#185: In this episode of Over a Pint, Pat sits down with empathy activist and author Rob Volpe, whose book Tell Me More About That reframes empathy not as a soft skill, but as a serious business lever.

Rob breaks down one of the most misunderstood words in marketing and leadership. Empathy is not about being nice. It is about perspective-taking. It is about dismantling judgment. It is about asking better questions. And most importantly, it is about making better decisions.

The conversation explores:

• The difference between emotional empathy and cognitive empathy, and why marketers rely on perspective taking more than feelings

• The Five Steps of Empathy and how they apply directly to sales, collaboration, problem solving, and trust building

• Why asking "why" often shuts people down

• How big brands leave roughly 10 percent of revenue on the table by ignoring the "Say–Do Gap"

• Why qualitative research matters more than ever in a world obsessed with dashboards

Rob also shares powerful personal stories that shaped his work, from growing up in small-town Indiana to a moment of forgiveness at his 30th high school reunion that quite literally lifted emotional weight.

If you want better insight, better positioning, and better growth, empathy is a competitive advantage.

Here's how to connect with Rob:

• Website: https://www.robvolpe.expert/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/

• Social Media: Empathy Activist

• Newsletter: Reading Between the Lines (found on the website)

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

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This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.