Susan McPherson

It’s increasingly easy to turn away from current American zeitgeist in disgust and sadness. Education, public broadcasting, healthcare, diversity, Harriet Tubman—all these things we thought foundational to the country’s fabric shunted aside in callous, fabricated revision.

 What joy, then, to reconnect with the queen of connection and engine of optimism that is Susan McPherson.

 For those of you who know her—and, quite frankly, that’s everyone—Susan is an endless light of curiosity and support. Founder, author, leader, instigator—after decades in and around media and PR, Susan ‘accidentally’ hung out her own shingle while looking for a job, and 12 years later leads a company of 15 to whom she’s fiercely dedicated.

 “Companies are made up of people and people are made up of values so companies are made up of values,” she says, echoing Tim Cook.

 We sat down on the podcast to talk about her work, the power of a good mantra, and her fabulous book “The Lost Art of Connecting,” and her approach to building relationships (here’s a hint: lead with how you to be helpful to others).