Today’s guest is a communications strategist and international consultant on a mission to help people create quality communications. As a presentation/pitch coach and media training expert, she has helped hundreds of clients prepare for high-stakes communications including TED and TEDx talks, keynotes, fundraising pitches, commencement speeches, job interviews and appearances on TV and at public events.

She knows a thing or two about presenting, having spoken to more than a half million people worldwide and to hundreds of organizations including National Geographic, Cisco, Fortune 500 Forum, Intel, Nationwide, and NASA.

She is the author of several books which have been endorsed by dozens of thought leaders including Stephen Covey, Dan Pink, Tony Robbins, Keith Ferrazzi, Ken Blanchard, and Marshall Goldsmith. One of her books, “Got Your Attention?” became a Washington Post bestseller. Her latest book is “Someday Is Not a Day in the Week: 10 Hacks to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life.”

She is the Founder and CEO of the Intrigue Agency where she helps people create respectful, collaborative, compelling, one-of-a-kind communications and projects that scale their income and positive influence – for good.

Please join me in welcoming Sam Horn.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is the ability to influence others to act.”
• how an experience in high school was the first time she understood her ability to lead.
• her advice on having great conversation, including the encouragement to not go for the lowest fruit.
• the importance she places on approaching all conversation with curiosity.
• how she transforms pitches by asking three “do you know?” questions, and how she helps others do the same.
• three steps to asking others for endorsements respectfully.
• her goals for having deep and meaningful conversation around the world through her Someday Salons.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 125

Today’s guest is a pioneer in the world of high growth women entrepreneurs. As the CEO of the Thought Leadership Lab, she works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, executives, and non-profit leaders to scale their influence and impact.

Previously, she was the founding CEO of the first trade association for high growth women entrepreneurs and the co-founder of Springboard, the women’s startup launchpad that has led to over $8 billion in funding for women founded and led companies.

She lectures at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is the author of “Ready to Be a Thought Leader?”

Please join me in welcoming Denise Brosseau.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “My view of leadership was formed by a mentor I met in my thirties. He saw leadership as vision, relationships, and executions.”
• how leadership showed up in her early life and how it has grown over the years.
• her passion for the work she does today, working with purpose-driven leaders of all ages.
• her method for creating and sustaining relationships with people through consistently showing up.
• how her college taught her about women in leadership and where the alumni association has taken her.
• her strategic plan for making an impact, learning and going into all situations with curiosity.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 124

Today’s guest specializes in helping companies optimize their online presence.

His journey to becoming a digital marketing expert was circuitous and includes being a couple’s therapist and senior director of a nonprofit that house and sheltered homeless women. His own experience with homelessness as a young child in Columbia makes his expertise in social media marketing, podcasting, e-mail automation, and website optimization even more remarkable.

He has been featured, quoted, and written about in publications such as Chicago Tribune, Forbes, JP Morgan, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Huffington Post, and many others.

He has worked with Inc. 500 companies, New York Times bestselling authors, top franchises across America, yoga studios, health clubs, and digital agencies. He helps his clients capture more leads, get more sales, and be the top in their industry.

Please join me in welcoming Luis Congdon.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “I think everyone’s a leader. Leadership is just whenever we have the ability to influence others. Sometimes the leader is the quietest person in the room, inspiring others to do their best work. Other times, leadership is the loudest person in the room, showing others where to go.”
• how sports taught him to be a leader for himself and others and how wrestling gave him the drive and inspiration to shift his idea of what winning and losing looks like, and how he never lost another match after that.
• his thoughts on how to show up as a leader when you feel like others are not recognizing you or your abilities.
• how he helps people position themselves as a true authority in their field.
• his emphasis on networking and his belief that everyone is reachable, and how he uses his beliefs to help him create quality connections with some of the biggest names in many industries.
• the value he places on the people who give him their trust, time, and money, and how he connects with them.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 123

Today’s guest deeply believes people owe it to themselves to be happy at work and that everyone can be a leader regardless of their role within an organization.

As a career and executive coach, she has helped people and businesses in areas such as workplace communication, leadership development, and team building across many different sectors and industries. She brings over 25 years of professional experience to her clients and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, a graduate of the Co-Active Space Leadership Program, has an MBA from Boston University, and is a partner with the Motivation Factor Program and Indicator.

She was selected as one of the Top Ten Executive Coaches by the readers of Women’s Business Boston in 2008 and her podcast, Work from the Inside Out, showcases the stories and practical lessons learned from people who have experienced major career transitions and have found satisfying and meaningful work.

Please join me in welcoming Tammy Gooler Loeb.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “I think that great leaders are those who help other people feel heard. It’s not about agreement or being on the same page all the time, just about making sure other people know they are heard.”
• how her first leadership skills began when she was nine years old and started a student council at her school.
• how her family taught her to see leaders as people, instead of as above her, and how her empowerment paved the way for her to be a great leader.
• her views on work satisfaction and how she helps people discover and become who they are meant to be in the world.
• how she feels about networking and what she does to continually engage with other people.
• the value she places on always being open to grow and learn new things, why she believes vulnerability is important, and how she shows up in her mastermind groups.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 122

Today’s guest is an award-winning executive with over 30 years of experience. She has climbed the corporate ladder across multiple sectors, including high tech, consumer and nuclear sensors, aerospace, film production, and glass manufacturing.

To say that she had a unique and difficult start in life is a major understatement. At just 18 years old, she fell blindly in love with a pimp and ran away with him. Tragically, most women who are targeted in this way never escape. She not only escaped but thrived.

She wrote about her true-crime experience in her first book, “Never a $7 Whore,” which was a #1 hot new release on Amazon. Her second book, “The Daytime Lives of the Ladies of the Night” details lessons learned from her time spent living with the Ladies of the Night,  And the third book in this four-part series about her life is “Bullets and Bosses Don’t Have Friends,” which shares how to assume leadership with the serious edge you need to succeed in the corporate world.

On her journey from a lady of the night to the lady in the boardroom, she became certified as Professional Engineer, a Six Sigma Black Belt, a Certified Professional Manager, trained in Japan and was inducted into the New York YWCA Academy of Women Leaders. Currently, she is the President and CEO of her own company, Just Once.

Please join me in welcoming Toni Crowe.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is about possibility. It’s about possibility for both the person who is leading and for their team.”
• how her spouse was the first person to recognize leadership potential in her and how his encouragement helped her step into her power.
• how a local library with books for one penny gave her the knowledge of life being bigger than the world she was living in, and how books saved her.
• her experience of falling in love with a pimp and overcoming that, leading her to become an author and a leader in the business world.
• how the writing process has brought about people in her life.
• her thoughts on networking and her process for connecting with others.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 121

Two decades ago, Business Week said today’s guest “may be the ultimate entrepreneur for the Information Age,” because he’s as focused on spreading ideas as the ideas themselves.

He is a world-renowned speaker and author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. Entrepreneur said his blog was “one of the most-loved marketing blogs on the internet.”

He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting leadership, and most of all, changing everything. Some of his most well-known books include “Linchpin,” “Tribes,” “The Dip,” and “Purple Cow.” His newest book, “This Is Marketing” was released this month.

He has founded several companies including Yoyodyne and Squidoo – and he is the founder of altMBA and The Marketing Seminar, online workshops that have transformed the work of thousands of people. In recognition of his ability to create and spread powerful ideas, he was inducted into the American Marketing Association’s Marketing Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Please join me in welcoming Seth Godin.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is earning the trust to have people hear and believe you and the discernment to differentiate between the people who want to go there and those who don’t.”
• how he learned to accept loss, discovered he is not good at getting elected, and ultimately learned how to be a great leader.
• his belief that true marketers learn how to identify things that need to change in the world, come up with a solution to make change happen, and find the people who need that change.
• his thoughts about how school has been designed to raise kids to be compliant, and the importance of parents to use the time with their kids to help give them the future skills they need.
• how he does not view himself as a great writer. Instead, he has written over 7,000 blogs and 120 books because he learned to speak more clearly and to write what he was going to say.
• his marketing strategy that asks “who’s it for and what’s it for?”
• what status roles are and how important they have been in his life.
• how he keeps a generous abundance mindset and thinks “how do I give them the most that I can?” instead of “how do I get the most out of them?”
• his thoughts about “tit for tat” mindsets and networking with other people.
• his mindset about people taking his ideas and running with them, and how it makes him happy to see people use his ideas to create positive change in the world.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 120

Today’s guest helps people re-discover their own greatness by asking tough questions and sharing powerful truths. She works with busy leaders to leverage the exponential power of recognition to retain top talent.

She is the author of “Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness: Solution-Focused Strategies for Satisfied Staff, High-Performing Teams, and Healthy Bottom Lines.” Her book provides processes and insights needed to take action and make a positive difference. She believes when we find our potential again, our enthusiasm for what we do, we can begin to implement effective growth strategies for ourselves, our employees, and our workplace.

To share this message she runs Greatness Magnified, a six-figure coaching, speaking, and training business based on her brand – FROG – Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness.

Please join me in welcoming Sarah McVanel.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is leading from a place where you try to help people really tap into who they are at their best. I have always wanted people to feel empowered about their lives.”
• how her mom and her 9th-grade teacher, Mr. Zito, had a huge impact on the course of her life and the greatness she appreciates in others.
• how she moved from doing jobs she felt obligated to do into her true calling as a coach and leader.
• her process for learning about the importance of self-recognition in businesses and how that plays a role in her career today.
• how she networks with others through social media but also prioritizes family first.
• the Facebook group she started to stay connected to people, and how that group has grown and changed the lives of many others.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 119

Today’s guest figured out how to take her struggling low 6-figure speaking & training business to a 7-figure speaking and mentoring business in just 14 months. Now, as an author, personal brand strategist, and speaker, she teaches individuals how to build personal brands that help them get ahead.

She is the founder of the Superstar Business Breakthrough program and host of Awaken Your Inner Superstar, the podcast for leaders, game-changers, and entrepreneurs.

Her programs have been delivered to over 200,000 people worldwide and she prides herself on delivering A-ha moments one audience at a time.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “First and foremost, I see leadership as self-mastery first. If I can influence myself to do things then that sets me up to be able to influence others to step into their power and use their gifts to change the world.”
• how one of the best aspects of her work is witnessing other people’s awakenings.
• her journey to enlightenment which included learning who to reach out to for support and mentorship.
• how she learned to be intentional in what she needed from each of her different support systems.
• her experience of being a digital nomad and how she manages self-care without a home base.
• her strength in being able to help inspire people to activate their enlightenment journey.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 118

Today’s guest is one of the world’s top authorities on growing a consulting business. He has authored five books on consulting and business growth and his most recent book, “The Elite Consulting Mind,” is an Amazon bestseller.

He has helped over 300 consultants all over the world, and in over 50 industries, add six and seven figures to their annual revenues.

In his role, as the CEO of Consulting Success, he has advised organizations like Financial Times and Dow Jones, and helped Panasonic launch new products into the global markets.

Please join me in welcoming Michael Zipursky.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is all about leading yourself first. A lot of people think of leadership in terms of leading others. I’m a big believer you need to lead yourself first before you can lead others.”
• how spending some of his childhood in Israel, and then joining sports helped him develop his leadership styles.
• how helping others gives him his drive for success.
• his journey of consulting that began right after high school and led him to Japan and eventually online.
• his thoughts on the importance of hiring people to help your business grow.
• his methods for staying in contact with people and his appreciation for networking by building genuine relationships with others.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 117

Today’s guest is passionate about helping people reach their highest potential. She is an award-winning diversity expert, a proven thought leader, an author, and a trending businesswoman who is dedicated to increasing diversity in the technology industry.

By teaching candidates to think more strategically about their careers, she helps them accelerate their personal and professional development. She is the President and CEO of The Tech Connection, a premier marketplace for purpose-driven, diverse, technical talent.

Recognized as a leader and mentor, at the root of her work is a passion for community service. On top of running her business, she is the founder of the first ever Black Tech Boston Meetup, a platform to celebrate and introduce the impact of technology within African American communities. She regularly engages in speaking opportunities to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in minorities and received the U.S. Presidential Service Award for her relentless commitment to the community.

Please join me in welcoming Melissa James.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is knowing the difference between when to be a cheerleader and when to deliver really hard messages and it requires you to take time to understand what message needs to be heard every day.”
• what diversity and inclusion look like to her.
• how her friend’s encouragement caused her to take a job that ended up being one of the best experiences of her life.
• what she finds most rewarding in her work today, using a strengths-based approach to helping people see their grit, perseverance, and endurance.
• how leading has helped her learn patience, coaching, and helping.
• how she connects with others in the tech world.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 116

Today’s guest is a social entrepreneur committed to guiding leaders and organizations to create healthier workplace cultures that resonate with current and incoming leaders.

She is an award-winning entrepreneur, dynamic speaker, and diversity and inclusion expert. She founded a strategic leadership and diversity consulting firm that coaches business leaders worldwide on the critical issues surrounding talent and workplace strategy.

She is a passionate advocate for social equality and works to help businesses foster healthier and more productive workplace cultures. Her book “Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change” inspires leadership to embrace the opportunities that diversity represents and to empower advocates to drive changes that resonate in today’s world.

You’ll find her sharing more on this topic on her podcast, The Will to Change: True Stories of Diversity and Inclusion.

Please join me in welcoming Jennifer Brown.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is environmental. Sometimes you have to be the charismatic leader and sometimes you need to step back and support others and their voices.”
• how growing up with a theatre mom shaped her comfort with leading others.
• her understanding of privilege and how everyone has some sort of privilege and it is important to understand and work around.
• how it bothers her to not remember every person and their story and the methods she uses to overcome that.
• what she is learning about finding the balance between self-care and being an empathic leader who wants to change the world.
• how she has learned to utilize the art of powerful questions for relationship building.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 115

Today’s guest’s mission is to gently eradicate small talk from the planet.  He is the co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of We!, an organization whose mission is to create conversations that matter.

Leaders call him when they want to amplify connection, belonging, and trust within their organizations. He created We! Connect Cards, a tool being used in 50+ countries to build stronger connections.

He has spoken at TEDx, is the author of the Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections, and with his business partner wrote Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter.

He has led workshops, trainings, and interactive keynotes for a wide array of companies including JetBlue, Starbucks, Johnson & Johnson, Penn State, and Goodwill.

Please join me in welcoming Chad Littlefield.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “My most simple perspective of leadership is being able to create some possibility that otherwise would not have happened without you.”
• how he transformed into a leader when he learned the powerful art of asking questions.
• his experience giving a unique TEDx talk about positive social interactions.
• how he learned the importance of recognizing that no one else is an object on the stage of his life, and how he uses that mindset to truly value others.
• how he uses an app to create video conversations to connect with people he has just met.
• his mindset shift away from apologizing for bugging others to offering himself as a service to them.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 114

Today’s guest is an award-winning writer and digital media innovator. A first-generation digital native, she has spent more than 25 years launching, building, and advising Internet and social media ventures, starting with a bulletin board system she published online at age 14.

As a nationally recognized expert on online culture and social technology, she wrote “The Digital Mystique” which shows us how digital media is shaping our lives in real time. Whether it’s how we raise our children, communicate in love and partnerships, support causes, or establish friendships and trust, she pinpoints the best ways to seize digital opportunities to make our lives richer and fuller.

As a serial entrepreneur, she has founded IT, Internet and digital media companies including Leading in Digital, a media strategy consultancy that she ran for twelve years. Currently, she is developing original content for film and digital video.

Please join me in welcoming Sarah Granger.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is being able to stand out on your own and make a statement, but to also be able to bring people along the journey with you.”
• how her parents played a large role in her becoming a digital native.
• the role writing plays in her life and how it is one of the most rewarding parts of her journey.
• how writing and being a digital media innovator tie together.
• how learning to identify the right speed to make change has been one of her biggest challenges and learning opportunities.
• her experience with diversity through her life and how she cultivates her networks using spreadsheets.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 113

Today’s guest is passionate about helping others realize their full potential at work. As the founder and CEO of Lead at Any Level, she helps busy professionals develop skills in leadership, diversity, inclusion and career management.

She is the author of “Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage for Your Career,” is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, and a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association.

She began her career as a software developer, later moving into business analysis, systems design, consulting, and management. She has worked at small software companies, multinational corporations, and many stops in between.  She is a versatile manager; having led cross-functional and global teams in both the technology and insurance industries.

Please join me in welcoming Amy C. Waninger.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “the most important aspect of leadership is courage. It is the courage to do what is right, even in the face of not being popular, and it is the courage to stand up for others and make things right.”
• how she grew from being a self-proclaimed bossy child into the dynamic and appreciative leader she is today.
• how she views successful leadership as being able to project where the future is going and meeting people there instead of waiting for the future to happen.
• her thoughts on connection being the new currency, over knowledge.
• her C-H-A-M-P and I-G-G-N-O-R-E framework for connecting with others.
• how she supports people who are vastly different from her on Twitter.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 112

Today’s guest learned through a family health crisis how crucial human connection is and became an expert on how effective leaders can boost human connection in cultures to improve the health and performance of individuals and organizations.

For more than a decade, he and his colleagues have worked with a wide variety of business, government, healthcare and education organizations to boost connections in their culture. They share best practice attitudes, language and behavior to create what he calls “Connection Cultures” that have propelled the success of teams and organizations including the rock band U2, Costco, the U.S. Navy, NASA, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His message resonated so strongly that Texas Christian University founded the TCU Center for Connection Culture based on his work.

He is the author of two books, “Connection Culture” and “Fired Up or Burned Out.”

Please join me in welcoming Michael Lee Stallard.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership comes out of a leader who cares about both people and results. It is deeply rooted in a person’s care for others, and those leaders are the ones people follow.”
• the role sports played in his life and how he learned about leadership from the action of different coaches he admired.
• how his wife’s cancer battles changed his life and further developed his views on connection.
• his knowledge about loneliness and its harmful effects on health, as well as his methods for overcoming loneliness to truly connect with others.
• his view on cell phones and the importance of putting them away during meetings to help increase connectivity.
• the culture framework he created and follows to encourage people to be leaders who help others feel connected instead of controlled.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 111

Today’s guest imagines a world in which all organizations have cultures that empower people to keep climbing, every day, toward the best version of themselves.

Being the young leader of Student Maid, a successful cleaning company that hires students, has helped her foster a unique perspective on leadership, organizational culture, and engaging the next generation. She is an expert in developing and teaching practical, ready-made tools that inspire people to take action and her energetic and insightful keynotes and workshops work to unleash the potential in others that exceed their wildest expectations.

She works to challenge the millennial status quo and has learned what it takes to create a work environment that brings out the best in people of all ages.

Author of Permission to Screw Up, she tells the stories of her biggest leadership mistakes in hopes of inspiring other leaders to share their perfectly imperfect stories of success. She believes sharing openly empowers people with the knowledge that even if they screw up, they can still make it.

Please join me in welcoming Kristen Hadeed.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is about helping people realize their potential and helping them see it, sometimes even before they recognize it in themselves.”
• how a big leadership fail fostered her decision and desire to be a great leader, and where she has gone since then.
• how her parents were paramount in helping her and her sister foster creativity and curiosity.
• the journey she took in starting her student cleaning business and turning it into an impactful culture.
• her thoughts on fostering connection, and how she met Simon Sinek, and the role he has played in her career.
• her methods for networking and maintaining relationships.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 110

Today’s guest believes that everyone should have access to equal opportunities and wants to see talented professionals succeed in their career. To achieve this, she helps organizations be more diverse and inclusive so that everyone’s talents are utilized and valued.

She is an author, keynote speaker, and organizational consultant. She also serves as a business school adjunct professor teaching courses about Women in Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Diversity in Organizations, and Leadership and Ethics.

She was the 2017 Diversity & Inclusion columnist for Training Industry Magazine and is the author of “The Power of Perceptions: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide.”

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Shawn Andrews.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “I see a true leader as being someone who inspires others to follow them based on their respect for that person, or their admiration of them.”
• how her older sister was a role model and an influence on the career paths she has taken.
• how her journey took her away from 22 years in the corporate world, to the entrepreneurial world she has embraced since 2015.
• her thoughts on diversity, inclusion, women, and leadership and how she developed those passions through research for her dissertation.
• what she has learned about EQ and IQ and how EQ is a stronger determining factor of success over IQ.
• different mindset shifts she has experienced as she left the corporate world and joined the entrepreneurial world.
• how her networking styles changed when she left corporate, and what she does to nurture relationships now.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 109

Today’s guest is the entrepreneur behind 3 multi-million dollar companies, having founded and sold two of them before reaching his 35th birthday.

He is a former small business journalist for The Wall Street Journal, and he is the author of “Profit First,” “The Pumpkin Plan,” and “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur,” which BusinessWeek deemed “the entrepreneur’s cult classic.” His books have been translated into over 10 different languages.

A popular keynote speaker, he travels the globe as an entrepreneurial advocate, is an active partner in multiple companies, including an American manufacturer, a business growth consultancy, an augmented reality tech firm, and a certification organization for accountants, bookkeepers, and business coaching.

He also created the Profit First Formula, a way for businesses large and small to ensure profitability from their very next deposit forward.

Please join me in welcoming Mike Michalowicz.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “leadership is about reciprocity. It is truly about the fact that we will get out of others what we put into others.”
• how he believes everyone can be a leader and that they just need to embrace who they actually are and lean into it.
• how humor and being the class clown grew him into the successful author he is.
• his journey from writing a book with no sales on the launch day, to an author whose book was named the “entrepreneurs cult classic” by BusinessWeek.
• his methods for maintaining connections with his readers and fellow authors and colleagues.
• how he works to create diversity among people who serve his core listeners.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 108

Today’s guest believes that communication and connection are the foundation of everything.

She is known for her energetic, engaging, and authentic presentations and is an expert on workplace communications and relationships. She is an accomplished speaker, trainer, coach, and the author of several books including “The 11 Laws of Likability,” which has been translated into 9 languages and used by universities, Fortune 500 companies, and associations around the world.

She has appeared on TV and radio shows across the country and was named by Forbes as one of the 25 Professional Networking Experts to Watch in 2015. Her next book, “The Connectors Club” will be available in March 2019.

Her mission is to help people communicate and lead with confidence, clarity, and connection.

Please join me in welcoming Michelle Tillis Lederman.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is a mindset and an approach to how you conduct yourself in your work. I believe we all have the innate skills to be a leader, it is just a matter of how we leverage them.”
• how many people have a confidence and comfort quality about them that other people recognize as someone they can trust to be a leader.
• her definition of the difference between networking and being a connector.
• some of the key concepts in her upcoming book about connection.
• her belief that “Diversity is important because it gives you a broader perspective, and easier access to people and resources.”
• how she learned to reframe the negative “end of story” thoughts and what people can do to change the negative thoughts to affirming and powerful phrases.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 107

Today’s guest has been recognized as one of Europe’s Leading Business Networking Strategists by The Financial Times and as a master of networking by The Independent.

He believes networking is a vital tool in business, from sales generation to career development, but that it is not treated with the same strategic consideration as other business methods.

As a business networking strategist, his solution is to help companies understand why they are networking, what they want to achieve, and how to use those answers to plan accordingly and get great, measurable responses.

He is an experienced international speaker, the author of three books on networking (with another to be published next year), and has been quoted in a number of other business books. He is a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association and one of just 23 recipients of their ‘Award of Excellence’. He is also a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute and a Master of the Institute of Sales Management.

Please join me in welcoming Andy Lopata.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership means making a very clear distinction between managing people, teams, or projects and leading people by giving them inspiration and guidance.”
• how he learned the importance of knowing when and how to ask for help.
• his method for determining what kind of help to give other people.
• how he has made it a point to give feedback when he appreciates the things he learns from others.
• his 24-7-30 rule for connecting with people after he first meets them.
• how he values diversity for learning new ideas and meeting new people.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 106

Today’s guest helps her clients make wise decisions, prioritize leadership actions, and prepare for higher level responsibilities through customized executive education and coaching. She shows senior corporate, military, government, and nonprofit leaders how to create cultures that grow leaders, build organizations, and deliver dynamic organizational results.

As a clinical psychologist and former active duty Army officer, she brings her unique experiences and perspectives to the leadership conversation. She shares her insights in her book, “Lead Yourself First! The Senior Leaders Guide to Engaging Your People for Greater Performance and Impact.” As she says, “You are the instrument of your leadership, so tune up and play the music only you can play.”

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Karen Wilson-Starks.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is about building influence. It is about influencing people around you to move or act.”
• how her leadership qualities existed from a very young age, beginning with her teaching her younger brother how to break out of his crib as a toddler.
• her deep appreciation for seeing leaders and teams discover their unique gifts and learn to leverage them in their business.
• how her mom’s illness and her husband’s out-of-state work gave her the final push to leave the corporate world and start her own business, and how she has grown since then.
• her method for ensuring she has plenty of self-care and travel, no matter how busy her work-life is.
• how she has worked to always continue learning, growing, and exploring the world and different cultures, and how that desire led her to a living room in Saudi Arabia.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 105

Today’s guest is a globally recognized expert on executive presence and communicative leadership.

During her first career as an award-winning broadcast journalist, she interviewed top influencers and developed a keen interest in discovering the qualities of successful leaders. She channeled that energy to bring together a team that today is at the forefront of innovation in executive and leadership development.

Her firm is distinguished for its ground breaking research and model of executive presence, which global organizations use to help leaders make a bigger impact.

She is the author of several books, including her bestselling business book “Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results.” She is the past president of the New England Chapter of the National Speakers Association and a Certified Speaking Professional, a professional designation held by fewer than 12 percent of speakers worldwide.

Please join me in welcoming Suzanne Bates.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is rallying people to achieve a vision.”
• how her leadership skills began with admiration of her dad and his ability to lead as a community leader, especially during hard times.
• how she learned it was time to leave journalism and how she found the courage to start her own career.
• her belief that people are only capable of growing to the place they believe they can be, and how she helps people go from where they are to where they believe they can be.
• her first experience teaching a class in person, after twenty years behind a camera, and how she learned to challenge herself to grow.
• how she has learned her own biorhythm and has learned to utilize it to shape how she spends her personal and professional time.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 104

Today’s guest has many different titles and roles, which include: speaker, podcast host, software developer, engineer, developer, strategist, startup advisor, and entrepreneur.

He is the co-founder and CEO of Contactually, the top CRM that empowers professionals in real estate, consulting, and other professional industries to build authentic relationships. He has lead Contactually to 12 million dollars in venture backing, 75 employees, and tens of thousands of customers, including 8 of the top 20 real estate brokerages in the country.

Named a finalist for Ernst and Youngs Entrepreneur of the Year, he hosts the Real Relationships podcast and has interviewed hundreds of leaders on how they build relationships that move their businesses and careers to higher levels.

Please join me in welcoming Zvi Band.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is establishing a culture of expectations that exist mainly when you are not involved.”
• how he became a leader by being thrust into leadership roles, without realizing his capabilities.
• his unique views on negative customer feedback, which he sees as a positive because it means they are engaged and loving his app, but that they are frustrated with something that could work for them better, which gives him ideas for what to improve.
• how hot sauce is a part of how he weaves his personality into growing relationships with others.
• his beliefs that diverse networks are necessary for learning new things, finding fresh ideas, and understanding how businesses are successful for many years.
• how he has been working to change his business mindset from survival mode to stability mode so he can focus on different aspects of his business.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 103

Today’s guest was named one of the Top 100 Speakers for 2018 by Inc. Magazine and was selected by Marshall Goldsmith to be in his 100 Coaches project.

She is an executive coach who helps senior executives and high potential leaders create permanent positive shifts in their leadership impact and the results they achieve, and also works with founders and CEOs to help them lead for scale.

She is a member of the Cornell Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, and is on the faculty of the “Runway” program, an accelerator which helps post-docs commercialize their research and build companies. She is an angel investor in and advisor to a number of start-ups in the US and developing countries.

Please join me in welcoming Alisa Cohn.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is all about helping people move forward and create momentum. It is not just about giving them steps toward their goal but also helping them gain the confidence to take those steps.”
• her strategies for meeting people at conferences, having the confidence to do so, and following up with them afterward.
• how working with people who are motivated and who learn how to take leaps are what motivates and inspires her.
• how her belief in herself and her confidence in her ability to figure things out are what guides her.
• her methods for networking that include listening for ways to help, and then doing the small things that make a huge difference to other people.
• her thoughts on diversity and the importance of exposing yourself to different mindsets.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 102

Today’s guest was named one of the Top 100 Speakers for 2018 by Inc. Magazine and was selected by Marshall Goldsmith to be in his 100 Coaches project.

She is an executive coach who helps senior executives and high potential leaders create permanent positive shifts in their leadership impact and the results they achieve, and also works with founders and CEOs to help them lead for scale.

She is a member of the Cornell Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, and is on the faculty of the “Runway” program, an accelerator which helps post-docs commercialize their research and build companies. She is an angel investor in and advisor to a number of start-ups in the US and developing countries.

Please join me in welcoming Alisa Cohn.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “a leader is someone who can induce others to follow them.”
• how she remembers her leadership skills being apparent when planning for a play in fifth grade.
• how her work today is satisfying, and what her favorite part of her career is.
• how analysis paralysis affects her and what she does to overcome it.
• the morning routine she adapted that has changed her life.
• her mindfulness in connecting with others and embracing a diverse network.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com - episode 101