Curiosity Lab

Curiosity Lab We create experiences that change narratives.

Curiosity Lab is a Black-owned marketing agency, dedicated to creating narrative changing communications and revenue strategies, prioritizing brand values, and community building to foster lasting relationships.

An original intention of the Actually Curious Conversation Game was to teach people how to lower their egos and see thei...
10/02/2024

An original intention of the Actually Curious Conversation Game was to teach people how to lower their egos and see their biases.

In a business context, this helps us see others’ perspectives and leverage that knowledge for success. In an interpersonal context, it allows us to recognize our misconceptions and open ourselves to the wisdom and wonder around us.

In this medium article, I share three ways leaders across the world have been using Actually Curious to build connection, understanding, and chemistry in teams in organizations large and small.

cc: Curiosity Lab: We work with the best organizations in the world to enhance empathy and emotional intelligence in their people and cultures.

https://medium.com/curiosity-lab/cultivating-empathy-7a4dae77b470

A Guide to Connection in the Workplace

Empathy is more than a buzzword — it’s a strategy for success. It’s time to get ahead of the adoption curve.87% of emplo...
09/19/2024

Empathy is more than a buzzword — it’s a strategy for success. It’s time to get ahead of the adoption curve.

87% of employees believe empathy results in better leadership.
85% report that empathetic leadership in the workplace increases productivity among employees.
83% agree that mutual empathy between leaders and employees increases company revenue.
And 78% agree it decreases employee turnover.

cc: Curiosity Lab / Actually Curious


The Future of Leadership and Organizational Success

We need more stories circulating our group chats and message inboxes that provide positive alternatives and practical st...
07/12/2024

We need more stories circulating our group chats and message inboxes that provide positive alternatives and practical steps to put them in motion. That is my goal with the privilege of contributing for Oprah Daily. Read this article for you. Then engage with it for all of humankind.

My mission is to help the world see how a deeper understanding and awareness of empathy can help in adopting a broader perspective during emotionally charged situations. In my book The Power of Empathy, I take readers on a deep dive into practicing empathy. If I'm honest, it's a lot more to chew than most people expect on the surface level. I'm grateful I get to unpack some of the most important lessons and topic threads alongside the team at Oprah Daily.

Foundational to practicing empathy is learning about the Three Types of Empathy; Cognitive, Somatic, and Effective. Come along this journey of practicing empathy, one exercise at a time, by reading and engaging with my first-ever article for Oprah Daily!

cc: Curiosity Lab



Yes! The founder of the Curiosity Lab explores how they can help us in the emotionally charged situations we often flub.

What's your money story? Three weeks from today on Tuesday, May 28th, I host the first Money + Empathy workshop with Fed...
05/07/2024

What's your money story? Three weeks from today on Tuesday, May 28th, I host the first Money + Empathy workshop with Federal Reserve and McKinsey alum Akash Kanojia!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/money-empathy-unlock-wealth-and-happiness-with-emotional-intelligence-tickets-882950106537

In preparation, I stumbled on this TEDX talk "Financial Empathy: Understanding the Story Beneath the Numbers" with Michael G. Thomas, Ph.D., AFC®. This talk helps contextualize why workshopping money and empathy is important!

In the words of Michael Thomas, "Empathy is not complacency". It's understanding the story behind the actions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoM5ly2igk

cc: Curiosity Lab / Actually Curious

Nearly half of Americans say that money is one of the most challenging subjects to talk about, but Michael Thomas Jr. wants to change that. As a PhD student ...

Abundance comes in many forms. It can be hard to see that when we're in the middle of hardship, and when we are so far r...
04/30/2024

Abundance comes in many forms.

It can be hard to see that when we're in the middle of hardship, and when we are so far removed from hardship that we become complacent.

The principles in my book The Power of Empathy came to me when I was in the depths of heartbreak and hardship. It was a humbling place. And there I learned that when you open to the simplest abundances, abundance tends to find you when you least expect it.

I had been searching for the right words to share why Actually Curious and the Power of Empathy make amazing Mother's Day or Father's Day gifts - then this video found me. A daughter discovers The Power of Empathy at Target, reads it, and then decides to play Actually Curious with her brother and mother. Mom then shares a vulnerable story with the kids that they'd never heard and greatly appreciate.

When I am experiencing hardship, I'm reminded that it is from that vulnerable place that came the inspiration to use a card game to help people get more connected to themselves and one another. I'm grateful that my willingness to feel helps me connect to experiences I could never plan, script, or even imagine.



cc: Curiosity Lab / Actually Curious

For our first edition of MMDTM Special Feature, we take a look at the Actually Curious card game from Curiosity Lab and author/CEO, Michael Tennant!Curiosity...

Let's talk about the connection between empathy and our money! Why you ask? Because it's one of the least discussed plac...
04/16/2024

Let's talk about the connection between empathy and our money!

Why you ask? Because it's one of the least discussed places where emotional intelligence comes into play.

So important that I teamed up with finance guru Akash Kanojia to create the Money + Empathy workshop. Money + Empathy is a 2-hour workshop at the end of May, Mental Health Awareness Month, that pushes you to explore your unique wealth and happiness code.

I had to build this muscle of emotional awareness and regulation to handle the swings I face as an entrepreneur. I'm lucky that I've had my own personal finance guru Akash Kanojia as my trainer.

Inspired by my purpose statement "I trust my intuition and vision and commit to service and love.", I get to share Akash with you.

Sign up for Money + Empathy, Tuesday May 28th, 6pm EST.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/money-empathy-unlock-wealth-and-happiness-with-emotional-intelligence-tickets-882950106537?aff=oddtdtcreator

cc: Curiosity Lab / Actually Curious

Michael Tennant teams up with finance expert Akash Kanojia to explore empathy, wealth, and well-being.

🙏🏾 Three weeks ago I gave the most important talk of my career at SXSW and invited a video crew to capture the moment. T...
04/06/2024

🙏🏾 Three weeks ago I gave the most important talk of my career at SXSW and invited a video crew to capture the moment. Then days later I gave a talk that felt even more important to the U.S. Department of State and a special workshop for the employee resource group leads at CHANEL.

🔉 As we approach mental health awareness month, Juneteenth, and summer month were we have the space to work on personal development, it gives me great pride to share my SXSW talk "Unlocking the Power of Empathy".

🗯 Inspired by Brené Brown's The Power of Vulnerability, Simon Sinek's The Power of Why, Seth Godin's Quieting The Lizard Brain, and MLK's I have and Dream, Unlocking The Power of Empathy explains how to use empathy as a tool for healing, personal growth, productivity, and happiness.

Please watch, comment, and share - so that my words may help to inspire others on the journey towards empathy for themselves and for others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StBm1vtaWWs



cc: Curiosity Lab / Actually Curious

"Practicing empathy" as a tool for unlocking healing, personal growth, wealth, love, purpose, support, and happiness. Inspired by Brené Brown's The Power of ...

We are in an interesting moment for the dispersion of Empathy Leadership training in which most leaders and decision-mak...
03/27/2024

We are in an interesting moment for the dispersion of Empathy Leadership training in which most leaders and decision-makers of organizations are confident that there are tangible and intangible benefits to including empathy in their learning strategies.

The key questions become how to explain the "Why" to those who hold them accountable. What aspect of empathy to emphasize? And who to trust to explore the topic within their organizational culture?

I'm committed to spending more time helping leaders to implement empathy in ways that help to strengthen EQ, and to build resilience, innovative thinking, and organizational chemistry and loyalty.

This feature in Inc. Magazine is one of the messages you'll see from me as I unpack the many specific benefits that empathy can have to our lives and our society. Check out this wonderful article and reach out if you want to collaborate on a custom approach to "installing empathy" within your team or organization.

https://www.inc.com/magazine/202403/nick-hawkins/3-ways-business-leaders-can-increase-their-eq-why-they-should.html

Empathy goes a long way in the workplace. Here's how to hone your people skills.

Join me and Yasmine J. Chisolm Jackson, founder of the transparentandblack Wellness Collective, for an important Black H...
01/26/2024

Join me and Yasmine J. Chisolm Jackson, founder of the transparentandblack Wellness Collective, for an important Black History Month conversation and mindfulness experience centered on Black creativity, excellence, and empathy!

Come to NeueHouse on Monday, February 5th at 6 pm EST for this special event. Bring your copy of The Power of Empathy to be signed. Additionally, a very limited supply of The Power of Empathy books and Actually Curious conversation cards will be available for sale.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to engage in a meaningful Black History Month conversation and mindfulness experience. See you there!



cc: Curiosity Lab / Chronicle Books / Black Ambition / BMe Community / Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

Michael Tennant in collaboration with Yasmine Jameelah of the Transparent & Black Collective invites you to The Power of Empathy for Black Creatives. An important discussion on empathy as a tool and process for collective rest for Black creatives. This discussion is designed to remind and inspire th...

Thank you 2023! ✨ Your lessons have made me more patient, humble, resilient, and graceful. I surrender to continuing to ...
12/29/2023

Thank you 2023! ✨ Your lessons have made me more patient, humble, resilient, and graceful. I surrender to continuing to provide signals of hope through my belief in the power of empathy. I commit to continuing service for my community and my loved ones.

There've been many days where I've had to turn inward and close my eyes to the outer world. There have been days that I've questioned my purpose. But I've survived, and I'm here. Present, and ready to serve and lead.

2024 for me is about leaning into the love and abundance of service.

At Curiosity Lab \ Actually Curious, we've chosen to expand the places, spaces, and ways we show up in the world to share the movement for empathy. I invite you to check out our updated Events page and to make the space to come out virtually or IRL to practice and expand your community of like-minded people.

See you in 2024~🍾

Join Actually Curious and spark connection and empathy within your community.

Today, I get to share a feature that seems to validate all the effort that went into The Power of Empathy. Thank you The...
12/13/2023

Today, I get to share a feature that seems to validate all the effort that went into The Power of Empathy. Thank you TheGrio for seeing the purpose of this book. I couldn't have described it better...

" "If there’s anyone on your list — in particular, any Black men — looking for a way to impact social change, The Curiosity Lab by Michael Tennant recently dropped “The Power of Empathy: A Thirty-Day Path to Personal Growth and Social Change.” "

In 2021, I served as a consultant charged with infusing empathy into an organization to help support an impending return to office, as well as to support the recruitment and retention of diverse talent.

I was briefed with areas within that firm that needed this work due to the high burnout and turnover, and the particular difficulty the people leaders in these divisions were having recruiting and retaining diverse talent.

After the first 3 months, we witnessed great progress in installing empathy, raising morale, and winning trust to teach more in-depth tools and considerations to people leaders and ERG leads.

Around month 4, I began to notice that the teams and people leaders that were identified as needing this work most -- managed to not show, show up passively, or show up and leave early for each training. Those who arguably needed this work most managed to make avoiding that work the priority.

Having empathy for the individuals involved and the organization, as well as noticing the presence of my ego in this all, I accepted that this work may be asking too much from overworked leaders trying to hit deadlines during a global quarantine.

Even with that acceptance, the lack of progress began to wear on me and perhaps on the relationship as well. I decided I needed to claim my energy back, and I poured it into writing this book. I wanted to use empathy to support myself and my purpose, and to get the book into the hands of the other leaders in the world who stand the chance of burning out due to the gracefully pugilistic nature of advocating for systems change.

This book is for you and the future yous that you get to inspire. Walk forward in your purpose and your integrity. 🙏🏾

Looking for gifts for the givers in your life? TheGrio has curated a list of charitable options.

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