Francesca Larson: On the Importance of Empathy in the Workplace
On the latest episode of NYWICI’s WomenHeard podcast, host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich speaks with Francesca Larson, a former NYWICI scholarship recipient and the founder and CEO of creative and technology agency Studio Mosaic. In the discussion, Larson offers insight into what she believes are the biggest challenges for women in the workplace, her journey to where she is now, how artificial intelligence is changing the digital landscape, and more. Here are some things you can look forward to during the conversation.
Outdated Workplace Norms
When it comes to conversations about women’s workplace issues, there’s a common theme, Larson notes: Workplace norms and rules are outdated and don’t set leaders, especially women, up for success. Soft skills and personal experiences are undervalued compared to strategic delivery and product outcomes, and empathy is often ignored.
“I think, for me, the biggest challenge right now facing women in the workplace is still being expected to lead like somebody else in a framework that somebody else created. I say that as a woman, as a Black woman, a person of color,” she says. “It just seems like the structures don’t reflect who we want to be and who we are as leaders.”
Still, Larson believes women are driving meaningful changes in structure and flexibility. The workplace is no longer the same as it was before the pandemic, she says, and we need effective ways to collaborate and stay flexible.
Discovering Her Career Path
As a child, Larson wanted to be a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, a surprisingly specific dream inspired by late-night hospital shows she watched with her mom. In hindsight, it wasn’t about medicine, but about connecting with people. She never truly wanted to be a surgeon; she always imagined opening a hospital and caring for staff, families, and children. It was the storytelling, not the science, that drew her in.
She’s grateful that early mentors helped guide her path. At Boston College, she switched from journalism to public relations. Journalism was declining, and she needed a realistic path that still aligned with her passions. At the same time, tech was emerging in the field, creating new opportunities to explore. College helped her discover a career that both excited and motivated her, which is how she found her path to public relations.
A Life-Changing Campaign
When Larson learned she could take her college classes in the evening, she adjusted her schedule and looked for something to fill her afternoons. That’s how she ended up joining the campaign office of Deval Patrick, who was running for governor of Massachusetts and later became the state’s first Black governor. The experience changed her life. It taught her to show up and do things that scared her. She realized she had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The work that she was part of helped shape the political space for future campaigns, and if she hadn’t taken that chance, she might never have learned some valuable lessons.
“I feel really grateful that that was an experience I had early to be able to build the muscle memory of like, ‘Oh, no, no, no, we can always do something differently,’” she says. “We don’t have to do it the way that it was done before.”
Thank you to Francesa Larson for joining us! For the full interview, listen to NYWICI’s WomenHeard podcast.
