Leveraging Thought Leadership

Connecting your brand with Gen Z can be a difficult task. How do you speak to the market with authenticity and relevance? Gregg L. Witt, Senior Brand Builder/Marketing Strategist at the Think WithWitt and author of "The Gen Z Frequency," shares his years of experience as a "youth-brand" strategist. He opens up about his experiences, and gives tips to help your brand reach tweens, teens, and young adults. Gregg and Peter discuss the benefits of giving content away, building communities, and the value of building true relationships.

With technology the world is a different place, but there are basics of selling that will never change. Our guest is Jack Daly, a leading sales speaker with more than 30 years of experience and author of Best Selling books "Hyper Sales Growth" and "The Sales Playbook". Jack and Peter talking about finding clarity for yourself, using leverage to get more business, and the need for assistants. For some great free content check out Jack's magazine.

What does it take for you to be considered trust worthy? It's a function of two major factors expertise and empathy. Jim Karrh, Consultant, Speaker, Coach and author of the book "Managing the Message" coming later this year is our guest this week. He shares with us the importance of building trust, crafting the right message, and the value of writing a book. You can learn more from Jim on his podcast "Manage Your Message"

Taking your book to market comes with many decisions people won't considered until after the book is written. Have you clearly defined your audience? Do you seek a traditional publisher or self publish? Our guest Allison Shapira, CEO of Global Public Speaking and author of "Speak with Impact" gives us her insight on getting her book published, pricing vs value, and how success comes from building relationships of trust with clients.

As you get a calling deep in your soul to do what matters to you take the opportunity if it feels right. Even if you don't know what you are doing because you will learn along the way. Our guest Jody B. Miller, CEO of C2C Executive Search & Strategic Management and best selling author of "From Drift to Shift" introduces us to the MISOGI Method and why being happy with who you are is important to having success in all areas of your life. Together Jody and Peter discuss getting published, taking opportunities when presented, and figuring out the path of a Thought Leader.

When seeking a way to connect with your audience it is often your own personal story that has the greatest impact. We connect with our guest Anthony Davenport, CEO of Regal Credit Management and author o f "Your Score: Understanding, Controlling, and Protecting your Credit Score" on his journey from loan officer to CEO, author, and speaker. Anthony shares with us his journey getting published, working with a ghost writer, and being an entrepreneur.

How do you go about strategically selecting speaking engagements that you can turn into something more after the event? Michael Landers, Principle of Culture Crossing and author of the book "Culture Crossing" is our guest. Michael shares his experience on having a successful speaking engagement, navigating the awkward conversation of budgets, and the need for consistency in both performance and pricing.

Today's world is about facilitation, you need to figure out how to facilitate meaningful conversation and allow people to feel heard and understood. Our guest Lynda McNutt-Foster, CEO of Cortex Leadership Consulting and author of "Time Mastery" and "4 Keys to More Effective Leadership" shares her expertise as a coach and speaker. Lynda and Peter discuss how to deal with rainmakers, learning to work together, and how to make your audience feel heard and understood.

When you are able to build relevant business content, truly intellectually simulating ideas on top of great platform skills then you can really get noticed in the world of speaking. On this episode our guest is Juliet Funt, CEO of WhiteSpace at Work and premier keynote speaker. Peter and Juliet discuss the move from keynote speaking to a scaleable business, the differences between working with mid-size and fortune companies, and the need for practice regardless of natural talent.

There are 3 levels to honesty. And when leaders align all three levels within themselves and their organizations that is when they truly dominate their industry. Our guest is Peter Kozodoy, Chief Strategy Officer for GEM Advertising and author of "Honest to Greatness". The Peter's discuss entrepreneurship, why you need to be brutally honest and how your identity is your company. If we're not learning we're dying as entrepreneurs. Listen in to learn more!

Almost everyone is on social media these days but as a Thought Leaders what are the do's and do not of using social media? We welcome Karen Yankovich, President of Up Level Media and host of the podcast "Good Girls get Rich". Karen shares her expertise on social media and how it is about the conversation and not just throwing out content. Peter and Karen tackle some of the etiquette for successfully reaching people on social media and not coming off as pushy. This is a must hear episode!

If you are having trouble with the content for you book you might have to switch how you look at it from writing the book you want to writing the book people will want to read. Peter welcomes Denise Lee Yohn, brand building expert and author of "Fusion" and "What Great Brands Do". Together they discuss the mental and financial burden of getting a book published. Finding the angle to write the book people want to read. And getting the most value out of a position before you make the leap to something else.

Advertising is there to prop up brands that are not doing that well. Really good brands don't need advertising. Aaron Keller, CEO of Capsule and author of "The Physics of Brand" shares why advertising is the tax you pay for not being interesting. Why you need to have a passion for the content you create. What you need to write a good book. And if writing media a few hours a week can have a noticeable return.

A good use of soft skills can make up more than 50% of what drives performance. Nathan Regier,CEO of Next Element and author of "Conflict without Causalities" joins Peter to discuss the changes in the corporate space, switching sales models, and the slow train of effects that take place after your book is published.

Having a coach is a must have for any senior executive who is ambitious to really leverage themselves and leverage the team they have. John Murphy, executive coach and owner of John Murphy International joins Peter to share the power of having a coach, how you can tell if a client is going to be a good fit,and why you need to be the walking embodiment of of the values that are core to your organization. Check out more of John's content: http://www.johnmurphyinternational.com/leveragingthought/

When faced with adversity you need to be accountable for what happened but also look for the lesson to be learned from it. James Kelley, a professor at United Arab Emirates University and author of "The Crucible's Gift" shares his knowledge on how those who can embrace their adversity thrive better as a leader. Together James and Peter discuss building digital content and how you can set yourself apart from the rest of the market.

When delivering content you need to energize the learners who will go out and leverage their strengths and build relationships based on the content. Vicki Halsey, Vice President of Applied Learning at The Ken Blanchard Companies and author of "The Hamster Revolution" and "Brilliance by Design" joins Peter to share why teachers should only spend 30% of their time speaking and 70% of the time listening to students. If you want to know how to deliver content and have learners be engaged this is a must listen episode.

When starting out as an author it can be a good idea to reach out to other authors for tips on getting started. Amy Radin, Marketing and Innovation expert and author of "The Change Makers Playbook" joins Peter to discuss the process of writing her first book and what she learned along the way. In addition they share their knowledge on marketing, pricing, and content development in this must listen episode!

In the past the initial marketing push for your book came from the publisher. Now you have to create your own marketing campaign. Barbara Cave Henricks, Founder of Cave Henricks Communications and author of "Mastering the New Media Landscape" gives us her expertise on the mistakes people make launching their book, how your should prepare now for the book you might write in the future, and how to set your expectations before you book launch.

In the content business there are only three ways to make more money. Do more of what you are doing. Do more of what you are doing at a higher price point. Or digitise and scale your content. Jackie Woodside, radio and TV personality, Tedx speaker and author of "Calming the Chaos" and "Time for Change" joins Peter to discuss expanding her profits, getting better traction in the market place, and having to do the parts of the business you might not love.

What makes a healthy business tick? Why do some businesses get off track, fall out of line and have missteps that become patterns? Guy Pierce Bell, author of "Unlearning Leadership" and accidental Thought Leader joins Peter to discuss how to keep your business healthy, where innovation happens, and how to prepare after you've booked a speaking engagement. If you want a better understanding of Guy's adventures from musician to Thought Leader be sure to listen in.

What does it mean to be a modern elder? And do you need one in your workplace? Or are you one already? Chip Conley, Founder of the Modern Elder Academy, Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at Airbnb and author of "Emotional Equations", "Peak", and his newest book "Wisdom at Work" joins Peter to discuss the concept of a Modern Elder, how age diversity is important in the work place, tips for writing a book, and finding your audience. This episode is overflowing with great advice be sure to listen in!

What does it take in terms of managing yourself, leveraging your team, and engaging your colleagues for leaders to be fully at their best? Scott Eblin, President of the Eblin Group and author of "The Next Level" and "Overworked and Overwhelmed" joins Peter to discuss how a book can be one channel for a set of ideas but can become the foundation for your entire business for years to come.

People tend to learn differently today than they did in the past. How do content providers cater to the new generation to ensure what they put out is digestible by today's market? Lisa Nirell, founder of Energize Growth and author of "The Mindful Marketer" and "Energize Growth Now" discusses how to make your content for various modalities, the benefits of partnering with LinkedIn, and the power of community! If you have content and want to connect with the current generation don't miss this episode!

As you progress through your journey as a Thought Leader you always have to be willing to learn and unlearn. As times change what once worked may no longer work and being able to grow and change is key. Holly G. Green, CEO of The Human Factor and author of "Using Your Brain to Win" shares her advice on how she has kept up with the changes in the content space, how writing, speaking and consulting can feed each other, and why making the highest billable hour isn't always best for the long term.

When starting out if you don't have a large network, affiliate with others who are further along to leverage their contacts. Jim Jubelirer, of Jubelirer Results Group and co-author of "Mastering the Art of Success" joins Peter to talk about his time as a Thought Leader and how he affiliated to move further along. Together they share advice on networking, finding your audience, and why you need to invest in learning about yourself. Jim also shares why the future is brighter than you think! http://www.jubelirerresultsgroup.com/leveragingthought/

One simple philosophy for success as a consultant is Be Helpful. Don't make it about selling more tomorrow. You have to genuinely help and be clear about what help you can give. Thomas Barta primer marketing leadership expert and author of "The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader" sits down with Peter to help our listeners with advise on marketing, being distinctive, and how keynote speaking can be an opportunity to test new concepts that might one day work themselves into a book.

How do you go from being really good as an investor to developing processes and methodologies that are teachable? This week Mark Kenney, founder of Think Multifamily and seasoned real estate investor joins us to shares his journey from investor to content producer running webinars and multi-day events helping others find their way in the multifamily investor scene. If you are curious about what it takes to get into investing in multifamily buildings, understand the risks of moving from expert to content provider, and getting tips on how to make the move yourself be sure to listen to this episode.

In your first year of consulting you might find yourself doing anything to pay the bills all the while figuring out what niche you want to specialise in and what areas you do not want to work in. Dan Hawkins President of Summit Leadership Partners shares his journey from corporate America to the other side of the fence. Peter and Dan discuss the importance of a consistent and ongoing online presence, how to not go broke pitching against bigger firms, and why having original tools for you clients is key!

Publishing books sometimes isn't about making money. It can be about building credibility, making your brand, and having resources to give to clients Erika Andersen, Founding partner of Proteus International and author of "Be Bad First" shares her insight on how the publishing landscape has changed, the benefits of getting a book published beyond sales, and how to make sure you have a successful book. For information on why you need to be the CEO of your book stay tuned!

Do you have a blog? Or are you thinking about starting one? If so you have to have consistency in your posting schedule and write in a manner that reaches a wider audience than you might be used to writing for. This week Dayne Shuda, owner of Ghost Blog Writers, joins us to give some great advise about how to have a successful blog and what you can expect if you go with hiring a ghost writer to maintain your blog presence. A blog can gain you traffic to your website, connections on social media, and so much more. Listen in to learn how.

Of all the challenges and problems we see in the work world how can we address those through being more effective leading self, leading others, and leading the organization. Jan Rutherford, founder of Self Reliant Leadership and author of "The Littlest Green Beret" guides us through his experience of teaching in the military at age 19 to running his own company taking top level executives and veterans though expeditions to foster the exchange of new ideas!

The most important thing as a Thought Leaders is to be generous with your thoughts and to be generous with your help. Lee Caraher, President of Double Forte and author of "Millennials & Management" is generous with her help today sharing her experience dealing with Millennials in the work place, having a book deal dropped into her lap, and why you need to own your own content space. If you have a solution to a problem, tune in to find out why you should share it and how to best do that.

If you are looking to be a guest on a podcast what are the things you should be aware of and look for. If you are going to host your own podcast it should not only tell the audience what you do, but what you are an expert at. This week we get meta with out guest Matt Johnson, host of the "YouX" podcast and Founder / CEO of Pursuing Results. Matt shares a bit of his expertise in using podcasting to break into new markets and build strategic relationships. If you are thinking of starting a podcast don't miss this episode!

Building brand equity can take a really long time and you have to be patient. If you do it right it will pay off! Christopher Watters, CEO of Christopher Watters International Realty and co-author of "The Million Dollar Real Estate Team" takes us in a different direction this week. Listen in to learn how a real estate agent doing 50x the business of an average agent formed a methodology to teach how he did it. Chris discusses with Peter the process of going from the B-C to B-B world, the hardships of building brand equity, and how you can hire a team that become experts in their role. This episode has knowledge to share that goes well beyond the Real Estate game!

The internet has changed a lot in the Thought Leader world. The content creation cycle is a lot faster than it used to be and you can no longer just be a speaker or an author. Something that has not changed is you have to know what you stand for. Cathy Paper, Founder of RockPaperStar and expert in strategic assessment and coaching, joins us to share her experience in helping people develop their content and packaging themselves. Cathy and Peter give advise on finding your audience, scaling content, and the usefulness of group programs.

Writing your book is only 10% of the effort. The other 90% comes from how you market it, package it, the platform you put it on, and the connectivity you have with your audience. This week Robert "Dusty" Staub founder and CEO of Staub Leadership and author of "The Heart of Leadership" and The Seven Acts of Courage" joins us to talk about how the publishing landscape has changed over the last 20 years, what level of promotion you can expect from your publisher, and how your book can be both resource and calling card. If you want to hear how you can turn a speaking engagement into selling hundreds if not thousands of your books tune in!

As a Thought Leader you might feel like you have content that can help everyone. But few have the money to market everyone. The key is to find your niche and market to them! This week Naphtali Hoff, a successful coach at Impactful Coaching & Consulting and author of "Becoming the New Boss" sits down to discuss his methods for content creation, publishing strategy, and how he went about finding his niche market. If you are just moving into the Thought Leader space from another occupation finding your value and understanding how you are going to serve your clients can be a tough hill to climb. Tune in and take advantage of the years of wisdom Naphtali and Peter have to share!

As a speaker you have to have clarity of purpose and your purpose is to attract clients. You have to know how you can leverage your speaking engagements into truly becoming a business. This week Dave Lorenzo, speaker, business strategy consultant and author of "The 60 Second Sale" joins us to dispense some hard truths that other might not tell you. The information you need to hear is: speaking is not a business. It is an opportunity to get in front of an audience and show your value so you can provide that value later on for a multiple of what you would make doing a speech. Dave and Peter discuss how to develop a relationship, how giving away product can turn into big money, and why it is important to tailor your offer to your audience. If you want to know what know one else will tell you, don't miss this episode!

There are a lot of ways for a Thought Leader to get paid. Write, speak, advise, building, and training are just some. How can you know which direction to turn your focus? How will you know what the market wants from you? Tim Sanders, CEO of Deeper Media Research and author of New York Times Bestselling book "Love is a Killer App" has done it all during his career. Today he sits down with Peter to discuss sticking with his gut on the title of his book, his advisory role to businesses going through transition, and what you should be willing to take a risk on. If you are transitioning from business to speaker / writer this episode will help you understand the needs of being an indirect or direct marketer and why you should be careful collaborating with gatekeepers. Show the love and listen!

Too often the work place is not considered somewhere the front line employee can make a difference or feel like they are part of something bigger. How can you inspire your employees to show up to work and know their why, beyond just making a paycheck. This week Ryan McCarty, co-founder of Culture of Good and co-author of "Building a Culture of Good" sits down with Peter to discuss how he took his experience in the not for profit world and changed the corporate culture of TCC Communications and many other businesses. Ryan shares his knowledge on why profit doesn't have to be evil. How you can have fun, build your business, and make a difference in the world. If you want your why to equal your what. Tune in!

Forty years ago a speaker could give the same speech to every client. With the reach of technology companies not only expect a key note customized for them but to be able to access your material at any time. How can you take a sixty minute keynote and turn it into something that can truly move the bar? Patricia Fripp, a Certified Speaking Professional, former President of the National Speakers Association, and creator of FrippVT, joins Peter to share her years of experience on how the speakers market has changed and how client expectations have changed. She also gives advise for taking your speaking ability to the virtual realm and why a speakers has to be an excellent listener as well. Test your listening skills and tune in!

In the world of training and the speed of technology it can become adapt or die. When you make the move to digital with your content you have to ask a lot of questions. What platform should you use? How do you break your content down into bite size chucks? And how do you create value in distance learning are just a few. Eric Lofholm, International Master Sales Trainer and author of the best selling book "The System" joins Peter to discuss his journey from being one month away from being fired from his sales job to becoming one of the top sellers in just 60 days. How he used his experience working with Tony Robbins to start his business, and what you should do when moving your training content to an online model. Take action in the face of resistance and don't miss this episode!

Are you a CEO who has lost the love for your work? Burned out and not sure where to go next? It is a common problem that happens to a lot of professionals when their role changes over time. What was once a fulfilling position might feel like little more than paper pushing, leaving you to question what your strengths are and where to go next. Susan Peppercorn, Career Coach with Positive Workplace Partners and author of the new book "Ditch Your Inner Critic at Work" joins Peter to tells us why people often underestimate their own strengths and how Positive Psychology can help you find a new path.

Companies will spend almost a billion dollars in the US this year on training, but what should your training be focused on? Shane Green, President of SGEi and author of "Culture Hacker" joins Peter to tell you why training might actually be the last piece of the puzzle your company needs to move its customer service forward. Starting his career at the Ritz-Carlton, Shane has become a leader in customer experience and organization culture. Together Peter and Shane discuss the process of turning customer experience knowledge into a book. How important it is to have your content out in all aspects of the market, and why re-purposing content can save you time and grow your audience.

When you are developing your platform it isn't temporary. It's got to feel good, you have to be proud of it and it has to be part of you. Dana Shaw Arimoto, founder of Phoenix5 and author of the "Stop Settling" movement talks with Peter about her journey. Together they share advise and experience working together validating a platform born out of personal necessity. Turning that platform into a book and navigating the road of publishing. And finally taking that book and turning it into a valid assessment tool that can reach anyone regardless of age, gender, or occupation. If you are struggling with work / life balance, trying to understand the publishing world, or trying to make your assessment tool valid this is the show you must listen to.

If you are an established academic writer looking to make the jump to a more general audience with your material you could end up facing a lot of hardships you did not expect. Today on Leveraging Thought Leadership Jackie Stavros, co-author of the new book "Conversations Worth Having" from Berrett-Koehler Publishers talks about her experience going from a well-respected academic writer to meeting the demands of publishing a book in the life-style genre. How do you go about finding the right publisher? What should you know before you approach a publisher? How do you manage having to change the voice you speak in, the constraints of page counts, and the often under estimated task of actually launching the book are just a few of the stumbling blocks you might encounter. Be sure to listen in as Jackie shares her story and Peter shares his expertise on the publishing world.

If you are seeking to take your assessment product to the market place you are going to need to know where the opportunity for growth is! Are you aware of why videos need to be shorter than 8 minutes followed by a questionnaire? Do you want to use an off the shelf tested assessment that thousands of companies use. Or do you want to create your own based on your own content? What competencies do you want to measure? If you are already feeling overwhelmed then stay tuned! This week Dr. Tony Alessandra, CEO of Assessments 24x7 LLC and a prolific author of best-selling books including The NEW Art of Managing People, Charisma; the Platinum Rule, and Communicating at Work joins Peter to shed light on the importance of instructional design to break down your material into specific learning points. Why selling your assessment product on a small scale first can make it easier to get a customer to invest company wide and the importance of keeping in constant contact with your colleagues to get a picture of where the industry is going.

Politics in business is often considered to be taboo and not be be spoken of. Nancy Halpern, a leadership consultant and pioneer in the field of leadership development joins Peter to to discuss how politics can yield positive results and three inspiring tips for anyone starting out on their journey as a Thought Leader.

When it comes to brand marketing it is easy to get lost in the crowd if your not a huge company. This week Adam Witty, Founder and CEO of Advantage | ForbesBooks and author of Authority Marketing shares his insight on how to give credibility to your brand, who you should seek out for feedback, and how quizzes can draw in potential clients. If you are thinking about writing your first book be sure to listen to all the great advise Adam and Peter have to share.