Leading Conversations

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Chip Conley, CEO and founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second largest boutique hotelier in the world. Chip is author of PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow and The Rebel Rules: Daring To Be Yourself In Business. Known as a leader with a heart, and a self-proclaimed “Abraham Maslow nut” he has applied the theory of Self-Actualization to growing a successful company by helping employees, customers, and –yes– even investors move up that pyramid that Maslow coined as the “hierarchy of needs.” Join the conversation and learn how this rebel CEO dares to make a difference!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Danna Beal, international speaker and author, committed to healthy cultures in the workplace. She is author of The Tragedy in the Workplace: The Longest Running Show in the Country; and an upcoming book, The Extraordinary Workplace: Replacing Fear with Trust and Compassion. Danna sees fear in the workplace as a tragedy. The recent financial bailouts, increasing unemployment, vast downsizing and economic recession have all added to the overwhelming stress and fear people are experiencing. The workplace can be filled with fear, insecurity, greed, gossip, personal agendas and competition. Danna challenges all organizations to create safe and trusting workplace environments where all people work at their highest potential. Join the conversation to hear Danna’s path to a healthy workplace culture.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Stewart Emery, entrepreneur, executive coach and leader; he served as the first CEO of est, and is considered one of the fathers of the Human Potential Movement. Author of several books, his latest bestseller is a collaborative effort with Jerry Porras and Mark Thompson, Success Built to Last: Creating A Life That Matters. What are the secrets of lasting success? And what’s love got to do with it? The answers – and the research - may surprise you. Join us to hear Stewart share stories of some of the most successful leaders of our time, a new definition of success, and why this matters to you.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Dr. George Kohlrieser, an international leadership professor, consultant, veteran hostage negotiator and author of Hostage At The Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others, and Raise Performance. Conflict is a part of everyday behavior that stems from a basic fight-or-flight instinct. Often seen as something that must be avoided at all costs, this tendency to suppress conflict can spark negative emotions that eventually derail leaders and organizations. George insists that only by facing conflict can we truly progress through the most difficult business challenges. He shares proven techniques and psychological insights used in hostage negotiation that can be applied successfully to any personal or business relationship. George outlines seven key factors to remove blocks that stand in the way of resolving tough problems and shows how business leaders can develop the skills they need to create trust and a positive mind-set in their companies. Join the conversation!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Gail Larsen, author of Transformational Speaking: If You Want to Change the World, Tell A Better Story. Gail is founder of Real Speaking, designed to support people in mining the deep well of their life experience and self-expression to become powerful platform speakers. We all have a story. How we tell it matters. Gail says: “I have learned there is no art in speaking without heart, and heart is present only in what is real. It is the gift of authenticity - yours and mine - that affirms my trust in life's journey and our collective capacity to create the world to which we want to belong.” Is it time for your voice to be heard? Join the conversation to learn how to bring heart and meaning to your story!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Shelly Lefkoe, co-founder of Lefkoe Institute; co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Guide to Effective Parenting and founder & President of the Possibilities of Parenting Center. Shelly helps businesspeople increase their personal productivity while reducing stress, improve their relationships with colleagues, and transform their family lives with The Lefkoe Method. She says it is our beliefs about people, life, and ourselves that drive our behaviors – whether we are thirteen or thirty and beyond. Some underlying beliefs may be so subtle, we may not even be aware that we have them. How does this impact leadership? As adults we can re-shape the beliefs we hold that do not serve us. Shaping the leaders of tomorrow, parents can build healthy self-esteem (the experience of being able and worthy) and a positive attitude toward life in their kids. Join us as Shelly shares this practical approach to transforming our beliefs into success in life!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Ed Wallace, founder & Chief Relationship Officer of The Relational Capital Group, & author of Business Relationships That Last: Five Steps To Transform Contacts into High Performing Relationships. Today’s business leaders face incredible challenges with the movement toward more collaborative management structures & the urgency of work due to the pace of technology. Business relationships have suffered, often reduced to short-term transactions between Blackberries, not people! One survey showed 88% of executives agree outstanding relationships are the key to business success. Does your business plan include strategies to advance these relationships? Join us as Ed shares his approach for “building relational” capital - the distinctive value created by people in a business relationship.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Juanita Brown, Ph.D., co-author of the award-winning book, The World Café: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter. Juanita is the co-originator of an innovative approach to large group dialogue coined The World Café. She creates powerful dialogue forums with business, government, and nonprofit leaders internationally. “The collective holds the wisdom,” she says, and “gold lies in discovering the big questions.” Join us to discover how “conversational leadership” is shaping the successful future of our 21st century world and beyond.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Terces & Matthew Engelhart, restaurateurs, organic farmers, teachers, & authors of Sacred Commerce: Business As A Path of Awakening. The Engelhart’s are known for their raw foods eateries, Café Gratitude, as their experiment in a business model called Sacred Commerce. They don’t see themselves as in the restaurant business, but in the transformation business. They believe & practice that “…every business is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of both clients and employees.”Sacred Commerce is a practice in how life transforms when community focuses on Love, Spirit, The Divine. Each day, they & employees of the Cafés & their farm, practice shifting attention to love & acceptance, gratitude, generosity, abundance, & the privilege of serving others. “Life is an inside job. We encourage focus & attention on qualities that inspire & empower, not just at work, but in all areas of life.” Join the conversation and expand your attitude of gratitude!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes John Gray, PhD, the best-selling author of 16 books, including the relationship classic Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. His latest book is Why Mars & Venus Collide. Mars & Venus has become his moniker for male & female behavioral patterns. For years John has taught that men and women communicate differently, have different motivation for interactions and need to learn how to be successful in relationship. Turns out that “chemistry” has a whole lot to do with it. John’s journey has taken him from life as a Hindu monk to psychologist to relationship expert. Today his concern is global warming and he believes that the way men and women relate can actually impact solving the planet’s problems. Just how did he go from life as a celibate monk of 15 years, to expert in male-female relationships? And what does that have do with global warming? Join the conversation to hear John Gray shed light on how we can improve relationships and change the world at the same time!