Empathy is the Secret Weapon - How to Sell, Raise Money, and Get a Job

Last fall I gave a lecture on empathy in business, built around a story from my Redbox days about the two-year effort it took to land Walmart as a partner. My argument: real empathy means understanding what actually matters to the other side, not just being likable. I gave three rules for it: it's not about you, do your homework, bring a gift. I closed with a live exercise, having students text a coworker an earned compliment, to make the point stick.