Podcast Summary: The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics

Episode 558: Heartfelt Leadership with Claude Silver

Host: Melina Palmer
Guest: Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and author of Be Yourself at Work
Date: January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode launches 2026 with a vital conversation about authentic leadership and workplace well-being. Melina Palmer invites Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and the author of Be Yourself at Work, to discuss how empathy, vulnerability, and psychological safety transform both people and organizations. The central question: What could change if you rewrote the story (or song) you tell yourself about who you need to be at work?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin & Purpose of the Chief Heart Officer Role (02:52–08:00)

• Claude’s Background & Unique Role
  • Claude Silver recounts her journey from agency strategist to unofficial workplace mentor and ultimately to Chief Heart Officer, a role she co-crafted with Gary Vaynerchuk.
  • Quote: “I would say being the emotional barometer...Gary would probably say I set the emotional framework. Whichever way you want to say it, I’m with people all day, in and out, holding space for them and really helping them...break on through their imposter syndrome.” (03:40 – Claude Silver)
• Scaling Empathy in a Global Organization
  • Claude describes her mission to “infuse the agency with empathy” as the organization grew from 200 to 2,000 employees, and the ongoing challenge of “scaling the unscalable.”
  • Quote: “How do you scale the unscalable? What is empathy? How do you turn that on in a person?...That is what the job is.” (07:25 – Claude Silver)

2. Trust, Vulnerability, & the Power of Relationships (08:00–15:13)

• On Trusting Leadership—and Being Trusted
  • Claude shares a pivotal moment when Gary Vaynerchuk confronted her about not fully trusting him, leading to a release of old “residue” from previous bad bosses and enabling deep professional growth.
  • Quote: “The minute I was able to go all in freely, things just opened up. I was probably 98% there, but that 2% was still lingering...As soon as I could let that go, everything took shape.” (09:00 – Claude Silver)
• Vulnerability Loops and Behavioral Science
  • Melina connects trust-building to behavioral science’s “vulnerability loops”—both leaders and employees must be courageous enough to open up.
  • Advice for listeners: Start with small moments of vulnerability, and if a manager models openness (even dogs or weekend stories), use those as entry points.

3. Generational Shifts & Changing Work Cultures (15:13–19:42)

• Cultural Change Driven by Gen Z and Gen Alpha
  • Claude notes drastic differences in openness at work, contrasting her own career start with how new generations demand transparency and accommodations.
  • Quote: “They tell you right there, I have ADHD, I need to go to my therapist at 3:30...I prayed I could get a therapy appointment on Saturday because there was no way I was leaving work...Times have changed.” (18:13 – Claude Silver)
• Self-Awareness as the Foundation
  • Real change starts with self-awareness—knowing your triggers, communication style, and what holds you back.

4. Practical Empathy: Building Systems and Breaking Myths (19:42–25:48)

• Systems for Empathy at Scale
  • Vayner’s resident program offers hands-on learning and transparency, providing a “first row seat” to generational changes and ensuring channels for support (e.g., if someone didn’t get a raise).
  • Empathy is redefined not as “walking in someone’s shoes,” but as riding alongside them, offering kindness and compassion without losing boundaries.
  • Quote: “Empathy is riding as a passenger with you...But I don’t take it on. I have to separate myself...You need me to be next to you, riding shotgun, your wing woman.” (23:16 – Claude Silver)
• The Importance of Boundaries
  • Setting boundaries enables support without exhaustion or emotional overload.

5. Behavioral Science in Leadership and Culture (25:49–33:03)

• Story: Good Samaritan Experiment (from Melina, 25:49)
  • Even people with the best intentions miss opportunities for empathy when under time pressure—reminder that culture and leadership must build in “space” for care.
• “Be the Bigger Person” as a Cultural Value
  • Claude stresses the importance of everyone being responsible for the culture—new hires are told: “You are just as responsible for this culture as I am. You are now going to put your fingerprint, your heart print, on this culture.” (29:52 – Claude Silver)
• The IKEA Effect in Workplace Buy-In (30:22)
  • People value things more when they help build them; involving employees in culture-shaping increases buy-in.

6. Hiring for Culture & Belonging (33:04–35:12)

• Interview Tactics
  • Assess candidates with open-ended questions like “When was a time that you failed?” Listen for “I” versus “we” to gauge accountability and collaboration.
  • Quote: “Are you part of a team, or are you a lone ranger?” (34:52 – Claude Silver)

7. Why Leaders Should Care About Authenticity at Work (35:48–42:26)

• The Stakes: Retention & Performance
  • Claude argues that letting people bring their whole selves to work fosters safety, creativity, loyalty, and high performance.
  • Quote: “I want this book to be my hand on someone’s shoulder and saying, you got this and I got you. And there’s nothing you can’t do here.” (36:36 – Claude Silver)
• ROI of Empathy
  • Creating workplaces where people feel they matter leads to retention (“retaining high performers is the name of the game”), increased innovation, and better continuity of institutional knowledge.

8. Changing the Song in Your Head (44:05–46:20)

• Managing Internal Narratives
  • Claude introduces the metaphor of the “song in your head”—the limiting inner dialogue many people play on repeat, holding themselves back through negative self-talk.
  • Practical advice: Acknowledge the voice, question its truth, look for contrary evidence, and intentionally change your inner “song” to one rooted in strength and belonging.
  • Quote: “That song that you have in your head...I’m equating to the inner voice...Only you can change it...Find that new song in your head that is going to drive you forward.” (44:05–46:20 – Claude Silver)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trust in Leadership:
  “Trusting my boss was the greatest thing I could do...I don’t have a doubt about where we’re going, where we’re headed, and why...Other jobs I was like, ‘I know where you want to go, but this is the Titanic.’” (10:24–13:26, Claude Silver)
• Scaling Kindness, Not Just Empathy:
  “Empathy is an emotion...Kindness is a form of empathy. It’s being the bigger person...It’s taking accountability that you’re a human being and you see another human being in need.” (23:40–25:48, Claude Silver)
• On Generational Change:
  “Gen Z, Gen Alpha...They are demanding another way of working...They’re just gonna say, ‘That doesn’t work for me. If you want to retain me, these are the things I’m going to need.’” (18:13–19:14, Claude Silver)
• On the Song in Your Head:
  “We constantly have an inner dialogue going on...Most of us have it on repeat: ‘I don’t belong here. I’m not smart enough.’...Only you can actually spell it out...Only you can change it.” (44:05–46:20, Claude Silver)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Claude Silver introduces herself and role: 02:52–04:05
• Origin of “Chief Heart Officer” title: 04:24–08:00
• Trust and psychological safety: 08:47–13:26
• Advice on vulnerability at work: 13:34–18:13
• Impact of new generations in the workplace: 18:13–19:42
• Scaling empathy across a large organization: 19:42–23:05
• What empathy really means & boundaries: 23:05–25:48
• Good Samaritan behavioral science story: 25:49–27:38
• Cultural onboarding—IKEA Effect: 29:52–30:22
• Interviewing for culture add, not just fit: 33:04–35:12
• “Be Yourself at Work”—purpose of the book: 35:48–40:00
• Why being authentic benefits business: 40:00–42:26
• Changing your internal ‘song’: 44:05–46:20

Closing Thoughts & Calls to Action

Melina (47:44–49:42):
Reflects on the core lesson: Empathy at work isn’t carrying others’ burdens, but walking beside them. Changing your inner dialogue—even in small ways—can create powerful momentum for genuine connection, safety, and creativity at work.

Claude’s Invitation:
She invites listeners to reach out with their stories or reactions, especially on LinkedIn or at claudesilver.com.

For Listeners

If you’re ready to discover and change the song in your head, build more empathetic teams, or lead with heart, Claude’s book is available online and connected in the show notes. Even a small step towards authenticity can unlock significant transformation—for yourself and those around you.

Links:

• Claude Silver: claudesilver.com
• Book: Be Yourself at Work (available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.)
• The Brainy Business: thebrainybusiness.com/558

Remember:
“Just show up as yourself. Even a small shift, one moment or conversation, could be enough to create the change momentum you’ve been needing.”
(Melina Palmer, 49:40)