Guest Bio:
Maria Ross, the founder of brand consultancy Red Slice, believes cash flow, creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She advises entrepreneurs, startups, and fast growth businesses on how to stand out, attract the right customers, and accelerate revenue. Maria is the author of multiple books, including her latest The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion as an Engine for Success and Branding Basics for Small Business. Maria understands the power of empathy on the brand and personal levels: In 2008, shortly after launching her business, she suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that almost killed her and inspired her Amazon best-selling memoir, Rebooting My Brain. She has spoken to audiences ranging from The New York Times to BlogHer and has been featured in and written for numerous media outlets, including MSNBC, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur.com, NPR, Huffington Post and Forbes.com.  Maria lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, young son, and precocious mutt.