To obtain power and influence, you don’t need wealth or privilege.

Better yet, anyone can become widely known and respected if they can generate a compelling idea and communicate it effectively.

That is the conclusion of Robert L. “Bob” Dilenschneider, an author, historian, and legendary strategic communication advisor who has been studying and dissecting the elements of power and influence for more than four decades.

Bob, who is best known as the founder of the acclaimed consultancy, The Dilenschneider Group, is the author of the newly released book The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence: Everything You Need to Know.

The seminal book arms its readers with intellectual, technical, and moral weapons — essential tools in the increasingly competitive and ever-evolving business world.

“Acquiring both power and influence is crucial to advancing not only your personal interests but also a more prosperous society at large,” Bob writes.

This week, Bob shares with Monday Morning Radio hosts Maxwell and Dean Rotbart the surprisingly simple method to get others to listen to and follow you.

Other Popular Books From Robert L. Dilenschneider:

• The Public Relations Handbook (Edited)

• Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World

• 50 Plus!: Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life

• Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together

Photo: Robert L. “Bob” Dilenschneider, The Dilenschneider Group
Posted: September 18, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 37:28
Episode: 12.11

Forty years ago, when Lori Poland was only three years old, she was kidnapped from her front yard, molested, and left for dead at the bottom of a remote mountain outhouse.

By chance, after three days, a bird watcher answering the call of nature heard the little girl whimpering 12 feet below. “What are you doing there?” he called down. “I live here,” the confused child answered.

Today, married with children of her own, Lori is co-founder and chief executive officer of the National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect, or EndCAN. As host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart notes, Lori is also a striking example of how it’s possible to give meaning to life’s misfortunes and build a purpose-driven career.

Listen in as Lori shares her unique approach for turning adversity — regardless of the source —  into strength.

Last Week’s Episode: Management Strategies That For-Profit Businesses Can Glean from a Volunteer Fire Company’s Enduring Success

Photo: Lori Poland, EndCAN
Posted: September 11, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:58
Episode: 12.10

This week’s edition of Monday Morning Radio tells the remarkable story of Genesee Fire Rescue (GFR), a little volunteer engine company that could, and has, for five decades.

Located in the majestic foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 20 miles west of downtown Denver, the unincorporated community of Genesee is home to approximately 4,000 residents and 1,500 homes. 

Monday Morning Radio host Dean Rotbart spent 18 months chronicling GFR’s half-century evolution, growing from a three-person company of well-intended amateurs into a force of 40 of the most professional, well-equipped volunteer firefighters in Colorado. 

Dean’s new book, Dedication And Service: 50 Years on Call with the Volunteers of Colorado’s Genesee Fire Rescue, is available now on Amazon. The book is co-authored by GFR Lieutenant Hank O’Brien.

The odds of a small enterprise surviving for 50 years are minute — fewer than one in a hundred. That’s even truer when the organization's employees are volunteers who regularly risk their lives to provide a free service to their local community.

“Why do the volunteers do it?” Dean asks. “They get paid nothing for the hundreds of hours that many of them devote each year to training and service. They put life and limb at risk. They witness injuries and tragedies that, once seen, can never be forgotten. They are on perpetual call, often summoned to the station in the dead of night, and in Colorado, at least, asked to perform in blizzards and sub-zero conditions.”

To help explain the commitment of Genesee’s volunteer firefighters, Dean and his son, Monday Morning Radio co-host Maxwell Rotbart, invited two active GFR members on this week’s podcast. 

Jason Puffett joined GFR in 2010 and became its volunteer chief in 2015. Then, in 2017, the elected board that oversees the fire department asked Puffett to guide GFR as its first paid, full-time leader. 

Lt. O’Brien, co-author of Dedication and Service and a certified EMT, is a third-generation firefighter. He joined GFR in 2015 and conducted more than two dozen oral histories with past and current members of the fire department.

“Dedication and Service is a poignant celebration of the heroes next door, those ordinary yet extraordinary individuals who show up for their neighbors,” Dean reports. “The half-century legacy of Genesee Fire Rescue is an inspiring testament to the enduring spirit of American volunteerism, a beacon that continues to shine in towns and cities nationwide.”

BOOKS BY DEAN and MAXWELL ROTBART

• Dedication And Service: 50 Years on Call with the Volunteers of Colorado’s Genesee Fire Rescue. By Dean Rotbart and Hank O’Brien — September 2023

• The State of Israel: Prime Ministers: With Special Guest Commentary by Gadi the Camel (Second Edition). By Maxwell Rotbart — 2022
  
  

• September Twelfth: An American Comeback Story — September 2021

• A Christmas Day Miracle: The True Story of One Man's Yuletide Triumph Over Death. By Dean and Talya Rotbart — November 2021

• Perfectly Ordinary, Yet Extraordinary: Making a Meaningful Difference in the Lives of Others. By Dean and Talya Rotbart — January 2020

• Surviving Infidelity: Making Amends, Restoring Trust, Finding Forgiveness, and Living Together Happily for the Rest of Your Lives. By Abe Kass and Dean Rotbart — February 2018

Photos (L-R): Chief Jason Puffett and Lt. Hank O’Brien, Genesee Fire Rescue
Posted: September 4, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 43:59
Episode: 12.09

Ken Paskins, a third-generation entrepreneur, witnessed his father and grandfather struggle to run a successful business. He was determined to find a better way.

So Ken went to work for giant companies, including Oracle and BEA Systems, until he could deconstruct the leadership, HR, sales, and finance formulas for success.

Today, Ken is the co-founder of The Shift Spot, a CEO coaching and peer advisory community that shows owners and CEOs of companies with 100 or fewer employees how to achieve their goals.

Rather than rely on a single guru for sage advice, Paskins tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, his clients learn from experts and peers.

Photo: Ken Paskins, The Shift Spot
Posted: August 7, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 43:45
Episode: 12.08

RECENT EPISODES:

• What Are You Waiting For? Selling to Uncle Sam Can Be Very Lucrative

• Why You Should Prepare to Sell Your Business Long Before You’re Ready To Walk Away

• No Matter the Circumstances, Resilience is a Muscle Anyone Can Develop

If you want your talent and brilliance to be recognized, SPEAK UP!

Take it from Bret Ridgway, author of The Spotlight on Speaking Newsletter. Bret is an evangelist for the many benefits that accrue to owners and entrepreneurs who take to the podium.

Among the clients he has worked with are Ryan Deiss, Alex Mandossian, Joe Polish, and Wendy Lipton-Dibner.

During his 25-plus-year career, Bret has witnessed a couple of thousand speakers. He knows what works and what doesn’t.

You needn’t have the oratory skills of Tim Cook, Richard Branson, or Ginni Rometty to be the type of speaker who wins over customers, employees, and shareholders. All it takes, Bret tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, is a genuine passion for sharing your message with the world and being your authentic self. 

Then brace yourself for a standing ovation.

Photo: Bret Ridgway, The Spotlight on Speaking Newsletter
Posted: July 31, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 41:28
Episode: 12.07

Back by popular demand, Dr. Noah St. John returns to Monday Morning Radio for the third time to share insights from his new book, The 7-Figure Life: How to Leverage the 4 FOCUS FACTORS for Wealth and Happiness.

Success has been kind to Dr. St. John, the self-described “nerdiest nerd.” When he started out 25-plus years ago, he was living in a 300-square-foot apartment with no money, no girlfriend, and very little hope.

The core idea for how to turn his life around — and that of the more than 1.8 million others he’s helped since — came to him one day in the shower.

Today, Dr. St. John is happily married, lives in a 6,000-square-foot mansion on a hill, and is a highly paid consultant, speaker, and author of 20 self-improvement books and counting.

His proprietary formula for success is surprisingly simple, Dr. St. John tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart. If it worked for a nerd like him, it can work for anyone.

Popular Books By Dr. St. John

• The 7-Figure Life: How to Leverage the 4 FOCUS FACTORS for Wealth and Happiness
  
  

• Get Rid of Your Head Trash About Money: How to Avoid the 3 Massive Money Mistakes Even Smart People Make
  
  

• Afformations®: The Miracle of Positive Self-Talk
  
  

• Millionaire AFFORMATIONS®: The Magic Formula that Will Make You Rich 

Dr. St. John’s Previous Guest Spots on Monday Morning Radio:

• How to Automate Your Business Success and “Productize” Your Genius

• Turning AFFORMATIONS™ Into Small Business Success Fuel

Photos: Dr. Noah St. John
Posted: July 24, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:45
Episode: 12.06

Ricky Howard has awarded or managed more than $1 BILLION in purchase contracts, many with small businesses.

In good economies or bad, his client is a reliable buyer, and once your company is selected as a vendor, it’s likely to be a vendor for years, if not decades, to come.

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Richard C. “Ricky” Howard, founder of DoD Contract Academy, is an expert on how to win lucrative government contracts, from office supplies and HVAC equipment to sophisticated computer programming and weapons systems. 

During his service in the U.S. Air Force, Colonel Howard flew 555 combat hours. He understands the importance of preparation and practice. DOD Contract Academy guides, trains, and mentors small business owners and sales executives on how to pull down multi-million-dollar government contracts.

Many businesses that could qualify as government contractors don’t even realize it. Once they do, their profits are on a flight path to soar up, up, and away.

Photo: Lt. Colonel Richard C. “Ricky” Howard, DoD Contract Academy
Posted: July 17, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 53:43
Episode: 12.05

RECENT EPISODES:

• Bestselling Author Joanne Lipman Shares Her Formula for Professional and Personal Reinvention

• What Would Your Business Do Differently Today If You Knew the Future?

• Cathy Nesbitt is in a Slimy Business, and Her Customers Adore Her

In 1998, Mickie Kennedy started eReleases as a discount press wire service, providing the same media reach as the industry heavies at a fraction of the cost.

Twenty-five years later, Mickie’s company is still going strong and saving companies tens of millions of dollars, having helped hundreds of thousands of small businesses reach journalists, investors, trade associations, and customers.

Moreover, Mickey has become a news release maestro, able and willing to share the secrets of distributing news releases that get results.

In this era of Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and now Threads, do news releases still have a meaningful role in helping companies deliver their messages?

Unsurprisingly, Mickie tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart that now more than ever, a well-crafted news release will ricochet through social media and deliver an exponentially larger impact.

Get the scoop on this week’s episode.

Photo: Mickie Kennedy, eReleases
Posted: July 10, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 53:53
Episode: 12.04

RECENT EPISODES:

• Dr. Michael Lenox Explains Why Keeping Up with AI and Other Technologies is a Matter of Business Survival

• Would You Walk Over Searing Coals or a Bed of Broken Glass to Overcome Your Limiting Fears?

• Leveraging Other People’s Money to Transform Business Owners From Successful to Uber-Wealthy

For many small business owners, finding a buyer for their company is an elusive goal. Mac Lackey has done it six times. 

His latest venture, ExitDNA, guides entrepreneurs on how to best position their companies to be acquired, should they ever wish to sell.

Monday Morning Radio host Maxwell Rotbart engaged Mac in a wide-ranging discussion about what entrepreneurs need to know at each stage of their operations — from inception to disposition.

Among the advice Lackey shares is how to choose a location for your company, the role that passion plays in starting a venture, hiring strong employees, the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make, and what pitfalls to avoid when selling your company. Mac even touches on what entrepreneurs looking to acquire other businesses need to know.

How can you achieve the success that Mac has? The answers abound on this week’s podcast.

Upper Photo: Mac Lackey, ExitDNA
Lower Photo: Host Maxwell Rotbart
Posted: July 3, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 49:05
Episode: 12.03

RECENT EPISODES:

• Bestselling Author Joanne Lipman Shares Her Formula for Professional and Personal Reinvention

• Yale’s David C. Tate Introduces a New, More Inclusive Model — Conscious Accountability

• “We Want Our Clients to Fire Us,” Says Khierstyn Ross, Founder and CEO of ‘Launch and Scale’

Dr. Michael Lenox, a consultant, author, and business professor at the University of Virginia, is an expert on artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and other agents of digital transformation. He knows both the challenges and opportunities posed by today’s rapidly advancing digital technologies.

In his new book, Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation —  out this week, Dr. Lenox explains that businesses need to be innovative and agile or risk going the way of so many brand-name companies — digital and brick-and-mortar — that could not adjust with the times and no longer exist.

As he writes in his book, “Ultimately, your digital transformation is a journey with no end.”

Dr. Lenox is interviewed by host Dean Rotbart, a flesh-and-blood journalist. But in the not-too-distant future, as this week’s podcast demonstrates, Dean could very well be replaced by a sophisticated algorithm. (Please, don’t tell Mrs. Rotbart.)

Photo: Michael Lenox, University of Virginia's Darden School of Business
Posted: June 26, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 49:29
Episode: 12.02

RECENT EPISODES:

• ‘Semple’ Strategies to Rev Your Advertising and Marketing Campaigns

• Cathy Nesbitt is in a Slimy Business, and Her Customers Adore Her

• Insights From A ‘Walking Encyclopedia’ of Business and Career Success Formulas