Director, Brand Services

Why I work for Soapbxx

I love Amanda’s freshness, and her commitment to getting world-class results with mininmum fuss and maximum smarts. The stimulation of working with Soapbxx’s hip team and enlightened clients is also a big plus.

Find me on the Web

You can find me online at the following domains: elsiemaio.com or soulbranding.com. Or Google "soulbranding", or "elsie maio" for current interviews and other citations. Email is fine, though I still prefer to talk on the phone or fly to meet with you in Europe.

My life so far

That would be more like ‘My lives so far. Drawn to exploring ideas at the edge, I follow threads and see patterns that have moved me from Ancient Greek and Latin to skydiving to a 30-year career as a professional outsider. My work adds value in seeing what’s ahead and how the players can benefit at the intersection of stakeholder interests and the forces of change. At various times throughout my professional life, I have been an observer as a business journalist; an advisor of business leaders; a coach in business strategy and transformation; an inventor of business models; and brand developer in helping blue-chip CEOs across numerous industries (airlines, engineering, IT, mining, education, transportation, the arts) articulate and sustain their enterprise visions. A ‘recovering left-brain capitalist,’ I have counseled an Emmy-award-winning entertainment company through its quick reinvention as a social-impact enterprise; led a group of 700 buttoned-up business professionals through a guided meditation to discover their human values; created a model for integrating human values and high-performance business processes (called SoulBrandingSM); and directed workshops to assist high-performing executives in exploring their right-brain creativity. I am currently writing a book, the working title of which is: Humanity Incorporated, or How Capitalism Is Finally Serving All of Us.

Things I like and don’t like

I like how effectively business processes and systems get things done, but I don’t like what they’ve done. I like how today’s mainstream business conversations are examining the contribution of capitalism to society and to life on earth. I like being compared to Peter Drucker and sharing the podium with Deepak Chopra. I like eating very dark chocolate and playing racquetball, but not at the same time. I like being ‘an older woman’. I don’t like junk mail and pop-up ads. I like how the Internet is the great equalizer among all human beings. I don’t like how effective Americans are at marketing empty promises, but I like how we are beginning to openly question consumerism as a vehicle for personal fulfillment.