This is a story about the value of investing in relationships and being a genuinely kind business woman EVEN when you’re in a powerful position, and especially when you’re in a power position. There’s a common stereotype of women who have successfully climbed to the top of a corporate business ladder — that they’re ice cold and driven exclusively to perform, and have little time for niceties and kindness towards the less powerful people who surround them. This stereotype is sexist and meaningless. It’s not justifiable to judge a woman who isn’t motivated to nurture her work friendships or be affectionate towards her colleagues. However, the value of nurturing our work friendships isn’t so that we can easily use people to get what we want but rather so that we can better ourselves with the help of others — not to climb higher but to perform better... as the best version of ourselves. My guest today is Katie Green, the CEO of August Strategy, a strategic communications and brand development company, and former senior director of global communications at ALDO Group. Katie has built an incredibly successful career for herself and has always led with kindness and invested in her relationships. Katie and I went to the University of Ottawa together and were both in the same communications program, so I’ve seen her grow from our lecture halls to becoming a global communications leader, and in my opinion, she’s always been the standard to strive for in terms of how she conducts herself as both a good person and an incredibly smart businesswoman. If you tend to shy away from work relationships, or aren’t really sure how nurturing your network can pay you back in spades, this episode is for you. Let’s talk to Katie.