The REAL smarts you need to get your passions and talents
working FOR you – Gina Rudan guests

Do you ever feel you are two separate people? The “face” you present at the office, and the authentic self you are in the rest of your life? Do you ever feel like there’s a whole set of your skills, talents and assets that you’re not using every day because you’ve allowed WHAT you do for a living to become WHO you are?

Enter Gina Rudan! The author of Practical Genius, and a featured speaker at TED Global, Gina will share her 5-step plan to help us tap into the kind of practical, everyday genius that will unleash our full potentials and bring fulfillment in both work and life. And we could all use a little of that!

About Gina Rudan:

Gina is the President of Genuine Insights Inc. a contemporary professional development and training practice whose mission is to leverage the genius within every individual and organization. Gina spoke on the subject of genius at the 2010 TED Global conference at Oxford University and is the author of PRACTICALGENIUS: The Real Smarts You Need to Get Your Passions and Talents Working for You which will be published by Touchstone/Simon & Schuster in the fall of 2011.

Gina has been a guest lecturer, trainer and strategist for organizations including Merck Co., theBET Network, the Interpublic Group, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Stern School of Business at New York University among many others. She is the founder of TEDxMIA, an independent movement to spread genius in South Florida. Before launching her own practice, Gina held management positions at Fortune 500 companies including Avon Products and PR Newswire, where she was responsible for spearheading multicultural and international marketing efforts.

In 2010 Gina was selected as one of Poder Magazine’s top “20 Under 40” Hispanics in the United States. A native New Yorker, Gina graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Binghamton University and is a National Urban Fellow holding a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Baruch College in New York City.

 Acting like a CEO both online and off
Bestselling author & corporate consultant Debra Benton

Blogging, commenting, tagging, emailing, texting, video chatting…. everywhere you turn these days, there’s a new way to communicate ideas and opinions. But are you navigating the digital roads like a true CEO?

Debra Benton, author of 8 books including The Virtual Executive, gives us tips on how to move seamlessly among all the available digital platforms in order to communicate more effectively. And why we want Cheez Whiz all over our faces!

To listen to the conversation with Deb and Pam, click on the player below

About Debra:

Debra Benton is an effective, charismatic, and powerful speaker/consultant/author who has been in business successfully for over 30 years having founded Benton Management Resources in 1976. She has helped professionals worldwide to design subtle changes in their presentation, attitude, and leadership style that ultimately resulted in an increase in their personal and professional effectiveness – and subsequently their financial status.

Her client list reads like a “Who’s Who” in successful business today. Debra’s style and ability to influence positive change has put people “in office,” made companies millions, accelerated career advancement, and created a beneficial ripple effect throughout numerous organizations.

She has coached corporate executives, politicians, and business leaders on their organization impact in every industry imaginable. Every Week Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company features a client with whom she’s worked.

From thousands of in-depth interviews with high-profile leaders, Debra has written seven books and numerous articles in business publications including the Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal. Her best-selling books have been translated into fourteen languages.

Her expertise has afforded her front-page coverage in The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. She has been repeatedly written about in Time, BusinessWeek, Fortune, The New York Times and has been a welcome guest on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and interviewed by Diane Sawyer for CBS.

As an internationally recognized communications and interpersonal relations expert she is a popular keynote speaker. She has spoken to hundreds of organizations including American Express, United Airlines, Viacom, McKinsey & Company, Comcast, Kraft, Hewlett-Packard, U.S. Border Patrol, Lockheed Martin ….in 18 countries before audiences as large as 5,000 on such topics as: Executive Charisma, How to Think and Act Like the Best CEOs, and the Art of Leadership. As a speaker, Debra has consistently achieved a rating in the top 2% of all presenters.

Although Debra has never been in the military she has tried to serve her country with her work starting with a brief time on the U.S.S. Clarke missile frigate to observe Naval leadership. Following that she was invited onboard the U.S.S. Washington aircraft carrier and to be part of a group traveling with General Abizaid in the Middle East to study military leadership. She has repeatedly worked with most branches of the military including several assignments with the Veteran’s Administration and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Debra has been on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Rocky Mountain News and was a Career Expert for CBS affiliate, KMGH-TV. She holds a BS in Economics and Finance from Colorado State University and is the recipient of the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Debra lives with her husband, a retired cowboy and ranch manager, Rodney Sweeney, in Colorado.

The world seems to be moving faster every day and giving us a feeling of overwhelm. Resiliency is more important than ever if we are to survive, and even thrive, in all this chaos. Speaker and business trainer Jeff Vankooten explains what we are dealing with today, and how to hone our resiliency. Whether it’s our businesses that are changing, or the life around us, Jeff gives us the tools we need to keep our heads above water and make all the change work FOR us, not against us.

Click on the player below to hear the conversation with Jeff and Pam

About Jeff:

As much as we might wish it, our world is not becoming more stable or easier to comprehend. The changes are just too prolific. So are the challenges to our personal lives and ‘business as usual’. It’s crunch time. What does it takes to lead through such times? What are the abilities needed to succeed? How do you bounce back with robust resiliency?

Jeff Vankooten is an entertaining and thought provoking speaker who engages those questions head on, teaching audiences and readers through his motivational and real life experiences the value of embracing change as a transformative ally.  He provides key insights into our cultural moment and the essential abilities needed so everyone can collaborate, communicate, imagine, and adapt.  If you are serious about profoundly engaging change and its challenges head on, without retreat and with humor and hope, then Jeff is one of the most important resources at your disposal.

He has over fifteen years experience speaking from the platform and has keynoted events for a wide variety of audiences ranging in size from 20 to 2500. He has been described as a “crazily gifted communicator”, “intriguing”, “hilarious”, and “the best of the best” by the audiences he has encountered. His presentation style is personable and entertaining and his content is substantive, compelling, and life affirming. Audiences regularly remark on the conversations Jeff stimulated long after the event was over.

Whether you’re looking for an opening keynote speaker, closing keynote speaker or general session presentation, Jeff Vankooten delivers a tailored program that will exceed your expectations – guaranteed. Your people will walk away with actionable strategies they can immediately apply to stay engaged during change, reduce the stress of uncertainty, enhance productivity, encourage creativity, and be more resilient.

Jeff is also regularly sought out by corporate, non-profit, and government leaders to help develop strategic messaging and content for presentations to audiences all over the world.

He has authored three books;  “Greatalk! Pithy Pieces of Advice for Astonishingly Effective Presentations”, “You are who you were when: Understanding our Generational Personalities”, and “How to Flex in a world of Flux: Thiving in Chaos”. He is a member of the National Speakers Association, a selective organization for recognizing and improving the gifts of professional speakers.

Jeff graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology; a Bachelors of Arts in Communications; and a Masters Degree in Theology from Denver Seminary where he was chosen as one of the top five speakers in his class. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife, three kids, and very big dog.

Jeff’s website: www.JeffVankooten.com

Follow Jeff on twitter: @JeffVankooten

 Leading marketing expert Kelly McDonald loves nothing more than to curl up with hundreds of pages of census facts and figures … and make sense out of it!  And we’re glad she likes to do it, because the thought of trying to spot trends from all the facts and figures feels a little daunting to us.

And what she has found, and shares with us, are some pretty eye-opening changes to our world.  Find out who’s moving where, what our latest diversity index number is, and what the “normal” family looks like.

If you own a business, or handle marketing or futurecasting, you NEED to hear what Kelly has to say.  It will change how you think about EVERYthing!

Click on the player below to hear the interview with Kelly and Pam

The standard approach to marketing is to look for as many people as possible who fit one core customer profile. How to Market to People Not Like You challenges this traditional thinking about core customer bases, giving you a new approach to expand your customer base and your business.

Arguing for focusing on customer values rather than demographics, How to Market to People Not Like You reveals how you can grow business and profits by targeting those who are different from your core audience, rather than those who share similarities.

• Reach unfamiliar new market segments with your products
• Learn how to engage micro-segmented customer groups
• Author’s company was named one of the top ad agencies in the US by Ad Age

Find out How to Market to People Not Like You, understand the needs and values that distinguish diverse customers, and reach their hearts, minds, and wallets.

About Kelly McDonald:

KELLY MCDONALD is the president of McDonald Marketing, which Advertising Age named one of the top ad agencies in the United States across all disciplinesin 2009. She worked in top positions for global ad agencies before starting her own marketing company in 2002. Her agency’s clients include Toyota, Sherwin-Williams, Miller Coors, Harley-Davidson, and State Farm Insurance.

To find out more about How to Market to People Not Like You, click here: www.MarketingToPeopleNotLikeYou.com

Here’s a great article that quotes Kelly:

http://blogs.forbes.com/martinzwilling/2011/04/21/how-to-market-your-startup-to-people-not-like-you/

To get Kelly’s newsletter, go to her website and sign up!

Follow Kelly on twitter: @ KellyCMcDonald

Turns out that some big companies are putting blinders on. Futurist and trendspotter Eric Garland explains what’s happening with these behemoths, and how small businesses can take advantage of their actions. Plus, Eric explains how the 12-step program applies to businesses who are finally admitting to their problems.

Click on the player  below to hear the chat with Eric and Pam

About Eric Garland:

Eric Garland is devoted to creating a world of future-focused leaders.  With his signature humor, energy, and quick wit, Mr. Garland pushes individuals and organizations to question assumptions, think creatively, and identify strategic business opportunities within an ever-changing environment.

Mr. Garland is the author of Future Inc.: How Businesses Can Anticipate and Profit from What’s Next (AMACOM, 2006), introducing trends research, foresight, strategic thinking and scenario generation to leaders for practical use in both short-term and long-term planning.

Wearing many hats, Mr. Garland is: a global futurist, author, competitive analyst, strategic advisor, executive educator, and popular keynote speaker.

An internationally-recognized futurist, he has been exploring the issues of climate change, health care, global talent crisis, infrastructure, immigration, and advanced technologies.  Mr. Garland advises small to medium-sized businesses, corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, helping clients navigate change and identify opportunities for business development.

An experienced competitive analyst, he has executed market analyses for a global clientele, serving as a consultant to a broad range of Fortune 100 companies and national governments. A frequent world traveler, Mr. Garland works professionally in English, French and Spanish.

Mr. Garland regularly publishes columns on future trends, and recent articles include “Scenarios in Practice: Futuring in the Pharmaceutical Industry,” “Latinos in America’s Cultural Laboratory,” “Getting Ahead by Looking Ahead,” “There’s No Lack of Talent or Technology,” “Can Minority Languages Be Saved?”  and “The Experience Economy: The High Life of Tomorrow.”

For more about Eric, go to his website: www.EricGarland.co

Here’s Eric’s article in The Atlantic

Click on the player below to hear the interview with Peter and Pam

About Peter Winick:

Peter Winick has over twenty years of experience and has worked with a variety of thought leaders. In addition, he has built and managed several consulting and professional development organizations.

He lives in New York and has two children.

For more about Peter Winick, visit www.ThoughtLeadershipLeverage.com.

Do we talk to Boomers the same way we talk to Generation Y? How do we work with each of them in the workplace? What is it that matters to the Boomer.. .and do the Gen Xers care about the same things? You’d be surprised! And whether you have family members who don’t get along, or are a business owner who needs the employees to be more productive, Kathy Condon and Meryl Runion will give you plenty to think about!

Click on the player below to listen to the show!

Kathy is the author of It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask and has worked for over 30 years as a workplace specialist. Meryl, the author of Power Phrasesand Speak Strong, has been improving communication skills in the workplace and in organizations throughout America. They’ll both give us a much clearer understanding of these age group sand how they differ… which is extremely instrumental when it comes to marketing to the different demographics, and dealing with them in workplace settings. I promise, you’ll be surprised and look at those who are not your age in a very new way.

To learn more about Meryl Runion, go to www.SpeakStrong.com

For more about Kathy Condon, visit www.KathyCondon.info

Everything you need to know to succeed in small business
with Steve Strauss-Mr. All Biz

You’ve been reading his column in USA Today for over a dozen years. You’ve seen him on ABC, CNN and all the powerhouse TV stations. Now Mr. All Biz, Steve Strauss, answers our questions about small business.

The author of The Small Business Bible, Steve will answer our questions about where to find money for starting a business, smart marketing techniques on a shoestring, and what the most important advice is that he would give a small business owner.

To listen to the interview with Pam and Steve, click on the player below

About Steve Strauss:

A highly sought after commentator and media guest, Steve has been featured on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg Television, The O’Reilly Factor, and the BBC. He has been a regular guest on MSNBC’s small business show, Your Business. Steve has been seen in many magazines and newspapers, including Time, Inc., Entrepreneur, New York, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Daily News, and scores of others.

Steve regularly speaks to groups the world over regarding business matters, including a recent visit to the United Nations. He has also recently acted as the small business spokesperson for Bank of America, Humana Insurance, and Capitol One, among others. Steve has given speeches for many companies and organizations, including HP, Staples, the United States embassies in Jordan, Korea, Japan, and Mongolia, the United States State Department, the Small Business Administration, and Bausch & Lomb.

Finally, Steve is the president of The Strauss Group, Inc: Strauss Law Firm, Strauss Seminar Co., and Strauss Syndication. He graduated from UCLA, the Claremont Graduate School, the Coro Foundation, and the McGeorge School of Law. If you would like to get in touch with him, or have him speak to your group, please contact him here.

Biographer Kate Buford talks about
Jim Thorpe – Greatest American Athlete

Every once in a while a story comes our way which is just too good to pass up. The story of Jim Thorpe was just that kind of a story. So this week we have a special Host’s Pick Edition … a chat with award-winning author Kate Buford.

Having already brought the story of Burt Lancaster out in book form, Kate turned her writing and researching skills to Thorpe, whom Lancaster portrayed in the movies. In our chat we’ll talk about why Thorpe was so good, why he was stripped of his medals, the kind of man Pop Warner really was, and how anti-Indian sentiment affected Thorpe. You know what we say… we go where curiosity takes us!

 Click on the player below to listen to the chat with Pam and Kate

About Kate Buford:

Kate Buford’s Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe (Knopf 2010) was an Editors’ Choice of The New York Times and won awards from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and the Professional Football Research Association (PFRA). Her biography of Burt Lancaster (Knopf) was named one of the best books of 2000 by The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. She has written for The New York Times, Film Comment and Bluegrass Unlimited, among other publications, and been a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition APM’s Marketplace, and on Virginia’s NPR affiliate, WMRA. She lives in Virginia and New York.

For more information about Kate Buford, visit www.KateBuford.com.