Live Like a Leader with John Bates

Dan Sherrard-Smith is the founder & CEO of MotherTree. MotherTree works with values-led businesses to reduce CO2 emissions, increase client satisfaction, and unlock savings. Launched by the founding team behind Look After My Bills: Best ever deal on Dragons' Den, saved the British public £127m in 3 years.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Following the Money for Impact: Discover why your bank and pension investments have a bigger carbon footprint than your diet or commute—and what you can do about it.
• Building a Personal Brand: Learn why authenticity and storytelling are crucial for leaders and impact-driven founders.
• Scaling Connections with LinkedIn: Dan’s proven strategy to create high-quality content that generates leads and builds lasting relationships in just two hours a week.
• Entrepreneurial Lessons: Behind-the-scenes of Dan’s Dragons’ Den journey, including the challenges of rapid growth and the power of staying adaptable.
• Finding Purpose: How becoming a father inspired Dan to leave a cushy job and tackle the climate crisis head-on.

Key Moments:

• [04:32] The “aha” moment that led to MyMotherTree.com's creation.
• [18:10] The Dragons’ Den story—how Dan secured an unprecedented deal and scaled his business almost overnight.
• [30:22] The three levers of impact: money, influence, and voting.
• [47:15] Counterintuitive LinkedIn strategies to grow your network and drive revenue.
• [1:02:50] The importance of gratitude and moving beyond fossil fuels to embrace innovation.

Actionable Insights:

• Start small: Audit your bank and pension to ensure your money aligns with your values.
• Build trust on LinkedIn by showing up authentically—connect, don’t sell.
• Define your key content pillars to balance reach with resonance.
• Focus on scaling relationships, not just transactions, for sustainable business growth.

Connect with Dan Sherrard-Smith:

• Website: MyMotherTree.com
• Email: Dan [at] MyMotherTree.com
• LinkedIn: Dan Sherrard-Smith

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Baz Porter isn’t just an executive consultant; he’s the catalyst that top-tier CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders rely on to unlock their next level. He is also the best-selling author of 'Cracking the Rich Code,' endorsed by Tony Robbins and featuring a foreword by Brian Tracy. With over 15 years in the trenches, Baz has mastered the art of high-performance coaching, using his trademark R.A.M.S. framework (Results, Attitude, Mastery, Systems) to cut through the noise and help leaders reignite their purpose, overcome the inner battles no one else sees, and reclaim control of their path. Known for his bold, unapologetic approach and the deep, transformative impact he has on his clients, Baz doesn’t just consult—he rewires potential.

If you’re ready to get real about what it takes to lead at the highest level, Baz Porter is here to shake things up.

Find him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bazporterllc/

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Mark Albert is the founder and CEO of Media Advisory Experts, a Washington, DC-based consultancy providing media training, crisis communications, earned media, storytelling and video production services to clients in the U.S. and around the globe. He and his team guide leaders on their path to amplify their stories in the media, coaching top executives from C-suite to founders.

Mark is also a Peabody and EMMY award-winning master storyteller with a 25-year journalism career distinguished by investigative and political reporting, innovative storytelling techniques, and creative communications. He's traveled the world for CBS News and reported from the White House, Capitol Hill and the US Supreme Court; created and led a national investigative unit for Hearst Communications; taught journalists in newsrooms in the US, Vietnam, and Pakistan; launched an online news startup and podcast about travel news and deals; and created a media database to drive countless earned media appearances. Mark has won some of the biggest honors in journalism while landing high-profile, national interviews, including with philanthropist and tech pioneer Bill Gates, government and political leaders at history-making moments, and visionary creators. He’s been invited to bring his energetic, passionate speaking to audiences around the world.

Mark has been to 86 countries so far – with a goal to visit them all

Find Mark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markalbertreporter/ & https://www.mediamasteryexperts.com/

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

In this episode of Live Like a Leader, I’m joined by Minal Mehta, a leadership coach with deep experience in the tech world. Minal has worked at top companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Amazon, and now helps ambitious leaders align their careers with their true selves while bringing joy and ease into their lives.

We dive into her journey from high-powered tech exec to leadership coach and how she balances drive with mindfulness. Minal shares personal stories about her wake-up call moments, blending her background in psychology and meditation to help leaders grow, and the lessons she learned from working with top executives like Jeff Bezos and Reid Hoffman.

Join us as we explore:

Clarity in Leadership – Minal discusses how leaders like Bezos and Hoffman shaped her perspective on clear communication and leadership.

Balancing Ambition with Ease – Learn how Minal helps leaders stay ambitious without burning out, using mindfulness and self-alignment.

The Power of Meditation – Minal shares how a simple meditation practice can be the game changer for leaders wanting to reconnect with themselves and boost performance.

Practical Tips for Leaders – Get Minal’s advice on prioritization, decision-making, and how to stop playing by others’ rules to create your own path to success.

This conversation is full of insights for leaders looking to level up both professionally and personally. Enjoy!

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Robert Scoble is the Founder of Unaligned.io and has written seven books on tech worldwide. He worked as a strategist at Microsoft, got the first ride in a Tesla from Elon Musk, was the first to ride in an autonomous Mercedes, was the 79th user of Instagram, and launched Siri in his house. He's been a first mover and early adopter for a very long time. 

He also runs Scobleizer https://scobleizer.blog/, which he started as a blog about the technology industry from his perch in Silicon Valley. He was the first to see Tesla, Flipboard, Instagram, Siri, Cloudera, Uber, and many, many other technology companies. Now he's using that expertise to help others as we head into Spatial Computing (virtual and augmented reality along with robots/autonomous vehicles).

You can find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/scobleizer/ and on twitter at x.com/scobleizer where he closely tracks AI! 

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

As an emerging global voice, Melissa advocates for a new generation of millennial leaders in the workplace and the community. This especially includes work to bridge the generational communication and leadership gaps in corporate spaces and civic leadership. She is a multi-hyphenate leader who specializes in inclusion, leadership, program development, and cultivating corporate and community relationships to create change.

Watch her TEDxBuckhead talk Can I Bring My Faith To Work?

Find more at Melissadwhite.com and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/melissadwhite.

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Jim Britt is the author of 15 best-selling books and nine #1 International Best sellers and multiple online programs. Some of his many titles include Rings of Truth, Do This. Get Rich-For Entrepreneurs, Do This. Get Rich! for Network Marketers, Unleashing Your Authentic Power, The Power of Letting Go, and Cracking the Rich Code. He is an internationally recognized business leader who is highly sought after as a keynote speaker for all audiences.

Jim was recently named as one of the world’s top 20 success coaches, the top 50 speakers worldwide and presented with the “Best of the Best” award out of the top 100 contributors of all time to the Direct Selling industry.

As a performance coach and trainer, Jim leverages his skills and experience as one of the leading experts in peak performance, entrepreneurship and personal empowerment to produce stellar results. He is pleased to work with small business entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to remove the blocks that stop their success in any area of their life.

Jim’s formal education stopped before graduating from high school. His career training began at a gas station and then on a factory floor on an assembly line. His first attempt at entrepreneurial success he started at rock bottom with $9 in the bank and a borrowed $4,000. A year later he had lost it all…home, both vehicles, furniture, everything. But after that first year, a lot of tenacity and a timely mentor that shared with him the secrets to success, the tables turned and shortly thereafter he had made his first million.

Over the years he has built a fortune worth millions of dollars with multiple streams of passive income from various business models. He also has studied human behavior and what really motivates us to take action and achieve great things in life and business, as well as what keeps us stuck. Today he puts his efforts into sharing what he’s learned over the years and influencing others to achieve success beyond their wildest dreams.

More from him at JimBritt.com and don't miss out on two FREE sessions of his program, the Power of Letting Go, at poweroflettinggo.com.

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Eric Collett is the Principal and CEO of A Mind For All Seasons, LLC, an innovative company specializing in helping clients of all ages optimize their cognitive functioning and improve symptoms of post-concussive disorders, dementia, brain fog, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other brain-related conditions. Eric is a licensed residential care administrator who has been working with seniors living with dementia and their families since 2000. Prior to starting A Mind For All Seasons, Eric spent ten years as an administrator, seven of which were as the Executive Director of a memory care community where he developed innovative approaches to person-centered care that made a significant difference in how persons living with dementia experience the world. He now spends his time working with private clients of all ages, hospitals, assisted living & skilled nursing facilities, home health, and hospice & PCS agencies to improve brain health for as many people as possible. Eric has taught at Boise State University and teaches CNA students at the College of Western Idaho.  He has served on the board of the Idaho Healthcare Association and currently serves as the education committee chair. As a public speaker and trainer, Eric has taught thousands of people how to understand and interact with persons living with dementia. He also presents frequently to groups large and small on diverse topics like leadership, brain health, dementia research, organizational behavior, customer experience, activity program development, team building, and music history.

Eric graduated summa cum laude from the University of Utah with a degree in interpersonal communication and a minor in psychology. His training and experience make him uniquely suited to study complex behavior patterns, help others understand those patterns, and develop systems to put that understanding into action to improve lives and health outcomes.  

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Sarah has spent the last 15 years coaching global executives in over 50 industries and is the founder and owner of Green Room Speakers. Whether preparing for a keynote address, briefing senior officials or pitching a product, Sarah helps leaders find their core message – and make that message stick. Sarah works with executives in Fortune 50 companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Sarah is a Professor of Communications at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where she lectures regularly to students from around the world.

Find Sarah at https://greenroomspeakers.com/ and at https://www.linkedin.com/in/greenroomspeakers/ 

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/

Liam McCarty is the founder and CEO of Verified Inc., a digital identity company that helps companies onboard people faster, offer one-click signup for their services, and helps people verify who's sending them messages—is it a real person or a bot?

You'll enjoy Liam's take on leadership and personal growth, too! 

Find Liam at https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamhalemccarty and https://www.verified.inc/

Ready to make your communication a match for how good you really are?

John K. Bates provides private executive communication coaching and leadership development for accomplished leaders and teams. His programs have earned 92+ Net Promoter Scores with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Intuit, and Boston Scientific.

Explore private coaching and leadership programs:
https://executivespeakingsuccess.com/

Build your communication practice with John’s free weekly mini-trainings:
https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings/