Tell Me More About That

Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time

By: Rob Volpe

Narrated by: Rob Volpe

It’s time to shape up your empathy muscle.

Empathy is in short supply these days—and it’s hurting all of us. From the rise in workplace tension and school bullying to increased anxiety and depression, a lack of empathy for one another is wearing away at the gears of society, grinding us down to the nubs. The very technology that is supposed to keep us connected is actually driving us apart, with face-to-face interactions on the decline and news filtered through an echo chamber that shelters us from other points of view.

But all is not lost. Just as physical workouts strengthen your body, there are ways to build up your empathy as well. In Tell Me More About That, brand strategist and thought leader Rob Volpe draws on his years of conducting thousands of in-home interviews with everyday people to illustrate the 5 Steps to Empathy—the actions you can take to build a strong and reflexive empathy muscle.

Through humorous and moving accounts of interactions with folks from every walk of life, Rob recounts how what often began in a stranger’s house as a talk about brands and daily habits could blossom at any minute into a conversation about family, relationships, hopes, and dreams. Though he may have been invited into these homes as a marketing researcher, he left them as an expert on empathy.

And along the way, he discovered that there exists a set of common values connecting us all. Strip away the exterior wrapping of blue state/red state, straight or gay, black or white, and we’re all far more similar than we are different. With empathy, we can all learn and understand more than we ever imagined possible. Let the training begin.

©2022 Rob Volpe (P)2022 Rob Volpe

Critic reviews

“In Tell Me More About That, Rob Volpe illuminates not just the why, but the how, of empathy. With clarity, honesty, and deep insight, Rob shows how every interaction offers us the opportunity to build more connection and understanding—and ultimately a better world for us all.”

Rishad Tobaccowala, author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data

“Tell Me More About That is a must-read for anyone who cares about how we live and lead into the future. Rob Volpe has poured his wisdom, heart, vulnerability, and experience walking in other people’s shoes into this thoughtful, funny, informative book. There’s no one better to be our guide for seeing more of ourselves in others and why we should do it than Rob and his empathy superpower.”

Andrew Blotky, founder and CEO, Azure Leadership Group; author of Honestly Speaking: How the Way We Communicate Transforms Leadership, Love, and Life

“In a world dominated by digital technology, the success of a brand, venture, or leader isn’t determined by the quality of their product or the efficiency of their operations. To truly succeed and stand out from the crowd, you need to understand and respond to the needs, wants, and desires of your customers, employees, and colleagues. You need empathy. Rob Volpe’s Tell Me More About That guides the way.”

Mark Achler, managing director, MATH Venture Partners; entrepreneurship and innovation lecturer, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

Insightful and Engaging

I recommend this book for anyone looking to boost their empathy skills. Rob offers a practical step by step approach while weaving in hilarious and touching stories from his experiences. Both insightful and engaging, I flew through this in just a few days. Our world needs empathy more than ever, and this book is a great place to start.

The book the world needs right now

I’m not sure what I expected to learn going into reading (listening) to this book, but I got so much more than I ever imagined.

Death, sex, money, drugs, politics, guns, and quotes from Ariana Grande… this book has a little something for everyone. No topic is off limits and each is handled with thoughtful care and an objective view that encourages you to consider and understand alternative viewpoints on these often polarizing subjects.

The depth of honesty in the personal stories shared make the principles in the book incredibly relatable, and help to bring your guard down as you listen. I cried almost the entire time - sometimes from a deep sadness, and others from literal LOLing at the stories. This book was a real treat end to end.

Also, the narration is so soothing, and an easy listen. The only suggestion I have is that if you’re listening vs reading, get a hard copy of the book as well or keep a notebook nearby to jot down some of the learnings and participate in the empathetic reflections in each chapter.

Loved every minute. I thought this was going to be a “business book” where what I took from it I would use in my work, but it was much more than that. It’s neither business nor personal - it’s human.

5/5

Helpful for goal setting conversations

Enjoyed the audiobook and quickly saw applications in my work. Professionally, I find the structure of the "5 steps to empathy" useful for goal setting conversations with clients. Clients typically haven't thought through their deepest priorities. A guided conversation is required to uncover possibilities, priorities, trade offs, and timelines. The 5 steps to empathy laid out by Volpe and the stories he uses to bring this to life are helpful, and helps keep those conversations facilitated with empathy.

Rob is a master!

As a lifelong market researcher, I found this book invaluable! This book takes the practice of empathy to the next level! It has provided me with a new way to think about how I design and execute my research. Thank you Rob for igniting this movement!

Beautiful stories of humanity with great narration

Rob Volpe is a gifted storyteller. I loved listening to the book as his voice imparted so much warmth and humor. He also shares important lessons and models how to practice empathy even in challenging situations. I didn’t expect this to be as engrossing as it was! Highly recommended.

Misleading summary.

Not a fan. Wasted my money. I was wanting research and ways to learn to be more empathetic instead I get his hidden story about him being a homosexual and dealing with the world I really could’ve used less very descriptive days of his travels it was just filled with lots of wordy unnecessary descriptions of every moment. Get to the research.