“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” – Mohsin Hamid
We believe empathy is one of the most important ingredients enabling effectiveness and so we connected with some amazing folks to ask them about the conditions that allowed them to develop into such empathic leaders.
Jesus Luviano
I learned early that no one achieves their dreams alone. I was shaped by families whose generosity and support I’ll always be grateful for. Reconnecting with some after 20+ years reminded me how deeply they influenced my path. Read More>>
Kristyn Adler
My empathy was shaped early, through proximity to both loss and injustice. As a child, I was very close with my cousin—we were the same age, in the same grade, and grew up side by side. Around fifth grade, she developed a degenerative condition that gradually took her mobility. By middle school she was in a wheelchair, and she passed away at 16. Read More>>
De’Asia Jefferson
I am the youngest child of a high-achieving only daughter who became a single mother, and a father who, despite being intelligent and the most dependable in his family, is entangled in the prison system. These were the conditions that shaped my empathy. This awareness began early in my life. I had no choice but to observe and make sense of the world around me. Read More>>
Christine Slomski, MS, LPC
Empathy hasn’t been something I’ve garnered through clinical training—it has developed from lived experience over decades of my own personal healing journey. I often return to the mantra, “No mud, no lotus,” which speaks to the idea that growth, compassion, and overcoming are often born from difficult seasons in life. Read More>>
Diane Welker
My first job as a nurse on the Oncology unit was when I learned things not taught in nursing school. Being empathic was far beyond the nursing responsibilities of evaluating and assessing the patient, facilitating tests, administering chemotherapy, and providing education. It was to learn to listen and be attuned to what the patient was experiencing beyond the IVs and monitors. Read More>>
Amber Taylor
My empathy was born in my childhood — in the most unlikely, most sacred conditions. I grew up in circumstances that the world would look at and call broken. We moved from shelter to shelter, home to home. Resources were scarce. Stability was hard to come by. My parents battled crack addiction — and I mean that in the most real, unfiltered sense. Read More>>
Dani Poquette
My mom is an empathetic person, and I followed suit. As long as I can remember, empathy has come naturally to me. But as I’ve gotten older and experienced more of the world, that empathy has only deepened and continues to evolve. I grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, where the culture often felt very appearance-driven and materialistic. Read More>>
Frank Fiola
Growing up with a single mom and facing some tough times,whether it was financial struggles or feeling different from others,I learned early on what it means to be vulnerable. I saw how people can carry invisible burdens, and that made me more attuned to others’ feelings. It’s why I approach every character and person with compassion. Read More>>
Sophia Zeida
I got into esthetics at a very young age. I graduated high school a year early at 16 and immediately went to beauty school. I was the youngest in my class graduating and becoming a licensed professional at 18. I was inspired by this industry; not just for the beauty side of it, but for the emotional and mental impact it can have on people. Read More>>
Tamara Nicklas
Learning the hard way that I was carrying stress that wasn’t even mine. I spent a decade in a job where other people’s dropped balls became my emergencies. I remember catching myself clenching my teeth in traffic, rushing to put out someone else’s fire. And holding my breath any time the phone buzzed. Read More>>
