In this enlightening episode of Making It with Jess Ekstrom, Jess sits down with Claude Silver, the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and author of Be Yourself at Work. Claude opens up about her non-traditional path to executive leadership—from struggling with academics and feeling like a failure in her early 20s to finding her calling in transformative psychology and emotional intelligence. She pulls back the curtain on what a Chief Heart Officer actually does, how she helped shift VaynerMedia’s hiring philosophy from "culture fit" to "skillset fit and culture addition", and why feedback should be viewed as connection rather than correction. Plus, Claude shares her perspectives on parenting beyond grades, overcoming workplace gossip, and maintaining irreplaceable human connection in an era dominated by AI.
Episode Highlights:
- Overcoming School Struggles: Claude reflects on how poor test scores affected her early confidence, realizing later in life that traditional schooling tests for the wrong skills while overlooking emotional intelligence.
- The "Kindness Balloon" & Parenting: How Claude teaches her children values like commitment, work ethic, and everyday kindness over simple academic performance.
- Ditching "Culture Fit": Why hiring for "culture fit" creates homogenous teams, and how VaynerMedia shifted to hiring for "skillset fit and culture addition" to foster real diversity of thought.
- What a Chief Heart Officer Does: Defining the role as serving as the emotional framework for a 2,000-person global company, balancing empathy and people-first culture with high-performance accountability.
- The Danger of Shrinking at Work: Addressing the cost of hiding your true self at work, and why "dipping your toe in the water" prevents burnout and mental health decline.
- Reframing Feedback as Connection: Why humans naturally fear feedback, and how managers can deliver specific, kind, current, and actionable feedback that builds trust.
- Analog Moments in an AI World: Why AI will handle data gathering and organizational efficiency, but human curiosity, raw vulnerability, and in-person (IRL) connection will remain the ultimate differentiator.
- Redefining "Making It": How Claude transitioned from working 15-hour weekend shifts to earn validation to prioritizing how she spends her time and choosing experiences that fill her spiritual and relational bucket.
About Our Guest:
Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, where she serves as the emotional framework for over 2,000 employees globally. A former advertising executive with a background in transformative psychology, Claude is a renowned speaker and the author of Be Yourself at Work. Her mission centers on scaling empathy, emotional intelligence, and relational connection within fast-paced corporate environments, empowering individuals to unlock their full potential and bring their authentic selves to work every day.