The Heart of the Hustle with Claude Silver

In an industry driven by deadlines and deliverables, Claude Silver reminds us of something timeless: the heart still leads. 

As the world’s first-ever Chief Heart Officer, Claude Silver has redefined what leadership looks like at VaynerX. Across thousands of employees and multiple global offices, Claude has built a universal culture that thrives on empathy. One that proves the human heartbeat of a company is its greatest source of strength. 

In a recent conversation with Patrick McCullough, President of Hallmark Business Connections, Claude reflected on her journey from advertising executive to architect of culture, sharing how she’s scaled emotional intelligence across VaynerMedia and how small gestures of kindness and gratitude can change the trajectory of entire teams. 

Her book, Be Yourself at Work, distills these lessons into a practical guide for creating teams that are deeply energized, where every win counts and lasts. 

Watch the full discussion with Claude Silver, or explore the highlights below for insights on leading with heart to strengthen performance, collaboration, and lasting impact across your organization.

Heart as a Business Strategy 

When Claude Silver first joined VaynerMedia as SVP, her world revolved around advertising metrics and campaign performance. But one year in, she realized that what truly energized her was the people behind the work. 

“There’s a famous quote that goes something like, ‘humans are your greatest asset,’” Claude shared. “But in reality, humans are more than just an asset. They are your entire company.” 

This revelation led to a pivotal conversation with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk. Claude explained that she wanted to shift her focus entirely toward “driving the heartbeat of the organization.” In other words, to nurture the human beings behind the business. In response, Gary created a new position just for her: Chief Heart Officer. Her mandate was simple: "You will touch every single human being and infuse empathy throughout the agency." 

Ten years later, her job description hasn't changed. But what "heart" means at VaynerMedia has deepened into something concrete. For Claude, "heart" embodies the things often overlooked in the workplace; the hallway hellos, the elevator chats, the energy binding people together. It's the difference between a team that collaborates versus coexists, and an environment where emotional intelligence is a competitive advantage. 

What began as an experiment in culture soon became a blueprint for scaling humanity across one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in the world.

Scaling Humanity Across a Global Organization 

With offices around the world, Claude faces a question she hears daily: How do you scale “heart”? 

Her answer begins with building a network of Culture Champions, individuals within VaynerMedia who share her belief that empathy, gratitude, and awareness are not optional extras but essential business tools. These champions embody what Claude calls “the DNA of heart,” helping peers navigate challenges with compassion and care. 

“EQ is everything,” she says. “You can’t claim to be an empath without knowing who you are at your core.” 

Claude ultimately created the People and Experience Team, a reimagined HR function staffed with individuals who have, as Claude puts it, “a heart to help.” This team ensures that Vayner’s culture remains consistent, not through policy manuals, but through human connection. 

Research supports her approach: companies that prioritize high EQ have a 90% employee retention rate and have a 21% higher profitability than those who do not. But for Claude, the numbers are secondary to the feeling. “Scaling heart,” she says, “starts with self-awareness, spreads through trust, and thrives with gratitude.”

Connection, Not Correction

Working in advertising comes with pressure. Clients have deadlines, opinions, and big expectations. For Claude, those moments of tension reveal a company’s character. 

At VaynerMedia, she’s helped normalize what they call “elephant meetings,” candid conversations where teams gather to address the elephant in the room. These discussions, grounded in trust and empathy, create space for disagreement without defensiveness. Rather than letting tension build or issues linger unspoken, these meetings encourage open dialogue and honest communication. They’re a way of saying: it’s okay to pause, to listen, and to recalibrate together. 

Claude believes that courage and connection are inseparable. Giving and receiving feedback can be uncomfortable, but avoiding it only creates distance. The key, she says, is to focus on relationships, not corrections. 

“The most important thing, internally and externally, is to connect, not correct,” she explained. “Feedback isn’t about being critical. It’s about building connection.” 

That mindset has become central to how teams at VaynerMedia work with both colleagues and clients. Every employee is evaluated on four core competencies: Communication, Accountability, Leadership, and Growth Mindset. These traits shape both the employee experience and the client experience, ensuring that success is defined not just by output, but by how people work together. 

“When you can connect with a client and produce work that’s foundationally aligned on all sides,” Claude said, “something magical happens.” 

By reframing feedback as a bridge rather than a barrier, Claude has helped create a culture where honesty feels safe and is a shared responsibility. 

The Science of Kindness

Claude’s leadership philosophy is grounded in science as much as empathy. The human brain, she reminds us, is wired for connection. The smallest gesture of acknowledgment can create measurable change. 

“Emotions are contagious,” she explains. “When I, or any person, gives someone else recognition, it unlocks serotonin in their brain. When we perform acts of generosity, it releases oxytocin, the hormone of belonging and safety.” 

What sounds like chemistry, she notes, is actually culture. These invisible reactions are what make workplaces feel either tense or trusting, disconnected or deeply human. When people feel seen and valued, they’re not just happier. Data shows they’re more motivated, collaborative, and creative. 

This simple truth underpins her belief that intentional gestures like a personalized Hallmark card, a moment of recognition, a thank-you said with sincerity, ripple outward across an organization. They turn fleeting interactions into lasting impressions, sparking a cycle of positivity that reaches far beyond a single conversation. 

“How you make another person feel is everything,” Claude adds. “Why not make someone feel better? That’s the foundation of collaboration.” 

At Hallmark Business Connections, we see this science in action daily. Gestures of care and appreciation brighten days, are paid forward, strengthen teams, improve retention, and inspire loyalty.

Pro-Tips from the Hallmark Team

Some of the most impactful moments come from very simple, intentional acts that are easily deployed, but deeply felt. Here’s how you can put this into practice: 

1. Choose a card that fits the moment whether it’s celebrating a milestone, acknowledging a challenge, or simply reaching out.   

2. Personalize it: Add the recipient’s name, a short acknowledgement of what you see them doing, a sentence of gratitude or encouragement, and your signature.   

3. Deliver it thoughtfully: Hand it to them, leave it on their desk, or send it via mail (consider Hallmark’s mail-on-your-behalf) so that the gesture stands out.   

4. Make it consistent: Schedule a cadence for these gestures (weekly, monthly, or tied to specific moments like onboarding, anniversaries, project wrap-ups). Over time, these small acts build a culture of “we see you” and “you matter.” 

Why this works: Every time someone receives a handwritten or thoughtfully chosen card, the brain registers it as a meaningful interruption, a pause in the day, a moment where someone stopped to say: You matter. That interruption activates connection, belonging and trust. In the language of emotional intelligence, you’re shifting from transactional (“Here’s your message”) to relational (“Here’s how I regard you”). 

Quick action item: Keep a stack of cards in your office or team area. At the end of each week, ask yourself: “Who had a small win? Who showed up? Who might use a boost?” Then send a card. One gesture, squarely aligned with a team value, can ripple far beyond the moment. 

Below are some favorite picks for cards that bring heart into the workplace. 

Leading with Emotional Optimism

Claude calls her leadership philosophy emotional optimism: the belief that love, empathy, and kindness belong at the center of business.  

“Leaders are here to love,” she said. “And by love, I don’t mean through intimacy. I mean through kindness and empathy.” 

To Claude, love in leadership is not abstract. It’s practical. It’s present in how a leader listens to a struggling employee, how they celebrate small wins, or how they take the time to understand what motivates each person on their team.  

Love, in this sense, is a daily decision to see others as human beings with hopes, fears, and potential. 

Leadership, she believes, is a choice to show up, listen, and serve. It’s not about authority; it’s about creating an environment where others feel safe to contribute, take risks, and grow. 

“It’s about hospitality,” Claude said. “Creating an environment where others can thrive.” 

That sense of hospitality runs deep in her approach. She often describes her role as setting the table, or creating the conditions for others to shine and bring their full selves without fear of judgment. 

This philosophy runs throughout her book, Be Yourself at Work, where she explores what happens when people drop their professional armor and bring their whole selves to the table. 

“It’s heavy to carry a shield every day,” she said. “When we put it down, we reconnect with our humanity. We stop performing and start belonging.” 

When leaders model vulnerability, they make it safe for others to do the same. In that safety, creativity flourishes, collaboration strengthens, and retention soars. 

• Imagine if, after a tough conversation or miscommunication, your leader sent a simple Hallmark card that said, “Thank you for your patience” or “I value your perspective.” That small act of humility turns hierarchy into connection, proving that leadership begins with authenticity and accountability.

A Legacy of Heart

When asked about a personal Hallmark memory, Claude smiled, the kind of smile that holds both joy and tenderness, and spoke of her Nana, who lived to be 101 and affectionately called her “Heart.” The nickname was prophetic. Long before Claude became the Chief Heart Officer, her Nana saw that quality in her. 

“My Nana always sent me Hallmark cards,” Claude recalled. “We’d go to the store to pick them out together, read them together, and send them to the people we loved.” 

Her Nana’s kindness extended into every day conversations. Each time she met a cashier, she’d look them in the eye, say their name, and leave them with a simple wish: “Would you do me a favor and have a peaceful day?” 

With just one sentence spoken, an impression was left on everyone who heard it. Claude still carries that memory as both a personal compass and a professional philosophy. The way we make others feel, she believes, is what defines our legacy. 

Small gestures like those became the blueprint for how Claude leads today. Her Nana modeled what emotional leadership looks like in action: attention, empathy, and humanity. 

“People will always remember how you make them feel,” she said. “That’s what connection is about. And that’s what Hallmark does for people everywhere.” 

In many ways, her Nana’s influence lives on in Claude’s role, and in Hallmark’s mission. It begins in the simple moments when we choose to care enough to pause, notice one another, and share a few sincere words. Because when you care enough, you can change the world.