Readers of Roy H. Williams’ Monday Morning Memo are well-acquainted with Indiana Beagle, the legendary curator and editor-in-chief of the Rabbit Hole.  

Although “Indy” is a metaphorical, metaphysical canine – the twin brother of Intuition, a leading character in the Destinae trilogy – he embodies spontaneous, impulsive, reckless curiosity.

Which is exactly why Monday Morning Radio host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart asked Indy to serve as the guest host of this week’s episode. 

Don’t be fooled, however. Indy’s interview with Dean is not only entertaining, it’s also actionable, as Dean shares a behind-the-scenes look at how Monday Morning Radio is produced and the lessons that Dean has gleaned in the course of hosting and producing more than 300 episodes.

Do his guests all share common traits?  Yes. And no.

Are they all business successes?  More yes, than no.

Might you be a suitable guest for Monday Morning Radio?

Tune in and discover for yourself, not only what it takes to land a slot on Dean’s very popular podcast, but also how you can ace any broadcast or print interview that comes your way.

Arooo! Aroo-Aroooooo!

Photo: Indy Beagle, Guest Host, and Dean Rotbart, Guest Guest
Posted: October 1, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 43:03

Michael Diamond is an expert when it comes to building, motivating, and growing business teams.

He honed his skills in war zones – first fighting Iraq in Operation Desert Storm – and more recently, battling the fierce competition in the highly competitive mobile products marketplace.

Michael is currently general manager of payments for Mitek Systems. If you’ve ever deposited a check by taking a picture of it with your mobile phone, then you’ve probably used the technology that Michael and his team oversee.

Michael is passionate about leadership, and innovation, and this week he reveals to host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart the most valuable – and actionable – lessons he’s learned along his life’s journey.

Photo: Michael Diamond, Mitek Systems
Posted: September 24, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 37:45

What was once science fiction, is rapidly becoming reality – especially when it comes to the prospects of small businesses operating in space, or at the very least, feeding commercial space operations.

Earlier this month, a group of scientists, entrepreneurs, and space futurists gathered in St. Louis for Gateway to Space 2018: Destination Moon – a one-day conference about working and living on the moon. 

Christine Nobbe, an educator and president of St. Louis Space Frontier, was the opening speaker. She is host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart’s guest this week, as the two explore out-of-this-world business concepts and realities. 

Photo: Christine Nobbe, St. Louis Space Frontier
Posted: September 17, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 33:35

In a very, very crowded market for pizza restaurants, Drew French discovered the recipe to stand out from the crowd – offering made-to-order pies, baked in brick ovens, using a wide variety of fresh ingredients, hand-tossed doughs, and served in just four minutes.

Drew’s Athens, GA-based Your Pie, launched a decade ago, now has 58 locations in 19 states, with nearly 60 additional locations in development.

Drew is widely credited with pioneering the now-popular and highly competitive “fast casual” pizza concept. The distinction is all the more impressive, says host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, given that Drew only recently turned 35 years old.

“A well-known adage says, if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” Dean observes. “Perhaps, in a similar vein, Drew French and Your Pie embody the entrepreneurial concept: If you want to succeed, look to innovate in a market that is already crowded. At least, when you launch, you’ll know there are plenty of ready prospects to win over.”

Photo: Drew French, Your Pie
Posted: September 10, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 36:11

Millions of small business owners stand to realize big savings on their 2018 taxes, thanks to revisions of the federal tax code that were signed into law in late 2017.

Only in the past few weeks, however, has the IRS fully explained who stands to profit from the so-called Section 199A deduction for qualified business income – and who will be left out.

Rachel Sawyer, a partner in Denver-based TaxOps, a respected business tax specialty and advisory firm, joins host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart this week to delve into the nuances of the new tax code and what entrepreneurs can do to take maximum advantage of the savings it offers. If you qualify, Section 199A could mean tens of thousands of dollars of extra cash in your pocket come next year.

Photo: Rachel Sawyer, TaxOps
Posted: September 3, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 26:41

[Note: Our guest on last week’s podcast, was Dr. Nate Regier, who discussed harvesting conflicts in your life, rather than fearing them. However, due to a mix up, some listeners instead were treated to an advance airing of this week’s podcast, featuring Alex Vorobieff.]

If you already heard what Alex had to say last week, we encourage you this week to go back and hear our conversation with Dr. Regier. In both instances, you’ll profit from priceless business insights.]

When the wheels on a car are out of alignment, it impacts the car’s steering and suspension, not to mention the durability of the tires and all the parts that control them.

When a business is out of alignment, its path also faces uneven friction and greater resistance. Eventually, it drives off the road altogether.

Alex Vorobieff, founder and CEO of The Vorobieff Company, is a business alignment expert. Sometimes hired as a stand-in CEO or CFO, Alex uses a suite of alignment tools to get a poorly operating business back on track.

The secret to fixing most ailing businesses, Alex tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, rests with remediating its core, NOT focusing on the surface where the issues are most visible. 

BRING YOUR BUSINESS INTO FOCUS: Pick up a copy of Alex’s well-reviewed book: Transform Your Company: Escape Frustration, Align Your Business, and Get Your Life Back.

If you own a small business and would like to be a guest on this podcast – and get some free reputation advice from me – I invite you to contact me at dean.rotbart@gmail.com. You can also phone me at 303-800-6081.

Photo: Alex Vorobieff, The Vorobieff Company
Posted: August 27, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 39:36

It sounds like an oxymoron: Positive Conflict

But Dr. Nate Regier, a former practicing psychologist, has built a successful second career as an author, business coach, and popular keynote speaker teaching business people how to fight productively – both on the job and at home.

With endorsements from management gurus including Dan Pink, Ken Blanchard, and Marshall Goldsmith, Nate’s book, Conflict without Casualties, has become must-reading in boardrooms and business schools across the country.

Rather than fear conflict, Nate tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, the smart thing for businesses and organizations to do is channel it.

[Follow Dean’s newest entrepreneurial venture, SpacEnterprise, as he explores out-of-this-world business concepts and realities.]

Photo: Dr. Nate Regier, Next Element
Posted: August 20, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 39:13

It’s not been easy, but Azi Hendi and her husband, Dr. Ali Hendi – a lawyer and a cancer surgeon – have combined their talents to launch 15-month-old Luminora, a stylish clothing line designed to protect women from the sun’s harmful rays.

The Hendi’s know that three million Americans are diagnosed annually with a form of skin cancer, and most fashionable clothes do little, if anything, to protect wearers from the sun. 

In a frank conversation with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, this week the Hendi’s share both their accomplishments and their frustrations as first-time entrepreneurs, and Dean offers them some actionable advice on positioning themselves for greater success.

If you own a small business and would like to be a guest on Monday Morning Radio – and get some free reputation advice from Dean – we invite you to contact him at dean.rotbart@gmail.com. You can also phone him at 303-296-1200.

Photo: Dr. Ali Hendi and Azi Hendi, Luminora
Posted: August 13, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 42:30

When Ross Kimbarovsky started his company, crowdspring.com, a decade ago, he had a vision for a new kind of logo creation service – one in which logo buyers would be offered a wide range of original, creative, logo concepts at a readily affordable price.

Today, more than 200,000 designers from nearly 200 countries compete to design the winning logos for crowdspring’s 50,000-plus clients. 

Ross knows all the do’s and don’ts of choosing an effective logo for your business or product, and this week he shares his best insights with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart.

Photo: Ross Kimbarovsky, crowdspring.com
Posted: August 6, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 39:01

What would you guess is the percentage of small business owners who hope that one day their children will follow in their footsteps?

For all the headaches that ownership brings, a surprising 84% of the more than 1,000 small business owners who responded to a recent survey said they’d wish the blessings and the curses of entrepreneurship upon their kids.

Kathryn Petralia, president of Atlanta-based Kabbage – the global financial services and technology company that conducted the survey, tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart that in the eyes of survey respondents, nothing defines the American Dream better than being your own boss and owning your own business. 

Hear all the fascinating results from the Kabbage small business survey this week on Monday Morning Radio.

Photo: Kathryn Petralia, Kabbage
Posted: July 30, 2018
Monday Morning Run Time: 17:43