Storytelling at Scale: Liz Jarvis-Shean
10/25/22 • 37 min
Liz Jarvis-Shean grew up with an engrained love for public service—a devotion that was realized in her work for Candidate and President Barack Obama. When she eventually moved to the private sector, the motivation was less about what she was leaving behind, and more about what she was able to bring with her—her mission to effect change at scale through story.
In her talk with Jesse, Liz describes the importance of her family and their examples of public service early in her life; the formative impact of the time she spent in post-apartheid South Africa; the way she brought together facts, circumstance, vision, and persuasion to connect with citizen audiences on President Obama's team and Candidate Obama's team; the important parallels that she sees between the emotional connections we seek from people and the excitement we want from products; how she made the decision to move into the private sector and into tech; and her reflections on driving impact at scale at Tesla, Airbnb, and DoorDash.
(6:17) How time spent at Berkeley and studying abroad in South Africa drew Liz to storytelling
(10:08) Life as an opposition researcher on an historic presidential campaign trail
(14:26) Telling stories of ‘promises kept’ to make emotional connections with citizens
(20:28) Finding an opportunity to affect massive change in the private sector at Tesla
(23:32) Blending the inspirational, the aspirational, and the practical to make a compelling narrative
(27:19) Airbnb’s impact at scale, in her own words
(30:04) How DoorDash achieves its mission to empower local economies by being customer-obsessed, not competitor-focused
(35:46) Advice for organizations: ‘Don’t just tell your story better. Have a better story to tell.’
Guest Bio
Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean is Vice President of Communications and Policy at DoorDash, leading the company’s policy, government relations, social impact, public affairs, and global communications initiatives. Liz sits on DoorDash’s Executive Management Team. Previously, she oversaw Airbnb's global public affairs and corporate communications teams, and has managed strategic communications at pioneering companies, including Tesla Motors, healthcare technology startup Nuna, and data science firm, Civis Analytics.
Liz helped shape and drive research, rapid response and messaging for both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and his White House, and held leadership positions at CNBC and political research consultancy IMS, Inc. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and valedictorian in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Helpful Links
Liz describes DoorDash’s partnerships with food banks
Learn more about the WeDash program
Liz on Newcomer’s Dead Cat podcast
Liz Jarvis-Shean grew up with an engrained love for public service—a devotion that was realized in her work for Candidate and President Barack Obama. When she eventually moved to the private sector, the motivation was less about what she was leaving behind, and more about what she was able to bring with her—her mission to effect change at scale through story.
In her talk with Jesse, Liz describes the importance of her family and their examples of public service early in her life; the formative impact of the time she spent in post-apartheid South Africa; the way she brought together facts, circumstance, vision, and persuasion to connect with citizen audiences on President Obama's team and Candidate Obama's team; the important parallels that she sees between the emotional connections we seek from people and the excitement we want from products; how she made the decision to move into the private sector and into tech; and her reflections on driving impact at scale at Tesla, Airbnb, and DoorDash.
(6:17) How time spent at Berkeley and studying abroad in South Africa drew Liz to storytelling
(10:08) Life as an opposition researcher on an historic presidential campaign trail
(14:26) Telling stories of ‘promises kept’ to make emotional connections with citizens
(20:28) Finding an opportunity to affect massive change in the private sector at Tesla
(23:32) Blending the inspirational, the aspirational, and the practical to make a compelling narrative
(27:19) Airbnb’s impact at scale, in her own words
(30:04) How DoorDash achieves its mission to empower local economies by being customer-obsessed, not competitor-focused
(35:46) Advice for organizations: ‘Don’t just tell your story better. Have a better story to tell.’
Guest Bio
Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean is Vice President of Communications and Policy at DoorDash, leading the company’s policy, government relations, social impact, public affairs, and global communications initiatives. Liz sits on DoorDash’s Executive Management Team. Previously, she oversaw Airbnb's global public affairs and corporate communications teams, and has managed strategic communications at pioneering companies, including Tesla Motors, healthcare technology startup Nuna, and data science firm, Civis Analytics.
Liz helped shape and drive research, rapid response and messaging for both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and his White House, and held leadership positions at CNBC and political research consultancy IMS, Inc. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and valedictorian in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Helpful Links
Liz describes DoorDash’s partnerships with food banks
Learn more about the WeDash program
Liz on Newcomer’s Dead Cat podcast
Previous Episode
On Loyalty: Rob Markey
Rob Markey is the co-creator of the now-ubiquitous Net Promoter System—borrowing from Churchill, he refers to it as “the worst customer loyalty metric, except for all the others that have been tried.” But because of his accountability to clients and colleagues, Rob has higher expectations than many: Through 30+ years at Bain he’s passionately championed the sometimes-unfulfilled mission behind the system—to put the customer at the center of business decisions and operations, at scale.
In his conversation with Jesse, you'll hear about how Rob found his way to consulting; what he thinks makes him an effective client advisor and leader; how he helps senior executives find their voices and have those voices heard; how he gets leadership teams to make and stick to tough decisions; the structural barriers that keep companies from achieving true customer centricity; and the innovations in technology and operating models that are helping bring down those barriers. Along the way, he tells the “in the room where it happened” origin story of NPS, and presents his hypothesis on why NPS has had such staying power over the past two decades.
(2:31) Rob’s first impressions of consulting, and the circumstances and realizations that brought him into the field
(6:48) Rob describes his strengths and his approach to helping executives embrace customer centricity
(10:28) How staying focused on a larger mission has guided his long tenure at Bain
(14:15) The barriers to being customer-focused at scale, and how to overcome them
(20:20) Co-creating NPS, the “acid test of loyalty”
(23:50) What really makes someone a promoter, passive, or detractor?
(29:24) Why NPS is still at the center of CX efforts today
(35:42) Lightning Round: most memorable marathon and a brand that’s delighted him without fail
Guest Bio
Rob Markey is a Senior Partner at Bain & Company, where he has helped lead dozens of successful customer-centric transformations at large global companies over 30+ years at the firm. Rob leads the NPS Loyalty Forum, a group of approximately 35 senior executives from loyalty-leading companies around the world, such as The Vanguard Group, American Express, JetBlue, Telstra, TD Bank, LEGO, Progressive Insurance, PwC and Intuit.
Additionally, Rob is the creator of Bain’s approach to customer-centricity, the co-inventor of the Net Promoter System, and co-author of The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
Helpful Links
Rob’s Net Promoter System Podcast
Rob writes for HBR: Are You Undervaluing Your Customers?
Qualtrics Blog: Your Ultimate Guide to Net Promoter Score
Next Episode
Authentic Energy: Jacob Jaber
Jacob Jaber describes Philz Coffee, the company he co-founded with his father, as a ‘people company serving coffee, not a coffee company serving people.’ This distinctively human approach is not just the engine driving the company’s remarkable growth; it’s also deeply reflected in Jacob’s perspectives on leadership, product experience, and brand strategy.
In his talk with Jesse, Jacob reflects on formative years with his father and describes how their efforts to build community through hospitality came to define the Philz experience for customers and employees. He breaks down the tenets of his own personal growth, including what he learned about leadership while serving as CEO during Philz’ expansion. Throughout, he lays out a blueprint for any leader looking to create and scale a more human business.
(2:18) Jacob describes the early days of working with his father
(5:41) On character, competence, and the mountains we choose to climb
(11:55) The makings of an authentic and energizing experience
(18:40) Why ‘good hospitality is often inconvenient to the giver’
(20:19) Leading humbly, but with a fresh outlook
(23:40) Bringing the Philz mantra of hustle and hospitality to new markets
Guest Bio
Jacob Jaber is Co-Founder and Chairman at Philz Coffee. Jacob and his father, Phil, built the business together. Jacob was most recently CEO of Philz successfully growing the business from one store and two employees to over 70 stores and 1,500 employees before transitioning to Chairman. Jacob is passionate about consumer experiences, community, people, product and business. In addition to Philz, Jacob is a renowned investor, advisor, and was listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2016.
Helpful Links
Peninsula Press: The Origin Story of Philz
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