August Turak joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the business lessons he learned from the Trappist monks.

Turak was a founding employee of MTV and the A&E Network. Later, he founded software companies that eventually sold to BMC Software for $150 million. He currently runs a not-for-profit called the Self-Knowledge Symposium Foundation.

As a successful entrepreneur and award-winning author, Turak attributes much of his success to his 20-year stint as a frequent monastic guest of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey. As a monastic guest, he lives and works alongside the monks sometimes for months at a time.

In 1996, a skydiving accident triggered the emotional crisis or “Dark Night of the Soul” that sent Turak to Mepkin Abbey in search of the spiritual solace he so desperately needed and the monks so graciously provided.

In 2004, at the encouragement of some former students, Turak decided to enter the John Templeton Foundation’s Power of Purpose essay contest. He had 3,500 words in which to answer the question: “What is the Purpose of Life?” He had never written anything for publication before, but his "Brother John" essay about an actual Christmas Eve encounter at Mepkin Abbey won the $100,000 grand prize.

Later, he wrote an article for Forbes.com called "Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks." It went viral. As a result, he was invited to become a leadership contributor at Forbes. In addition, Columbia Business School Publishing asked Turak to turn his article into a book.

That book, Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO’s Quest for Meaning and Authenticity, applies monastic principles to secular business.

Turak’s latest book, Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life, combines his Templeton Prize winning essay with the illustrations of the award-winning artist Glenn Harrington to offer an inspirational message of meaning and purpose.

Connect with August Turak:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aturak

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AugustTurak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustturak/

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The speed of change is 10 times faster now than it was a decade ago—and 40% of today's Fortune 500 companies won't exist in 10 years. To stay ahead of that change, there is an urgent need for proactive leaders and entrepreneurs to proactively develop strategies that create the future of work.

So says futurist Cheryl Cran, the founder of NextMapping and the author of "NextMapping: Anticipate, Navigate and Create the Future of Work."

But don't misunderstand. Although technology is driving much of the change, the common theme of all  Cheryl's work is a "people first" and digital second approach that creates a more human future, one in which technology can enhance outcomes for people.

In this episode of Talking Business Now, Cheryl joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss digital disruption in the workplace and the impact on jobs in the future of work.

Tune in to learn:

- How the “always-on culture” has shifted the traditional work dynamic.

- The benefits of technology transformation/adoption in the workplace.

- How automation, AI and robots will continue to impact businesses, consumers and employees.

- The truth behind the myths of automation (e.g., robots stealing jobs) and what automation really means for employees in the future of work.

- How schools and training will need to adapt to create the workforce of the future.

- The impact of automation on our cities (e.g., Smart Cities).

- Actionable advice to help leaders bring tech and cultural change that prepares and empowers teams to be “future of work” ready.

Cheryl has been featured in the Huff Post, Forbes, IABC Magazine, Law Magazine, Metro New York, Entrepreneur Magazine, Readers Digest, CBS Online, NBC Online, Fox Online and other publications.

Connect with Cheryl Cran:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylcran

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cherylcran

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylcran/

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Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss join Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss their journey from corporate communications professionals to business humor novelists. 

During their tenures with some of the country's largest corporations, Rock and Voss stockpiled insider stories and cautionary tales that have inspired the characters and plot lines of their business novels. Their latest book, Operation Clusterpuck, was released in November 2018.

Although their workplace novels are humorous, they carry serious messages about life balance and personal legacy. Tune in to find out the lessons their books hold for businesses everywhere..

Voss and Rock live near Minneapolis and own a communications agency called ROCKdotVOSS. In addition to business novel writing, they speak to groups of all sizes and share their perspectives in various publications.

Connect with Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockandvossbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferrock /https://twitter.com/mvoss23

Jennfer Voss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockjennifer

Michael Voss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-voss 

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Have you ever promoted someone in your organization with stellar performance to a senior position? Or maybe you’ve hired someone who has an outstanding track record in other organizations? And then that person failed – failed BIG TIME – in the new role?

Why does this happen in companies all across America every day?

My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now is Ron Carucci. Ron has a new book out called "Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives."It’s the result of a ground-breaking 10-year study on executive transition—and it comes to some surprising conclusions about why so many executives fail—and on how fast they fail. Ron shares with us why that happens and how your organization can avoid those landmines.

Here are a few of the insights you'll gain from listening to this episode:

■ Why 50% of leaders fail within the first 18 months

■ The 4 characteristics that set successful leaders apart

■ How organizations can prepare newly appointed executives for their new position

■ Tips for startup founders who have big ideas but who aren't seasoned leaders—how to lead their organization from startup to grown up

■ The most important thing business leaders should be Talking Business Now about in 2019

Carucci is the co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, where he works with CEOs and executives in more than 25 countries to tackle strategy, organization and leadership challenges.  In addition to being a regular contributor to HBR and Forbes, Carucci has been featured in Fortune, CEO Magazine, BusinessInsider, MSNBC, Inc, Business Week and Smart Business.

Connect with Ron Carucci:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navalent/

Twitter: @roncarucci

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Sarah Wirth, co-author of The Coaching Effect, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the missing piece in leadership: the coaching factor. Wirth is the vice president of client services at EcSell Institute.  She has 20 years of experience in employee assessment, leadership development, sales executive coaching and customer service. 

Using evidence-based findings and numerous examples, Wirth discusses how to get the people you hired to perform at their peak capacity.

Tune in to discover:

■ Why managers are one of the biggest drags on performance.

■ The difference between managing and coaching—and what differentiates high-growth coaches from their less effective peers.

■ Why exponential growth can only occur in a state of discomfort. 

■ The four steps to high-growth coaching.

■ The secret to effective feedback.

■ Why career development should be part of any high-growth coaching model.

■  How to know if you're being an effective coach.

Visit the archives to listen to all the episodes of Talking Business Now. 

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As a business leader, do you ever feel like you're conducting an orchestra? Trying to get all the people and parts moving harmoniously?

On this episode of Talking Business Now, Maestro Roger Nierenberg joins host Kelly Scanlon to explore how an organization's culture mirrors the organizational dynamics within an orchestra.

Nierenberg is an orchestral conductor, leadership consultant and the author of Maestro: A Surprising Story About Leading by Listening. He’s also the founder of The Music Paradigm, a learning experience he uses to show how crucial organizational development issues can be powerfully brought to life within an orchestra.

Tune in to discover how the lessons of an orchestra can enhance your company’s organizational development:

■ Why an orchestra is such an effective learning tool for organization

■ The lessons an orchestra teaches us about leadership

■ The ways in which an orchestra mirrors diversity in an organization

Nierenberg made his New York conducting debut at Avery Fisher with the Pro Arte Chorale and Orchestra and has conducted several great American orchestras. He's also recorded with the London Philharmonic and conducted at both the Prague Spring Festival and the Beijing Festival. He has collaborated with many of the most renowned solo artists and composers of our time.

During his tenure with the Jacksonville Symphony, Nierenberg became curious about the challenges and opportunities organizations face during times of rapid change. As a result, he created The Music Paradigm. The program has taken Nierenberg to the podium of more than 90 orchestras and before hundreds of organizations in 23 countries.

The organization's people, who become participants, are seated within a live professional orchestra where they can observe highly trained musicians as they perform. The participants’ attention is drawn to fascinating and unexpected organizational dynamics within the orchestra. Before each event, Nierenberg joins the company's leadership to learn what they want to achieve with the exercise. Based on that conversation, he devises interactive exercises for the orchestra that will bring their most important issues to life.

Connect with Roger Nierenberg:

■ Twitter: @rogernierenberg

■ Facebook: facebook.com/themusicparadigm

■ Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/rogernierenberg

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James Geary joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how developing wit is essential to business innovation. Geary is the author of "Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It."

According to Geary, wit is more than being able to deliver snappy comebacks. Rather, it is quick, instinctive intelligence that allows us to think, say or do the right thing at the right time in the right place.

Tune in to discover:

■ The relationship between wit and wisdom.

■ How wit manifests visually and verbally as well as physically and intellectually ■ Why wit is essential to scientific discovery, entrepreneurship and business innovation

■ Simple techniques for improving your WQ—your Wit Quotient.

■ How to develop the ability to juggle unrelated ideas and combine opposites

■ Why puns can sharpen your business acumen

■ Why habit is the enemy of wit

Geary is also the author of four other books, including New York Times bestseller "The World in a Phrase." He is the deputy curator at Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

Connect with James Geary:

■ Facebook: James Geary

■ Twitter: @JamesGeary

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What if your team looked forward to Mondays instead of Fridays? You may laugh and not be able to imagine that kind of reality. 

Our guest in this episode of Talking Business Now is Don Rheem. Don insists this type of workplace culture is possible and—already in place—in many organizations today. Don has a new book out called "Thrive By Design: The Neuroscience that Drives High-Performance Cultures."  In his book, Don presents the science—yes, the science—of great leadership that offers managers and senior leaders deep insights into what drives employee performance from a brain-based perspective. 

Don discusses how to apply approaches and tools so your team can achieve increased productivity, well-being, accountability, and retention. You'll discover:

■ How companies can use basic neuroscience to inspire employees in their workforce

■ The difference between employee satisfaction and employee engagement—and why you should  measure engagement, not satisfaction

■ How to create "emotional velcro" between the employee and the organization

■ Which workplaces are the happiest—and why

■ The secret to turning around a toxic work culture■ What millennials really want in the workplace■ How to attract and keep the best employees

 BONUS: Find out why Don thinks EMPLOYEE RETENTION is the one thing company leadership should be Talking Business Now about in 2019.

Don is the CEO of E3 Solutions. He’s also a former White House correspondent, Congressional science advisor and technical consultant. Connect with Don:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/donrheem/about/?ref=page_internal

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DonRheem

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donrheem

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Marketing can be a confusing proposition for many business owners and executives. These days, new platforms and opportunities seem to pop up every week in an already crowded field of “opportunities.” Enter Influencer Marketing. You’ve probably experienced it, but you may not have realized it. And it’s likely your company hasn’t used it. 

Our guest on this episode of Talking Business Now is Stacy Jones, the CEO of Hollywood Branded, an influencer marketing, branded content and product placement agency in Los Angeles. Stacy joins us to explain the ins and outs of Influencer Marketing and how your company can benefit if you work with the right people.

Tune in to discover:

■ Just what Influencer Marketing is

■ How big the landscape is for specialty influencers—and what that means for brands

■ How to find the right influencer to work with—including potential red flags

■ The difference between micro, macro and celebrity influencers

■ How to determine a budget for working with an influencer

■ The biggest mistakes brands make when approaching influencer marketing

■ Steps you can take to safeguard your partnership with an influencer

■ Key performance indicators for measuring whether your influencer partnernership is successful

Stacy Jones has 23 years of leadership experience building global branded content campaigns for top Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of brands, including BlackBerry, Bumble, Canadian Club and Pilot Pen. She appears regularly in the media outlets, speaks globally at conferences and hosts the podcast Marketing Mistakes & How To Avoid Them.    

Connect with Stacy on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodbrandedinc Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hollywood_PRLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacyjones/

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Why do some people seem to get promoted easily, and why do others always seem to be passed over? Our guest on this episode, Pamela Green, says often it comes down to whether or not you have executive presence. She joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about how to develop executive presence and become a more successful leader.

Tune in to discover:

■ What is executive presence and why it's so important for leaders

■ The consequences of not having executive presence

■ The challenges people encounter as they work at developing an executive presence, including passive aggressiveness and the Imposter Syndrome

■ Why you don't have to be an executive to have presence

■ Tips for boosting your executive presence

Pamela Green is a business executive leadership consultant, executive coach, keynote speaker and published author with more than 30 years of business leadership experience. As the principal consultant of the HR Coaching and Career Institute, she works with leaders to help them develop and improve their executive presence.

Connect with Green on:

Facebook: Coach PamelaJGreen

Facebook: The HRCoachingInstitute

Twitter: @pamelajgreen

LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn/in/pamelajgreen

Visit the archives to listen to all the episodes of Talking Business Now.

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