Happy Saturday everyone,

I’m writing to you from a place of immense gratitude, reflection, a little bit of nervousness and a lot of excitement! This coming week marks the closing of a significant chapter in my career and the start of new adventures in my professional life.

Beginning Tuesday, September 12, I am stepping into the position of Chairman and Founder at Ignite 360, removing myself from the day to day operations of the company so I can focus more of my energy, thoughts and efforts into empathy related speaking, training and writing.

I’ve been inspired by the response people have had to the book, the 5 Steps to Empathy and the collective realization that we all have to strengthen our empathy muscles if we hope to be successful in the roles we have in our lives and shape the world we want to live in.

I’ve been fortunate to have already been engaged to share my knowledge and train groups from organizations and corporations large and small around the world. From London to Vancouver and New York to Singapore. This includes product development teams at Dell Technologies, the sales org at a global med-tech manufacturer, the insights function at Nestle USA as well as a major financial services firm plus staff development days at several libraries. That’s not to overlook talks with the Ethical Humanists, Unitarian Universalists and Sacramento Rotary Club.

I realize there’s much more work to be done and I’m now ready to dedicate myself to getting the word out and helping people reach positive outcomes using empathy. More on how you can help below…

Ignite 360 will be in the best of hands as I am proud to be handing over the reins to Lisa Osborne, who is appointed CEO.

As Ignite 360 enters this next phase of its lifecycle, I have full confidence in Lisa's abilities to guide the company to even greater success. She’s been with the company as COO for ten years and has contributed so much to getting the company to the place it is at now. The business is ready and Lisa is ready. She’s an amazing researcher, business leader and storyteller and prior to Ignite 360 she developed her skills at Starbucks, General Mills and GfK Research. I’m looking forward to cheering her and the company on from my new position!

As we’ve spent the past year preparing for this transition, a complex array of emotions has been coming up for me. From exhilaration to tears and back again to excitement. Plus in these final days there’s been this feeling of scrambling to get every single thing on my to do list done before I depart. I liken it to the feeling I get right before a big vacation where I want to leave everything just so.

There have been many peaks and valleys on the emotional roller coaster - from the visible nerves in my shaking hands and wavering voice as I announced the transition news to the first group of Ignite 360 employees; to the morning after that happened when I woke up with George Michael’s Freedom ‘90 in my head; to just last week when I burst into heaving sobs at the end of an episode of Sex and the City that dealt with change, paid tribute to post-9/11 New York City and featured Moon River heavily in the soundtrack (it was S4, E18 if you are curious). I think I’ve needed every one of those emotional responses and I’m guessing there will be more to come.

And now, here’s where I need your help…

If I’m going to succeed in helping people achieve positive outcomes using empathy, one conversation at a time, I’m going to need to have a lot of conversations and people to converse with. 😄 Here are 3 ways you could help make that a reality…

1. Please forward this email to a friend or colleague and gently suggest they check it out and sign up. It could be someone who already thinks of themselves as an empath or is actively seeking to build their skills.

2. If you know someone in a position that might engage me as a speaker (keynote or otherwise) or for some training or empathy workshopping, please share my new website www.robvolpe.expert and send them my way! There are pages on the site about the speaking and training I do - typically about the application of empathy to be successful at work and in life. I’m often hired by people in HR, DEI, employee resource groups and also marketing, sales and insights leadership.

3. Help me better help you and others. I’d love to know (confidentially) where you feel challenged with empathy in today’s world and in your life. Email me: [email protected] or reply to this email. I will be able to use that information to craft future research to inform content here in the newsletter, social media, Entrepreneur magazine online and more - including my current musings and ruminating for a 2nd book!

So many to thank…

This evolution wouldn’t have been possible without the help of so many people, including you! I can’t thank Lisa enough for being the awesome woman she is and being willing to accept the appointment and step into this new role. Robin Algaze at Ignite 360 created my logo and website which I’m loving. Anya Zadrozny created my new speaker reel. The entire Ignite 360 ensemble took the news in stride and are greeting it with enthusiasm and excitement for the future. The clients that Lisa and I have already shared the news with have been so happy for both of us and we’re grateful for that.

Thank you to Mark Elder and Michelle Armoni on my leadership team and our business advisers: Jill Murphy, Lori Lefkowitz, Manny Fishman, Kalley Aman, Betty Arkell as well as Jessie Sledge and Sarah Cook at Cedar and Sage Media. Katy Steadman, Greg Millard and Kerstin Marie Wheale have been invaluable guides for helping me maintain my mental and emotional well-being through this journey.

And of course the biggest thanks to my husband Charles for remaining my rock and holding space for me to laugh and cry and be true to myself.

Thank you everyone!

Here we go!

Q&A: What if I can’t stop having a little judgment in my head when I’m talking to someone?

That’s natural! What you want to be mindful of is if that judgment is getting in the way of you getting to a place of empathy. Dismantling judgment is the first of the 5 steps and it’s the hardest. We are hard wired to make judgments and being judgmental is an extension of our desire to make sense of the world. One way we do that is by sorting and organizing the people we come across so we understand who might be in our “tribe” or “bubble” or would have lived in a cave with us back in pre-historic times.

If you are talking with someone and find yourself being judgmental. Ask yourself where that is coming from. What are you being judgmental about? What is prompting the judgment to come out? How is it getting in your way of getting to empathy? And if you could, what would it be like to turn things around, dismantle the judgment and hold the person in positive regard. Don’t like their hair? Turn it around and imagine that maybe they do and it makes them feel good. Same with an outfit.

If your judgment is around the content of what they are saying - “that’s stupid” or “you’re wrong/ill-informed” - take a curious breath and lean into your curiosity. Ask more questions to understand where they are coming from and what’s forming that opinion. Then you’ll be able to better utilize the information with your solution imagination (Step 5) to reach a positive outcome.

Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Rob Spotting Update

Just wrapped up another lovely visit to Good Things Utah! I had a great segment with Nicea DeGering and Surae Chinn about how parents can use empathy to strengthen their relationships with their kids. All the hosts on the show are moms with kids of various ages and they were really curious to learn more.

We covered a lot - from how much to talk about empathy with your kids to putting the phone down to making sure your kids know they matter and more! I hope you’ll watch the clip below, or pass it on to a parent you think would appreciate it!

I need your help please!

Thank you for your continued support, I truly appreciate each and every one of you!

Just a reminder of the ask for help above…

1. Forward this newsletter to a friend and suggest they sign up

2. Visit my new website www.robvolpe.expert - check it out and refer me to anyone you know who might be in a position to engage me as a speaker or trainer on empathy

3. Help me better help you - email me ([email protected]) or just reply to this newsletter and let me know your thoughts

I’m looking forward to it!

I hope you liked this edition.

Please pass it along to someone you know that might also enjoy it. Either forward this email or invite them to subscribe at the click of the button below.

Reading Between the Lines delivers of-the-moment insights into human behavior and empathy, drawn from the world of marketing research and an empathy activist; expect practical tips on using the skill of empathy in everyday life and exclusive updates to keep my community close. All on a biweekly basis.