The New CEO Playbook: Patrizia Angela Casubolo Of COCHIC On Balancing Purpose, Profit, and Personal Brand
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Personal branding is not about making the leader more visible. It is about making the mission more visible. A leader’s voice helps translate the values, vision, and purpose of the organization in a human way.
The most successful modern CEOs are rewriting the rules of leadership. They’re not only building profitable companies but building purposeful brands with personal voices behind them. These leaders understand that in today’s world, people invest in people. Their stories, values, and visibility fuel loyalty, attract opportunities, and drive business growth far beyond traditional metrics. In this interview series, we’re sitting down with leaders who’ve learned to balance purpose, profit, and personal brand — and who are using their influence to shape the future of business leadership.
As a part of this series, we had the pleasure to interview Patrizia Angela Casubolo.
Patrizia Angela Casubolo is an inventor, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of COCHIC, a brand built at the intersection of innovation, collaboration, and purposeful impact. With over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience, she develops products and partnerships with inventors, artists, and organizations to bring meaningful ideas to market while amplifying the voices behind them. A TEDx speaker and advocate for what she calls “adaptable conviction,” Patrizia shares insights on leadership, resilience, and building businesses that balance purpose, profit, and personal voice. Over the past 15 years, building COCHIC has been a continuous process of reinvention. Through that journey, she realized that leadership is less about having all the answers or constantly doing, and more about creating environments where people can grow, contribute, and feel part of something larger than themselves. That belief continues to guide how she leads today.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we begin, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share your backstory and what led you to become the leader you are today?
My story begins with movement and exposure to different environments. I spent the first ten years of my life in Africa, living between Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, and Ghana. Later I lived in Italy and Peru, and throughout my life I have continued to travel extensively. Growing up across different cultures shaped how I see the world.
From a very young age, I learned the importance of adaptability. Each place had its own rhythm, values, and perspectives. Instead of seeing those differences as obstacles, I learned to observe, absorb, and appreciate them. That experience taught me to value diverse viewpoints and to see change not as disruption, but as an opportunity for growth.
My entrepreneurial journey started in a very personal and practical way. At the time, I was working in an environment where many of my male colleagues would often complain about the discomfort of wearing a buttoned shirt collar. They wanted to maintain elegance, but keeping the collar closed felt too tight, so they would often leave it open and lose that polished look.
I started thinking about how to solve that problem. With my father’s help, I put together an early sample using an existing button and a small piece of elastic. It was very simple, almost improvised, but it worked.
Later, when I was expecting my first daughter and had decided to stay home, I found myself facing a similar challenge. My clothes no longer fit comfortably, and I remembered that small prototype.
I remember standing in front of my closet, taking it out and looking at it differently. And I found myself asking: Can I make it better? Nicer? Stronger?
In that moment, it was no longer just a quick fix. It became the starting point of something I wanted to develop further.
That idea evolved into what I first called the Magic Button, a patented accessory designed to bring comfort without compromising elegance. But over time, I realized it was much more than a button. It was about how a small detail could change how people feel in their clothes.
That’s when I chose the name COCHIC, combining comfort and chic, to reflect that balance of ease and elegance.
What started as a passion and a creative exploration became something much more significant at a pivotal moment in my life, when I said four simple words: “I want a divorce.”
In that moment, I realized I had no independent income and two daughters to raise. I needed to rebuild my life using the only assets I truly had: my creativity and my ability to adapt.
I chose to be bold and transform that idea into a business.
What began as a personal initiative to sustain my family became something much larger. Over time, it evolved into a platform for meaningful partnerships, collaboration, and creativity, with the intention of generating a positive and inclusive impact through the work we do.
That experience reinforced something I deeply believe today: when we stay grounded in our values but remain open to evolving, challenges often become the starting point for meaningful growth.
Over the past 15 years, building COCHIC has been a continuous process of reinvention. Through that journey, I realized that leadership is less about having all the answers or constantly doing, and more about creating environments where people can grow, contribute, and feel part of something larger than themselves. That belief continues to guide how I lead today.
What’s the “why” that drives your work? How has your personal sense of purpose evolved as your business has grown?
What drives my work has always been the desire to create a positive impact, both through what we build and through the people we work with. That includes our partners, collaborators, team members, and clients. For me, business has never been only about delivering a product or service. It is about creating value that helps people grow and unlock their potential.
I have always had a strong inner drive to grow, improve, and evolve. That mindset naturally translated into creating environments where people feel empowered to build something meaningful for themselves. When individuals feel supported, trusted, and inspired, they often achieve far more than they initially believed possible.
As COCHIC grew, my understanding of purpose expanded. What began as a vision to create meaningful solutions evolved into something broader: building ecosystems where collaboration, innovation, and human connection can flourish. One of the most rewarding aspects of this journey has been seeing what happens when the right people are brought together in the right environment. When trust and collaboration are present, the impact multiplies far beyond what any individual could achieve alone.
Over time, another dimension became increasingly important to me: our responsibility toward sustainability and the impact we have on the planet. Growth should not only benefit businesses and individuals, it should also contribute positively to the communities and environments we are part of.
I also came to realize something equally important along the journey: the value of enjoying the process. Building something meaningful requires effort and resilience, but it should also be energizing and fulfilling. When people find joy in what they are creating together, it fuels creativity, commitment, and long-term success.
Through this journey, I have evolved tremendously as a leader. The more the company grew, the more I realized that leadership also comes with a responsibility to use my voice. Not only to grow a business, but to contribute to conversations that can drive meaningful change in how we lead organizations and shape the future of work.
I have come to believe that purpose is not something we define once. It evolves as we grow, as our perspective expands, and as our responsibility as leaders deepens.
Today my purpose is not only about building something successful. It is about helping create a more conscious, collaborative, and sustainable way of doing business, while remembering that the journey itself should remain inspiring and meaningful.
Let’s now move to the core of our discussion. This series is about balancing purpose, profit, and personal branding. Can you help explain why each of those three matters, and why they can sometimes pull against each other? If possible, share a real example from your experience.
Purpose provides direction. It defines why an organization exists beyond revenue. It gives meaning to the work and creates alignment for the people involved.
Profit provides sustainability. Even the most inspiring mission cannot survive without financial health. Profit is what allows a company to continue investing in its vision, its people, and its long-term impact.
Personal branding creates visibility and trust. Behind every company there is a leader whose identity, values, and conviction shape the culture and direction of the organization. When that leadership is authentic and made visible, it helps others understand what the company truly stands for.
The tension arises when these three forces are treated as competing priorities instead of complementary ones. Sometimes a decision that strengthens purpose may require a slower financial return. Other times, focusing purely on profit can weaken the deeper mission or the trust people have in the brand.
One experience that illustrates this well happened during the early stages of building COCHIC. At one point, I needed financing to continue developing the project. At the time, I did not yet have extensive data or a long financial track record to present. What I had was a clear vision, strong conviction, and a deep belief that the concept would work.
The bank ultimately chose to support the project not only because of the business plan, but because they trusted the leadership behind it. They saw the passion, the clarity of the vision, and the determination to make it succeed.
That trust became essential at a critical moment. We were preparing to enter the market and needed to be ready to scale quickly, even before the first major order had officially been secured. The bank provided the credit line that allowed us to prepare production and position ourselves for a large retail rollout.
Shortly after, we secured our first major purchase order. Because we had already prepared the infrastructure and financing to support it, we were able to deliver successfully and enter the market with credibility.
That experience reinforced something very important for me: purpose creates direction, profit sustains the mission, and personal credibility builds the trust that allows others to believe in the vision before the results are fully visible.
When those three elements are aligned, they do not compete with each other. They strengthen one another and create the foundation for sustainable growth.
Many CEOs focus heavily on strategy and profitability but hesitate to invest in their personal brand. What do you think about that? What have you seen work best?
For a long time, I fell into that category myself. As a founder, I was very comfortable investing in the business and in my team, but investing in myself felt almost irresponsible. I always prioritized the company first.
When I decided to prepare for my TEDx experience, everything shifted. I chose to invest seriously in my own development. I worked with a speaker coach, an English coach, and went through intensive training. At first, it felt uncomfortable. Part of me couldn’t help but think, “This is a cost.”
But gradually my perspective changed. I realized it was not a cost at all. It was one of the most strategic investments I could make.
As leaders, we are the ones steering the ship. If we want the organization to evolve, we also have to evolve. Leadership is not just about what we are doing. It is about who we are, and how committed we are to continuous growth.
Another important realization was the role of clarity. Often as founders we have a strong internal vision. We know what we believe in and why we are building something, but we have not yet learned how to express that vision with clarity so others can truly see it.
Investing in my voice helped me learn how to articulate that vision. Clarity is fundamental for leadership. When people understand your vision, they can align with it, support it, and help bring it to life.
Over time, I also realized that authenticity plays a major role. Many CEOs believe they must always appear as if they have all the answers. I believe that is one of the biggest misconceptions about leadership. People connect much more deeply when leaders are willing to share the journey, not just the results. When you invite others into the process, it creates trust.
I remember a time when I felt almost ashamed admitting that I had fewer than ten employees. In my mind, success was measured by the size of the team. I felt I had to justify where I was. But then I began seeing other founders, especially women leaders, who were very open about their journeys. They spoke honestly about where they were in the process. That gave me permission to own my own path more fully.
Something powerful happens when you do that. When you truly own where you are, the judgment disappears. It releases a lot of the internal pressure leaders carry and opens the door to new opportunities.
Ultimately, personal branding begins with self-trust. If you want others to believe in your vision, you have to believe in yourself first. Once that trust is there, investing in your voice and sharing your perspective becomes a powerful way to build connection, credibility, and impact.
What are some misconceptions you’ve encountered about personal branding in the C-suite, and how do you challenge those narratives?
One of the most common misconceptions is that personal branding is ego-driven. Many leaders assume that focusing on their personal brand means putting themselves at the center of attention. I see it very differently. Personal branding is not about making the leader more visible. It is about making the mission more visible. A leader’s voice helps translate the values, vision, and purpose of the organization in a human way. When it is done well, the attention shifts away from the person and toward what the organization stands for.
Another misconception is that personal branding requires constant self-promotion. Many executives feel uncomfortable with that idea, and understandably so. What I have found is that it is much more about consistency than promotion. It is about consistently sharing what you believe in, the lessons you are learning, and the perspectives you want to contribute. When leaders do that authentically, the message becomes part of the culture of the organization. The team can also become ambassadors of that vision, and the responsibility of “promoting the brand” does not fall exclusively on the leader.
A third misconception is that leaders need to appear perfectly polished before sharing their voice publicly. Many executives feel they must have everything figured out before speaking openly. I believe the opposite is true. Authenticity matters far more than perfection. Leadership is an ongoing journey, and people connect more deeply when they see that process. When leaders are willing to share insights, challenges, and ideas that are still evolving, it creates a much more genuine connection.
Personal branding without authenticity quickly starts to feel like a marketing campaign. But leadership is not about marketing ourselves. It is about connecting with people, building trust, and inviting others to be part of the journey.
When leaders approach their visibility from that perspective, personal branding becomes less about image and more about impact.
What’s one specific way your visibility as a leader, through interviews, speaking, or social media, has directly impacted your organization’s success? Walk us through what happened. How did you know it worked, what changed in measurable terms?
One very clear example happened when I began speaking publicly about entrepreneurship, leadership, and the idea of community-driven workspaces. At the time, we were not investing heavily in traditional marketing. Most of our visibility came from interviews, speaking engagements, and sharing perspectives on leadership and the future of work. What we started to notice was that people were discovering COCHIC through those conversations.
Within a relatively short period of time, we saw a measurable impact on the business. Our sales increased significantly, almost tripling during that phase, even though we had not increased our marketing budget. That was a strong signal that the visibility of the leadership voice was directly influencing awareness and trust.
Another example is the impact of the TEDx experience. Preparing for and delivering that talk forced me to clarify and articulate my deeper philosophy about leadership, adaptability, and building meaningful environments for people to grow. After that, something interesting began to happen. Potential collaborators, partners, and even clients approached us with a much clearer understanding of what we stand for. The conversations were different. Instead of starting by explaining the concept, we were often already aligned on values and vision. That alignment makes a tremendous difference. It attracts people who resonate with the mission and who want to build something meaningful together.
For me, the most powerful impact of leadership visibility is not just increased exposure. It is attracting the right people who understand the “why” behind the work and want to be part of that journey.
Balancing profit and purpose is easier said than done. What practices or principles guide your decision-making when those two goals seem to conflict?
Balancing profit and purpose is one of the most important and complex responsibilities of leadership. In my experience, the tension usually appears when decisions are evaluated only through a short-term lens.
One principle that guides me is to always ask: Will this decision strengthen long-term trust? Trust with our clients, our partners, our team, and the community we serve. In the long run, trust is one of the most valuable assets a company can build.
A second principle is alignment with the mission. When important decisions arise, I ask whether the choice supports the direction we want to take as an organization over the next five or ten years. Sometimes a decision that is immediately profitable may weaken the long-term vision we are trying to build.
Another practice I rely on is transparency with my team and collaborators. When purpose and profit appear to be in tension, discussing the situation openly often leads to more creative solutions. Many times, the best path forward emerges through collective reflection rather than from a single perspective.
I also believe that discipline is essential. Purpose should guide strategy, but it must be supported by a financially responsible business model. Without profitability, even the most meaningful mission cannot be sustained.
Profit is not the opposite of purpose. It is what allows purpose to grow and endure.
Purpose defines why we exist. Profit ensures we can continue making that purpose real.
Ultimately, leadership is about holding both with clarity and responsibility so that the organization can grow while staying true to what it stands for.
Can you share a story about how aligning your personal values with your company’s mission created a breakthrough in performance or growth?
One of my strongest personal values is the desire to create a positive impact through the work we do. For me, building a business has never been only about selling products. It is about creating opportunities for people, ideas, and creativity to be seen and appreciated. This value has shaped how we build COCHIC. Rather than focusing only on accessories as products, we increasingly position the brand as a platform that highlights the people and stories behind what we create.
A great example is Pliio by COCHIC, which is the result of a collaboration with Clare Kumar, the inventor of the PLIIO folding system. What I appreciated immediately about PLIIO was not only the practicality of the product but the story and the vision behind it. The collaboration brings together her brand, PLIIO, and our brand, COCHIC, allowing us to introduce her innovation to new audiences while strengthening both brands through partnership.
This type of collaboration reflects something I deeply believe in: when brands, creators, and innovators work together, the result is often more meaningful and impactful than what any of us could create alone.
We follow a similar philosophy with artists as well. By incorporating their work into limited editions of our accessories, we transform a product into a creative collaboration. In some cases, these partnerships allow us to present collections internationally, such as bringing an artist’s work together with our accessories into showrooms in new markets like Japan.
For me, that alignment between my personal values and the company’s mission opened the door to stronger partnerships, new markets, and deeper meaning behind the work we do. It also sends a message to other creators, artists, and innovators: collaboration can be a powerful way to amplify ideas and create something truly unique together.
And just as importantly, it makes the journey incredibly fun. When creativity, purpose, and collaboration come together, the process itself becomes energizing for everyone involved.
In your view, what separates a leader who simply “runs a company” from one who builds a movement around their message?
A leader who runs a company focuses primarily on operations, performance, and results. Those elements are important, but they are only part of leadership.
A leader who builds a movement goes further. They create meaning around the work. They help people understand why the work matters, not only what needs to be done.
Movements happen when people feel connected to a purpose larger than the organization itself. When a leader communicates a clear vision and lives it authentically, people begin to see themselves as part of that story. Employees, partners, collaborators, and even clients start contributing to the mission in their own way.
For me, the difference lies in alignment between values, vision, and action. When leaders are consistent in what they believe and how they lead, they create trust. And trust is what transforms a business into something more powerful than a company. It becomes a shared journey where people feel inspired to contribute and grow together.
How do you integrate storytelling into your leadership, both internally with your team and externally with your audience or clients?
Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to create clarity and connection.
Internally, I use storytelling to help people understand the meaning behind decisions. Instead of only assigning tasks, I explain why something matters and how each person contributes to the bigger picture. When people understand the story behind the work, they feel more engaged and connected to the mission.
Externally, storytelling allows us to bring the human dimension of what we create to life.
For example, when we collaborated with Clare Kumar through Pliio by COCHIC, we didn’t just present a product. We shared her journey. She had developed the idea with a fellow student to help people bring more order into their lives through a simple clothing management solution.
When she came to us, what stood out was not only the product, but her belief in it. I immediately connected with her story. I saw in her the same determination I had when I was starting. She needed someone to believe in her idea, just as I once needed others to believe in mine.
We chose to support her by investing in the manufacturing and bringing her invention to market. From there, the story expanded. Our team became part of it, developing the product, creating the listings, and extending the vision by producing locally and integrating more responsible materials.
What started as her idea became a shared purpose, creating value for her, for our team, and for the people using the product in their daily lives.
Stories transform ideas into experiences people can relate to. They create emotional connection, and that connection builds trust.
And ultimately, trust is what transforms visibility into real influence.
Can you share a time when taking a public stand or sharing your story authentically strengthened your credibility or influence?
One moment that had a strong impact was when I began sharing my personal journey more openly, including the challenges that shaped my path as an entrepreneur.
For a long time, I believed that leaders needed to present themselves as having everything figured out. But over time I realized that authenticity creates a much stronger connection than perfection.
When I began speaking publicly about rebuilding my life after my divorce, about the uncertainties of entrepreneurship, and about the evolution of COCHIC, something changed. People connected with the story on a much deeper level. Entrepreneurs, collaborators, and even clients began reaching out because they recognized parts of their own journeys in that experience.
Sharing those moments was not about vulnerability for its own sake. It was about showing that leadership is a process of learning, adapting, and continuing forward even when the path is not perfectly clear.
In many ways, that authenticity strengthened trust. People could see that the values behind the company were real, not just part of a brand message.
And ultimately, trust is what allows influence to grow.
What are your “Top 5 principles for balancing purpose, profit, and personal visibility?”
1. Clarity of purpose
From the beginning, our products were designed with sustainability in mind because they help extend the life of garments that might otherwise be discarded when they become too tight. Whether it’s a collar, a pair of pants, or a skirt, this extender can allow people to continue wearing clothes they already own — helping to reduce the 10M tons of waste that ends up in landfills each year.
As we grew, our clarity of purpose deepened. When we developed a new line, we did not simply redesign the product. We approached it as an innovation challenge and focused on how it could be produced more responsibly. We developed upcycled extenders made from natural residual materials sourced from existing waste streams rather than virgin resources, including recycled resin, eggshells and even coffee grounds! Transforming materials that would normally be considered waste into functional products was incredibly exciting and empowering for our entire team! And it’s great for our clients too because they know that they’re doing more than just buying a product with COCHIC. They’re joining a movement.
If you want greater clarity of purpose as your organization grows, ask yourself: why would this work still matter even if we were not paid to do it? This one simple sentence defines why your organization exists beyond revenue and reminds you of the big picture.
2. Build trust… even when it feels counterintuitive
No one builds a business in isolation. Growth is made possible through relationships and relationships require trust. Early in my journey, we encountered a competitor who was infringing on one of our products. Others may have been tempted to immediately take legal action and shut them down. And I’ll be honest… I thought about it momentarily… but, instead, I chose to start a conversation and learn about their operations…
That conversation eventually turned into a collaboration where both sides were able to grow. They had access to markets I would’ve never been able to get into on my own, and I had the patent for a product they wanted to carry. Sometimes cooperation can create far more value than confrontation. But that’s only possible when trust is present and maintained over time.
How often do you intentionally invest energy into building new business relationships? If it’s been a while, identify one relationship that could become mutually beneficial over time and work on developing that trust this week.
3. Leaders need to give their vision a voice
For a long time, I focused entirely on the business and my team, while I hesitated to invest in my own visibility. I kept thinking “Who am I to share my journey?” To me, the team always came first. Without a team, there is no business. And talking publicly about myself sometimes felt uncomfortable… almost selfish.
But I eventually realized something important. When I started accepting speaking engagements, interviews, and sharing my perspective publicly, something changed. It helped attract collaborators, partners, and clients who were aligned with our values. Visibility is not about ego. It is about making the mission visible. And as the captain of the ship, it is your responsibility to make sure everyone sees the big picture.
So, here is my challenge to you: share one insight from your journey publicly. Don’t overthink it and don’t wait. Do it today! It could be a lesson, a mistake, or something you learned along the way. Give yourself permission to be perfectly imperfect. You might be surprised by the connections you create, the trust you build, and the opportunities that can emerge from simply showing up authentically.
4. Align values with strategy
Before launching any initiative or product, we always ask ourselves how it contributes to our long-term mission and the community we want to impact. Does profit matter? Of course! But our values give direction to everything we build. When entering uncharted waters, they serve as our map. Whenever we launch a new initiative or product, we start by defining how it contributes to the broader mission behind COCHIC. A good example is the collar extender we created in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society. We produced it at our own expense and when someone purchases it, 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Canadian Cancer Society.
From a purely financial perspective, the profit for us is zero. But that was never the intention. The intention was to clearly express the values behind the brand and show that COCHIC stands for something bigger than the product itself. I encourage you to think about one decision in your business that may not fully reflect your values and ask what small change could bring it back into alignment. Your company values must live beyond employee handbooks and words on your website. If your values are real, they should appear in your business decisions, too.
5. Practice Adaptable Conviction
As leaders, we need to be very clear about the mission we stand for. But we also need to remain flexible in how we execute and evolve along the way. The environment is constantly evolving, and it is not always easy to stay firm in your vision while remaining open to change. Adaptable conviction helps you to be aware of opportunities, be bold in your pursuit of greatness, and have the courage to stay the course when the path is unclear.
If you’re curious about this concept, you can watch my TEDx talk where I explore the idea in greater detail and how it applies to leadership today.
Finally, if you could summarize your leadership philosophy in one sentence, what would it be — and why?
My leadership philosophy can be summarized in one idea: lead with conviction, stay adaptable, and create environments where people can grow and contribute to something meaningful.
Conviction gives direction. It allows a leader to stay grounded in their values and the mission they believe in. But adaptability is just as important, because the path to that vision is rarely linear. Markets change, people evolve, and opportunities appear where we least expect them. For me, leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about creating the conditions where people, ideas, and collaborations can flourish. When conviction and adaptability work together, they create a space where innovation, trust, and growth can happen naturally. And that is where meaningful impact begins.
How can our readers continue to follow you or your company online?
Readers can follow my work and stay connected through the following platforms:
- Personal website: https://pcasubolo.com/
- TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RHXTh0pCkM
- COCHIC: https://cochic.com/
Thank you so much for sharing all of these insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator.
The New CEO Playbook: Patrizia Angela Casubolo Of COCHIC On Balancing Purpose, Profit, and Personal… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.