Leveraging Thought Leadership

Now that publishing is easier and openly available, we see more books hitting the market than ever before. With that in mind, how can you elevate your book and create a roadmap that leads clients to you and your offerings? Today, I invite two seasoned experts to share their experience with publishing, and the tools they used to move their audience up the product ladder. * Andy Paul is the author of "Sell Without Selling Out", Host of the "Sales Enablement Podcast with Andy Paul," and is a Top 50 Global Sales Expert, consulting with the biggest businesses in the world. * John Jantsch is the President and Founder of "Duct Tape Marketing", and the author of "Duct Tape Marketing." As a consultant, he teaches business owners to streamline their marketing approach, increase revenue, and scale strategically. We begin our conversation by discussing publishing options, and how modern methods are helping authors soar. John and Andy have both published multiple books using various methods, and they discuss the pros and cons of each. Publishing is only the beginning of an author's work! A successful book launch needs an established following, one that is ready and waiting for your book to come out. Awareness can be built up through podcasts, blogs, or posts on LinkedIn. Andy and John explain how releasing consistent content helps you build a reputation, giving your followers a flow of bite-sized portions that prepare them for the full meal of the book. And last, we talk about building community. With so many people working alone, the need to communicate and share with like-minded people has increased. Our guests share how they've used cohorts, workshops, and mastermind groups to create communities that reach beyond the initial product offering, building lasting relationships. If your book isn't driving the traffic you hoped, this episode can help! Three Key Takeaways: * The moment you have an idea for a book, you need to start building a following. Don't wait to build the audience after its release! * Creating content that has value, and deploying it consistently, is key to growing your following and building a reputation. * Don't be afraid to experiment with ideas – putting them out into the world, and get feedback to help promote its value.

When businesses talk about "making a pivot," it's often thought of as something that must happen quickly and with great impact. The reality is – a successful pivot is often anything but quick, and true impact can be difficult to implement. Who better to discuss bringing big changes to organizations than the "Pivot Catalyst," Lori Michele Leavitt! Lori is the founder and President of Abridge Corp, as well as an accomplished coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, and author of The Pivot: Orchestrating Extraordinary Business Momentum. Lori shares her insights on bringing about large-scale business changes, from building momentum to bringing people on-board with the shift in mindset. If you want to make a pivot, the leadership of the organization needs to encourage the adoption of many small changes by many people over time - not demand massive changes all at once! Momentum and buy-in are both key to any lasting change. Lori has guided many businesses and leaders through this kind of process, and has learned a great deal about organizations undergoing large-scale change. She shares how she turned her processes into a book, and later, software that she continues to iterate. She's moved the needle on management software, building a leadership operating system called Aligned Momentum. Codifying your message and process into a book is complicated, but it's another step to then turn your content into software! Lori shares insights into the process she went through with her content, sharing her insights into the future of consulting software as it continues to evolve. Three Key Takeaways: * Helping an organization successfully pivot starts with getting the cultural decision-maker on board with change. * Being the smartest person in the room isn't the best way to have a lasting impact as a coach. * Change often happens faster in a safe space, and it's good to have peers and allies to help identify your blind spots in the process of organizing and driving change.

When most hear the word scale they'll think of a kitchen or bathroom scale - a tool for measuring. When it comes to thought leadership, what does "reaching scale" mean? How can you measure it, and how can you achieve it? In this special episode, I'm are going to invite a few unusual guests: frameworks and models. These models define scale, measure methods of distributing content, and find ways to assess impact. When attempting to measure and reach scale, thought leaders often look to social media metrics such as followers, engagement, and likes. But, what's the value of a "like" toward measuring thought leadership? Instead of getting wrapped up in superficial metrics, thought leadership practitioners need to understand that scale happens when people encounter an idea and choose to act on it – because thought leadership,at its very core, needs to be an idea in action. Thought leadership isn't about building the largest audience it is about building the right audience. Bill discusses the differences between Total Addressable Market (TAM), and Share of Market (SOM), the market percentage that you are currently reaching. Understanding these two numbers gives a clearer picture of the influence of your thought leadership. Further, he shares insights about Broadcasting, Narrowcasting, and Point-Casting. Broadcasting is scattering your ideas on the wind and hoping they reach the right market,. Narrowcasting means focussing on the people who need your ideas the most, while point-casting means packaging your idea in particular terms for a VIP within your TAM. If you've been struggling to reach scale, you might need to better understand how to reach your best audience. Don't default to broadcasting. Take the insights in this episode, and start increasing your SOM! Three Key Takeaways: Thought leadership needs to be an idea in action. Without action, movement, and interaction with an audience, thought leadership can't spread and thrive. Organizational thought leadership isn't about building the largest possible audience. It's about building the right audience. If you can get your idea to the VIPs in your TAM, and convince them to take action, you've gained a link to the best audiences your thought leadership could attain.

How do you connect a high-profile brand with its best audience? Through great storytelling! Liz Brunner is the Founder and CEO of Brunner Communications, assisting high-profile individuals and organizations in developing powerful, meaningful, and desirable brand identities. She is also the Founder of Brunner Academy of Online Learning, and the author of Dare to Own You: Taking Your Authenticity and Dreams into Your Next Chapter. Liz has had a number of professions over the course of her career, from high school music teacher to Emmy Award-winning news anchor. She explains that the key to her success can be summed up in two words: great storytelling. When you know the secrets of storytelling, you can capture the attention of your audience and keep them hooked. Having worked both in person and on television, it was easy for Liz to transition her work into the digital space after the pandemic started – in fact, she began to teach others how to engage in the virtual space and still move the dial. She shares why digital presenters need to think like TV stars, and how to get your audience to feel your presence - even through the lens. Our final topic revolves around the energy gained from working face-to-face, versus the newfound advantages of the digital space. Liz explains the pros and cons of each, and how to connect, communicate, and engage, developing the keys to success regardless of your medium. Three Key Takeaways: * When presenting virtually and using slides keep things moving! Use more slides with less content on each or include animations to keep the audience constantly engaged. * Looking directly into the camera when working online gives a feeling that you are looking directly at every member of your audience and engages them more. * While putting a message together you need to hook people right away, if you don't you'll miss an opportunity for your brand (personally and for your company).

There are a lot of hard-working thought leadership practitioners in the non-profit sector! What's it like to face the challenge of communicating complicated, multi-generational problems to a global audience? We're glad you asked! To better understand the role thought leadership plays at established non-profits, I've invited Meghan Quinn, Director of Thought Leadership at Habitat for Humanity International, to chat with me about her work. Meghan defines her role, elaborating on the meaning of thought leadership means at Habitat for Humanity. In a non-profit, conversations around thought leadership often start by focusing on the role and goals of the greater organization: for Habitat, that's the global affordable housing crisis. In order to have a real impact, Meghan's work needs to reach policymakers, stakeholders, and donors. Meghan tells us how moving these people to action means taking technical research and creating content that is both curated and simple-to-approach. Rule #1: If your audience doesn't understand what you're saying, and why, they certainly won't be moved to act on your information. As with many thought leadership programs, measuring success can be a difficult task. Sales data and leads aren't as tangible in the non-profit sector. Meghan shares how success at Habitat is measured, through anecdotal evidence, making connections with new backers, and deepening relationships. Her primary goals are to spread the word, and to increase credibility and trust in the organization. This kind of vision can't be measured in weeks or months - it can take years to see real results on a global scale. This conversation gives a glimpse into the unique world of thought leadership in the non-profit sector, and offers valuable insights for organizational thought leaders everywhere! Three Key Takeaways: * Curation and Digestibility are the keys to making complicated data into something a general audience can understand. * Thought Leadership isn't successful overnight. A plan and vision that spans years is needed to properly measure success. * Thought leaders need to be able to follow their instinct and not be afraid to experiment – and even fail from time to time.

During the last two years, speakers, consultants, and thought leaders have moved their presentations from in-person formats into relatively unknown digital space. Now, as we settle back into a face-to-face workplace, we look back and consider the lessons learned from online experiences. What would a new, hybrid style look like? What better way to investigate these topics than to talk with two doctors, who are both experts in their fields! Dr. Nick Morgan is one of America's top communication theorists and coaches. He is also a keynote speaker and author who helps people bring clarity to their great ideas. Dr. Joseph Michelli is a consultant, psychologist, professional speaker, and New York Times Bestselling author. He's been voted a Top 5 Global Guru in Customers Service for more than 7 years! We start by laying the foundation: discussing what the standard business model looked like, pre-pandemic. Then, we move forward, and explore how each of our guests found ways to deliver great experiences virtually. We talk about their successes, and the hardships they struggled to overcome — such as developing trust and transparency through a computer screen. The future of keynote speaking and conferences is still uncertain, and many thought leaders are exploring "hybrid" models, moving fluidly between in-person and remote presentations. Nick and Joseph discuss how they believe things will continue to play out, giving examples in the ways their businesses were returning to the "old normal," and how they continue to incorporate digital modalities. While this interview took place some months ago, the advice on how to build trust with a virtual audience is evergreen! Three Key Takeaways: * Virtual relationships can get clogged up and degrade over time – whenever possible renew that relationship in person. * If you are going to make video work you have to go deep fast. Forge a strong relationship right out of the gate by being honest, trustworthy, and transparent. * Virtual speaking means having to grab the audience's attention in the first 90 seconds. Speakers who don't have some form of interaction are missing a trick for their

In thought leadership, which comes first: the brand or the people? It's not a chicken-and-egg situation! The answer is always people. You inspire and invest in your employees, and the word spreads. Those people act as ambassadors for the brand, building a strong org reputation — and that brings in customers. In order to understand where this power cycle starts, I've invited Zoe Bermant, the CEO at ZoecialMedia, creator of the Caroself ™, and an expert in organic social media for B2B. While many believe that the brand needs to be the focus of an organization's social media, Zoe explains that the power in organizational thought leadership comes from the people who work for the company. Thought leadership is about creating a human aspect within a business relationship; moving interactions beyond data and white papers, and sharing meaningful interactions. By elevating your people, you create passionate ambassadors for your brand, and create an online presence that is credible, trustworthy, and relatable - and that brings in more customers! Learn why Zoe recommends starting this cycle at the executive level, and how doing so can create a culture of engagement both internally and externally. When executives interact with employees (and customers) online in a direct and meaningful manner, it helps build genuine relationships. This bolsters new sales, employee retention, and even talent recruitment. Great ideas can spark from anywhere, even a simple typo. Zoe shares how she mistyped "caroself" in a message to a coworker (instead of "carousel") and came up with a brilliant new idea. Using the pdf carousel function of LinkedIn, Zoe made a document that humanized her work experience, letting people know where she grew up, went to school, and even her likes and dislikes - and she called it the Caroself™. She then tagged others, and challenged them to do the same. Before long the idea had spread to thousands of users who saw the benefit of giving the world a deeper look into their personalities, and move their career prospects forward by going beyond the professional persona. We wrap up our conversation discussing women in thought leadership. Zoe works with hundreds of executives, and has seen a trend of women being overly timid about sharing their insights. Many incredibly insightful female leaders don't promote themselves through thought leadership - and they should! The chat explores why that trend continues, and gives suggestions around how to encourage others to take control of their power and seize the opportunities thought leadership presents. The world needs more great ideas! Three Key Takeaways: * The cycle of "invest in your people - let them be ambassadors for your brand - build your brand reputation - engage more new customers" is powerful, and it's one that more organizations should use. * You can't rely on a random algorithm to get the word out. You have to actively seek out and build relationships, sharing things about yourself (or your org) and creating a human connection in order to succeed. * When cultivating your social media profile, it's beneficial to ensure that personal stories still relate to your expertise or experience in a professional sense. Don't forget to show your strengths!

When it comes to the "higher purpose" of your brand or organization, how much control do you have on either versus the values customers will place on them? Today we will examine the impact COVID has had on how consumers see brands and the value we place on them. To get a better understanding I've invited Dr. Martina Obert to join me. Martina is the CEO of Meaning Global, an expert strategy consultancy helping leaders envision new possibilities for future innovation, value creation, and growth. She is also recognized by Forbes as The Meaning Expert™. Martina explains how COVID created a shift in the marketplace that moved emphasis from brands to the people they serve. The feeling of being "stuck" was pervasive, and led many consumers into a period of self-reflection about themselves, their lives, and their goals. This realignment of values as impacted advertising, and to be successful, brands today need to do more to deliver appreciable, meaningful value. Brands and organizations often promote meaning and purpose, but what does that mean — and how much control do they really have over their audience's perception? Martina shares stories about how our values impact the perception of our brands, and what audiences look for when choosing to buy. This is a fascinating conversation about the rise of the 'humanistic paradigm" and how brands, organizations, and advertising are having to change in its wake. Three Key Takeaways: * Organizations need to consider how to fundamentally improve customers' lives with their advertising, and align with each person's sense of greater meaning. * COVID-19 has made the emerging humanistic paradigm more profound and cohesive. * When starting out in thought leadership, find your niche! Hint: It's the thing you are more passionate and knowledgeable about than anyone else!

An interview with Ryan McCarty and Mark Goulston that originally aired on January 26th, 2021, as part of Leveraging Thought Leadership Live on LinkedIn. How do you use thought leadership? Some thought leaders use it to build a brand, or to share an idea. My guests today come from a background of service, and they use thought leadership to help people find purpose and hope. Ryan McCarty is a keynote speaker, co-founder of Culture of Good and co-author of Build A Culture of Good: Unleash Results by Letting Your Employees Bring Their Soul to Work. Mark Goulston is the world's leading Healthy Conflict Coach and author of multiple books including Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior and Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone. In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, we discuss how the purpose of helping others started them in their original careers (ministry and psychiatry, respectively), and how they continue following that purpose through the practice of thought leadership. Ryan shares how he spent 20 years in ministry focused on community, and how he found his purpose in helping people find a sense of purpose in their everyday lives. Mark comes from a background of psychiatry, and after his own brush with depression while in med school, rose to specializing in suicide prevention so that he could help others discover hope and meaning in their lives. Our guests have traveled parallel paths, helping others live happier and healthier lives through their work. Now, they're bringing those insights about hope and meaning to the corporate sphere. We learn how Ryan built a Culture of Good and how that philosophy gets companies to create a meaningful and fulfilling workplace that also improves the bottom line. Mark works with executives and leaders, teaching them to carve away the negative aspects that create a culture of mistrust, fear, or hopelessness at an organization, and build trust and purpose into the everyday life of the org. Our guests today provide actionable advice on how you can change the culture of your company and employees, and live a more meaningful life — starting today! Three Key Takeaways: Every leader — from thought leaders to the organizational C-Suite — needs to be authentic, caring, and purposeful, and strive to be the type of person others want to follow. Keeping a journal of thought and ideas can build a deeper understanding of everyday insights, and might even create the basis for your thought leadership! Doing good and making money doesn't have to be at odds. A profitable business can use its strength to create and fulfill a meaningful purpose.

The words power, politics, and leverage typically have a negative connotation. They bring to mind times when good people have been oppressed and mistreated. But what if you could leverage power and politics ethically? Michael Wenderoth is a speaker and executive coach who works one on one with leaders and executive teams, inspiring and teaching them to ethically leverage power and politics to get things done. Earlier this year, he authored Get Promoted: What You're Really Missing at Work That's Holding You Back, codifying his philosophies around thought leadership and morality. In today's chat, we examine power in the workplace; from the fundamentals to the uses of leverage. Too often, good people stand on the sidelines of leadership, afraid of the negative associations or power - and therefore, those people are not making a positive impact. Michael explains how power is simply the force needed to get things done. It's not good, or bad, and it can be used to help others. Michael has seen an increase in organizations wanting to shape the next generation of ethical and more diverse leadership. He shares how many people who are not used to being in a position of power or leadership can be ill-equipped to take the lead. Companies are investing in their future leaders by hiring coaches to help the next generation reach their full potential. In March of 2022, Michael published Get Promoted: What You're Really Missing at Work That's Holding You Back. We discuss why launching a book takes years of investment, and talk more about navigating the two sides of a coaching business - doing the grunt work of business, and the amazing potential of coaching. Three Key Takeaways: * Power and politics in the office can be leveraged ethically to accelerate your career. * Organizations wanting diverse leadership need to invest the time to train these potential leaders – but also accept that leadership can look different to many people. * When working as a coach for a company you need to be frank about the deliverable and how you will impact those you serve.

Our guest today is Michael Gallagher, Founder and CEO of The Stevie® Awards – the world's premier business awards. He's also the co-founder of ImageShield, a web based program that helps protect images from unauthorized use. Today, Michael tells us why he founded The Stevie® Awards, and how it has grown from its origins among The American Business Awards® to include eight award categories each with their own focus, list of categories, and schedule across the globe. Next, we turn our attention to Michael's newest endeavor: ImageShield. Millions of people share their images online every day without much thought to who else could be using those images, and negative ramifications that could come when someone steals your images and uses them without your permission. Recognizing this growing problem, Michael is developing ImageShield - a service which will provide updates to its users, helping them keep track of how and where their images are being used. Launching a new product like ImageShield requires educating the target audience on why this product is a necessity. Michael shares how he turned to Leveraging Thought Leadership for help in creating avatars, images, and strategies for reaching ImageShield's core audience and helping drive an understanding of its services Three Key Takeaways: * People have a need to be recognized for their dedication and hard work. * Good thought leadership can draw attention to common problems that are not top of mind to the average person. * When investing in thought leadership, find the people in your organization that can vocalize your org's mission, clearly and compellingly serving the brand.

Do you know why you choose one brand over another? Traditional market research focuses on what people are buying. They study the number of items sold, where they're sold, and how those numbers are shifting. But traditional research doesn't tell you why people are acting in a certain way. That's where human insight comes in! To understand the best way to merge human insight with market data, I've invited Manish Bahl to join me for a conversation. Manish is the Chief Executive and Founder of Curious Insights – where the company mission is to humanize data for analyst firms and organizations. Traditional research has its place, but it can show a limited, one-dimensional perspective. Manish explains how data often misses the "human connection," and how the warmth of human insights can make research truly revelatory. Adding an understanding of human behavior, the way individuals think and feel, puts people back at the center of market research.. Convincing C-Suite executives to participate in surveys and interviews can be a challenge. Their time is precious, but so is the information they have to offer. Manish shares his best tips for turning a data-driven interview into a two way street, where both parties are engaged and learning from the discussion. Manish also discussed how to create content that is fresh and compelling. Too often, content creators become focused on SEO results, which can create bland, cookie-cutter content. Manish shares how having passion and invoking curiosity in your audience can draw people in - and take your ideas to scale. Three Key Takeaways: * Blending human science with data collection allows us to understand what customers think and feel about our thought leadership. * In order to have successful interviews, the interviewer must also be transparent and open. A conversational experience will yield better results than a static list of questions. * People have a short attention span. If your content does not grab them in the first 5–10 lines, you will lose them.

If you thought a global pandemic would dim the lights of customer service - you thought wrong! Customers still want answers to questions, friendly assistance, and solutions for their problems. But one thing is changing: the way we deliver answers and solutions. To take a deeper look at the customer experience, and how employee satisfaction relates to it, I've invited two good friends to join me in conversation. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, keynote speaker, bestselling author of I'll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again & Again. Shane Green is a culture consultant for Fortune 500 companies, and Founder and President of SGEi, a company that helps customer-focused organizations develop a culture that attracts the right people and retains top talent longer. We start our conversation by discussing the way reliance on virtual meetings has created new pressure on speakers, and how the speaking industry has changed. Shep and Shane share why many organizations are likely to keep the bulk of their company-wide meetings virtual, and how that has put pressure on speakers not only to entertain but also to provide actionable advice. As part of the changes to the workforce, we've experienced The Great Resignation - which Shane feels is more of a "A Great Reshuffling." He states that more than 80% of employees who quit their job during this period were looking either for better payment or for a better culture. It's simply true that companies with higher employee satisfaction have higher customer satisfaction. Shep and Shane explore how a strong, well-communicated company vision can increase employee satisfaction, especially when supported by proper training. Companies need managers and leaders who role model that vision, and they need to celebrate the times when that vision translates into meaningful goals. Company culture is the combined attitude of the hearts and minds of an organization's employees. If you want to raise your company - and it's culture - to new heights. you'll want to listen to this episode! Three Key Takeaways: * Thought leadership practitioners delivering a keynote need to tell a good story, but also ensure that their content is actionable right away. * People have a need to collaborate and learn, so webinars need to be far more interactive, and contain more than simply a lecture. * Research and surveys must always be updated. The information you had five years ago may not be relevant today.

Thought Leadership sits at different positions in different companies. It can be bucketed with research, content marketing, or even brand building. Given those options, how can you ensure all divisions are aligned in the story an organization's thought leadership is telling and the brand it is building? To examine how to achieve a harmonious alignment, I've invited Ginger Conlon to join me for a conversation. Ginger is the Thought Leadership Director at Genesys, a software company that specializes in customer experience and call center technology. At Genesys, thought leadership is research-driven and sits at the top of the funnel. The thought leadership team works with content marketing to learn about their priorities and focus on the most important issues - then, the former research reports which form the foundation of content for the months ahead. Through a shared editorial calendar, all parts of the organization tell the same story, and align around key points of the research. Too often, great content sits on a shelf, untouched. To ensure that doesn't happen, Ginger forms relationships with the owners of internal content management hubs and owners of team-specific newsletters. That way, she keeps them informed of new, relevant content, and uses their channels to push content through the organization. In addition, by seeking input from others throughout the organization, Ginger and Claire Beatty, senior director of thought leadership, create a sense of ownership in the content as leaders see their input influence thier content. Ginger shares great advice for anyone working on or alongside a thought leadership role on how to create a great end user experience for content. Three Key Takeaways: * Thought Leadership is about engaging your audience and sharing insights with them on a broader level. * A shared editorial calendar is the key to ensuring thought leadership and content marketing work hand in hand. * In order to get your message across an organization you not only have to build relationships but you have to understand how information is disseminated across it.

Did you know that more than 50% of executives struggle to feel satisfied with their work? It's important to have a sense of purpose around your job; the feeling that you've contributed, that you're respected, and that your work matters. Today, I'm speaking with Gene Rice, the Founder and CEO of Rice Cohen International, which provides executive search and consulting services to a premier list of global clients across the Learning & Development, Ed Tech, and Management Consulting fields. Gene has personally helped place more than 1000 executives, and has a deep understanding of what companies are looking for in senior management. Over his thirty years of experience in the search industry, Gene discovered several important trends. While corporations are seeking people that meet "standard metrics," those that excel have a proven track record of building growth. Gene explains that the most valuable executives are those who found a sense of purpose that drives their success - and their job satisfaction. For years, Gene had been recording life lessons that he would share with interns at his firm. These lessons led to questions which showed how ill equipped many young adults are to start their personal and professional lives. This realization was the driving reason for Gene to collaborate with his daughter, Courtney Bejgrowicz, and write 68 Tips to Excel in Your Personal and Professional Life. This book gives Gene's experienced tips for life, job search, career, and personal finances, while adding Courtney's comments to give her perspective as a teacher and mother, and the understanding of the younger generation. The passion to help others with the book extends beyond the hope that people can learn a thing or two from it. Gene and his wife created The Plant a Seed Inspire a Dream Foundation which provides annual scholarships for children ages 10 to 18, to pursue passions and interests outside of school. With this foundation, they work to inspire young people from low-income households with life-altering athletic, artistic, musical and creative activities led by positive role models. Three Key Takeaways: * Those seeking a role as a senior executive will need a proven track record of building growth, to get ahead of their competition. * It's important for an executive to have a sense of personal purpose, and to share that passion and drive with others. * A good match between an executive and company means feeling like you can make a real contribution, and drive your personal as well as professional goals.

How does a public speaker deliver a message without a stage? Speaking events screeched to a halt when the pandemic put an indefinite stop to in person events. To find out how speakers moved forward, we've invited Mitch Joel , the Co-Founder of ThinkersOne to chat with us about the future of the speaking industry. Mitch is a visionary, digital expert, community leader, and author of Six Pixels of Separation. Mitch shares how a speaker must split their attention when doing a virtual event, and how they must control music, slides, and other technological aspects as opposed to having a crew to handle those needs. That can put a distance between speaker and audience, making presentations feel slapdash or hesitant. It's hard to do all that, and still be "in the moment" with the content and audience. While the pandemic has had many effects on our global culture, Mitch adds another term to the discussion: The Great Compression, which happened among many trade associations and even organizations. He explains that an amplification happened where many began to realize the need to be more diverse becoming a content provider and not just a conference. Second, everyone learned to become more digital. Mitch explains how this was not a revelation — we already had the technology in place, we just hadn't been forced to adapt to use it. Another consequence of the pandemic was forced innovation. That pushed many to discover new business models in order to stay relevant, and connect with their clients. Now that the world is slowly returning to normal, many are forgoing those new ventures. We discuss finding the will to scale business to include both the old ways that worked for years, and the new methods that were developed for the pandemic and continue to be relevant today. Finally, we discuss the hard task of developing community and relationship online. While in-person conferences have started to return they are not back to normal and might never be. Mitch shares his thoughts on the fundamental need to gather in person and how that need is forcing speakers to elevate the quality, relevance, and actionability of the content or they might find the audience wishing they were elsewhere. Three Key Takeaways: Speaking in person allows you to "feel the room." Speaking into a webcam gives nothing back, so you have to ensure your content and stories resonate in a virtual format. If you developed new business models due to the pandemic, don't discard them now! Discover ways to scale your business to incorporate both the old and the new. As in-person events return, speakers have to deliver high-quality content to justify the expense and travel time of on-location keynotes.

Is happiness something that comes naturally to some people? Can it be measured and taught? In order to answer these questions I've invited the Happiness Strategies Monique Rhodes to join me. Monique is the CEO of One People Productions and her mission in life is to lead you toward a lifetime of happiness. To accomplish that, she combines teachings with powerful, habit-changing exercises. Monique wasn't always a happiness expert. Growing up in New Zealand, she was the victim of abuse as a child. That lead to depression in her teens and ultimately a suicide attempt. While in the hospital recovering, she chose to make it her mission to find happiness - and to understand why some people seem naturally happy, while others struggle. This mission took her all over the world. In India, she began teaching mediation to a group of young girls who persistently asked for lessons. While Monique was not a natural teacher, she learned her passion about meditation - and her search for happiness - could be a driving force for others. Before long she was teaching 50 people a day. These early teaching sessions evolved into a program. Monique trialed her thought leadership to a class of 20 people at University College in London, and watched as that class swelled to more than 100. By the end of the trial, more than 2500 people were involved! Monique began marketing the program to various universities and colleges, along with word of mouth, and due to positive feedback she was able to build a business around the program. Monique has created The Happiness Baseline, 8 week program that not only guarantees results for those who finish, but has provable metrics, using Penn State University's Authentic Happiness quiz. This episode shows how thought leaders can tackle a personal problem and take their lessons to market, making the lives of thousands of others better! It's a winner, and we're thrilled to share it with you. Three Key Takeaways: * Many are not natural teachers, but if you have a passion for your thought leadership you can develop the skills needed to help others. * Positive word of mouth about the effectiveness of your thought leadership can be better than a marketing budget. * If you want to prove your thought leadership, ensure there are hard metrics to back it up.

How do you best showcase your organization's depth of expertise? Have you ever thought about the way thought leadership intersects with the executive search? Many organizations encourage broad diversity, and during executive search periods, they want to showcase and bolster that practice. But how do you demonstrate it to your target audience? Today, I've invited Louis Montgomery Jr., Partner, Practice Leader Human Resources and Diversity Officers at JM Search, a firm that (through rigorous assessment) provides the right candidates for open positions to private equity firms, venture capital firms, and select corporate clients. Louis understands what it takes to be successful in demanding fields. He discusses his path as an HR leader and Diversity Officer, and how he assists candidates seeking opportunity and growth. When he changed course during his career, he quickly realized, as many others do, that his reputation as an expert in HR didn't follow him to his new position. He discusses his experiences with networking and creating thought leadership, and explains how he established himself as an expert in the new field — and how others can do the same. Having worked with both large and small firms, Louis understands what it takes to get thought leadership into the world. He's built an established thought leadership engine that carries his name and reputation forward. In our discussion, he shares tips for building your firm's reputation (and your own!) by leveraging established thought leadership or marketing roles. Developing smart thought leadership content is about providing answers to your audience's questions, and as Louis says, a listening ear is the best tool. Learn how to tune into what others are saying, and to notice the questions that come up time and time again. These are prime topics for thought leadership! If you are considering starting a journey into thought leadership, start now! The sooner you delve into the field, the more rapidly you will master it. Three Key Takeaways: * Networking provides an advantage in the job search, when the time comes to seek a new role. * Thought Leadership allows you to share your expertise and establish credibility, and differentiate yourself from others in the market. * Being a thought leader and active practitioner of your field of expertise can give you a greater credibility with clients. That makes you stand out!

How do you help a client integrate research into their thought leadership, and what are the benefits? Enterprise software can be a complicated story to tell. To explore ways to humanize a complex brand or product, I've invited Denise Broady to share her expertise in research, thought leadership, and consulting. Denise is the Chief Marketing Officer at Appian Corporation, helping clients build apps and workflows with a low-code automation platform; combining people, technologies, and data in a single workflow to maximize resources and improve business results. Our conversation begins with an active discussion of thought leadership's ability to help tell a complex, enterprise story in a way that humanizes your brand. Denise shares how the lens of a business user can be used to create greater impact, preferring a personal touch and layman's terms rather than complex, high-level terms that might not be understood by an audience. Often, marketers feel the need to go it alone and control all aspects of their content's delivery, but thought leadership doesn't have to be a solo project. Denise shares how her co-sponsored research with The Economist is helping reach a global market, and how surveys on IT and business issues give her the information she needs to create thought leadership rooted in data - and bring solutions to the problems her audiences face. Toward the end of our conversation, we examine ways to build a thought leadership team. Denise recounts a tale of starting with a task-force that grew as it brought on e dedicated people and found dedicated funding. Nobody approaches accounting as a part-time hobby, and thought leadership is no different. Without a dedicated team and reliable resources, thought leaders can't be expected to develop the reach and cadence needed to effect significant change. Three Key Takeaways: * Choose your words carefully when explaining complex thought leadership; it's critical that your audience understand, so speak in terms they will grasp easily. * Creating co-sponsored thought leadership can create content with wider reach and a deeper, more informed perspective. * Thought leaders coming from a marketing background can be tempted to use a marketing playbook – but think before you jump! Understand where your content fits in the cycle, and how to deploy it.

When it comes to thought leadership, every corporation needs people that are building new ideas, sharing new insights - in essence, creating new maps to move things forward! But it's not just about the "map makers." It's also about the "expedition leaders," people who can share those ideas and insights, and bring others onboard - even if they didn't create the maps themselves. To discuss "map makers" and "expedition leaders," and really delve into the most effective ways to invite your whole organization to do thought leadership, I've invited Steve Watt to join me on the podcast. Steve is the Director of Market Insights at Seismic, the world's largest enablement platform. In both social selling and thought leadership people need to show up, speak up, and publicly demonstrate both subject matter expertise and org-centric passion. Not every sales person can or should be a thought leader, but they can always be a spokesman for the org's thought leadership content. We discuss the need to empower not just sales people, but everyone within a company, by showing them the benefits that being associated with an org's thought leadership can have on their careers and reputation. Steve shares why it is important to start with the right mindset, which may mean tearing down and overcoming staid beliefs and old perceptions about "how sales are done." We discuss the way social media is constantly misused by sales people seeking to use it as a hunting ground full of traps rather than a fertile field for relationship-building. Steve is changing the mindset towards meaningful conversations and interactions, and teaching insights that will magnetically draw clients in. Many sales people agonize over the deals they lost out on, while remaining blind to just how many deals never even gave them consideration. Steve explains the importance of conversation, interactions that build relationships, and how to stay top-of-mind when a client enters a buying cycle. Three Key Takeaways: * Many smart and capable people in your org are sitting by, silently, because they aren't "map makers." Speak up early, and build your reputation as a subject matter expert. * In order to build thought leaders in your organization, you have to empower people and help them see the benefits - not just to your organization, but for their careers and reputations. * If your thought leadership boils down to "and that is why you need me," that's not thought leadership. That is just selling - and in today's market, you need more than a pitch to make your organization stand out.

How many new skills did you learn during the pandemic? The lack of face-to-face meetings required everyone to adapt, and for many, that included the ability to build connections and community online. To discuss the skills and adaptations we all needed to update our lives to fit the new modality, I've invited two good friends to join me in a chat. Nadia Bilchik is the President of Greater Impact Communications. She's a speaker, trainer, and author of Own Your Network: Expert Networking In Person & Online. James Kerr is the founder of Indispensable Consulting. He's also a speaker, as well as a leadership coach and the author of Indispensable: Build and Lead A Company Customers Can't Live Without. First, we look at the way presentations and communication skills training have changed in the wake of the first Covid outbreak. Nadia explains ways that our language has become more intentional due to the lack of ability to read body language in the virtual world. She gives advice on connecting with your audience on camera, and describes changes that will make you stand out and make your message clear. James discusses time constraints, and how we (and our audience) have begun to think about and value time differently. We no longer spend days traveling in order to accomplish a two-hour task. The ability to give a presentation in various time zones within a single day is a dramatic shift in itself, but it has also changed our understanding of real human interaction. We examine how to use online chit-chat and build toward deep "getting to know you moments" that build strong and memorable relationships. We wrap up our conversation by looking at the concept of "Zoom Fatigue." Nadia shares tips for placement of your camera, while James discusses how to interact with clients who prefer to leave their cameras off. The world has changed irrevocably, and the best thought leaders know how to keep up, adapt, and even excel in our new, digital-focused age. Three Key Takeaways: * When delivering thought leadership online ensure your camera is parallel to your eyes and you look directly into it while speaking. This gives the same effect as looking into someone's eyes while speaking in person. * While we have had to reengineer the way we do things - the what is still the same. * It is important to get to know your clients on a deep personal level when you are only able to connect with them online. Ask personal questions about family and hobbies to help develop that relationship.

What is the relationship between thought leadership and entrepreneurship? Both are forward-thinking problem solvers who know that passion and vision can take you far! To dig deeper into the ways these two paths intersect, we sit down with Mary Cronin, a research professor at Boston College. She's also the Founder and President of 4Q Catalyst LLC, a business advisory firm that provides strategy consulting, market analysis, and leadership development services. We start our conversation by discussing the similarities between thought leadership and entrepreneurship. In addition to passion and vision, both roles require a fine understanding of storytelling; a key component to success. Mary describes the impact of storytelling, and why it's often an overlooked function for start-ups as they focus on bootstrapping their business to achieve success. In May of 2021, Mary published Starting Up Smarter: Why Founders Over 50 Build Better Companies, which provides a keen look at entrepreneurs starting companies, and how their success rates were often impacted by the founder's age and experience. The book's research investigates 7 million US start-up companies over the last decade, and provides a keen look into the how's and why's of their success. Mary explains the research showing that most successful founders are in their 50s, which is also the age of many established and successful thought leaders. We further explore the traits of successful founders, and how they cross-over into successful thought leadership. Mary tells us that starting a business in your 50s means having a great sense of purpose, a willingness to partner with the younger generation, and the persistence to keep pushing forward and rethinking problems in order to achieve success. While the most successful founders are in their 50s this conversation will give you great advice to find success as a thought leader or entrepreneur at any age. Three Key Takeaways: * Good storytelling is a useful tool to ensure clients, employees, and investors fully understand your vision - whether you're building a company or creating thought leadership. * Partnering with team members or co-founders of different generations will give your work a broader reach and greater perspective. * Having an overwhelming passion for your mission, whether thought leadership or business, will go a long way to overcoming difficult challenges in your path.

What does it take to become a game-changer in your industry? We are constantly bombarded with products and brands seeking our attention and money. How can thought leadership help your brand stand out? Today, we are joined by Karen Hold, the founder of Experience Labs and co-author of Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey. Karen's mission is to build creative capacity in individuals, organizations, and cities, using the language of design thinking. The trick is to turn abstract thought into concrete ideas, and to visualize those ideas in a way that captures your audience's attention. Karen takes us back to the early days of her career, at Procter & Gamble, where her focus was on the Folgers Coffee brand. At the time, as Starbucks was starting to emerge, and Folgers needed a way to stand out in order to keep its share of the market. Karen shares how Folgers studied the Starbucks experience, and - due to flawed assessment - decided that the newcomer wasn't a threat to Folgers' market dominance. Fast-forward to 2022, and Starbucks has a major market share - a share that could have belonged to Folgers', if they'd determined the market need and used it to their own advantage. Determined not to miss the next big opportunity, Karen explains how she changed her thinking. As media changed and people's needs evolved, Karen realized that brands needed better tools to assess market needs - and step forward, staying ahead of the curve by visualizing the future and being ready for the next change. By preparing content with the right approach, you make sure that your thought leadership is there when the audience is ready to receive it. Karen shares even more insights in her book, and discusses the amazing experience she had working with Jeanne Liedtka and Jessica Eldridge to complete and publish her thought leadership. In addition, we learn about the digital tool for creating personal development plans that was recently launched as an add-on, giving even more value to the text and its content. Three Key Takeaways: * Don't blindly follow data. Use your instinct, experiment, and create thought leadership that sees around corners and tries new things. * Ensure that your thought leadership is available in a variety of modalities. This allows you to connect with an audience, regardless of their preferred method of communication. * Adding development tools to a thought leadership book is a method to continue the research you've begun, and expand your insights.

Your org's thought leadership illuminates a highly technical field. So how do you make it accessible to a broad audience? In technical fields like A.I., it can be hard to clearly communicate your organizational insights in a manner that your audience can grasp. In order to make technical insights accessible, you have to get out of your bubble and into the mindset of your audience! Our guest today is Amelia Ross, Director of Content Strategy at Primer AI, a company dedicated to helping organizations make the best use of their investment in data. They do this by using best-in-class machine learning and natural language processing technologies, to help their customers scale and optimize intelligence workflows. We discuss how an organizational thought leader determines the right target audience for their insights. Amelia tells us that it isn't just about reaching the economic buyer, but also spreading your content to the influencers that surround such a buyer. It's important to create content that shows your company as empathetic, leading edge, and knowledgeable — and to take an informed stand on emerging technology, trends, and social issues. The modern world is moving fast, and thought leadership must be timely and relevant in order to have impact. Ameila shares how timely events shaped the course of Primer AI's thought leadership. The Russian invasion of Ukraine sparked Primer AI to use their product, Command, to create content that illuminated events in real time. That thought leadership gave decision-makers under time constraints a complete and accurate view of the information faster than ever before. In addition to reaching your audience in a timely manner, you also have to ensure that your content is presented in a way your clients will easily understand. Amelia explains the need for educational content in thought leadership, and the challenges of creating content at various levels in order to connect with everyone — from the average audience member to industry experts. This conversation is an enlightening look at creating thought leadership that illuminates complex ideas, and doing it in a way that connects with a broad audience. Three Key Takeaways: * When creating Thought Leadership content for complex topics, consider other influences that might support your insights with your economic buyer. * Thought Leadership that connects to trends and social issues needs an immediacy that keeps pace with the news cycle. * Don't assume your audience understands the jargon, terms, and acronyms of your thought leadership. Create content that reaches and enlightens consumers at all levels.

What does a successful entrepreneur do for their second act? Most entrepreneurs work hard to create a prosperous business, perhaps even with the intent of selling it and making an exit. For those who succeed, the next question is — now, what? Do you start a new business and begin the cycle again? And how do you give back to those who helped you reach success? Today, I sit down with Jay Steinfeld, a world-renowned entrepreneur and early ecommerce adopter who took his small blinds business online in the early days of the internet, and the story of how blinds.com became the largest online blinds retailer in the world. He is also the author of Lead from the Core: The 4 Principles for Profit and Prosperity, which lays out the "Four Es" — a set of guiding principles that can help overcome any obstacle to your organization's success. Jay takes us back to 1993, and tells us how he experimented with online sales to supplement his brick-and-mortar store. While it was slow at first, the online channel grew so large they chose to sell the physical business and concentrate on online sales. In 2014, Jay sold blinds.com to Home Depot. Unlike many entrepreneurs, Jay chose to stay with Home Depot for 7 years, leading their online leadership team. Jay explains that his vision was not complete, and he seized upon the opportunity to see it through to the end. He moved his knowledge of online sales into adjacent categories, and found even greater success. Now, Jay tells us about his book, Lead from the Core, which teaches the four 4's E's: Evolve, Experiment, Express, and Enjoy. He uses the book, and it's lessons, to elevate others and help their businesses rise and grow - giving back to the communities and people who supported him in his initial ventures. Our conversation is packed with powerful advice for entrepreneurs at any stage of business! Three Key Takeaways: * When you have a compelling vision for your entrepreneurial efforts, share it with others - it will improve everyone's success, and move the world forward. * Don't be afraid to take chances and experiment with the way your business operates. You might discover new opportunities. * A compelling vision and positive culture is crucial to retaining key employees through any transition. Be transparent with the 'why' as well as the 'how,' and you'll see people lean in!

A single keynote won't incite change, but it can start the ball rolling. Companies are starting to demand programs that take a keynote's lessons deeper, investing resources in building long term relationships with thought leadership. To discuss the way keynote speaking has changed since the onset of COVID-19, I've invited two of the best speakers in the business to share their insights and talk about how they've navigated this new era of thought leadership speaking. David Burkus is a best-selling author of Lead From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams and internationally renowned keynote speaker, using forward thinking ideas to help leaders and teams do their best work. Stephen Shapiro is the author of Invisible Solutions: 25 Lenses that Reframe and Help Solve Difficult Business Problems, and a Hall of Fame Speaker helping organizations keep up with the increasing pace of change. David and Stephen share how they've changed their keynote services to meet the needs of a remote clientele, and what it's like to have their business moving to more than 50% non-speaking generated revenue. They share how they are creating webinars, master classes, and certification programs, that take the ideas in their keynote and make them have a longer lasting effect. We discuss the benefits of virtual speaking, such as no longer being restricted by travel and time zones, as well as being able to offer bookended solutions that make a good keynote serve as an introduction to an ongoing engagement - instead of the end of one. In addition, we look at the drawbacks of being remote, such as difficulties networking and building community. Our guests offer great insight into how to create long lasting relationships through gamification, competition, and other online tools. This conversation offers incredible information on pushing your keynote beyond a single transaction, and into a long-lasting relationship! Three Key Takeaways: * Build your keynote as a bookended experience, using speaking as a lead-in to a multiple-week challenge, and adding a debrief at the end in order to create greater engagement. * Companies want more than an inspiring keynote. They want thought leadership that will take your insights and ideas and make them actionable for every employee. * You can create networking and community in virtual thought leadership events by providing tools that allow the audience to engage with the content, and each other both during and after the event.

While many things in Thought Leadership have changed over the years, one constant is the appreciation of a great subject matter expert. But how do we find those experts? To examine modern methods of developing a reputation and gaining the trust of your audience, we've invited Kevin Eikenberry, Chief Potential Officer at The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a leadership and learning consulting company. He's also the best-selling author of Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time and The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for a Remarkable Remote Leadership. When Kevin started as a speaker and consultant, thought leaders had far less options for building a platform. You could make a website, start blogging, or pay a PR firm to get your name out there - but those methods are outdated, and lack greater appeal. Modern social media offers an almost overwhelming number of options, and it's smart to utilize many different platforms to get the word out about your content. Kevin discusses the platforms he prefers, and why he's open to experimenting on new platforms. Not every platform will be the right fit, and Kevin explains how he repurposes content during his platform experiments to keep both the time and financial cost relatively low. Being on a new platform only has value if your ideal audience can be found there, and if you give them content specific to their needs. Although every thought leader has their preferred method of producing content, it's important to be able to discern whether your standard method isn't your audience's preferred medium. Kevin discusses his methods of finding out what the audience wants, and valuing the consumer's interests and needs - even if they aren't currently ready to buy. If you want a better understanding of the way a strong platform can elevate your mission and create commercial success, this conversation has tons of insights for you! Three Key Takeaways: * In order to make experiments with new platforms have value, be certain that your audience spends time there and will see your content. * Repurposing content for different platforms and mediums is a great way to save time and money. * In order to find success, you have to manage some level of commercial expertise. Your audience needs to keep your content top-of-mind!

In rural communities, there are many would-be entrepreneurs with big ideas. Can you imagine how much change for good would happen if every entrepreneur could bring their dreams to life? In order to better understand the role thought leadership can play in reaching entrepreneurs, we're sitting down with Andrew Button, Founder and CEO of Mashup Labs. He's helping rural entrepreneurs grow their ideas, their businesses, and their communities. Today, we're talking about thought leadership, nonprofit startups, and how creative ideas and insights can make a real difference to communities that need a boost. Andrew discusses the difficulties in getting a big idea off the ground, finding people who share your perspective and curiosities, and those who are willing to lend a hand to help things grow. There's a critical mass challenge, finding enough interested people to make an entrepreneur's dream a reality — and Andrew knows how to make it happen. Finally, we discuss how Andrew is stepping into the role of a thought leader and the courage it takes to stand up and make your voice heard. Andrew shares why people should not be so concerned with the aspect of failure but more on getting your ideas out there, testing the theories and sharing what you've learned, right or wrong. While Andrew specializes in activating people in rural communities his advice is solid for any landscape and we hope you'll take the time to listen to this episode. Three Key Takeaways: * In order to find those who share your thought leadership views, you'll have to be courageous about your viewpoint -- even if it doesn't align with the norm. * Thought Leadership allows you to connect with people in places and roles you might not otherwise access. * Don't wait to 'perfect' your thought leadership. Put it into the world, test it in real situations, and share what you learn with others.

You've got big ideas that you know could help people. But it's hard to articulate that insight as an actionable plan for business partners, clients, and investors. So, how do you move forward? Today, we're sitting down with Tamsen Webster, a TedX speaker and author of the new book Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible. In her insightful text, Tamsen codifies her method, and helps others find the throughline that connects an idea to the hearts and minds of the audience. Many new authors suffer from the "curse of the expert," unable to put their methodology and processes on the page in a way that's accessable to beginners. For Tamsen, that was the easy part. In fact, she struggled with letting go of the book, unsure that the process she had been successfully using for the previous five years was enough to warrant publishing. As with any good business book, Tamsen has found that hers has drawn multiple new clients — without the usual 2 degrees of separation. Now, people are finding the book and reaching out to her on their own, and that's growing her business exponentially. She's also dipped a toe into licensing her IP, and creating an accreditation program to help other businesses share her Red Thread method with their clients. Lastly, we discuss the hard part of creating and licensing a properly… protecting it. In order to maintain your trademark, you have to defend it. This can mean awkward conversations about how and where your method can be used. Unfortunately, many people who are interested in thought leadership content are unaware that they are violating copyrights, but there are ways to handle such issues amicably, and to the advantage of both parties. This interview is a great example of a thought leadership book propelling your ideas to scale! Three Key Takeaways: * When writing a thought leadership book, remember to clearly convey what you do best. * Construct your chapter outline by ensuring that instructions before theoretical examples. This way the most useful part comes first. * When writing a thought leadership book, consider creating an accreditation program to give organizations a legitimate way to institute your trademarked ideas.

Imagine being 18, and standing on the doorstep of a monastery in the Himalayas, believing you are there to help the monks speak better English — to find out they do not speak any English at all. Could you teach the language, using only body language and tone of voice? This is the actual story of our guest Richard Newman, and the beginning of his fascinating journey into the lessons of non-verbal communication. Richard is the CEO and Founder of UK Body Talk, the global leader in evidence-based training on the psychology of communication, and the author of You Were Born to Speak, which is Richard's personal journey of discovering the secrets of communication and is filled with practical strategies that you can immediately apply to transform your success. Richard shares the story of his journey to a Tibetan monastery to spend six months teaching the monks English. During this time, he learned much about non-verbal communication, and how comfort and discomfort can impact our shared dialogue. During our conversation, Richard shares the insights that help people move out of their comfort zones, so that they can become aware of and change habits that stand in our way. He teaches ways to unlock communication, how to mentor others, and ways to inspire those around you through earnest communication. Moving people to change habits, or encouraging a business to make large changes, isn't as simple as providing evidence that the change is for the best. Richard explains how storytelling can be a great tool to connect with the emotional mind stagnant. Then, we can connect with the logical brain and share information that will support and maintain change. The insights Richard shares into communication are powerful, and can help move employees, companies, and executives forward! Three Key Takeaways: Moving people through change means taking them into an uncomfortable place. In order to be successful, your thought leadership will have to offer a safe space to listen and accept new ideas. Storytelling is a powerful tool that,if done correctly, can change people's beliefs and actions. In order to get people to accept your thought leadership insights, you have to help them feel a sense of ownership in that idea.

An interview with Waldo Waldman & Freddie Ravel that originally aired on November 3rd, 2021, as part of Leveraging Thought Leadership Live on LinkedIn. In March of 2020, the keynote speaking business came to a grinding halt. Before Covid-19, many speakers were predicting a record-breaking year for events and conventions. During the pandemic's height, speakers and live workshops went on hiatus, hoping the shutdown wouldn't last long. But a few visionaries forged new ways forward, using technology and innovation to help them deliver their message. To discuss how keynote speaking changed during the pandemic and where keynote speaking is going in the future, I invited two of the best in the business to join me. Waldo "The Wingman" Waldman is the bestselling author of Never Fly Solo: Lead with Courage, Build Trusting Partnerships, and Reach New Heights in Business, and a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame. He speaks around the world on the topics of trust and teamwork. Freddie Ravel is a Grammy Award-winning musician who delivers dynamic multimedia "keynote concerts" on leadership, sales, and performance. In this episode, we explore how each of our guests has pivoted their innovative style of keynote speaking to a virtual platform, using video and technology to connect with clients and audiences. Even with huge advancements in technology, speakers will still be faced with the difficulty of proving their value in a virtual setting, in order to maintain price integrity. Waldo warns that speakers who are not adept with (or willing to learn) new technology are going to be shot down. Freddie explains how he created a custom home setup that allows him to bring messages and music to audiences in a dozen time zones — all at once. We further discuss the way additional products and solutions can give your virtual keynote an advantage, and create momentum that sustains change and creates actionable items for anyone who attends. This is an insightful conversation into the ways that keynoters have sustained and grown their businesses using hybrid models, technology, and innovation. Come and listen — this information is sure to be useful to anyone operating in a speakers' arena. Three Key Takeaways: * When speaking virtually, you need a clear picture of your audience's needs and interests, and an understanding of their pain points, in order to connect with them emotionally. * Regardless of how you deliver your thought leadership speaking, content is king. * Be ready to offer follow-up products and solutions that will ensure your message goes further.

How soon should a startup start thinking about using thought leadership? Startups usually focus on customer acquisition, building their brand, and traditional marketing, believing that thought leadership is something that would be nice to have down the road —but not a must-have out of the gate. Turns out, that's not the best way to forge a business. Investing in thought leadership early can propel a brand to great heights. To explore the concept, we've invited Jody Padar to join us. Jody is known as "The Radical CPA," and is one of the few CPAs that has built a personal brand. She is currently the Head of Tax Strategy and Evangelism at April, a new tax program going to market through banks. We explore how Jody built The Radical CPA brand, starting 15 years ago when accounting, as a field, was going through major changes. She felt the tools she needed were not available, so she started blogging and writing to try to understand the changes taking place. She quickly gained a following that agreed with her thinking, accepting her non-standard methods and innovative techniques. Plus, Jody shares her difficulties with criticism, and how being open-minded allowed her ideas to sharpen and grow. Now that Jody is with April, we learn how her personal brand works to bring a deeper level of authority and expertise to April, defying all the expectations of a startup. In addition, her high profile plays well with potential investors, who trust Jody as the face of a new brand. This is an excellent conversation that illuminates personal thought leadership brands, and the power they can have when they partner with new (or experienced!) organizations. Three Key Takeaways: • It is never too early to share your opinion, take a unique stance, and start creating your own thought leadership. • Having an established thought leadership brand can allow you to justify higher fees and the ability to demand a premium when being acquired. • Thought leadership practitioners need tough skin when it comes to critics, and it is in their benefit to be open-minded and use criticism to refine their ideas.

Why do so many business owners spend time creating strategy, only to put it on the shelf? Strategies can't help your business grow unless they've been fully integrated into the decision-making process, and are part of the daily running of the business. Without a strategy, time is wasted, teams are out of alignment, and vital revenue is lost or misspent. So what's happening? Today we sit down with Simon Severino, the Founder of the Strategy Sprints Method and author of Strategy Sprints: 12 Ways to Accelerate Growth for an Agile Business. This method focuses on three strategies, three habits, and three numbers to double the revenue of B2B businesses with 90 days of coaching. We start with the origin of The Strategy Sprints Method as Simon shares how his 17 years working as a strategy advisor left him feeling like there was something missing. Only after he started his own business did he become frustrated and see what the market needed. As many entrepreneurs do he looked back into his career to find the tools that worked and started to build the Strategy Sprints Method. Simon explains how his method of three strategies, three habits, 3 numbers and 274 prebuild modules gives clients the tools they need to deploy a strategy in a manner that can move the company forward faster, bring teams into alignment on a single sheet of paper, and help them learn faster than the competition. In addition, we learn how Simon uses his own strategy within his company to avoid the many pitfalls that take executives off track and allow them to get overwhelmed, which often leads to burnout. He shares how having hard checks in place can save you from jumping into new trends that everyone else is doing but won't actually have a positive impact on your business. If you're seeking a strategy for your B2B business and want to increase revenue this might just be what you need. Three Key Takeaways: * Thought Leadership strategies need to offer clients a way to move forward that they can understand and buy into. * Thought Leadership tools need to be accompanied by a strategy to deploy them. A good tool without an instruction manual will not be used. * Don't fall into the trap of excitement around new technology and trends. Analyze their usefulness, before committing time or money.

Working with a ghostwriter can be confusing and complex. In this episode, we are joined by an expert in each of these fields, to help thought leadership practitioners get a better grasp of the possibilities. Dan Gerstein is the founder and CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters, where he uses his talents to connect authors with speakers looking for help, focusing on matching both people's needs and personality. Jesse Finkelstein is the co-founder and Principal of Page Two, a publishing agency helping non-fiction authors navigate the full range of options while providing high-level support for a wide variety of organizational publishing activities. We start the conversation by discussing the concept of ghostwriting, and the tasks available to those who perform that function. Dan helps us understand that ghostwriters can write every word of a book, or work as a developmental editor— or anything in between! All the while, their duty is to maintain focus on the expertise, reputation, and authority of the client. With a firm grasp of the writer in hand, we move to the publishing side. Jesse clarifies the mysterious business of publishing. We learn about the various methods of publishing, the need for an established platform, and why authors want to retain the rights to their book — as they do with their other intellectual property. This episode takes us from page to print and everything in between! Three Key Takeaways: * It's easier than ever to publish a thought leadership book, the task a ghostwriter can help you accomplish is standing out and making an impact. * Before starting a thought leadership book, you need to know your unique value proposition and how it fits into the world. · Publishers look at more than the content of your book. They want to see that you have a strategy, and that the book aligns with your larger business model.

To celebrate our 400th episode, our two hosts Peter Winick and Bill Sherman disperse insights they've gained having spoken to hundreds of thought leaders over decades of working in the field. We start with a look at the widely varied paths to thought leadership. There are no schools, no set career path to follow to become a thought leader. Unlike becoming a doctor or lawyer, thought leadership is often the second act of a career. People branch into it once they've become a subject matter expert, have conquered many challenges of their own, and have developed a unique voice that needs to be heard. With no set route, thought leadership practitioners are often faced with experimentation as they create content and sharpen their message. Bill talks about the need to simply get content out and not be afraid of failure. Ideas need to take root, and you need defined goals in order to measure its success. Thought leadership practitioners need to shepherd their ideas, constantly look for new ways to present them, and find their best audience. Looking around the corner, Bill and Peter discuss the drivers that will change thought leadership over the next few years. We examine how publishing will continue to shift its place in a thought leader's toolbox, and the bar for quality content is only going to get higher as publishing becomes a simple, even easy, task. In addition, we learn why a visible digital footprint adds glue to business proposals and engagements, and why lack of visibility will be a major career impediment in the next few years. We want to thank all of our listeners for joining us over the last 400 episodes, and we look forward to bringing you more great content and exciting guests in the future. Three Key Takeaways: * Don't wait for your thought leadership to be perfect. Put it out there, and if it falls short, use that as a learning opportunity. * Your message needs to be independent of the modality. Build a strong foundation of ideas instead of focusing on how to "hack the algorithm" of the platform. * The cost and ease of publishing is allowing a flood of new ideas to enter the milieu. This signal-to-noise ratio can only be overcome with high-quality content and good marketing.

How do you bring thought leadership online in a quickly growing organization? It's a task that can be easily over-complicated, adding more spinning plates to employees who already have their hands full. So how do you make it work? We've invited Eric Dates, the Director, Growth Marketing at Ncontracts, a software firm providing risk management and compliance to a rapidly expanding customer base of financial institutes. Eric's voice adds to the conversation as someone who is currently adding and expanding the role thought leadership plays at his company. Eric shares how he kick-started thought leadership at Ncontracts by finding people inside the organization who are interested in becoming the face of the brand. He's found that people get excited at the prospect of being offered the space to share their voice on behalf of the org. Getting people interested in thought leadership might be easier than the task of creating it. Eric explains how he helps people break down the large task of thought leadership creation into smaller chunks, to avoid employees feeling overwhelmed. We also discuss how to integrate a high-profile employee into the thought leadership program without overshadowing others or taking away from the many voices that are involved. If you want to understand how to better shine the spotlight on the amazing talent in your company, as well as share great ideas, this episode will move you in the right direction. Three Key Takeaways: * By showcasing a variety of the talented people in your organization, they gain credibility and create a level of trust for the entire org. Credibility that can be relied on, and will pay off in every future interaction. * Getting subject matter experts to move into thought leadership involves giving them the space and confidence to share their ideas. * Understanding the full potential of employees contributing to the org's thought leadership can help marketers move the needle.

A short video has 3-5 seconds to get the viewers' attention, and 30 seconds to get them to stay. Are you up to the challenge? Creating videos, catching attention, and the ability to speak well on camera are acquired skills - and today's guest, Lynn Smith, knows how to master them all. Lynn is a journalist and former news anchor with NBC News, MSNBC, and CNN Headline News. With 15 years of experience in headline news, Lynn knows how to take complex stories and boil them down to a single, strong core. Lynn is now using that experience as Founder and CEO of Rylan Media, helping clients tackle their biggest branding and communication challenges. We start by asking Lynn about her insights on taking a complicated story and communicating it to the audience in a clear, succinct manner. Lynn explains how she breaks it down to the headline to grab attention,fills out the story with compelling details, and finally, adds "the chill factor" to leave her audience with a thoughtful takeaway. While many thought leaders can command attention and be charismatic on stage and in person, video meetings, online conferences, and video content creation have changed the game. Lynn shares tips on ways to overcome your awkwardness and connect with the lens in the same way you would a close friend. Her years of experience provide many tips and clear insight that you simply won't want to miss! If you want to create compelling videos that get a ton of hits, this episode is for you! Three Key Takeaways: * Thought leadership videos need to be short. You must connect with the audience in the first five seconds. * Many people experience Zoom fatigue, but we should also embrace the change that has facilitated simple global communication. * Budding thought leaders need to be resilient and keep going. Failure is just a lesson, a minor obstacle on the path to success.

Modern marketing means using popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But how can organizations make sure such marketing is effective, when it's hard to reach or measure the results? Behind the scenes of social media are a million private messages, e-mails, and other chatter that has as much effect on a brand as public announcements. How can that be measured, harnessed, and addressed? To help us navigate the "Dark Social" parts of the net, we've invited Kerry-Ann Stimpson, Chief Marketing Officer at The JMMB Group, an integrated financial service provider who values and promotes heart-to-heart connections and authentic, caring relationships through online media. Kerry-Ann is also the host of The Internal Marketing Podcast, where she gives tips and insights about ways companies can supercharge their brand by focusing on their employees. First, we define the idea of the "Dark Social" connection, and the important role it plays in the way brands are viewed. Kerry-Ann shares ways to educate your employees so they can play important roles in building the company's brand - along with their own! This is best accomplished by giving employees the freedom and trust to use their voices, and follow their passions. Kerry-Ann further gives insights about the ways she's been helping employees step out of the shadow of their company's brand, and share their personal experiences. An employee's personal experiences have great value to a company's reputation, helping organizations create communities that allow budding brand ambassadors to connect, learn, and inspire each other. Three Key Takeaways: * Thought leaders should embrace the idea of "dark social" connections, and build trustworthy allies to carry the conversation in those places. * A customer will never be more excited about your brand than your employees. Thought leadership helps employees get charged up and eager to share those ideas. * You may never have the resources to accomplish all of your marketing goals, but if you create an army of advocates, they'll help take your ideas further than any marketing budget ever could.

This was originally a LinkedIn Live recorded on October 6th, 2021 In our first Leveraging Thought Leadership Live session, we invited two amazing guests to speak with us about challenges and the grit it takes to overcome them. Jan Rutherford is a former Green Beret, and the founder of Self-Reliant Leadership. He's also the author of The Littlest Green Beret: On Self-Reliant Leadership. Shanon Huffman-Polson is one of the first female Apache helicopter pilots, and also the founder of The Grit Institute and author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World. Together, these two brilliant leaders, vets, and authors, discuss with us the importance of laying down a strategic plan early in your thought leadership journey. We discuss how they found ways to convey their leadership experience in methods that help others learn from it, and developing avatars to help reach the audience who needs you the most. The conversation covers the need to iterate in order to stay on top of your game, and how to listen to the market in order to keep your business growing with today's needs. Jan and Shannon share why they chose to become authors, and their reasons for wanting to write a book about their personal experience. Both created books that focused on making their personal stories a delivery mechanism for inspiration, insight, and ideas that others can use to improve their lives. If you missed this episode when it was live, this is the perfect opportunity to get caught up. Three Key Takeaways: * Understand your thought leadership's deeper purpose, identify the people you want it to serve, and reach out to them early in your career. * The market will tell you what it values — which might be different than what you want! Be open and willing to listen, and change course toward success. * It can be easy to create thought leadership based on our experiences, but it shouldn't be about you. Make sure you are giving your audience something they can use.

Traditionally, great marketing requires a big budget, a great deal of manpower, and broad advertising. When your organization isn't able to compete in those arenas, what can you do to punch above your weight class? To help us level up, we've invited Heather Donids, the Director of Thought Leadership and Insight at Harbor Capital Advisors to join us for a chat. Harbor Capital Advisors is an investment company that specializes in helping clients achieve the financial security they deserve. Together, we explore the ways thought leadership sits outside of the traditional streams of marketing. When done properly, thought leadership allows companies and individuals to compete on a higher level — but only if they have something to say, and the conviction to broadcast and shepherd that idea. Once your organization has zeroed in on the message they want to share, you'll need to get it to the right audience. Heather explains how she views thought leadership as an asset, comparing it to human capital. If you develop a content strategy and program, you can create a strategic asset that can be measured, compounded, and guided. The goal is to use many voices and mediums to reach your audience where they naturally spend their time; both in terms of what they are thinking about, and where they are, physically. Three Key Takeaways: * Thought leadership needs to be in perfect alignment with your company's business strategy and values. * If you have someone in your organization with something valuable to say, equip them with the tools they need to take that message to scale. * Proper curation of thought leadership will cut through the clutter and put the spotlight on important ideas.

Have you ever thought about publishing a book? Be careful! There are a lot of misconceptions and bad information about publishing. If you want to publish successfully, and see your work reach it's best audience, you might need to do a little research — and our guest on this episode is a treasure-trove of information. To clear up the misinformation and get our listeners started on the right foot, we've invited Matt Holt, Editor-in-Chief of Matt Holt Books (a BenBella Books imprint) to join us. Matt was previously Senior Vice President and Executive Publisher at John Wiley & Sons, where he oversaw a team of 85 staff. Over his 27-year career, he's acquired over 1,000 titles and published 10,000 titles! We start with the questions you need to answer before you set pen to paper. Matt believes you need to know your book's goal; why you are writing it, and for what audience? Once you have those answers, you can start thinking about the publishing model that will best suit your authorship. Having had literally thousands of proposals cross his desk, Matt can tell in only 30 minutes whether a manuscript merits further exploration. During our conversation, he shares what he is looking for in a proposal, and the methods he uses to look into each potential author's background and qualifications. Lastly, we discuss the tension that often exists between author and publisher. The author is making a long-term, multi-year connection ,while the publisher is looking to get in, publish the manuscript, and move quickly onto the next project. Matt explains what both sides can do to provide the transparency needed for everyone to achieve their goals. If you want to ensure that your manuscript proposal doesn't get tossed into the "pass" pile, you've got to listen to this episode! Three Key Takeaways: * You can get a book done quickly and cheaply, or you can get it done right. * Thought Leaders who are also practitioners often have an advantage in promoting their books as they already are in direct contact with their audience. * A book is a mass-market tool, you'll need methods of taking your content to scale if you want to fully capitalize on your book launch.

Thought leadership is all about unconventional ideas. But unconventional ideas can be intimidating. How does a thought leadership practitioner stir curiosity, draw in an audience, and make potential clients want to engage? Does giving the client agency draw them in or push them away? In seeking answers, I've turned to an unconventional guest, Vince Kadlubek. Vince is the founder and director of Meow Wolf, an art studio creating massive, world-class experiences that weave art, space, and narrative into one inspirational adventure. To start things off, Vince explains Meow Wolf's purpose and design, and talks about the three major Meow Wolf experience spaces. These huge art installations provide an environment to explore the unknown, something essential to an authentic, visceral experience. That's the kind of place, Vince says, where real transformation happens. Bringing these massive events to life takes many iterations of prototyping, and many artisans working towards a unified vision. Vince explains how Meow Wolf creates the theme, seeks artists, and builds both teamwork and autonomy, creating a collaborative effort built on trust. This episode takes many concepts and ideas used in the arts, and shows how they can be applied to thought leadership advancements in any industry, to make dreams come true. Three Key Takeaways: * Thought Leadership needs to marry art and adventure, leading their audience into the unknown - where transformation happens. * True collaboration means each side provides 50% of the work toward a result; it's the merging of both that creates something richer and more meaningful. * Prompt your audience to participate in your thought leadership instead of simply being a spectator.

Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) often think in terms of campaigns, responses, and calls to action. Everything is about selling a product or service. So, when it comes to using thought leadership for marketing, how do you thread the needle? How do you show CMOs that thought leadership can develop a brand, bring in new clients, and not look like just another advertisement? To tackle this tough question, we've invited Drew Neisser, the Founder of Renegade, a B2B marketing agency that helps their clients do the heavy lifting of brand strategy, market research, content, and social media. Drew is also the author of Renegade Marketing: 12 Steps to Building Unbeatable B2B Brands, helping readers remove the complications of B2B marketing. For thought leadership to be successful, you need to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish. Drew discusses the way CMOs should be focusing their efforts, and ways to express how thought leadership differs from traditional marketing. Once you have a clear purpose, you need a clear vision. Drew explains that thought leadership needs to be developed from the viewpoint of the customers, creating content that encourages them to think more deeply about problems in order to find solutions. Drew's CATS (Courageous, Artful, Thoughtful, and Scientific) method is one such framework. It can be used as a guiding light to ensure your content hits all the right targets. We conclude the conversation by examining Drew's goals Drew in writing his book. He set out to make B2B marketing easier by creating a 12-step program that he used in the field to gain real-life feedback and viscerally improve the book. Drew shares how the pandemic affected the release schedule of the book, and how he stripped it back to a massive blog post — which then exploded in popularity, proving that he was on the right track. B2B marketing has never been more complicated. If you are struggling to find your share of the market, this episode might just have the advice you need to find your audience. Three Key Takeaways: * Thought Leadership content should be created with the focus of helping clients solve problems by looking at challenges from a different perspective. * Low or mid-level marketers should consider creating thought leadership content early in their career, as a means of building a reputation for the long run. * Make sure you've considered the three C's when creating thought leadership: Content, Connection, and Community!

Many organizations deploy assessment tools, only to have the results ignored because of a lack of understanding or motivation. What do we do with them, now? What do the numbers really mean? Our guest today will help us understand not only what it takes to build a valid assessment, but how to use one to drive measurable behavior change. Meredith Bell is the co-founder and president of Grow Strong Leaders, where they help individuals discover key areas for development, and implement strategies for achieving higher levels of performance. She is also the co-author of Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills and Peer Coaching Made Simple: How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill. Meredith started her journey into the assessment tool space in the 90s, when she became frustrated at the lack of customizable tools at her disposal as a consultant. Before long, she had made the pivot from consulting to software creation. Her original product, 20/20 Insight, is still in use today. In addition to having been a consultant and creating assessment tools, Meredith is also an author, speaker, and thought leader. With so many plates spinning, she knows well how each label factor creates multiple touchpoints for potential clients to utilize her expertise. From those touchpoints, she helps companies and organizations discover which of her offerings will have the most impact for their needs. If you're looking for an in-depth understanding of assessment functionality, and why peer-to-peer coaching can be the most cost and time-effective method for moving the performance needle, you'll want to listen to this episode. Three Key Takeaways: * When creating assessments, keep your questions indirect. Indirect questions create more connection between behaviors and other elements. * Helping people reach their full potential is all about changing the habits that are standing in their own way. * Effective communication often means having to ask, "Who do I need to be, in this moment, in order to connect with my audience?"

How can you tell — in an instant — whether an in-person event will be a success or failure? Are there key items that can predict an event's outcome? In-person events are returning, and with them, questions of their utility and ability to really change the behaviors of those who attend. How can a thought leadership practitioner speak about their insights on stage in a way that brings about lasting and sustainable change? In order to better understand the challenges and pitfalls of organizing an event, we've invited Ruud Janssen, the Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Event Design Collective to join us. The Event Design Collective is a group of event designers who train and consult with event owners to elevate events using the Event Canvas model. As the co-creator of The Design Canvas, Ruud shares how they altered Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas to suit the event space, creating a model that any event owner could use under the creative commons license. Taking an idea and making it shine on stage isn't as simple as it sounds. Ruud helps us grasp the key elements that events need to create value through behavior change. While many concentrate heavily on the look or feel of an event, smart show-runners know that the real selling point is an event's outcome — and how it shapes ideas and habits for those who attend. The most successful events begin by taking notice of the event stakeholders; who they are, what they want from the event, and how they hope it will unfold. Ruud explains why we need to keep in mind those critical elements, and how to both manage expectations and surpass them. He also shares his thoughts on articulating thought leadership on stage, and what we can do to create behavior change from entry to exit. In addition, we learn how his business grew from offering a better understanding of The Design Canvas, to the creation of the Event Design Certificate program, and the creation of the Event Design Handbook — all to help empower event organizers to create amazing, impactful gatherings. If you want to learn more about The Event Canvas, you can get it free along with the first 100 pages of the Event Design Handbook HERE. Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leadership isn't just about insights. It needs to shape those insights and focus them in ways that deliver behavior change. Thought Leaders should spend at least 1% of their total attendance time thinking about the event they are hosting, and how to best reach attending stakeholders. You don't have to have a Hollywood budget for a Thought Leadership event! The production quality simply needs to elevate the conversation taking place.

Advertising and innovation are perhaps the two most important components of a company, and both are changing faster than ever before. So, how can advertisers better understand and harness the influence of social media content creators? Our guest on this episode is Geoffrey Colon, Head of Brand Studio at Microsoft Advertising and the author of Marketing: What Growth Hackers, Data Punks, and Other Hybrid Thinkers Can Teach Us About Navigating the New Normal. Geoffrey is well qualified to discuss how individual creators and organizations are being challenged to think about accountability, and how their message and actions affect their reputation. We start off the conversation by discussing how every action taken by your company and its employees is a marketing action, even if you don't intend it to be. Geoffrey explains why companies need to consider how they are seen - from interactions with customer service, to social media, to advertising campaigns and thought leadership. Are you presenting a clear and consistent message? Content creators on TikTok and Instagram are capable of massive reach and influence. With that in mind, what can be learned from their methods? Geoffrey talks to us about the changing world of public relations, and how companies can team up with like-minded influencers to create unique campaigns that are mutually beneficial. We round out the conversation by discussing how thought leadership can help build a brand's reputation. Geoffrey goes on to explain how this can only be done when an organization's thought leadership matches the actions being taken by the company. Trust is immediately lost when the audience sees a company speak about something they clearly don't understand, or worse, when the organization's actions are contrary to their thought leadership message. If you want a better picture of how to bet on the future of your company's public relations and reputation you'll want to listen to this episode! Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leadership should stay true to the actions of the company. Don't tell others about customer service practices if your company is known for having bad customer service. Brands can reach new audiences by teaming up with content creators to spread the thought leadership message of their company. It is important for thought leaders to understand not only the financial standing of the company they are working for but the ethical standing as well.

76% of people say networking is the top driver for attending an event, but the amount that have a plan to achieve that goal is much smaller. With many events having moved to a digital platform, networking has become harder - and yet, even more critical to success. To help understand the problem, and find some answers, we've invited Robbie Samuels to join us. Robbie is a networking expert, consultant, and advisor. He is also the author of Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences and Small List, Big Results: Launch a Successful Offer No Matter the Size of Your Email List, plus, he is the host of the podcast On The Schmooze. The arrival of the pandemic meant the end of in-person conferences, but as restrictions are loosening, we are starting to see these events return. We discuss what the post-pandemic conference scene will look like. Robbie explains that there is still great importance for in-person events, but they will have to be more thoughtful and meaningful than ever before. We also discuss the undeniable value of virtual events. Robbie explains that many of the tricks of the trade used by keynote speakers in person simply don't work on a small screen. He compares in-person speaking to a theatrical performance, and virtual events to a television show, where production and delivery is very different. Robbie gives examples to help speakers make changes to their delivery and connect with the audience in either style. Lastly, we discuss how the virtual environment has changed business models. No longer can keynote speakers rely solely on big conference gigs. Robbie discusses the diverse platform you need to deliver content, and how you can continue to provide in-person value - digitally! Robbie has a special offer for our listeners! Click HERE to get The Big Results Toolkit for Free! Three Key Takeaways: Thought Leaders need to have a clear plan to achieve networking goals at both in-person and virtual events. When delivering thought leadership content virtually, consider changing the pace every seven minutes to keep the audience engaged. Don't rely too much on one method of income for thought leadership. By diversifying your business model, you'll increase revenue and protect yourself from future disruptions.

Few children say, " I want to be a thought leader when I grow up." So, when did you realize this was what you wanted to do with your life? Every thought leadership practitioner comes from a unique background. Most began in other roles, following twisted paths that unexpectedly led them into thought leadership. When your organization needs a formal thought leadership position, how do you take people from disparate backgrounds and successfully stand up that new function? To better explore this transition, we've invited Mark Smith. Mark is Director, HR Thought Leadership at the Society for Human Resource Management (also known as SHRM). Mark's background includes a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and years of consulting in Human Resources, so he's got the right background to help us answer this question! Mark started his career at SHRM by leading a team to develop certification exams for HR. This research led Mark off the beaten path into marketing, social media, and sales - all the while continuing to lead his team. Eventually, Mark's boss recognized that Mark was doing incredible work outside of the scope of his position, and created the title of Director, HR Thought Leadership that Mark holds today. As the first official thought leadership role in the company, Mark was tasked with creating the responsibilities, roles, and tasks that the position would require, and building it into a meaningful part of the organization. He had to discover ways to bridge the gap between their important research and the audience he hoped to reach. Mark further shares his ideas about white papers. He tells us that they're not a great medium for the average audience, but those papers, infographics, sound bites, and more, can be shared on social media to offer people simple ways to take action toward more complex ideas. This is a wonderful conversation about standing up a thought leadership position. From the first steps of writing a vision for the role, to seeking mutually beneficial partners to collaborate with and reach larger audiences, Mark's got amazing insights that can help you do the same. Three Key Takeaways: Research often sits to the side of business goals. Thought Leaders need to bring that research to their audience in an actionable way. Organizational Thought Leaders need to navigate the complexity of silo'ed teams, develop buy-in, and get everyone on the same page. A fast way to grow your thought leadership reach is to collaborate with complementary partners - especially those whose work doesn't share the same audience.

Ever thought you'd found the best solution - only to discover in a few years (or a few months!) that the solution was unsustainable? The truth is that management solutions are complex, and sometimes our answers only complicate the original challenge. We've turned to one of the grandfathers of thought leadership, Art Kleiner, to address this difficult issue. Art is a recognized expert on management thinking, thought leadership, organizational learning, and scenario planning. He's the Principal Consultant at Kleiner Powell International (KPI), and the author of a number of books including Who Really Matters: The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege and Success and The Age of Heretics: A History of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management. Art shares stories of a time when business knowledge was universally applied, leading to a range of difficulties with every new application. Leaders wanted "the one right way" to run a business, not realizing that business isn't a one-size-fits-all scenario. Eventually, thousands of people started offering simpler solutions to complex problems, each expressing the way they'd addressed the challenges. This created a new problemL hundreds of answers, and no way to tell which would be the right fit for any individual organization. Management problems have become more complex than ever, and leaders now face the difficulties of employees who struggle to deal with the global pandemic, radical changes to the workplace, and a much higher standard of responsibility. All of this adds up to the need for thought leaders who can be part of the community and who speak directly to employees with open eyes and empathetic understanding. We wrap up the conversation by discussing why it is much harder to build an audience today. The technology to reach thousands of people actually causes part of the challenge, creating fragmented audiences scattered across various platforms. In order to build your audience, you have to show up on a regular basis, find a way to connect with them, and share simple ideas that bring about complex changes. This conversation is filled with great advice for managers and leaders seeking to better understand the complications of their position. Three Key Takeaways: Thought leaders get a lot of return from being an active part of the community they wish to serve. Clients are seeking a connection that feels real. They want someone who speaks from experience, and doesn't just peddle a quick solution. Different audiences prefer different media. Some might want to read short blurbs, others listen to a podcast, and a third group might prefer video. Thought leaders must connect with audiences in the manner they prefer.

Many thought leaders start with speaking, consulting, and creating content. They love their insights, and want to share them - but they don't always stop and think about their business model. What products will you offer? How will you market them? What kind of ROI, KPI and other metrics will you use? What would it be like to start on the business side, before stepping out with your thought leadership? We are thrilled to have Stephen M. R. Covey join us again on our podcast. Stephen is the co-founder of Covey Link and Franklin Covey, the bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, and a global authority on trust, leadership, and culture. Stephens's incredible career can be divided into two acts: first, as a leader on the business side of operations, he was charged with figuring out how to scale and leverage the work of his father Stephen R Covey; then, he stepped forward to share his own thought leadership alongside the gold standard his company achieves. Stephen explains his realization that thought leadership practitioners don't have to choose between impact and income. By aligning the two, and focusing on the audience that would benefit most from your insights, you can have great ideas and make money Over the years, Stephen has watched the industry move from analog to digital and has continued to be at the forefront of change. We discuss the forward-thinking ideas he had during the analog years (creation of certifications and train-the-trainer), and talk about the challenges and successes involved with staying at the top in this digital world. Stephen also shares his reasons to believe that intellectual property will always be the underlying engine of any platform or medium. We wrap our conversation by discussing Stephen's new book, Trust and Inspire. Stephen enlightens us about how little leadership has changed from the industrial age. While we have polished and refined the system of "Command and Control," today's environment requires more. Stephen gives us a rundown of his new system, what "Trust and Inspire" looks like, and why it's more complete and robust way of leading is more relevant in today's workplace. Three Key Takeaways: * The primary goal of thought leadership should always be the mission. Balance the scales between margin and reach, and don't lose sight of the mission. * Even if you believe that your insights are for everyone, don't overreach. Focus on your most integral audience, and create a profitable core before reaching out to a broader field. * When the market wants something - give it to them!