WEBVTT 00:00:03.607 --> 00:00:07.208 Matt Abrahams: Empathy and transparency are essential for effective 00:00:07.247 --> 00:00:10.437 communication in person or virtually. 00:00:11.027 --> 00:00:14.367 My name's Matt Abrahams, and I teach Strategic Communication at 00:00:14.367 --> 00:00:16.137 Stanford Graduate School of Business. 00:00:16.367 --> 00:00:19.928 Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:00:20.328 --> 00:00:22.647 Today, I look forward to speaking with Kim Storin. 00:00:23.118 --> 00:00:26.677 Kim is Zoom's chief marketing officer who oversees brand, 00:00:26.677 --> 00:00:28.327 marketing, and communication. 00:00:28.627 --> 00:00:31.667 She's a seasoned executive with a background spanning startups 00:00:31.677 --> 00:00:33.267 to Fortune 50 companies. 00:00:34.188 --> 00:00:35.358 Well, welcome, Kim. 00:00:35.388 --> 00:00:37.738 I am excited for our conversation. 00:00:38.198 --> 00:00:38.658 Kim Storin: Me too. 00:00:38.988 --> 00:00:40.088 Thanks for having me here. 00:00:40.378 --> 00:00:40.938 Matt Abrahams: Excellent. 00:00:40.938 --> 00:00:41.848 Shall we get started? 00:00:42.198 --> 00:00:42.958 Kim Storin: Let's do it. 00:00:43.458 --> 00:00:43.958 Matt Abrahams: Excellent. 00:00:43.988 --> 00:00:46.897 Well, I have a long relationship with Zoom. 00:00:47.108 --> 00:00:53.277 Back in around 2015 at Stanford's Business School, I initiated a class 00:00:53.277 --> 00:00:57.308 on virtual communication, and the deans at the time were like, "Oh, go ahead 00:00:57.308 --> 00:01:00.557 and teach the class, but, you know, we're not sure how important that is." 00:01:00.757 --> 00:01:02.848 Ironically, it became very important. 00:01:02.897 --> 00:01:06.247 And Eric Yuan, your CEO, was very kind at that time. 00:01:06.257 --> 00:01:09.488 We had a different tool in place at the business school, and I had 00:01:09.488 --> 00:01:11.538 learned of Zoom and saw its potential. 00:01:11.757 --> 00:01:14.898 And because Eric was affiliated with the school, he's a graduate of one of 00:01:14.898 --> 00:01:18.577 our executive education programs, I reached out to him, and he was very kind. 00:01:18.577 --> 00:01:22.737 And in fact, the very first use of Zoom at Stanford was as a result of Eric 00:01:22.768 --> 00:01:24.747 giving us free access for the class. 00:01:25.057 --> 00:01:28.687 And ever since then, he and I have been close, and Zoom has been something 00:01:28.687 --> 00:01:29.967 that's been important on the campus. 00:01:29.967 --> 00:01:32.777 So just wanted to give a little bit of that background, and I'm glad 00:01:32.777 --> 00:01:36.327 that he introduced me to you to have you here today, so thank you. 00:01:36.647 --> 00:01:37.708 So let's get started. 00:01:37.897 --> 00:01:41.527 Clearly, COVID and the pandemic had a huge impact on Zoom. 00:01:41.797 --> 00:01:44.597 Uh, without exaggeration, I think it's fair to say that Zoom saved 00:01:44.597 --> 00:01:47.908 countless businesses and allowed for many parts of our everyday 00:01:47.918 --> 00:01:50.267 lives to continue and function. 00:01:50.698 --> 00:01:54.947 Looking back, what are you and the company most proud of, and are 00:01:54.948 --> 00:01:58.467 there things that you might have done differently with hindsight? 00:01:58.967 --> 00:02:01.467 Kim Storin: You know, I wasn't here at Zoom at the time. 00:02:01.467 --> 00:02:03.237 I've only been here for about a year now. 00:02:03.268 --> 00:02:08.247 I did watch what Zoom did, and I really admired how Zoom took the challenge 00:02:08.257 --> 00:02:14.378 head-on and how Eric led with such empathy for not just customers, because 00:02:14.387 --> 00:02:19.897 Zoom was an enterprise business at that point, but for what the world 00:02:19.897 --> 00:02:21.757 was going through at that time. 00:02:22.137 --> 00:02:27.397 And, you know, for people, not just organizations, but also individuals, 00:02:27.408 --> 00:02:32.697 families, students that were, were looking for ways to, to connect, to 00:02:32.698 --> 00:02:35.857 learn, to work during that period, right? 00:02:35.857 --> 00:02:42.457 You really saw how Zoom became such a critical part of how we functioned and 00:02:42.458 --> 00:02:44.438 how we communicated during that time. 00:02:44.807 --> 00:02:50.597 But what's interesting is because of how Eric and the leadership 00:02:50.598 --> 00:02:55.928 team were so empathetic, put that freemium model in place right off 00:02:55.937 --> 00:03:01.047 the bat, helped turn on every school, every company, every individual. 00:03:01.287 --> 00:03:04.068 And so as a result of that, we became a household name. 00:03:04.147 --> 00:03:05.697 We became a verb, right? 00:03:05.757 --> 00:03:07.917 We're the Kleenex of software. 00:03:08.501 --> 00:03:13.042 And we have nearly 100% brand awareness. 00:03:13.411 --> 00:03:17.601 But as the business has grown, that brand awareness has actually made it 00:03:17.601 --> 00:03:19.691 harder for us to shift perception. 00:03:20.042 --> 00:03:24.552 So we've expanded into areas much further than just video conferencing, 00:03:25.091 --> 00:03:31.041 yet because of the ubiquity of the brand, we've still been pigeonholed in a way. 00:03:31.261 --> 00:03:35.941 And people don't recognize the breadth and depth of our product portfolio and 00:03:35.941 --> 00:03:38.141 the problems that we solve for customers. 00:03:38.431 --> 00:03:42.751 And so that, you know, ubiquity, that becoming a verb during COVID, 00:03:42.991 --> 00:03:45.932 really makes it challenging as a marketing and communications leader. 00:03:46.322 --> 00:03:47.672 Matt Abrahams: Yeah, I, I can imagine. 00:03:47.672 --> 00:03:51.591 It's like an actor who gets typecasted as a specific role. 00:03:51.591 --> 00:03:55.301 And one of the things that I think is impressive about Zoom and many other 00:03:55.302 --> 00:03:59.802 companies during times of difficulty and tragedy, leading with empathy 00:04:00.061 --> 00:04:04.061 and doing what's right, even if it's may or may not benefit the business 00:04:04.061 --> 00:04:05.721 right away, I, I think is important. 00:04:05.721 --> 00:04:07.261 I think Zoom did that very well. 00:04:07.541 --> 00:04:12.822 So talk to me a little bit about how do you try to change perceptions and expand 00:04:12.822 --> 00:04:17.741 people's very pigeonholed view of you all, but, uh, this happens in a lot of 00:04:17.741 --> 00:04:21.891 industries and a lot of businesses, where people see you as one thing, and in our 00:04:21.892 --> 00:04:23.861 communication we need to expand that. 00:04:24.201 --> 00:04:28.212 Are there certain things that you do or are trying to help expand that view? 00:04:28.591 --> 00:04:29.361 Kim Storin: Absolutely. 00:04:29.362 --> 00:04:32.781 And, you know, I would say it's two-pronged, if you will, right? 00:04:32.782 --> 00:04:37.971 There is one aspect that is more scientific and one that's more of the art. 00:04:38.362 --> 00:04:43.861 And so when you think about the scientific elements, people now are spending 50 or 00:04:43.892 --> 00:04:48.431 80%, I should say, of their buying journey where they don't wanna talk to a brand. 00:04:48.481 --> 00:04:50.071 They wanna do the research on their own. 00:04:50.341 --> 00:04:54.461 Buyers are now starting their buying cycle on a large language model. 00:04:54.691 --> 00:04:58.241 So those two dynamics mean that we have to be really scientific 00:04:58.261 --> 00:05:00.611 of how are we marketing ourselves? 00:05:00.831 --> 00:05:05.681 How are we ensuring that we are strategically positioning ourselves? 00:05:05.911 --> 00:05:07.811 That's the scientific part, right? 00:05:07.981 --> 00:05:12.814 All of the elements of, like, how are you showing up in that funnel when 00:05:12.824 --> 00:05:16.494 people don't wanna be talking to you, they wanna be learning about you. 00:05:16.814 --> 00:05:22.814 The second piece is more of the art, which is much more oriented around that 00:05:22.824 --> 00:05:27.834 brand-to-demand connection and ensuring that you're showing up at all the right 00:05:27.834 --> 00:05:33.804 places where your customers care, that you're putting content out there that 00:05:33.844 --> 00:05:37.923 answers their pain points, that helps them progress through that preference 00:05:37.924 --> 00:05:44.343 formation journey, that we're leveraging in-person events and are experiential, and 00:05:44.343 --> 00:05:46.633 we have the right marketing mix overall. 00:05:46.994 --> 00:05:48.613 So that's a little bit more of the art side. 00:05:48.893 --> 00:05:52.043 And ultimately, it takes the combination of both the science and 00:05:52.043 --> 00:05:56.803 the art in order to, to change that perception, and it really starts 00:05:56.834 --> 00:05:58.464 with anchoring on a narrative. 00:05:58.613 --> 00:06:02.493 And consistency drives preference at the end of the day. 00:06:02.883 --> 00:06:06.864 So even as you're balancing art and science, like, you have to 00:06:06.864 --> 00:06:11.083 be constantly coming back to that core narrative that really defines 00:06:11.424 --> 00:06:13.323 the company and that North Star. 00:06:13.976 --> 00:06:16.006 Matt Abrahams: Well, you're certainly singing my tune when it 00:06:16.006 --> 00:06:17.726 comes to storytelling narrative. 00:06:17.786 --> 00:06:18.806 Super important. 00:06:18.806 --> 00:06:22.396 And we focus a lot of that in the classes I teach on Strategic Communication. 00:06:22.645 --> 00:06:24.215 And consistency is critical. 00:06:24.486 --> 00:06:28.845 The idea of transitioning from awareness to preference building, 00:06:29.136 --> 00:06:30.545 that's really fundamental. 00:06:30.616 --> 00:06:33.566 And in large part, as you mentioned, a result of how AI 00:06:33.566 --> 00:06:35.385 is impacting how people buy. 00:06:35.816 --> 00:06:40.125 And then the brand and demand and being just where people are and making sure they 00:06:40.126 --> 00:06:42.246 understand the pain point that you solve. 00:06:42.255 --> 00:06:45.516 These are lessons that all of us can take in the businesses we run. 00:06:45.946 --> 00:06:47.896 But it's an evolved form of marketing, right? 00:06:47.896 --> 00:06:49.995 This is a very different world for sure. 00:06:50.506 --> 00:06:52.515 Zoom has scaled rapidly. 00:06:52.705 --> 00:06:55.485 You're in charge of both external and internal comms. 00:06:55.795 --> 00:07:00.675 How do you maintain a cohesive company culture with a rapidly 00:07:00.675 --> 00:07:04.556 expanding organization, both domestically and internationally? 00:07:04.565 --> 00:07:06.515 How do you keep that culture alive? 00:07:06.876 --> 00:07:09.825 Kim Storin: We believe that culture starts at the top, and we take it very 00:07:09.826 --> 00:07:14.065 seriously, and it is something that Eric and our executive staff think 00:07:14.075 --> 00:07:16.115 about and talk about all the time. 00:07:16.115 --> 00:07:21.845 We also have a very flat organization, and that helps ensure that communications 00:07:21.845 --> 00:07:27.475 are consistent, that there's not layers and layers to drive that 00:07:27.495 --> 00:07:29.565 message through the organization. 00:07:29.896 --> 00:07:36.546 And ultimately, we really do reward speed, curiosity, learning, and care. 00:07:36.885 --> 00:07:43.816 And those cultural attributes are the core of how we act, the decisions that 00:07:43.816 --> 00:07:47.155 we make, and how we treat each other and how we treat our communities. 00:07:47.415 --> 00:07:49.145 And we really take that seriously. 00:07:49.375 --> 00:07:54.365 So we are driving those conversations with managers on a regular basis. 00:07:54.375 --> 00:07:59.365 We bring those messages to a biweekly town hall meeting with all employees, 00:07:59.635 --> 00:08:06.815 which I've never in my career seen such a drive and commitment to 00:08:06.845 --> 00:08:09.295 transparent communications in that way. 00:08:09.405 --> 00:08:13.775 People are used to seeing a quarterly all-hands meeting, not a 00:08:14.085 --> 00:08:16.115 every other week all-hands meeting. 00:08:16.155 --> 00:08:21.295 And so I think it's really a testament to our executive team's core commitment 00:08:21.305 --> 00:08:25.425 to our culture and our values and to transparent communications. 00:08:25.826 --> 00:08:27.565 Matt Abrahams: So it sounds to me several things there that 00:08:27.626 --> 00:08:29.115 all of us could benefit from. 00:08:29.115 --> 00:08:34.175 One, having a clear distillation of what your values are, speed, 00:08:34.186 --> 00:08:38.306 learning, care, and those serve as that guiding light, and then providing 00:08:38.306 --> 00:08:40.135 opportunity to be transparent. 00:08:40.165 --> 00:08:43.135 And the frequency of, in your case, all-hands meetings. 00:08:43.626 --> 00:08:46.845 And then having a flatter organizational structure that 00:08:46.855 --> 00:08:50.476 then focuses on communication and consistency helps as well. 00:08:50.565 --> 00:08:53.655 And those are really important ingredients, I think, to helping 00:08:53.656 --> 00:08:59.086 a culture flourish and take root in the midst of rapid growth. 00:08:59.095 --> 00:08:59.845 So thank you. 00:09:00.526 --> 00:09:04.065 Tools like Zoom have made much of our communication more 00:09:04.085 --> 00:09:06.476 transactional and scheduled. 00:09:06.976 --> 00:09:10.695 This can absolutely drive efficiency, but it can work against 00:09:10.705 --> 00:09:13.036 serendipity and spontaneity. 00:09:13.445 --> 00:09:19.165 What are your thoughts on what is gained and lost in this virtual modality? 00:09:19.516 --> 00:09:20.136 Kim Storin: So I agree. 00:09:20.136 --> 00:09:25.635 I think the water cooler moments and those happen stance, those happen chance moments 00:09:25.635 --> 00:09:31.895 that are like IRL are so critical to professional development and work agility. 00:09:32.346 --> 00:09:36.256 And so I think ultimately we are giving that up a little bit. 00:09:36.256 --> 00:09:39.585 But on the other hand, what we've done is enable communication and 00:09:39.585 --> 00:09:43.955 collaboration with the world and across your organization and across 00:09:43.955 --> 00:09:49.065 your customers and your partners at a scale that was previously unattainable. 00:09:49.545 --> 00:09:54.315 And so I think the ubiquity of Zoom has really opened up the world, both how 00:09:54.315 --> 00:09:57.856 you communicate within your organization and how you communicate outside your 00:09:57.856 --> 00:10:03.395 organization in a way that just wasn't, we, we would never have been able to see 00:10:03.395 --> 00:10:06.475 this at scale without the technology. 00:10:07.155 --> 00:10:10.315 So I think what's really critical is that we do both, right? 00:10:10.316 --> 00:10:15.376 There's value in those in real life moments, in those water cooler moments. 00:10:15.376 --> 00:10:20.996 We all have the stories of where something happened as a result and, 00:10:21.005 --> 00:10:24.225 you know, drove our professional development, our career growth. 00:10:24.625 --> 00:10:26.446 That was just a happen chance moment. 00:10:26.776 --> 00:10:31.555 And so we want to ensure that we're like still enabling those moments, but there 00:10:31.555 --> 00:10:37.925 is so much beneficial from the virtual standpoint and just the global mindset, 00:10:38.215 --> 00:10:43.675 being able to talk and communicate and collaborate with your peers in your, 00:10:43.685 --> 00:10:49.355 with your team in India while you sit in San Jose, like that's a huge opportunity 00:10:49.475 --> 00:10:51.375 for global communications at scale. 00:10:51.785 --> 00:10:56.985 So I think it is ultimately finding that balance and ensuring that the 00:10:56.985 --> 00:11:05.305 technology is ultimately helping where it can, driving context, ensuring 00:11:05.305 --> 00:11:09.965 that we've got different ways of communicating, helping understand, 00:11:09.985 --> 00:11:15.166 and taking notes that works for both the individual and the enterprise. 00:11:15.845 --> 00:11:21.725 But ultimately, it's not replacing those in real life moments. 00:11:22.315 --> 00:11:23.726 It's augmenting them. 00:11:24.502 --> 00:11:27.182 Matt Abrahams: Are there things that you do in your own team or in 00:11:27.182 --> 00:11:31.422 your own life where you actually design for that spontaneity? 00:11:31.422 --> 00:11:35.052 So for example, do you pull your team together in real life and, 00:11:35.072 --> 00:11:36.372 uh, with a certain frequency? 00:11:36.372 --> 00:11:39.092 Are there certain icebreakers or activities you do? 00:11:39.672 --> 00:11:43.672 Kim Storin: We are very committed overall of bringing people together in person 00:11:43.672 --> 00:11:48.792 when needed to drive brainstorming and ideation and problem-solving. 00:11:49.171 --> 00:11:53.681 But I think for the folks that don't naturally have those opportunities 00:11:53.681 --> 00:11:57.562 because they don't sit in a function like marketing that is public facing 00:11:57.562 --> 00:12:02.771 and kind of running those big event opportunities, I think raising your hand 00:12:02.782 --> 00:12:08.352 and talking to your leader about where are the right places, when is it the 00:12:08.352 --> 00:12:11.722 right time to spend a week at headquarters and have some of those moments? 00:12:11.732 --> 00:12:15.581 When is it the right time to bring your team together for an offsite? 00:12:15.861 --> 00:12:21.064 And when the opportunity outweighs the cost Leaders are receptive to 00:12:21.064 --> 00:12:26.424 that, but you as an individual in an organization also have to be raising 00:12:26.424 --> 00:12:31.893 your hand and sharing those ideas with your leader so that those happenstance 00:12:31.894 --> 00:12:33.984 and in real-life moments can happen. 00:12:34.544 --> 00:12:35.034 Matt Abrahams: Excellent. 00:12:35.084 --> 00:12:40.794 I like that you lean into the role and job responsibility opportunities to be in real 00:12:40.794 --> 00:12:45.293 life and weigh the pros and cons and costs of when it makes sense to bring people 00:12:45.293 --> 00:12:49.353 in, either based on the task that's being done or the need of the group at the time. 00:12:49.944 --> 00:12:53.844 I'd like to get your suggestions for how we can handle challenging 00:12:53.854 --> 00:12:58.084 external communication issues that business leaders might face. 00:12:58.113 --> 00:13:02.873 For example, you have to announce a layoff, or what happened with Zoom. 00:13:02.874 --> 00:13:06.684 Zoom required that all employees come back to the office, which 00:13:06.733 --> 00:13:08.453 had a moment in the media. 00:13:08.903 --> 00:13:15.224 How do you advise people to think about their communication when the view in 00:13:15.224 --> 00:13:18.064 the public might be negative towards it? 00:13:18.284 --> 00:13:22.783 What advice do you give as somebody who has vast experience in marketing 00:13:22.784 --> 00:13:24.304 to help in those situations? 00:13:24.684 --> 00:13:26.683 Kim Storin: So I actually started my career in crisis 00:13:26.684 --> 00:13:28.023 communications, funny enough. 00:13:28.293 --> 00:13:32.824 So I think about this a lot, and also great that I started in crisis 00:13:32.843 --> 00:13:36.823 communications because my first week on the job here at Zoom, we 00:13:36.863 --> 00:13:41.133 faced a crisis, which was an outage that impacted the Zoom platform. 00:13:41.513 --> 00:13:47.463 And ultimately, what I believe is best practice is transparency and clarity. 00:13:47.623 --> 00:13:51.533 And again, going back to our DNA, speed of that response. 00:13:51.883 --> 00:13:57.923 And so I think ultimately understanding the crisis, have full frame of 00:13:57.924 --> 00:13:59.034 the crisis is really important. 00:13:59.113 --> 00:14:07.093 So going slow to go fast, because if you start moving fast with limited information 00:14:07.093 --> 00:14:11.723 or not understanding the repercussions of the crisis at hand, you can end up 00:14:11.733 --> 00:14:16.404 having to backtrack, which makes it even worse, calls more attention than if you 00:14:16.413 --> 00:14:20.444 had taken a beat and made sure that you had the full view of what's happening. 00:14:20.663 --> 00:14:25.564 So I always say, like, go slow to go fast when it comes to a crisis, but you have 00:14:25.564 --> 00:14:30.774 to act with a sense of urgency and be able to pull the right voices together. 00:14:31.033 --> 00:14:36.504 In many ways, it is the voice of our partners, the voice of analysts, the voice 00:14:36.504 --> 00:14:40.054 of media that people look to in a crisis. 00:14:40.063 --> 00:14:44.103 Like, what are these third parties saying about the crisis, not 00:14:44.113 --> 00:14:45.843 just what the company is saying? 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:49.830 And so in that moment of going slow to go fast, in that moment 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:53.710 of really understanding the issue, also mapping out who are the 00:14:53.710 --> 00:14:57.290 voices, who are the stakeholders that can help you tell your story. 00:14:57.739 --> 00:15:01.790 And that becomes really critical because it is core for you to own the 00:15:01.790 --> 00:15:06.329 message and your narrative, but you also want to shape the market narrative. 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:11.339 And so I always like to start with that stakeholder map as well and understanding 00:15:11.350 --> 00:15:13.579 who can help me tell this story. 00:15:13.930 --> 00:15:16.709 Were there other partners that are involved in the crisis? 00:15:16.750 --> 00:15:19.470 Are there other partners that have a stake in the ground? 00:15:19.730 --> 00:15:23.210 Anyone shaping that narrative that we need to be working with to 00:15:23.210 --> 00:15:24.980 collectively shape that narrative. 00:15:25.399 --> 00:15:30.099 And then lastly, like I try to be as transparent as possible because again, 00:15:30.460 --> 00:15:38.530 we live in an age where people can spot fakeness and inauthenticity so fast. 00:15:38.809 --> 00:15:42.970 And again, you want to watch out for making the reputation 00:15:42.970 --> 00:15:47.659 worse, and your reputation and your brand are the most valuable 00:15:47.709 --> 00:15:49.459 assets that you have as a company. 00:15:49.929 --> 00:15:56.219 And so being able to be very transparent and clear, especially 00:15:56.219 --> 00:15:59.909 if customers were impacted, is kind of the third piece of what I would 00:15:59.909 --> 00:16:03.079 say is kind of crisis comms 101. 00:16:03.079 --> 00:16:08.639 Matt Abrahams: So thinking about the stakeholder map is really important. 00:16:08.649 --> 00:16:10.499 Who are the constituents that are involved? 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:13.859 It's, uh, beyond just the company and the customers. 00:16:14.390 --> 00:16:20.889 Slowing down to understand fully the situation and then creating messages 00:16:20.899 --> 00:16:26.869 that are transparent and understandable and clear, really important. 00:16:26.909 --> 00:16:30.829 And thank you for sharing that because all of us in our work, be it in our personal 00:16:30.839 --> 00:16:34.309 work or in the work of the company, are going to have times where we have 00:16:34.309 --> 00:16:39.029 to communicate challenging information outside the walls of the organization. 00:16:40.372 --> 00:16:42.662 Kim, this has been really enlightening and insightful. 00:16:42.672 --> 00:16:43.312 Thank you. 00:16:43.352 --> 00:16:47.832 Before we end, I like to ask everybody three questions, one I create just for you 00:16:47.832 --> 00:16:49.781 and two I've been asking for a long time. 00:16:49.782 --> 00:16:50.542 Are you up for that? 00:16:50.842 --> 00:16:51.652 Kim Storin: Let's do it. 00:16:52.061 --> 00:16:54.882 Matt Abrahams: So I know you believe strongly in philanthropy, and 00:16:54.882 --> 00:16:59.811 you focus on many causes in this area, especially women's issues. 00:17:00.161 --> 00:17:04.111 Can you share why you feel so strongly that we all should think about giving 00:17:04.111 --> 00:17:06.031 back and focusing on philanthropy? 00:17:06.491 --> 00:17:07.161 Kim Storin: Absolutely. 00:17:07.161 --> 00:17:11.271 So I started community work and volunteering back when I was in fourth 00:17:11.291 --> 00:17:16.012 grade, and my mom played a huge role in, in helping to, to shape this in me. 00:17:16.351 --> 00:17:20.861 I do believe that service is a virtue, and it is the responsibility of each 00:17:20.861 --> 00:17:24.581 of us to do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves, right? 00:17:24.651 --> 00:17:26.982 That was the thing I learned from my mom, was really the 00:17:26.982 --> 00:17:28.741 importance of that golden rule. 00:17:29.122 --> 00:17:34.011 I'm now really focused on community-led solutions to local challenges, and 00:17:34.021 --> 00:17:38.001 it's why I've become such a huge supporter of community foundations. 00:17:38.421 --> 00:17:42.092 You know, we have such a loneliness epidemic, and what I love about 00:17:42.101 --> 00:17:46.311 the community foundation is that it truly is about community. 00:17:46.321 --> 00:17:51.601 Not just about philanthropy, but also coming together as a community to solve 00:17:51.611 --> 00:17:57.322 the problems in the community, and it makes us feel more connected to, to our 00:17:57.322 --> 00:18:02.481 local organizations, to others that have similar things that they care about. 00:18:02.821 --> 00:18:06.181 Matt Abrahams: I love that you have a long history of philanthropy and that 00:18:06.181 --> 00:18:10.811 it's beyond just doing what's good and, and in many cases right, but it's 00:18:10.811 --> 00:18:12.732 about building a sense of community. 00:18:13.112 --> 00:18:16.011 And that amplification can really make a difference. 00:18:16.482 --> 00:18:20.992 Question number two, who is a communicator that you admire and why? 00:18:21.486 --> 00:18:23.726 Kim Storin: So my mind goes to, and it's probably 'cause I've been 00:18:23.736 --> 00:18:27.566 hanging out a little bit too much with my nieces, but Taylor Swift is 00:18:27.566 --> 00:18:31.736 just somebody that I think does such an amazing job of communications. 00:18:32.165 --> 00:18:36.955 And I think ultimately, I call her this, like, audience architect 00:18:37.186 --> 00:18:41.405 because she has such a sophisticated view with the role that the audience 00:18:41.406 --> 00:18:43.365 plays in how she communicates. 00:18:43.785 --> 00:18:47.156 And she does a lot of direct to audience communication, and she disintermediates 00:18:47.986 --> 00:18:52.615 the media a lot, which I think is a valuable lesson for all of us. 00:18:52.636 --> 00:18:57.896 Not that, like, we all have the ability to pull off what Taylor's name grants 00:18:57.925 --> 00:19:03.176 her in the, in the market, but she does turn fans into distribution channels 00:19:03.666 --> 00:19:07.946 and more importantly, into defenders with such a passion and standing up 00:19:07.946 --> 00:19:09.396 for you when you're not in the room. 00:19:09.615 --> 00:19:11.385 And so I think there's a lot we can learn there. 00:19:11.875 --> 00:19:13.396 Matt Abrahams: I love that you picked Taylor Swift. 00:19:13.445 --> 00:19:16.715 I think she's a great example for many of the reasons you articulated. 00:19:17.006 --> 00:19:22.115 This idea of audience architecture and really thinking about your audience 00:19:22.115 --> 00:19:27.375 and how to convert fans into defenders is a really interesting idea for all 00:19:27.375 --> 00:19:30.096 of us to think about and to watch how she does it, and she's just so 00:19:30.096 --> 00:19:31.615 dynamic and with so much energy. 00:19:31.615 --> 00:19:32.416 I appreciate that. 00:19:32.785 --> 00:19:34.146 Final question for you, Kim. 00:19:34.195 --> 00:19:39.965 What are the first three ingredients that go into a successful communication recipe? 00:19:40.425 --> 00:19:42.445 Kim Storin: So I think we've talked about all of these 00:19:42.475 --> 00:19:44.086 things, but I'll just reiterate. 00:19:44.086 --> 00:19:47.896 So I think number one is authenticity, especially in this world of AI 00:19:47.896 --> 00:19:50.445 slop, authenticity is going to rule. 00:19:50.456 --> 00:19:54.155 Gen Z is telling us over and over and over again that 00:19:54.335 --> 00:19:56.595 authentic communications matters. 00:19:56.706 --> 00:20:00.655 Taylor Swift is telling us over and over again, authentic communication matters. 00:20:00.666 --> 00:20:02.645 I think the second one is transparency. 00:20:02.675 --> 00:20:05.445 We talked about that when we talked about crisis communications, and 00:20:05.445 --> 00:20:08.995 I think transparency, whether it's internal communications or 00:20:09.015 --> 00:20:11.205 external, goes a really long way. 00:20:11.625 --> 00:20:16.705 I think spin has less value right now than authenticity and transparency. 00:20:16.715 --> 00:20:21.675 And then lastly, solutions oriented, and I say that because I think so many of the 00:20:21.675 --> 00:20:27.326 times we think it's about the words that we're using, and really what it is, it's 00:20:27.346 --> 00:20:29.185 the solution that we're communicating. 00:20:29.425 --> 00:20:34.295 When you have a crisis or message that you're trying to bring to the 00:20:34.295 --> 00:20:39.366 masses, you want them to understand that you understand the problem and 00:20:39.366 --> 00:20:40.725 you're bringing them a solution. 00:20:41.066 --> 00:20:43.386 And ultimately, we're not just navel-gazing. 00:20:43.805 --> 00:20:48.645 And so I think that third piece of the recipe has to be solutions orientation 00:20:49.174 --> 00:20:52.514 Matt Abrahams: I really like your three, and everybody listening knows 00:20:52.514 --> 00:20:53.974 I like when things are memorable. 00:20:53.984 --> 00:20:57.764 So authenticity, transparency, relevancy. 00:20:57.764 --> 00:21:02.054 If you have those three ingredients, you're going to have very successful 00:21:02.054 --> 00:21:07.454 communication and very connected communication, which is really important. 00:21:07.923 --> 00:21:11.513 Kim, this has been really a great conversation and very insightful. 00:21:11.523 --> 00:21:14.334 Many of the things that you shared are things that people 00:21:14.454 --> 00:21:19.034 will or have confronted, and some of your best practices can 00:21:19.054 --> 00:21:20.703 really help us make a difference. 00:21:20.704 --> 00:21:22.903 Thank you for your time and thank you for your insights. 00:21:23.154 --> 00:21:23.704 Kim Storin: Thank you. 00:21:23.704 --> 00:21:25.963 And always remember, what would Taylor Swift do? 00:21:27.364 --> 00:21:29.113 Matt Abrahams: Definitely shake it up, that's for sure. 00:21:30.873 --> 00:21:31.543 Kim Storin: Amazing. 00:21:33.244 --> 00:21:35.393 Matt Abrahams: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Think 00:21:35.393 --> 00:21:37.433 Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:21:37.823 --> 00:21:41.054 To learn more about managing internal and external communication, please 00:21:41.054 --> 00:21:44.033 listen to episode 82 with Nancy Duarte. 00:21:44.503 --> 00:21:49.243 This episode was produced by Katherine Reed, Ryan Campos, and me, Matt Abrahams. 00:21:49.433 --> 00:21:51.054 Our music is from Floyd Wonder. 00:21:51.283 --> 00:21:53.884 With special thanks to Podium Podcast Company. 00:21:54.284 --> 00:21:57.473 Please find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. 00:21:57.564 --> 00:21:59.693 Be sure to subscribe and rate us. 00:21:59.973 --> 00:22:03.114 Also, follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram. 00:22:03.273 --> 00:22:07.593 And check out fastersmarter.io for deep dive videos, English language 00:22:07.593 --> 00:22:09.673 learning content, and our newsletter. 00:22:10.083 --> 00:22:13.313 Please consider joining our Think Fast, Talk Smart Learning Community 00:22:13.314 --> 00:22:16.073 at fastersmarter.io/learning. 00:22:16.433 --> 00:22:19.953 You'll find video lessons, learning quests, discussion boards, an AI 00:22:20.134 --> 00:22:22.704 coach, and book club opportunities. 00:22:22.963 --> 00:22:29.063 Again, that's fastersmarter.io/learning to become part of our worldwide Think 00:22:29.073 --> 00:22:31.243 Fast, Talk Smart Learning Community.