In 2000, Faith Popcorn wrote the book EVEolution: The 8 Truths to Marketing to Women.
At the time, I was working at GM and just started a Brand Character Manager role at Saturn.
The book focused on how women make purchasing decisions and how that approach differs from the priorities men often bring to the buying process.
The truths were straightforward, and each had a chapter in the book:
- Connecting your female consumers to each other connects them to your brand
- If you’re marketing to one of her lives, you’re missing all the others
- If she has to ask, it’s too late
- Market to her peripheral vision, and she will see you in a whole new light
- Walk, run, go to her, secure her loyalty forever (convenience)
- This generation of women consumers will lead you to the next
- Co-parenting is the best way to raise a brand (bring them into development)
- Everything Matters – You can’t hide behind your logo
At the time, these truths resonated with me.
They influenced my work and how I thought about marketing.
Application Today
As I look back through these 8 truths, they are just as relevant today as they were in 2000.
A couple of them have had a front row seat in my work over the last 26 years.
In particular, “Everything Matters” and “Walk, Run, Go to Her”.
What strikes me now is that these truths go beyond marketing.
They are a lens into how many women move in the world – at work, at home, and in the community.
So, I took some time to consider how these truths might apply to leadership.
How companies might leverage these patterns.
How leadership teams might recognize the hidden value women bring to the table.
Of course, these Truths can’t summarize every woman (or every man).
But they can offer insight.
Here is how I would summarize the 8 Truths today, through a leadership lens.
The Eight Truths Reframed for Leadership Teams
1. Connecting your female consumers to each other connects them to your brand
On a leadership team, women can strengthen the connective tissue of the organization. They build relationships across functions, create collaboration between teams, and foster a sense of shared purpose. This relational orientation helps organizations move from siloed execution to coordinated progress.
Question to consider: Where in your organization are stronger connections needed to unlock better collaboration?
2. If you’re marketing to one of her lives, you’re missing all the others
Women frequently navigate multiple roles simultaneously and bring that integrated perspective into decision-making. On leadership teams, this can translate into a broader view of stakeholders, recognizing how decisions affect employees, customers, partners, and families simultaneously. It encourages strategies that account for complexity.
Question to consider: When making decisions, whose perspectives or realities might we be overlooking?
3. If she has to ask, it’s too late
Many women are attuned to anticipating needs and solving problems before they escalate. In leadership, this often appears as proactive thinking—spotting emerging risks, recognizing team needs early, and designing systems that prevent issues rather than reacting after the fact.
Question to consider: What signals might your team be giving today that leaders should act on before they become problems?
4. Market to her peripheral vision, and she will see you in a whole new light
Women often absorb context and signals beyond what is explicitly stated. In organizations, this awareness can translate into sensitivity to culture, tone, and alignment between stated values and daily behavior. Leaders who bring this lens help organizations recognize the importance of trust, consistency, and environment in shaping performance.
Question to consider: If someone looked at your organization from the outside, what signals would they see about your culture?
5. Walk, run, go to her, secure her loyalty forever
Convenience in marketing is about reducing friction. In leadership, the parallel is designing systems that make it easier for people to do great work. Women leaders often champion processes, tools, and workflows that simplify complexity and respect the team’s time & energy.
Question to consider: Where are unnecessary obstacles slowing your team down?
6. This generation of women consumers will lead you to the next
Women often play a central role in transmitting values, preferences, and behaviors across generations. In organizations, this can translate into an instinct for mentorship, knowledge transfer, and long-term culture building. Leadership teams benefit from voices that consider how today’s decisions shape the next generation of talent.
Question to consider: How are you preparing the next generation of leaders inside your organization?
7. Co-parenting is the best way to raise a brand
The idea of “co-parenting” a brand reflects a collaborative mindset. Applied to leadership, this suggests inviting broader participation in shaping strategy, products, and culture. Women leaders often encourage inclusive decision-making and create environments where employees feel ownership in the organization’s direction.
Question to consider: Who in your organization should have a stronger voice in shaping the future?
8. Everything Matters – You can’t hide behind your logo
Women consumers notice when words and actions do not align. On leadership teams, this awareness reinforces the importance of integrity, consistency, and accountability. It reminds organizations that culture, behavior, and reputation are built through everyday decisions, not just messaging.
Question to consider: Where might there be a gap between what your organization says and what people experience?
The Throughline
Taken together, these insights suggest that women on leadership teams often strengthen:
- Relational intelligence
- Context awareness
- Proactive problem solving
- Inclusive decision-making
- Culture stewardship
- Long-term thinking
Rather than representing a different type of leadership, these perspectives often expand the lens through which leadership teams understand people, systems, and impact.
Your Turn
How might the EVEolution insights impact your organization?
Which of the 8 Truths are most prevalent and which are the weakest?
Are there individuals who provide significant contributions on any of the truths?