In this episode of Getting to Aha!, Darshan Mehta is joined by @Marc Kerachsky, CMO of AMC Health. Marc has over 32 years of experience in healthcare. Join them as they discuss the power of storytelling in organizations and how it can build trust, improve communication, and foster empathy within teams. Marc shares his journey and aha moments, emphasizing the importance of including people in stories. They also explore the role of humor and culture in organizations and discuss the future of human connections. This insightful conversation provides valuable insights for anyone interested in enhancing teamwork and finding meaning in the workplace.

Marc Kerachsky has diverse work experience, primarily in marketing and leadership roles. He is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at AMC Health and a Co-Founder of VitalConex. Before that, he worked as a Writer, Blogger, Musician, and Stand-Up Comedian at MarcKayeToday. Marc also held various roles at Philips, including Content and engagement Leader and senior director of Global Marketing. He has also worked at GE Ventures and GE Corporate, where he served as Global Director for healthy imagination initiatives.

Marc started his career at GE Healthcare as a Global Product Leader and Marketing Director positions. Marc began their professional journey at RadPharm as the Marketing & Business Development Director. Marc Kerachsky has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from the Fox School of Business at Temple University.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

👉 Marc emphasizes the importance of storytelling, noting that platforms like The Moth have highlighted the power of personal stories. People connect deeply when they see themselves in others' narratives, which applies across various contexts, from marketing to elections. However, storytelling can be a double-edged sword, as it can be used to inspire or manipulate. He stresses the need to understand both the storyteller's intent and the audience's reception.

👉 Marc discusses the origin of VitalConex, born from an "aha moment" shared with a colleague at a Fortune 500 company. After significant customer engagement and internal communication efforts, they realized the disconnect stemmed from a lack of trust. VitalConex addresses this by fostering psychological safety and ensemble-based teamwork. They run workshops for changing organizations, using improvisation techniques to enhance creativity, confidence, and collaboration, creating a culture that supports effective problem-solving and innovation.

👉 Marc outlines VitalConex’s three-step process: Compose, Connect, and Cultivate. The first step, Compose, emphasizes building trust and psychological safety within teams, allowing individuals to express themselves openly. The second step, Connect, focuses on linking unrelated ideas through exercises like joke mapping, enhancing creativity and communication. Listening is key, and introverts, often better listeners, excel in this. The final step, Cultivate, ensures that the methods learned are sustainable, fostering an environment where trust and creativity continue to thrive even after the workshops end, embedding these practices into the organization.

Listen Now!

bCast - https://bit.ly/3ACsRBz
Apple - https://apple.co/3gsuA31
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3B0lVy6
YouTube - https://bit.ly/3KYAHtd
RSS -  https://bit.ly/3AFrUs6

And connect with the host and guests here:

Darshan Mehta on Linkedin
iResearch Website
Marc S Kerachsky on LinkedIn
AMC Health Website
VitalConex Website