The lucky children in Mrs. Hassenger’s 4th grade class at Brown Elementary in St. Joseph, Michigan, have no idea what a superstar entrepreneur their teacher is.

Sarah Hassenger launched her home-based business, Four Black Paws, in 2010, working after school and on weekends to hand-sew the doggie bow ties and related accessories.

Since host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart first spoke with Sarah in April 2016, her line has expanded dramatically to include an organic collection; dog treats, toys and shampoo; and even t-shirts, hats, headbands, and scrunchies for her loyal two-legged followers.

Sarah Hassenger continues to demonstrate that solopreneurs can succeed even in a dog-eat-dog world.

While Dean is on book leave, we hope you’ll enjoy this Best of Monday Morning Radio re-airing.

Photo: Sarah Hassenger, Four Black Paws
Originally Posted: April 25, 2016
Best of Monday Morning Radio Update: January 4, 2021
Monday Morning Run Time: 30:26

Author Jen Sincero has turned being a “Badass” into a mini-industry, incorporating books, audiobooks, notecards, calendars, refrigerator magnets, even a “Badass” talking button.

She is also a success coach who helps people transform their personal and professional lives at seminars, speaking engagements, and in newsletters.

When host and award-winning reporter Dean Rotbart first interviewed Jen in June 2013 for his Business Unconventional radio program, few people had heard of her fresh-off-the-presses book, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life.

Dean takes no credit for the book’s amazing global success, charting at the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list and selling more than three million copies in 35 languages.

But in this Best of Monday Morning Radio replay of his 2013 interview, you will hear for yourself why Jen’s book and career took off like a badass muscle car.

[The Jen Sincero "Badass" Library: You are a Badass; You are a Badass Every Day; You are a Badass at Making Money; and Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick.]

Photo: Jen Sincero, “You Are a Badass”
Originally Posted: June 17, 2013
Best of Monday Morning Radio Update: December 28, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 26:23

After a year in which all of our lives have been turned topsy-turvy, the notion that we can be in full command of our lives going forward may seem fanciful.

But Dr. Paul Napper, a renowned psychology expert and business consultant, has developed a science-based approach to living life on our own terms.

In his latest book, “The Power of Agency,” co-authored with Dr. Anthony Rao, Dr. Napper outlines seven empowering steps that anyone can use to take charge of their life.

Of the seven principles, Dr. Napper tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, one that is particularly important during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is to associate yourself with supportive positive people who you can learn from. Hear all seven of Dr. Napper’s steps now and start off 2021 fresh; ready to succeed regardless of what life throws your way.

[Resolve to purchase your own copy of “The Power of Agency” here.]

Photo: Dr. Paul Napper, Performance Psychology Consulting
Posted: December 21, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 51:16

Bill Fox is helping businesses in the United States design the workplaces of the future, from, of all places, his base in Estonia.

American-born and educated, Fox is co-founder of Forward-Thinking Workplaces and the author of The Future of the Workplace. With more than three decades of experience in project management and leading successful transformations, he’s now focused on helping organizations get more done with fewer people.

In addition to his own leadership experience, Fox tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart that to formulate his “Forward-Thinking Workplaces” approach, he interviewed more than 100 top global business leaders and executives.

To learn how your workplace can become forward-thinking, and to discover why Fox runs his operations out of Estonia, you’ll have to listen in for yourself, right now.

[Pick up your own copy of Bill's book, The Future of the Workplace: Insights and Advice from 31 Pioneering Business and Thought Leaders, here.]

Photo: Bill Fox, Forward-Thinking Workplaces
Posted: December 14, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:53

Matt Murray, editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, describes Joann S. Lublin as relentless, blunt, persistent, honest, collegial, exhaustive, and exhausting.

Joann, arguably the nation’s top authority on careers and management, is the author of the forthcoming book, Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life. For the book, she interviewed 86 executive moms and 25 of their grown daughters to document the rapidly changing landscape facing women in the “C-Suite.”

Power Moms, says host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, is not only for women on the rise or already at the top but also for men who still have lots to learn about making parenthood work for all employees.

Photo: Joann S. Lublin, Power Moms
Posted: December 7, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:51

Charles Duhigg is the mega-bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. His books use masterful storytelling and real-life examples to help readers be more productive, and improve all aspects of their lives.

Shortly after The Power of Habit was first published in 2012, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart interviewed him for this podcast. Earlier this month, Dean caught up with Charles again to discuss both books and how he applies the lessons of his writing to his own life.

This week on Monday Morning Radio, peel back the covers and delve into the mind of one of this decade’s most successful business authors.

Photo: Charles Duhigg, Author
Posted: November 30, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 43:06

Tim Ringo has some unconventional ideas about how owners and CEOs can inspire greater productivity from their employees and turbocharge their companies’ profitability.

Among these: hire people on the Autism spectrum, forget about requiring a college degree for job candidates, and use robots to replace employees who hold repetitive, mundane jobs — retraining the displaced workers for better, higher-paying positions.

Tim, with more than 30 years in the Human Resources field, is the author of the newly published book, “Solving the Productivity Puzzle: How to engage, motivate and develop employees to improve individual and business performance.”

This week, Tim shares with host Dean Rotbart why he believes America is entering a “perfect storm” of new opportunities for employees and organizations.

Photo: Tim Ringo, Solving the Productivity Puzzle
Posted: November 23, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 42:06

Four-time Olympic athlete Ruben Gonzalez likes to recite the Proverb “Iron sharpens iron,” in explaining the philosophy of his new Facebook group, the Goal Achievers Club.

Launched earlier this month, the group not only relies on Ruben himself for success and leadership tips, it draws on its growing roster of accomplished owners and entrepreneurs to share the wisdom of their experiences.

Host Dean Rotbart first interviewed Ruben — a much-in-demand corporate speaker and author — four years ago, when the two discussed how he overcame a lack of athletic talent to become the first Olympian ever to compete in four Olympic games in four different decades.

This go-around, Ruben shares the formula he’s using to attract and grow a quality membership to his Goal Achievers Club and why other ambitious entrepreneurs might want to sign up (it’s free, of course).

[Note: Listeners can register as a member of Ruben’s Goal Achievers Club and get a free copy of his popular e-book at RubenU.com.]

Photo: By TimeinaBottlePhotography
Posted: November 16, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:42

The first interview that Kanye West granted after his July 4th announcement that he would run for president was to Randall Lane, editor and chief content officer of Forbes. It was no coincidence that Kayne chose Randall and Forbes.

Randall’s story, posted four days later, quickly attracted more than 3.1 million page views.

These days, Forbes.com is an internet juggernaut, attracting a larger daily U.S. page view count than The New York Times, The Washington Post, or Wikipedia. It is #1 among all business websites when it comes to attracting Gen Z and millennial readers.

In the final installment of his three-part Editors-in-Chief series, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart plumbs Randall’s playbook to discover how Forbes has reinvented itself to serve a 21st-century entrepreneurial audience.

Photo: Randall Lane, Forbes
Posted: November 9, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 46:06

More than 30,000 global makers and innovators registered for the recently concluded Fast Company Innovation Festival, a virtual cornucopia of influential speakers ranging from the CEOs of Verizon and Novartis to celebrities including Robert Downey Jr. and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Credit Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Mehta and her team at Fast Company for attracting a young, progressive, business-centric audience, much like the readers of the 25-year-old trendy magazine.

This week, in Part Two of his Editors-in-Chief series, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart speaks with Stephanie about her career and her magazine’s unique focus on innovation in technology, leadership, and design.

If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to attend the Innovation Festival, hearing what Stephanie and Dean have to say might just be the next best thing.

[Did you miss last week’s podcast featuring Adi Ignatius, editor-in-chief of the Harvard Business Review? You can stream or download it here.]

Photo: Stephanie Mehta, Fast Company
Posted: November 2, 2020
Monday Morning Run Time: 1 Hour, 8 Minutes