Monday Morning Radio

Martin "Marty" Strong is a former Navy SEAL, business leader, and author who challenges conventional thinking about how companies — and their leaders — must operate in a rapidly changing world. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of the Warrior's Haven USA Foundation. Over two decades as a SEAL, Marty led 36 special operations missions in high-stakes, unpredictable environments where adaptability was essential. He later brought that same mindset to the private sector, including eight years as a portfolio manager serving high-net-worth clients at UBS. Drawing on both experiences, Marty argues that past success can become a hidden liability. Too many leaders rely on methods that once worked, without recognizing that the marketplace has fundamentally changed. The result: decisions based on outdated assumptions rather than current realities. As Marty explains, it's like using an old encyclopedia to solve modern problems — confident, but dangerously misinformed. In this conversation, Marty shares how leaders c

Effective workplace mentoring isn't a 'sometimes' thing. It's a habit. That's a leadership lesson that Kimberly Lee has learned after more than two decades of hands-on experience in human resources, and helping businesses embrace what she dubs "a coaching culture." Kim is the founder and CEO of Lotic Systems and author of Building a Coaching Culture: The Ripple Effect. She is also the creator of RipplelQ, an AI-powered leadership coaching tool. Many workplaces struggle to get the best from their people; however, Kim says a coaching approach can change that. She finds that employees who feel supported and invested in are more likely to take initiative, collaborate effectively, and stay with the organization. For entrepreneurs and business owners, Kim's message is clear: Don't just manage performance — coach it. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Kimberly Lee, Lotic SystemsPosted: April 13, 2026 Monday Morning Run Time: 41:54 Episode: 14.41 RELATED EPISODES

With the Artemis II mission underway, this week on Monday Morning Radio, we're joined by Mark L. Fox—former Chief Engineer for NASA's Space Shuttle program and a legendary instructor at Wizard Academy. In a conversation recorded just 24 hours after the Artemis launch, Mark bridges the gap between lunar missions and terrestrial entrepreneurship. He discusses his latest venture, Resona Health, and how he's using PEMF (targeted electromagnetic pulses) to treat pain, depression, mild cognitive impairment, and dozens of other ailments — without pills or invasive procedures. Mark taught the popular Wizard Academy course, DaVinci and the 40 Answers, on creativity and problem-solving for businesses. Among the insights he shares this week: how to think unconventionally, why simplicity often beats complexity, and how to turn setbacks — including near-catastrophic ones — into momentum. These are down-to-earth insights that every entrepreneur and business owner can put into action. The countdown to greater business succ

What can a beautifully prepared dinner teach about running a successful business? Quite a lot, according to Ellen Wright, a five-time cookbook author who trained with culinary icons Julia Child and James Beard. In this week's episode, Ellen shares how the principles that guide her cooking translate seamlessly into leadership, entrepreneurship, and everyday decision-making. Her approach is refreshingly practical: keep things simple, prepare in advance, and don't panic when something goes wrong. A collapsed dessert can become a new creation. A business misstep can spark innovation. The key is adaptability. Ellen also highlights something many leaders overlook — success is less about perfection and more about people. Whether hosting a dinner party or managing a team, the goal is to create an environment where others feel comfortable, engaged, and valued. From disciplined preparation to creative problem-solving, Ellen's insights offer a recipe for success that any business owner can follow. If you're hungry for

Fauzia Burke is a veteran marketing strategist and founder of FSB Associates, which specializes in book publicity, author websites, and consulting. Founded by her in 1995, it was one of the first firms specializing in digital publicity. Not one to rest on her laurels, Fauzia's latest frontier is artificial intelligence — not only enhancing the capabilities of FSB Associates but also teaching other business owners and entrepreneurs how to integrate AI into their operations and reap its benefits. Among Fauzia's recommendations is using AI as a "thinking partner." Executives and entrepreneurs can brainstorm marketing angles, generate multiple versions of product descriptions or biographies, and test different messaging approaches. The key is not to accept AI's output unquestioningly — human judgment and experience must always refine the results. Despite the many doomsayers, Fauzia says AI will not replace professionals who are already good at what they do. Instead, AI will empower those who embrace it to outper

Business success is often portrayed as the product of talent, hard work, and persistence. But what if success could be analyzed — and improved — using the logic of probability? Kyle Austin Young, a sought-after strategy consultant, maintains that most goals — whether launching a product, raising funds, or publishing a book — can be analyzed and improved by understanding the odds behind them. Kyle is the author of Success is a Numbers Game: Achieve Bigger Goals by Changing the Odds, a fresh and insightful exploration of goal-setting and goal-achieving. Drawing from his consulting work with entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and business leaders, Kyle reveals a practical framework he calls "probability hacking." The concept is simple but powerful: break ambitious goals into the individual steps required for success, estimate the likelihood of attaining each progression, and then deliberately improve the odds. Listeners will also learn why traditional "think positive" advice can sometimes sabotage success. Instead, Kyl

Courtney De Ronde is a financial decoder. As the CEO of Forge Financial & Management Consulting in West Des Moines, Iowa, she studies the same financial data that owners and comptrollers review, but she uncovers opportunities and risks within the numbers that most business leaders miss. Additionally, Courtney is the creator of the Simple Scale-Up System, a framework designed to help established businesses grow in a smarter way — increasing revenue and profitability without adding unnecessary complexity. As Courtney explains, not all growth is good growth. Many companies expand their revenue but find themselves working harder, managing more people, incurring additional expenses, and somehow ending up with the same — or even less — income. True scaling, she explains, happens when leaders build systems, processes, and teams that allow their companies to grow efficiently and with fewer headaches. If you're running a company and want to make smarter financial decisions, improve profitability, and scale your o

This week's guest is Doug C. Brown, CEO of CEO Sales Strategies and a leading authority on building predictable, measurable, and scalable sales growth.     After a career as a top salesperson, including serving as president of sales and training for peak performance coach Tony Robbins, Doug is now advising CEOs on how to rethink their approach to sales.   Among the companies Doug and his team have advised are Procter & Gamble, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Embassy Suites. Doug challenges the belief that charisma, closing tricks, or motivational hype drive sales success. Conversational selling, he explains, builds trust faster than persuasion-based tactics. Doug has spent three decades finding hidden profits for founder-led companies. Most companies can quickly achieve a 20-30% improvement in operating profits by following his recommendations. For business owners, CEOs, and entrepreneurs, this episode provides a clear framework for turning sales into a reliable engine for valuation, cas

People may not know his name, but regular viewers of cable news instantly recognize Arthur Lih and his ubiquitous commercials for LifeVac — the non-invasive rescue device designed to save choking victims when the Heimlich maneuver and other traditional methods fail. To date, his invention is credited with saving 5,450-plus lives. As Arthur shares on this week's edition of Monday Morning Radio, inventing a life-saving device is one challenge. Building a company around it and sustaining that business in a highly regulated, highly competitive environment is exponentially harder. Arthur's insights are indispensable for entrepreneurs, business owners, and inventors committed to developing products that matter — and companies that endure. Read Arthur's Book: Sorry, Can't Is a Lie: Life Stories of Decision-Making — Don't Be a Flat Squirrel. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Arthur Lih, LifeVac Posted: February 23, 2026 Monday Morning Run Time: 45:29 Episode: 14

Bestselling author Michael Lewis has spent decades practicing the habits of the sharpest business thinkers: questioning assumptions, navigating past blind spots, and revealing why conventional wisdom so often leads smart people astray. Lewis is the author of a remarkable run of business bestsellers, including Liar's Poker, Moneyball, Flash Boys, The Big Short, Boomerang, The Undoing Project, and Going Infinite. Both Moneyball and The Big Short were made into Oscar Best Picture-nominated films, as was The Blind Side, another of Lewis's non-fiction classics.  In this exclusive episode of Monday Morning Radio, Lewis reflects on why true success derives from taking the long view rather than aiming for quick results, and how doing the hard, unglamorous work others avoid can create an outsized, enduring advantage.  Lewis's conversation with founding Monday Morning Radio host Dean Rotbart was recorded when the author was honored as a Business News Visionary. While the interview dates back several years, in this abr

Many entrepreneurs and business owners know how to make money. Far fewer truly understand how to protect it, manage it wisely, and plan for the long arc of life once the hard work of earning is done. Jeffrey Panik is a U.S. Army veteran and a certified financial planner with more than 25 years of experience helping individuals, families, and business owners clarify complex financial decisions. He is the founder of Balance Wealth Partners and the author of two practical, plain-spoken books, one with a focus on young adults who are just starting out and the other on those individuals who are approaching retirement. Your Future Is Now: A Guide to Mastering Your Finances and Independence Your Future Is Now: Your Blueprint for Solving Your Retirement Puzzle Rather than offering one-size-fits-all prescriptions, Jeff shares his emphasis on individualized planning, long-term thinking, and the importance of communication — between spouses, across generations, and with trusted advisors. Drawing on both professional ex

Monica Ballard knows why so many marketing campaigns fail. It's not for lack of clever slogans, talented spokespeople, or catchy jingles. Surprisingly, the cause is trying to project "perfection" rather than authenticity, which includes acknowledging the struggles and risks inherent in running a business. Monica is a veteran marketing strategist, storyteller, and one of the elite Wizard of Ads Partners. Drawing on her background in theater, radio, and live performance, Monica explains why empathy and emotional honesty create bonds with customers and prospects that no discount or gimmick ever could. Being real isn't a liability, Monica assures — it's a decisive competitive advantage. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Monica Ballard, Wizard of AdsPosted: January 5, 2026 Monday Morning Run Time: One Hour, Six Minutes Episode: 14.31 Hear From Other Featured Wizard of Ads Partners: How Vi Wickam's Strategic Focus Delivers Extraordinary Results Mick Torb

Ruben Gonzalez, four-time record-holding Olympian, bestselling author, and sought-after keynote speaker, returns to Monday Morning Radio for a wide-ranging, deeply practical conversation about perseverance, belief, and the wisdom of following proven leaders. Ruben's story is anything but conventional. He didn't begin competing at an elite level until his mid-20s, and has never used his lack of natural athleticism as an excuse for falling short. His career — on the luge track and beyond — has been built on desire, discipline, and a stubborn refusal to quit. Now in his 60s, he offers practical strategies for building courage through small daily choices, managing risk intelligently rather than avoiding it, and reframing success not as medals or riches, but as significance — the impact you have on others. As always, this episode draws out insights that go beyond inspiration, focusing on actionable steps every listener can take to compete at their highest level — in sports, business, and life. [More details on Ca

This week, hosts Dean and Maxwell Rotbart offer their third annual holiday treat for Monday Morning Radio listeners: a reading of the inspirational adult Yuletide tale, A Christmas Day Miracle, by Dean and Talya Rotbart. Since the book was first published in 2021, it has become a perennial holiday favorite. A Christmas Day Miracle tells the true story of one man, Riyaz Adat, on death's doorstep, his devoted wife, Margaret, and Riyaz's miraculous survival and recovery. It's a poignant reminder for people of all faiths of the wonder and power of life's unexpected blessings.  This is a once-a-year exclusive presentation you don't want to miss. A Christmas Day Miracle is available in a keepsake softcover edition on Amazon for only $9.75.  Photo: Riyaz and Margaret Adat Posted: December 22, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Episode: 14.29 Other books from TJFR Press: But I Said I'm Sorry — A book for children 5-11 years old. Highly recommended by Dr. Laura Schlessinger The Boy Who Answered the

David Ackert is making a list and checking it twice — but he's no Santa Claus. The gifts he brings are practical, powerful insights for professionals who want to grow their businesses and advance their careers. As co-founder and CEO of Ackert, Inc. and its subsidiary, PipelinePlus, David challenges the long-held belief that success depends on building a massive network of connections. In his view, quantity is a distraction. What truly matters is cultivating a small, carefully curated list of 9 to 30 "high-value" relationships — the people who have the greatest likelihood of helping you reach your goals. Everyone else? Send them a Christmas card. David is the author of The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most, an Amazon bestseller and Gold Winner of the 2025 Nonfiction Book Awards. This week on Monday Morning Radio, he explains how to identify and prioritize the relationships that matter most, how to gracefully prune an overgrown network, and how to create me

Ken Lain's father-in-law, Harold Watters, opened a garden center in semi-arid, mountainous Prescott, Arizona, in 1962. Six decades later, garden centers aren't exactly giving e-commerce companies and Big Box home improvement centers much in the way of competition, and countless brick-and-mortar retailers have gone out of business. Yet Ken, his wife, Lisa, and their daughter, McKenzie, have continued to make their third-generation family business, Waters Garden Center, bloom. Now, the Lains stand at the cusp of an ambitious expansion into new markets. This week father and daughter share the nutrient-rich business strategies that every small enterprise can use to grow its own remarkable success story.  [Ken and McKenzie Lain will be featured in All You Can Eat Business Wisdom: Second Helpings, coming in 2026. The anthology is the sequel of co-host Maxwell Rotbart's award winning first edition, All You Can Eat Business Wisdom: A Monday Morning Radio Anthology of Actionable Advice.]  Monday Morning Radio is host

What animal has nine brains, eight arms, three hearts, adapts rapidly, and possesses exceptional intelligence? Yes, the description applies to octopuses. But according to Stephen Wunker, managing director of New Markets Advisors, it is also an apt description of business owners and CEOs who harness artificial intelligence to transform their companies into super-high-performing organizations. Steve and his colleagues advise companies and organizations, including Microsoft, Meta, Nike, and the World Bank, on innovation strategy and capabilities. His latest book, co-authored with futurist Jonathan Brill, is AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm. Steve, who previously was a guest on this podcast in April 2024, sees the cephalopod's decentralized decision-making, lightning-fast problem-solving, and hyper-responsive behavior as an ideal model for AI-empowered leadership. As he explains, winning with AI doesn't mean squeezing new tools into old systems. It requires leaders to rethink

Eveline Shen, an award-winning leadership and social change strategist, is the principal at Leading Courageously, a for-profit company where she teaches her "Courageous Operating System" to help leaders of color face their challenges with courage, confidence, and strength. Previously, she spent 22 years as the executive director of Forward Together, building it into one of the country's largest multi-issue organizations led by women of color. Eveline, who goes by "Ev," helps leaders rewire the limiting patterns that hold them back — including perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and people-pleasing — and replace them with what she calls "courageous" actions. She is the author of Choosing to Lead Against the Current: The Courageous Operating System for Changemakers. Her target audience — both at Leading Courageously and for her book — is primarily mission-driven individuals and groups advocating for social change, many of whom instinctively view business leaders and entrepreneurs not as partners, but as adversar

Sébastien Page is the Chief Investment Officer of T. Rowe Price, overseeing an astounding $500 billion of the firm's $1.79 trillion in assets — a sum on par with the market caps of Exxon Mobil, Mastercard, or Netflix. Widely acknowledged as a global investment expert, Sébastien is also a deeply informed thinker on leadership. Managing a "portfolio" of high-performing analysts, investment managers, and support staff has taught him that the traits behind exceptional investors closely mirror those behind exceptional people managers. Drawing on research across positive psychology, sports psychology, and personality science, Sébastien has written a groundbreaking book, The Psychology of Leadership, that details 18 core principles that consistently produce high-performance leaders. This week, Sébastien shares the practical behaviors, frameworks, and insights that can transform how leaders think, act, and inspire.  Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Sébastien Pa

Visitors to a Vi Wickam-crafted website may not immediately see what sets it apart from an ordinary e-commerce or informational site. But they feel it. They stay longer, engage more deeply, and are far more likely to become — and remain — loyal customers. A master of the digital domain, Vi is among the elite global Wizard of Ads Partners, celebrated for more than two decades of helping business owners achieve remarkable revenue growth. Whether optimizing keywords, managing pay-per-click campaigns, or reimagining a company's web presence, Vi takes a holistic approach that goes far beyond surface-level functionality. His designs and strategies are built on two essential pillars: authenticity and alignment. Authenticity, Vi says, is today's most powerful digital differentiator. Alignment ensures that wherever customers encounter your brand — in-store, through advertising, or online — they instantly recognize its voice and spirit. Every touchpoint reflects the same DNA. Vi's strategic playbook can be distilled i