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
Posted: May 30, 2022
Monday Morning Run Time: 52:48

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
Posted: May 23, 2022
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:12

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
Posted: May 16, 2022
Monday Morning Run Time:  45:20

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
Posted: May 2, 2022
Monday Morning Run Time: 42:11