Semper Alto is dedicated to helping clients build the skills that lead to more successful and fulfilling futures. 

How I Got Here

I have had the pleasure and challenge of guiding teams and organizations for roughly 20 years. Some were small, like Dilbert.com.  And others were large like DoubleClick, which grew into an Internet market leader, or MediaWhiz which was a $120 million performance marketing agency.  These experiences convinced me one essential ingredient for success is the ability to manage our emotional lives so that we can overcome the inevitable challenges.  Along the way I also discovered we can strengthen our emotional skill set.

In 2004 Lillian Vernon had a hit product and a critical decision to make. I was the president.  During that holiday season we sold 250,000 “mini-totes,” small canvas bags we offered in red, white and Black.    Based on this success, our Chief Merchant suggested we expand the mini-tote line to include 3 new fabrics and a dozen colors.  This sounded to me like far too much variety, but I was nervous about saying no.  My training was in finance and this was my first shot running a large multi-channel retailer.  The Chief Merchant was an experienced buyer who had created the hit product.  My intuition conflicted with what appeared to be common sense.  All you had to do was scan the multiple varieties of Colgate toothpaste, Kellogg’s cereal, or Tide detergent in the grocery isles to know conventional retail wisdom dictated “more choice is better.”  A friend suggested we read The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz, to help us make a decision.

We went ahead with the expanded mini-tote offering and, unfortunately, it never repeated its original success.  Nonetheless, this organizational setback became a personal step forward. Schwartz’s book provided the scientific basis for how common wisdom, like more choice is better, could sometimes be wrong.  It also offered empirical evidence for how the common claim “money can’t buy happiness” might be right, despite the fact most of us constantly strive to make more.  These counter intuitive findings, backed by solid science, left me with the feeling I had unlocked a door to some transcendental secrets.  Behavioral scientists had figured out the limits of choice and how money and well-being really interact.  I wondered what else this science could tell us about the pursuit of happiness or the sources of success.  I was instantly fascinated and dove into studying the science of well-being.

A decade of study, a deluge of empirical evidence and 20 years of practical management experience led me to conclude: 

• The emotional intelligence that leads to positivity and resilience creates greater success in all areas of life: business, relationships, finance, health, academics, sports, etc.

• We can develop and strengthen our emotional skills to become more successful and fulfilled.

The many challenges I have faced made the importance of having the right emotional skills clear.  It was also thrilling to learn that there is solid science available to help guide our development of these capabilities.  Having come to these conclusions, I felt compelled to mentor individuals and organizations so they might strengthen these skills and build more successful and fulfilling futures.   That is Semper Alto.

Jonathan Shapiro, Founder