OTS 257: Accidental Entrepreneur - Susan McPherson

Today’s guest is one of the best-connected people in the social good world.

She is a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert. She is the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact, providing storytelling, partnership creation, and visibility to corporations, NGOs, and social enterprises.

She has 25+ years of experience in marketing, public relations, and sustainability communications, speaking regularly at industry conferences, and contributing to the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes. She is a Vital Voices global corporate ambassador and has received numerous accolades for her voice on social media platforms from Fortune Magazine, Fast Company, and Elle Magazine.

She is the author of “The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships” reminding readers that we should connect on a human level and build authentic relationships beyond securing a new job or a new investor for your next big idea.

Please join me in welcoming Susan McPherson.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leaders know your followers work with you and not for you.”
• how she bases her company on compassion and kindness.
  her natural inclination to want to be around people and organizing activities, even as a child.
• her strategy of supporting non-profit organizations to meet people while being socially conscious.
• her experience working for Ted Kennedy’s campaign and realizing she didn’t want to work in the government.
• her first job at USA Today and how much that influenced her current business.
• how she contacted all of her contacts via email when she started her company asking for referrals.
• her advice to entrepreneurs to hire people to do the things they are not good at or love doing.
• what inspired her book and the importance of making connections.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer layers of her network.
• the joy she gets from showcasing others.
• what she would do if she had an extra five hours a week.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com.