Today’s guest is a leader in the fields of executive communications, leadership development, and talent management.

She began her career in retail and import industries, which included working extensively in Asia, Latin America, and Africa to negotiate with manufacturers and inspect factories for U.N. Health and Safety violations. She also led customer service for over twenty domestic and international member stores and ran a multi-million dollar warehousing service.

Her international experience provided the foundation for her subsequent leadership development work, helping senior executives communicate more effectively across cultural, generational, functional, and regional boundaries. She shows her coaching clients how to communicate with greater impact and increase their leadership presence. She has overseen organizational effectiveness for a Fortune 500 company and consulted with numerous corporations in the pharmaceutical, advertising, publishing, and financial services industries.

Combining pragmatism with customized solutions, she brings authenticity, determination, humor, and insight to everything she does. A frequent blogger, she has been quoted extensively in Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune and numerous other publications.

Please join me in welcoming Nancy Halpern.

In this episode we explore:

• how she views leadership: “Leadership is like being a duck. Ducks glide effortlessly across the pond and yet underneath the water, where no one can see, they are pedaling furiously to not even go very quickly. I think that people rely on leaders to have that sort of calmness but also to be these engines that drive everything forward.”
• lessons learned early on when she was trying to prove her worth as a new manager are now the lessons she teaches her clients.
• young managers should take advantage of being young by seeking mentors, doing so will make you seem open to feedback and learning.
• strategies to broaden her professional network includes hosting a variety of events at her home. “I’m better at being a host than a guest.”

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 68

Today’s guest is an entrepreneur, TED speaker, and award-winning author who has been named USA Today’s “Most Connected Millennial” after spending years identifying and connecting hundreds of the world’s smartest and most talented Millennials.

His first book “2 Billion Under 20” was voted the “#1 Entrepreneurship Book of 2015” and his second book, “3 Billion under 30” just came out in January and shares seemingly superhuman stories of millennials who collectively have started companies worth billions and influence hundreds of millions of people each week through their inventions, media companies, social media accounts, and movements.

All of this has led him to become a go-to marketing and business development consultant for venture-backed startups, Fortune 500 companies, New York Times bestselling authors, Olympians, and many others.

He’s been featured by almost every major media outlet including Mashable, FOX, ABC, Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune, and Fast Company. He’s even been called a “Champion For Humanity” by the United Nations.

Please join me in welcoming Jared Kleinert.

In this episode we explore:

• how he defines leadership: “Leadership is uniting other people in solving bigger problems than themselves, like problems in society or challenges in business.”
• growing up in an entrepreneurial family gave him a “priceless exposure to business and entrepreneurship” and inspired him to start his first business at 15 years old.
• the importance of choosing mentors wisely and developing strong relationships with leaders in your field.
• the emphasis he places on having a very diverse set of influences, people in his network are in different stages of life, different industries, etc.
• how he thinks strategically to figure out how to make connections that will pay off in 3-10 years.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 67

Today’s guest is a marketing leadership advisor, keynote speaker, and award-winning author who helps courageous CEOs and CMOs accelerate growth and innovation.

She is the Chief Energy Officer of EnergizeGrowth® and the founder of several private peer groups, including Marketing Leaders of DC™ and Marketing Leaders of Atlanta.

Innovative companies such as Adobe, LinkedIn, Google, and Hilton hire her to gain fresh insights and launch breakthrough marketing ideas.

Please join me in welcoming Lisa Nirell.

In this episode we explore:

• how she defines leadership: “The ability to inspire others to take action.”
• early opportunities to work in retail, especially a family business, is a great learning ground for understanding sales, upselling, and work ethic.
• how her business is ever-evolving: “80% of my revenue today is for services & products that didn’t exist two years ago.”
• work/life integration (not balance) because she doesn’t have a personal life and a professional life – she has one life
• her advice to those getting started in their career: “Surround yourself with the people you aspire to be one day.”

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 66

Today’s guest is a top internet influencer, a true podcasting pioneer.  In 2005, he launched the first podcast devoted to internet business and online marketing. To this day “Internet Business Mastery” is one of the most profitable business podcasts on iTunes – generating millions of dollars in direct sales.

He believes in the collective power of the self-made influencer to elevate the world with their story, message, and wisdom. He helps these thought leaders to turn their brilliance into effective internet content and courses so that they can reach more people and generate a greater impact with their ideas.

He has spoken around the world inspiring thousands to launch and grow their own personal brands, having personally launched more than 60 online courses, taught 7,000 students and seen his podcast downloaded 8 million times.

Please join me in welcoming Jason Van Orden.

In this episode we explore:

• his definition of leadership: “Leadership is knowing what you stand for, knowing who it is you want to serve… and having a message to bring to the world.”
• how his motivation to become an entrepreneur was his passion for teaching AND freedom.
• the origin story of how his podcast got started back in 2005, when the medium was barely known, and what’s motivated him to keep it going.
• how having a legacy has become more important to him: “How do I show up best in the world? How can I do that as fully as possible?
• How can I use that to create the best value?”
  how, as an introvert, he made reaching out to colleagues a habit and now can’t imagine building his business without these conversations each week.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 65

Today’s guest is a storyteller whose career began at age 12 when she scored her first paid writing gig. Her writing career has only gained momentum since, with regular contributions to Inc., Entrepreneur, and Huffington Post.  She is also no stranger to radio and television. Her work has been featured on CNN, ABC, CBC, The New York Times, Reader’s Digest…just to name a few. She is also a keynote speaker, TV personality and host of her own podcast.

I mention all of her success getting visibility through different media channels, because through her course Baby Got Booked, she teaches others how to grab the attention of a busy producer, editor, blogger or podcaster, and make an audience fall in love with you.

So much of what she shares and how she built her business is about relationship building that I had to have her on On the Schmooze. I’ve had the good fortune of meeting her in person so I can also confirm that her approachable and fun personality is who she is off stage as well as on.

Please join me in welcoming Geeta Nadkarni.

In this episode we explore:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Everybody has the ability to lead, everybody is a leader in their own way.”
• how her parents saw and helped develop her talent at presenting and storytelling.
• what it means to be “full of yourself” – when it’s no longer about you, it’s about how can you show up for other people.
• the incredibly powerful story of how Spanx founder Sara Blakely’s belief in her product made it a phenomenon – after years of effort.
• her “impact filter” that helps her decide whether to move ahead with a project that she wants to take on – to avoid shiny object syndrome.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 64