Sun, 3 December 2023
If you truly could experience your website or bricks-and-mortar store through the eyes of your customers and prospects, you could do a great deal to increase sales and customer satisfaction.
Satyam Kantamneni is the founder of UXReactor, a company whose entire focus is on user experience, referred to as UX. His mission: to design or transform businesses to prioritize — above all other considerations — how customers interact with them. With more than 60 employees spread across three continents, Satyam has enabled his clients to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in bonus income thanks to user-centric innovation. As he explains, the most powerful differentiator in today’s highly competitive business world is the customer’s experience. Master it and you win. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. [Purchase your copy of Satyam’s book, User Experience Design: A Practical Playbook to Fuel Business Growth, here.] Photo: Satyam Kantamneni, UXReactor |
Sun, 26 November 2023
Every day, 3,000 eager entrepreneurs jump into the online sales arena. Ninety percent of them will never make a single sale. Matthew Stafford, co-founder and CEO of Build•Grow•Scale, knows what goes wrong and how to fix it. He and his team use sophisticated analytics to help business owners and entrepreneurs achieve online sales success.
Matthew’s passion lies in empowering others to achieve their goals - whether scaling an existing business or starting from scratch with a new venture altogether. Build•Grow•Scale’s proprietary formula for increasing internet-based sales has nothing to do with driving more traffic to your website or Shopify store. His approach succeeds by getting those prospects who are already visiting a website to click “buy” more often. In a wide-ranging interview, Matthew reveals the technical aspects of online sales but also his broader approach to helping online retailers succeed, how Build•Grow•Scale has successfully adapted to evolving technologies, and his strategies for hiring solid employees and managing a successful consulting firm. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome. Photo: Matthew Stafford, Build•Grow•Scale POPULAR EPISODES: |
Sun, 19 November 2023
Bronson Hill took it to heart when Warren Buffet warned investors that they will work the rest of their lives if they don’t find a way to make money while they sleep. Bronson became a zealous student of passive investing and, in 2018, with zero prior experience, raised a comparatively tiny $200,000 to form his first real estate syndicate.
Today, Bronson, founder and CEO of Bronson Equity, is a general partner in more than $200 million worth of real estate. He is also the author of the recently released book, Fire Yourself: Replace Your Working Income with Passive Income in 3 Years or Less. This week, Bronson reveals his successful passive investing strategies and his approach to raising tens of millions of dollars through syndications. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link. Donations of all sizes are welcome. Photo: Bronson Hill, Bronson Equity |
Sun, 12 November 2023
Jeff Kikel helps business owners and entrepreneurs attain what he dubs their “Freedom Day,” that juncture in their lives when work becomes optional, not a financial necessity.
Jeff has helped many people who believed they’d have to work until retirement, and perhaps beyond, get their finances and investments under control, freeing them from financial worries. His formula for reaching “Freedom Day” begins with a mindset shift in relationship to money: It should work for you, not vice versa. If the idea of working for pleasure, not for survival, appeals to you, you absolutely don’t want to miss a minute of this week’s Monday Morning Radio. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link. Donations of all sizes are welcome. Photo: Jeff Kikel, Freedom Day Wealth Management POPULAR EPISODES: |
Sun, 5 November 2023
Three years ago, Nick Barrett had an idea — and little else. He envisioned a new, weighted, portable gadget that could keep cords and wires from getting entangled. Nick’s CordBrick is only a tad longer than a large paperclip and about as thick as a quarter. At this year’s National Retail Federation trade show in New York, one of the largest consumer products showcases in the nation, CordBrick was named “coolest product,” nabbing a $10,000 prize.
Nick’s experience launching CordBrick mirrors that of many first-time entrepreneurs. He’s made mistakes, learned from them, had the support of friends and mentors, and is now steadily growing his business. Other inventors and entrepreneurs can learn a lot — and save themselves big headaches — by discovering how Nick went from pitching his innovative home and office gadget at flea markets to being a major Amazon and retail success story. You don’t have to be an entrepreneurial rookie to benefit from Nick’s inspirational story and to relive the magic of starting your first business. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link. Donations of all sizes are welcome. Photo: Nick Barrett, CordBrick |
Sun, 29 October 2023
Zeynep Ekemen has ridden the rollercoaster of COVID-19 and its impact on small businesses.
She is the founder of Silver Defender, a company that sells antimicrobial-protected film for high-touch areas — such as door bars and handles, elevator buttons, and guide rails. She launched her business in 2018. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit less than two years later, her sales took off like a rocket, stretching her company’s production and distribution capabilities to the max. But now, as demand has waned, Zeynep is fighting to avoid the fate of so many other businesses that were whipsawed by COVID-19. It's a common dilemma for many small businesses when a product or service they provide experiences a surge in popularity and then fades almost as quickly. Zeynep herself is determined to demonstrate that what comes down can always go back up. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome. Photo: Zeynep Ekemen, Silver Defender RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 22 October 2023
In 1855, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his journal: “If a man has good corn, or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles, or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad, hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods.” In time, his words were somehow conflated as the oft-cited quote: "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." Carina Ramirez Cahan, co-founder of Cobalt Rose Company, is testing Emerson’s thesis, having worked with her husband, a respected breast surgeon, to build a better bra.
The Cobalt Rose bra utilizes a radically new design that replaces rigid underwires — which many women rely on but hate — with a flexible, patented polymer insert that is molded right into the cups. Carina promises that her bra will be the most comfortable, supportive, and flattering bra her customers have ever worn. But is that enough? Will that translate into a hefty slice of the annual $12 billion U.S. lingerie market? As Carina knows firsthand, the path to success is more complicated than it might appear at first blush. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Carina Ramirez Cahan, Cobalt Rose Company RECENT EPISODES: |
Mon, 16 October 2023
On October 16, 1923 — precisely 100 years ago today — Walt Disney and his older brother Roy launched Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. In time, their business would morph into one of the world’s best-known and most beloved companies.
To mark this milestone anniversary, co-hosts Dean and Maxwell Rotbart review the history of The Walt Disney Company and Disneyland, paying special attention to the many practical lessons that executives and entrepreneurs can glean from the Disney successes and failures of the past century. Listeners will also hear from Michael Goldsby, a professor of entrepreneurship at Ball Street University and the co-author of Entrepreneurship the Disney Way. Professor Goldsby was a guest on the podcast in September 2019. As a special feature, Maxwell shares the incredible story of how he uncovered, buried deep in the archives of a Kansas museum, an original prospectus for Disneyland written in 1953, roughly two years before the first park opened. If you’re a Disneyphile or grown-up Mouseketeer, comparing Walt’s vision to today’s Disneyland will fascinate you. So perk up your mouse ears and listen to the leaders of the band for a thrilling ride through ten decades of Disneyana and the business lessons they impart. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome. Photo: Walt Disney, 1946 |
Sat, 7 October 2023
Curt Tueffert describes himself as “America’s Master Sales Motivator.” That he is. But as he demonstrates in this week’s episode, Curt is also gifted with NI — Natural Intelligence. He has spot-on answers to some of the most vexing questions confronting business owners and sales professionals.
Curt acquired his expertise working in sales for almost four decades and motivating and training sales teams at companies, including UPS, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Penske Automotive Group, and Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Curt’s company, Peak Sales Strategy, provides in-person and remote sales training and personalized coaching. As an in-demand speaker, he leaves his audiences with fresh ideas, actionable insights, and supercharged energy. AI, be warned! Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome.
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Sun, 1 October 2023
When Vicky Brown launched her HR consultancy — Idomeneo Enterprises — in 2001, she knew she was wading into shark-infested waters dominated by giants, including Accenture, ADP, Deloitte, and KPMG.
By focusing on emerging and mid-size companies and providing concierge services to her clients, Vicky’s West Hollywood firm has won an impressive roster of clients from coast to coast. Trying to cope with ever-changing state and federal employment regulations, the work-from-home migration, and the impact of artificial intelligence, Vicky says that more and more owners and entrepreneurs are outsourcing their HR and payroll functions. Lean closer to your podcast player as Vicky shares her personal success formula and reveals not only how to foolproof hiring but also the best way to let an employee go when it’s time. [To receive the free bonus gift that Vicky is making available to Monday Morning Radio listeners, click here.] Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, you can make a contribution using this link or scan the QR code below. We welcome donations of all sizes.
Photo: Vicky Brown, Idomeneo Enterprises |
Sun, 24 September 2023
The universities Gregory Shepard sought to attend wouldn’t admit him. When he volunteered for the U.S. Navy, the recruiters said, “no thanks.” Admittedly, Greg is not your textbook job candidate: He is autistic, dyslexic, and has a sensory condition known as synesthesia, which is commonly described as having the brain’s wires crossed.
Greg could have allowed his neurodivergent struggles — and there are plenty of them — to defeat him. Instead, he’s leveraged his atypical mind to build and sell 12 businesses, co-lead a global investment syndicate in the technology sector, and use his earned wealth as a philanthropist. This week, in a poignant conversation with co-host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, Greg makes a strong case for integrating neurodiverse people — who see the world differently — into the workforce. To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, you can make a contribution using this link, or scan the QR code below. We welcome donations of all sizes. Photo: Gregory Shepard
To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, you can make a contribution using this link, or scan the QR code above. We welcome donations of all sizes. |
Sun, 17 September 2023
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:
Photo: Robert L. “Bob” Dilenschneider, The Dilenschneider Group |
Sun, 10 September 2023
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
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Sat, 2 September 2023
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
Photos (L-R): Chief Jason Puffett and Lt. Hank O’Brien, Genesee Fire Rescue |
Sun, 6 August 2023
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. RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 30 July 2023
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 |
Sun, 23 July 2023
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
Dr. St. John’s Previous Guest Spots on Monday Morning Radio: Photos: Dr. Noah St. John |
Sun, 16 July 2023
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 RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 9 July 2023
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 RECENT EPISODES:
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Sun, 2 July 2023
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
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Sat, 24 June 2023
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 RECENT EPISODES:
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Sun, 18 June 2023
[This edition of Monday Morning Radio begins our 12th year of podcasting in conjunction with the non-profit Wizard Academy and its co-founder, Roy H. Williams. This is our 550th episode.] When it comes to career moves, bestselling author Joanne Lipman has been very successful and resilient. She was the first woman to become a deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal. She was the founding editor-in chief-of Condé Nast’s award-winning Portfolio magazine. She served as editor-in-chief of USA Today and chief content officer of its parent company, Gannett.
Currently, Joanne is a regular contributor to CNBC and a lecturer at Yale University. In her latest book, Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work, Joanne provides countless examples of people who reinvented themselves - some willingly, others who had no choice. As she tells host Dean Rotbart, anyone following the methods she prescribes can make the successful leap from one career to the next and the next after that. [Joanne discussed her bestselling book, That’s What She Said, on our June 17, 2019, podcast.] Photo: Joanne Lipman, Next! RECENT EPISODES: |
Sat, 10 June 2023
Dave Albin helps business executives and employees face and overcome their fears. But that’s nothing special. Dave’s methods, however, make him unique among corporate coaches.
Dave is the #1 firewalk instructor in America, having cajoled more than one-half million people to tiptoe, barefoot, over a bed of coals exceeding 1,000 degrees in temperature. A disciple of Tony Robbins, Dave ran firewalks for the mega-motivator for almost two decades before striking out on his own to form Firewalk Adventures. As Dave tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, firewalking is a 1,000-year-old rite of passage. F.E.A.R., in Dave’s way of thinking, either stands for Forget Everything and Run or Face Everything and Rise. In Dave’s experience, those who muster the courage to firewalk return to their careers and personal lives with much more self-confidence. In addition to firewalking, Dave and his crew at Firewalk Adventures also offer confidence-building glass walks, board breaks, arrow breaks, and fire eating. Which you choose depends on your needs and tastes. Dave says the most challenging part of marching over hot coals or broken glass is the first step. Want to overcome your limiting fears? Your first step is clicking begins by downloading this week’s red hot episode. Photo: Dave Albin, Firewalk Adventures RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 4 June 2023
Amy Dockser Marcus, a distinguished author and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with The Wall Street Journal, has dedicated her career to exploring the complex intersections of economics, society, and health within modern medicine.
In her latest meticulously researched book, We The Scientists, she delves into the remarkable accomplishments of "citizen scientists" — ordinary parents and individuals who united to revolutionize the conventional practices employed by established medical researchers and professionals. On its face, says host Dean Rotbart, Amy’s book is an inspiring medical chronicle. But the achievements and lessons learned by motivated amateurs offer far-reaching insights and invaluable lessons applicable to diverse industries and fields. All crises begin with the blurring of a paradigm and the consequent loosening of the rules for normal research … — Thomas S. Kuhn Photo: Amy Dockser Marcus, We The Scientists: How a Daring Team of Parents and Doctors Forged a New Path for Medicine POPULAR RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 28 May 2023
For half a century, Bob Johansen has been forecasting the future. Clients, including Procter & Gamble, Walmart, and McKinsey, trust his vision. Moreover, he is an instructor at the Army War College.
Along with coauthors Joseph Press and Christine Bullen, Bob has recently released “Office Shock: Creating Better Futures for Working and Living” — his 13th book. Ostensibly, Office Shock peers a decade ahead to describe the workplace of the future — the officeverse. Today’s office towers face strong headwinds, as the purpose and function of tomorrow’s office spaces will be rejiggered to prove a more equitable, accessible, purposeful, climate-positive future for knowledge work. But host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart says Office Shock is about much more than real estate. It’s about looking to the future now to take immediate steps to better prepare for what’s to come. “It's actually easier to think ten years ahead than it is one or two years ahead,” Bob says, discussing the effectiveness of taking a “futureback” approach to planning. Bob and his coauthors are associated with the Palo Alto, California-based Institute for the Future, a spinoff from RAND Corporation founded in 1968. IFTF is the world's oldest continuously running futures research and educational organization. OTHER BOOKS BY BOB JOHANSEN:
Photo: Bob Johansen, Institute for the Future POPULAR RECENT EPISODES: |
Sat, 20 May 2023
Nick Loper is a fountain of money-making ideas and the required methods to implement them.
As the founder of Side Hustle Nation and its Chief Side Hustler, Nick has shown tens of thousands of his followers how to bring in $1,000, $2,000, or even $5,000 a month in extra income. On his podcast, on his website, in books, and speeches, Nick breaks down the vast opportunities to supplement your income in your spare time — as well as how to turn a side hustle into a full-time gig providing greater income and far more satisfaction than most people experience holding down a full-time job. Whether or not any of Nick’s ideas are a perfect fit for you, host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart says they will inspire you to think of other side hustles that will work for you. BOOKS BY NICK LOPER:
[DEBUTING THIS WEEK: The Zero to Unicorn podcast, a behind the scenes look at how entrepreneur Mike Kaeding and his parents nurtured their innovative real estate business from nothing to its current trajectory on target to reach the unicorn status of a $1 billion valuation. To hear Mike’s February 2023 appearance on Monday Morning Radio, click here.] Photo: Nick Loper, Side Hustle Nation RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 14 May 2023
Dr. Henry Mintzberg is one of the world’s most highly regarded business theorists, having written more books -- 22-- than the Beatles produced #1 hits. He is an organization and management rock star. In his latest book, Understanding Organizations … Finally, Dr. Mintzberg likens running a company or non-profit to coaching a professional sports team: You wouldn’t use the same tactics in football as you use in hockey or baseball.
Yet many CEOs mistakenly take a one-size-fits-all approach to structuring their operations. After observing and advising organizations for more than five decades, Dr. Mintzberg concludes there are seven “species” of companies and philanthropic groups, each requiring a distinctive playbook. As Dr. Mintzberg explains to host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, correctly identifying which type of company you own or work for is crucial to its sustainability and profitability. [To listen to Dr. Mintzberg’s January 2019 appearance on Monday Morning Radio, click here.] Photo: Dr. Henry Mintzberg, Understanding Organizations … Finally RECENT EPISODES: |
Sun, 7 May 2023
When Victoria Pelletier sets her mind to achieving a goal, she won’t let anything or anyone stop her. Nor will she blame anyone but herself when things don’t go the way she planned.
Those two personality traits — being unstoppable and making no excuses — have been a recipe for success since she became the chief operating officer of a multinational corporation at age 24. Decades on, after holding senior roles at American Express, IBM, and Accenture, she now advises owners, CEOs, and board members on how to adopt her approach to business and life. Victoria tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart that anyone, regardless of their socioeconomic background or the adversity they may have faced, can achieve professional growth and inspire others to do the same. Photo: Victoria Pelletier, Accenture |
Sun, 30 April 2023
Dave Combs is a disarmingly charming southerner, a former telecommunications executive, and a man of faith. He’s also a hardcore entrepreneur and one of the most successful musicians and music distributors you’ve probably never heard of.
Since Dave and his friend, studio pianist Gary Prim, recorded their first instrumental tune in 1986 — Rachel’s Song — the duo has produced 15 successful instrumental albums which have attracted millions of worldwide fans. Dave displays more than 50,000 fan letters at his home in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The story behind Dave’s serendipitous success is fairytale-esq. Not a single mainstream music publisher or distributor would touch Rachel’s Song. So Dave turned to a non-conventional route, selling his CDs through gift shops - eventually building a network of more than 1,000 stores. The song proved to be magnetic. Shoppers would hear it playing overhead in a store and just need to buy it. One local shop alone sold thousands of Dave Combs albums. Host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart points out that fueling Dave’s serendipity were some savvy business insights — the kind that can help make anyone’s bottom line sing. Download and savor your own copy of Rachel’s Song for free from CombsMusic.com. PIck up a copy of Dave Combs’ inspirational autobiography: Touched by the Music: How the Story and Music of “Rachel’s Song” Can Change Your Life. The producer for this week’s episode is Blane Nicholas, who has worked the audio mastery behind the scenes for Monday Morning Radio for more than a decade.
Blane is no stranger to working with dynamic music artists. A veteran of iHeartMedia and Apple Music, Blane has produced programs featuring Bruce Springsteen, Alanis Morissette, Kanye West, Jon Bon Jovi, Keith Richards, Sean Lennon, Metallica, Joan Jett, LL Cool J, and dozens of other music icons. Photo: Dave Combs, Combs Music |
Sun, 23 April 2023
Since 2006, serial entrepreneur Clay Stafford has produced an ever-more-popular Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference that brings together authors, agents, exhibitors, and fans of crime and thriller literature. Pulling off a large meeting, workshop, or other live event entails countless steps. In Clay’s instance, planning for the next gathering begins a year in advance.
This week, Clay pays a return visit to Monday Morning Radio to share his post-COVID-19 event blueprints with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, covering everything from the selection of a venue and keynote speakers to his formula for ensuring that attendees leave feeling that their time and money were well invested. “Given his many talents and occupations, any conversation with Clay would not be complete if we didn’t stray from the central topic,” Dean says. “So this week, he and I will also discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on authors and publishers; the state of the publishing market; the 12 habits of successful writers; and the one subject Nobel laureate William Faulkner — author of “The Sound and the Fury” — didn’t want to talk about. The 18th Annual Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference will be held August 17-20, 2023. For registration information, click here. Photo: Clay Stafford, Killer Nashville [Listen again to Clay Stafford’s first Monday Morning Radio interview here.] |
Sun, 16 April 2023
The days of the imperial CEO are bygone. Today’s business and organization leaders empower everyone, regardless of rank, to be heard and contribute to success. That’s the premise of David C. Tate, a licensed clinical psychologist and lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. David is the co-author of Conscious Accountability: Deepen Connections, Elevate Results.
Financial performance still matters. But David teaches that in the modern workplace, the means to success often matter as much as the ends. David and his co-authors, Marianne S. Pantalon and Daryn H. David, embrace a leadership approach they dub “conscious accountability,” and offer a seven-step process — CONNECT — centered on the benefits of social awareness, values, and relationships. C — Creating Clarity O — Opening Up Engagement N — Nailing It N — Noticing E — Exchanging Feedback C — Claiming It T — Trying Again Listen and profit now as David explains to host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart how following the CONNECT roadmap leads to greater job satisfaction, elevated relationships, and better business outcomes. Photo: David C. Tate, Conscious Accountality |
Sun, 9 April 2023
For the head of a successful business coaching firm, Toronto-based Launch and Scale, Khierstyn Ross, founder and CEO, has an odd goal. “We actually want our clients to fire us,” the e-commerce strategist tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart.
Khierstyn is crazy — crazy like a fox. Her firm’s mission is to help launch and scale online brands until they achieve $3 million in annual sales. She’s done that successfully for dozens of brands. However, by the time her clients’ sales grow to $10 million in yearly revenues, Khierstyn says her nestlings need to move on. That is, fire her before she fires them. Whether you’re a startup or long-established, Khierstyn’s growth methodology and operational discipline are sure to impress you. Photo: Khierstyn Ross, Launch and Scale |
Sun, 2 April 2023
Dux te ipsum duc is Latin for “Leader, Lead Thyself.” The concept is at the heart of business growth coach Bradley Hamner’s formula for transforming owners and executives from “slaves” to their companies into masterful architects of growth and success.
Bradley is the founder of Business Growth Curator, a consultancy that coaches owners and executives on how to grow their confidence and leadership, develop an effective team, scale their companies, and make a difference. Since launching his first business in 2009, with no customers, no leads, and very little cash, Bradley has established or built seven companies, with an eighth on the launchpad. The secret to inspiring employees to improve their performance and satisfaction, Bradley tells host Dean Rotbart, is to address your own shortcomings first. He did just that and has been generating exceptional value for himself and his clients ever since. [Note: You can listen to Bradley’s podcast, The Club Capital Leadership Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and here.] Photo: Bradley Hamner, Business Growth Curator |
Sun, 26 March 2023
When Jennifer Brown sizes up business and organization leaders on how well they address today’s ever-increasing demand for inclusive workplaces, she describes them on a continuum of four stages: unaware, aware, active, and advocate.
Jennifer is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, a strategic and diversity advisory firm. She has spent more than two decades helping CEOs and other executives look inward so that they can be more effective in creating a safe and productive work environment for every employee. Among those companies that have sought Jennifer’s insights are Google, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, CapitalOne, IBM, Disney, and Coca-Cola. You needn’t be a FORTUNE 500 CEO to benefit from her insights. All you need to do is join Jennifer and host Dean Rotbart for an insightful, actionable discussion of the steps you can take to become a more inclusive leader. [Be sure to pick up a copy of Jennifer’s book, How to Be an Inclusive Leader, Second Edition: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.] Photo: Jennifer Brown, Jennifer Brown Consulting |
Sat, 18 March 2023
In the Fall of 2007, Eric Johnson, an entrepreneur and designer of satellite communications systems, was on vacation when he received a panicked call from his financial advisor. “Need permission to sell.” “Sell what?” “Everything.” Eric did sell, and his swift move saved him from getting walloped by the Great Recession and the ensuing turmoil in the markets. Eric is a renaissance man: an instrument-rated private pilot, surfer, black belt, astrophotographer, angel investor, and co-founder and former CEO of Tourmaline Networks, a software engineering firm. After weathering the Great Recession, Eric determined he never again wanted to feel financially vulnerable. So, in addition to his other personal and professional pursuits, Eric set off on a 15-year odyssey to teach himself everything investors, owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to protect their wealth needs to know about finance and economics. In his book, What the Hell is an Economy, Eric has distilled all that he’s learned into an easy-to-understand read that spells out what an economy is and how it works. If you're wondering what recent bank failures, inflation, debt ceiling, currency fluctuations, and trade deficits mean for your business — where are the risks and where are the opportunities — Eric shares the answers with host and award-winning financial journalist Dean Rotbart exclusively on Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Eric Johnson, What the Hell is an Economy |
Sat, 11 March 2023
Gene Sticco embraces three of the core tenets that Monday Morning Radio host Dean Rotbart advocates for anyone who wants to break from the pack:
Sticco is an entrepreneur and U.S. Air Force special forces veteran. He is also a newly announced candidate for the Oval Office in 2024.
Rotbart describes Gene as a serious candidate with no serious chance of winning. That said, for the example Gene sets for business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives, among others, he is already a victor. Plato once observed: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Sticco is taking the Greek philosopher’s words to heart, and they apply equally to those in every industry and profession where individuals settle for following rather than leading. Although Gene knew nothing about running an Opera company, he has funneled his experience and passion into serving as General Director of the Mystic Side Opera, a newly formed company that showcases some impressive local talents, including Gene’s wife, Natalya, who is a mezzo-soprano. Whether it's opera, the Air Force, or a run for the White House, Gene Sticco is a bold and decisive role model. You can vote for Gene with your ears right now, exclusively on Monday Morning Radio. [You’ll find Gene’s campaign website at ForThePromiseofAmerica.com] Photo: Gene Sticco, Committee to Elect Gene Sticco |
Sun, 5 March 2023
Matt Mason, who since 2019 has served as the official state poet of Nebraska, returns to Monday Morning Radio to discuss his latest collection of poems — At The Corner of Fantasy and Main: Disneyland, Midlife and Churros — and to share his ideas for making poetry and profits rhyme. Matt, a Wizard Academy alumnus, was last a guest on this podcast in March 2019, shortly after publishing his previous poetry collection, The Baby That Ate Cincinnati. On this visit, he continues to explain the relationship between poetry and creativity in business and entrepreneurship.
Matt hopes that the introspections he shares in At the Corner of Fantasy and Main and The Baby That Ate Cincinnati will touch readers and help fuel his ambition to earn a living by writing, performing, and teaching poetry to a corporate audience. Turning a passion into a profitable business is never easy. This week, Matt shares his game plan for overcoming the obstacles he is certain to encounter — strategies that can help anyone who wants to be gainfully employed doing what they love. Photo: Matt Mason, At the Corner of Fantasy and Main
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Sun, 26 February 2023
The secret to Michael Kaeding’s success as the CEO of Norhart Inc., a company that designs, builds, and rents apartments, is that he had no idea how to run his family business when his father unexpectedly passed away. “I had no preconceived notion of the way things were supposed to be done,” Mike recalls. “We just started to naively solve problems, and that was the magic.”
Norhart, headquartered in tiny Forest Lake, Minnesota, is booming. Because Mike has refined a process to save 50% or more over other residential developers, he tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart that he plans to expand his business nationwide and take a stab at solving America’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. Photo: Michael Kaeding, CEO, Norhart Inc. |
Sat, 18 February 2023
Four sneaky obstacles prevent most business owners and entrepreneurs from becoming peerless communicators, whether in writing, on video, or in front of a live audience. There is a proven formula to vault over those hurdles, and this week’s guest, Michelle D. Gladieux, reveals how to become the best communicator you can be.
Michelle, president of Gladieux Consulting, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has taught at the college level for 18 years, starting when she was only 23. Gladieux Consulting, which serves hundreds of companies and thousands of training participants, focuses on leadership and communication topics, strategic planning facilitation, and building creative tools that yield personal and professional development. Michelle’s new book, Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome Four HIdden Challenges, provides a step-by-step guide to triumphing over fear to deliver your message more effectively and make a difference in the world. But host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart tells Michelle that she underestimated the import of her book. As Dean observes, Communicate with Courage is really a guidebook on how to live with courage. “And who couldn’t use an extra dose of self-confidence?” Dean asks. Photo: Michelle D. Gladieux, Gladieux Consulting |
Sat, 11 February 2023
Although officially, the business spotlighted on this week’s podcast is less than a week old, host Dean Rotbart says that given its lineage and the marketing genius supporting it, RomanticSpotsinAustin.com is a sure bet to be an entrepreneurial role model and a global success story. Two years in development, the online guidebook to amorous Austin, Texas, is the brainchild of Pennie Williams, brought from the drawing board to last week’s rollout with an assist by her son Jake and her husband, none other than Roy H. Williams.
Pennie has been nurturing love and romance for decades. She is responsible for launching Chapel Dulcinea — the world’s first free wedding chapel — in 2005. Situated cliffside on the edge of an ancient walking trail overlooking the Texas Hill Country, the chapel hosts 1,100 ceremonies annually. RomanticSpotsinAustin offers searchable, unbiased descriptions of a cornucopia of places and activities — from famous landmarks to little-known hideaways, sweeping natural landscapes to rooftop lounges, crazy art and adventures to violins and candlelight. Listings on RomanticSpotsinAustin.com are free and selected for inclusion solely by the editorial team behind the digital guidebook. “Visitors to RomanticSpotsinAustin.com need only be guided by their mood of the moment, whether that means hiking the cliffs at sunset, sharing cocktails at a dark corner table, or touring any of Austin’s outstanding museums,” says Jake Williams, who serves as chief executive of the new venture. “The only essential ingredient, of course, is that you have the one you love by your side.” Listen closely, as this week Roy not only explains the strategy behind RomanticSpotsinAustin, but he also shares some of the proven marketing techniques that have made him the most successful and admired ad writer in history. Photo: Jake Williams, CEO, Romantic Spots LLC |
Sun, 5 February 2023
Among the giants of self-improvement authors and speakers are Dale Carnegie, Earl Nightingale, Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and Blaine Oelkers. Blaine who? Blaine Oelkers, http://selfluence.com, is not yet as well known as these other inspiring speakers and authors — but he is a modern keeper of their inspirational flame.
In fact, Blaine is America’s only Chief Results Officer — an expert on how to get yourself to do those things you know you should do but aren’t. In this week’s episode, Blaine will reveal his method of getting an hour’s worth of work done in only 30 minutes. He’ll show us how to create a durable new habit in only 21 seconds. And he’ll explain his WYTAYBA™ secret to unlocking the full power of your mind. As host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart says, “While Blaine may channel Carnegie, Nightingale, and the others, he is an original — offering unique solutions for our 21st century professional and personal challenges.” Photo: Blaine Oelkers, Selfluence.com |
Sun, 29 January 2023
When a quality publishing house releases only one book a year, you know it will be a blockbuster. That’s always been the case with award-winning Bard Press, which has brought out 18 business bestsellers over the past 25 years.
This year the business boutique imprint has tapped authors Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride. Their book, When Everyone Leads: The Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved, offers a revolutionary model that allows everyone to claim the mantle of “leader,” no matter how high up or low down they are on the organizational chart. In When Everyone Leads, the authors lay out their five core tenets of leadership.
Ed and Julia know the genuine mechanisms of leadership. The two authors honed their insights into leadership at the Kansas Leadership Center, which they launched in 2007. Ed’s background was in government and politics. Julia was an actor turned leadership coach. Working from the premise that the quality and quantity of leadership is the key determinant to prosperity, health, and success for organizations and communities, under their guidance the Kansas Leadership Center has empowered more than 15,000 individuals to set aside outdated concepts of leadership and anoint themselves pathfinders. As Ed and Julia explain to host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, anyone can lead, anytime, anywhere. Is it your turn to step up? _____ Bard Press — founded by the incomparable Ray Bard and now piloted by veteran author, literary agent, editor, and blogger Todd Sattersten — picks winners. Among its most-recognized titles: The Gift of Struggle: Life-Changing Lessons About Leading by Bobby Herrera The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness by Jeffrey Gitomer The Wizard of Ads: Turning Words into Magic and Dreamers into Millionaires by Roy Williams When Everyone Leads will soon take its place among the pantheon of Bard Press success stories. Photos: Julia Fabris McBride and Ed O’Malley, When Everyone Leads |
Sun, 22 January 2023
Jack and Patti Phillips, a husband and wife Ph.D. duo, lead the ROI Institute, which provides a scalable and systematic approach to program evaluation. Their proprietary ROI Methodology is the most used and implemented such system in the world, adopted by 27 governments and three-fourths of the FORTUNE 500.
The Phillipses have a combined five decades of experience evaluating the wisdom of investing in so-called “soft skills,” including employee training, human resources, community outreach, and DEI - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Companies large and small pour hefty sums into these and similar programs, but do they get their money’s worth? The Phillipses know the answer and in their latest book, Show the Value of What You Do, they make ROI Methodology accessible and easy to implement for every business owner and executive, whether assessing an existing program or planning new projects. As host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart says, “At last when directors or supervisors demand, ‘Prove to me the value’ of your projects, you can do exactly that, thanks to Jack and Patti.” Photos: Jack and Patti Phillips, ROI Institute |
Sun, 15 January 2023
Can you teach yourself and your colleagues to generate great ideas — ideas genuinely worth pursuing?
Robin Landa, an author and professor of design at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, has made a career studying where breakthrough ideas come from — so-called ideation — and how anyone can conjure concepts that will be revolutionary. Robin’s latest book is The New Art of Ideas: Unlock Your Creative Potential. In it, she identifies the required foundation of every good idea: Goal, Gap, and Gain - or what she terms the 3Gs. Robin doesn’t promise that if you read her book, you or your employees will become the next Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, or Steve Jobs. But she doesn’t rule it out either. Play along as host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart quizzes Robin — a Jeopardy enthusiast — on her mastery of various categories of creativity. And be sure your response is in the form of a question. Photo: Robin Landa, The New Art of Ideas |
Sun, 8 January 2023
Stephen Semple is a marketing and advertising wizard. Moreover, he is an iconoclast - creating winning campaigns for his grateful clients and his own agency by marching to a different drummer.
Officially, Stephen is the Director of Wizard of Ads Canada and one of the elite Wizard of Ads partners who work in collaboration with other creative geniuses around the globe. He is also the co-host of The Empire Builders Podcast, where each week, he and his co-host reverse engineer the playbook of some of today’s most admired and successful companies, traveling back in time to their early years to study their growth formula. Host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart speaks with Stephen on this week’s Monday Morning Radio, covering a wide range of topics and dispensing invaluable business wisdom nuggets. Among the topics, Stephen explains why cutting-edge online titans - including Google, Amazon, eBay, and Airbnb — are shifting their promotional dollars to traditional media, including TV, radio, direct mail, and billboards. Stephen studies, dissects, and decodes the success secrets of business empires. This week, listeners get to see his decoder ring in operation. Photo: Stephen Semple, Wizard of Ads Canada LAST WEEK: Cathy Nesbitt is in a Slimy Business, and Her Customers Adore Her: How the One-Time Executive Secretary Wormed Her Way to Entrepreneurial Success
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Sun, 1 January 2023
These were the ten most-listened to episodes of Monday Morning Radio in 2022. Hear for yourself why business owners and entrepreneurs around the world found them fascinating. #7: The Future of Business Journalism: A Special Edition of Monday Morning Radio |
Sun, 1 January 2023
If you have scoleciphobia — fear of worms, you may want to skip this week’s edition of Monday Morning Radio.
Host Dean Rotbart’s guest, Cathy Nesbitt, is a passionate worm advocate and Canadian worm royalty. Since 2002, Cathy, owner of Cathy’s Crawly Composters, has bred and sold red wigglers and European nightcrawlers by the pound to enthusiastic customers who use the live squigglers for composting — converting household garbage into nutrient-rich fertilizer. Many would-be entrepreneurs are unwilling to get their hands dirty in the pursuit of profit. The story of Cathy’s success is sure to make the clean freaks out there squirm. Photo: Cathy Nesbitt, Cathy’s Crawly Composters |
Sun, 25 December 2022
When recruiting new hires, Andrea Hoffer leaves little to chance. After ten years of running her own business with a hit-and-all-too-frequent-miss record recruiting and retaining staff, Andrea concluded there must be a better way.
She not only developed a structured process for attracting and keeping employees but found her method to be so successful that she built and now is CEO of AHA! Recruiting Experts, an agency that helps clients identify, hire, and retain great employees. Andrea has managed hundreds of employees and has experience in the higher education system, revenue-producing operation management, franchise business ownership, and business consulting. She is the author of Hire Higher: How To Attract, Interview & Grow Your Dream Team. The book provides proven strategies and a proactive approach to hiring. If Andrea has a single piece of advice for business owners and leaders, she tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, it’s this: ABR - Always Be Recruiting. Photo: Andrea Hoffer, AHA! Recruiting Experts |
Sat, 17 December 2022
Ted Clark, author of Buy & Build CEO: Leveraging Private Equity to Build a Winning Global Business, is an expert on how successful business owners and entrepreneurs can become uber-wealthy. He has spent more than four decades as a business executive and investor, and is currently a partner in Nashville-based Iron Path Capital.
After starting out as a shipping clerk, has climbed the heights of the wealth ladder. He now advises other people on how to leverage their way into society’s upper crust. The best part, as Ted explains this week to host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, is that his wealth-building strategies rely on using other people’s money to acquire and build winning global businesses. Photo: Ted Clark, Iron Path Capital |
Sat, 10 December 2022
A computer engineer by training, Joseph Fung has founded five technology companies, helped to back 20 startups, and now is the CEO of Uvaro, a rapidly growing career success company that provides lifelong training for those in a variety of professional roles, including sales, account management, customer service, and leadership.
Host Dean Rotbart describes Joseph as a walking encyclopedia of business wisdom. This week the two discuss a variety of timely topics, including generating a quality company culture, preparing employees for long-term success, investing in early-stage companies, and harnessing the rewards of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Photo: Joseph Fung, Uvaro |
Thu, 1 December 2022
At the peak of his popularity in the 1980s, electronics retailer “Crazy Eddie” was better known for his screaming and gesticulating television commercials promoting “insane” prices than were then-Mayor Ed Koch and President Ronald Regan. Thousands of customers would flock to store openings, hoping to nab a free t-shirt and get a glimpse of the unhinged pitchman. Behind the scenes, however, Eddie Antar — the real Crazy Eddie, not the TV actor who portrayed him in the commercials — was a thieving, lying, cheat who defrauded just about everyone who ever trusted him, and was ultimately sentenced to eight years in prison. Veteran investigative reporter Gary Weiss has written a page-turning biographical exposé of Eddie Antar: Retail Gangster: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie. This week Gary and host Dean Rotbart explore both the genius and insanity of Crazy Eddie, a business crook unlike any other in American history. Photo: Gary Weiss, Retail Gangster |
Fri, 25 November 2022
[November 29th is Giving Tuesday, a day for lending your support to worthy non-profits. This week’s podcast opens with a brief interview with Lisa Weyer, executive director of the All Kids Bike campaign and its parent, the Strider Education Foundation. All Kids Bike is on a mission to teach every child in America how to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class.]
Michael Beckley, an author and professor of political science, has briefed high-level policymakers, military leaders, and members of the U.S. intelligence services on his judgment that China is a nation on the descent, and that is likely to lead America into a direct conflict with the People’s Republic much sooner than anyone expects. Beckley is the co-author — along with Hal Brands — of Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China.
This week, Beckley explains the thinking behind his assessment and why business owners and entrepreneurs, not just policy wonks and the political class, would be wise to recognize the threat China poses and take steps now to prepare for the coming clash. Beckley is interviewed by Dean Rotbart, host and award-winning journalist. Photo: Michael Beckley, Danger Zone |
Sun, 20 November 2022
Forty days remain in 2022. Forty days to wrap up unfinished business and set course for the New Year. What can you accomplish between now and year-end to further your goals and check worrisome tasks off your to-do list? Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking answers, “Plenty.”
Dr. Sarah, a psychologist with more than 20 years of experience, is one of the nation’s preeminent experts on coaching entrepreneurs and professionals on how to get past their sense of being overwhelmed and the procrastination that often results. She is the founder of True Focus Coaching, which offers a variety of time management programs and consulting designed to get even the most time-challenged procrastinators unstuck. In working with clients over the years, Dr. Sarah has zeroed in on five steps that can bulldoze through the obstacles that undermine our productivity, keep us from achieving our goals, and set us on a negative emotional spiral. This week, Dr. Sarah shares with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart the proprietary system she relies on to get things done when there are simply too many things to do. Photo: Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking, True Focus Coaching |
Sun, 13 November 2022
In the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, B-List actor Robert Kerbeck played a Cardassian soldier, unrecognizable under facial prosthetics and heavy makeup.
But the alien disguise was child’s play compared to the many real-life guises Robert adopted over his long career as a highly paid corporate spy, absconding with invaluable, private intelligence so detailed it would make the CIA proud. Business-on-business spying is a huge industry — full of deceit and lies. No company is too small or unimportant to be confident that its competitors aren’t deploying snoops to extract valuable, actionable, proprietary information. Robert is the author of RUSE: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street. In the book, he regales readers with his adventures as a corporate spy - pretending to be someone he wasn’t to coax people inside giant corporations to reveal information and secrets that could lead to their downfall - and land Robert in jail for a long, long time. This week Robert shares the secrets of the dark art of corporate spying with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart. If, that is, you can believe Robert isn’t just running some kind of grand con on us. Photo: Robert Kerbeck, RUSE |
Sun, 6 November 2022
As a veteran manager of hundreds of employees, London-based author Jim Edwards would grade himself only a solid “B” as a supervisor.
So why do business owners and entrepreneurs on both sides of the Atlantic turn to Jim in impressive numbers for his recommendations on how they can perform better in leadership roles? The reason, says Jim, the author of Say Thank You For Everything, is that you don’t have to be a management superstar to be good enough to outperform your peers and competitors. Jim, a talented reporter and writer, gleaned his insights in his previous supervisory roles, including managing editor at Adweek, founding editor-in-chief at Business Insider UK, and editor-in-chief at Insider. Alyson Shontell, editor-in-chief of FORTUNE, describes Jim’s book as “equal parts smart, funny, blunt and helpful.” Adds Eric Schurenberg, former editor-in-chief of Inc. magazine: “Jim knows how the leadership game is played and, better yet, he knows how to coach his readers to play it as well.” Monday Morning Radio host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart promises that Jim’s organizational insights will leave you nodding your head and asking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Photo: Jim Edwards, Say Thank You for Everything |
Sun, 30 October 2022
Todd Mitchell is an award-winning author of novels for young readers. He teaches writing and literature at Colorado State University and has worked with thousands of writers. But Todd is much more than a university professor. He’s a creativity sherpa for all writers, artists, musicians, actors, entrepreneurs, and innovators who, at times, experience doubt, struggle, and failure.
While Todd’s latest book, Breakthrough, speaks most directly to those who call themselves writers, he notes that the challenges writers face — and can overcome — resemble the challenges that almost everyone faces when they send their creations out into the world to be admired, criticized, or ignored. [Todd’s paradigm is similar to that of Craig Archibald, who was featured on a popular episode of Monday Morning Radio in June 2022. Craig, a well-established acting coach and author, posits that the mindset necessary to be a successful actor and a successful business person is pretty much one and the same]. The subtitle of Breakthrough is “How to Overcome Doubt, Fear, and Resistance to Be Your Ultimate Creative Self.” Todd wrote the book after he was nearly defeated by the psychological demons that haunt many creatives. He found his way back to a happier, more fulfilling life and now shares his playbook for other creatives to follow. “Trust me when I say that Breakthrough is an inspirational book, one that has the potential to change your life,” says host Dean Rotbart, an award-winning journalist and author. “Todd offers the ‘cure’ for those of us who are achievement addicts.” Photo: Todd Mitchell, Author, Breakthrough: How to Overcome Doubt, Fear, and Resistance to Be Your Ultimate Creative Self |
Sat, 22 October 2022
Sitting in jail - facing a 13-year sentence - Rob Lohman had plenty of time to review his past: alcohol and drug addiction, gambling, bankruptcies, and even a suicide attempt. That was in 2012.
Since then, Rob, who was released from prison after less than a year, has not only turned his life around, he’s used savvy self-marketing to build a for-profit business guiding thousands of other men and women who’ve hit rock bottom — be it in their personal or business lives — to a fresh start. As Rob tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, his life story teaches that the same character traits that feed personal failure can be harnessed to rebound and achieve unprecedented success. Pick up a copy of Rob’s book: The Addition IntERvention. Photo: Rob Lohman, Lifted From The Rut |
Sat, 15 October 2022
Over the past decade, if you paid taxes, borrowed money, invested, or bought goods and services, no single elected or appointed government official has had more influence over your wallet than Janet Yellen. In fact, no person in American history has served — as Yellen has — in three influential government economic posts: Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, then Chair of the Federal Reserve, and since January 2021, as Secretary of the Treasury. Jon Hilsenrath, an award-winning senior writer for The Wall Street Journal covering economics and finance, has written the definitive biography of Janet Yellen and her Nobel Prize-winning economist husband, George Akerlof: “Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval.”
The book, due from HarperCollins on November 1st, can be pre-ordered at www.tinyurl.com/MMRYellen. Monday Morning Radio Host Dean Rotbart characterizes “Yellen” as an engaging read that will appeal to a broad audience, with unique value to younger readers who are just starting out or still early in their careers. “The book is a love story, it’s an overcoming obstacles tale, it’s a women’s empowerment narrative, and it provides fascinating insights into the way our government and economy operate,” Rotbart says. This week Hilsenrath raises the curtain on his forthcoming biography and explains why everyone who is a business owner or entrepreneur needs to learn all they can about Janet Yellen. To view a video of this week’s podcast, visit https://tinyurl.com/YTHilsenrath. Photo: Jon Hilsenrath, Author |
Fri, 7 October 2022
The title of Chris De Santis’s new book is sure to resonate with employers and employees alike: Why I Find You Irritating: Navigating Generational Friction at Work. Many business owners and veteran company employees find their younger colleagues irritating — failing to share their values and work ethic.
Guess what? The feeling is mutual, as Millennials and GenZers often lack respect for their older co-workers. Chris, an organization expert and former director of training and development for the American Medical Association, has studied generational differences for 18 years. He's discovered that — when well understood — the generational conflict that is so prevalent these days can be leveraged to the benefit of the organization and all its staff. Who buys that theory? Among Chris’s clients, you’ll find Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Lilly, and Bank of America. This week, Chris shares with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart his take on what most companies get wrong and how to avoid squandering the value inherent in generational diversity. Photo: Chris De Santis, Why I Find You Irritating |
Sun, 2 October 2022
Steve Curtin, ranked as one of the top 30 customer service experts in the world — with clients that include Carnival Cruise Line, NAPA Auto Parts, and TJ Maxx — believes that every owner and manager needs to have “The Revelation Conversation” with each of their employees.
The conversation, which is the focus of Steve’s latest book, is designed to address the question of why their job and their company matter. As Steve tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, “we’ve all heard the story of the NASA janitor who wasn’t mopping floors; he was helping to send a man to the moon.” Imagine what would happen to each worker’s productivity and job satisfaction, Curtin asks, if your employees felt the same way about the greater purpose of the work they do. After a 20-year career with Marriott International working in hotel operations, sales and marketing, and training and development, Steve now devotes his time to speaking, consulting, and writing on the topic of extraordinary customer service. Photo: Steve Curtin, The Revelation Conversation |
Sat, 24 September 2022
You may have never heard of Jonathan Dahl. But six times a year, he produces a glossy magazine that reaches 1.8 million high-powered global executives and owners, in addition to a weekly online newsletter that has surpassed 3.5 million annual page views.
What’s special about Jonathan is that he doesn’t work for a mainstream news organization. Rather, he generates what he calls “dazzling corporate content” for Korn Ferry, the highly respected privately held global consulting firm. Whether you own or operate a company with 50 or 50,000 employees, Jonathan tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart that you need to be generating regular articles and blog posts that showcase how you operate, your values, and how today’s broader news and trends relate to your business and your customers. Photo: Jonathan Dahl, Korn Ferry |
Sun, 18 September 2022
Sean Castrina says there are eight unbreakable rules that entrepreneurs who want to be a success must follow. Given that Sean has launched more than 20 companies over the past two decades — most of them successes — he knows more than a little about the dos and don’ts of competing effectively in the cutthroat business marketplace.
Sean is by no means lazy, but as he tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, his millionaire-producing formula has always been to create high-margin businesses in less-crowded fields and then let others do all the hard work. Be sure to download a copy of Sean’s book, 8 Unbreakable Rules for Business Start-Up Success, for free. Photos: Sean Castrina, 8 Unbreakable Rules for Business Start-Up Success |
Sun, 11 September 2022
Among the robber barons of the late 19th century, none was more ruthless and unscrupulous than Jay Gould, who amassed a fortune greater than that of the Rockefellers. During Gould’s life, he controlled the country’s largest railroad empire, Western Union, and even the New York World newspaper (which he sold to Joseph Pulitzer in 1883). Today, Gould is all but forgotten outside of academia. But his influence and the regulations put in place to try and prevent future stock manipulators such as he from succeeding continue to have a significant influence over American businesses and financial markets. Greg Steinmetz, a partner at a New York money management firm, has just published an authoritative biography of the clever and quirky Gould, American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street’s Biggest Fortune. Hate Gould or outright despise him, Steinmetz tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart that it’s not possible to deny that Gould played a domineering role in America’s transformative economic expansion of the 19th century. Photos: Author Greg Steinmetz and Jay Gould |
Sat, 2 July 2022
July 4th is the perfect time for fireworks, barbecues, and according to Lynette M. Smith, writing personal, heartfelt letters to colleagues, friends, family members, and others who enrich your life.
Lynette is a letter-writing evangelist who has authored multiple books on the art and impact of crafting the type of communications that will be saved and savored for years, even decades to come. [Get your personal copy of How to Write Heartfelt Letters to Treasure.] Spoken words, texts, and emails are fleeting. If you want to demonstrate genuine appreciation, Lynette tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, only a gratitude letter will do. Photo: Lynette M. Smith, Good Ways to Write |
Sat, 25 June 2022
What can an annual race featuring weiner dogs teach serious entrepreneurs and business owners about correctly predicting the outcome of any marketing campaign before spending a dime on testing the concept? Plenty.
That’s the bottom line of Peter Nevland’s latest book, Wiener Dog Marketing: A Silly Sounding Book for Serious Business Growth. The fast read not only features lessons Peter has gleaned from teaching and attending classes at the Wizard Academy, it also maps the mind of the Wizard himself, Roy H. Williams. Peter is one of the elite Wizard of Ads partners who helps already successful businesses find their unique path to much greater success, much faster. Peter was last a guest on Monday Morning Radio a decade ago, when he discussed his evolution from an engineer to a wordsmith and word coach. This week Peter shares with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart the secrets of sniffing out a successful marketing strategy, one short-legged, long-bodied canine at a time. Photo: Peter Nevland, Weiner Dog Marketing |
Sun, 19 June 2022
 CLOCKWISE: Dean Rotbart, Matt Quayle, Peter Coy, Henry Dubroff, Matt Murray, and Chris Roush
A special audio/video edition of Monday Morning Radio presenting a panel of distinguished journalists discussing the future of business journalism. TO VIEW THE VIDEO, CLICK HERE. This is the first episode in the 11th year of the business-to-business podcast. Everyone who owns a business, operates a professional practice, or works for either, understands the importance of the business news media - and their ability to provide actionable insights and intelligence. The discussion arises from the publication of The Future of Business Journalism and Why It Matters for Wall Street and Main Street by Chris Roush. Roush is the Dean of the Quinnipiac University School of Communications, where he is also a professor. He is a veteran business journalist and the founder of Talking Biz News — a must-read website for journalists and communications executives about the business journalism profession. Roush joins Dean Rotbart, award-winning author and host of Monday Morning Radio, to examine the history of the business journalism profession, its current status, and what Roush believes are the changes that are necessary to buttress business and financial news going forward. In his book, Roush writes: “[The] shift in business news content away from many consumers and small business owners on Main Street and toward Wall Street investors, money managers, and Fortune 500 executives is one of the most misunderstood inequalities in twenty-first century American civic life.” To examine that contention, along with other key elements in The Future of Business Journalism, are a distinguished panel of four veteran business journalists: Peter Coy, Opinion Economics Writer, The New York Times Posted: June 20, 2022 |
Sat, 11 June 2022
As the top journalist and now CEO of Fortune Media — publisher of Fortune magazine, Fortune.com, and an increasing array of live Fortune global conferences — Alan Murray is one of the most influential business journalists in the country.
In his capacity as the head of Fortune, Alan has the opportunity to keep company with many of the world's most prominent and influential people, including presidents, heads of state, legendary CEOs, titans of Wall Street, and even the Pope. Alan is the author of a bold, newly released book, Tomorrow’s Capitalist: My Search for the Soul of Business. In the book, Alan encapsulates the wisdom of his coterie, mixed with a full serving of his own savvy, to create a vision for a new, 21st-century breed of business owners and leaders. Alan dubs them Capitalists 2.0. Some of Alan’s ideas are surprisingly radical — or, if not radical — certainly a break from the traditions of Corporate America and the deeply-rooted Milton Friedman philosophy that “There is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.” This week, Alan sits for an exclusive interview with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart to explain how tomorrow’s CEOs can do a better job than their predecessors for their employees, communities, and investors. [Note: Alan’s journalism career spans more than four decades, including serving as deputy managing editor, executive editor online, Washington bureau chief, and a columnist for The Wall Street Journal. He is the recipient of a Business News Visionary Award, nominated by his peers and recognized for his transformative contributions to the business journalism profession. The Business News Visionary Awards are made possible by the support of Monday Morning Radio and The Dilenschneider Group. Additional support is provided by TimeinaBottlePhotography.com.]
Next Monday, June 20th, as Monday Morning Radio begins its 11th year of podcasting, host Dean Rotbart will moderate an extra special panel to discuss a provocative new book, the Future of Business Journalism. Everyone who owns a business, operates a professional practice, or works for either, understands the importance of the business news media - and their ability to provide actionable insights and intelligence. Chris Roush - Dean of the Quinnipiac University School of Communications and a veteran business journalist, is the author of The Future of Business Journalism which contends that significant changes must take place in the ways business journalism organizations operate for the betterment of Main Street and Wall Street. Joining Chris and Dean will be four distinguished business journalists: Peter Coy, Opinion Economics Writer, The New York Times Henry Dubroff, Owner and Founder, Pacific Coast Business Times Matt Murray, Editor in Chief, The Wall Street Journal Matt Quayle, Senior Executive Producer, CNBC-TV Photo: Alan Murray, Fortune Media |
Sun, 5 June 2022
Most people don’t think of Hollywood celebrities as entrepreneurs. But Craig Archibald, founder of The Archibald Studio, is not most people.
A well-established acting coach, Craig has mentored talents including Eric Roberts, Dan Futterman, John Slattery, and Constance Wu. One of the first lessons he drills into his clients’ minds is that acting is a highly competitive business, and if they are going to succeed, they need to excel as entrepreneurs. But get this, Craig also recommends that business owners study acting to improve their financial performance. Craig is the author of the new book, The Actor’s Mindset: Acting as a Craft, Discipline and Business. He joins host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart to explain the fascinating Hollywood-Business connection. And be sure to keep your ears open for cameos by Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, George Clooney, and the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Photo: Craig Archibald, The Archibald Studio |
Sun, 29 May 2022
As an active U.S. Army Colonel, Christopher Kolenda — a West Point graduate — led 800 paratroopers stationed in Afghanistan. Six of his soldiers were killed under his command.
The loss of his troops and the lessons he learned about effective leadership during his storied military career are front and center in Col. Kolenda’s mind this Memorial Day. Col. Kolenda is the author of Leadership: The Warrior’s Art and Zero-Sum Victory: What We’re Getting Wrong About War. He is also the founder of Strategic Leaders Academy, which works with leaders who want to apply insights from history and military operations to transform their businesses. Whether on the battlefields of Afghanistan or in the trenches of American businesses, Col. Kolenda says that victory depends on a three-legged foundation: Leadership, Culture, and Strategy. If your business lacks any one of these, he tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, you are forfeiting the competitive advantage. Photo: Colonel Christopher Kolenda, Strategic Leaders Academy |
Sun, 22 May 2022
Brian Scudamore was a high school dropout. Waiting at a McDonald’s drive-through, he spotted a ratty old pickup with “Junk Hauling” spray-painted on the side. “I could do that,” Brian told himself. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and inspired to do things bigger and better, Brian bought a beat-up old truck and launched what today is the $600 million global industry giant, 1-800-Got-Junk, which dominates the junk removal business. Brian is the founder and CEO of Vancouver-based 02E Brands — Ordinary 2 Exceptional — which offers innovative home services franchises, including 1-800-Got Junk, Wow 1 Day Painting, and Shack Shine.
This week, Brian shares practical insights from his latest bestselling book, BYOB: Business Your Own Business, Be Your Own Boss. The book debuted at #2 on The Wall Street Journal’s bestsellers list. BYOB is a follow-up to Brian’s popular 2018 book, WTF! [Willing to Fail]: How Failure Can Be Your Key to Success. Both BYOB and WTF were written with Roy H. Williams, founder of Roy H. Williams Marketing and co-founder of Wizard Academy. Brian is a fervent believer in the power of thinking BIG. Listen in as he explains why everyone has it within their means to achieve their dreams. “If Brian can succeed, so can you,” says host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart. “And that’s not rubbish.” Photo: Brian Scudamore, O2E Brands |
Sun, 15 May 2022
One of the most popular characters in Charles M. Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip is Linus Van Pelt, Charlie Brown’s best friend. Linus displays great wisdom even as he clings to his always-present blue security blanket.
Dr. Victoria Grady, an organization expert with decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, sees similarities between Linus and the type of “attachment behavior” that often stalls the progress of companies trying to successfully transform in the digital age. Do you or your colleagues have a mental “blankie” that is holding you back? Dr. Grady, co-author of Stuck: How to Win at Work By Understanding Loss, joins host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart to explain how to identify your attachment behaviors and offers insights on how to get people to “un-stick” and embrace and adopt change. Photo: Dr. Victoria M. Grady, PIvotPoint |
Sun, 1 May 2022
Tim Redmond, CEO of Redmond Growth Consulting, has spent more than 35 years mentoring plumbers, electricians, landscapers, remodelers, and other small bricks-and-mortar business owners on ways to dramatically improve their performance. Tim relies on an unusual framework for his growth principles: The Bible.
While Tim’s clients come from all religions and denominations, he looks to teachings in the New Testament, in particular, to steer his innovative coaching process. The Divine inspiration, Tim tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart, has led many of his clients to report heavenly improvements in their performance and profits. Photo: Tim Redmond, Redmond Growth Consulting |
Sun, 24 April 2022
Ken Lindner is a professional development maestro, having helped choreograph the careers of thousands of individuals from all walks of life. Among the many professionals he’s helped guide are leading broadcast personalities, including Lester Holt, Deborah Norville, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Leeza Gibbons, and Matt Lauer.
Ken’s approach to careers — and life in general - is simple: Make better choices, and achieve better results. The founder of Positive Life Choice Psychology, Ken is the author of six books, including Aspire Higher: How to Find the Love, Positivity, and Purpose to Elevate Your Life and The World! and Career Choreography: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Right Job and Achieving Huge Success and Happiness. This week, Ken shares with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart the concrete steps anyone can take to make more intelligent decisions — in life and career — and reap the bountiful benefits. Photo: Ken Lindner, Positive Life Choice Psychology |
Sun, 17 April 2022
Stephen Kreider Yoder and his wife, Karen, had been married for 42 years when last summer — at a combined age of 127 — the two successfully rode a tandem bike 3,819 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The 12-week adventure taught the couple a multitude of lessons about teamsmanship, resilience, planning (and spontaneity), the hospitality of strangers, the beauty of nature, and the addictive satisfaction of checking items off of their bucket list. This week Stephen, a journalist who has worked for The Wall Street Journal since 1983, and Karen, a retired professor and K-5 teacher, invite Monday Morning Radio listeners to ride along as they recount the inspiring story of their journey. Photo: Karen and Stephen Kreider Yoder |
Fri, 8 April 2022
Two of the country’s top experts on leadership — men who write bestselling books and get paid the big bucks to mentor top executives — confess that managing others doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, Ken Blanchard — who has sold more than 23 million copies of his books worldwide — and his colleague Randy Conley contend that outstanding leadership boils down to two common-sense ingredients: build trust with your employees and strive to serve others ahead of yourself. Of course, even managers who are prepared to take simple steps to boost employee satisfaction and productivity can benefit from a “leadership manual.” This week, Blanchard and Conley join host Dean Rotbart to share practical ideas from their latest book, Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust. [Are you an author or a would-be author? Pub-Site.com is the best do-it-yourself platform for building your author’s website. Take advantage of Pub Site’s free 14-day, no-obligation trial.] Photos: Ken Blanchard (l) and Randy Conley, Simple Trusts of Leadership |
Sun, 3 April 2022
The life and death of Tony Hsieh, the billionaire CEO of online shoe-seller Zappos, is a master class in visionary business leadership and a cautionary tale about how fame can mask profound problems. Hsieh, who sold Zappos to Amazon for $1.2 billion, died in a mysterious shed fire in late November 2020 at age 46.
This week, two reporters for The Wall Street Journal — Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre — join host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart to share details from their newly published biography of the business legend, Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest o Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. Theirs is a riveting examination of an entrepreneur who was simultaneously great and deeply flawed. Photos: Kirsten Grind (l) and Katherine Sayre, Happy at Any Cost Kirsten and Katherine will be signing copies of their book and invite Monday Morning Radio listeners to stop by and pick up a copy. Las Vegas: April 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Intuitive Forage Farmers Market, 300 N. Casino Center Blvd. San Diego: April 13, 7:30 p.m. Warwick's Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave. La Jolla |
Sun, 27 March 2022
Here is a harsh truth: Many entrepreneurs have no business running their own businesses.
In a no-holds-barred conversation with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, bestselling author Gino Wickman draws an impermeable line between those who have the right stuff to succeed in business and those who never will, no matter how hard they try. Wickman is the creator of “The Entrepreneurial Operating System,” which more than 130,000 companies have relied on to improve their results. He knows the ingredients of success and failure. Wickman’s most recent book, “Entrepreneurial Leap,” defines the attributes that entrepreneurs must possess to prosper, advises founders on ways to avoid common mistakes, and suggests alternatives for those not born to own and grow their own businesses. Do you have what it takes? Listen in and find out. [Listeners to Monday Morning Radio can purchase a copy of Dean Rotbart’s newest book, September Twelfth: An American Comeback Story. Visit Gutenberg’s Store.] Photo: Gino Wickman, Entrepreneurial Leap |
Sun, 20 March 2022
Ann Papayoti has plenty of reasons to be bitter. She lost an infant child, had another born with epilepsy, and was married to a belligerent and abusive husband.
But Ann chose to make peace with her past. Today, she is a successful self-help author and life coach who mentors others on how to overcome all manner of life setbacks. What allows people to prevail over their difficulties is what Ann calls “shift” — embracing a better, life-affirming perspective. Ann is the co-author, along with Tracy Mac Donald, of The Gift of Shift: Discover the Key Within to Unlock Your Best Life. In the book, Ann and Tracy share a collection of personal stories designed to inspire readers to look at life’s hardships from a fresh perspective. The book aims to help each of us find peace within, create positive change, and embrace a new outlook on life. This week Ann shares specific shift approaches to transform hardships into blessings. Photo: Ann Papayoti, The Gift of Shift |
Sun, 13 March 2022
Good PR has become everyone’s responsibility, regardless of your industry or job title. That is a core message shared by a distinguished panel of three experts on this week’s edition of Monday Morning Radio. Leading the panel is Robert L. Dilenschneider, editor of the newly published fifth edition of The Public Relations Handbook, a must-read for communications practitioners and a valuable reference for executives who wisely recognize that public relations is integral to every activity and decision they make.
Dilenschneider is the founder of The Dilenschneider Group, which for more than three decades has been providing strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies and leading families and individuals around the world. “Public relations professionals must be prepared to deal with a staggering variety of people, issues, and subjects,” Dilenschneider writes. His book consists of seventeen chapters, each contributed by recognized PR specialists. Two of the contributors — Jack Devine and Virginia A. Kamsky — join Dilenschneider and host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart on the panel. Devine is a founding partner and president of The Arkin Group, specializing in international crisis management, strategic intelligence, investigative research, and business problem-solving. He previously spent 32 years with the CIA, having served - among other posts - as Acting Director of Operations. Kamsky, who divides her time between New York and Beijing, is the founder of Kamsky Associates, Inc., a strategic advisory firm whose client base includes preeminent companies worldwide. During the Obama Administration, she was appointed a member of the US Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel, providing independent advice and recommendations. “The best thing anybody reading this book can do right now is come away and say, ‘Life has changed and if I’m going to keep up with it and be successful, I better change too,’” Dilenschneider says. “The book offers the ways people should adapt to the changing environment.” Released in February 2022 by Matt Holt Books, The Public Relations Handbook is available from Amazon in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook editions. Photos (Clockwise from upper left): Host Dean Rotbart, Contributor Virginia A. Kamsky, Editor Robert L. Dilenschneider, and Contributor Jack Devine |
Thu, 3 March 2022
Last week, due to a technical glitch at the service that hosts Monday Morning Radio, some listeners heard half of one podcast while others listened to a completely different episode.
So this week, we are offering a double-header. In center stage is David Hailey, founder of Countifi. This cutting-edge concern uses a combination of computer vision and artificial intelligence to help companies in the airline industry, healthcare, construction, and higher education gain better control of their supply chain management. Whether or not you need better supply chain management, David’s experience identifying a problem and building a business to address it is a tale to inspire every owner and entrepreneur.
Host Dean Rotbart’s other guest, Anton Suddia, is an expert on augmented reality who has fled his home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, with his wife and two young children. In a chilling conversation from his hiding place in Western Ukraine, Anton shared with Dean his very personal and compelling story of how his life has changed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th.To stream or download Dean’s conversation with Anton, click here. Top Photo: David Hailey, Countifi |
Sun, 27 February 2022
This week, a special edition of Monday Morning Radio features a conversation with Anton Suddia, a Ukraine-based expert on augmented reality.
Recorded Sunday, February 27th, Anton shares his very personal and compelling story of how his life has changed since Russia invaded Ukraine four days earlier. Anton previously appeared on this podcast in September 2016, discussing the global effort to bring Augmented Reality to Main Street businesses. A father of two young children, Anton and his wife fled Kharkiv, where his company — IT Craft — is headquartered and spoke with host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart from a comparatively safe location in the western region of Ukraine. Hearing Anton brings home the tragedy of what’s happening in Ukraine and how it has disrupted everyday life and commerce. Anton’s future is up in the air. He doesn’t know if his company will still exist by the time listeners hear this week’s podcast. He doesn’t know if he’ll still have a job or paycheck in the days and weeks ahead. And, most critically, he doesn’t know whether he’ll be forced to flee again and, if so, where he can go.
Originally, this week’s guest was scheduled to be David Hailey, founder of Countifi and an expert on using computer vision and inventory control to improve supply chain management. Instead, our conversation with David will be featured on next week’s episode. Top Photo: Anton Suddia, IT Craft |
Sun, 20 February 2022
There is only so much room at the top of the corporate ladder. What can owners and CEOs do to retain and incentivize good employees when no more executive slots are available?
According to Julie Winkle Giulioni, a human resources expert and bestselling author, there are excellent alternatives to promotions. Besides, many employees no longer want all the drama and responsibilities that come with upper-management jobs. Julie’s new book, Promotions Are So Yesterday, won’t be out until next month. But host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart persuaded Julie to share some of her best employee enticements on this week’s podcast. [Are you an author or would-be author? Pub-Site.com is the best do-it-yourself platform for building your author’s website. Take advantage of Pub Site’s free 14-day, no-obligation trial.] Photo: Julie Winkle Giulioni, Promotions Are So Yesterday |
Sun, 13 February 2022
To sell his first book, Man Interrupted, James Bailey — a sufferer of severe obsessive-compulsive behavior who was living out of his car at the time — staked out bookstores and celebrity haunts in Malibu, Santa Monica, and other well-to-do Southern California towns.
When he spotted stars, he unashamedly pressed them to buy his book or at the very least accept a free copy. Bob Dylan bought one. So did James Woods. Simon Cowell promised to buy the book. And Mel Brooks was so impressed with James that the Academy Award-winning writer of The Producers wrote a cover blurb for James’s newest book, The Diary of a Manic OCD Bookseller. “I never back off,” James tells host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart. Indeed, James has sold thousands of his books, one at a time, and this week he explains how anyone can adapt his methods to help them achieve their goals. Photo: James Bailey, The Diary of a Manic OCD Bookseller |
Sun, 6 February 2022
Douglas Holmes is a veteran investment banker who sees massive potential in telemedicine.
His latest venture is DermatologistOnCall features a network of board-certified dermatologists who provide telemedicine services in all 50 states, and can even offer an in-home melanoma test. The secret of DermatologistOnCall’s success, Douglas tells award-winning author and journalist Dean Rotbart, is the advanced technology that is the foundation of the service. Douglas shares insights that could revolutionize how you reach and serve your customers, whether or not you work in healthcare. Photo: Douglas Holmes, DermatologistOnCall |
Sun, 30 January 2022
A California entrepreneur, Melissa Joseph, has combined her love poetry and her life-long habit of writing personal Thank You notes to launch a new business, Lotus Cards: Notecards with Heart.
The cards offer mix-and-match whimsical original poetic sentiments — each composed by Melissa — with a variety of unique, stylistic cover art. With Valentine's Day only two weeks off, Melissa’s cards make for highly original greetings. Host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart says that Melissa, a former English teacher, is special for a couple of reasons: One - she’s a senior citizen unafraid to venture into a new business, and Two - she’s donating all proceeds from the sale of her cards to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Roses are red, Photo: Melissa Joseph and Lotus — Lotus Cards: Notecards with Heart |
Sun, 23 January 2022
This week, in Part Two of host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart’s conversation with business historian Gary Hoover, the two turn their attention to women and minorities who overcame long odds to build or lead successful companies.
They’ll also reveal the failures and rebounds of some great American companies and share the story of one executive whose business failed, and afterward, he went home to his parents’ house and locked himself in the bedroom for a month. True story. Gary is the executive director of the American Business History Center and the author of Bedtime Business Stories: Short Sagas of Business Creation, Success, and Failure. A serial entrepreneur, one company Hoover founded was acquired by Barnes & Noble, while another was purchased by Dun & Bradstreet. Gary’s specialty is looking back at the great industries, businesses, and business leaders of bygone days and reminding all of us of what made them great and how we can apply their insights today. Photo: Gary Hoover, American Business History Center |
Sun, 16 January 2022
Back in November, when General Electric announced its plan to break itself into three different companies, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart invited business historian Gary Hoover to share the lessons of GE’s fall from grace.
Hoover is the executive director of the American Business History Center and the author of Bedtime Business Stories: Short Sagas of Business Creation, Success, and Failure. A serial entrepreneur, one company Hoover founded was acquired by Barnes & Noble, while another was purchased by Dun & Bradstreet. This week, in part one of a two-part conversation, Rotbart and Hoover take a deep dive into an array of legendary American businesses and CEOs and what they can teach today’s business owners and leaders. Photo: Gary Hoover, American Business History Center |
Sun, 9 January 2022
Host Dean Rotbart is being mysterious about his guests this week on Monday Morning Radio. All he’ll say is that their names are Peter Desberg and Jeffrey Davis and between the two of them, their clients have included Apple, Dell Computers, Boeing, Toyota, and Honda. Peter and Jeffrey have a "how-to" business book coming out next month that the authors promise will have entertaining, actionable advice for all owners and entrepreneurs, regardless of the nature of their businesses.
The two authors think that after hearing what they have to say, many listeners will want to buy their book. If you do, you can pre-order it here. But as Dean points out, it’s totally up to listeners to decide if Peter and Jeffrey acquit themselves admirably. Photos: Peter Desberg (l) and Jeffrey Davis, Authors |
Sun, 2 January 2022
If Clay Stafford were to put all of his titles on a single business card, it would be one mammoth ID. Clay is, among other things, an award-winning author — having sold nearly four million copies of his books, a poet, a screenwriter and playwright, film and television producer, director, showrunner, actor, educator, reviewer, and public speaker.
Oh yes, he is also the founder of The Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference - now in its 16th year - that has become the premier forum for all genres incorporating mystery, thriller, or suspense content. This week, Clay shares with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart how and why he does so many creative things and what we can learn from his successful approach to artistry. Photo: Clay Stafford, Killer Nashville [Grab your copy of Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, featuring stories by Clay Stafford, Anne Perry, Jeffery Deaver, Mary Burton, and others.] |
Sat, 25 December 2021
Imagine learning best business practices from the former vice chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton, Chairman of Chiquita Brands International, publisher and CEO of the Chicago Sun Times, and directors at Virgin America and Allegheny Energy.
You wouldn’t actually need a very big room, since Cyrus Freidheim filled everyone of those roles during his 55-year business career, as well as stints at Union Carbide, Ford Motor, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Cyrus has summed up all he’s learned about business — and life — in a newly published book, Commit & Deliver: On the Frontlines of Management Consulting. There’s no need to pay $1,000 an hour or more for Cyrus’s expertise. It’s free for the taking this week as host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart’s guest is Cyrus Freidheim. Photo: Cyrus Freidheim, Commit & Deliver |
Sun, 19 December 2021
Until they turn 25 years old, most individuals are really only life “interns.” Full life begins once we enter our mid-20s. At its core, that is what Robert L. Dilenscneider’s latest book, Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together, is about.
Dilenschneider, an accomplished author and communications consultant, tells the story of 25 well-known personalities when they were 25 years olds — from Mozart to Edith Paif, Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs — and the one defining trait they shared on their path to immortality. To help interview Dilenschneider, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart enlisted his multi-talented daughter, Avital, who not coincidentally, turns 25 years old this week. As Avital points out, there is a great deal to be learned from history, no matter your age. Photo: Robert L. Dilenschneider, Nailing It |
Sun, 12 December 2021
Treating all of your employees equally may seem like an ideal approach. But it's not. The one-size-fits-all approach, says Minal Bopaiah, an expert in diversity, equity and inclusion, often holds back employees who don’t fit the prototypical characteristics of today’s workforce.
The better approach, Minal tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, is to design a human-centered organization that offers “equity” to everyone — making room for those who are different and then leveraging those disparities. Minal is the author of Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives, an eye-opening new book that will challenge your perspective on fairness and productivity in the workplace. Her firm, Brevity & Wit, helps organizations — including Amnesty International, NPR, The Christian Science Monitor, and Human Rights Watch — achieve the change they wish to see in the world. Photo: Minal Bopaiah, Brevity & Wit [Purchase your copy of A Christmas Day Miracle by Dean and Talya Rotbart: “An inspirational adult yuletide tale that offers hope to everyone — regardless of their religious beliefs — about the wonder and power of life’s unexpected blessings.” Get the Kindle edition for only $4.95.] |
Sun, 5 December 2021
Some of the world’s most successful investors are also some of the happiest people on earth. It’s not because they are rich — money still won’t buy happiness — but because they are able to think more rationally, rigorously, and objectively when it comes to every aspect of their lives. In his book, Richer, Wiser, Happier: How The World’s Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life, author William Green shares insights he’s gleaned conducting dozens of interviews over the years with financial superstars including Sir John Templeton, Peter Lynch, Michael Price, Ed Thorp, and Charlie Munger.
Hearing the concepts that Green shares with host and award-winner reporter Dean Rotbart won’t magically turn you into an overnight billionaire. But it may very well help you improve your decision-making skills, assess risks, avoid preventable errors, and build resilience regardless of what life sends your way. And, Dean adds, you’ll likely become a better investor, too. Photo: William Green, Richer, Wiser, Happier [Purchase your copy of A Christmas Day Miracle by Dean and Talya Rotbart: “An inspirational adult yuletide tale that offers hope to everyone — regardless of their religious beliefs — about the wonder and power of life’s unexpected blessings.” Get the Kindle edition for only $4.95.] |
Sun, 28 November 2021
Change has changed. That is the premise of bestselling author Erika Andersen’s latest book, Change from the Inside Out, a primer for businesses and individuals on how to rethink change — typically viewed as difficult, costly, and uncomfortable — and instead embrace it as doable, rewarding, and routine.
Erika, founder of Proteus International, is a consultant and advisor to top executives at organizations including Amazon, Spotify, and the Yale School of Public Health. She has made a career out of helping her clients become “change-capable” leaders; able to respond to, and actually benefit from, the rapid speed and relentless nature of change. Are you prepared for whatever comes next? Join host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart as he and Erika explore the many advantages of greeting change with a fresh, positive perspective. Photo: Erika Andersen, Proteus |
Sun, 21 November 2021
Last week’s partial lunar eclipse attracted millions of people to gaze at our nearest celestial neighbor. One of them, Daniel Sax, has designs on more than just staring at the moon. He intends to mine the crusty orb for water and oxygen, essentials that future planetary travelers will need to sustain them on lunar bases and fuel their voyages to Mars and beyond.
Daniel is the co-founder of Toronto-based Canadian Space Mining Corporation, launched in August 2020. He aims to propel Canada to the forefront of the anticipated demand for space-based supply chains and utilities, and he’s drawing a lot of interest from prospective investors and government officials. Host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart says what makes Daniel’s story so compelling — and relevant to all entrepreneurs — is that he not only dreams big, he is crafting a pioneering business to turn his dreams into a reality. Photo: Daniel Sax, Canadian Space Mining Corporation |
Sun, 14 November 2021
For more than a century, General Electric stood as a beacon of American manufacturing and ingenuity. The 129-year-old company was once the most valuable U.S. corporation; its brand emblazoned on tens of thousands of products from light bulbs to nuclear power plants.
On November 8th, GE, which has been in decline for years, announced that it would spin out its remaining operations into three separate companies, in effect, heralding the end of General Electric as the world knew it. What went wrong and what can today’s business owners and leaders learn from the rise and fall of GE? Gary Hoover, executive director at American Business History Center and a leading business historian, is host Dean Rotbart’s special guest this week. Photo: Gary Hoover, American Business History Center |
Sun, 7 November 2021
Fear is a stick that many bosses use to squeeze extra productivity out of their employees: Fear of job loss, fear of career stagnation, and even fear of humiliation in front of their colleagues.
There remains a place for fear in the workplace — when well-managed — but two former McKinsey and Company consultants have helped more than 1,000 business leaders and hundreds of organizations embrace the “Unfear” methods of leadership, leading to breakthrough success and elevated levels of employee satisfaction. This week, authors Gaurav Bhatnagar and Mark Minukas share with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart how fear — properly channeled — provides valuable opportunities for individuals and organizations to learn and grow. [Pick up your own copy of Unfear here.] Photo: Gaurav Bhatnagar (l) and Mark Minukas, Co-Creation Partners |
Sun, 31 October 2021
The Op-Ed pages of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today are among the hardest journalism forums for outsiders to crack.
Bob Brody has spent the past 40 years as an Op-Ed “safecracker,” having written or ghost-written roughly 1,000 Op-Ed essays. If you are passionate about a topic of public interest or are looking for a way to bolster your stature in the public eye, Op-Eds can be a uniquely valuable tool. This week Bob shares with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart the methods that he’s discovered are most effective for newcomers hoping to break into the Op-Ed pages of the nation’s elite news organizations. Photo: Bob Brody, bobbrody@hotmail.com Read Dean Rotbart’s latest Op-Ed essay in The Wall Street Journal here. Purchase a signed copy of Dean’s new book, September Twelfth: An American Comeback Story, here. |
Sun, 24 October 2021
By now, nearly everyone knows that William Shatner, aka Captain James T. Kirk, flew into space aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft on October 13th.
Why would Jeff Bezos, who owns the rocketship company, want to invite a 90-year-old actor whose turn in the original Star Trek series took place more than 50 years ago on board when Bezos could have sold that seat for tens of millions of dollars? Longtime Wizard of Ads Partner Jeff ‘The Professor’ Sexton tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart that there are priceless marketing lessons to be gleaned from Bezos’s inclusion of Shatner — insights that can lead to out-of-this-world success whether you’re selling space exploration, insurance, beer, breakfast cereal, or even toilet paper. Strap yourself in, Jeff and Dean are ready to blast off. Read Jeff Sexton’s article, “Two Marketing Lessons From William Shatner and Blue Origin.”
Photo: Jeff Sexton, Wizard of Ads Partners |
Sun, 17 October 2021
David Cowan had a skilled career in geographic information systems — linking data to maps, when he thought he’d try his hand at financial services. Instead of making more money, he made none.
Hard times quickly followed. In his early fifties, David found himself without a car, renting a single room to live in, and walking to a nearby McDonald’s where he worked the drive-thru window overnight. “You just can’t give up on yourself,” David tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart. This week, Dean and Monday Morning Radio debut The Comeback Project, an occasional series of profiles featuring great global comeback stories. Rallying from misfortune — be it financial, health, a relationship gone bad, a natural disaster, a violent crime, or any other variety of setbacks — may seem impossible in the moment. But as David’s story demonstrates, it is possible to rebound from the depths of despair and inspire others to do likewise. Do you have your own comeback story to tell or do you know someone — a family member, friend, colleague, or neighbor — who rebounded after a major setback and can serve as an example to others? Please send any leads for our Monday Morning Radiol Comeback Project to editor@shareyourcomeback.com. Photo: David Cowan, The Monday Morning Radio Comeback Project |
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