Leveraging Thought Leadership

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.

The traditional approach is not always the best. This week Austin Belcak, founder of Cultivated Culture joins Peter to share how he took an unconventional route to landing his dream job at Microsoft and how he turned that method into a business of its own. If you are seeking your dream job, or seeking to grow your network Austin's advice is sure to help you on your way.

As a Thought Leader you might be tempted to hold back from putting all of your content into a book. Stephen M. R. Covey author of "The Speed of Trust", co-founder and CEO of CoveyLink sits down with Peter to talk about why it is okay to put your content out there, how to find the right modality for your client, and how you can make your margin by serving your mission.

When starting a new relationship with a client do you tell them what you have to offer? Or let them tell you what they need? Rose Fass, founder and CEO of fassforward and author of "The Chocolate Conversation" talks with Peter about starting out in the Thought Leader world, how to approach the initial meeting with a new client, and how to make your overwhelmed employees more focused and engaged.

Being authentic can lead to having happy employees from the CEO down to the front line staff. Lesley Everett, Founder and CEO of Walking Tall have been making that happen for corporations worldwide. This week on Leveraging Thought Leadership, Lesley joins Peter to share her insight on the authentic personality of your brand, how to target events to be at, and the changes in eLearning tools in recent years.

Using a journalistic style when starting to write can be an effective method in cutting through the noise in an overcrowded blog space. Internationally recognized executive coach and leadership educator John Baldoni joins Peter this week to discuss how publishing has changed over the years and what you should expect from publishing your first book as well as various means of reaching a wider audience.

Struggling on how to identify and often connect with the audience can be a hurdle for some thought leaders, but today Peter is joined by best selling author and international speaker Dov Baron to discuss the importance of having a strong team around you, identifying your target audience and how being vulnerable can help connect you with your audience in a an impactful and meaningful way.

There's a disconnect between authors and publishers. Publishers are trying to sell books to bookstores. As a thought leader, you want to target the audience and build your brand. David Burkus joins Peter to talk about launching his new book Friend of a Friend and building his speaking business, curating his network, and finding success. If you want tips on driving business growth, this episode is the place to start.

You can't get an MBA in Thought Leadership. When you're looking for credentials for your business, your first big book is a great launchpad for your brand. But how do you know when you're ready to write? Peter is joined by Harper Tucker, VP of Authority Marketing at Advantage Media / Forbes Books to discuss the foundation you need to ensure a successful book launch for your brand.

Connecting skilled writers with unique voices is a day in the life of our podcast guest this week, Dan Gerstein, President of Gotham Ghostwriters, joins Peter to talk about discovering voice, creating content, and building the relationship to create your next book or speech. Dan shares insights on how writing a book is like being CEO of a pop-up business and bringing in a writer is like hiring a Chief Product Officer. If you're looking to maximize the impact of your book, this episode is required reading.

If you've ever tried to do product development first and market research second, you may wind up with a great product that no one wants to buy. Content expert, David Mammano, joins Peter for a conversation about the journey of an entrepreneur in the content space. David talks about letting the market determine which ideas are worth investing in and licensing content to drive business growth.

Your model is the skeleton that your content needs to anchor it. This week, Erica Dhawan joins Peter to discuss model building, content development, and business growth. She explains how she shaped her assessment tools with a data driven mindset and translated that data into targeted sales strategy. If you are looking for strategies to establish a lean and powerful sales funnel, check out the episode. Erica's strategy and tips would have a powerful impact on any thought leadership business.

Consulting is a problem solving business. Those problems are changing. The modern consulting landscape needs to change too. Futurist, author, and thought leader Thomas Koulopoulos joins Peter to discuss the ways that thought leadership and consulting businesses can adapt to the challenges of today and tomorrow. From the overall strategy and product design to tactical decisions and deployments, the conversation covers all aspects of thought leadership business and gives a clear idea of how to plan for success when planning future products.

Don't be afraid to take a risk and create content without worrying about perfection! Roger Brooks from American Real joins Peter to talk about content creation, audience segmentation, and finding your tribe. If you are a thought leader creating content online, this is an episode that can't be missed. Roger shares his experience learning about podcasting, video creation, and then passing his skills on to others on American Real. Roger shares how he got over his perfectionism and committed to creating content that is exceptional and accessible - skills that will help anyone build their brand in the modern content landscape.

The thought leader's journey is never a straight forward A to B. You're going to have to forge your own path, define your strategy, and set your own targets. Leadership expert, speaker, and author Ron Carucci joins Peter to talk about how he got his journey on track by working with a professional coach and the experience of being on the other side of the consultant's desk. Ron talks about the insight he gained in setting his goals and defining his audience to capitalize on his content.

For any thought leader looking to use podcasting as part of their business development and branding, listen in to this week's episode. Peter is joined by author, speaker, and podcaster Andy Paul and their conversation covers the essential skills needed for podcasting as a thought leader. Andy's deep understanding of the sales process and brand building provide an excellent template for thought leaders who are looking to make a splash with their content and bring it to market using podcasts as part of their branding.

Don't ever plan to be average. Know your niche and lay the groundwork for success by doing your research into the client's needs and how your content attacks those issues and provides solutions. Lt. Col. Rob 'Waldo' Waldman joins Peter to share his approach to creating authentic, powerful, and actionable content. Waldo provides insight into his high energy, high impact style of sales and the preparation that is essential to his success and staying power. Waldo talks candidly about the steps he uses to create and curate his brand and sales funnel. The episode is inspiring for anyone looking to improve their sales game and drive a big change in their business.

Shannon Huffman Polson joins Peter to discuss her journey from serving as one of the first female Apache pilot in the US Armed Service to running a business group at Microsoft to authoring a memoir and business book. She shares the advantages of working with Peter and Thought Leadership Leverage to develop her business model (and gives a glowing review). Shannon discusses developing her diverse product offering beyond keynote speaking and creating a hub for the content: The Grit Institute. Shannon shares her experience investing in the right mix of products (for her and her clients), targeting and segmenting the audience, and the entrepreneurial spirit at work as a thought leader.

If you're looking to position yourself as an authority, grow your audience, and market yourself as a thought leader, do not miss this episode. From the hosting chair on ForbesBooks Radio, we're joined by Gregg Stebben for this week's episode to share his insights on the world of podcasting, publishing, and interviewing. Gregg's experience as a successful author has led him to join the Forbes publishing group and help other thought leaders achieve success in publishing and marketing their next book. His experience is invaluable for a thought leader looking to market their next book project and the episode is full of great tips.

Author and Brandeis Professor of Business, Andy Molinsky, joins Peter for an invigorating conversation about his journey into thought leadership from the academic world. Andy's decision to create thoughtful and engaging content that is focused on practical skills development and getting out of your comfort zone is the core of his brand. He discusses candidly the process of diversifying his content into new formats and marketing those products. Andy talks about the challenge of balancing life with his young family, the rigors of academic research, and his thought leadership work. It's a complicated balancing act and Andy shares his experience finding the right mix of investment and time to accomplish his goals in the thought leadership space.

Want to know if your content will get you in the door with enterprise clients? Peter is joined by Thought Leadership Leverage's COO, Bill Sherman, for a conversation about the strategy of scaling your content for major enterprise clients. Bill's expertise on the training industry shines as the conversation covers the importance of digital and accessible training programs in a landscape of reduced training budgets and higher than ever expectations.

This week, we have an in-depth case study of growing a thought leadership business with Pete Weissman. Pete identified his talent for speech-writing and speaking and wanted to amplify his impact by diversifying his offering, focusing his search to a very specific client base, and addressing a very specific need within their organization. Pete shares his expertise on how to chart the path for this evolution in your own business and how to find your niche.

Publishing your first book or even your tenth book feels like a massive accomplishment, but, in reality, what you do after publishing determines the success or failure of your book in the modern publishing landscape. There's a lot of hard work and hustle still ahead! Peter is joined by Tanya Hall from Greenleaf Book Group to discuss the path from author to authority after publishing a book in the thought leadership space. Tanya shares the strategies that thought leaders need to manage a successful book campaign, content creation to support the book, and how to advertise and publicize your project for long term success.