-sites and meetings

We’ve entered a new era of work—one shaped not only by the aftermath of a global pandemic, but now, by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. In this transformative age, empathy and people skills are no longer “soft skills”—they’re essential leadership differentiators. As AI streamlines tasks and accelerates decision-making, the human side of leadership becomes even more critical, not less. Because no matter how advanced the technology, trust, connection, and collaboration remain uniquely human strengths.

And those who lack emotional intelligence skills will no longer be able to hide behind all the “doing” that AI can handle.

Empathy is not a luxury—it’s a strategic advantage. But many well-intentioned leaders today face the empathy dilemma: How do you show compassion for your people without sacrificing performance? How do you protect your own mental health while leading through change? And now, how do you lead a team that includes both humans and machines?

Join TEDx speaker, brand strategist, podcaster, and empathy advocate Maria Ross—author of The Empathy Edge and The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries—for a compelling and timely keynote. Maria will share real-world examples and data that prove empathy is not the enemy of performance—it’s the engine of it. Drawing on her decades of experience and hundreds of interviews, she goes back to the basics of what empathy truly is, how it shows up at work, and why it’s the most future-ready skill a leader can have.

TAKEAWAYS:

• What empathy is and what it is NOT, so you can avoid the myths holding back your leadership potential and team’s performance
• Why empathy and emotional intelligence will be the most sought-after leadership skills in an AI-driven future
• The Five Pillars of Effective and Empathetic Leadership and how to apply them in hybrid, high-pressure, and fast-changing environments
• How to avoid the empathy burnout trap—and set boundaries while still leading with heart
• How to create a culture where empathy is a reciprocal value, not a one-way burden

Every problem that exists in the business world can be traced back to a single, common origin: LACK OF EMPATHY.60-90 minute keynote or webinar

Perfect for:

• Corporate leaders who want to infuse more compassion and ethics into their work but are not sure what practical actions to take, and who seek hard data that empathy can be a bottom-line business advantage
• Women leaders and ambitious emerging leaders who want to break the rules and lead with purpose and profit
• Entrepreneurs and emerging leaders looking to change the game and make a profit while still making an impact
• Gen Z high-performers who demand more than a “job “: They demand that their business or brand have a positive impact in the world and that their work aligns with their own human values.
• Skeptical leaders who believe that cash flow and compassion are mutually exclusive – and want to see the data behind how empathy can be a strategic advantage that impacts the bottom line and market leadership.

Sexism. Ageism. Deep-seated, mind-clouding prejudices. Furious customers and failed business launches. Partnerships abandoned out of fear, projects destroyed by misunderstanding. Every problem that exists in the business world can be traced back to a single, common origin: Lack of empathy. When we are unwilling to place ourselves in someone else’s shoes-unwilling to talk, listen, or understand another point of view-we remain paralyzed. Instead of finding solutions, we repeat the same mistakes. This impacts our professional reputation, team’s productivity, customer’s experience and organization’s performance.

This presentation explores the value of compassion as an engine for success. Learn how you as individuals and leaders can amplify empathy through your work and bring your organizations along with you to create a better world.

With fascinating stories from company founders, change-makers, and brands we know and love, Ross reveals exactly how empathy makes organizations stronger and more sustainable.

TAKEAWAYS:

• How empathy helps you do good while doing well financially: Empathy is not just good for the world but it can be a competitive advantage. We’ll walk through the financial & organizational benefits of acting with empathy-and how you can persuade others in the organization to do the right thing.
• How to avoid the “empathy veneer:” Rather than simply play to good press, there are three levels your organization (regardless of size) must address to truly act with empathy and walk your talk. And learn the crucial role you play to kick this into motion.
• How to flex your empathy muscle: Five ways you and your organization can cultivate empathy RIGHT NOW in your own sphere of influence, big or small, so you can have a big impact on your team, brand and the world.
• A renewed sense of passion and purpose to make their work align with their personal values.

Format: Keynote

This program is perfect for:

• marketing leaders or professionals (Kickoff, quarterly business reviews, conferences)
• Sales leaders and professionals (Kickoff, quarterly business reviews, conferences)
• Customer experience, service, or support professionals
• User conferences for products or services related to customer service/experience

TAKEAWAYS:

• Why empathy is great for business and how it gives you a brand edge over your competitors, resulting in fierce customer loyalty and smash-hit products and services
• How to avoid the “empathy veneer” so the public knows your brand is authentic and genuine, and you are not just cranking out publicity stunts
• Actionable ways to infuse empathy into your marketing, sales, and digital communications with customers, as well as colleagues and community so you can better engage and create a loyal brand tribe
• Ways to align your personal values with your work to achieve unimaginable success

Today’s savvy customers demand empathy from the brands they choose. In fact, doing business online and social media requires us to be more empathetic than ever before — if we want to keep customers, gain market share, and thrive.

Most organizations pay plenty of lip-service to “putting the customer first” and operating from a place of compassion, but far fewer actually deliver on this promise. In a world where companies prioritize shareholder returns over employee safety and profit over purpose, many people worry that empathy has abandoned the corporate world for good.

Fortunately, we have the power to turn that tide. Everyone from CEOs to programmers to middle managers can take steps to imbue their company culture, offerings, and customer interactions with genuine empathy.

Frankly, today’s savvy customers are demanding it from the brands they choose. Especially in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing and AI In fact, doing business today demands that we be even more empathetic than ever before if we want to keep customers, gain market share, and thrive.

In this compelling talk, speaker, facilitator, and empathy advocate  Maria Ross, author of The Empathy Edge and The Empathy Dilemma, will explore the value of compassion as a competitive brand advantage. Learn how you, as leaders and marketers, can amplify empathy through your work, create a more empathetic experience online, and bring your organizations along with you to create a better world.

With fascinating stories from founders, change-makers, and brands we know and love, Ross reveals exactly how empathy is not just good for humankind, but actually makes brands stronger and more sustainable.

Format: 60-minute keynote

Perfect for:

• Women’s business or entrepreneurial groups seeking valuable business advice while also being inspired and ignited
• Lifestyle audiences seeking to understand how to manage overwhelm, stress or set boundaries in order to live happier and thrive
• Corporate teams who need a dose of motivation, inspiration, or a fresh perspective on their work.
• Healthcare or medical professionals looking for a patient’s point of view and a peek inside a survivor’s story

TAKEAWAYS:

• The importance of focus for your brand, business and sanity
• Why saying “No” can lead to more of the right “Yes”
• A surprising twist on how to view acceptance in business and life
• Why “patience” is not a dirty word for ambitious people
• How humor is essential to make your business, spirit and physical body thrive

I’ve delivered this speech to countless women’s groups, entrepreneurial groups and at medical conferences to heartfelt praise and renewed commitment. So many attendees share that this inspirational content is also extremely practical for running/marketing their businesses and will help them not just change their mindset but boost their visibility and effectiveness as well.

Program Description:

Shortly after moving to a new city and starting her own business, Maria Ross was struck down with a brain aneurysm and hemorrhage at the age of 35. Doctors dubbed her recovery “miraculous” – and after several healing months, she re-booted her brain and kick-started Red Slice, her branding consultancy, back into high gear. She’s now got multiple books under her belt and her business is thriving.

But how did she make such a comeback? And what lessons can you apply to your own business, brand and life?

Helping clients re-position their companies through irresistible stories and messaging, Maria learned that the strategies that healed her body and soul were equally applicable to business, branding and entrepreneurship.

Come hear Maria’s inspirational- and humorous – journey back to strength and success, and get inspired by her hard-won insights into work/life integration, entrepreneurial success, business moxie and personal growth.