Leading Through Connection: Marketing, Collaboration & Influence with Sheryl Brown

What if the secret to great leadership isn't having all the answers—but building meaningful connections?

In this episode of the HEART Leadership Podcast, Sara Valentine sits down with marketing leader and relationship advocate Sheryl Brown to discuss leadership, collaboration, influence, and the power of putting people first.

Together, they explore:
💗 Why listening is a leadership superpower
💗 Building trust through authentic relationships
💗 The role of empathy in business success
💗 Navigating change while staying true to your values
💗 Creating a legacy through connection and service

Whether you're leading a team, building a brand, or growing your career, this episode offers practical insights and heartfelt wisdom for leading with purpose.

Because great leadership starts with human connection. 🎙️💗

Lead with HEART, and the rest will follow.

A HEARTfelt thank you for listening!

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Welcome to Leading with Heart, the podcast where leadership meets humanity. I'm your host, Sarah Valentine, and in each episode, we'll explore how to bring heart into the way we lead, live, and love. Heart stands for hear, empathize, acknowledge, respond, and think. These five actions may sound simple, but when practiced consistently, they can transform the way you show up as a leader in the workplace and beyond. So whether you're leading a team, leading a family, or simply leading yourself, you're in the right place. Let's dive in. I'm joined by Cheryl Brown, a marketing strategist, leader, advocate, and someone who truly understands how to connect people to purpose and story. What I love about Cheryl's approach is that while marketing is often viewed as analytics, campaigns, and strategy, at its core, great marketing is really about people. I also, in full transparency, must say that I love this woman with all my heart because she is my big sis. And honestly, I can't wait for you to meet her. Cheryl, thank you so much for being here. It's so good to be here, little sis. This is our first time recording together. Cheryl also has her own podcast, Disassociated. And I encourage you all to follow her. She's on all forms of Apple, Spotify. Do you have a YouTube yet?

SPEAKER_01 2:04

I don't have a YouTube yet, but I am on Amazon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

Um, so anyway, it's a remarkable podcast about her personal journey. Um, so I encourage you all to take a listen. But on top of that, Cheryl, you've built an impressive career in marketing and leadership. I want you to take us back for a moment and tell us what drew you to marketing and brand strategy.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Like why marketing? Why marketing? So when we were kids, I loved commercials. Like TV was extremely captivating for me. And maybe a little bit of an escape outlet as well. For me, it was soap operas.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

I don't know why. As an eight-year-old child, I was allowed to watch as the world turns, but I loved them.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Yeah. Well, I loved commercials because I was always intrigued by how they had this ability to encourage people to engage with a brand. And so that piqued my curiosity and just all the different creative messaging that's out there. Like, I really enjoyed that. But at the surface, like I'm drawn to people, and I was drawn to people long before marketing. Like what fascinates me is just understanding why people make decisions, what captures their attention, what builds trust, what makes people feel connected to a brand or a business or even another person, right? So um, I think over time, like marketing became that outlet for that curiosity for me. And I realized it wasn't just about advertising something, it's about solving problems and creating experiences for a consumer, but also like helping businesses communicate in a way that actually resonates with a human being.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Yeah, yeah. I remember the old commercials. But did you ever have a favorite one that just stuck out?

SPEAKER_01 4:10

Oh my gosh, the York peppermint patty commercials. Like there's this one where the guy jumps on an ironing board and he's like acting like he's skiing and and after biting into the York peppermint. Yeah, the the ultimate sensation of the York peppermint patty. That's fantastic. Those were just hilarious to me. I mean, there are so many really, but but that that's the first one that like comes to my mind when I think I love that you can remember that though.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

That's great.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Oh, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 4:41

That's great. And so you talk about people and about making decisions. And like marketing isn't just about unlike selling things, but it's about understanding people. Do you think you've gotten better at that in your career from where you started? And you started at Circuit City? I started at Circuit City. Remember the commercial with the plug?

SPEAKER_01 5:03

1999. Yes, I do. So where service is state of the art. Oh wow, you still remember the slogan. That's fantastic. Circuit City, there you are. There you are. It'll never go away with the big plug. Um, yeah, so um it understanding people is definitely like the most important thing. And you know, consumers rarely buy because of features alone. Right. They buy based on emotion, trust, convenience, fear, hope, aspiration, relief, like anything that's that's genuine you genuinely human, right? Um and so like you can have the best product in the world. But if people don't feel understood, they will not connect with your brand. Right. Like I worked across so many industries over the years, and regardless of the category, the pattern is always the same. Yeah, people want solutions, clarity, and confidence. They want to feel like someone understands their problem, genuinely wants to help solve it.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

Yeah, that's and it's so true. Like, if I think um the biggest brand competition in my household is Apple versus droids, right? Okay, and my my my husband, Mikey, loves him dearly, but he's like, I like droids because I like to think for myself, and it offends me on Apple's behalf, like there's emotion there, right? Uh so I get that, I totally get that. Well, on the Heart uh leadership podcast, we talk about the Heart Framework, which is here empathize, acknowledge, respond, and think, which Cheryl also had her hands on with helping branding and market. Um so honestly, I think great marketers and great leaders have one very important thing in common, and you alluded to it, is they listen really well. They listen to their customers. So, part of understanding people, do you agree, is starting with listening and both marketing and leadership?

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Yes. I honestly think that listening is probably the most underrated leadership skill that there is. Like and heart for a reason. That's the start. Yeah, yeah. A lot of people are just waiting for their turn to talk instead of truly listening to understand. But when lit when leaders actually listen, they gather so much context, they uncover motivations and frustrations and fears and then opportunities that data alone cannot always reveal. Like in marketing specifically, if you're not listening, you're guessing. And consumers can feel it immediately.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Like they know when something falls flat, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Yeah, it falls flat, exactly. Like the strongest brands and the strongest leaders are usually the ones paying attention to the emotional undercurrent, not just the surface level feedback, right? And internally, it matters just as much. Teams want to feel heard, clients want to feel heard, consumers want to feel heard. That need is universal, right?

SPEAKER_02 8:40

Absolutely. Hearing is uh listening to understand, not to respond to your point. Exactly. Most people just listen for their turn to talk.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Exactly. I um I actually started Lunch and Learns with my team that I have currently to ask specific questions about how they operate as human beings, both personally and professionally. And it just allows me an opportunity to sit back and listen. And I and you know, I I love I love a good mirror board. So I use a mirror board to have these interactions, and everyone has their own post-it note color, and they're posting all of their thoughts and ideas and and just how they are, and then it gives me a space to go back and reflect on what they're saying to me, like they're giving clues, they're giving me all of the clues in order to help give them the tools to be as successful as they can possibly be. And so I'm you I'm using that. I'm I'm I'm having to use it right now because you know, there are other internal teams, and sometimes we struggle with communication, even as being communicators.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Um, and so I'm using I'm using that feedback to know how to how to get a response out of that person to be better.

SPEAKER_02 10:06

But it all starts with you having the want to listen.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Correct. You have to you have to have that desire to listen.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Yeah. So listening, very important. I also think paired with empathy is really important. So for you, where do you fit empathy into leadership, marketing? Um, because you make a good point. If you don't understand people, you lose the connection. So, how do you bring in the empathy part into your marketing and leadership roles?

SPEAKER_01 10:40

So, I think um for me, like empathy is a bridge. Without empathy, uh communication becomes transactional. Leadership becomes transactional. So people feel that when that happens. Yes. People can tell when they're simply being managed or sold to. Like it's just it's so easy to be able to determine when someone's doing that. So, um, you know, empathy doesn't mean that you're always going to agree with someone, but it does mean that you care enough to understand their perspective before you respond. And I think that's one of the biggest things that's missing in a lot of organizations today. Like everyone is rushing towards efficiency and automation and scale. AI. Oh gosh, require one more AI commercial. But humans still want and need human connections.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

Yes, yes, yeah, like every business to your point is moving in a direction of efficiency, self-check outlines, ATM, no more tellers at the bank, right? Yeah, and we come from a very small community where everybody knew everybody, and that doesn't work for them. Everything is about relationships and people. So as much as we hear, you know, the next biggest thing, uh, and the efficiency pieces, I don't think humans will ever be able to re a hundred percent totally digitize anything in the world. I don't think because people are behind everything, correct? Yeah, I agree. And empathy, I always tell people, empathy is not feeling sorry for someone, it's simply putting yourself in their place to understand what they're going through in that moment.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Um, so you have a perspective, and once you do that, you can communicate with them, you can lead them, you can help them, you can sell to them, market to them, right? Exactly. So I love that. I love that. Um, when we hear the word authenticity, everybody, you know, I want to be an authentic leader, I want to come to work authentically myself, right? It's a big deal in branding and leadership. Um I find that it's actually really hard to be authentic, like even particularly in HR, because I have a job to do. Um, and to be an authentic leader, it requires vulnerability and consistency. So what does authenticity look like to you in in your world of marketing and branding?

SPEAKER_01 13:28

To me, authenticity is alignment. So it's when what you say about what you do and who you are consistently match over time. Authenticity is not perfection. In fact, I think people trust leaders more when they're honest about challenges and uncertainty than when they're not, right? Yeah, and when they're not perfect, yeah, yeah, exactly. And the same thing applies to brands, like consumers are incredibly smart now, they can sense performative messaging almost instantly, and authentic brands understand who they are, who they serve, and what value they're they truly bring to the table. They're consistent in that identity instead of chasing every trend that shows up on the internet. Yes. Like we don't need to be a squirrel chasing headlights right now, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Right.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

In this space. Like authentic leadership is uh is similar to that too. Like it's being steady, um, you know, steady enough that people know what version of you they're going to get.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Right. I think we've seen a little bit of that when brands step outside of their authenticity and the world responds. I think the most recent big one was Cracker Barrel. Yes. Uh I understood their intent, but man, did did you we feel the impact of that rebrand? It wasn't authentic, it wasn't, and people didn't believe it. So I a hundred percent agree. The authentic authenticity and alignment piece. That's a new way for me to hear that. So, but I I like it, I really do. Um, and I think every leader struggles with that. I know from from my chair, I often work with marketing on communications to our employees, right? And there have been a couple of times we've written something and we're like, this sounds really robotic. This does not sound like we care at all. And people can see that they know when they're being sold a false bill of goods. So I love that. Authenticity equals alignment, and I like that you said over time because you know, I talk about trust a lot and how how easily it's it can be broken and how long it takes to repair. The thing with authenticity is that if you if someone knows who you are and then they err and they and they make it right, it's much easier to go back and believe them and build that trust back because they've been authentic the entire time. Exactly. Yeah, I love that. So to your earlier point, marketing changes constantly. I I mean, HR has changed a lot in the last five years, but I feel like marketing is is it's always that trend, that next big thing. Uh, you gotta learn something new. Uh, I remember when Google Analytics hit the hit the world, right? And everybody was like, Do you know this? Do you know this? And everybody rushed to HR to get training, and we're like, we don't know what this is. Um, so like it's constantly changing. Um I think leadership feels the same, particularly right now in a post-COVID world. What advice would you give to leaders who are trying to navigate constant change without losing that authenticity, their identity or their vision of who they are? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

So I think leaders have to separate evolution from abandonment. You can evolve your tactics.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

We're getting deep.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Right, right. You can evolve your tactics without abandoning your core values. Like marketing changes constantly, so does technology, so does consumer behavior. And if you resist all change, you will become irrelevant. But if you chase every trend without a foundation, you lose your identity. So the organism organizations that stay grounded during change are usually very clear on who they are and why they exist. Going back to that previous comment that we made, um, you know, when your foundation is strong, adaptation becomes easier because you're not reinventing yourself every six months. Right. You're simply adjusting how you communicate, operate, and serve.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

Right. People like so that's yeah, I like that. Um, you know, I being at Give Kids the World, we're 40 years, we're celebrating our 40th anniversary, and we've had a lot of changes uh over the last several years, but we are remembering who we are, who our founder is, and getting back to that mission of no child, we'll run out of time before we can grant that fulfill a wish, right? Right. Um, but for a moment, we had to figure that back out. Like we had to remember who we were. So I think companies, like the business cycle says, go they go through that evolution that you're talking about. And if they stay strong to who they are and their foundation and their core, 100%. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah. So your career's been pretty cool, like from Circuit City to the Martin Agency to Window World and and beyond. Like, you've she's had a few high, high name brand clients, guys. Um, when you reflect on your career and your journey, what do you think you're the most grateful for? Who are the people that you feel most grateful for?

SPEAKER_01 19:35

I am most grateful for the people who challenged me to grow. For the mentors who believed in me before I fully believed in myself, for the teams who trusted me, the clients who gave me opportunities, and even the ones that didn't. Let's be honest. Like you learn from you learn a lot from the the bad experience. Yes, you do. Right. Um, but there are people that pushed me outside of my comfort zone, you know, and honestly, like some of the difficult experiences taught me valuable lessons about resilience, communication, and leadership. You know, I think um, I think gratitude grows from grows with perspective. Like the longer you lead, the more you realize success is never a solo journey. I've, you know, I've had good leaders, I've had bad leaders. They have all taught me something. But I will say the ones that have championed for me when I am not in the room, those are the ones that I am truly, truly grateful for.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

Yeah, that's a big deal. When you're not in the room, who who's who helps you, who stands up for you?

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

Um, and I think a lot of people, whether they want to admit this or not, would probably be surprised in who those people actually are. Um, yeah, I've had I've had that come out in my career that the people that I thought would not did, and the people I thought would did not. So that's crazy. I love that sentiment of you know, remembering and being grateful for the people that took up for you when you were in the room. 100% love that. What impact do you hope your leadership and work leave behind?

SPEAKER_01 21:32

So just in thinking about how I am operating with my current team right now, I really hope that people feel seen after working with me. I mean, whether it's a team member, a client, a colleague, a consumer, like whoever. Like, I hope that they feel heard and respected and supported and understood. Because, you know, professionally, I hope I I've helped business communicate more honestly and effectively to grow their business. And I really, you know, when it comes to supporting my team, like my number one goal in my current position is helping my teammates grow, helping the people that are under me grow and how to do it, how to show up every day for the client in the best way. Because in and here's another thing, like your hundred percent that you give every day is always gonna be different. Right? You're gonna have a bad day. And when you have that bad day, your 100% to me might be 10%, but I want to see it and I want to support it. You know, personally, I hope I have created environments where people feel safe to grow, to contribute, and to become more confident in themselves. Because at the end of the day, titles and campaigns are fade. But the way people felt while working alongside you stays forever. She's sure does.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Yeah, she uh that resonates with me. I I worry often about the people that I didn't make feel safe. I tell that to uh a lot of folks. Uh, my last interview was with Dr. Karen, and I said, you know, those are the ones that stick with me the most are the people that I messed up, right? That I I wasn't maybe kind or maybe they screwed up and I was too harsh or too critical. Because in my role, we have to bring the heavy along with the good. Yes. And sometimes I just uh I worry about that. And I but at the same time, I think it's good for leaders to worry about the times they messed up so that they do it better for the next person.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

I agree a hundred percent. And I also think that it keeps you humble, right?

SPEAKER_02 24:04

Yeah, humility is necessary in leadership because without it, oof, right? Yeah, we become our own, like the worst versions of ourselves, and and everybody around is seeing it and saying it, but not to you, but yeah, yeah. Humility is definitely key and it's hard and it hurts, but I do think it's a necessary lesson in leadership, 100%. 100%. Well, big sis, I am so glad to have had you on this podcast, not just because we're family, but because you have been an amazing role model for me in my life, my entire life. Um, I can tell you my career's my career has had ups, downs, twists, turns, and you have been there for every single one of them from the time Cynthia hired me at the at the bar, right? And you got the call that I got the job to the promotion, both to moving to uh when I was with Balmore for a hot second, yeah, to La Tienda, to Colonial Williamsburg, to the VP with CWorld. Remember that with three celebration, that was great, and then moving to to Orlando, you were like, You're moving to Florida first. We never thought that would happen because Sarah does not like to eat. And then when I arrived at Give Kids World, so she's been there with me. She also you helped me launch Simply HR and the Heart. So how many people get a hold of you if they want your help? Because you have helped brand me and in my career and have helped me through my journey. So how do people get a hold of it?

SPEAKER_01 25:53

First of all, I want to say that you've also been there through my journey the whole way. Like I feel like we are just, you know, so interconnected, and um we have been a tremendous support system for each other um throughout our entire careers. Uh, I I know that I've reached out to you many times about an HR question or an issue that I've done.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

I love those calls, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Um, and it's just because like I want to make sure that I am I am covered or that I am communicating what needs to be communicated from that perspective because you have a very good way of looking at a situation from a different lens. Like when I call you about an HR need, the sister hat comes off, the HR hat comes on, and you are so real. Yeah, I can't even try to fake that. Can't even try to make that. And I'm like, this is exactly what I needed to hear. Like, it's not always maybe what I wanted to hear, but it's what I needed to hear. Yeah, you know, so so don't think for a second that you haven't been such a huge part of my career as well, because you you've been a tremendous help to me.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

It's been a journey, it's been a journey, it's been a great one, though. It's been a great I wouldn't change.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

I can be connected through LinkedIn for sure.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Okay, and I'm gonna have her on the connected to all of my stuff too. Um, well, thank you so much for being on the Heart Leadership podcast. It's been fantastic. I think today's episode is such a great reminder that whether you're leading a team, building a brand, or shaping a culture, connection matters. People want authenticity, they want trust, they want to feel seen and understood. So thank you, Cheryl, for sharing your insights, your experience, and your heart with us today. And to our listeners, remember this whether in leading and marketing or leadership, people may forget the strategy, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. So until next time, lead with heart, and the rest will follow. Thank you so much for listening. I'm deeply grateful. My hope is that you leave inspired to lead with compassion, strength, and heart in your work, family, and faith. If today's episode encouraged you, share it with someone who could use a little heart in their day. And be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you listen. Until next time, lead with heart, and the rest will follow.