Shows
Getting Rich TogetherInvesting in Connection: How Asking Questions Creates Opportunity with Susan McPhersonI am joined this week by the incredible Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies and author of "The Lost Art of Connecting." Susan is a renowned connector, communications strategist, and corporate social responsibility expert who has dedicated her career to helping businesses create meaningful social impact. In this heartfelt conversation, Susan shares her journey from being "the tiniest one in the room" who had to find her voice early to becoming a powerhouse in the world of social impact. We explore her childhood in upstate New York, where her academic parents instilled in her the...2025-05-2039 min
ClickPointBuilding Meaningful Connections in a Digital Age with Susan McPhersonIn this episode, host Kwaku Aning sits down with Susan McPherson, Founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies. McPherson Strategies is a women-owned and led B Corp-certified boutique communications consultancy focused on social impact and corporate responsibility. Susan, known as a "serial connector," shares invaluable insights on the power of authentic relationship-building in a remote-first world.From her early influences to her strategies for fostering deep and meaningful connections, Susan highlights the role of intentionality, curiosity, and generosity in networking. She also delves into the impact of AI and digital communication on relationships and offers practical advice...2025-03-0441 min
The Impact Table PodcastLeading with Purpose: Susan McPherson on Building Connections and Creating ImpactIn this episode of the Impact Table podcast, host Marssie Versola introduces a playback of a Visionary Speaker Session featuring Susan McPherson, founder of the social impact communications firm McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting. Susan shares about her impact journey, and how she came to value the importance of authentic connections and being especially intentional as get lost in today's digital age. Susan shares the 'Gather, Ask, Do' framework for fostering meaningful relationships and advises on overcoming obstacles in personal and professional growth. Listen in to this powerful conversation and Visionary Speaker Ses...2025-02-1130 min
R.O.G. Return on Generosity211. Susan McPherson - The Lost Art of Connecting“...if you listen carefully when people tell you these things, which is so hard because we have so many distractions, but if you listen carefully, you can find ways to be helpful, to be responsible, to be reliable, to be trustworthy, all the things that make us fully functioning and valuable humans.”
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Susan McPherson
05:43 The Lost Art of Connecting
12:25 The Importance of Quality Questions
21:29 Pros and Cons of Social Media
30:08 Rapid Fire Questions and Reflections
Episode Summary:
In this conversation, Shannon Cassidy interviews Susan McPherson, a social impact expert and auth...2024-12-1729 min
The UpliftersSusan McPherson: Breaking the Networking Mindset - A Guide to Genuine ConnectionIn a week where election results have left many Americans feeling the depths of our divisions, Susan McPherson's wisdom about authentic connection feels more vital than ever. As communities across the country grapple with political polarization and social isolation, her message about breaking out of our "hermetically sealed bubbles" and connecting across differences offers a path forward - not just for our personal relationships, but for our collective healing.Growing up in the late 60s and 70s, Susan would watch her parents at the breakfast table, methodically clipping newspaper articles that made them think of friends, colleagues...2024-11-0728 min
From Start-Up to Grown-Up#76: Susan McPherson, Founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies — Investing in dormant ties, networking superpowers, and converting nerves into strengthSusan McPherson is a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert. As the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy focused on brands and social impact, she brings over 30 years of experience in marketing, PR, and sustainability communications. Susan is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting and a sought-after speaker at major events like the Massachusetts Conference for Women and Techonomy. She has contributed to outlets like Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and has appeared in NPR, CNN, and USA Today. Susan invests in and advises women-led startups and is involved in several...2024-09-2441 min
Who Made You the Boss?25. Does Networking Really Make a Difference? Susan McPherson Will Transform How You ConnectSusan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, delves into the art of connecting with others. Susan shares her journey from corporate America to becoming an entrepreneur, and how she embraced her role as a leader. Susan and Lindsey discuss the power of kindness in leadership, the importance of intentional and value-based connections, and provide practical tips for fostering these connections both personally and professionally.
What you'll learn in this episode:
How Susan transitioned from corporate America to becoming an accidental entrepreneur.
The importance of kindness in leadership and fostering a positive company c...2024-09-1830 min
The Bold LoungeSusan McPherson: The Power of Community- Building Bold ConnectionsSend us a textAbout This EpisodeJoin us as we welcome Susan McPherson, a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert, who shares her unique take on boldness. In this episode, she examines the courage and confidence needed to uplift others and how building genuine connections has changed over time, especially through the explosion of social media and the changing approaches to networking. Susan discusses her motivation for writing her book, The Lost Art of Connecting. Amid our digital distractions, she emphasizes the necessity of authentic, face-to-face interactions and the powerful...2024-08-1331 min
The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and BeyondThe Lost Art of Connecting (w/Susan McPherson)Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're excited to have social impact expert and serial connector Susan McPherson with us to talk about the lost art of connecting and how to build meaningful professional relationships. In this episode we discuss: Susan McPherson's background and experience in business connections Key concepts in Susan's book, The Lost Art of Connecting Creating meaningful professional relationships Common networking concerns for law students Resources: McPherson Strategies (https://www.mcpstrategies.com/) The Lost Art of Connecting, by Susan McPherson (https://www.mcpstrategies.com/) Podcast Episode 114: Law School N...2024-07-0126 min
Clowning Around PodcastConnecting with Susan McPhersonHow do we really connect with each other? Why does this matter? How can we get better at connecting to help us in life and business. Join Em as she chats to the author of The Lost Art of Connecting Susan Mcpherson in a truly insightful and engaging conversations – plus you will learn some very cool stuff about Dolphins... they really do know how to connect! Follow Susan: Instagram: @susanmcp1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmcpherson/ Twitter: @susanmcp1 About Susan McPherson: Susan McPherson is a serial connecto...2024-05-1442 min
Hype WomenSusan McPherson: ConnectingToday, we are spending time with Susan McPherson. You know the game “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon?” Well, today, we’re playing Five degrees of Susan McPherson.Trust me, you can do it.Susan is the consummate connector. She. Knows. Everyone.But more than that, Susan CONNECTS with everyone. She wrote a book on it. Susan is intentional in how she connects with people and also in how she supports. She is an active participant in the growth of female fo...2024-05-1051 min
Magical Moments with Jill LindseyEpisode 1 with Susan McPhersonSeason 4 is SHINING SO BRIGHT!!! Our first guest is Susan McPherson! Susan is a serial connector, seasoned communicator, an author and a founder. She is the CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications agency focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do - Method for Building Meaningful Relationships. Susan has over 30 years of experience in marketing, public relations, and sustainability communications, speaking regularly at industry events including The Hello Sunshine Shine Away Summit, The Kennedy Center, and the Massachusetts Conference for Women to name a f...2024-01-2240 min
Electric Ladies PodcastGood Corporate Citizenship In A Crisis – Susan McPherson, McPherson Strategies “Companies are not just being more strategic about corporate social impact, but are taking on the role of activists themselves. Consumers and employees now expect companies to be vocal and to protect the rights of our people and our planet. CEOs are the voices of companies and can no longer remain neutral and silent as our world grapples with serious challenges.” Susan McPherson, McPherson Memo Company leaders are in a quandary. They want their organizations to be seen as good corporate citizens but they don’t know how to deal with the complicated, emotionally-charged and overlapping crises we are...2023-11-1539 min
Hello Monday with Jessi HempelMaking Connections with Susan McPhersonWe’ve all heard the age-old phrase, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While being knowledgeable can keep you in a great role, your network can open doors to your next opportunity. Today’s guest, Susan McPherson, is regarded as one of the best-connected people in the social good world. She’s sat on the board of organizations like the UN Refugee Agency and the The Lower Eastside Girls Club. Her book, The Lost Art of Connecting, is a guide to building and maintaining great relationships, and how the first step might be taking yourself out of...2023-08-2830 min
Let's Talk Social ValueSusan McPherson, McPherson StrategiesIn this episode, Sarah interviews Susan McPherson, the author of "The Lost Art of Connecting.” Susan McPherson is the founder and CEO of a US-based, B-Corp certified boutique communications consultancy, McPherson Strategies, specialising in impact communications for corporations, foundations, NGOs, and social enterprises. The interview covers various topics related to Susan's work and her approach to building meaningful connections, including her ‘Gather, Ask, Do’ methodology, which can be applied both when making personal, professional connections, and as an approach for organisations to adopt when engaging with stakeholders. Also mentioned: Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver both Pur...2023-08-2421 min
The Awesome Human PodcastThe Lost Art of Connecting - with Susan McPhersonWe’ve never had more ways to stay connected thanks to all of our technology, yet so many people are feeling isolated and lonely.-In today’s inspiring conversation, Nataly speaks with Susan McPherson, the author of The Lost Art of Connecting, about how we can find meaningful ways to connect with each other (even amidst the busy of our lives).-What you’ll learn:A powerful mindset shift that will help you create more meaningful connections - including at workSusan’s unique Gather, Ask, Do frameworkHow to ask great question...2023-07-311h 03
BOSS by Ali LevitanBOSS: *NEW* with Susan McPherson, connector, angel investor, founder, and authorHuge thank you to Fortune Most Powerful Women NextGen event for finally bringing me together IRL with my incredible #BOSS guest, Susan McPherson.Susan is a serial connector, angel investor, and Founder who runs McPherson Strategies, a social impact communications firm that is B-Corp certified and works along Fortune500 companies, NGOs, and social enterprises. Susan founded "Don't Ban Equality" in 2019 alongside the ACLU, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood as a platform for companies to come and learn and engage with other companies."We know power is in numbers...We're coming up on one year when the Supreme...2023-06-1211 min
BEYOND BARRIERSEpisode 258: The Art of Connecting With Susan McPherson, Founder & CEO of McPherson StrategiesSusan McPherson has an early memory that shaped her perspective on how to build relationships. Growing up, she would watch her parents sit at the breakfast table every morning, cutting out newspaper articles that they found interesting. Every day, they wrote notes to their friends and sent it in the mail along with the newspaper cuttings. It was their way of saying “I’m thinking of you” and nurturing relationships with friends and family. In this episode, Susan shares the keys to connecting with people and what you can do to nurture relationships. As a successful entrepreneur, she cr...2023-04-0534 min
Voice IsCONNECTION with Susan McPherson: On building relationships and community, making people feel seen and heard, and enacting corporate changeJulie and Casey sit down with author, corporate social responsibility expert, and founder of McPherson Strategies Susan McPherson to talk all things connecting. Along the way we touch on the very universal human need to be seen and heard, how relationships can be a vehicle for social impact, and what it means to build community as single women looking to take care of our long term futures. Thank you to our Season 4 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% o...2023-03-2258 min
Sell By Being HumanHow Do We Really Build Human Connection?, Susan McPherson - CEO, authorSusan McPherson 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. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships (McGraw-Hill). Susan has 30+ years of experience in marketing, public relations, and sustainability communications, speaking regularly at industry events including Massachusetts Conference for Women, BSR, DLD, Worth Women and Techonomy, and contributing to the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes. She has appeared on NPR, CNN, USA...2023-03-2242 min
Eyes Wide Open with Nick ThompsonIntrospection, Building Relationships, and the Lost Art of Connecting with Susan McPhersonPersonally, 2023 has been all about connecting better with myself, connecting better with others, and building connections among people in my network that I think would be of value to one another. One of the most important things that I've learned in life, both personally and professionally, is that our connections begin with ourselves. When you have a good connection with yourself, you can show up in the world authentically and attract the right people, connect, and build relationships. If you don't have a strong sense of self, you have the potential to go out and build the w...2023-03-1753 min
This is My Silver LiningHow Can I Help? Serial Connector Susan McPherson on Nurturing Our Relationships to Create a Constellation of ConnectionsAfter the tragic loss of her mother in a fire set by an arsonist in 1986 at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in Puerto Rico, Susan McPherson committed herself to applying the lessons she learned from her parents about the importance of meaningfully connecting with others by offering to help. In this episode, we speak with Susan about overcoming our fears of networking through the “Gather, Ask, Do” method, which she describes in her book, The Lost Art of Connecting, and which was named a Best Business Book of 2021 by Soundview Magazine. Susan begins from the premise that we are al...2022-10-3046 min
Get Sh!t Done#65 How Mastering the Art of Connecting Scaled a Multi-Million Dollar Services Business (Susan McPherson, McPherson Strategies)Susan McPherson, is the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a boutique communications consultancy focusing on the intersection between brands and social impact, providing storytelling, partnership creation and visibility.
Here's what you're going to learn from Susan McPherson:
How successful founders get things done and make it all happen
How to use connections and networking to grow your business
How to get the support you need for going to the next level
How to tap into meaningful relationships to scale impact
Get Sh!t Done & Grow Your Business Daily: Join the Tribe HERE
...2022-09-2051 min
What the FundraisingFriendraising: Avoiding Transactional Fundraising Through The Lost Art of Connecting with Susan McPhersonDid you know that connecting is entirely different than networking? The mindset is different according to Susan McPherson, author of "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships." As a social impact strategist, she has developed a methodology that turns certain nonprofit conventions on their head, as we learn in this episode of What the Fundraising.Our fundraising superpower starts with broadening beyond the goal of racking up dollar commitments to instead ask: “How can I be of use? How can I contribute? What can I provide?” Corp...2022-08-2536 min
Positive Impact Philanthropy PodcastAn Interview with Susan McPherson, Founder and CEO of McPherson StrategiesJoin Lori and her guest, Susan McPherson, as they talk about making an impact through effective communication. Susan is the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a consultancy that helps corporations with communicating the good that they’re doing. How can companies promote their philanthropy to their employees as well as external audiences? Stay tuned! Here are the things to expect in this episode: Learning from a young age that it’s important to give back. Volunteering is a great way to connect with people and learn new things. Every single one of us can b...2022-08-2416 min
Startup of the Year Podcast#0094 - Author Susan McPherson Talks About The Lost Art of ConnectingOn this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, we hear from Susan McPherson, who is a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert. Susan is also the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, and the author of “The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships.” Find more about the book at: https://www.thelostartofconnecting.com/ Lastly, Susan invests in and advises women-led technology start-ups and she is a member of the MIT Solve Women and Technology Leadership Group and serves as an adviser...2022-07-2527 min
Partnering Leadership178 How to Build Deeper and More Meaningful Business Relationships Through the Gather, Ask, Do Method with Susan McPherson | Partnering Leadership Global Thought LeaderIn this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Susan McPherson, Founder, and CEO of McPherson Strategies, Serial Connector, Communications Expert, and Author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships. Susan McPherson shares the power of building authentic relationships and fostering meaningful connections. Susan also talks about the three phases of proactively connecting with people and how to go beyond our bubbles. Finally, Susan shares what leaders must do to promote greater connection within their teams and organizations.Some highlights:-Susan McPherson o...2022-07-2130 min
Together Digital Power Lounge, Women in Digital with Power to ShareThe Lost Art of Connecting | Susan McPherson, Founder & CEO of McPherson Strategies | Power Lounge S1E15How we can build connections with confidence as we move beyond this devastating pandemic. THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: COVID turned our worlds upside down but it also made us take a deeper look at how we spend time connecting and the qualities of those connections. So, if you are looking to get out into the world and connect more meaningfully again come and listen to an author who wrote the book on it! Meet Susan McPherson, Founder, and CEO of McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting. Sit...2022-06-1544 min