Monday Morning Radio

Douglas Holmes is a veteran investment banker who sees massive potential in telemedicine. His latest venture is DermatologistOnCall features a network of board-certified dermatologists who provide telemedicine services in all 50 states, and can even offer an in-home melanoma test. The secret of DermatologistOnCall’s success, Douglas tells award-winning author and journalist Dean Rotbart, is the advanced technology that is the foundation of the service. Douglas shares insights that could revolutionize how you reach and serve your customers, whether or not you work in healthcare. Photo: Douglas Holmes, DermatologistOnCallPosted: February 7, 2022Monday Morning Run Time: 45:11

A California entrepreneur, Melissa Joseph, has combined her love poetry and her life-long habit of writing personal Thank You notes to launch a new business, Lotus Cards: Notecards with Heart. The cards offer mix-and-match whimsical original poetic sentiments — each composed by Melissa — with a variety of unique, stylistic cover art. With Valentine's Day only two weeks off, Melissa’s cards make for highly original greetings. Host and award-winning author Dean Rotbart says that Melissa, a former English teacher, is special for a couple of reasons: One - she’s a senior citizen unafraid to venture into a new business, and Two - she’s donating all proceeds from the sale of her cards to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Roses are red,Violets are blue,If Melissa Joseph can do it,So can you. Photo: Melissa Joseph and Lotus — Lotus Cards: Notecards with HeartPosted: January 31, 2022Monday Morning Run Time: 32:36

This week, in Part Two of host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart’s conversation with business historian Gary Hoover, the two turn their attention to women and minorities who overcame long odds to build or lead successful companies. They’ll also reveal the failures and rebounds of some great American companies and share the story of one executive whose business failed, and afterward, he went home to his parents’ house and locked himself in the bedroom for a month. True story. Gary is the executive director of the American Business History Center and the author of Bedtime Business Stories: Short Sagas of Business Creation, Success, and Failure. A serial entrepreneur, one company Hoover founded was acquired by Barnes & Noble, while another was purchased by Dun & Bradstreet. Gary’s  specialty is looking back at the great industries, businesses, and business leaders of bygone days and reminding all of us of what made them great and how we can apply their insights today. Photo: Gary Hoover, America

Back in November, when General Electric announced its plan to break itself into three different companies, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart invited business historian Gary Hoover to share the lessons of GE’s fall from grace. Hoover is the executive director of the American Business History Center and the author of Bedtime Business Stories: Short Sagas of Business Creation, Success, and Failure. A serial entrepreneur, one company Hoover founded was acquired by Barnes & Noble, while another was purchased by Dun & Bradstreet. This week, in part one of a two-part conversation, Rotbart and Hoover take a deep dive into an array of legendary American businesses and CEOs and what they can teach today’s business owners and leaders. Photo: Gary Hoover, American Business History Center Posted: November 22, 2021 Monday Morning Run Time: 38:42

Host Dean Rotbart is being mysterious about his guests this week on Monday Morning Radio. All he’ll say is that their names are Peter Desberg and Jeffrey Davis and between the two of them, their clients have included Apple, Dell Computers, Boeing, Toyota, and Honda. Peter and Jeffrey have a "how-to" business book coming out next month that the authors promise will have entertaining, actionable advice for all owners and entrepreneurs, regardless of the nature of their businesses. The two authors think that after hearing what they have to say, many listeners will want to buy their book. If you do, you can pre-order it here. But as Dean points out, it’s totally up to listeners to decide if Peter and Jeffrey acquit themselves admirably. Photos: Peter Desberg (l) and Jeffrey Davis, AuthorsPosted: January 10, 2022Monday Morning Run Time: 44:45

If Clay Stafford were to put all of his titles on a single business card, it would be one mammoth ID. Clay is, among other things, an award-winning author — having sold nearly four million copies of his books, a poet, a screenwriter and playwright, film and television producer, director, showrunner, actor, educator, reviewer, and public speaker. Oh yes, he is also the founder of The Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference - now in its 16th year - that has become the premier forum for all genres incorporating mystery, thriller, or suspense content. This week, Clay shares with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart how and why he does so many creative things and what we can learn from his successful approach to artistry.  Photo: Clay Stafford, Killer Nashville Posted: January 3, 2022Monday Morning Run Time: 49:53 [Grab your copy of Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, featuring stories by Clay Stafford, Anne Perry, Jeffery Deaver, Mary Burton, and others.]

Imagine learning best business practices from the former vice chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton, Chairman of Chiquita Brands International, publisher and CEO of the Chicago Sun Times, and directors at Virgin America and Allegheny Energy. You wouldn’t actually need a very big room, since Cyrus Freidheim filled everyone of those roles during his 55-year business career, as well as stints at Union Carbide, Ford Motor, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Cyrus has summed up all he’s learned about business — and life — in a newly published book, Commit & Deliver: On the Frontlines of Management Consulting. There’s no need to pay $1,000 an hour or more for Cyrus’s expertise. It’s free for the taking this week as host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart’s guest is Cyrus Freidheim. Photo: Cyrus Freidheim, Commit & DeliverPosted: December 27, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 56:08

Until they turn 25 years old, most individuals are really only life “interns.” Full life begins once we enter our mid-20s. At its core, that is what Robert L. Dilenscneider’s latest book, Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together, is about. Dilenschneider, an accomplished author and communications consultant, tells the story of 25 well-known personalities when they were 25 years olds — from Mozart to Edith Paif, Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs — and the one defining trait they shared on their path to immortality. To help interview Dilenschneider, host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart enlisted his multi-talented daughter, Avital, who not coincidentally, turns 25 years old this week. As Avital points out, there is a great deal to be learned from history, no matter your age. Photo: Robert L. Dilenschneider, Nailing ItPosted: December 20, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 45.54

Treating all of your employees equally may seem like an ideal approach. But it's not. The one-size-fits-all approach, says Minal Bopaiah, an expert in diversity, equity and inclusion, often holds back employees who don’t fit the prototypical characteristics of today’s workforce. The better approach, Minal tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, is to design a human-centered organization that offers “equity” to everyone — making room for those who are different and then leveraging those disparities. Minal is the author of Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives, an eye-opening new book that will challenge your perspective on fairness and productivity in the workplace. Her firm, Brevity & Wit, helps organizations — including Amnesty International, NPR, The Christian Science Monitor, and Human Rights Watch — achieve the change they wish to see in the world. Photo: Minal Bopaiah, Brevity & WitPosted: December 13, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 47:29 [Purchase your copy of A

Some of the world’s most successful investors are also some of the happiest people on earth. It’s not because they are rich — money still won’t buy happiness — but because they are able to think more rationally, rigorously, and objectively when it comes to every aspect of their lives. In his book, Richer, Wiser, Happier: How The World’s Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life, author William Green shares insights he’s gleaned conducting dozens of interviews over the years with financial superstars including Sir John Templeton, Peter Lynch, Michael Price, Ed Thorp, and Charlie Munger. Hearing the concepts that Green shares with host and award-winner reporter Dean Rotbart won’t magically turn you into an overnight billionaire. But it may very well help you improve your decision-making skills, assess risks, avoid preventable errors, and build resilience regardless of what life sends your way. And, Dean adds, you’ll likely become a better investor, too. Photo: William Green, Richer, Wiser, HappierPosted: Dece

Change has changed. That is the premise of bestselling author Erika Andersen’s latest book, Change from the Inside Out, a primer for businesses and individuals on how to rethink change — typically viewed as difficult, costly, and uncomfortable — and instead embrace it as doable, rewarding, and routine. Erika, founder of Proteus International, is a consultant and advisor to top executives at organizations including Amazon, Spotify, and the Yale School of Public Health. She has made a career out of helping her clients become “change-capable” leaders; able to respond to, and actually benefit from, the rapid speed and relentless nature of change. Are you prepared for whatever comes next?  Join host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart as he and Erika explore the many advantages of greeting change with a fresh, positive perspective. Photo: Erika Andersen, Proteus Posted: November 29, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 48:03

Last week’s partial lunar eclipse attracted millions of people to gaze at our nearest celestial neighbor. One of them, Daniel Sax, has designs on more than just staring at the moon. He intends to mine the crusty orb for water and oxygen, essentials that future planetary travelers will need to sustain them on lunar bases and fuel their voyages to Mars and beyond. Daniel is the co-founder of Toronto-based Canadian Space Mining Corporation, launched in August 2020. He aims to propel Canada to the forefront of the anticipated demand for space-based supply chains and utilities, and he’s drawing a lot of interest from prospective investors and government officials. Host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart says what makes Daniel’s story so compelling — and relevant to all entrepreneurs — is that he not only dreams big, he is crafting a pioneering business to turn his dreams into a reality. Photo: Daniel Sax, Canadian Space Mining Corporation Posted: November 22, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 38:42 In the lat

For more than a century, General Electric stood as a beacon of American manufacturing and ingenuity. The 129-year-old company was once the most valuable U.S. corporation; its brand emblazoned on tens of thousands of products from light bulbs to nuclear power plants. On November 8th, GE, which has been in decline for years, announced that it would spin out its remaining operations into three separate companies, in effect, heralding the end of General Electric as the world knew it. What went wrong and what can today’s business owners and leaders learn from the rise and fall of GE?  Gary Hoover, executive director at American Business History Center and a leading business historian, is host Dean Rotbart’s special guest this week. Photo: Gary Hoover, American Business History Center Posted: November 15, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 26:20

Fear is a stick that many bosses use to squeeze extra productivity out of their employees: Fear of job loss, fear of career stagnation, and even fear of humiliation in front of their colleagues. There remains a place for fear in the workplace — when well-managed —  but two former McKinsey and Company consultants have helped more than 1,000 business leaders and hundreds of organizations embrace the “Unfear” methods of leadership, leading to breakthrough success and elevated levels of employee satisfaction. This week, authors Gaurav Bhatnagar and Mark Minukas share with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart how fear — properly channeled — provides valuable opportunities for individuals and organizations to learn and grow. [Pick up your own copy of Unfear here.] Photo: Gaurav Bhatnagar (l) and Mark Minukas, Co-Creation PartnersPosted: November 8, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 42:34

The Op-Ed pages of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today are among the hardest journalism forums for outsiders to crack. Bob Brody has spent the past 40 years as an Op-Ed “safecracker,” having written or ghost-written roughly 1,000 Op-Ed essays. If you are passionate about a topic of public interest or are looking for a way to bolster your stature in the public eye, Op-Eds can be a uniquely valuable tool. This week Bob shares with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart the methods that he’s discovered are most effective for newcomers hoping to break into the Op-Ed pages of the nation’s elite news organizations. Photo: Bob Brody, bobbrody@hotmail.com Posted: November 1, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 1 hour, 14 seconds Read Dean Rotbart’s latest Op-Ed essay in The Wall Street Journal here. Purchase a signed copy of Dean’s new book, September Twelfth: An American Comeback Story, here.

By now, nearly everyone knows that William Shatner, aka Captain James T. Kirk, flew into space aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft on October 13th. Why would Jeff Bezos, who owns the rocketship company, want to invite a 90-year-old actor whose turn in the original Star Trek series took place more than 50 years ago on board when Bezos could have sold that seat for tens of millions of dollars?  Longtime Wizard of Ads Partner Jeff ‘The Professor’ Sexton tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart that there are priceless marketing lessons to be gleaned from Bezos’s inclusion of Shatner — insights that can lead to out-of-this-world success whether you’re selling space exploration, insurance, beer, breakfast cereal, or even toilet paper. Strap yourself in, Jeff and Dean are ready to blast off. Read Jeff Sexton’s article, “Two Marketing Lessons From William Shatner and Blue Origin.” Photo: Jeff Sexton, Wizard of Ads PartnersPosted: October 25, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 43:00

David Cowan had a skilled career in geographic information systems — linking data to maps, when he thought he’d try his hand at financial services. Instead of making more money, he made none. Hard times quickly followed. In his early fifties, David found himself without a car, renting a single room to live in, and walking to a nearby McDonald’s where he worked the drive-thru window overnight.  “You just can’t give up on yourself,” David tells host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart. This week, Dean and Monday Morning Radio debut The Comeback Project, an occasional series of profiles featuring great global comeback stories.  Rallying from misfortune — be it financial, health, a relationship gone bad, a natural disaster, a violent crime, or any other variety of setbacks — may seem impossible in the moment. But as David’s story demonstrates, it is possible to rebound from the depths of despair and inspire others to do likewise. Do you have your own comeback story to tell or do you know someone — a family

More than six million listeners worldwide tune in each week to hear Scott Jeffrey Miller’s On Leadership podcast, produced by Franklin Covey. In his newest book, Master Mentors, Scott draws on interviews he’s conducted with his podcast guests — including Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, and Susan Cain — to offer tightly focused, transformative insights aimed at current and would-be leaders. What overarching trait do the 30 mentors share?  Host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart asked Scott the question, but Dean disagreed with Scott’s answer. Listen in, and see how you think about it. Photo: Scott Jeffrey Miller, Master MentorsPosted: October 11, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 50:26 For Your Monday Morning Radio Bookshelf: Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights From Our Greatest Minds -- Scott Jeffrey Miller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition -- Steven R. Covey Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us -- Daniel H. Pink Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us -- Seth Godin Q

Chrysta Castañeda was a solo legal practitioner in Dallas when the legendary oil magnate T. Boone Pickens asked her to represent him in a decade-old business dispute involving investments he made in the three-billion barrel Red Bull region of West Texas. After about three hours of deliberation, the jury awarded Pickens $146 million. Host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart says he doesn’t know who is more impressive, Chrysta Castañeda for winning the case so convincingly or the late Boone Pickens, who was 88 years old when the trial began in November 2016. This week Chrysta shares behind-the-scenes details of the lawsuit and the “real” Boone Pickens. She is joined by Loren C. Steffy who, with Chrysta, co-authored The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens. Photos: Chrysta Castañeda and Loren C. Steffy, The Last Trial of T. Boone PickensPosted: October 4, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 41:46

When he was starting out, Rob Cornilles founder of Game Face, Inc., had the unenviable task of selling season tickets to the Los Angeles Clippers, which at the time was the most forlorn franchise in the NBA. Who wanted to go to a Clippers game, when Los Angeles had the Lakers? Yet, Rob soon figured out the secret to attracting sports fans and has gone on to train the sales forces of more than 300 other sports teams and a whopping total of 50,000+ sales executives and leaders. Rob, author of “The Sales Game Changer,” shares some of his most effective techniques with host and award-winning journalist Dean Rotbart, including Rob’s SW-SW-SW-N philosophy - Dean’s favorite.  As Rob notes, whether or not you think you’re in sales, you are. Photo: Rob Cornilles, Game Face, Inc.Posted: September 27, 2021Monday Morning Run Time: 49:52