How To Embrace "The Power of Being Nice" To Improve Business and Family Relations

With Linda Kaplan Thaler, Bestselling Author and Advertising Legend

Nice guys don’t always finish last. We can choose to treat each other with kindness and respect even while agreeing to disagree. If we all listen carefully and try to understand where someone is coming from, we just might find common ground. And find a way to say yes instead of no.

In this episode, Florine speaks with New York Times bestselling author and advertising legend Linda Kaplan Thaler. She is the CEO and Founder of billion-dollar ad agency Kaplan Thaler Productions and is responsible for notable campaigns like the Toys “R” Us jingle, the Aflac duck, and Clairol Herbal Essences. She talks about “the power of being nice,” the importance of listening, and saying “yes,” and she sprinkles in a lot of humor, as well.

 

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

As someone who worked on three previous Presidential campaigns, what Linda thinks of the current presidential campaign and election climate. When it comes to political ads, where you can basically say anything you want with impunity because you are protected by free speech, consumer products are subject to strict regulations. How we can be nice while agreeing to disagree. Listening is key. “Zoom and Gloom” is a real phenomenon people are experiencing from the lack of in-person meetings and face-to-face interactions. Dissent from teenagers is an evolutionary response; if parents remember this it can help improve relationships with their teens. Essentially, everyone just wants to feel heard, be validated, and be complimented. How being “nice with a cherry on top” got Linda a 2.5-hour interview with Warren Buffett. You can deflect combative comments with a sense of humor. The “bigger pie theory” means that we don’t have to steal a slice of pie from someone else, we just need to find a way to bake a bigger pie. What the difference between saying yes or no looks like. Saying no will completely shut things down but saying yes opens us up to other opportunities. Linda learned a lot about business and the creative process through improvisational theater; just listening and saying “yes” can yield the best moments. Linda’s entertainment background can be seen throughout her projects. Today’s Takeaway: Nice guys don’t always finish last. We can choose to treat each other with kindness and respect even while agreeing to disagree. If we all listen carefully and try to understand where someone is coming from, we just might find common ground. And find a way to say yes instead of no.

 

Brought To You By:

Florine Mark

Kaplan Thaler Productions

The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness – On Amazon