The Leadership Standard

“The content tilt is that area of little to no competition on the web that actually gives you a chance to break through the noise and be relevant. It’s what makes you so different that your audience notices you and rewards you with its attention.” – Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and fellow podcaster. He’s the founder of multiple startups, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), the leading content marketing educational resource for enterprise brands, and The Tilt – an email newsletter, delivered twice per week, dedicated to helping the lonely content creator turn their business into a content empire.

Joe is famous for his work in content marketing, first using the term in 2001, then launching Content Marketing Institute and the renowned Content Marketing World event. Joe is the winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Content Council. His third book, Epic Content Marketing was named one of “Five Must Read Business Books of the Year” by Fortune Magazine – and his newest book, Killing Marketing was published in September 2017. His fourth book, Content Inc., has been a top direct marketing best-seller since September of 2015, and he has also co-authored two other books, Get Content Get Customers and Managing Content Marketing.

Tune in to this captivating conversation between Joe Pulizzi and host Gair Maxwell, as they dive into everything from NFTs, the Facebook Metaverse, and how discovering your “content tilt” is the best way to build a solid, long-lasting business positioned for today's content-driven world.

Do you know the best ways to market your business? This episode of TEC Canada's The Leadership Standard podcast features a captivating conversation with guest Michael Brenner – revealing the key marketing strategies and tactics that any forward-thinking business leader needs to have on their radar.

Michael Brenner is a Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and CEO of Marketing Insider Group providing content marketing strategy, Speaking, and Writing. He is co-author of 2 books including The Content Formula, and Digital Marketing Growth Hacks and his writing has been featured by The Economist, The Guardian, and Entrepreneur Magazine. He has also been recognized as a Top Business Speaker by The Huffington Post and a top CMO Influencer by Forbes.

Over the last two decades, he has championed a customer-centric approach at organizations large and small. He led sales and marketing for software companies like Nielsen and FullTilt, and as an executive at ICR, SAP, and Newscred, his innovative leadership resulted in massive growth. His workshops and keynotes for Fortune 500 brands and tiny startups have inspired profound personal and professional change. When he's not working with clients, Michael travels the world helping even the most bureaucratic organizations break down silos, create cultures of innovation, and build engaged workforces.

Filled with marketing insights and discussions about which strategies truly deliver impact on the bottom line, don't miss tuning in to this episode of The Leadership Standard hosted by Gair Maxwell and featuring guest Michael Brenner!

A'Lelia Bundles is an Emmy award-winning producer who spent over 30 years as an executive with ABC News and NBC News – in addition to authoring several biographies about the trail-blazing women in her family. A'Lelia’s great-grandmother was a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, A'Lelia Walker, and her great-great-grandmother was the first female self-made millionaire in America, Madam C.J. Walker.

After publishing On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, A'Lelia’s work became a New York Times Notable Book, a bestseller, and the non-fiction source for Self Made – the fictionalized four-part Netflix series starring Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer that premiered on March 20, 2020.

Tune in to this episode of The Leadership Standard hosted by TEC speaker & branding expert Gair Maxwell, as A'Lelia Bundles takes a break from writing her fifth book, The Joy Goddess of Harlem: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, to bring her warmth, intelligence, and humor, to bridge the topics of entrepreneurship, philanthropy, financial literacy, and women’s and African American history.

In this episode of The Leadership Standard, A'Lelia Bundles and Gair Maxwell dive into timely topics and answer:

…and many more!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a coveted Fortune 500 company? Look no further than this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast featuring award-winning thinker, author, broadcaster, Senior Editor at Large of Fortune Magazine, and speaker on today’s most significant trends in business – Geoff Colvin!

As someone who is frequently surrounded by multi-billionaires and visionaries such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson – Geoff Colvin’s conversation with host Gair Maxwell will bring you inside the mindsets of the world’s most influential business leaders, and reveal unconventional insights about the most valuable companies in the world.

Throughout this episode, branding expert and TEC speaker Gair Maxwell and Geoff Colvin also discuss topics found within Geoff’s latest book, Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know that Brilliant Machines Never Will. Determined a “must-read” for every business leader in the post-pandemic reality, Geoff argues that as technology advances with increasing speed, the most valuable skills in the economy will be skills of deep human interaction – empathy, creative problem-solving in groups, storytelling – and reveals why developing these skills will be crucial to the futures of individuals, companies, and nations.

Recognized as one the world’s sharpest and most respected commentators on leadership, globalization, wealth creation, the infotech revolution, and more, Geoff Colvin has analyzed companies and business leaders worldwide as they confront the largest issues of our time. Don’t miss this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast where Geoff Colvin shares his firsthand knowledge about what distinguishes the greats from everyone else – while reflecting on the business leaders and organizations that have prospered, the ones that have stumbled, and why.

Tara Cowling is a member of the American Medical Writer’s Association (AMWA), the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) – and one of Canada’s top entrepreneurs.

In 2008, Tara founded Medlior Health Outcomes Research Ltd with a priority for providing value and insight to health outcomes research projects through robust methodology. The community-based research organization with headquarters in Calgary, Alberta is comprised of health-system trained statisticians, epidemiologists, health economists, clinical researchers, and successfully challenges the industry status quo with its female leadership representation.

From unconventional advice about how to handle the word “no” – to divulging lessons that are priceless to anyone with an entrepreneurial mindset – this episode is your introduction to an inspiring leader. As a Top 100 Female Entrepreneur in Canada, Tara Cowling and her organization are soon becoming a household name. Meet her in our latest episode of The Leadership Standard.

The Honourable Perrin Beatty, P.C., O.C, is the President and CEO of Canada’s largest and most representative national business association, the 200,000-member Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Since Perrin was elected to Parliament at 22 years old, he has made significant contributions to the development of Canada through his work as a politician and corporate business leader. During his 21 years in Parliament, he served as Minister in seven different portfolios, including Treasury Board, National Revenue, Solicitor General, Defence, National Health and Welfare, Communications and External Affairs. Following his political career, Perrin led the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, the latter of which he shepherded through a period of significant transition.

Perrin is currently a member of the board of directors of Mitsui Canada and in 2018, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his lifetime of public service and for his devotion to the development of our nation as a community leader and corporate visionary. In 2020, the Government of Japan awarded Perrin the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, in recognition of his many distinguished achievements in international relations and advancements in Canada-Japan business relations.

During this timely and candid conversation with Gair Maxwell – which is always exhibited through the lens of expert foresight, hindsight, and humanity – Perrin Beatty reveals a closer look at the adaptability and resilience demonstrated by Canadian businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and uncovers how major events in the past can guide CEOs and owners towards transforming their optimism into opportunities for the future.

Beau Lotto is a neuroscientist and world-renowned expert in perception. His research explores the ways in which we experience the world through our own versions of reality – and he has helped brands like Cirque du Soleil, Microsoft, and L’oreal gain valuable, science-backed insights into their businesses and customers. As Beau puts it, “the brain never sees the world as it actually is, only the world that is useful to see.” By illuminating these principles of perception, he has helped individuals and companies completely transform their approach to creativity and innovation.

He is a three-time main stage TED Speaker and is also the founder of the world’s first neuro-design studio, Lab of Misfits. Part lab, part creative studio, Lab of Misfits takes a disruptive approach to research, partnering with brands to blend science, art, and performance to explore pivotal principles in current culture.

He is also a best-selling author, and his latest book, Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently, explores the surprising science of creativity and unveils the unexpected relationship between perception, reality, and innovation.

Beau has spoken at the G8, Google’s Zeitgeist, Wired, Oslo Freedom Forum, Big Think and contributed to the BBC, National Geographic, Netflix, and PBS – and in this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast hosted by TEC Speaker and branding expert Gair Maxwell, he provides listeners with the framework to expertly navigate periods of uncertainty, how to strategically approach personal and professional problems, and how to successfully inspire innovation within their teams.

The Leadership Standard – 018 – Bob Izumi - Professional Angler and the Host of Bob Izumi's Real Fishing Show

Hailing from the small town of Blenheim, Ontario, Bob Izumi has become Canada’s “Most Recognizable Fisherman” – and you’ve likely seen him on your television for the past 38 years as the host of Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing Show since its premiere in 1983.

In addition to his iconic television show and tournament fishing career, Bob is also an award-winning author, seminar speaker, conservationist, and radio show host. Bob’s has unmatched credibility in the fishing world and has seen unprecedented success as a tournament angler. Since becoming Canada’s first full-time professional fisherman in 1979, Bob has won more than 70 major events, far surpassing any other Canadian angler. He has won multiple Angler of the Year and Team of the Year titles and he is the only Canadian angler to win the Triple Crown of fishing; capturing the Canadian Open, the Classic Championship, and Angler of the Year title in a single season.

In this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast hosted by TEC Speaker and branding expert Gair Maxwell, Bob Izumi shares the blueprint for turning your passion into a career – and reveals how Bob’s Real Fishing television show and Real Fishing Radio program became Canada’s longest-running syndicated television and radio series, respectively.

Did you know that content marketing can generate triple the amount of outbound marketing leads, drive six times higher conversion rates, and has the potential to generate a 7.8-fold boost in your web traffic? Whether you’re wondering how to execute content marketing more effectively – or how your organization can hit the ground running and get started and up to speed – you won’t want this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast featuring Robert Rose.  

Robert Rose has spent the last two decades helping marketers to tell their story more effectively – including 15 of the Fortune 100. In addition to being the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of The Content Advisory, Robert Rose has provided marketing advice and counsel for global brands such as Facebook, Capital One, Dell, Ernst & Young, Microsoft, Thomson Reuters, Roche Pharmaceuticals, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UPS.  

In this episode of The Leadership Standard podcast hosted by TEC Speaker and branding expert Gair Maxwell, Robert Rose reveals the ultimate guide to content marketing and defining trends that business leaders can’t ignore. For help understanding the realm of content marketing – and how you can use content marketing to build trust with your audience, improve conversions, and generate more leads for your business – press play on this intriguing conversation.

The Leadership Standard – 016 – Jennifer Carlson - CEO & Co-founder of Baby Gourmet, Founder at Thirsty Naturals

Jennifer Carlson built a baby food empire from the ground up with her Baby Gourmet brand and recently revealed the organization’s next growth phase: Being acquired by the renowned Switzerland-based baby-food manufacturer, Hero Group.  In the latest episode of The Leadership Standard podcast hosted by TEC Speaker and branding expert Gair-Maxwell, Jennifer reminisces about her 15-year journey with Baby Gourmet and how its success has been a self-fulfilling prophecy – albeit not without a shortage of obstacles along the journey.  For help navigating toxic work cultures, how to take the first step in turning your business idea into a reality, and the possibilities that arise from falling down seven times, then standing up eight, press play on this gripping conversation between Jennifer Carlson and Gair Maxwell below. It just might be the event that inspires you to become an entrepreneur yourself.