Mary Fran Bontempo, an award-winning speaker, author, and humorist, just came out with a crisis management book called, “The 15 Minute Master.” The book promises to teach readers “how to make everything better 15 minutes at a time.” With no advance warning, host Dean Rotbart decided to test the premise on Mary Fran, herself, using his stopwatch to give her exactly 15 minutes to explain her method, why it works, and how business people can apply her lessons both at work and in their personal lives. “15 minutes could save you more than just car insurance premiums,” Rotbart says. “In a crisis, it could save your backside.” Click here to hear Mary Fran Bontempo’s July 2017 interview on Monday Morning Radio. Photo: Mary Fran Bontempo, The 15 Minute Master Posted: November 11, 2019 Monday Morning Run Time: 22 minutes 32 seconds

It’s hard enough for American entrepreneurs to launch a new business and gain traction with American consumers. Doing it from Istanbul, Turkey, primarily in Turkish, as Rasim Cin is doing, complicates the task exponentially. Rasim is the visionary behind Woppy, a new subscription game-box company that aims to teach kindergarten-age kids STEM skills, without using digital technology. Woppy was recently a participant in the WSJ Tech Live global conference held in Laguna Beach, where Rasim and his team generated a great deal of positive buzz from the world’s high-tech whizzes. Joining host Dean Rotbart for a discussion of the obstacles Woppy faces, and what other businesses can learn about working internationally, is Mel Ayan, an early-stage investor in Woppy. Photo: Rasim Cin, WoppyPosted: November 4, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 54 minutes, 25 seconds

Bert and Tracy Gervis are two successful California entrepreneurs and philanthropic superheroes who own and operate one of the nation’s fastest growing pet food companies. Their proprietary Gentle Giants Dog and Puppy Foods is helping canines to live twice, even three times longer than average, with many dogs behaving like puppies well into their twenties. No wonder their wholesome dog food is flying off the shelves of Walmart Supercenters and hundreds of major supermarket outlets nationwide, not to mention on Chewy.com and Petsmart.com. Bert and Tracy not only don’t take a salary, since 1994, they’ve personally cared for more than 15,000 rescue dogs in their home. If that’s not impressive enough, this week, on a special “What’s My Small Business Secret” edition of Monday Morning Radio, both Bert and Tracy reveal to host Dean Rotbart their separate background stories that make their accomplishments all the more extraordinary.  [Spoiler Alert: If you just can’t wait to know Bert and Tracy’s secret, skip ahead in the podcast to 35 minutes and 50 seconds, and all will be revealed.]   Photo: Bert John Gervis, Jr. - Gentle Giants Dog & Puppy FoodsPosted: October 28, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 1 Hour 8 Minutes  

On paper, at least, Creature Coffee looks like a bad idea. Founded two years back by Michael Craig, a barista, it is aiming to carve a niche for itself in the crowded and competitive coffee marketplace. To make the task all the more difficult, Creature Coffee is spreading itself between three sales channels: walk-in retailing, online sales, and pop-up coffee bars. But Michael – like the best entrepreneurs – believes in himself, believes in his concept, and does not believe all the naysayers. When he launched Creature Coffee, Michael began with a budget of $1,000 – all that he could scrape together at the time. Today, the success of Creature Coffee is evident, from the non-stop flow of fans into his retail outlet – located in a gentrifying neighborhood of Austin, to the corporate clients he’s attracting, including IBM, American Express, Mercedes Benz, Hitachi, Deloitte, and Dell. Earlier this month, Monday Morning Radio host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart paid a visit to Creature Coffee and shares both good conversation, and a satisfying cup of Columbian expresso, with Michael Craig.  You can purchase up to 200 varieties of coffee from Creature Coffee online at www.CreatureCoffee.co.  As always, the plug for this week’s guest comes gratis. Monday Morning Radio never charges its guests to be on the podcasts or accepts payments in kind. Photo: Michael Craig, Creature CoffeePosted: October 21, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 41 minutes 40 seconds

Last week, more than 45 international companies competed in the annual Global Bottled Water Awards competition, presented in Dubai. Water is big business, with more people in the U.S. drinking bottled water than soft drinks, and new packaged-water entrants continuing to flood the market. Duane Stanford, executive editor of Beverage Digest, was one of the judges for this year’s water competition, and he joins host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart to talk about the innovators and entrepreneurs who are making a big splash in the water industry, and the rip currents they face. Photo: Duane Stanford, Beverage Digest Posted: October 14, 2019 Monday Morning Run Time: 39 minutes and 57 seconds

On a special edition of Monday Morning Radio, Alan Murray, president and CEO of FORTUNE magazine, shares the business and journalism insights that he’s gleaned during the course of his 40-plus year career. In particular, Alan talks about how FORTUNE, under his leadership and new ownership, is positioning itself to be the preeminent global business media brand. Take notes. Because the strategy that Alan describes can just as effectively be utilized by any business – large or small – that seeks to propel itself to the forefront of its industry or business niche. “Business success today has much more to do with inspiration, with being able to give people a purpose and direction, not so much direct orders,” Alan tells host Dean Rotbart, himself an award-winning journalist. “Business leaders have to be able to see into the future and see around corners in ways that it just wasn't nearly as necessary ten years ago.” Today’s FORTUNE, Alan explains, is no longer merely a chronicler of the world’s top companies and executives. Rather, Alan and his team are dedicated to providing their readers and attendees the content and connections they need “to help them drive toward business success.” “What can we do to make business better?” is the question that Alan says guides FORTUNE’s content and event strategy under his leadership. “I want people to look at FORTUNE and say this magazine is going to help me navigate the future.” Photo: Alan Murray, FORTUNEPosted: October 7, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 41 minutes 52 seconds

Everyone knows the unprecedented journey that propelled Jeff Bezos from the owner of a tiny online bookstore that he launched in July 1994, to the head of Amazon, the fastest company ever to surpass $100 billion in annual sales; making him the richest man in the world. What few people know are the 14 principles that Bezos followed to accomplish the unimaginable feat. In The Bezos Letters, author Steve Anderson dissects the 21 annual letters that the Amazon founder has written to shareholders to glean the essence of Bezos’s business philosophy. Most amazingly, Anderson tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, Bezos is relying on those same 14 principles not only to continue to grow Amazon at a rapid clip, but also, soon, through his privately-owned Blue Origin aerospace company, to revolutionize space travel and manufacturing. Photo: Steve Anderson, The Bezos LettersPosted: September 30, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 51 minutes and 40 seconds

Exposure in Inc. magazine or its annual Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing companies assuredly will bolster the reputations and prospects of any small business.  But what kind of stories are the journalists at Inc. interested in – and is there a backdoor shortcut to landing on the Inc. 5000? Those are just a few of the questions that host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart puts to Inc.’s Editor-in-Chief James Ledbetter on this week’s episode of Monday Morning Radio. James is only too happy to provide an up-close look at how Inc. operates, and what type of stories appeal most to editors and readers alike. Photo: James Ledbetter, Inc.Posted: September 23, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 47 minutes and 35 seconds

Following a serious ski accident and two failed spinal surgeries, Gina Gardiner had to relearn to walk. Not once, but twice. The experience led Gina to segue from her role as a school principal in the UK to a motivation coach, helping a large and growing flock of international followers find greater happiness, success, and fulfillment. From Colchester, England, Gina shares with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart her five secret pathways to “thriving, not simply surviving.” Gina’s mission now, she says, is to help one million people discover their “Genuine Selves” within the next five years. Photo: Gina Gardiner, Genuinely YouPosted: September 16, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 39 minutes 54 seconds

Aaron LaPedis owns a fine art gallery in one of the swankiest retail areas of Colorado. But paintings, sculptures, and limited edition prints are not all that fascinate Aaron, who is best known nationally as The Garage Sale Millionaire. For more than three decades, Aaron has hunted hidden treasure at garage and estate sales, as well as online auctions. Whether you’re a treasure-hunting hobbyist or simply looking to offload some business, household, or collectible items you no longer want, Aaron can guide you how to buy and sell most profitably. Back on Monday Morning Radio after a six year hiatus, Aaron shares with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart the unvarnished truth about becoming your own garage sale aficionado. This week’s episode comes to you from the campus of The Wizard Academy, located in Austin’s renowned Texas hill country. [Be sure to pick up a copy of Aaron’s garage sales “Bible,” The Garage Sale Millionaire.] Photo: Aaron LaPedisPosted: September 9, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 44 minutes 48 seconds

It’s been more than 50 years since Walter Elias Disney departed for the great amusement park in the sky, yet his legacy consistently inspires new generations of business owners and creators. Michael Goldsby and Rob Mathews, two professors of entrepreneurship at Ball Street University, have encapsulated Disney’s magic rules of success into a must-read book, Entrepreneurship the Disney Way. As Goldsby tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, two traits that Disney embodied that to this day are hard-wired into The Walt Disney Company are an obsessive commitment to product quality and a refusal to stop innovating and creating.  For businesses owners who wish upon a star that they could emulate the success of the Disney and the Magic Kingdom, Goldsby says the pixie dust is simple: Just ask yourself time and again, “What would Walt do?” Photo: Michael Goldsby, Ball State UniversityPosted: September 2, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 42 minutes 42 seconds  

In the eyes of more than 200,000 women entrepreneurs in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, Genecia Alluora is already a business rock star. The former Miss Singapore – who founded and leads Soul Rich Woman – the #1 network of female entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia, now wants to spread her message of empowerment and financial independence to the women of North America. Genecia specializes in teaching woman the secrets of successful online marketing and digital branding. This week, she connects by phone from the Republic of Singapore with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, and explains why her step-by-step system of success speaks a universal language. Oh yes, men, too, stand to learn a lot from Genecia’s playbook. Photo: Genecia Alluora, Soul Rich WomanPosted: August 26, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 49 minutes 30 seconds  

Owning a business while raising a family is challenging enough. Mix in caring for one or both aging parents, and the complexities of life expand exponentially. That’s especially true for women, who comprise a majority of the 44 million unpaid eldercare providers in the United States. Liz O’Donnell, who enjoyed a fast-paced career in marketing, can speak from experience. She was already juggling her job and two children when both her parents were diagnosed with terminal illnesses on the same day. Liz, author of Working Daughter: A Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parents While Making a Living, not only shares her advice with host and reputation coach Dean Rotbart for coping with the added responsibilities of eldercare, she also spells out ways that aging Baby Boomers can lessen the burden on their kids when they cross the Rubicon into old age. [Be sure to pick up a copy of Liz O’Donnell’s new book, Working Daughter: A Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parents While Making a Living.]   Photo: Liz O’Donnell, Working DaughterPosted: August 19, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 37 minutes 23 seconds

There are strategies of when, how, and why to use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, and Andrea Stenberg is an expert at helping small business owners and entrepreneurs harness them. Good content – including the use of self-produced videos –  Andrea explains to host Dean Rotbart, is only part of the equation. More importantly, knowing exactly how to target prospective customers and clients, and how to buy paid messaging, will determine whether even the best content ever gets noticed, much less goes viral. This week Andrea guides Monday Morning Radio listeners through the shoals of social networking visibility. [Be sure to visit Andrea’s website, The Baby Boomer Entrepreneur, to get a free copy of “The Low Cost Online Video Toolkit.”] Photo: Andrea Stenberg, The Baby Boom EntrepreneurPosted: August 12, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 38 Minutes 09 Seconds

Rudy Schmid is a veteran accountant and first-time author who’s written a book – America’s Guide to Starting Your Own Company – that’s helping large numbers of young adults launch their own side hustles free of the flaws that too often hobble new businesses. The concise book is also helpful for established businesses, especially when it comes to hiring and managing people, and sizing up banking relationships. Rudy seems a bit embarrassed that he waited so long to share the lessons he learned from his own accounting practice with today’s eager young entrepreneurs. "Nonsense," replies host Dean Rotbart, “At 86 years of age, Rudy is an inspiration to every would-be author who thinks he or she is ‘too old’ to start.” By the way, the Guide has been so well-received that Rudy is already working on a sequel, “How to Build Your Company for Success.” Photo: Rudy Schmid, author Posted: August 5, 2019 Monday Morning Run Time: 24 minutes 46 seconds

Jordan Goodman is one of the country’s best-known personal finance journalists and authors, appearing frequently on national radio and television call-in shows to answer consumer questions on how to save and invest wisely.  With 13 books under his belt, including the encyclopedic 992-page Everyone’s Money Book, he joins host Dean Rotbart this week to dispense insightful personal finance recommendations with a special emphasis on the finances of small business owners and entrepreneurs. If you’ve got solid financial assets, Jordan will share his advice on how to generate even more of them. If you’ve got too much debt, he’s got a lot to say about how to offload it. Visit Jordan’s website: www.MoneyAnswers.com Everyone’s Money Book Master Your Debt Photo: Jordan E. Goodman, Author and Journalist Posted: July 29, 2019 Monday Morning Run Time: 52 minutes 57 seconds

Fauzia Burke and her team at FSB Associates specialize in creating online awareness for books and authors.  Since Fauzia launched her specialty marketing and publicity firm in 1995, FSB has orchestrated more than 2,000 successful book publicity campaigns, including those for award-winning actor Alan Alda; mega-authors Ken Blanchard and Brian Tracy, South Beach Diet guru Dr. Arthur Agaston, entrepreneur and publisher Arianna Huffington; broadcaster Mika Brzesinski; former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, and Jordan Goodman, America’s Money Answers Man. Fauzia, herself, is the author of “Online Marketing for Busy Authors” - a must-read for any writer who doesn’t want to see his or her book make an express trip to the Bargain Books shelves at Barnes & Noble. This week, in an extended interview, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart talks with Fauzia about good PR, but more importantly, they detail how authors and publishers can successfully sell their books online. Refreshingly, as you’ll hear, when Dean asks Fauzia a straight question, she gives him a straight answer. Questions include: Can you make money writing books? Does celebrity fluff sell better than quality research and writing? Do mainstream publishers do a good job promoting their books? How often has FSB failed to promote a book successfully?  Fauzia - a Pakistani immigrant who arrived here in 1981 and was raised by a single mom - is an American success story, an inspiration, and an entrepreneur who has helped hundreds of authors fulfill their own dreams.  Listen and Profit Now™ as she shares her inspirational journey – both business and personal. Photo: Fauzia Burke, FSB Associates Posted: July 22, 2019 Monday Morning Run Time: 1 Hour 11 Minutes

What your company or product “sounds” like is an essential component of its success. When companies including Microsoft, Cisco, GoDaddy, and Shopify need to hire talent to be the voice of their commercials and other scripts, they look to Voices.com – the world’s largest online marketplace for voice over products and talents. Since David Ciccarelli and his wife Stephanie wrote their business plan for Voices.com on a napkin back in 2005, they have expanded into 160 countries, bringing talent and clients together, and raising more than $20 million in venture capital. This week David shares his entrepreneurial wisdom with host Dean Rotbart. No scripts. No second takes. Just the unvarnished voice of hard-fought experience. Photo: David Ciccarelli, Voices.comPosted: July 15, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 44:14

Can a Zen-like philosophy of money translate into greater success and happiness for American business owners and entrepreneurs? Ken Honda, a bestselling author in Japan who is known there as the “Zen Millionaire” believes it can, which is why he just published his first English-language book: Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money. Honda, no relation to the automotive family, tells host Dean Rotbart in an interview from Tokyo that how we think and feel about money is as important to wealth accumulation as where we invest it. Even those who have very little money can profit by making sure that the resources they do have are “happy,” Honda contends. Photo: Ken Honda, Happy MoneyPosted: July 8, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 29:43

When seemingly every path to funding is closed to business owners, entrepreneurs, and inventors, Kedma Ough – a national award-winning small business champion – helps them find the money and resources they seek. Kedma, a fifth generation entrepreneur, learned the secrets of business funding the hard way – by having countless doors slammed in her face. Now, after helping more than 10,000 individuals to get the funding they thought they could never qualify for, she’s written a book – Target Funding: A Proven System to Get the Money and Resources You Need to Start or Grow Your Business – detailing a wide range of alternative funding options. Too many great concepts never see the light of day, Kedma explains to host, author, and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, because they can’t find the necessary funding. She’s on a mission to change that. Photo: Kedma Ough, Target FundingPosted: July 1, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 49:19

On a special edition of Monday Morning Radio, to mark the launch of its 8th season, host Dean Rotbart flew to Austin, Texas, and, in the inner sanctums of The Tower at Wizard Academy, brought together two of the world’s marketing legends: The Wizard of Ads, Roy H. Williams, and The Digital Marketer, Ryan Deiss. It’s no exaggeration to say that a one-hour private consultation with either Roy or Ryan would easily command a king’s ransom from their legions of fans. Put Roy and Ryan together, combining their expertise, and no small business owner or entrepreneur can afford to miss the priceless insights they deliver. But put away your checkbooks. Dean’s exclusive conversation with Roy and Ryan is available right now, for free, compliments of MondayMorningRadio.com. Photos: Roy H. Williams (l) and Ryan Deiss; Overhead view of The Tower at Wizard AcademyPosted: June 24, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

The June 9th episode of Monday Morning Radio features a full-length interview with Richard Kessler, co-founder of Kessler’s Diamonds. This is an excerpt featuring Host Dean Rotbart.

Joanne Lipman has had a storied journalism career, serving as the first woman to become a deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal; founding editor-in-chief of Condé Nast’s Portfolio magazine; and most recently as editor-in-chief of USA Today and Chief Content Officer of its parent company, Gannett. Yet during her 35-plus-year career, Joanne never felt that the professional playing field between her and her male colleagues was level. And, as she found out, millions of women in the American workforce share her on-the-job frustrations. Rather than berate men, in her bestselling book, That’s What She Said, Joanne aims to help men – especially managers and owners – better understand the obstacles that women face in the workplace and why it’s in everyone’s interest to strive for gender-equal work environments. When listeners hear the insights that Joanne shares with host Dean Rotbart, the women will applaud her for finally expressing what they’ve been thinking and feeling for years; and the men will wonder how they could possibly have been so tone-deaf to the circumstances of their female coworkers. Purchase your own copy of That’s What She Said by clicking here.   Photo: Joanne Lipman, Author Posted: June 17, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 1 hour 4 minutes

Richard Kessler was the diamond engagement ring “King” in the state of Wisconsin for 35 years. His ubiquitous radio commercials, created in conjunction with Roy H. Williams Marketing, were legendary in the state, and not only were his Kessler’s Diamonds’ stores extraordinarily successful, Richard also became a well-known local personality and philanthropist. One of the first and most popular guests ever on Monday Morning Radio, Richard recently retired from the jewelry business and is now on to other pursuits. But the techniques he used to build Kessler’s Diamonds – including instituting an employee stock ownership plan – remain invaluable gems. For flawless entrepreneurial advice, clarity, and value, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart assures listeners that his latest conversation with Richard is pure gold.  By the way, if you’d like to hear Dean’s full interview with Richard back in July 2012, all you need to do is click here. Photo: Richard Kessler, Founder, Kessler's DiamondsPosted: June 10, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 49:40

In his new book, The Gift of Struggle – out today from Bard Press, Bobby Herrera tells the true-life story of how the hardships he faced as one of 13 children in a Mexican migrant family, provided him the drive and backbone to make possible the impossible. More importantly, Bobby shares specific life-changing lessons about leadership that turns conventional wisdom on its head. It is the formula that Bobby used to launch Populus Group in 2002 and build it into a $500-million-a-year HR services company – one of the fasting growing such concerns in the United States. What makes Populus Group a role model for many businesses – large and small – is not its size, but its culture. As Bobby details in The Gift of Struggle, after a rocky start as CEO, he learned to foster a sense of purpose, mutual trust, and community among his employees. Bobby is an evangelist for compassionate leadership. A key characteristic of compassionate leaders, he tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, is recognizing that everyone struggles – from the migrant workers of rural America to the silver-spoon babies of the Ivy League – and that at the end of the day, we all – more or less – strive for the same thing: to believe our lives matters. Rotbart, who doesn’t just read the books of guests who appear on his program, he devours them, says he scribbled notes throughout The Gift of Struggle, including on many pages that provided him actionable steps. Bobby, soon to be a bestselling author, is only the latest in a long line of popular authors published by Bard Press, headed by the incomparable Ray Bard, and deputy publisher Todd Sattersten. Among Bard’s best-known titles:  The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan; Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling; Nuts! – the story of the legendary Herb Kelleher and Southwest Airlines; The Wizard of Ads Trilogy by none other than Roy H. Williams, and Fired Up Selling, Ray Bard’s own collection of wonderful quotes designed to inspire, energize, and succeed. It is so common in life to conclude that our struggles are what hold us back. Without them, we tell ourselves, we could accomplish so much more. But Bobby explains that such thinking is erroneous. Adversity, properly harnessed, can become the rocket fuel of personal and professional growth. Purchase your own first-edition of The Gift of Struggle by clicking here. Photo: Bobby Herrera, Populus GroupPosted: June 3, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 50:37  

Terry H. Monroe has been the owner of more than 40 businesses, and helped to facilitate the sale of more than 500 other companies. So when he offers no-nonsense advice on how owners can be certain to get the full value for their businesses or professional practices, he knows what he’s talking about. Terry who condensed all the wisdom he’s gained over more than 30 years establishing, operating, and selling businesses into a new book, Selling with Certainty, tells host Dean Rotbart that the very best time to learn the lessons he teaches is before owners ever even considers selling. That way they can bypass the costly errors that prove so aggravating to others. Photo: Terry H. Monroe, Selling with CertaintyPosted: May 20, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 39:02

Question: Can a business ‘tiger’ change its stripes?  An excerpt from Monday Morning Radio with Host Dean Rotbart.

Brett Vance is a veteran combat and military test pilot who has flown F-16s and commanded the 514th Flight Test Squadron. But he admits that no battle has tested his mettle like working to produce and distribute Jet Jockeys, his educational and inspirational docu-reality video series that showcases aviators and aviation feats, and targets the large potential audience of aviation enthusiasts. He and his wife, Sherri, the program's creator and executive producer, join host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart this week to share their flight plan for entrepreneurial success. Photo: Brett Vance, Jet JockeysPosted: May 13, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 45:40

Monday Morning Radio Host Dean Rotbart confesses that he doesn’t know who his guest is on this week’s podcast.  It’s not that Dean doesn’t have a fascinating guest, or that the guest’s book – “Undistrupted: How Highly-Effective People Deal with Disruptions” – isn’t a valuable business read; it’s just that Dean literally does not know who wrote the book. The author, who lives in The Netherlands [Dean phoned him there], uses the pseudonym John Vespasian and has written ten books. What Dean also knows is that this week’s mystery guest is a well-read student of global history [think Russian industrialist Savva Mamontov (1841-1918), and 12th-century French statesman, Abbot Suger], and draws excellent insights from bygone eras that we all can apply to our lives today. So Dean assures us that his guest has plenty of good advice to dispense; he just doesn’t know who he’s talking to.   Illustration: The author known as John Vespasian Posted: May 6, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 32:45

When business owners and leaders align their personal interests with the best interests of their companies and employees, the resulting “Fusion” becomes a powerful force for success. Too often, says Dudley R. Slater, former CEO of Integra Telecom  - with more than 2,500 employees - leaders put their egos and self-interest ahead of what’s best for their organizations. Dudley, author of Fusion Leadership, tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart how leaders and team members who work together for a shared purpose can unleash powerful synergies - not only in business, but also in society as a whole. Photo: Dudley R. SlaterPosted: April 29, 2019Monday Morning Run Time: 35:04

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