Monday Morning Radio

Although Clorox Beach is virtually the same formula as most generic and store brands, it enjoys a consistent 65% market share. Learn its secret in this edition of The Monday Morning Radio Minute Featuring Lindsay Pedersen, author of 'Forging an Ironclad Brand.'

Clorox Bleach is 6% sodium hypochlorite and 94% water, the exact formulation of most generic store brands. Yet Clorox consistently commands 65% of U.S. bleach sales. Why? Because, says Lindsay Pedersen, who oversaw the hygienic cleaner for The Clorox Company, Clorox Bleach is an "ironclad" brand, one of many she showcases in her new book, "Forging an Ironclad Brand: A Leader's Guide." Lindsay, whose Ironclad Brand Strategy consulting firm has also helped build ironclad brands for Starbucks, T-Mobile, Zulily, and other large companies, believes that a business's brand it too important to be left to marketers alone. As she explains to host Dean Rotbart, brand is such a crucial driver of value creation that it needs to be developed and supported by virtually every employee at a company or organization, starting with the CEO. Good brand, Lindsay notes, really is just good business. You may think you know enough about branding or that your business or practice doesn't need to have an ironclad brand to succeed. You'd be surprised at how many customers and how much profit you likely are missing out on. Hear for yourself on this week's edition of Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Lindsay Pedersen, Ironclad Brand StrategyPosted: April 22, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 45:17

The Monday Morning Radio Minute Featuring: Dean Rotbart, host, and Lindsay Pedersen, author of 'Forging an Ironclad Brand.' "When people buy Clorox, they're not buying bleach at all." What are they buying? Listen and Learn in less than 60 seconds. An excerpt from the April 22, 2019 edition of Monday Morning Radio.

Question: You didn't go to business school and yet you launched a successful business right out of college. How? An excerpt from Monday Morning Radio with Host Dean Rotbart.

Entrepreneurial magic often results when education meets opportunity. In the case of Maxwell Cohen, the education was in environmental and water resource economics, and the opportunity was to save millions of gallons of water annually by finding a way for hospitals, nursing homes, and even parents of newborns to avoid having to wash so many bed sheets. His company, Peel Away Labs, developed the first multilayered, disposable, waterproof, fitted sheet designed for the home, industrial, and healthcare markets. Basically, when a bed sheet is soiled, users simply peel off the top layer — like an onion — and expose a fresh sheet. Maxwell's Peel Aways are a big success, selling at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, and other popular retailers. This week, Maxwell shares his journey - including a total misfire on Shark Tank in 2015 - from drawing board to final product with host and prize-winning journalist Dean Rotbart. Now an unabashed success, Maxwell recently celebrated his 28th birthday. Photo: Maxwell Cohen, Peel Away LabsPosted: April 15, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 43:37

Question: What does it take to be a successful one-person business? An excerpt from Monday Morning Radio with Host Dean Rotbart.

Christina DeBusk spent 15 years working in law enforcement before, in 2012, she caught the writing bug. Without formal journalism training, she took anything and everything that she could get, grinding out content 16 hours a day. Well, it paid off. Today Christina is an Olympic-caliber writer, having completed six books – including How to Earn a Comfortable Living as a Freelance Writer and I've Always Wanted to Write a Book! – 10 Easy-to-Follow Steps to Becoming a First Time Author; ghost-written a handful of others; and generated a whopping 5,000-plus paid content projects. She both teaches and personifies the notion that anyone can be a successful writer. This week, Christina shares the secret of her phenomenal output with host Dean Rotbart, who readily confesses his envy of her productivity. Photo: Christina DeBusk, Freelance Olympiad Posted: April 8, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 39:27

Question: Why is it so hard to recognize our purpose in life? An excerpt from Monday Morning Radio with Host Dean Rotbart

If you want to learn how to do it right, a great place tobegin is by studying what not to do. Skip Prichard, a successful CEO and former head of publishing giant, Ingram Content Group, is a leading scholar of missteps and miscalculations. For his Wall Street Journal bestseller – The Book of Mistakes – he's condensed the hard-earned lessons he gleaned from interviewing more than 1,000 successful people – from Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – down to nine common errors. Avoid these nine missteps, Skip tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, and you will achieve greater success than you ever imagined possible. Photo: Skip Prichard, Book of MistakesPosted: April 1, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 33:47

Are your customer service representatives ducks or eagles? An excerpt from Monday Morning Radio with Host Dean Rotbart @Nordstrom @Disney @SouthwestAir

You might say (or even sing) that Beth Kendall and her husband Bill are as lucky as lucky can be. The couple, after all, have co-owned All Out Chimney Sweep in Charlotte, North Carolina for the past 35-plus years. With all due respect to Mary Poppins and her friend Bert, successfully running and maintaining a 21st Century chimney sweep business in the face of advancing technologies and changing consumer tastes is no song and dance. This week Beth, who earlier this year was elected as the first female president of the North Carolina Chimney Sweep Association, takes host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart up where the smoke is all billered and curled, and shares some smokin' lessons that any business owner can readily profit from. Photo: Beth Kendall, All Out Chimney SweepPosted: March 25, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 33:05

Since he co-wrote The One Minute Manager in 1982, Ken Blanchard has rarely been off the bestsellers list, having authored or co-authored 60 books and landed a spot in Amazon.com's Hall of Fame, as one of the 25 top revenue generators of all time. One of Dr. Blanchard's favorite topics over the years has been customer service and how businesses can excel at it. He recently reissued his 2005 book, The Simple Truths of Service, which has sold more than 5 million copies. This week he joins host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart to share some of the common-sense wisdom that the book imparts. By the way, Dean, who teaches the Reputation Tool Chest workshop at Wizard Academy, took the opportunity with Dr. Blanchard to make a couple of his own reputation recommendations to the legendary author. No one ever said that Dean, a former investigative reporter, isn't dogged. Photo: Dr. Ken Blanchard, AuthorPosted: March 18, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 28:44

This week's special guest, Matt Mason, was recently appointed by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts to be the state's official poet. It's a position whose roots date back to 1921 and highlights the fact that the Cornhusker state is quite fertile ground for literary creativity. For almost ten years, Matt has served as executive director of the Nebraska Writers Collective, a nonprofit group that promotes poets in the schools and organizes quality poetry programs for adults. As the Nebraska State Poet, Matt plans to travel the state – from schools to prisons – sharing his love of poetry, supporting the state's writers, and inspiring Nebraskans from all walks of life to express themselves creatively. As Monday Morning Radio host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart – himself a Pulitzer Prize nominee when he wrote for The Wall Street Journal – points out, Matt joins a lengthy honor roll of Wizard Academy graduates who have been recognized globally for their creativity and professional excellence. Rotbart explores the role of creativity in society with Matt and asks him to explain why the arts matter. You'll want to hear his answer. And, you'll also want to hear his exclusive reading of a chapter from his latest book, The Baby That Are Cincinnati. So be sure to listen – or if time is short, skip – to the end of this week's episode. Photo: Matt Mason, Nebraska State PoetPosted: March 12, 201Monday Morning Run Time: 38:22

For a business to be truly successful, it requires executives who excel at managing their employees and, according to Andy Singer, employees who excel at managing their executives. Andy is the founder and CEO of Singer Executive Development, a Florida consultancy that trains both executives and employees on ways to maximize their performance, including managing each other well. As Andy tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, employees who "manage up" are not suck ups – they're savvy career strategists who understand that when their bosses look good, their career prospects look even better. Photo: Andy Singer, Singer Executive DevelopmentPosted: March 4, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 36:11

With roughly 90 million dogs in America and tens of millions of dog-lovers, it probably was inevitable that Happy Tails Canine Adventure Tours would emerge – offering eco-tours designed especially for dog lovers and their companions. David Blank, who along with his wife Claudia co-founded the company in 2018, is a veteran of the travel tour industry as well as a professional dog trainer. He's decoded the labyrinth of logistics necessary to safely and happily take a couple dozen dogs and their humans on travel adventures – including bus transportation, motels, restaurants, and even medical care. You may not be a pet lover, but you'll feel like a lucky dog after listening to David's interview with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart and discovering David's formula for tapping into the robust pet market. Photo: David Blank, Happy Tails Canine Adventure ToursPosted: February 25, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 40:46

Despite all of the television viewing options open to today's consumers – broadcast, cable, satellite, and streaming – surprising little of the available programming is local, much less hyperlocal, in nature. Simon Bray, a veteran Fort Wayne entrepreneur, is on a mission to change that. Simon is the founder and CEO of Streaming Television, which is rolling out laser-focused local programming channels in more than 190 markets nationally. STV programs are available on major streaming platforms – including Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV, as well as directly from dedicated websites. Whether you're a dry cleaner, plumber, accountant, dentist, or pizza shop owner, Simon tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart that STV aims to provide you the opportunity to reach your customers where more than 150 million Americans watch their other streaming programs and movies. Photo: Simon Bray, Streaming Television, Inc.Posted: February 18, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 39:40

The days when men shaved with safety razors – where the user inserts a single double-edge blade into a shaving implement – are long gone, made obsolete by cartridge blades and electronic razors. Or are they? Since 2012, Douglas Smythe, founder of Phoenix Shaving, has seen demand for his safety razors, blades, and other related grooming products for men boom. Douglas attributes the success of his business to three main factors: 1.) safety razors provide a more comfortable shave, despite all the hype around 3-blade and 5-blade cartridges. 2.) The replaceable blades cost only a fraction of cartridges. 3.) Men fondly remember their fathers or grandfather's using a safety razor. As Douglas tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, he is using 21st Century marketing – including a YouTube breakfast-hour show called I'd Lather Be Shaving – and an annual confab of hobbyists and other shaving enthusiasts, to drive sales and an expanding line of related products. Believe it or Not: Rotbart brand razors, blades, and accessories were the best-selling shaving products in Germany in the early part of the 20th Century. In fact, in about 1927, Gillette bought out Rotbart and for many years thereafter used Rotbart's designs and patents. Photo: Douglas Smythe, Phoenix ShavingPosted: January 28, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 41:53

Not for the first time, or even the second, or the tenth: Dean Rotbart's scheduled guest on this week's edition of Monday Morning Radio was a no-show. You absentee guests know exactly who you are. Shame on you! The good news is that without a guest, Dean is able to reach into his Reputation Tool Chest and share three self-marketing gems for companies and individuals who seek the attention of journalists and other influencers. Dean has taught at The Wizard Academy since the early 2000s, first sharing his Newsroom Confidential insights, then Buzz Snatching, and most recently Reputation Tool Chest. All three workshops have this in common: they defy the conventional wisdom of how influence is created, relying instead on deconstructing real-world success stories. When they show up, Dean always enjoys interviewing business owners and experts, because he can not only share their wisdom with listeners, he can learn from his guests himself. This week, alas, he can only pass on what he already knows. Photo: Dean Rotbart, Host, Monday Morning RadioPosted: January 14, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 10:00

If the most popular episodes of Monday Morning Radio in 2018 are an accurate barometer, then last year was one filled with both hopes and anxieties for America's entrepreneurs. Listeners by the thousands tuned to the weekly podcast, hosted by Wizard Academy alumnus and faculty member, Dean Rotbart, to learn how fellow entrepreneurs were succeeding, overcoming their mistakes, and discovering means to avoid making those errors in the first place. Join guest host Maxwell Rotbart as he counts down the Top 10 Monday Morning Radio episodes of 2018. Maxwell is the 26-year-old son of host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, and himself an entrepreneur and radio veteran. Photo: Maxwell Rotbart If you missed any of these ten amazing episodes, now is the perfect time to catch up. Your Company May Very Well Face Opioid-Related Liabilities, Even If You Don't Sell or Distribute the Painkillers http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Opioid_Crisis.mp3 The New Tax Code Will Save Most Listeners to This Podcast Thousands of Dollars http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Tax_Savings.mp3 Forget About Email and Social Networking Marketing: Text Messaging Is Where It's At http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Mobit.mp3 You Can Eradicate Sexual Harassment in Your Organization http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Sexual_Harassment.mp3 How Influence and Thought Leadership Are Manufactured in the Competitive Marketplace http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Adam_Witty.mp3 If This Company's Stock Was Publicly Traded – It's Not – Would You Invest in It? http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Luminora.mp3 Sears Once Resembled the Amazon Juggernaut – What Happened? http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Sears_Bankruptcy.mp3 The Time to Call in the 'Swat Team' is Before You Ever Need Them http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Armoured_One.mp3 CEOs, Celebrities, and Politicians Turn to One Man When Their Reputations Are on the Line http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/The_Fixer.mp3 Carl Schramm, "The Evangelist of Entrepreneurship," on the Proven Formula for Success http://traffic.libsyn.com/mondaymorningradio/Carl_Schramm.mp3 Photo: Maxwell Rotbart, Guest HostPosted: January 7, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 14:35

After almost 30 years in business, Roland "Buddy" and Dixie Huthmaker, owners of Huthmaker Violins – one of the finest violin and string instrument stores in the country – faced a choice that many owners do after pouring their hearts and souls into a business: sell it, close it, or pass it on to a willing heir. Fortunately for the Huthmakers, their daughter Anna (photo), a gifted musician and entrepreneur, stepped up, and in January 2019 will officially become the new owner of their beloved shop. All three Huthmakers attribute some of their success to the classes they've taken at Wizard Academy, including host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart's "Buzz Snatching" course on reputation building. This week on Monday Morning Radio, Anna shares the planning that went into the ownership transition and what she plans to do differently now that her parents report to her. [You may also wish to here our interview from September 2014 with Buddy, Dixie, and Anna. Click here.] Photo: Anna Huthmaker, Huthmaker ViolinsPosted: December 17, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 30:23

In her 1957 classic, Atlas Shrugged, author Ayn Rand argued that the business of business is to make money – nothing more. In her new book, The Conscious Professional: Transform Your Life at Work, due out next month, Jennifer Hartung pointedly disagrees. There is much more to business than pursuing profits and earning a paycheck, Jessica argues. Founder and CEO of Integrated Work, a Boulder, Colorado-based consulting firm, Jessica is an evangelist for purpose-driven workplaces, where owners and employees alike strive to integrate their personal values into their workday. In fact, Jessica believes that professionals who embrace a mission that goes beyond making money are more influential, effective, and fulfilled on the job. As Jessica tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart on this week's edition of Monday Morning Radio, even those with the most mundane jobs can find meaning in their everyday tasks. Photo: Jessica Hartung, Integrated WorkPosted: December 10, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 41:43

If Jeremy Dale hadn't spent the last eight years as a vice president of Microsoft Corp., people might dismiss his new book, The Punk Rock of Business: Applying a Punk Rock Attitude in the Modern Business Era, as a flight of fancy. But Punk Rock and successful businesses have much more in common than you might imagine, starting with authenticity and a refusal to conform. Coincidentally, Jeremy's interview from London with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart comes on the very day that Jeremy is officially launching his latest venture – Otro, a global digital club for soccer fans that is designed from the ground up to be a Punk Rock business. Do you have what it takes be a fast-paced, hard-edged business punk rocker? Find out this weeks, only Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Jeremy Dale, Punk Rock of BusinessPosted: December 3, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 37:26

Imagine if 95 percent of your marketing messages were opened, and not merely opened, but read within three minutes of you hitting the 'send' button. What would you call that kind of turbocharged email? Jim Koch calls it text message marketing – and he built a budding global empire on the fact that while email and social network marketing are now saturated and largely ignored – few people ever ignore their text messages. Jim launched Mobit, his text-marketing platform almost five years ago, and having recently sold it, continues to head its North American and UK operations. This week he shares with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, poolside in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, the rules of successful text message marketing – as well as its limitations. [Monday Morning Radio listeners who wish to learn more, without obligation, can text the word "Mobile" to 72000. They will then get access to a 30-minute strategic presentation on how mobile marketing for businesses works. In addition, they will have an opportunity to book a 30-minute free one-on-one consultation with a Mobit marketing specialist.] Photo: Jim Koch, MobitPosted: November 26, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 45:28

Can two entrepreneurs with limited previous online retail experience take a meaningful chunk of business away from Amazon? The concept of XYZBuys is a good one: to serve as an "online mall" with Amazon, Best Buy, and dozens of other leading retailers as so-called tenants. While consumers may be drawn to the mall by one anchor store, in theory they'll buy from other retailers – big and small, while they are already there. Will it work? The odds are against it. But after interviewing Dan Thomas, VP Marketing, host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart says that XYZBuys' audacious business model does offer innovative ideas that any online retailer or service provider may want to adopt for themselves. Photo: Dan Thomas, XZYBuysPosted: November 19, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 37:24

Host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart is talking trash this week, but even those with delicate ears will want to listen in. His guest is Patty Penke, the CEO of an Omaha estate sales company who has been selling collectibles and antiques for more than 20 years. Patty is the author of "Stop Throwing Cash in the Trash," a book that shines a spot light on the hidden treasures that so many people, literally, dump in the trash – especially when disposing of the estate assets of a loved one who has recently died. Beyond recognizing your family's own undiscovered heirlooms, Patty and Rotbart talk about the abundant money-making opportunities that arise by discovering hidden treasures at garage sales, flea markets, neighborhood auctions, and in your own attic. Photo: Patty Penke, Stop Throwing Cash in the TrashPosted: November 12, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 38:47

Most people hope the day will never come when the SWAT team arrives at the door of their business, school, or house of worship. But calling in the Calvary – before they are actually needed – could very well prevent, or at the very least mitigate, the kind of massacre of innocent lives that occurred on October 27th at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and just last Friday at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida. Tom Czyz is a SWAT team operator and former homicide detective who launched his company, Armoured One, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack in 2012. Joining him in advising business and community leaders on security measures are homeland security active shooter experts, a former Navy Seal Master Chief, a Delta Force team leader, and former FBI and CIA agents. Tom has personally has investigated what happened at more than 50 gun attacks – including the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 58 people and injured more than 850 others. His goal: how to protect more people in the future. As Tom tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, there are steps everyone can take to prepare for the unlikely event of a live shooter at your facility, as well as life-saving instructions to follow if an attack is actually in progress. You won't want to miss this week's episode of Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Tom Czyz, Armoured OnePosted: November 5, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 31:41

There are plenty of lessons to be gleaned from the bankruptcy filing of Sears last week, and Steven D. Goldstein is just the expert to articulate them. Steve, a one-time chairman of Sears Financial and member of the company's executive committee, is an expert on management disengagement and the problems that ensue. He is currently president of Engaged Leadership Advisors, advising corporate leaders on ways to drive change, accelerate innovation, and assemble highly effective teams. You may recall that in 2016, Steve was featured on Monday Morning Radio after he wrote the book, Why Are There Snowblowers in Miami?, which detailed how Sears continued to stock snowblowers in its Florida garden centers even though it hasn't snowed in Miami since 1977. Host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart caught up with Steve to get his advice for other retailers and businesses that seek practical recommendations on how they can avoid Sears' missteps. Photo: Steven D. Goldstein, Engaged Leadership AdvisorsPosted: October 22, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 24:01

Elliott Neff, a United States Chess Federation National Master, is passionate about helping others – especially young people – discover valuable life lessons through the game of chess. Elliott is the author of the just-released novel, A Pawn's Journey, a motivational speaker, and the founder and CEO of Chess4Life, which teaches sportsmanship, good decision-making, patience, planning, and how to learn from mistakes. Would you like to gain greater insight into your colleagues or rivals? Why not challenge them to a friendly chess match? Indeed, you're quite likely to gain fresh insights into your own strengths and weaknesses if you regularly mind your knights and bishops. Pairing Elliott's insights about life and business, against the inquisitive skills of host and veteran reporter Dean Rotbart, is a match you don't want to miss. Photo: Elliott Neff, Chess4LifePosted: October 15, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 48:30

Shay Myers is general manager of his third-generation, family-owned business – Froerer Farms – winning national acclaim for the innovation he's brought to his company. Just about any entrepreneur can profit from hearing Shay's story of breathing fresh life into a long-established business. In Shay's case, the business is produce - onions, asparagus, sweet potatoes and yams. Do you think you could find a way to make onions sexy – more than a simple commodity? Shay did. Hear how this week on Monday Morning Radio as Wizard Academy alumnus Lem Lewis stands in for host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart down on the farm. To learn more about Lem Lewis, be sure to visit his website TheRanchBroker.com or hear all of his RANCHAST episodes at www.Ranchcast.com. Photo: Shay Myers, Owyhee ProducePosted: October 8, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 40:43

Readers of Roy H. Williams' Monday Morning Memo are well-acquainted with Indiana Beagle, the legendary curator and editor-in-chief of the Rabbit Hole. Although "Indy" is a metaphorical, metaphysical canine – the twin brother of Intuition, a leading character in the Destinae trilogy – he embodies spontaneous, impulsive, reckless curiosity. Which is exactly why Monday Morning Radio host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart asked Indy to serve as the guest host of this week's episode. Don't be fooled, however. Indy's interview with Dean is not only entertaining, it's also actionable, as Dean shares a behind-the-scenes look at how Monday Morning Radio is produced and the lessons that Dean has gleaned in the course of hosting and producing more than 300 episodes. Do his guests all share common traits? Yes. And no. Are they all business successes? More yes, than no. Might you be a suitable guest for Monday Morning Radio? Tune in and discover for yourself, not only what it takes to land a slot on Dean's very popular podcast, but also how you can ace any broadcast or print interview that comes your way. Arooo! Aroo-Aroooooo! Photo: Indy Beagle, Guest Host, and Dean Rotbart, Guest GuestPosted: October 1, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 43:03

Michael Diamond is an expert when it comes to building, motivating, and growing business teams. He honed his skills in war zones – first fighting Iraq in Operation Desert Storm – and more recently, battling the fierce competition in the highly competitive mobile products marketplace. Michael is currently general manager of payments for Mitek Systems. If you've ever deposited a check by taking a picture of it with your mobile phone, then you've probably used the technology that Michael and his team oversee. Michael is passionate about leadership, and innovation, and this week he reveals to host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart the most valuable – and actionable – lessons he's learned along his life's journey. Photo: Michael Diamond, Mitek SystemsPosted: September 24, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 37:45

What was once science fiction, is rapidly becoming reality – especially when it comes to the prospects of small businesses operating in space, or at the very least, feeding commercial space operations. Earlier this month, a group of scientists, entrepreneurs, and space futurists gathered in St. Louis for Gateway to Space 2018: Destination Moon – a one-day conference about working and living on the moon. Christine Nobbe, an educator and president of St. Louis Space Frontier, was the opening speaker. She is host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart's guest this week, as the two explore out-of-this-world business concepts and realities. Photo: Christine Nobbe, St. Louis Space Frontier Posted: September 17, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 33:35

In a very, very crowded market for pizza restaurants, Drew French discovered the recipe to stand out from the crowd – offering made-to-order pies, baked in brick ovens, using a wide variety of fresh ingredients, hand-tossed doughs, and served in just four minutes. Drew's Athens, GA-based Your Pie, launched a decade ago, now has 58 locations in 19 states, with nearly 60 additional locations in development. Drew is widely credited with pioneering the now-popular and highly competitive "fast casual" pizza concept. The distinction is all the more impressive, says host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, given that Drew only recently turned 35 years old. "A well-known adage says, if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it," Dean observes. "Perhaps, in a similar vein, Drew French and Your Pie embody the entrepreneurial concept: If you want to succeed, look to innovate in a market that is already crowded. At least, when you launch, you'll know there are plenty of ready prospects to win over." Photo: Drew French, Your PiePosted: September 10, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 36:11

Millions of small business owners stand to realize big savings on their 2018 taxes, thanks to revisions of the federal tax code that were signed into law in late 2017. Only in the past few weeks, however, has the IRS fully explained who stands to profit from the so-called Section 199A deduction for qualified business income – and who will be left out. Rachel Sawyer, a partner in Denver-based TaxOps, a respected business tax specialty and advisory firm, joins host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart this week to delve into the nuances of the new tax code and what entrepreneurs can do to take maximum advantage of the savings it offers. If you qualify, Section 199A could mean tens of thousands of dollars of extra cash in your pocket come next year. Photo: Rachel Sawyer, TaxOpsPosted: September 3, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 26:41

[Note: Our guest on last week's podcast, was Dr. Nate Regier, who discussed harvesting conflicts in your life, rather than fearing them. However, due to a mix up, some listeners instead were treated to an advance airing of this week's podcast, featuring Alex Vorobieff.] If you already heard what Alex had to say last week, we encourage you this week to go back and hear our conversation with Dr. Regier. In both instances, you'll profit from priceless business insights.] When the wheels on a car are out of alignment, it impacts the car's steering and suspension, not to mention the durability of the tires and all the parts that control them. When a business is out of alignment, its path also faces uneven friction and greater resistance. Eventually, it drives off the road altogether. Alex Vorobieff, founder and CEO of The Vorobieff Company, is a business alignment expert. Sometimes hired as a stand-in CEO or CFO, Alex uses a suite of alignment tools to get a poorly operating business back on track. The secret to fixing most ailing businesses, Alex tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, rests with remediating its core, NOT focusing on the surface where the issues are most visible. BRING YOUR BUSINESS INTO FOCUS: Pick up a copy of Alex's well-reviewed book: Transform Your Company: Escape Frustration, Align Your Business, and Get Your Life Back. If you own a small business and would like to be a guest on this podcast – and get some free reputation advice from me – I invite you to contact me at [email protected]. You can also phone me at 303-800-6081. Photo: Alex Vorobieff, The Vorobieff CompanyPosted: August 27, 2018Monday Morning Run Time: 39:36

It sounds like an oxymoron: Positive Conflict But Dr. Nate Regier, a former practicing psychologist, has built a successful second career as an author, business coach, and popular keynote speaker teaching business people how to fight productively – both on the job and at home. With endorsements from management gurus including Dan Pink, Ken Blanchard, and Marshall Goldsmith, Nate's book, Conflict without Casualties, has become must-reading in boardrooms and business schools across the country. Rather than fear conflict, Nate tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, the smart thing for businesses and organizations to do is channel it. [Follow Dean's newest entrepreneurial venture, SpacEnterprise, as he explores out-of-this-world business concepts and realities.] Photo: Dr. Nate Regier, Next Element Posted: August 20, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 39:13

It's not been easy, but Azi Hendi and her husband, Dr. Ali Hendi – a lawyer and a cancer surgeon – have combined their talents to launch 15-month-old Luminora, a stylish clothing line designed to protect women from the sun's harmful rays. The Hendi's know that three million Americans are diagnosed annually with a form of skin cancer, and most fashionable clothes do little, if anything, to protect wearers from the sun. In a frank conversation with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, this week the Hendi's share both their accomplishments and their frustrations as first-time entrepreneurs, and Dean offers them some actionable advice on positioning themselves for greater success. If you own a small business and would like to be a guest on Monday Morning Radio – and get some free reputation advice from Dean – we invite you to contact him at [email protected]. You can also phone him at 303-296-1200. Photo: Dr. Ali Hendi and Azi Hendi, Luminora Posted: August 13, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 42:30

When Ross Kimbarovsky started his company, crowdspring.com, a decade ago, he had a vision for a new kind of logo creation service – one in which logo buyers would be offered a wide range of original, creative, logo concepts at a readily affordable price. Today, more than 200,000 designers from nearly 200 countries compete to design the winning logos for crowdspring's 50,000-plus clients. Ross knows all the do's and don'ts of choosing an effective logo for your business or product, and this week he shares his best insights with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart. Photo: Ross Kimbarovsky, crowdspring.com Posted: August 6, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 39:01

What would you guess is the percentage of small business owners who hope that one day their children will follow in their footsteps? For all the headaches that ownership brings, a surprising 84% of the more than 1,000 small business owners who responded to a recent survey said they'd wish the blessings and the curses of entrepreneurship upon their kids. Kathryn Petralia, president of Atlanta-based Kabbage – the global financial services and technology company that conducted the survey, tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart that in the eyes of survey respondents, nothing defines the American Dream better than being your own boss and owning your own business. Hear all the fascinating results from the Kabbage small business survey this week on Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Kathryn Petralia, Kabbage Posted: July 30, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 17:43

Ten years from now, 20 years, even 50 years, will anyone remember you or your company? In a short-term world, too few business leaders contemplate their long-term brand. Mark Miller and Lucas Conley, authors of the new McGraw-Hill business book, Legacy in the Making, are out to change that. Miller and Conley argue that leaders with long-term ambitions are the best equipped to stand out, get ahead, and make their mark. Even if your company is just out of the starting gate, as Miller and Conley tell host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, the surest way to be around for decades to come is to start building your legacy right now. Photo: Mark Miller and Lucas Conley, The Legacy Lab Posted: July 23, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 38:44

40 million Americans, or roughly one-third of the workforce, have at least two jobs – their fulltime position and what many Millennials have come to call the "side hustle." There are advantages for both the primary employer and the secondary employer to bringing aboard side hustlers, but there are also a host of legal landmines that could prove a costly nightmare to employers who are caught unawares. Mark F. Kluger, founding partner at the New Jersey employment law firm Kluger Healy, is an expert at clearing all types of workplace landmines, and this week Mark walks host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart step-by-step past the explosive, often-hidden, issue of side hustlers. Photo: Mark F. Kluger, Kluger Healy Posted: July 16, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 36:25

Business conferences are big business. The World Economic Forum in Davos, the Milken Institute Global Conference, and the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference are among the largest and best-known of the lot. By comparison, the annual Fireside Conference – held at a remote retreat a 3 ½ hour drive from Toronto – is a puppy; but a best-in-show gathering at that, attracting a small group of top innovators, thought leaders, and investors in the entrepreneurial universe. Fireside's co-founder, Daniel Levine, tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart just why every year Fireside gets more than ten times the number of applicants than it accepts – and the secret to having what it takes to land a coveted invite to the off-the-grid, off-the-record meeting of some of the brightest minds in business. Photo: Daniel Levine, Fireside Conference Posted: July 9, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 42:30

For just shy of four decades, Mark H. Fowler has helped reengineer companies that are underperforming or outright failing. His Santa Monica consulting firm, Stowe Management Corporation, relies heavily on building enhanced communication between corporate management, employees, and customers to achieve amazing operational turnarounds. Mark has created a proprietary set of tools to foster what he terms "Revolutionary Conversations." Hear Mark's revolutionary interview with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart on this week's episode of Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Mark H. Fowler, Stowe Management Corporation Posted: July 2, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 35:16

The Economist magazine once described Carl J. Schramm as "The Evangelist of Entrepreneurship." Professor Schramm earned the moniker during the decade he was the president of the $2 billion Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which is among the largest private foundations in America, working to help entrepreneurs succeed. These days Professor Schramm writes about entrepreneurship and teaches at Syracuse University, one of only 16 members of the faculty since 1870 to be given the prestigious, at-large title of University Professor. This week Professor Schramm conducts a Master's Class in entrepreneurship exclusively for host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, using the professor's new book – Burn the Business Plan: What Great Entrepreneurs Really Do – as assigned reading. Think you need an MBA to be a business success? Think again. Professor Schramm says that the proven path to business success is one of passion, determination, and a willingness to experiment and innovate. Class is starting right now. Photo: Carl J. Schramm, Burn the Business Plan Posted: June 18, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 35:07

To kick of his 7th year of hosting Monday Morning Radio, award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart invited back one of his most popular all-time guests, Davia Temin, founder & CEO of crisis management firm Temin and Company, to talk about a very hot button issue in America at the moment: sexual harassment. Davia serves as an advisor to senior executives and boards at the highest levels of American business, and she has emerged as the go-to consultant on what companies and other organizations must do to eradicate sexual harassment in their organizations. Featured often for her expertise in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Forbes, Institutional Investor and other respected news outlets, Davia shares with listeners her 15-point plan for business owners, boards, and CEOs to not just respond to the wave of sexual harassment complaints, but to actually get ahead of the issue. Photo: Davia Temin, Temin and Company Posted: June 11, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 46:01

Getting a popular entertainer, athlete, author, blogger, or YouTuber to say nice things about your business or products is a powerful way to generate sales. Greg Jameson, author of The Influencer Effect, specializes in helping companies identify the influential men and women who can provide them the greatest endorsement leverage, and then negotiating terms with those influencers. As Greg explains to host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, an effective influencer needn't have a household name. Anyone with a loyal following, no matter how small, can often produce over-sized results for the companies and products that they endorse. Photo: Greg Jameson, The Influencer Effect Posted: June 4, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 35:41

Ty Crandall is CEO of Credit Suite, the largest business credit coaching operation in the United States. He and his colleagues know the ins and outs of finding the funds to fuel your business and its growth, without having to provide lenders a personal credit check or personal guarantee. Ty tells host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart that he is shocked by how little most business owners know about business credit and how best to obtain it. Even simple strategies, such as selecting the right name and email address for your business, can often make the difference between being approved and being denied credit. If you need business credit, or need more business credit, you won't want to miss what Ty has to say. Photo: Ty Crandall, Credit Suite Posted: May 28, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 35:53

Some people look to Warren Buffett and Mark Cuban for investment wisdom. Timolin Langin looked to Big Mama and Biggie – her grandmother and great-grandmother – for her financial sensibilities. Timolin was born and raised in Mississippi to sharecroppers and cooks – none of whom graduated high school. Yet leveraging the wisdom imparted to her by Big Mama and Biggie, she became a school teacher, and then a real estate investor, author, world traveler, and ultimately a millionaire. In her book, Mind Over Money, Timolin says anyone, on any budget, can live like a millionaire when they dedicate themselves to her wise saving and spending strategies. This week she shares her five-step program for achieving greater financial well-being with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, who may not in fact be a multi-millionaire, but after talking to Timolin already thinks like one. Photo: Timolin Langin, Mind Over Money Posted: May 21, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 41:18

June 12th has been set as the date when President Donald Trump will meet in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. With so much at stake, President Trump and his entourage most certainly will get lots of advice from the State Department and CIA concerning what cultural landmines to avoid. For companies and organizations that engage in important cross-cultural interactions, Dean Foster serves as a one-man State Department/CIA. Foster – who is the founder of DFA Intercultural Global Solutions, hosts a series on the subject for CNN, and has written the "Culture Wise" column for National Geographic – is an expert on training Americans on the intricate nuances in cross-cultural communications, foreign negotiation best practices, and global etiquette. Foster will share his own advice with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart regarding the President's upcoming trip, as well as what every American who does international business – even in nearby Canada – must do so as not to sabotage relationships before they're even formed. Photo: Dean Foster, DeanFosterGlobal.com Posted: May 14, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 45:55

Chris Ronzio knows the anatomy of a successful small business better than most owners and CEOs. Chris recently launched a new software venture – a tool called Trainual – that dissects every small business and professional office, breaking them into core components: every process, every job responsibility, every policy, every document – all in one place. Trainual is a digital company handbook on steroids. As Chris explains to Monday Morning Radio host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart, Trainual takes the painful process of onboarding and training employees that has been in use for decades and gives it a thorough 21st Century makeover. Photo: Chris Ronzio, Trainual Posted: May 7, 2018 Monday Morning Run Time: 37:27