Dan Hoffman: We Learn Better in Circles Than in Rows

Dan Hoffman loves growing companies, delivering great service, and applying technology. He believes that business is philosophy in action, culture eats strategy for breakfast, and learning is leverage. Over the course of 12 years Dan started, grew and sold M5, a pioneer in the cloud communications industry. In 2014, Dan was selected as a Henry Crown Fellow and spent two years with his family in Spain. Today, Dan is building Circl.es, an idea that came out a recent sabbatical in Barcelona. Circles fosters deeper conversations to create enduring connections and learning.

Peter Shankman Talks About Helping People

Peter Shankman is a multiple-startup founder with several successful exits under his belt. He’s the founder of Help a Reporter Out (HARO), the world’s largest source/journalist matching tool, and he runs ShankMinds: Breakthrough, a private, online entrepreneur community with hundreds of members around the world, as well as Faster Than Normal, a leading ADD/ADHD podcast and best-selling book, focusing on the benefits of being gifted with ADD/HD. He can be found at www.shankman.com

Jeff Hoffman Speaks To The Value Of Real Conversations

Jeff Hoffman is a successful entrepreneur, proven CEO, worldwide motivational speaker, published author, Hollywood film producer, and a producer of a Grammy-winning jazz album in 2015. He has been the founder of multiple startups, has been the CEO of both public and private companies, and has served as a senior executive in many capacities. Jeff has been part of a number of well-known companies, including Priceline.com. uBid.com, ColorJar, and more.

Sam Reese On Making Better Decisions

Sam Reese brings over 30 years of experience leading and advising senior leaders in complex organizations. As the CEO of Vistage Worldwide, Sam leads the world’s largest CEO membership advisory firm. Vistage members – 21,000 strong in 17 countries – gather in trusted, confidential peer advisory groups where they tackle their toughest challenges and biggest opportunities.  Although Sam has been the CEO since 2016, he was a longtime Vistage member when he was with his previous company.

Brian Mac Mahon on Early Stage Entrepreneurship and the Power of Community

Brian Mac Mahon is the founder of Expert DOJO, the largest startup high performance center for entrepreneurs in Southern California. He has consulted and coached in over 35 countries and brings a global perspective to starting and growing your small business. For years Brian, has been teaching the power of connecting with your community and how to turn a pay it forward mindset into a revenue generator. He also speaks all over the world on how to start, grow and expand any business.

Robert H. Thompson – Leaders Helping Leaders

Robert H. Thompson, author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable, is a sought-after speaker, executive coach, journalist and thought leader in his field. Founder of Applied Performance, a leadership communication services company, Robert’s clients have included AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin and others. Robert also is a senior consultant with the Tom Peters Company/UK. Before founding Applied Performance, Robert created, managed, and sold a successful regional newspaper publishing company as well as a national advertising sales company, which he guided to international prominence through relationships with Proctor and Gamble, General Motors, Bayer and other major corporations.

Edelman’s Tonia Ries Talks Trust

Tonia Ries is a Senior Vice President at Edelman and Executive Director of Edelman Square.  “Square” serves as the steward for intellectual property across what is recognized today as the largest public relations firm in the world.  Tonia’s work at Square ensures that its intellectual properties have consistent standards for quality and rigor, and practical application for its practices, geographies and clients.  Square provides signature IP studies and smaller, evidence-based reports – among them are the Edelman Trust Barometer and the Edelman Earned Brand Study.

Brian Solis on Peers, Customers and Shared Experiences

Brian Solis is a principal analyst at Altimeter Group, a Prophet company. He is also an award-winning author, prominent blogger/writer, and keynote speaker. Brian is a digital analyst, anthropologist, and futurist, studying and influencing the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing, and culture. His research and his books help executives, and also everyday people, better understand the relationship between the evolution of technology and its impact on business and society and also the role we each play in it. As a result of his work, Brian also helps leading brands, celebrities, and startups develop new digital transformation, culture 2.0, and innovation strategies that enable businesses to adapt to new connected markets from the inside out.

Dr. Cecelia Houser Shares Her Views on Communication, Transparency & Trust

Dr. Cecelia Houser is a Principal with Korn Ferry/Hay Group Leadership and Talent Consulting Practice.  Cecelia is a skilled facilitator with more than 40 years of management and organizational leadership experience. She is dedicated to helping clients build a leadership pipeline through professional development training, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and executive coaching.

Cecelia had served for 12 years as faculty and mentor at Seton Hall University for its Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership program (MASCL).

Cecelia earned an Ed.D. from Illinois State University, a master’s degree from Montclair State University, and a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey.

A Big Push, Big Plans & A New Book

BIG. “Think big,” is a longstanding admonition for higher achievement. Today’s show is an update with Randy joining me in a discussion about our big plans for the future. You, along with all our guests, have spurred us on to end this year in the strongest fashion possible. We’ve got some exciting guests lined up for the YEAR OF THE PEER Podcast. I’m now writing a new book due to be published in the Spring of 2018, What Anyone Can Do: How Surrounding Yourself With the Right People Drives Opportunity, Change & Success. Listen to the show, and I’ll explain more about that title and the direction of the book. Next year, we’re going to broaden the conversation even more as we continue to focus on our tagline, “Who you surround yourself with matters!”