When it comes to late-career transitions, Gigi Meier’s reinvention is nothing short of remarkable. After three decades in banking — reaching the boardroom level of a multi-billion-dollar Texas institution — Gigi has reinvented herself as a successful romance writer.

She has self-published 16 books, some quite steamy, across three ongoing series. 

The cover of her books — not for every taste — typically feature a shirtless, ripped stud and a one-word title: Paolo, or Hamilton, or Giovanni.

One of Gigi’s best-selling books is her first, Tomlin, the tale of a small-town romance between a foul-mouth car restorer and a determined Judo Olympian who refuses to take no for an answer.

While you might expect Gigi to draw on her extensive banking experience to fuel her publishing success, as she explains on this week’s episode, she’s discovered valuable insights as a romance publisher that would have been useful during her banking career — and they offer actionable lessons for any business or entrepreneurial venture.

Whether or not you’re a fan of romance novels, you’ll want to cozy up to this week’s podcast for some sexy business ideas.

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

Photo: Gigi Meier, Author
Posted: March 31, 2025
Monday Morning Run Time: 42:18
Episode: 13.42

RELATED EPISODES:

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

• These ‘Master Mentors’ Can Transform Your Life and Career With Their Nuggets of Wisdom

• Shift Happens: We Can’t Control Our Personal or Business Misfortunes

At first, Maria Fraietta considered naming her organizing system the “death box.” After all, the idea for her product arose after her father passed away in January 2021, leaving Maria and her brothers to sort through their dad’s scattered files, financial accounts, bills, titles, and possessions.

Eventually, Maria landed on calling her kits Nokbox — N.O.K. box — for Next of Kin. Her vision was to save others priceless hours of frustration trying to piece together the puzzle of their deceased loved one’s accounts and possessions.

A high school teacher when she began, Maria invested just $50 to launch her company and ran the business from her living room with help from family and friends.

Less than four years later, Maria’s company has grown into a $34 million-a-year success story. 

Your homework this week is to learn valuable lessons from a teacher-turned-business-owner on this week’s episode.

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

Photo: Maria Fraietta, Nokbox
Posted: March 24, 2025
Monday Morning Run Time: 43:28
Episode: 13.41

RELATED EPISODES:

• School Teacher Turned Entrepreneur Collars Celebrities and Their Canines

• Timolin Langin Teaches How to Live Like a Millionaire…On Any Budget

• Farm-Fresh Business Insights From Charlotte, Wilbur, and Georgia Lininger

One of 2024’s most popular episodes of Monday Morning Radio featured Australian author and illustrator Andrew Matthews, who, along with his wife, Julie, has built a publishing empire that has sold more than 8 million global copies of his inspirational books about happiness and resilience.

Last time, Andrew focused on the uplifting messages his books convey.

On this, his second appearance from Queensland, Andrew pulls back the curtain on the persistence, relationship-building, adaptability, and strategic growth that have rocket-fueled his and Julie’s global business success. 

Andrew and Julie’s methods offer a roadmap that anyone looking to propel their business to a higher orbit can utilize.

[Hear Andrew Matthews’s First Appearance on Monday Morning Radio]

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

Photo: Andrew Matthews
Posted: March 17, 2025
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:44
Episode: 13.40

BOOKS BY ANDREW MATTHEWS INCLUDE:

• Bouncing Back!: How You Rebound From Disappointment and Disaster 

• Follow Your Heart

• Being Happy

• How Life Works

But I Said I’m Sorry by Talya Rotbart, has been honored as a Book Excellence Award finalist. It is available to share with the children in your life for only $11.10 from Amazon.

Robert L. Dilenschneider, founder and principal of The Dilenschneider Group, is well known as a venerated strategic communications advisor and counselor to many of the world’s most influential business and political leaders.

Bob’s extensive knowledge as a historian is less commonly known, especially one who can look to the past to identify role models whose lives are worth emulating today and in the future.

Following on the heels of his two most recent history-focused books — Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World and Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together — Bob’s latest volume, available to pre-order now, is Character: Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership.

Courage profiles a diverse group of 31 historical figures who drove society to be the best it could be. Among the disparate luminaries are Lou Gehrig, Winston Churchill, Julia Child, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Stephen Hawking, Margaret Chase Smith, Bill Russell, Jimmy Stewart, and S.P. Hinduja.

Bob views character as a vital ingredient for success in public and private life. “From a respected older generation of mentors comes invaluable advice and hopeful direction for the young leaders, innovators, and influencers of tomorrow,” Bob writes in describing his book, which officially goes on sale March 25th.

As co-host Maxwell Rotbart notes in introducing this week’s podcast, Bob left one person out of Character. Himself. He, too, epitomizes courage, integrity, and leadership.

[NOTE: The actionable insights of Robert L. Dilenschneider are featured in Maxwell Rotbart’s award-winning anthology, All You Can Eat Business Wisdom. A free unabridged copy of Bob’s chapter can be read here.]

The Dilenschneider “Library” of 23 Books Includes:

• Character: Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership

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

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

• The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence: Everything You Need to Know

• The Public Relations Handbook

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

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

Photo: Robert L. Dilenschneider, The Dilenschneider Group
Posted: March 10, 2025
Monday Morning Run Time: 43:30
Episode: 13.39

Pick up a copy of All You Can Eat Business Wisdom for yourself

Fun, well organized, and brimming with useful information, this is a book that some will want to read cover-to-cover and others will treat as a reference book to look up subjects as needed; either way, it’s a delight. 

— Kirkus Reviews