Consulting with Heart - by Mario Garcia (Paperback)

About the Book

Consulting with Heart: Lessons from a Life of Listening, Leading, and Learning

Book Synopsis

Consulting with Heart: Lessons from a Life of Listening, Leading, and Learning

What does it really take to succeed as a consultant? It takes more than knowledge. The best consultants are trustworthy and empathetic. They possess vision and have the ability to turn someone else's dream into a working plan.

In Consulting with Heart, Mario García-one of the most influential media consultants in the world-shares stories and insights from five decades of helping organizations transform. From bringing color to The Wall Street Journal to coaching C-suite leaders through change, García reveals what it takes to be not only an expert, but also to become a trusted partner.

Part memoir, part field guide, this book offers practical strategies for navigating the consulting world-especially in an era of AI innovation and disruption-while staying focused on what matters most: people. For anyone looking to launch or elevate a consulting career, Consulting with Heart is a candid, inspiring guide to doing it with purpose, passion, and integrity.

Review Quotes

"What a wonderful and inspiring journey through the mind of a person who has spent a lifetime seeing potential greatness and convincing people that it must be realized." -George Miller, associate dean of academic affairs, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

"In Consulting With Heart, Mario García shares a lifetime of knowledge on how to help others achieve their design goals. His gentle but thorough approach provides a proven model for success. I know it works, having done several successful projects with Mario at The Wall Street Journal that resulted in positive changes we didn't know were possible." -Jim Pensiero, journalist and deputy managing editor, retired, The Wall Street Journal

"Mario García has crafted more than just a book about consulting. García has penned an essential life manual for anyone who seeks to blend professional excellence with profound humanity. He reminds us that the most impactful lessons are not found in textbooks but in the rich tapestry of human interaction. This book is a powerful testament to the idea that true influence stems from a place of passion, empathy, and unwavering integrity. A compelling and inspiring read for anyone dedicated to making a meaningful difference in their field." -Ulrik Juul Christensen, executive chairman and founding partner of Area9

"Mario García does everything with energy, passion and intelligence-including writing this book, which tells how he does everything with energy, passion and intelligence. It's the framework for what has been a successful career for him-and could be for anyone else who follows his good advice." -Marcus Brauchli, journalist, media investor, and advisor, former editor of The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal

"Reading this book, we see what makes a great design consultant: A great story. Mario is the master storyteller, and along the way, he has carried narratives to clients that they will always remember." -Roger Black, typographer, magazine designer, and chairman of Type Network.

"In Consulting with Heart, Mario García draws on decades of consulting for some of the world's most respected news organizations, from The Wall Street Journal to Germany's Die Zeit. He shows how the way a challenge is framed-whether adding color to a legendary front page or leading a digital transformation-can determine whether ideas inspire or fall flat. García's stories reveal the highs and lows of the consultant's life: moments of instant buy-in from CEOs, and times when even ten prototypes can't win over a skeptical team. With warmth and candor, he shares what it takes to turn ambitious visions into practical realities, and why clarity, empathy, and persistence matter in every client engagement." -Greg Matusky, founder and CEO of Gregory FCA

"In the worlds of consulting, design, and journalism, Mario García is both a treasure and a legend. And yet, he delivers his wisdom in down-to-earth ways that translate to ready action and impactful change. Nowhere is this more true than in Consulting with Heart, a book that somehow marries lessons of the heart and soul with super-practical instruction for consultants and consultants-to-be. Where else could one find both the five traits of the passion-driven consultant and the top 10 steps for drafting client contracts? Mario García, for the 16th time, has delivered an essential book for the day's key creatives." -Emory Thomas, vice president of local markets, American City Business Journals