The Business Behind the Keynote | Andy Freed | 713

What if success is not the hard part? Lisa Broderick, Managing Partner of Conversus Group,  and co-author of Permanence with Marshall Goldsmith, brings a practical answer to one of leadership's most overlooked problems: how to stay the person you want to be after success arrives. Most leadership advice focuses on achievement. Hit the goal. Grow the company. Build the platform. Scale the impact. But Lisa's work asks a sharper question. What happens to your behavior, identity, and relationships once the pressure of success starts to reshape you? In this conversation, Lisa unpacks the power of daily questions. Not vague reflection. Not motivational slogans. A simple, measurable practice that helps leaders notice their behavior in real time. That noticing creates agency. Agency creates change. The breakthrough is in the wording. "Did I do my best?" is different from "Did I succeed?" It removes perfection from the equation. It puts ownership back in the leader's hands. And it makes behavior change sustainable. Lisa also shares how accountability changes everything. Leaders shifted their actions during the day because they knew someone would ask. Not an app. Not a dashboard. A person. That human connection made the work harder to ignore and easier to sustain. This episode is a powerful look at thought leadership in action. Lisa and Marshall are not just sharing ideas. They are turning research, coaching, behavioral science, and real-world executive practice into a framework leaders can use immediately. For CEOs, coaches, advisors, and thought leaders, this conversation is a reminder that success can create drift. One small compromise at a time. The right questions can bring leaders back to intention, clarity, and permanence. Three Key Takeaways: •Sustainable success requires more than achievement. Lisa Broderick's work focuses on what happens after leaders become successful. The danger is "identity drift"—small compromises that slowly pull leaders away from who they want to be. • The right questions create real behavior change. Daily questions like "Did I do my best?" shift the focus from perfection to effort, ownership, and awareness. That makes change more practical, measurable, and sustainable. • Accountability makes thought leadership actionable. The practice worked because leaders knew someone would ask. Human accountability turned reflection into action and helped leaders change their behavior in real time. Lisa Broderick shows how daily questions and human accountability help leaders create lasting behavior change. Adam Fridman takes that idea further, showing how small habits can be built and scaled across teams and organizations. Listen to Lisa's episode to understand why change starts with awareness. Then listen to Adam's to see how daily habits turn into measurable business impact.

What separates a paid speaker from a true professional in the thought leadership business? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with Andy Freed to unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable speaking business. Andy brings the perspective of a speaker bureau veteran, entrepreneur, founder of Virtual Inc, and author of Lead Like the Boss. His lens is practical, direct, and grounded in what clients actually buy. Andy makes one thing clear: being good on stage is not enough. It is table stakes. Great speakers need sharp video, clear market positioning, and proof that they can deliver value in different formats. Big stages matter. So do boardrooms, executive off-sites, and virtual environments. The conversation digs into what happens before, during, and after the keynote. Andy explains why the "gig" starts long before the speaker walks on stage. Every client call, every prep conversation, every detail matters. The best thought leaders do not show up and perform a canned talk. They listen. They adapt. They speak the client's language. Peter and Andy also explore how a keynote can become the opening move in a larger thought leadership business. That might include consulting, advisory work, training, leadership development, or deeper client partnerships. Andy's answer is direct: nail the keynote first. Deliver so much value that the client naturally asks, "What else do you do?" They also tackle shorter keynotes, changing audience expectations, the role of books in speaker fees, and the pressure on thought leaders to stay relevant. Andy reminds us that longevity in speaking requires renewal. Your core ideas may be evergreen. But your examples, applications, and relevance need to evolve with the world. For speakers, authors, consultants, and experts who want to turn thought leadership into revenue, this episode is a practical look at what separates amateurs from professionals. Three Key Takeaways: • Great speaking is only the starting point. Professional speakers also need strong positioning, clear marketing, and credible video that proves they can deliver. • The keynote starts before the stage. Prep calls, client language, audience needs, and customization can make or break the outcome. • Relevance drives longevity. Thought leaders need to refresh their examples, applications, and delivery so their core ideas stay connected to what clients face today. Enjoyed Andy Freed's take on building a professional speaking business? Then listen to Peter's conversation with Keld Jensen. Both episodes go beyond the keynote. Andy focuses on positioning, video, client prep, and creating value before and after the stage. Keld adds a global view on standing out, using books strategically, and building demand in the market. Together, they show what buyers value, what speakers need to prove, and how thought leaders can turn expertise into sustainable revenue.

What separates a great speaker from a true thought leadership business? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Martin Perelmuter, co-founder of Speakers Spotlight and a longtime leader in the professional speaking industry, to unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable speaking platform. Not just a great talk. Not just a strong stage presence. A real business. Martin makes the case that excellence on stage is only the beginning. It is table stakes. The real leverage comes from positioning, preparation, market demand, and the ability to turn every engagement into a high-trust client experience. They explore why video is now one of the most important assets for any speaker or thought leader. A strong speaker reel is no longer optional. It is proof. It helps buyers sell you internally. It shows range. It shows confidence. And it shows whether you can deliver in front of 2,000 people or 20 executives in a boardroom. Peter and Martin also dig into the moments most speakers overlook. The pre-event call. The language of the client's industry. The follow-up. The difference between serving the event and trying to sell too soon. Martin's view is clear: nail the keynote first. Create so much value that the client asks, "What else do you do?" The conversation also challenges common assumptions about fees, books, and fame. A bestseller can help. A platform can help. But the market ultimately decides. Demand, value, and outcomes matter more than credentials alone. For thought leaders, the biggest takeaway is this: speaking is not just performance. It is a business discipline. The best speakers keep refining their content, updating their relevance, and connecting their evergreen ideas to what leaders are facing right now. Three Key Takeaways: • Great speaking is table stakes. A strong business requires more. Martin emphasizes that stage presence matters, but it is only the starting point. Thought leaders also need clear positioning, strong marketing, credible video, and a professional client experience. • The keynote begins before the speaker steps on stage. Every touchpoint shapes the client's confidence. The pre-event call, industry language, audience context, and preparation all determine whether the talk feels generic or deeply relevant. • Relevance is what keeps a thought leader in demand. Evergreen ideas still matter, but speakers must continually refresh their content. They need to connect their core expertise to today's issues, including AI, remote work, economic uncertainty, and rapid change. If Martin Perelmuter's episode got you thinking about speaking as more than a performance, Jeff Kavanaugh's episode takes that idea inside the enterprise. Both conversations focus on what it takes to turn expertise into a real thought leadership platform. Martin looks at the professional speaking business. Jeff explores how organizations build institutional thought leadership that earns trust, creates influence, and supports growth. Listen to Jeff Kavanaugh's episode to hear how companies can move beyond one-off content and create a disciplined thought leadership function with strategy, structure, and commercial impact.

What happens when a global executive finally has the freedom to say what matters most? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Bill Sherman sits down with Ahmet Bozer, former global business executive and author of Soulgery, to explore what comes after a career of leading at scale. Retirement gave Ahmet something rare: time, perspective, and the freedom to turn decades of leadership experience into a deeper contribution. Ahmet shares why writing a book was not a vanity project. It was a commitment. A way to distill what he had learned about meaning, resilience, contribution, human connection, and lifelong growth. For him, leadership is not a title. It is a way of being. Bill and Ahmet dig into the discipline behind turning hard-won experience into thought leadership. Ahmet explains the quality standards he used for his book: useful, legitimate, action-inspiring, clear, fluid, and accessible. The result is a leadership philosophy built to serve real people in real life. The conversation also explores what many retired executives discover: writing the book is only the beginning. Ahmet is now thinking about platforms, partnerships, apps, institutions, and education. His goal is not simply to sell a book. It is to help ideas live beyond him. This episode is a powerful look at executive thought leadership after the C-suite. It is about contribution, scale, humility, and the courage to let an idea leave your hands and take root in the lives of others. Three Key Takeaways: • Leadership is a way of being, not just a role. Ahmet Bozer argues that true leadership starts with self-cultivation: meaning, contribution, human connection, resilience, and continuous growth. • A book is only the beginning of thought leadership. For Ahmet, Soldry is not just a finished asset. It is a platform for impact through an app, institutions, education, and ongoing conversations. • Ideas need both courage and humility to scale. Thought leadership requires sharing hard-earned insights clearly, usefully, and accessibly—while accepting that the idea may evolve and eventually belong to others. If this episode got you thinking about how leadership can live beyond one person, listen next to our conversation "Thought Leadership for Building New Leaders" with Tom Kolditz. Both episodes explore how we create more leaders—not just better executives. Ahmet Bozer focuses on the inner work: meaning, resilience, human connection, and contribution. Tom looks at how institutions can develop leaders at scale. Together, they connect personal leadership growth with systems that help leadership spread.

What happens when positivity becomes more than a personality trait—and turns into a business asset? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick sits down with Ramon Ray, founder of ZoneofGenius.com, author of "The Celebrity CEO", How Entrepreneurs Can Thrive by Building Community and a Strong Personal Brand", speaker, event producer, business coach, and advisor to small business brands. Ramon has built his thought leadership around a clear market position: helping entrepreneurs grow with energy, clarity, personal branding, and practical business strategy. His work spans speaking, live events, content, sponsorships, coaching, and community. But the real lesson is not "be more positive." It is sharper than that. Ramon shows how a distinct personal attribute can become a business advantage when it is connected to a real audience, real value, and real revenue. Peter and Ramon explore how speakers and thought leaders can avoid getting high on their own supply. The job is not to be the star. The job is to serve the client, understand the room, and create value before, during, and after the engagement. They also dig into the business model behind thought leadership. Events can feed coaching. Content can feed sponsorships. Books can feed relationships. A keynote can open doors. The pieces work best when they are connected by a clear brand and a consistent promise. Ramon also shares why books are more than products. They are gifts. They carry authority. They create memory. They keep working long after the launch window closes. This conversation is a practical look at how to turn expertise, energy, and audience trust into a durable thought leadership platform. Three Key Takeaways: • Your personal differentiator has to connect to business value. Ramon's positivity and energy are memorable, but the real power comes from tying those traits to clear outcomes: better events, stronger client relationships, brand sponsorships, coaching, and community growth. • Thought leadership is a connected ecosystem, not one product. Speaking, books, events, content, sponsorships, and coaching all reinforce each other. Each channel can create trust, generate leads, and open the door to another revenue stream. • The best speakers serve the client first. A keynote is not about ego. It is about understanding the audience, making the event host look good, and delivering value that extends beyond the stage. If Ramon Ray's episode got you thinking about how speaking, content, relationships, and personal brand become real business value, listen to Peter's conversation with Jill Schiefelbein next. Both episodes explore how thought leaders turn expertise into revenue through visibility, service, referrals, and smart positioning. Together, Ramon and Jill offer two practical models for building a thought leadership business that is clear, credible, and commercially viable.  Listen to Jill's episode here.

In this message from Romans 5:6–8, Pastor Keith Boss highlights the heart of the gospel in two powerful words: Christ died. This sermon shows the depth of God's love by reminding us that Christ did not die for the righteous, the strong, or the deserving, but for the weak, the ungodly, and sinners. Listeners will be encouraged to see that God's love is not based on human worthiness or performance, but on His own gracious character. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, believers are given lasting assurance that the God who loved them in their sin will certainly continue to love them as His children. This is a clear and comforting message of gospel hope, security, and the unchanging love of God.

What makes a thought leader's message impossible to ignore? In this episode, Peter Winick sits down with Kait LeDonne, a personal branding expert who helps aspiring thought leaders sharpen the message behind their work. Kait's view is clear: without radically clear messaging, everything else becomes a house of cards. Content, books, speaking, social media, and sales all weaken when the core idea is fuzzy. Kait breaks down why so many experts struggle to explain what they do. They go too broad. They try to serve everyone. They talk about problems in language their audience would never use. The result is technically accurate messaging that fails to move the market. Real thought leadership starts by knowing who you serve, what pain you solve, and how that pain sounds in the buyer's own words. Peter and Kait explore why pain is not fearmongering. Used well, it is empathy. It says, "I see you." It pulls someone out of the noise long enough to pay attention. In a crowded market, the right message does not just describe an idea. It creates recognition. They also dig into the role of personal brand in thought leadership. Kait makes a powerful point: the personal brand can be the Trojan horse for the IP. The person creates trust. The idea earns traction. Then, at scale, the thought can become bigger than the thinker. That is when a platform starts becoming transferable, teachable, and commercially durable. This conversation also looks at where thought leaders have permission to play. Trust is specific. An audience may follow you deeply in one lane, but not in every lane. The strongest platforms know their boundaries. They know what the market wants from them. They know when the founder should be the star, and when the IP needs to take center stage. For authors, speakers, consultants, founders, and experts building a thought leadership business, this episode is a reminder that clarity is not cosmetic. It is strategy. The sharper the message, the stronger the platform. The stronger the platform, the easier it becomes to create revenue, scale impact, and build something that can outgrow the individual behind it. Three Key Takeaways: • Clear messaging comes first. Without a sharp message, content, books, speaking, and sales efforts become unstable. • Pain creates relevance. Strong thought leadership names the audience's real problem in language they would actually use. • Personal brand should lead to scalable IP. The person builds trust, but the goal is for the idea to become teachable, transferable, and bigger than the individual. For a deeper dive into personal branding and thought leadership, listen to our conversation with William Arruda. Like this episode, William's conversation explores how clarity, consistency, and focus turn expertise into a recognizable brand. Both episodes look at what it takes to move from being known for what you do to being known for the value of your ideas. Together, these episodes give you a practical look at how to sharpen your message, build trust with the right audience, and create a personal brand that supports a scalable thought leadership platform. O8eNg66sF6HbHGma4uRq

What does it take to turn deep expertise into a scalable thought leadership platform? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick talks with Paul Falcone, bestselling author and leadership expert, about how practical ideas become powerful market assets. Paul has built his body of work around hiring, performance management, leadership development, and workplace ethics. His edge is simple: he does not deal in theory. He teaches leaders how to handle the conversations and decisions that define management. This conversation focuses on the real engine behind Paul's thought leadership success. He explains how decades of frontline HR experience became articles, books, speeches, workshops, and executive coaching offerings. His work stands out because it translates complex people issues into usable frameworks. Not just what leaders should do, but how to do it when the stakes are high. Peter and Paul also explore the business model behind strong thought leadership. They discuss why authors should think beyond books and keynotes, how to diversify revenue streams, and where the biggest commercial opportunities often hide. From management training to conference speaking, coaching, facilitation, and advisory work, Paul shows what it looks like to turn expertise into a durable portfolio. A key theme in the episode is market relevance. Paul shares how evergreen ideas stay valuable, but demand shifts with the moment. Topics like crisis leadership, hybrid work, workplace disruption, layoffs, ethics, and employee isolation rise and fall based on what organizations are facing right now. The lesson is clear: great thought leadership is not only built on strong content. It is strengthened by timing, positioning, and responsiveness to what the market needs most. This is a smart episode for anyone building a platform around expertise. Especially those wondering how to package knowledge, expand offerings, and keep their ideas commercially relevant over time. Paul brings a grounded, field-tested perspective on what makes thought leadership useful, credible, and worth paying for. Three Key Takeaways: • Thought leadership grows from applied expertise, not abstract ideas. Paul's work is valuable because it is built on real management challenges leaders face every day. His strength is translating experience into practical guidance people can actually use. • A strong thought leadership platform needs multiple revenue streams. The conversation makes clear that books and keynotes are only part of the model. Training, coaching, facilitation, advisory work, and other offers can all turn expertise into a more durable business. • Market demand changes, even when your core ideas stay relevant. Evergreen topics like hiring, feedback, crisis leadership, and ethics do not disappear, but different themes rise in importance depending on what organizations are dealing with in the moment. Smart thought leaders pay attention to timing and position their ideas accordingly. After listening to Paul Falcone, keep the momentum going with Episode 101 with David Benjamin. Both episodes explore the same core challenge: how to turn deep expertise into thought leadership that the market will actually value, buy, and act on. Paul focuses on packaging practical knowledge into books, speaking, training, and coaching, while David digs into how to create demand for your ideas and capture attention even before buyers fully understand they need your solution.

What does it take to turn crisis into a leadership framework others can actually use? In this episode, Bill Sherman talks with John Lentini, Founder and President of BOLD Training Corp and a partner of Crestcom International, about how defining moments can become disciplined thinking, practical models, and a mission that is bigger than one person's story. John's path to thought leadership did not begin in theory. It began in high-stakes moments. He reflects on surviving 9/11, leading through the Fukushima crisis, and learning firsthand that character is not an abstract idea. It is revealed under pressure. More importantly, he argues it can be built with intention. At the center of the conversation is John's six-dial framework for what he calls engineering character, which can be found in his upcoming book Engineering Character: Six Dials to Build Better Leaders releasing March 2027. He explains how discipline, mindset, and resilience help leaders lead themselves first. Then integrity, empathy, and influence help them lead others in ways that build trust. The result is a model designed to make character practical, teachable, and repeatable. This episode also goes deeper than framework talk. Bill and John explore the personal cost of leadership, the difference between good leadership and bad leadership, and the tension leaders feel when corporate expectations collide with personal values. John is candid about where he got it right, where he got it wrong, and why those lessons now shape his work as a speaker, facilitator, and leadership thinker. There is also a powerful thread on authenticity. John shares why he ultimately chose to step outside corporate life and use thought leadership to express ideas more fully and more honestly. For him, this work is not about visibility for its own sake. It is about impact. It is about getting a message into the world that helps people lead with more courage, more empathy, and more character. Listeners will also hear John talk about the writing journey behind his forthcoming book on engineering character, the emotional work of putting real life on the page, and why he chose a hybrid publishing path. No previously published book by John is named in the transcript, but this episode clearly positions his upcoming book as the foundation of his thought leadership platform and future speaking work. If you care about leadership under pressure, values in action, and the challenge of turning lived experience into a message that scales, this conversation delivers. It is honest. It is practical. And it shows how thought leadership is often built not from abstract ideas, but from moments that test who we are. Three Key Takeaways: • Character can be built on purpose. The episode centers on the idea that leadership character is not just innate. It can be developed through intentional habits like discipline, mindset, resilience, integrity, empathy, and influence. • Crisis reveals what leadership really looks like. High-pressure moments expose whether leaders act with preparation, courage, empathy, and trust. The conversation shows how extreme events can shape a lasting leadership philosophy. • Authenticity matters more as leadership grows. A major theme is the tension between corporate expectations and personal values, and how thought leadership can become a way to express ideas more honestly and create broader impact. If John Lentini's episode made you think about how character is tested in moments of crisis, then "Thought Leadership for Crisis Management | Helio Fred Gracia" is the perfect next listen. Where John explores leadership through resilience, integrity, empathy, and trust under pressure, Helio extends that conversation by showing how leaders can prepare for crises before they happen, protect trust when things go wrong, and respond with clarity instead of emotion. Together, the two episodes create a powerful one-two combination on crisis, character, and the disciplined leadership choices that matter most when the stakes are high.

What if your book was never meant to make money on the shelf, but to make money in the business? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, Peter Winick talks with Lucy McCarraher, co-founder of Rethink Press, founder of the Business Book Awards, and author of 17 books, about what business books are really for. Lucy makes a clear case that for entrepreneurs, consultants, and experts, a book is not just a product. It is a growth tool. It builds authority. It attracts ideal clients. And it opens doors that traditional marketing cannot. Lucy breaks down the core shift in publishing. In the old model, publishers decided which books made it to market and success was measured in copies sold. In today's environment, that model no longer serves every expert. Lucy explains why the smartest business authors are not writing to win shelf space. They are writing to win trust, create demand, and move prospects toward deeper engagement. The conversation goes deep into Lucy's practical framework for business authors: person, pain, and promise. She explains why strong thought leadership begins with knowing exactly who the book is for, what problem that reader is trying to solve, and what promise the book delivers. That clarity shapes everything, from the title and subtitle to the structure, stories, and case studies inside the book. Lucy also challenges one of the biggest mistakes experts make. Too many authors write the book they want to write instead of the book their market needs to read. She argues that the most effective business books are built around a proven methodology, real client outcomes, and stories that help the reader see themselves in the work. The goal is not to impress. The goal is to create relevance, credibility, and action. The episode also tackles the hardest part of authorship: marketing. Lucy shares why authors need to stop obsessing over book sales and start thinking strategically about distribution. A business book, in her view, is an "undercover sales agent." Given to the right people, at the right time, in the right way, it becomes far more valuable than a brochure, a business card, or a one-off pitch. This is a smart conversation for any leader using thought leadership to grow a business. Lucy brings clarity to what makes a business book work, why authority comes from usefulness, and how the right book can become one of the most effective assets in your commercial strategy. Three Key Takeaways: • A business book should do more than sell copies. It should build authority, attract ideal clients, and support the author's broader business goals. • Strong books are built around a clear audience, a specific problem, and a compelling promise. That clarity makes the content more useful and more marketable. • The real value of a book often comes from how it is used. Given to the right prospects and partners, it can be a powerful marketing and sales tool. If this conversation got you thinking about how a book can do more than sell copies, don't miss our episode with Erika Andersen. It takes the next step by exploring how thought leadership builds credibility, sharpens your value, and creates real business impact. Tune in to hear how strong ideas become trusted authority.