Twins Talk it Up Podcast

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 323: Stress Less Into Success Part 2

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:03:58 +0000

In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Dat Tran from Dat Purpose LLC, we continue to break down The 5 Skills of Stress Resiliency and dive deeper into the connection between ambition, stress, presence, and resilience. In a world filled with constant notifications, distractions, and nonstop pressure, Dat challenges leaders to rethink what it truly means to be mentally strong. Rather than running from stress, resilient leaders intentionally create evidence that proves they can stay grounded, focused, and emotionally available when life demands the most from them.
Highlights include:
Why constant busyness trains the mind to avoid presence.
Create evidence as, “Anyone can be present when life is good. The strongest stay present when life is uncomfortable.” The connection between ambition, burnout, and emotional capacity.
How corporate ambition is outpacing employees’ ability to handle stress.
Why resilience is becoming the defining advantage in leadership and performance.
The importance of showing up fully for family, relationships, and teams.

Sustainable success is no longer about who can work the longest or move the fastest—it is about who can remain present, emotionally regulated, and resilient under pressure. Resilience is no longer optional—it is the competitive advantage for modern leaders. As Dat powerfully states, “We’re now in the age of survival of the most resilient.” Visit datstresscoach.com/and sign up for his newsletter Timestamps for Part B: Soothe = Being Present 27:11 (or whatever it will be in part 2) Stress Management is a Myth 37:21 AI Impact on Stress 41:36

Episode 322: Stress Less Into Success Part 1

Wed, 27 May 2026 15:47:35 +0000

We often hear people say “step into success,” but what if the real key is learning how to “stress less into success”? We welcome back Dat Tran, stress resiliency coach and founder of Dat Purpose LLC, for a conversation centered on sustainable high performance and the neuroscience behind resilience. Dat challenges the traditional narrative around stress by reframing it as something we do not eliminate, but something we can train ourselves to navigate more effectively.

Unmanaged stress imposes hidden costs on leadership, relationships, decision-making, and long-term performance. Dat also introduces his five resiliency skills: Stress Magic, Strengthening, Stretch, Soothe, and Release. Listen for practical insight into how resilient leaders train themselves to stay present under pressure, develop stronger self-awareness, and intentionally do hard things until those hard things become easier

Highlights include:
Why stress resiliency—not stress avoidance—is the future of sustainable leadership.
Doubt is often the biggest stress trigger for high performers.
Emotional brain vs. executive brain: how leaders can retrain their response to pressure
Dat’s evidence-based approach to building resilience and The 5 Skills of Stress Resiliency.
“Do hard things until hard things feel easy.”
Why the strongest leaders remain present even when life gets difficult.
Practical habits, recovery strategies, and mindset shifts for sustainable performance

Visit datstresscoach.com/and sign up for his newsletter

Timestamps
Number 1 Stress Triggor 5:29
Emotional vs Executive 7:43
5 Skills 18:30

Struggling with speaking anxiety? Want to captivate your audience, deliver persuasive presentations, and close more deals? Join identical twins Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown as they share leadership communication strategies, practical tips, and tools to help you own every stage, amplify your influence, and speak with confidence. Laugh, learn, and level up your professional voice—one episode at a time.

Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Website: appmeetup.com/twinstalkitup/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Patreon: patreon.com/twinstalkitup

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Episode 321: Stop Ghosting!

Wed, 20 May 2026 16:29:12 +0000

Join us as we tackle a growing communication problem in business and leadership culture: ghosting. Why do so many professionals avoid responding to emails, messages, networking opportunities, or requests for collaboration? The truth is, ghosting is often rooted in discomfort, people-pleasing, fear of disappointing others, or simply being overwhelmed. However, silence can slowly damage trust, relationships, and even your reputation within your industry. After all, nobody wants to become known as “that person” who never gets back to people. Stop avoiding difficult responses and instead embrace honest communication by learning to say: “No,” “Not now,” or “Let’s go!”

Learn to protect your time, value your relationships, and leverage networking opportunities with intentionality and respect. Those requesting your time would often rather receive a rejection than be left in silence. Helpful takeaways include implementing the “24-hour rule” to acknowledge requests quickly, using AI tools to filter spam and prioritize high-value communication, and delegating where appropriate to maintain healthy boundaries. Mature leadership is not about saying yes to everything — it’s about communicating clearly, protecting your time wisely, and never leaving people hanging. Ask us now for a free demo of our AI simulation tool to support your L&D growth initiatives. Timestamps: Ghosting leads to Uncertainty 2:57 The Currency of Leadership 8:38 Rejection over Silence 13:03 Helpful Tips 14:08

Episode 320: Servant Leadership is “Serving Up.” (a Replay)

Wed, 13 May 2026 13:58:25 +0000

Servant leadership is more than a philosophy—it is a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. In an era where engagement, retention, and culture determine long-term success, leaders who prioritize service, empowerment, and intentional development consistently outperform those who rely solely on authority or position. Servant leadership shifts the focus from managing tasks to developing people—because sustainable performance is built on trust, influence, and growth.

Founder of Whitestone Coaching & Consulting, Certified John Maxwell Coach and Christian Business Men's Connection (CBMC) Facilitator, Albert E. Whitestone III, unpacks why leadership is not about title, but influence.

Highlights include:
Defining and tracing the roots of servant leadership.
Replace control with curiosity, and allow teams the freedom to fail.
“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
Daily habits shape long-term success.

Connect with Albert at AlbertWhitestone.com and claim your free leadership resource at AlbertWhitestone.com/free-book.

Timestamps:
Allow Failure 12:24
Buy into the Leader 18:02
Begin Servant Leadership 25:08

Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

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Episode 319: Do the Right Thing (a Replay)

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:05:08 +0000

Highlights include:
Augmentt’s platform and innovative approach to supporting their strategic partnerships.
Intune Management, deeper AI integration through their new AI Policy Analyzer, and how partner feedback is actively shaping their 2026 roadmap.
“Chaos tends to breed opportunities” and elevate leadership.
Chris's core values are to be hopeful, be accountable and be real.
How MSPs are leveraging Augmentt to increase MRR and enrich security offerings.

Be sure to follow Chis on LinkedIn and visit augmentt.com/ to learn more about their Microsoft-centric SaaS Security Management platform.

Timestamps:

'Do the right thing' 10:35
Working with Augmentt 15:29
Strategic relationship with Microsoft 23:07
Quickfire questions 26:22

If you want to master the art of audience engagement while learning how to conquer speaking anxiety, deliver persuasive presentations, and close more deals, this is the program for you. Twins Talk It Up is hosted by identical twin brothers Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown, who share leadership communication strategies designed to help professionals embrace the power of their authentic voice.Together, we’ll explore tips and tools to unlock the full potential of your voice, dominate every stage you step onto, and elevate your influence and value. Along the way, we’ll crush goals and share plenty of laughs.

Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/
Website: appmeetup.com/twinstalkitup/
Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints
Patreon: patreon.com/twinstalkitup

Episode 318: Know and Communicate Your Value

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:56:31 +0000

From Howard University to leading multimillion-dollar engineering initiatives across the globe, this conversation with Raquan Hall, CEO and Principal Engineer of Hall Group Design Engineering (HGD), is a powerful full-circle moment rooted in purpose, perseverance, and precision.

She has successfully carved her path in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry—managing over $3 billion in assets and delivering more than 200 capital improvement projects. Her journey is a masterclass in defying expectations, embracing continuous growth, and recognizing that when needs evolve, so do the rules. Raquan unpacks how global experience shaped her leadership lens and why communication—clear, intentional, and value-driven—has been one of the most critical differentiators in her success.

Beyond the technical expertise, we also learn about the nuances of working alongside a spouse, and the discipline required to stay aligned both professionally and personally. Raquan emphasizes that success isn’t just about delivering results—it’s about how you communicate your value, position both yourself and your organization, and stay rooted in your strengths.

Highlights:

Why communication—not just competence—is a leadership advantage.

“When there’s a need, the rules don’t matter”—adapting in evolving industries.

Building HGD: lessons in entrepreneurship, positioning, and growth.

Navigating business and marriage: respect, boundaries, and shared vision.

Advice for aspiring leaders, "Everybody has their strengths. Focus on yours."

Visit hgdengineering.com/ or contact Raquan and her team through email at info@hgdengineering.com

Timestamps: A Drive for Continuous Growth 3:19 Rules and Needs 9:59 How You Communicate Matters 13:37 Dynamics of Spouse Business Partnership 17:00

Episode 317: A Mindset of Continuous Growth

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:24:37 +0000

Growth isn’t accidental—it’s engineered through discipline and a relentless commitment to improvement. Bill Brussard embodies what it means to operate with a true Mindset of Continuous Growth—from literally learning every aspect of the business to now leading several organizations with hundreds of employees and hundreds of millions in enterprise value. Bill’s journey from Master Toyota technician to President of JB Auto CARE and growth strategist highlights a powerful truth: success comes from mastering both the craft and the business. With a philosophy of “we’re not gurus, we’re do-rus,” Bill shares how scalable systems, data-driven decision-making, and a deep investment in people development create a foundation for sustainable growth—while delivering a “Ritz-Carlton-level” customer experience in the auto repair industry.

Highlights include:

Leadership must be studied, not assumed; "you are leading a ship."
Building a scalable business: "Everything you do has to scale," and the importance of metrics.
Why the “people side” of business is the hardest—and most critical—part to get right.
The power of coaching, training, and hiring talent better than yourself. Find your "Tom Bradys."
Operating “in the trenches with the wrenches” while leading with vision and accountability.
“Building with the end in mind” and creating generational impact through business leadership. Being a part of The Howie Carr Show and public speaking. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn and visit autoshopanswers.com/
Timeline: Tom Brady Superstars 13:50 Learn about Leadership 18:32 Technology Integration 13:33 Continue Growth 34:28

Episode 316: Leverage AI Roleplay

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:13:48 +0000

What if you could step into a high-stakes sales conversation, test your instincts, refine your message, and even “clone” your best leadership coaching moments—without ever risking a real deal? Let's explore how AI-powered roleplay simulations are redefining sales enablement, giving leaders a scalable way to coach, develop, and empower their teams. At a time when pipeline management, forecasting, hiring, and customer demands are all competing for attention, the traditional coaching model is breaking under pressure. AI roleplay offers a new path forward—one that reduces overwhelm, removes coaching bottlenecks, and enables consistent, high-impact development across every rep on the team.
Key Highlights:
How AI roleplay eliminates the coaching bottleneck and scales leadership impact.
Why simulation-based learning drives faster onboarding, higher retention, and stronger confidence.
The connection between AI enablement and revenue acceleration—not just training efficiency.
How “failing safely” in simulations leads to better real-world sales conversations.
Why consistency in coaching is critical for maintaining authenticity and driving results. Embrace AI roleplay as a revenue operations strategy, and ensure your teams aren’t improvising—but are fully prepared to win. Visit AppMeetup.com for more information about our customizable AI simulation resources and tools. Timestamps: What AI Can Do For Your Team 7:25 Managing Diverse Teams & Statistics 9:36 AI LMS Resource 13:51 Real-world Examples 18:01

Episode 315: Adapt, Adjust, and Align or Self-Sabotage Your Company

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:29:28 +0000

Organizations rarely fail overnight—they erode from within. Speaker, Author and CEO Richard Flint unpacks a hard truth: many companies unknowingly sabotage their own success. Whether it’s clinging to outdated strategies, avoiding difficult conversations, or operating without a unified purpose, organizations often fall into patterns that quietly undermine growth. Without a shared purpose, a common agenda, and a commitment with conviction, even the most successful companies drift toward dysfunction. Leadership isn’t about maintaining what is; it’s about building what must be next.

Highlights include:
Self-Sabotage Starts at the Top: Organizational behavior reflects leadership—what leaders tolerate becomes culture.
The 3 A’s of Sustainable Success: Adapt to change, Adjust with intention, and Align around purpose, agenda, and conviction.
The Hidden Culture Killers: Inconsistencies, inefficiencies, lack of partnership, and “tired leadership” drain performance.
The Four Phases of Organizational Decline:
Success breeds complacency
Growth creates complexity without capability
Reaction replaces vision
Blame and breakdown lead to collapse
People are not employees—they are internal customers and your partners.
AI is a tool and not a substitute. This episode may be a wake-up call for leaders: you either intentionally evolve your organization—or unintentionally sabotage it. Connect with Richard on LinkedIn and visit RichardFlint.com to learn more about his work. Also, join his Open Mic Show every Friday at 10:00 AM EST via RichardFlinkt.com/Discussion Timestamps: Four Phases to Self-Destruct 10:27 People, Profit or Product First 19:45 Impact of AI 20:36

Episode 314: Don't Sell the Candy Store

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:07:24 +0000

A strong foundation separates fleeting success from lasting impact. Dennis Matzel, Principal of Wisdom Financial, investor, advisor, and now author of *Don’t Sell The Candy Store: Advice from 50+ Years of Business; a Story of Entrepreneurship*, shares timeless insights on building a business rooted in purpose, resilience, and long-term vision. Dennis unpacks the deeper meaning behind his book, emphasizing the importance of holding onto what truly matters—your values, your vision, and your “why.” He offers candid perspectives on fear in entrepreneurship, explaining that while fear is inevitable, it must be harnessed as motivation rather than allowed to paralyze progress. Through stories and practical wisdom, Dennis highlights the power of mentorship, the necessity of continuous learning, and the discipline required to sustain success across decades. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this conversation will challenge you to reflect, refocus, and recommit to building something that lasts.

Highlights include:
Turning fear into motivation.
Mentorship plays a critical role in long-term success.
How to know if entrepreneurship is truly for you. Why passion, planning, and persistence must work together. Be sure to pick up a copy of his new book and visit dennismatzel.com/ to learn more. Timestamps: Overcome Fear of Entrepreneurship 8:04 Lessons Learned 19:45 Prepare with Drills 24:56

Episode 313: Bring the Receipt

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:03:36 +0000

In today’s fast-moving, opinion-driven workplace, one principle separates those who are heard from those who are overlooked: proof. Let’s explore the powerful concept of “bringing the receipts”—not as literal transactions, but as documented evidence of your value, performance, and impact.

From boardrooms to team meetings, your ability to substantiate your contributions with real data, outcomes, and feedback is what transforms your voice from optional to essential. Stop relying on assumptions and start building a verifiable narrative of their success.

We break down how keeping a “receipts mindset” can accelerate your career by strengthening your credibility, increasing your negotiation power, and reinforcing your confidence. You’ll learn practical strategies like maintaining a “wins document,” capturing measurable outcomes, and leveraging feedback as third-party validation.

Highlights:

Why your career growth depends on documented performance—not just effort.

How “bringing receipts” strengthens your voice and credibility in any organization.

Practical ways to track wins, metrics, and feedback in real time.

Using evidence to negotiate promotions, raises, and new opportunities.

How receipts help combat imposter syndrome and build lasting confidence.

Thank you for your continued support. Join our Patreon (twinstalkitup) and pick up your copy of Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK

Timestamps: Receipts Impact Your Career 3:50 Receipts for Your Confidence 8:35 Practical Suggestions 10:25

Episode 312: More Than Words: Affirmations and Quotes

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:42:01 +0000

How do you see yourself as a leader? How do you want to see yourself as a leader? And how do you reinforce that image each day? Let’s explore the transformative power of words—specifically, inspirational quotes and personal affirmation statements—and how they can shape a leader’s mindset, resilience, and impact. From Muhammad Ali’s legendary self-affirmations to practical strategies for creating your own, we take a look at how repetition, reflection, and intentional language can reinforce identity, purpose, and leadership philosophy.

Highlights include:

Why the words leaders repeat internally shape how they show up externally.

Muhammad Ali’s insight of, “It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

Step-by-step guidance on creating your own affirmations and integrating them into your routine.

The leadership takeaway: mindset doesn’t develop by accident—it develops by intention.

Strengthen your mindset, sharpen your focus, and lead with clarity, courage, and authenticity.

Follow us on LinkedIn, visit AppMeetup.com and DSBLeadershipGroup.com

Timestamps: Muhammad Ali 3:09 Mental Anchors 11:29 Less is Better 12:58

Twins Talk it Up

Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

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Episode 311: A Guest Appearance on the Productivity Smarts Program

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:34:21 +0000

This episode is a replay from the Productivity Smarts podcast, hosted by Gerald J. Leonard, featuring David Suk Brown—one half of the Twins Talk It Up team. In this conversation, David shares insights on how organizations can strengthen a “speak up” culture in the workplace.

Drawing from the twins’ latest book, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK, the discussion explores practical strategies for boosting workplace productivity, overcoming the fear of speaking up, and leveraging authenticity and alliances to build stronger teams. David also shares insights from his research and professional experience, emphasizing the importance of consistent communication and understanding behavioral models to improve team dynamics and collaboration. The conversation also explores AI's growing impact on the workforce and how professionals can remain relevant amid rapid technological change.

Tune in as they discuss today's workplace challenges and opportunities, the power of the SPEAK Framework, and how these principles can transform not only productivity but also happiness and fulfillment in your work and life. Find your voice!

Follow Gerald's Productivity Smarts podcast or visit productivitysmartspodcast.com

Also, don't forget to visit appmeetup.com/books/ to pick up Danny and David's latest book, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK

Timestamps:

Finding Your Voice in the Workplace 6:16

The SPEAK Framework 14:53

Adapting Voice and Culture Strategies 32:25

Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Want to be a Guest? forms.gle/pYBeNMJeXVE9RD9p9

Episode 310: Zip It to Win It

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:50:19 +0000

Great leaders understand that influence is not about saying more—it’s about saying what matters. Learning to “zip it” is not about silence for the sake of silence; it’s about strategic restraint. When leaders master the power of the pause, they increase their impact by fostering active listening, projecting confidence, reducing emotional reactivity, and delivering concise, memorable messages. In a fast-paced world where quick reactions are rewarded, the disciplined pause becomes a competitive advantage. It allows you to manage the moment before the moment manages you—transforming impulsive reactions into intentional responses.

Highlights include: Why speaking less often increases authority and credibility.
How silence fosters active listening and builds trust.
The role of pauses in reducing emotional escalation. The “What—So What—Now What” framework provides clarity.
Why managing the moment is the key to long-term influence Practicing silence and conciseness strengthens authority, deepens relationships, and enhances executive presence. When you zip it intentionally, you don’t lose your voice—you amplify it. Pick up our latest resources by visiting AppMeetup.com
Timestamps: Benefits of Zipping It 3:44 The What Framework 7:52 Silence is Golden 18:10 Reduce Filler Words 21:54

Episode 309: Servant Leadership is “Serving Up.”

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:57:45 +0000

Connect with Albert at AlbertWhitestone.com and claim your free leadership resource at AlbertWhitestone.com/free-book.

Timestamps:
Allow Failure 12:24
Buy into the Leader 18:02
Begin Servant Leadership 25:08

Episode 308: Adopt a "Yes" Mentality

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:16:48 +0000

What if the fastest way to become a more confident speaker isn’t eliminating fear — but saying “yes” to it? We invite you to explore how adopting a “Yes” mentality can transform your leadership communication. This episode is a practical blueprint for leaders who want to move from hesitation to influence. When you treat fear as an opportunity, reframe adrenaline as readiness, and shift your focus from performance to service, speaking becomes less about perfection and more about impact. If you’re ready to grow your confidence one courageous “yes” at a time, this episode will challenge and equip you to step forward.

Highlights include:
Bold mindset shift popularized by Shonda Rhimes in her “Year of Yes.”

Fear can signal your next growth opportunity.

Saying “yes” as a part of your mastery process.

Using the “Yes, and…” technique to handle tough questions and unexpected moments

Reframing and tips to calm nerves and build composure.

How speaking opportunities increase visibility, credibility, and leadership influence

"Doors don't open for silent leaders; they open for powerful communicators." Ready to accelerate your speaking growth? Say “Yes” and pick up a copy of Talk It Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking, and continue building the confidence to lead with your voice.

Timestamps:
Start Small 2:48
Yes to Making Mistakes 4:46
Benefits to Saying 'Yes' 10:10
Overcome Fear 13:35

Episode 307: Our Recommended Books for 2026

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:26:27 +0000

Every year, we present our must read books. These books have either supported our growth or will serve to fuel our development. We are excited to dive into both older as well as newer books to build our year around.
Drawing from conversations with founders, executives, and top performers, they reinforce a core belief: your inputs shape your outputs. This episode explores how intentional reading provides frameworks, mental models, and clarity—especially when your book choices align with the season you’re in personally and professionally. From scaling teams and values-driven leadership to communication and self-awareness, we share why upgrading your reading list is one of the most practical investments a leader can make.

Highlights & Book Recommendations:
Reading discipline matters for leaders who expect excellence from their teams.
How we choose books: “library completions” + season-of-growth alignment.

Must-reads for 2026:
Scaling People — Claire Hughes Johnson
The Greater Good — Madeleine Shaw
Atomic Habits — James Clear
Leaders Eat Last & Start With Why — Simon Sinek
Extreme Ownership — Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Good to Great — Jim Collins
Sales Acceleration Formula — Mark Roberge
The One Minute Manager — Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson
Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK — David Suk Brown & Danny Suk Brown

What are the books you are reading in 2026? The books you choose today quietly shape the decisions you’ll compound tomorrow

Explore our full book and journal list at AppMeetup.com/books and ask yourself: What inputs do I need to upgrade for 2026?

Timestamps:
Two Paths for Books 3:29
Which Books to consider 6:59
Identically Opposite Book 11:11

Episode 306: Read the Room

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:49:48 +0000

“Read the room” is often said after a moment goes sideways—but in leadership, it’s the moment before things go sideways that matters most. Let's break down why reading the room is a cornerstone of executive presence and can strengthen credibility. It’s not about charisma or intuition—it’s about awareness. From in-person meetings to virtual rooms, great leaders don’t just deliver messages; they observe, listen, pause, and adjust in real time. Because leadership communication isn’t complete when you finish speaking—it’s complete when people truly understand.

Highlights include:

How to spot warning signs like agreement without engagement.
Virtual meetings and why silence does not equate to alignment

Practical strategies to sharpen your ability to adjust in the moment The 'Power of the Pause' is a leadership move.
Asking better questions or a well-timed question can increase engagement.
Visit our websites to explore more leadership conversations and tools, and join our Patreon to support our programs and to gain access to exclusive content and behind-the-scenes insights. Timestamps: 2:36 Increase Engagement 9:57 Ask Great Questions 11:26 Practical Strategies

Episode 305: Learning Agility

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:42:00 +0000

In a world where change is constant and certainty is rare, learning agility has become one of the most critical leadership capabilities for long-term success. Leaders who thrive today are not defined by what they know, but by how quickly they learn, adapt, and apply new insights in real time. Learning agility— the ability to continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn— is positioned as a leadership differentiator that fuels growth, relevance, and trust across every level of an organization.

We touch on how learning agility shows up with elite athletes, musicians, and through everyday leadership moments. Learning agility enables leaders to navigate ambiguity and adapt rapidly to changes. They seek out and embrace feedback, stay curious and take ownership of their personal development. We also uncover practical ways leaders can build learning into their daily routines through micro-learning, coaching, peer groups, and intentional reflection. The takeaway is clear: learning-agile leaders don’t just improve themselves—they model a culture of growth that allows their teams and organizations to thrive.

Never stop learning and visit AppMeetup.com and Amazon for our learning resources. Timestamps: Grow in Self-Awareness 9:51 Career Impact 13:19 Choose Curiosity 16:11

Episode 304: In Tune With Your Partnerships

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:33:43 +0000

Sail the seas of tech and AI with experience and confidence. Gavin Garbutt, Co-Founder and Chairman of Augmentt shares how MSPs must evolve to secure and manage Microsoft 365 and SaaS environments. Adopt a security-first mindset, and dramatically increase technician capacity through standardized Microsoft security best practices; through a unified Microsoft Security Management Platform designed for MSPs. Gavin outlines why “blocking and tackling” fundamentals—leveraging audits and maintaining a consistent security posture—remain critical as MSPs prepare for AI-driven growth.
Key Highlights:
How Augmentt represents the “next generation of RMM” for Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender and SaaA visibility. Intune Autopilot enables MSPs to standardize, audit, and deploy policies across multiple tenants. 'Secret Sauce' for fostering successful partner and customer relationships. Series A funding, strategic partnerships and marketplace strategy (including Pax8) accelerate innovation and scale.
Gavin’s vision for unified security, AI enablement, and helping MSPs become more profitable. The charge to go from being reactive to becoming proactive; for 10,000 users per tech and 5x revenue per tech. From sailing the open seas to navigating the channel’s next wave, this conversation delivers practical insight for MSP leaders planning for 2026 and beyond. Visit augmentt.com/ to learn more and to take advantage of a free security audit report & tool. Timestamps: Audit as a Best Practice 13:31 Quickfire Questions 32:45 What to Expect 36:26

Episode 303: What My Daughter Taught Me About AI

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:56:11 +0000

The Future Is Already Here: What My Daughter Taught Me About AI

In this special episode, Danny is joined by a very special guest—his daughter, Zoey Brown—for a candid and eye-opening conversation about how the next generation is already living with AI. While many leaders continue to debate adoption, Zoey demonstrates what natural, creative, and fearless AI usage actually looks like in practice—from homework support and music creation to writing and designing her own book. Highlights include: Reframe AI as an assistant—not a replacement—and how “the gap isn’t about access; it’s about adoption.”
How Zoey uses AI today to support learning, artwork, writing, music, and content creation. Connecting real-world examples to practical applications for professionals and business leaders, emphasizing that the future belongs to those willing to start small, ask better prompts, and simply try.

Zoey’s perspective of, “AI is not scary—it gives you more freedom to be creative and see your ideas come to life.”

The next generation isn’t asking if AI will replace jobs—they’re asking, “What can I create?” Become a Patreon member and visit AppMeetup.com to learn more about our learning and development resources. A special thank you to Danny's daughter for her help with our book entitled, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK. Pick up your copy today. Timestamps: How AI can be leveraged 3:21 Supporting our latest book 8:40 Words of encouragement 11:35

Episode 302: 2025 Insights & What to Expect in 2026

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:20:53 +0000

In this special, we reflect on insights from 2025 and what leaders should prepare for in 2026. From the realities behind last year’s AI hype, to the need for emphasizing execution, data quality, culture, and leadership. We also touch on experiences gained from producing over 400 podcast episodes. We also look ahead to 2026 as the focus shifts to responsible and agentic AI moving from theory into practice, and to AI integration across business functions. We even lay out some of our commitments for the year ahead—tying AI to measurable business outcomes, investing in learning frameworks, and taking more calculated risks—while reinforcing a core belief: technology adoption without mindset and culture change will not stick. Key Highlights
AI in 2025 was all the rage and yet execution and data quality were true differentiators.
Action beats indecision, and sustainability beats speed.
Growth comes from focus, not endless expansion.
Culture and mindset must lead technology adoption.
2026 will emphasize Responsible AI, agentic workflows, and outcome-driven benchmarks.
Continued commitment to provide resources, including our AI simulation, courses and books.

Be intentional, stay informed, and be bold as you build for the future.
Become a sponsor, Patreon member and pick up our latest book entitled, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK.

Timestamps: Leverage AI 6:02 Identically Opposite SPEAK framework 9:12 Responsible AI 23:22

Episode 301: Your 2025 Leadership Review

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:01:01 +0000

As 2025 comes to a close, let’s press pause before pushing ahead into the New Year. We want to make the case that a deliberate year-end leadership review is not optional—it is essential. Too many leaders roll straight into the year with ‘bigger’ goals but carry over the same habits, skipping the hard reflection that drives real progress. A proper review goes beyond listing accomplishments; it asks whether your leadership actually mattered, where it created value, and how it impacted people and results. When treated as a growth conversation rather than an administrative exercise, a year-end review becomes the foundation for clarity, trust, and momentum.

Highlights:
Why effective leadership reviews must be reflective, celebratory, and strategic.
Three core dimensions of a 2025 leadership review: value delivered, performance under pressure, and accountability
How avoidance and slipping standards quietly undermine results.
Turning reflection into action by setting one clear leadership theme and one defining outcome for 2026. Be 'intentional' and leverage technology and resources including ours. Why focus, discipline, and accountability are the keys to truly “crushing” your goals next year.

Thank you for your continued support. Visit AppMeetup.com for more learning and development resources, including our books, journals and training programs. Timestamps: Review 3 Aspects 6:40 3 Review Dimensions 10:03 A Performance Multiplier 19:10

Episode 300: Channel Pull and End-User Push

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:33:09 +0000

How is AI reshaping channel go-to-market strategies—especially for SMBs? Demand Generation Manager for Channext and producer/host of the Partnerships Unraveled Podcast, Efe Senel shares how successful channel communities are built on trust, reputation, and deep partner understanding.

Key Highlights:
Efe’s unconventional journey from music into technology.
Common mistakes in scaling partner ecosystems include distance, lack of connection, and trust erosion.
Channext’s approach to “channel pull and end-user push” with their channel marketing automation platform.
Lessons learned from podcasting (surpassed 200 episodes), mentorship, and building reputation-first channel strategies.

Follow Efe on LinkedIn, follow the Partnerships Unraveled Podcast program and visit Channext.com to learn more about their partner marketing platform, and how embedding AI into channel programs, balancing automation with human connection, and scaling partnerships is a perfect mix for success. Timestamps: Importance of Trust & Connection 7:20 AI & Strategy 10:15 Marketing for Partners 25:01

Episode 299: Foster Intrapreneurship

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:19:49 +0000

How can you foster intrapreneurship and unlock entrepreneurial thinking inside your organization? Drawing from her upbringing in an entrepreneurial family and her experience scaling companies, Lisa Coyle, CEO of Promotive, shares how leaders can empower their people to think and act like owners. Lisa emphasizes that entrepreneurship is first a mindset—rooted in curiosity, resilience, and flexibility—and that organizations thrive when leaders give their teams permission to take risks, learn from failure, and contribute ideas with confidence.

Highlights include:
Why intrapreneurship is about empowering people to use entrepreneurial skills.
Aligning teams around tools including MVV (Mission, Vision, and Values), adopting a 13-week execution rhythm, and 15Five to highlight wins and growth.
“Give them permission to fail” — how celebrating failure builds confidence and innovation
The leadership shift from “knowing everything” to creating weigh-in and buy-in.
Using data, rhythm management, and feedback tools to reinforce ownership and accountability
How consistently explaining the “why” trains teams to think like entrepreneurs. Joy she has that comes from developing children Visit 360payments.com/ and gopromotive.com/ and connect with Lisa on LinkeIn "the mindset shift comes after you empower them to have victories' Timestamps: Plan to Write a Book 7:15 Empower your Teams 14:10 Tools to Consider 18:45

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Episode 298: Do the Right Thing

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:39:02 +0000

'Doing the right thing' in business is crucial for long-term success, fostering trust with customers, employees, and strategic partners. Leading with this focus helps enhance brand reputation, increase profitability through efficiency, and build a healthy organizational culture, as ethical practices drive loyalty and better performance. What does doing the right thing actually look like in business? Chris Allen, VP of Sales at Augmentt, provides insight into his leadership and shares how his leadership mantra—“Do the right thing”—continues to shape his approach to building high-performing sales cultures rooted in hope, accountability, and authenticity. Highlights include: Augmentt’s platform and innovative approach to supporting their strategic partnerships. Intune Management, deeper AI integration through their new AI Policy Analyzer, and how partner feedback is actively shaping their 2026 roadmap. “Chaos tends to breed opportunities” and elevate leadership. Chris's core values are to be hopeful, be accountable and be real. How MSPs are leveraging Augmentt to increase MRR and enrich security offerings. Be sure to follow Chis on LinkedIn and visit augmentt.com/ to learn more about their Microsoft-centric SaaS Security Management platform. Timestamps: 'Do the right thing' 10:35 Working with Augmentt 15:29 Strategic relationship with Microsoft 23:07 Quickfire questions 26:22

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Episode 297: Plan for a Successful TSP & Conference Journey

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:18:47 +0000

Planning for a successful TSP and conference journey begins with one essential principle: make every client and every attendee feel as though the message was crafted specifically for them. In this special IT Nation Connect Global edition, we sit down with Syed Fraz, CEO of ITMSC, and Amanda Young, Sr. Director of Global Events at ConnectWise, to explore how personalization, preparation, and community-driven experiences shape stronger outcomes for both MSPs and major industry conferences. We get a glimpse of Syed's entrepreneurial mindset and appetite for growth. Syed shares how MSPs can embrace AI, foster open conversations, empower their technicians, and cultivate relationships where “everyone is a friend.” Amanda takes us behind the curtain of a world-class event—revealing the six-month planning window, the five pillars guiding IT Nation’s design, and how her team balances tradition with innovation in an era where technology and attendee expectations evolve rapidly. Her goal, 'it's about a connected experience' and one that is community-centric.

Learn more by visiting syncgoose.com, itmsc.net/ and itnation.connectwise.com/
See you at the next ITNation Conference & Tech event Timestamps: 01:14 – Marker Part 1: Syed Fraz
27:36 – Marker Part 2: Amanda Y_PGM

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Episode 296: What's the Mission?

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:47:30 +0000

At IT Nation Connect Global, a clear theme emerged from our conversations with two industry leaders: understand and embrace the mission. Whether guiding teams or building global programs, Adam Slutskin, Co-Founder, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer at CyberFox; and Ben Bitterman, VP Global MSP at Arctic Wolf, emphasized that leadership begins with clarity of purpose.
Adam shares how a great culture, clear perspective, and authentic MSP DNA can fuel real organizational growth. He highlights CyberFox’s commitment to consistent pricing, meaningful problem-solving, and the power of simple, repeated communication. From military leadership to driving growth in the MSP and IT channel ecosystem, he reveals nuggets of wisdom including the adage of “say few things, say it often”. He is offering a free resource for our listeners, visit https://tinyurl.com/cyberfoxE-book
Ben breaks down Arctic Wolf’s global MSP strategy, their concierge delivery model, and why MSPs must focus on the business outcomes their security solutions truly solve. He urged MSPs to assess what problems they truly solve, where they create value, and how to evolve through global pressures, regional compliance, and emerging technologies. His humorous promise — “I will Pinky and the Brain with you” — captured the spirit of partnership that both leaders believe is essential. Together, these conversations offer compelling insights into leadership, culture, and the future of security operations, delivering the perfect blend of strategy, storytelling, and mission-driven guidance for today’s tech leaders. For more about their mission, visit cyberfox.com and arcticwolf.com/

Timestamps:

00:01:14 — Part 1: Adam Slutskin

00:22:13 — Part 2: Ben Bitterman

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Episode 295: Crack the Code to Efficiency & Safety

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:23:54 +0000

We explore the adage “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” with two leaders who are redefining how organizations safeguard their clients and scale strategic services. Jesse Miller—Founder of PowerPSA Consulting and creator of the PowerGRYD vCISO System—shares how “cracking the code” starts with asking the right questions, learning from your best customers, and building value pillars that simplify focus and accelerate growth. His message is clear: you don’t need to sell, you need to provide value, and the next best thing to “yes” is a fast “no.”

We then shift to cyber crisis readiness with Noam Morginstin, CEO & Co-Founder of Exigence, who emphasizes that incident response cannot live in a static document. Leaders must plan, practice, and continuously evolve their ability to prevail when breaches occur. From automated runbooks to GenAI-powered response agents, Noam outlines the importance of helping teams and organizations prepare for the inevitable and confidently navigate high-pressure situations.

Highlights include:
Build two buckets of value pillars to scale your vCISO services effectively.
“Focus is your friend”—eliminate complexity and create clarity.
Incident response must move beyond Word docs to a dynamic, actionable SaaS system.
“Plan, Practice, Prevail”—a three-step mindset for crisis and cyber-incident readiness.
Leveraging GenAI agents to enhance prevention, detection, and coordinated response.

Timestamps:

01:12 – Part 1: Jesse Miller

30:25 – Part 2: Noam Morginstin

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Episode 294: Elevating the Partner Experience

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:40:11 +0000

In this special IT Nation Connect Global edition, we sit down with two respected leaders shaping the future of the channel: Rob Rae, Corporate Vice President of Community & Partner Experience at Pax8, and Eric Torres, Vice President of Channel & Community Engagement at Pax8. Together, they unpack what it truly means to elevate the partner experience—beginning with the simple but powerful act of listening. From understanding the partner’s universe to shaping a marketplace that reflects their needs, Rob and Eric illuminate how empathy, intentionality, and constant feedback fuel a thriving community.

Highlights include: Uncover and keep the voice of the partner central to design a better marketplace and event experience. What a more “agentic" future means for service providers. Success stories within the Pax8 ecosystem and the importance of nurturing relationships that enable partners to grow. Rob emphasis on humility and service, "You're not the center of the MSP’s universe." Eric’s leadership principle: “Make time for conversations.” Listening and following up unlock community success. Whether you’re a vendor, MSP, or channel leader, this episode delivers meaningful insights on strengthening connections and building a phenomenal partner journey. Visit Pax8.com for insight into the community and to learn about Pax8 Beyond 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah Timestamps

00:42— Part 1: Conversation with Rob Rae

33:12— Part 2: Conversation with Eric Torres

Episode 293: Lead the Conversation

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:59:53 +0000

Recorded during ITNation Connect Global, the theme of this episode is centered around the importance of leaders leading the conversation—especially when it comes to AI and emerging technologies shaping the MSP ecosystem. Nathanaëlle Denechere, CRO of Mizo and John Harden, Director of Strategy & Technology Evangelism at Auvik, lend their thoughts around embracing those moments as opportunities.
Highlights from Part One with Nathanaëlle: How their agentic service desk solution is redefining support by balancing automation with the irreplaceable human touch. Mizo’s powerful productivity gains—boosting output by 26% through intelligent resolution steps. Reflected on the company’s excitement as a PitchIT Finalist. Highlights from Part Two with John Harden: Diving into his Conference presentation, “If You’re Not Leading AI Conversations, You’re Being Led Out.” Urging MSPs to embrace the monetization of AI. How the "Shadow AI is the new Shadow IT.” Time Stamps: 00:50 – Part 1: Nathanaëlle Denechere
24:20 – Part 2: John Harden

Episode 292: Every Voice Matters

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:02:47 +0000

This is a part of a special series of conversations with amazing leaders, recorded onsite during the ITNation Connect Global Conference. Dan Wensley, CEO of the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), and MJ Shoer, GTIA’s Chief Community Officer share the story behind the branding and launch of GTIA—a move grounded in a sharpened mission: to deliver a focused, vendor-neutral, globally connected community where every voice truly matters. Highlights: Dan emphasizes that belonging to a united channel community is more important than ever as the industry navigates rapid AI-driven change.

GTIA’s role as an unbiased and neutral place, “where the IT Channel connects and grows.”

MJ states explains the imperative to provide clear messaging, practical resources, and data-driven insights, including the GTIA Channel Economic Tracker. MJ on GTIA’s challenge and opportunity: “We have a purpose, we have a mission—now we must harness it.” The future outlook for GTIA, including the growing global reach of the association, and insights on future-proofing your business with a focus on customer success. Dan provides perspective, "Be inspired. you are changing businesses" Time Stamps:

Part 1: Dan Wensley — 00:37
Part 2: MJ Shoer — 26:14

Episode 291: Implement a SPEAK Playbook

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:58:36 +0000

Let’s explore the power of having and implementing a playbook—a structured framework that guides teams to operate with alignment, consistency, and purpose. We continue our mini-series around our new book, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK. We provide some insight into our SPEAK playbook.

Highlights include:
How playbooks from sports translate into scalable business success.
A successful playbook involves every member of the team.
Why communication and consistency are key to execution.
Micro-adjustments to your playbook for leadership and performance; "whatever team comes out after halftime, making the best adjustments is usually the team that wins'
The five-step SPEAK framework: See, Prepare, Enthusiasm, Allyship, Keep Preaching Intentionally.
Build and sustain a speak-up culture within your organization.

Order your copy of Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK today on Amazon and start developing your playbook for finding your voice and leading with impact.

Timestamps: 6:59 Playbook Involves Every Member 10:31 Micro-Adjust to Win 12:20 Measure Success 19:52 SPEAK playbook

Episode 290: The Leadership Compass

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:43:32 +0000

Imagine holding a compass in your hand — a simple yet powerful tool used to guide explorers through uncertainty, aligning them to true direction. In leadership, we also benefit from a compass, when used appropriately, will help to navigate complexity, culture, and courage. The Leadership Compass, featured in our book Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK, helps leaders, HR professionals, and business owners strengthen a “speak up” culture by guiding behavior and communication with purpose. Each direction on the compass symbolizes a leadership virtue: North represents Focus, your “True North Star.” East stands for Empathy. West symbolizes Wonder, staying curious, growing your EQ. South reflects Speak, the rooted courage to raise your voice.
When you lead with this compass in mind, you align not just your decisions but your entire organization toward trust, integrity, and growth. The Leadership Compass is a reminder that leadership isn’t about perfection — it’s about direction. Model behavior that shapes thriving, psychologically safe workplaces. So, as you navigate the challenges of leadership, keep that compass close. Let it guide your actions and remind you that true leadership begins when you find your voice and SPEAK. What is your 'true North? Pick up your copy today: https://a.co/d/2XUsaLI

Episode 289 Why Identically Opposite

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 13:26:28 +0000

What would change in your workplace, or in your personal relationships, if people truly felt safe to speak up?

Let’s go behind the scenes of our new book, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice & SPEAK. We explore why so many professionals struggle to raise their voices at work and how fear, identity, and culture all play a part.

Highlights include:
• Why the Identically Opposite book
• Unpacking what a healthy “speak up” culture truly means — one built on trust, respect, and psychological safety — where every team member feels empowered to contribute authentically
• The necessity of courage and clarity

Your role may belong to the organization, but your voice belongs to you. Your voice deserves to be heard.

Be sure to visit AppMeetup.com to learn more about our new book and explore resources to support your culture and L&D goals.

Episode 288: Meet Them Where They Are (a Replay)

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:00:49 +0000

Why is it so important to meet employees where they are—emotionally, professionally, and generationally? Deon MacMillan, Chief People Officer at Pax8, shares her approach to cultivating a dynamic, people-first culture amidst hypergrowth. Her leadership philosophy revolves around balancing high-tech innovation with high-touch human engagement.

Highlights include:

The need to honor each employee’s current journey, using thoughtful development strategies, AI fluency, and a deep understanding of multi-generational needs.

“Meeting them where they are” drives tailored learning paths, stronger engagement, and authentic brand ambassadorship from within.

Navigating the tension between scaling a global organization and preserving its unique culture. From one-on-one rituals to employee listening programs, she focuses on creating alignment between purpose and performance.

"Organizations that can balance hi tech and high touch will win".

Connect with Deon on LinkedIn and visit Pax8.com to stay informed about the community.

Timestamps:

[08:28] Dispel the fear around AI

[09:10] The 5 Generation Workforce

[15:43] Developing talent around the globe

[24:24] Leading Horizontally

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Episode 287: Moments that Matter (a Replay)

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

“Leadership lives in the moments that matter,” shares Gavriella Schuster, a globally recognized DEI advocate, TEDx speaker, and former Microsoft VP.

Highlights include:
Why allyship isn’t just a social cause—it’s a critical leadership competency for today’s world.
BeCOME an Ally framework and the six actions great allies take including Advocate, Listen, Lift, Include, Elevate, and Sponsor.
Leaders at any level can bridge divides, amplify diverse voices, and drive transformation.
Gavriella’s Big IDEA Podcast and her support of Women in Cloud’s #empowHer50.
‘Allies journey' training, consisting of 4 elements: Think, Do, Practice and Inspire for organizations and the IAMCP community - International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners.

Visit gavriellaschuster.com/ to learn more about how you can become an advocate and take action. See the greatness in others. Timestamps: [07:23] 6 Actions Allies Take [22:13] Lead with Courage [29:55] Allies Journey Training

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Episode 286: Avoid Overthinking

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0000

One of the most common traps leaders face is that of overthinking. While reflection is valuable, too much analysis can paralyze decision-making, erode confidence, and keep your true strengths hidden. We discuss the impact it can have on teams and outcomes, and how shifting your mindset can create clarity and forward momentum.

You’ll hear practical tools like the “3-2-1 Simplify” framework, journaling techniques, and coaching to help you cut through noise and act decisively. We also highlight the importance of leaning into your core strengths so they become guiding beacons rather than buried assets. Tune in to learn how to quiet the overthinking voice, trust your experience, and lead with confidence that inspires others to follow. To learn more about our coaching, training and learning resources, visit appmeetup.com and dsbleadershipgroup.com Timestamps: [08:01] Good Enough & Learn, Go, Grow [15:11] Get a Journal [20:10] Time Frame [25:40] Let your Strengths Shine

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Episode 285: How to Welcome Criticism

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:56:42 +0000

Can accepting criticism be beneficial for you as a leader? If so, how should you accept and respond to criticism? How you respond reveals your leadership.

Highlights include:

Asking if there is any truth to what is being said? Many great leaders have used critique to transform strategy and culture.

Handle criticism with:

1. Press pause and breathe

2. Critical listening

3. Seek clarity and curiosity

4. Reframe for growth

5. Take time to prepare

Bottom line — don’t fear criticism; invite it, learn from it, and use it as fuel to strengthen your leadership and organization. Thank you for your continued support and be on the lookout for our soon to be released book entitled, Identically Opposite: Find your Voice & SPEAK.

Timestamps:

[06:13] Steps to Handle Criticism

[17:37] Strengthen leadership & stay calm

[23:31] Examples & Stories

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Episode 284: Fear of Being Judged & Executive Presence

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Let's explore one of the biggest challenges leaders face: the fear of speaking and how it impacts their executive presence. From stage fright in boardrooms to the paralyzing fear of judgment, we takle why even the most prepared leaders hesitate to share their voice.

Highlights:

Executive presence isn’t about being the loudest voice, but about clarity, authenticity, and courage.

Practical tips include reframing nerves, practicing consistently, and remembering that presence is more powerful than perfection.

Focus of our episodes around our soon to be released book entitled, Identically Opposite and our new AI integrated training tool.

Timestamps:

[10:31] Starts with Mindset

[12:05] Reframe Anxiety

[16:28] New Book & New AI Resource

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Episode 283: Intelligent Adoption of AI Conversations

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:53:23 +0000

Facilitating intelligent conversations about AI is crucial for driving responsible adoption. They empower both organizations and people to move from fear or hype to greater clarity and opportunity.

With over three decades helping CEOs and executive teams bridge strategy with measurable outcomes, Marc Hoppers, Managing Partner of HighEdge Group shares why these conversations need to take place.

Highlights include:

Driving growth, increasing efficiencies, and cultural transformation with technology as Marc reminds us that automating a bad process won’t deliver results.

Unpacking some of today’s biggest growth barriers, and how leaders can sharpen their Go-to-Market strategy to avoid costly blind spots.

Offering perspective on work-life balance, values-driven leadership.

Texas BBQ must try spots.

IAMCP

Follow Marc on LinkedIn and visit highedgegroup.co/ for your 30-minute strategy call

Timestamps:

[09:25] Cultural Transformation with AI

[11:36] Blind Spots

[24:29] Create Space for Work-Life

[43:47] Give Before you Expect to Get

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Episode 282: Journaling for Growth

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Have you ever scribbled a brilliant idea on the back of a napkin or jotted notes on scraps of paper, only to lose them later? Let's explore how journaling can be one of the most powerful, yet underutilized, tools for business owners and executives.

Highlights include:

Some of the most successful leaders believe in the practice of journaling.

Unlock your leadership potential with journaling and bring about greater clarity, sparking innovation, and the strengthening of your communication.

Potential from writing to help strengthen decision-making and build resilience.

Take on the 5-Minute Twins Challenge and integrate journaling into your daily rhythm.

Don’t just let your ideas float away; write your way into becoming a more focused, innovative, and impactful leader. Pick up one of our signature journals today by visiting appmeetup.com and then share your journaling experiences with us.

Start writing and lead with greater intentionality.

Timestamps:

[04:03] Leaders Embrace Journaling

[05:32] Strengthens Communication

[12:36] Our 4 Journals

[23:46] Twins Challenge of 5-Minutes

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Episode 281: Empower Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Many young professionals and college students are eager to make an impact but may lack the resources, training, and mentorship to fully realize their potential. That’s why platforms, programs, and leaders who step in to fill these gaps are so critical. Deb Moss, Founder & CEO of The Raney Moss Group Foundation and the visionary behind Elevate and Dominate with Deb, shares her passion for empowering and equipping young leaders with practical tools to build a foundation of confidence and purpose.

Highlights include:

Wanting to leave a legacy and being inspired by Deion Sanders' book, 'Elevate and Dominate: 21 Ways to Win On and Off the Field.'

Providing mentorship and delivering student care packages.

Unpacking her signature 3 C’s Framework for Career Success—Communication, Collaboration, and Community—essential pillars for building trust, sparking innovation, and creating lasting impact.

The value of networking and the challenges in today’s multi-generational workplace.

Her soon to be available Journal.

To partner and support this mission, visit raneymossgroupfoundation.com and elevateanddominatewithdeb.com to learn about Deb’s training.

Let’s join together in supporting initiatives that lift up the next wave of leaders.

Timestamps:

[08:49] Help Students Soar

[10:35] The 3 C's Framework

[17:44] Networking & Mentorship

[20:48] How to Get Involved

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Episode 280: Think Bigger, Achieve Greater

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Are your goals too small? Redefine what’s possible by shifting your mindset—then define the outcome that drives meaningful change. Christian Santiago, founder of The Greatness Institute and peak performance coach, shares how clarifying expectations can position you to reach your most audacious goals.

Highlights include:

The smallest margins in high performance often come down to mindset, clarity, and accountability, not just talent or effort.

Powerful, practical strategies like mastering morning and evening routines to elevate consistency, decision-making, and emotional alignment.

How "impossible goals remove clarity as the biggest obstacles.'

The Peak Performance Roadmap, dangers of autopilot habits, and the art of saying “no” to make room for purpose-aligned “yeses.”

Whether you're an entrepreneur, team leader, or organizational executive, Christian explains how high-performance cultures are built through radical responsibility, transparency, and alignment around bold outcomes. Tune in to challenge your assumptions, expand your vision, and step into a new level of greatness. Learn more at: greatness.institute/scale

Timestamps:

[06:07] Identify the Outcome

[09:07] Master Routines

[23:59] Peak Performance Roadmap

[34:31] Quickfire Round

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Episode 279: Leadership Roadmap

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

How can leaders best unleash their full potential, while inspiring and guiding others to do the same? With over 30 years of experience guiding organizations through rapid growth and change, strategist, speaker and author Jim Carlough strongly encourages leaders to embrace the value of having a leadership roadmap that can not only bring about incredible transformation, but one that will also help you achieve your goals and lead your team to greater success.

Highlights include:

Jim’s book, The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership: A Roadmap to Success.

Insight into two of his six essential leadership traits: Empathy and Stability.

How active listening, transparency, and presence build trust, enhances performance, and drives engagement across any team.

How leaders can offer consistency, emotional safety, and clear communication to maintain team cohesion.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership isn't about the title—it's about the impact. Learn more about his work, speaking, and coaching by visiting JimCarlough.com.

As a bonus, the first three who comment on this episode via Apple Podcasts will receive a signed copy of Jim’s book!

Timestamps:

[04:56] Motivation behind the Book

[16:59] Empathy & Compassion

[19:52] Pillar of Stability

[25:20] Value of Communication

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Episode 278: Tap into Abundance

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

What if healing wasn’t just about your body—but about unlocking the hidden abundance within? Author and executive coach Matthew Blake shares insights from his new book, A Patient’s Point of View: Hidden Abundance of Health to Expand Your Capacity to Heal. Drawing from his own transformative healing journey, Matt shares why true health goes beyond physical recovery to include emotional, spiritual, and mental renewal.

Highlights:

5 Steps to Hidden Abundance include having an abundance mindset; Spirit - emotional & internal beliefs; believe in the good of people; blocking out the negative; burn your bridges of reliance.

Partnerships and teams matter to success.

Defining identity and what 'strength' means.

Whether you’re a patient navigating health challenges, a high performer seeking balance, or a leader aiming to model wellness for your team, visit matthew-blake-author.com/ today to order the book or to schedule Matthew for your next organizational event.

Timestamps:

[11:35] Hidden Abundance

[22:34] Partnerships matter

[25:13] Mindset to achieve goals

[35:03] Reclaim health

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Episode 277: Moments that Matter

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

“Leadership lives in the moments that matter,” shares Gavriella Schuster, a globally recognized DEI advocate, TEDx speaker, and former Microsoft VP.

Highlights include:

Why allyship isn’t just a social cause—it’s a critical leadership competency for today’s world.

BeCOME an Ally framework and the six actions great allies take including Advocate, Listen, Lift, Include, Elevate, and Sponsor.

Leaders at any level can bridge divides, amplify diverse voices, and drive transformation.

Gavriella’s Big IDEA Podcast and her support of Women in Cloud’s #empowHer50.

‘Allies journey' training, consisting of 4 elements: Think, Do, Practice and Inspire for organizations and the IAMCP community - International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners.

Visit gavriellaschuster.com/ to learn more about how you can become an advocate and take action. See the greatness in others.

Timestamps:

[06:14] 6 Actions Allies Take

[21:04] Lead with Courage

[28:46] Allies Journey Training

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 276: Remove the Guesswork

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:17:51 +0000

Remove the guesswork and know with certainty where the inefficiencies are, and to be truly protected—this was the unifying message from three insightful conversations at the Pax8 Beyond Conference. These amazing leaders shared innovative ways MSPs can address risk, optimize operations, and elevate their strategic value.

In Part 1 of this special episode, Marco La Vecchia, CRO with Produce8 emphasized how MSPs can move beyond reactive service delivery by using digital work analytics to gain real-time insight into how teams use technology and manage their time. With Produce8 acting as a "Fitbit for work," leaders can identify operational blind spots, rethink productivity in hybrid environments, and ultimately re-establish their place in the boardroom with actionable data. Marco's vision is clear: empower MSPs to become strategic advisors by uncovering the truth of how digital work gets done, and use that truth to drive smarter decisions and better business outcomes.

In Part 2, CEO & Founder, Kim Simmonds of Cloud Contracts 365, reframed contracts not as obstacles but as assets. Their platform automates contract creation, legal workflows and provides a visual risk dashboard, allowing organizations to clearly see where their businesses may be exposed, turning potential liabilities into growth opportunities. Know your risk score and stay informed through their visual dashboard.

In Part 3, Shlomi Gian, CRO with INKY Technology echoed this theme of proactive protection and strategic clarity. At INKY, identifying “who is behind the keyboard” drives their AI-powered behavioral analysis platform to detect intent and block malicious actors before damage occurs. His team’s mission is to block threats and coach users—empowering organizations to build trust while staying ahead of evolving risks.

Together, these leaders inspire MSPs to shift from reactive to strategic and to embrace technology that not only safeguards their organizations but also fosters operational excellence and strong leadership in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Connect with them on LinkedIn and visit their respective sites: produce8.com and cloudcontracts365.com/ and at inky.com/

Timestamps:

[01:49] Part 1

[23:48] Part 2

[46:57] Part 3

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 275: Regain & Accelerate Outcomes

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:05:57 +0000

At the Pax8 Beyond conference, two dynamic leaders—Anna Griffin of Commvault and Colin Britton of Devicie—shared how their organizations are helping businesses regain control and accelerate outcomes in an ever-evolving tech and security landscape.

In Part One of this special episode, Anna highlights Commvault’s evolution to becoming a leader in cyber resilience. With the introduction of the world’s first recovery range, Commvault focuses on helping organizations quickly recover from cyber incidents and human errors. Her message was clear: to regain lost data and brand trust, companies must be properly positioned, deliver consistent value, and lead with purpose. Marketing, in this context, is no longer about noise but about impact—creating a resilient narrative that drives measurable outcomes across customer workflows.

In Part Two, Colin Britton emphasized how Devicie fills a critical operational gap by helping MSPs shift from reactive IT support to a proactive, endpoint strategy consultant. Learn about their U.S. expansion goals and the release of a Windows 11 Migration Kit, further showing its commitment to helping MSPs scale, stay secure, and move faster.

Both conversations underscore that in today’s high-risk, high-demand environment, leaders must not only recover quickly from setbacks but also position themselves to accelerate meaningful, long-term outcomes.

Follow them on LinkedIn and and be sure to visit their organization's websites, commvault.com/ and devicie.com/

Timestamps:

[01:36] Part 1 - Anna Griffin

[25:17] Part 2 - Colin Britton

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 274: Exploring Endless Possibilities

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Recorded live at the Pax8 Beyond conference, this special edition dives into the power of endless possibilities when leaders embrace a growth mindset—one that values curiosity, resilience, and a relentless drive to evolve. In Part One, we feature Jeffrey Newton, Founder of Cyft, who shares his inspiring journey from the network closet to becoming a transformational voice in the MSP space. With his book, The MSP's Sales Code, and his podcast The MSP Insider, Jeffrey champions the concept of Service Intelligence—redefining how MSPs leverage AI not just for efficiency, but for strategic, data-driven service delivery. He challenges leaders to go beyond their comfort zones, embrace "push to fail" learning, and ask better questions to unlock desired outcomes. For Jeffrey, it’s not about riding the AI wave—it’s about guiding the MSP ecosystem toward lasting, meaningful change.

In Part Two, we turn to Kathleen Lord, Chief Revenue Officer at Zensai, who is leading the charge to transform compliance and employee learning through a Human Success Platform that integrates directly within Microsoft 365 and Teams. With a deep belief in coaching and the understanding that traditional compliance training is “broken,” Kathleen is advocating for a smarter, AI-powered, personalized learning experience—making development accessible, measurable, and adaptive. Announcing a major new partnership with Pax8, she highlights how Zensai will empower MSPs to go beyond just attaining licenses and deliver true employee impact. A passionate leader and Stanford guest lecturer, Kathleen reminds us that real innovation happens when we stop checking boxes and start creating environments where people can thrive.

Follow Jeff and Kathleen on LinkedIn and be sure to visit their organization's websites, Cyft.ai and zensai.com

Capture this spirit as the possibilities are endless.

Timestamps:

[02:15] Part 1 - Jeffrey Newton

[27:30] Part 2 - Kathleen Lord

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 273: Operational Maturity

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

How can MSPs scale, evolve, and thrive through the power of strategic enablement? David Schafran, Vice President of Partner Enablement at Pax8 provides insight into equipping MSPs with the tools necessary for achieving operational maturity and long-term value. From navigating mergers and acquisitions to shifting perceptions from “break-fixers” to “trusted advisors,” David outlines how enablement is not just about learning, but about deep, sustainable transformation.

Highlights include:

Behind-the-scenes look at Pax8 Beyond, the channel’s premier event, and David's session entitled. ‘M&A for the MSP: How to Build Your Winning Strategy.’

Buyers are more risk-aware than ever.

4 Academy delivery learning models.

Quickfire lighting round of questions.

His passion for photography.

Follow David on LinkedIn, visit Davidschafran.com to learn more about this photography, and visit pax8.com to stay connected with the community and marketplace.

Timestamps:

[09:27] Value Creation Coaching

[18:49] Guided Growth to Academy

[21:57] Academy learning models

[26:35] Weird & Interesting Fact

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 272: Meet Them Where They Are

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Highlights include:

The need to honor each employee’s current journey, using thoughtful development strategies, AI fluency, and a deep understanding of multi-generational needs.

“Meeting them where they are” drives tailored learning paths, stronger engagement, and authentic brand ambassadorship from within.

"Organizations that can balance hi tech and high touch will win".

Connect with Deon on LinkedIn and visit Pax8.com to stay informed about the community.

Timestamps:

[07:17] Dispel the fear around AI

[07:59] The 5 Generation Workforce

[14:32] Developing talent around the globe

[22:13] Leading Horizontally

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 271: Goals Should Scare & Excite You

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

"Goals should scare and excite you." That’s the mindset Lane Brannan, EVP & GM Americas at Pax8, brings to leadership—and it's exactly what’s propelling Pax8 to become one of the most innovative cloud marketplaces in the channel.

Lane dives into the company’s mission of helping MSPs grow smarter, become more efficient, and reduce risk—while reinforcing the importance of trust, enablement, and delivering real business outcomes.

Key Highlights:

Pax8 is transforming how MSPs scale and serve clients through education, innovation, and enablement.

Vision must be clear from the top and reinforced at every level.

Internal onboarding and leadership development are core to growth.

Lane’s philosophy: align strategy to individual contribution with a closed-loop feedback system.

Connect with Lane on LinkedIn and visit Pax8.com to stay informed about the community.

Timestamps:

[06:51] Evangelize the why

[07:46] Internal enablement

[14:06] Conference expectations

[25:19] Friday Night Lights

--- more ---

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Episode 270: Own the Success Journey

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Highlights also include:

A glimpse into the Voyager Alliance partner program.

The expanding influence of AI, agents, and a shift to managed intelligence partners (MIPs).

To be competitive means owning a niche, staying connected, and thinking collaboratively.

Family and basketball as foundational to his leadership philosophy.

Timestamps:

[08:21] Father modeled passion

[18:03] Voyager Alliance Growth Tracks

[18:57] Owning your niche

[23:05] Power of Team

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 269: Creating Heroes

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:09:00 +0000

This is another special edition. We’re on location at IT Nation Secure in Orlando, where cybersecurity leaders, channel experts, and solution innovators gathered to share ideas, build partnerships, and level up the industry—together. Not all heroes wear capes — some carry laptops and create solutions to help their MSPs and partners win.

Dive into conversations with inspired leaders:

Dexter Caffey, CEO of Smart Eye Technology,

Jean Templin, Co-Founder and CEO of Nayak.ai

Jared Casner & Mike Zbarsky Co-Founders of Blacksmith Infosec.

Highlights include:

Participating in the PitchIT Accelerator Program.

Multimodal biometric authentication.

Inspiration behind names and branding.

Necessity of Executive buy-in to impact and shape security culture.

Another podcast program to follow.

Resources:

An e-book from Nayak.ai: The Rise of AI in Sales Enablement https://www.nayak.ai/company/download-the-e-book

A sample of the book, Forging Trust: https://blacksmithinfosec.com/forging-trust/

Timestamps:

[01:34] Smart Eye Technology

[20:39] Nayak.ai

[41:13] Blacksmith infosec

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 268: Winning as a Team

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:08:00 +0000

In this special edition, we’re on location at IT Nation Secure in Orlando, where cybersecurity leaders, channel experts, and solution innovators gathered to share ideas, build partnerships, and level up the industry—together. The one unifying theme: Winning as a Team. In a fast-evolving cybersecurity landscape, individual tools and talent aren’t enough. True resilience—and growth—come from collaboration, trust, and shared purpose.

We bring you three dynamic conversations with 4 industry leaders who embody this spirit of partnership:

Mike Estep, Chief Client Officer, Blackpoint Cyber.

Rayanne Buchianico, Owner, ABC Solutions, LLC.

Adam Anderson, CEO and Claudia Horbrook, Customer Success Associate, ThreatCaptain.

Highlights include:

Collaboration in cybersecurity: internal teams, external partners, and clients.

AI integration and security positioning.

Value of true partnerships and knowing your numbers.

PitchIT Accelerator program.

Power of storytelling, investment into people and culture.

Resource: Ten Questions to Ask When Selecting an MDR Provider https://rb.gy/lxxqdd

We’re grateful that they were able to join and share their unique perspectives on collaboration, innovation, and leadership during IT Nation Secure.

Timestamps:

[01:35] Blackpoint Cyber

[28:24] ABC Solutions

[44:42] ThreatCaptain

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 267: Leading Marketing with Clarity & Vision

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 13:42:39 +0000

Marketing and sales must operate in alignment to effectively execute an organization’s strategic plan and vision. When these work together: messaging is consistent and clear; customer insights are gained, fueling better campaigns and more effective sales approaches; sales close and growth is accelerated. Angus Robertson, Chief Marketing Officer at ConnectWise, joins us to discuss the evolving role of marketing leadership in today’s tech ecosystem. Angus brings a global lens to shaping partner success and telling compelling stories that drive business impact.

Highlights include:

ConnectWise’s proactive stance on AI, cybersecurity, community education and supporting MSP’s with their reach and impact.

Why MSPs must define and align around their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP.)

The power of sales and marketing alignment to scale impact.

The core message of Angus’s book, Outcome Marketing: focusing on value and results

Key statements from Angus:

“Know your lane and then create a powerful story around it.”

“You have to be convinced that you're right. You must have conviction.”

“It’s the job of marketing to turn strategy into something that engages the market.”

Follow Angus on LinkedIn, stay in touch with the community through connectwise.com and pick up his book, Outcome Marketing on Amazon.

Timestamps:

[16:12] Growing Internationally

[18:47] understanding your Ideal Customer Profile

[22:09] His Book: Outcome Marketing

[27:09] Storytelling success

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 266: Start and Keep Evolving

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to be a champion for MSPs in a world of evolving cyber threats and increasing complexity? In this episode, we dive into the mind of Tim Coach, Community and Channel Evangelist at Cynomi, who reminds us that it all starts with a plan—a plan that must continuously evolve to keep up with the shifting landscape of cybersecurity.

Tim brings structure, vision, and purpose to the channel ecosystem. His leadership journey is fueled by a passion to empower MSPs and to demystify the critical role of vCISOs in managing risk, ensuring compliance, and driving strategic growth.

Highlights include:

A successful plan is a commitment to process, consistency and community.

Do you understand your security posture?

The shifting MSSP landscape and why certifications matter more than ever.

How Cynomi helps MSPs move from reactive to proactive cybersecurity strategies.

What it takes to confidently present at conferences.

Whether you're an emerging MSP or a seasoned provider looking to strengthen your cybersecurity playbook, this conversation is packed with insight, leadership lessons, and practical guidance for navigating the next era of managed services.

Follow Tim on LinkedIn and visit www.cynomi.com to learn more.

Time Stamps:

[00:12:05] Success and SOP

[00:19:30] Managing the security journey

[00:21:35] Factor certifications

[00:25:33] Presenting and Public speaking

[00:30:59] Approach to identify ideal clients

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 265: Storytelling as a Strategic Leadership Tool

Tue, 27 May 2025 15:58:21 +0000

The best leaders don’t just inspire with data and direction—they move hearts and minds through storytelling. It’s not a soft skill; it’s a strategic one. Let’s dive into why storytelling remains one of the most powerful leadership tools in today’s fast-paced, information-saturated world.

Highlights include:

Referencing insights from storytelling experts and how specific types of stories help leaders create trust, communicate vision, and connect authentically with their teams and clients.

Storytelling creates emotional resonance and lasting impact.

Practical strategies for improving as a storyteller include journaling, following a framework, building storytelling muscles through intention and repetition; and working on active listening skills.

Whether you're in tech, sales, or executive leadership, this episode serves as a compelling reminder that stories don’t just inform—they transform. Pick up our journals and books by visiting appmeetup.com

Timestamps:

[00:03:46] Why storytelling as a strategic leadership tool.

[00:04:29] Storytelling experts

[00:14:16] Tips to refine and grow as a storyteller.

[00:15:34] Story framework.

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 264: Connecting and Empowering Through Communication

Tue, 20 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Effective communication is vital for connecting, empowering, and leading communities. Erika Irby, Director of Partner Marketing for the Americas at Microsoft is a purpose driven champion who speaks to the importance of internal communication, public speaking, and leadership awareness.

Highlights include:

A leadership style shaped by her early career in teaching, where she learned the value of adaptability and empathy.

Keep the audience in mind when considering messaging.

Bucket fillers and Erika's book entitled, Pieces of Me: A Poetry Collection. Be sure to find fulfillment in filling your own bucket.

Microsoft and D&I, Erika co-leading a Women of GPS, a chapter of Microsoft ERG & giving 'your floor space to someone.'

Sharing your voice about AI as 'that missing voice will impact future generations.'

Be a leader who finds fulfillment by uplifting others. Tune in to hear Erika’s story and her advice for aspiring tech leaders, and pick up her book, Pieces of Me: A Poetry Collection.

Time Stamps:

[00:06:40] Critical skill of communication

[00:19:57] Bucket fillers and writing a book

[00:23:26] D&I

[00:25:29] Speak up about AI & Copilot

[00:32:47] Opportunities in IT

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 263: Motivating Teams Starts With You

Tue, 13 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Can the essence of motivational leadership be clearly demonstrated and recognized? How can leaders inspire positive change and growth within their teams? It’s not just having the ability to create a vision and set clear goals; leaders must also be able to empower their teams with the necessary tools to succeed. Jon Rector, CEO of Renew Coaches and Area Director with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, shares his thoughts on how to motivate teams and why organizations should invest in leadership coaching.

Highlights include:

Origin of the name 'Renew Coaching.'

The concept of legacy leadership emphasizes that a leader’s legacy is not just what they leave behind, but what they instill in others through intentional actions.

Practical strategies for leaders to affirm, celebrate progress, and model values effectively—"it’s caught before it’s taught."

Impact of Executive Coaching on retention and ROI.

Follow Jon on LinkedIn and visit renewcoaches.com. Learn how you can renew your leadership approach and leave a meaningful legacy.

Key Chapters:

[00:10:08] Leaving a legacy

[00:12:40] "If you don't value people, they won't value you"

[00:17:15] Assessment tools

[00:20:54] Executive coaching has a 788% ROI

[00:23:13] Celebrating people and performance

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 262: Building Successful Pipelines

Tue, 06 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

This might be the perfect time to reimagine how to best reach your ICP; how to build a better pipeline. Ryan O’Hara, CEO and Co-Founder of PitchFire, a platform redefining how organizations and B2B teams build pipeline through paid prospecting, discusses a value added approach to your prospecting. Ryan challenges conventional outreach tactics, explaining why more automation doesn’t always mean better results.

Key Takeaways:

The outbound paradox.

Highly personalized outreach campaigns that prioritize engagement over volume, leading to real meetings.

How integration with AI is impacting prospecting (30% of sales messages using AI).

743 Billion prospecting touches will be ignored.

Get listed on the Pitchfire marketplace.

Components of a successful pitch framework.

Brand archetypes & social media.

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn and check out PitchFire.com to see how your team can break through the noise.

Timestamps:

[00:07:13] Effectiveness of paid prospecting

[00:14:54] Pitchfire marketplace, Chrome plugin

[00:15:51] Key to designing a great pitch

[00:21:54] Seth Godin, Purple Cow

[00:26:00] Brand archetypes

[00:37:11] Quickfire questions

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 261: PitchIT 2025

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

When passion meets purpose and opportunity, success takes flight. ConnectWise Channel Evangelist Sean Lardo and Andrea Barrow, Channel Marketing Manager share how the PitchIT Accelerator Program continues to fuel the future of the MSP ecosystem by transforming startup visions into thriving businesses.

Headlines include:

How PitchIT is far more than a "Shark Tank-style" competition.

A rigorous 16-week program covering everything from developing go-to-market strategies to product market fit.

26 startups are empowered to refine their story, build their foundation, and ultimately compete for a coveted spot on the IT Nation Connect stage in Orlando this November.

The impact speaks for itself with past finalists having a combined $3M+ in ARR growth.

If you're a startup ready to elevate your brand – or an MSP eager to shape the future – applications are open until April 30, 2025. Learn more at itnation.connectwise.com/pitchit and get ready to pitch with purpose! We look forward to seeing you at IT Nation Connect.

--- more ---

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Episode 260: Authentic Communication in a Digital Age

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In a world where communication is often filtered through screens, apps, and AI tools, the need for genuine connection has never been greater. Let’s explore how authenticity in communication is about being intentional, relatable, and human. Whether you're leading a hybrid team, writing emails, or building your brand, your message must resonate with clarity and heart.

Highlights include:

How misinterpretation is more likely in digital exchanges and how leaders must be proactive in creating space for open dialogue — to foster trust and connection.

The rise of AI writing tools and their impact on communication.

Authentic communication is a leadership tool that can strengthen credibility and thought leadership.

Personalize and refine content to keep it meaningful.

Amplify employee voices.

Don’t just sound human — be human.

Visit AppMeetup.com to learn more about partnering with our Programs.

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 259: IPP For Profitability & Growth

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:07:42 +0000

How can organizations drive sustainable growth and predictable profitability by refining not just their Ideal Customer Profile, but also their Ideal Partner Profile? With economic uncertainties impacting the market, it’s no longer sufficient to only understand who your ideal buyer is — businesses must now focus on identifying and investing in the right partnerships. We dive into questions like: What does an ideal partner look like? and What defines a fair, mutually beneficial partnership?

Key takeaways include:

Go Beyond the ICP: While knowing your ICP is crucial, the real growth may come from honing in on your IPP.
The Power of Balanced Partnerships: A successful partnership ensures that the client wins, the partner wins, and you win — avoiding one-sided relationships.
What Makes Partnerships Work: Strategic fit, aligned values, shared ICPs, and synchronized buying cycles.
Why Some Partnerships Fail: A lack of shared vision, poor alignment, or no clear go-to-market strategy.
Tools to Support Partnerships: Move beyond CRMs — consider Partner Relationship Management (PRM) tools to effectively manage partner engagement.
Examples of Great IPPs: Highlighting the Red Bull and GoPro collaboration — a case study in complementary brands going to market together.
The AppMeetup IPP Framework: A structured approach to evaluating partnerships that can help forecast revenue outcomes.
Tips for Success: Develop a partner-first strategy, communicate often, define shared goals, and go to market together.

Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, this is packed with actionable insights into building strategic alliances that fuel lasting growth. For more insight into identifying and building strategic partnerships, visit AppMeetup.com

--- more ---

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Episode 258: Learn, Travel and Grow

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Your journey of personal and professional growth may take you around the world. How much will you let your curiosity and thirst for learning propel you toward success? Justin Burns, CEO of Miestro, a video membership platform designed to empower creators, shares his experiences as an entrepreneur and to embrace “destiny moments.”

Highlights include:

Recognizing the value of self-education to building a leading e-learning tool.

Turning expertise into recurring revenue through intentional learning and community engagement.

Miestro is currently evolving beyond an LMS to incorporate features like AI assistance and built-in community tools, helping creators deliver more personalized and impactful content.

“Intentional travel” and how experiencing different cultures has shaped his entrepreneurial mindset.

Remember that you are the GOAT to someone.

Follow Justine via social media @ceojustinburns, explore Miestro.com, join his WhatsApp Group: G.O.A.T. Soulful Sundays, and visit https://rb.gy/fw6rb8 to grab a free digital copy of The Expert Code.

--- more ---

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Episode 257: The Retirement Roadmap

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:59:40 +0000

Mapping out your retirement isn’t just about financial planning—it’s about envisioning a fulfilling and purpose-driven life beyond your career. Wendy Leggett, a Professional Certified Coach and the Owner of Conflux Retirement Coaching LLC, shares how vital it is to be intentional with planning for a successful and fulfilling retirement transition.

Highlights include:

Guidance through the non-financial aspects of retirement, ensuring the right mindset at that next stage; with confidence, clarity, and a sense of purpose.

Embrace your new role as the "CEO of Me” and redefine what leadership means.

The importance of communication in relationships, social connections, and avoiding the epidemic of loneliness that can often accompany retirement.

As a special resource, Wendy is offering a complimentary coaching session and her Retirement Readiness Mini Workbook (https://bit.ly/44Ufsnm) to help listeners take the first steps toward designing a meaningful and regret-free retirement. Follow her on LinkedIn and visit confluxretirementcoaching.com/

--- more ---

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Episode 256: Bring the Energy as a Tech Leader

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 12:49:27 +0000

March is International Women’s Month, a time to celebrate the achievements and leadership of women across industries, including technology. With over 28 years of experience in sales, consulting, and digital transformation, returning guest Danielle Estrada, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Hitachi Solutions Americas, joins the conversation once again.

Highlights include:

Her leadership approach at Hitachi Solutions and why relationships matter.

Her dedication to fostering diverse talent in the tech space, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and embracing diverse perspectives.

Exploring industry trends, particularly in compliance, data security, and AI advancements.

Insights into how Hitachi Solutions is helping businesses navigate digital transformation.

Being an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and why you should know the “prompt.’

Her passions for mixology, finding the best online deals and the importance of self-care.

Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn and TikTok. Be sure to also follow Hitachi Solutions on LinkedIn

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 255: Glam Entrepreneurial Mindset

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Entrepreneurship is a journey and it is not for the faint of heart. It's about growth, resilience, and the courage to lead with authenticity. Tiffany Corbett has consistently embraced new opportunities and her entrepreneurial journey is a testament to adaptability, creativity, and an unwavering mindset.

Highlights include:

The power of mindset in achieving success.

From the bridal and wedding industry—where she built a successful brand and partnered with David’s Bridal—to becoming a judge for the Miss USA Pageant.

Her work in photography goes beyond capturing images; she sees it as a way to reflect beauty back to people.

Passion to help leaders grow.

Her latest venture, Grill Toolz, which she co-founded with her husband, Gabriel.

The challenges and rewards of working with a spouse, emphasizing the importance of communication and mutual respect.

Connect with Tiffany on LinkedIn and visit studio213.net/ and grilltoolz.com/

--- more ---

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Episode 254: Twins, Partnerships & Branding

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:04:00 +0000

Twins have a unique bond that often extends beyond shared birthdays and inside jokes—it can shape careers, partnerships, and even brand-building. Nona Prather, a seasoned speaker booking agent and co-owner of Speaker Elevation along with her twin brother Paul Potter, Business Owner and Fishing Guide share their unique journey as entrepreneurs and as twins.

Highlights include:

Nona building a career helping thought leaders get on stage and get paid for their expertise.

Paul traded his career in technology for a life spent on the water as a fishing guide and content creator.

Their father, a professional speaker and past President of The National Speakers Association, was a major influence in shaping their entrepreneurial journeys—teaching them the importance of networking, branding, and positioning themselves as industry leaders.

Branding success comes from understanding that the ‘riches are in the niches.’

Nona’s book, 24 Ways To Get Paid To Speak: How Experts Get Paid Thousands Of Dollars For Speaking.

Paul’s YouTube channel, @GrandLakeGuy

Visit speakerelevation.com to learn more about growing a speaking business, and grandlakefishinguide.com to book your next outing.

--- more ---

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Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 253: Scaling Sales Playbook

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:28:48 +0000

Scaling sales is a crucial process for any growing business, involving the implementation of tools, systems, and coaching to optimize sales team performance. AJ Mahar, Sales Performance Coach at Sellfire shares how by integrating AI-driven solutions, structured training, coaching and innovative methodologies, organizations can effectively accelerate and scale their sales growth.

Highlights include:

His journey into sales and his passion for helping organizations scale.

How AI is transforming the sales landscape and the importance of having a repeatable methodology for success.

Key concepts from his book with co-author Butch Hodson, Sales Lab Scripting: The Proven Playbook to Scientifically Crush Your Sales Goals.

A structured framework for scripting, testing, training, and managing sales processes.

Success stories of how companies integrating their methodology have seen a 207% increase in sales per representative.

Foster a growth mindset and implement effective coaching systems. Follow AJ on LinkedIn, visit Sellfire.com, and pick up your copy of Sales Lab Scripting: The Proven Playbook to Scientifically Crush Your Sales Goals on Amazon.

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 252: Product Success Framework

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Why do the majority of products that are launched every year fail? Don't play the blame game and examine the approach taken to introduce the product. Was there a lack of product-market fit? Did you appropriately identify your target audience? David Fradin, President of Spice Catalyst and a product management consultant, shares his framework for managing a successful product life cycle.

Highlights include:

Wealth of experience at HP and Apple includes shaping groundbreaking products like the Apple III and the first hard disk drive on a PC.

Insights on leadership, the importance of organizational values, and the role of quality management in building successful products.

His S.P.I.C.E. framework of Strategy, Process, Information, Customer, and Employees.

Emphasizing the need for proper training, and how a lack of education around product development competencies leads to significant financial waste.

The rapid advancement of AI and its impact on product management, and a caution to not lose sight of the customer experience amidst technological innovation.

The importance of conducting surveys, identifying 15 unmet needs before launching a product, and setting up "listening posts" to gauge market demand.

Pick up David's book, 'Building Insanely Great Products: Some Products Fail, Many Succeed' and visit SpiceCatalyst.com for more information.

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 251: The Power of Story Behind a Brand

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:53:59 +0000

Communicating your story effectively is at the heart of any successful brand and marketing strategy. How can you leverage creativity to build meaningful connections?

Jameson Pitts, Founder of Sangfroid, an Austin-based boutique creative marketing agency, and Co-Host of the ShowUp Podcast Program shares how storytelling within the rise of technology can set your organization apart.

Highlights include:

Building a career around transforming ideas into compelling narratives that resonate.

The pivotal moment with the University of Texas, Austin, that solidified Sangfroid as a true agency.

The evolution of the ShowUp Podcast, with co-host Leigh Lepore bringing business stories to life through an audio documentary format.

Placing emphasizes on curating high-quality content to earn listeners’ attention.

Insights into emerging trends in marketing, and the demand for talented directors and producers.

As an advocate for the thriving business landscape in Austin, Texas, Jameson also touches on what makes the city an innovation hub and how it continues to attract entrepreneurs.

Follow Jameson on LinkedIn and visit sangfroidstudio.com/ to learn more and for a consultation.

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 250: Lead Like a Giraffe

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:43:23 +0000

Great leaders are those who demonstrate a passion for learning and growing. If the appetite is there, significant lessons can be found from numerous places and sources, including from other leaders, books and nature itself. Author and Leadership Trainer Rosemarie Downer discusses her book, Leaders Are Like Giraffes: Leadership Lessons from a Most Unlikely Teacher.

Highlights include:

Insight into how the giraffe serves as a powerful metaphor for leadership, emphasizing key traits such as vision, resilience, and adaptability.

19 characteristics of the giraffe.

Effective leaders must be able to stand tall in the face of adversity, remain steady amid uncertainty, and lead with clarity and conviction.

Leaders must be willing to “stick their necks out,” taking calculated risks and embracing change while also fostering strong connections with their teams.

Great leaders focus on influence rather than manipulation, mentor others toward independence, and lead with authenticity rather than seeking constant validation.

She also touches on the importance of continuous growth, mentorship, and maintaining integrity.

Stand tall in your own leadership journey. Resources including a workbook and a downloadable PDF are available. Visit booksbyrosemarie.com to learn more.

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 249: Deliver Best Customer Outcomes

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 10:48:09 +0000

The journey of delivering the best customer outcome begins with having the necessary discussions—conversations with end-users as well as with strategic partners. With the future of DaaS expanding beyond device management to holistic IT services, Lenovo continues to drive and deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions.

Sukh Dhillon, Worldwide Director of Lenovo TruScale for Device as a Service (DaaS) Channel & SMB shares how Lenovo TruScale is transforming the way businesses and channel partners operate in today’s dynamic landscape.

Highlights include:

His leadership journey and insights into Lenovo’s growth as a channel centric organization.

Evolution toward a subscription-based service model, offering businesses a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective way to manage IT needs.

With SMBs facing challenges such as limited IT resources, tighter budgets, and the demand for rapid scalability, Lenovo TruScale provides a comprehensive solution that includes lifecycle management and IT support, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations.

Supporting partners with resources and managed service opportunities that drive recurring revenue and deeper client relationships.

The growing role of AI in predictive management and security, as well as the increasing importance of sustainability in IT solutions.

Follow Sukh on LinkedIn and visit Lenovo.com to learn more about the community and upcoming Road Shows.

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 248: Orchestrate Successful Channel Partnerships

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 11:00:00 +0000

There is an art to orchestrating successful channel partnership. The conductor masterfully unifies an orchestra to create a symphony; a harmonious masterpiece, with each note and nuance resonating together in perfect unison.

Jane Ashworth, Director of Global Strategic Channel Alliances at Lenovo shares what can be expected when an organization is magnificently aligned with its partners and consumers. Let’s dive into delivering innovative and value-driven solutions with both the partner and customer in mind.

Highlights include:

Her inspiring leadership journey.

Leadership emphasized by collaboration, trust, and a joint value proposition that empowers partners to thrive in an evolving tech landscape.

Her unique ability to foster collaboration and develop high-performing teams.

Lenovo 360 and their ongoing commitment to innovation, education, and empowering its partners.

Reclaiming the ‘M Word’

Diversity of voice, women representation and need for male leaders to sponsor

Follow Jane on LinkedIn and visit lenovo.com

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 247: The Fearless Female Leader

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Looking to elevate and exceed your organizational goals this year? Invest in your talent and empower your female leaders with Olympic level focus and confidence. We welcome back Mental Toughness and Certified High-Performance Coach Sheryl Kline to speak about her upcoming book, ‘The Fearless Female Leader.’

Sheryl draws on her experiences coaching world-class athletes, Olympians, and female leaders to create a transformative guide for women aspiring to lead with confidence, authenticity, and influence.

Highlights include:

A proven framework built on three pillars: clarity, confidence, and influence.

Actionable strategies such as 90-day goal planning, journaling for clarity, and building of your "confidence muscle" to silence self-doubt and overcome imposter syndrome.

Sheryl also underscores the power of influence, emotional intelligence, strategic-based empathy, authentic communication, and surrounding oneself with an internal board of directors.

The Fearless Female Leader aims to inspire not just women but also allies who believe in authentic, courageous leadership.

Pre-order The Fearless Female Leadership by visiting fearlessfemaleleadershipbook.com and join the movement to empower women to lead unapologetically.

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Book a Free 15-minute discovery call: dsbleadershipgroup.com/schedule-a-call/

Community: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Episode 246: Drive Meaningful Change

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:19:05 +0000

How can we drive meaningful change in technology? Leadership qualities such as vision, adaptability, empathy, and effective communication are pivotal in driving transformations that align with both personal and organizational goals. Allyship and technology can serve as powerful catalysts for cultivating more effective leaders.

Stacey Goodman, Senior Director of North America Solution Provider Sales at Lenovo shares why it is important to empower solution providers and mentor current and future generations of leaders.

Highlights include:

Insights into her role, highlighting how Lenovo aligns its cutting-edge technologies with the evolving needs of channel partners to ensure their success in an ever-competitive market.

Lenovo’s AI Initiative reflected in their commitment to expand their portfolio and investing in programs.

Being recognized as one of CRN’s 2024 Power 100 women in the channel, underscoring Lenovo’s commitment to diversity of leadership and innovation.

Stacey’s leadership philosophy, grounded in continuous learning and meaningful relationships.

Being a keynote speaker at The Women of the Channel Leadership conference, delivering an inspirational message about advocacy and allyship.

Follow Stacey on LinkedIn and visit Lenovo.com to learn more about their partner community.

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If you are looking to learn the art of audience engagement while listening for methods to conquer speaking anxiety, deliver persuasive presentations, and close more deals, then this is the podcast for you.

Twins Talk it Up is a podcast where identical twin brothers Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown discuss leadership communication strategies to support professionals who believe in the power of their own authentic voice.

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 245: Solving End-User Problems with Feedback

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 15:37:10 +0000

By actively listening to end-users and strategic partners, businesses can identify pain points, address gaps in their products or services, and implement solutions that enhance satisfaction and usability. Feedback also fosters a collaborative environment where both trust and loyalty increases, providing direct insights into experiences, challenges, needs and sets up all parties involved for better outcomes.

Dana Ryan, General Manager of Lenovo North America’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) shares insights into the value of feedback, partnerships and allies.

Highlights include:

Experience from a decade-long journey at Lenovo, highlighting their focus on innovation, AI capabilities, and sustainable solutions.

Importance of a customer-centric approach, commitment to fostering diversity, and its inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index.

Emphasis on the importance of feedback, open solutions, and flexible financial options to meet client needs.

Reflected on her leadership philosophy, advocacy for women in tech, and exciting partnerships with F1 and FIFA that showcase Lenovo’s emphasis on speed and precision.

Follow Dana on LinkedIn and visit Lenovo.com to learn more about their continued impact in the partnership community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 244: Impact of Learning & Development Programs

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 13:37:26 +0000

Learning journeys are designed around formal and informal training programs that support growth initiatives, ingrain new knowledge, build existing skills and boost professional development. AppMeetup Executive Coach and VP Partner Growth Jennifer Brown makes a special appearance to help host the program as we welcome Sabine Leuthner, Director of Global Sales Learning & Development for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at Lenovo.

Highlights include:

Sabine’s leadership philosophy centered on empowerment, inclusivity, and fostering collaboration.

Meeting the learner where they are means being able to create engaging, accessible, and adaptable learning programs that align with organizational goals and cultural contexts.

Engagement strategies include leveraging AI to personalize and enhance learning while maintaining the critical human connection.

Measuring the effectiveness of programs, including a framework for KPIs, as well studying quantitative and qualitative feedback.

The evolving role of leaders in learning and development, and the need to support women in leadership.

Her passion for curiosity and growth inspires listeners to invest in their development and leadership journeys.

Follow Sabine on LinkedIn and visit lenovo.com for more information about programs and resources supporting the community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 243: Be a Go-Giver

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 13:35:44 +0000

Is it possible to think that you can find greater fulfillment and success when you focus more on providing value? Renowned speaker and coauthor of the international bestseller The Go-Giver, Bob Burg shares how you can find that gratifying and rewarding result when you shift your focus from getting to that of giving. The Go-Giver is an international best seller with over 1 Million copies sold and translated into 30 languages. Let’s become Go-Givers!

Highlights include:

Define value and discover what others need or want and solve their problems.

5 Laws of Stratospheric Success - Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity, and Receptivity.

The opposite of a 'Go-Giver is not a Go-Getter. The opposite is a Go-Taker

Foster meaningful connections, and stand out in competitive environments.

Reflecting on Bob’s speaking journey, his relationship with ConnectWise, and his commitment to inspiring a Go-Giver culture.

Follow Bob on LinkedIn and visit Burg.com to learn more about the Go-Giver way.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 242: Conference Wrap Up; Now Build

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:41:15 +0000

Described by an attendee as the 'Super Bowl for MSPs', IT Nation Connect did not fail to deliver. Events and communities like IT Nation are vital to ensuring you are fitted with necessary tools and resources to meet the demands for greater protection, support and growth. This is why over 7,000 attended IT Nation Evolve, Summit and Connect in-person or virtually. The week was filled with incredible workshops, activities, coaching, performances and speakers from all over the world, including Tony Hawk and Bob Burg.

You've made it through an amazing conference; now what? It's time to make sure you've made the most of your conference experience. Did you hit your goals? Are your next steps clearly outlined? Gregg Lalle, SVP & GM of IT Nation shares how TSPs and leaders can build from the momentum of the week.

Highlights include:

Amazing growth of ConnectWise and IT Nation, including 3,500+ in-person attendees with 150+ solutions partners.

Some of his key takeaways from IT Nation Evolve, Channel Summit and Connect.

Benefits of joining a peer group.

An unashamed recognition of others making an impact within the community.

Opening Keynote as well as the handoff from Jason Magee to Manny Rivelo.

3 Pillars of IT Nation: Community of Communities, Partner-Centric Ecosystem, Education First.

Slogan of "Wise Together. Rise Together"

The live event may be over, but you can still register for a FREE virtual pass and access 100+ on-demand sessions and 6 Keynotes through February 8th.

Follow Gregg on LinkedIn and visit connectwise.com/theitnation to learn more about IT Nation.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 241: AI Hipsters & Computer Vision

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:56:53 +0000

The attack landscape continues to evolve and threat actors are going beyond the office to creatively attack where your employees and team members are. Chris Cleveland, Founder of PIXM joins us to share how organizations can prevent phishing scams and enhance threat detection with 'eyes in the browser.’

Highlights include:

Leadership journey and why start PIXM.

Ally of AI computer vision to identify new phishing attacks, and providing added protection at the browser level.

Phishing is not just an email security challenge, but an issue across all social platforms including the use of QR Codes and text messaging.

Making it easy to work with the community and the impact being made in the educational market.

Growing with the IT Nation Community.

Follow Chris on LinkedIn and visit pixmsecurity.com/partners/signup/ to learn more about becoming a channel partner.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 240: A Platform to Empower MSPs

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:30:07 +0000

Empowering the Managed Service Providers (MSPs) community involves equipping them with the necessary tools, resources, and support to drive growth, improve service delivery and strengthen client relationships.

Dor Eisner, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardz, a cybersecurity company focused on protecting small and medium-sized businesses shares how they are addressing the unique challenges SMBs face, such as limited budgets and IT resources, by providing a unified, easy-to-use platform that integrates security and compliance tools.

Highlights include:

Background from being a commander in the Intelligence force.

Meeting with cyber insurance carriers to better understand the type of attacks they are dealing with to develop their framework.

The importance of education and partnerships, like their collaboration with SentinelOne, to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Encouraging SMBs to prioritize cybersecurity through basic protections and trusted solutions. Hiring the best talent to stay ahead of the competition and threats.

Building and strengthening partnerships within IT Nation.

Follow Dor on LinkedIn and visit guardz.com/ to learn more about their unified platform for threat detection and response across identities, emails, devices and data.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 239: A Voice to Breathe

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:36:50 +0000

Sensitive topics aren’t easy to address, but they are necessary until true change occurs. The temptation is to become angry and choose sides instead of taking the time to pause, inject empathy and simply breathe. Jamie Burton-Oare, CEO of Jomaja Films, and actor Stephen Hill, speak to the power of storytelling through their impactful short film, Breathe.

Highlights include:

Marking the 10th anniversary of Eric Garner’s death with a project to address systemic injustice and explore resilience and humanity in moments of crisis.

The Journey Breathe the Film is on for recognition and with the goal of being nominated for “Live Action Short Film’ award by the Academy.

The creative process behind Breathe, including collaborations with amazing actors, key figures and Grammy-winning artist Shabazz Palaces.

Magnum P.I., Voiceovers and Auditions.

The value of networking, including HBCUs and Film Festivals.

Storytelling is an amazing tool that can be used for social change. Don’t be led by fear but be guided to serve, protect and elevate voices. Continue to elevate your leadership, creativity, and impact.

Visit jomajafilms.com/ to keep up with news on Breathe and follow Jamie and Stephan on Instagram with the following handles:

@stephenhillacts

@jamieburtonoare

@jomajafilms

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 238: Be a Champion

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 15:11:51 +0000

Being a champion for diversity and women in the tech sector involves actively promoting, supporting, and driving efforts to ensure greater representation, inclusion, and equity for women and underrepresented groups in the technology industry. Michelle Ragusa-McBain, Global Channel Chief at SonicWall, is one such champion.

Highlights include:

Michelle stated that we are her favorite twins.

Ties husband Jay McBain for the most appearances on our programs.

Love of travel and taking her children along. The beauty of exposure and perspective.

Michelle’s passion for elevating women and leaders of diversity within tech; to be seen and heard.

Key moments from IT Nation, including discussions on the evolving challenges of cybersecurity and the importance of empowering the MSP community.

A glimpse into SonicWall’s future, emphasizing investments in partner-focused strategies, innovative solutions, and advancements in automation and AI to strengthen cybersecurity efforts.

Follow Michelle on LinkedIn and visit sonicwall.com to learn more about their cybersecurity products, services and network of partners.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 237: Driven for Growth

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:32:54 +0000

The challenges of cyber attacks and threat actors place immense pressure on Managed Service Providers, who serve as the guardians of countless businesses. But MSPs don’t have to face these battles alone. Aaron Torres, Cisco’s Business Development Leader for MSSPs shares insights on building strategic security partnerships that empower MSPs & MSSPs to create robust defenses.

Highlights include:

Being driven for personal growth and organization success.

Leveraging partnerships to tackle modern cybersecurity challenges.

Cisco MSSP Program & Ecosystem partners.

What in addition to profitability should be considered when choosing partnerships.

Why MSPs & MSSPs should invest more into their clients.

Leading a Panel Discussion at IT Nation Connect.

Follow Aaron on LinkedIn, visit Cisco.com to learn more about their Partner program, and grab your favorite snack or candy.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 236: Build with IQ, EQ & GQ

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

What is the formula for successful growth? Is there an equation or recipe that every leader and organization should follow? Nick Heddy, President and Chief Commerce Officer at Pax8, shares leadership insights on what has contributed to the success he has experienced.

Highlights include:

His incredible journey from being the eighth employee at Pax8 to leading its transformative growth.

servant leadership, and fostering a culture of gratitude and collaboration.

IQ, EQ & GQ with GQ (Grit Intelligence).

Admiring leaders and his commitment to mentorship and coaching

Scaling a rapidly growing company while staying true to its mission and values with an emphasis on being agile.

Growing powerful communities, including with the ConnectWise ecosystem.

The future of cloud solutions and the launch of Pax8's Voyager Alliance Partner Program.

Follow Nick on LinkedIn and visit pax8.com/en-us/ to learn more about the marketplace and community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 235: Beyond the Hype: Strategies for SMB Growth

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:47:00 +0000

Having a thorough understanding of your ideal target market, being able to develop an effective strategic marketing plan, and managing finances are just some of the various elements necessary for any small to medium-sized business looking to have consistent success and growth. Savvy business owners take every opportunity to maximize their potential for success.

Maceik Szczesniak, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer with the B2SMB Institute talks about the importance of community to support and help organizations scale and succeed. With over 4,000 members, the B2SMB Institute bridges insights, partnerships, and resources to empower businesses serving the small-to-medium business (SMB) market.

Highlights include:

How the name Magic came about and his journey to B2SMB.

The Institute’s mission of connecting brands and service providers with SMBs in impactful ways.

Research reveals that SMBs are only half as productive when compared with larger organizations.

When you should wear your ‘business owners hat' and not your ‘technology hat.'

Reflecting on his experience at the IT Nation Connect Conference, his key takeaways, trends, and new partnerships that align with B2SMB’s goals.

His excitement about partnering with Universities and higher education.

Follow Magic on LinkedIn, send him an email at info@gowithmagic.com and visit b2smbi.com/ to learn more about their resources and the power of networking.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 234: Automate Compliance and Harden Endpoints

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:25:20 +0000

Cyber threats evolve rapidly, making it challenging for MSPs to stay ahead. How can we further empower MSPs to simplify security while scaling their businesses? That’s where Senteon Cybersecurity steps in, transforming endpoint security into a scalable, automated solution. Zach Kromkowski, Chief Customer Officer at Senteon and the winner of the PitchIT 2024 competition, shares his insights into revolutionizing cybersecurity for MSPs by focusing on endpoint hardening.

Highlights include:

Simplifying the process of hardening endpoints and automation to streamline compliance.

Success stories from the MSP community.

Embracing an adventurous RV lifestyle

Educational webinar series.

Having the mindset of expecting to win and the support needed for entrepreneurs and early stage organizations.

Experience being a part of the PitchIT Accelerator Program and being named the Winner of PitchIT 2024.

Follow Zach on LinkedIn and visit senteon.co/ to learn more about solutions to safeguard and optimize your endpoints.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 233: Insurance Strategies for MSPs

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:07:57 +0000

As an MSP, there is another layer to the QBR you should have with your clients. Have that conversation surrounding the fear of uncertainty and doubt around insurance. Doug Kreitzberg, Founder and CEO of SeedPod Cyber, speaks to the importance of including a value equation that addresses the importance of protecting digital relationships.

Some Highlights:

Communicating risk via the common language of ‘dollars.’

How much risk do you want to take vs mitigate vs transfer?

Education is vital including how to have a conversation around the governance of risk.

Training to promote ‘healthy digital behaviors.’

Leverage resources including an AI driven tool to support with the risk assessment process, and an eBook, demonstrating how risk can be turned into revenue,

Leadership lessons from theatre, including the concept of performance and being intentionally aware.

Experience from being a PitchIT Accelerator Cohort and Finalist.

Follow Doug on LinkedIn and visit seedpodcyber.com/ to learn more about protecting your organization.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 232: Save and Optimise Energy Consumption

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:17:51 +0000

As an MSP, how can you bring added value for your clients? How can small changes in energy consumption make a big impact on savings and strengthen client relationships? Daniel Ellis, Founder of PC Powersave, a SaaS company revolutionizing energy efficiency in the IT industry shares insight into how MSPs can add value by including within their QBRs, a portion about monitoring and optimizing energy usage and leveraging rebates.

Highlights include:

Misconceptions about energy conservation, tangible cost and energy savings.

Daniel’s unique pandemic pivot to creating face shields.

Looking ahead and envisioning a future where IT professionals play a more active role in facility management through smart technologies.

Being a Finalist in the 2024 ConnectWise PitchIt Accelerator program & competition.

Take advantage of PC Powersave's year-end offer to start saving today!

Follow Daniel Ellis on LinkedIn and visit pcpowersave.com to learn more.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 231: Benchmark and Know the Data

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:03:04 +0000

How do you know what success looks like? How can you measure up and compare your organization's size, revenue and niche with other technology solution providers? What are the metrics your organization should know? Know the data and build with the data in mind.

Peter Kujaw, Vice President and General Manager of Service Leadership, a ConnectWise Solution shares how important it is to understand what's driving performance. Benchmarking allows Technology Service Providers to form objective assessments of their performance, and they help them to make improvements and hopefully attain best practice or ‘best in class.’

Highlights include:

Power of data to transform your business.

NSPCOA - The Normalized Solution Provider Chart of Accounts, helps to capture trends and to reveal what 'good' is.

How ConnectWise entered the picture and the impact of that dynamic relationship for the overall community.

How 'Best in Class' is determined.

What stood out to him from the Q3 Data Insights.

Impact of AI and Security services for an MSP.

The SLIQ platform.

Peter’s advice to not panic and to join a peer group, like Evolve.

Follow Peter on LinkedIn and visit service-leadership.com to take the Compensation Survey and receive a free copy of the Service Leadership Index 2025 Annual IT Solution Provider Compensation Report.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 230: Focus on Partner Success

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:45:02 +0000

A good onboarding experience with new partners is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire relationship; and, helps to build trust and loyalty, while increasing the likelihood of a long-term retention. This could translate into producing advocates and evangelists of the community.

AJ Adade, VP Onboarding & Consulting, ConnectWise, shares some thoughts on how focusing on the success of the partner can translate into success of the organization.

Highlights include:

Family background and how the military has helped to shape his leadership.

Leadership foundation and why ConnectWise.

Onboarding mindset and journey into the ecosystem.

How success is measured; it's about the partner's success.

The impact of testimonials and community.

Be clear with your growth destination by starting "with the end in mind."

Follow AJ on LinkedIn and keep up with the IT Nation community by visiting connectwise.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 229: Shape the Future Together

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:17:45 +0000

The balance between technological advancements and preserving meaningful client relationships is vital to the overall success of any technology service provider. To ensure continued growth, there should also be a commitment to partner feedback.

We sat down with Jeff Bishop, Chief Product Officer at ConnectWise, during the IT Nation Connect Conference to explore the transformative impact of AI and automation on Managed Service Providers (MSPs).

Highlights include:

How ConnectWise is integrating AI into its solutions, enhancing service delivery, and addressing cybersecurity challenges while maintaining a strong emphasis on the human element in technology.

Touching on the Asio platform's strengths, such as its adaptive UX and modular design, as key innovations supporting MSPs.

His insights on leadership, emphasizing long-term vision and empowering teams.

Brainstorming and the 5 Whys methodology.

Jeff's Conference experience.

Follow Jeff on LinkedIn and visit connectwise.com to learn more about the ASIO platform, including the ability to watch a live demo.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 228: The Power of Community

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:13:00 +0000

Instead of randomly building your network, what if we could create communities that helped everyone involved achieve their goals together? These intentional relationships can help accelerate growth and success through a common commitment to learning, encouragement and accountability.

Pete Sorensen, Vice President Strategic Initiatives at ConnectWise joins us to help kick off IT Channel Summit and IT Nation Connect with some thoughts about the power of community. Highlights include:

The IT Nation Mission for the community is "Wise Together, Rise Together".

A focus to provide resources and support for the vendors in the community.

The peer group story often goes from, 'misery loves company' to 'I can learn and not make mistakes myself,' and then to 'benchmarking' and success.

Viewing mentorship as a gift.

Pete’s love for the Iowa State football program.

Leadership lessons learned from the farm and his family

Follow Pete on LinkedIn and visit ConnectWise.com to learn more about the IT Nation community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 227: Earn the Right to Sell

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:01:39 +0000

As a sales professional, you have to earn the right to ask questions. This is at the very foundation of being a great sales consultant. You do this by getting to know your prospect first. Keep asking until you uncover what really matters to them.

Richard Harris, Founder of The Harris Consulting Group and co-founder of Surf and Sales shares how essential it is for every sales leader to earn that right through active listening, understanding human psychology, and by establishing a mutual level of respect. When you’ve earned that right, they will be in a position to receive what you have to share.

Highlights include:

The goal is to get people to 'fall in trust' with us.

Integrating an ‘AI function within your sales stack.'

Importance of mental health awareness and support for sales professionals; search 'The State of Mental Health in Sales.'

Leading with vulnerability as 'everybody wants to be seen, heard and understood.'

Surf and Sales Summit.

Impactful relationships including Scott Leese, Jeff Riseley and Ralph Barsi.

His book, 'The Seller's Journey: Your Guidebook to Closing More Deals with N.E.A.T. Selling.’

Follow Richard on LinkedIn, send him a text on his cell and go to SurfandSales.com to learn more about the summit and community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 226: Relationships are Key to Growth

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Why do relationships matter, and why are they essential for long-term success and growth? Trust is the foundation of healthy, thriving relationships, acting as the key currency that strengthens connections. Now may be an ideal time to conduct a "temperature check" with your current customers and strategic partners to assess and deepen these bonds.

Chris Black, Chief Revenue Officer at Jolera, shares about the importance of cultivating existing relationships and leveraging strategic alliances for incredible growth and success.

Highlights include:

Jolera’s approach to building globally and the strength of their partnership with Lenovo; their depth of expertise and engagement.

Finding talent all over the world.

It’s about quality over quantity.

Focusing on activity based selling and the power of understanding.

Insight into his soon to be released book, which features his sales strategies and methodology for training; including MIA, which stands for Measurement, Inspection and Accountability.

Are Conferences worth it?

Follow Chris on LinkedIn and visit jolera.com to learn more about their MSP, their global reach and their partnership with Lenovo.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 225: Delivery Responsible AI

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

As workflows become more automated and the use of cloud and communication platforms becomes more commonplace, organizations are understandably more concerned about their digital security postures. Prioritizing protection and delivering responsible AI are expected.

Doug Fisher, Senior Vice President and Chief Security and AI Officer with Lenovo shares thoughts on Lenovo’s responsible AI governance initiative as well as guiding successful teams.

Highlights include:

Lenovo Pantheon platform.

Military background and training as core to providing teams with structure, clarity of expectation and permission to lead.

Teamwork and responsibility to deliver secure, ethical and reliable products.

Joining the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC).

Partnership with Formula One as they are all about performance.

Lenovo Tech World 2024 Conference.

His commitment to Oregon State University.

Follow Doug on LinkedIn and visit lenovo.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 224: Magic Agents to the Rescue

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:11:00 +0000

“Death to the Ticket!” This is the war cry from an organization shaking up the MSP community. When you increase the ability to service the needs of your clients, you increase profit margins while reducing both costs and stress.

Matt Linn, Cofounder and COO of Thread shares an exciting update to support IT solution providers.

Highlights include:

When you think service delivery, think integrated chat with Thread.

AI Powered automation to remove the administrative burden.

Life after becoming the 2023 PitchIT Accelerator Winner.

The dynamics of what makes his partnership work with Co-Founder Mark Alayev.

Essential that you maximize your 'time and attention', your opportunity to shine.

Core Values of Radical, Intentional, Customer Craziness aka Customer Centricity.

Magic Agents; an agent dynamic reasoning platform.

Follow Matt on LinkedIn and visit getthread.com/ to request a free demo and to learn more about ‘Magic Agents.’

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 223: Help Secure Their World

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

For Managed Service Providers, sustainable growth is not just about increasing revenue; it’s about building a forward managed IT services model that adapts to their customers’ requirements while operating efficiently and increasing profits. There is an expectation of growth with a keen eye on managing costs. A strategy that many MSPs are implementing is that of aligning with industry partners who can help with sustainability and support best-of-class solutions.

Kris Shoemaker, Head of Channel Sales, and Alexandra Kehayas, Head of Marketing at Cavelo share how their proactive all-in-one attack surface management solution is supporting those stated goals, including the opportunity for net new revenue streams. Cavelo's vision is to help MSPs gain greater visibility and insight 'into the world of their customers.'

Highlights include:

Create net new forms of revenue for your MSP.

Elements of their platform to help offset current tool sets, lessen administration overhead and create net new revenue around data discovery and identity access management.

Their Cavelo Connect Community.

Resources including their ‘How to Conduct a PII Data Audit’ and 'The Definitive Guide to Attack Surface Management.'

Their involvement as a PitchIT Accelerator Cohort.

Alexandra's creativity and her Cavelo rap as well as Chris providings a Cavelo pitch.

What's on the horizon for Cavelo.

Follow Kris and Alexandra on LinkedIn and visit cavelo.com/ to learn more about their solutions and community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 222: Leverage AI to streamline content creation

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:33:33 +0000

AI is revolutionizing how businesses reach their target audience. Additionally, new opportunities are unlocked to better understand and expand engagement with your consumers. Being able to connect at this level could mean an increase in referrals as well as customer retention.

Jessica Koehn, Social Media Manager at ConnectWiseshares how AI can be used to optimize content and brand messaging, while improving employee involvement. This is a special episode as we enter IT Nation Connect 24; a premier MSP event in Orlando, Florida.

Highlights include:

You build your brand when you "share something memorable."

Can use AI as a brainstorming partner, to reproduce and repurpose content.

IT Nation Connect Conference will feature incredible speakers and events, including a keynote by Tony Hawk & an appearance by Stone Temple Pilots.

Employee Advocacy Program; need to make it easy to share content.

Design of marketing campaigns to reflect the different generations; how to best connect with the attendees.

How Jessica stays grounded, including the importance of time management.

Follow Jessica on LinkedIn and visit connectwise.com/theitnation to learn more about the community. If you are in Orlando, Florida for IT Nation Connect, stop by Podcast Alley aka Media Row to see your favorite twins.

Social Media Strategy for MSPs: https://tinyurl.com/yhbmds2w

Prompt Engineering Guide: https://tinyurl.com/3t8n537j

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 221: The Leadership and Business of College Athletics - Part 2

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:41:22 +0000

Welcome back! This is Part 2 and a continuation of a conversation with Dr. Jafus Kenyatta Cavil on the importance of leadership within the shifting landscape of College sports.

Highlights include:

Significance of College Football Conference Realignment or as Dr. Cavill puts it, "the Conference Churning is real."

Covid and the fight for Conferences to survive.

Professionalism and careful handling of trusted information from University leadership

Coach Prime Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter and attention to HBCU brands

NIL, and ability of student athletes to earn a share.

The layers of decision makers and influencers shaping Conference Realignment and University moves.

His program and chemistry with his co hosts.

Future of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)

Follow Dr. Cavil on LinkedIn and other social media platforms @DrKenyattaCavil and tune in to 'Inside the HBCU Sports Lab.'

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 220: The Leadership and Business of College Athletics - Part 1

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:13:01 +0000

Sports have the amazing ability to bring people together. How has Covid, NIL and Media shaped the shifting landscape of college sports? There are not many who are able to masterfully speak on the intersection of sports and academic leadership as Dr. Cavil is able to on a multitude of platforms. Dr. Jafus Kenyatta Cavil is an educator, author, media personality and he serves as the Interim Dean and Executive Director of the COE Doctoral Center in the College of Education at Texas Southern University. He is a leading voice on sport business leadership, entertainment, and sports analytics.

Highlights include:

Dr. Cavil's journey as an engineer and educator.

Influential voices within the space and his path into HBCU Sports.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) experience and culture.

HBCUs being underfunded by billions and the impact on both the community and the economy.

Challenges that University leadership face.

Follow Dr. Cavil on LinkedIn and other social media platforms @DrKenyattaCavil and tune in to 'Inside the HBCU Sports Lab.'

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 219: Position Your Business for Success

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:04:16 +0000

As an entrepreneur or the owner of a small business, how do you know if you have the right framework, processes and tools to stay on track and sustain success? You may be someone who is capable of wearing many different hats, but can you also keep up with compliance, changes in the law and with the advancement of technology? When should you bring in experts and resources to assist with the areas that may be redundant or with those areas you are not as familiar or comfortable with?

Attorney Shahara Wright touches on the importance of not neglecting those areas that often may be neglected and to address setting your organization up for success and avoid unnecessary issues down the road. She is the Founder of The Wright Firm, and she serves as the VP & General Counsel with the Clean Energy Fund of Texas.

Highlights include:

Her leadership journey and experiences from attending both an HBCU and a PWI.
What to know about patents, trademarks and protecting your intellectual property.
Takeaways from her book.
Value of inviting outside experts and resources to support your organization.
Her new role as VP & General Counsel with the Clean Energy Fund of Texas.
The importance of self-care.

Follow her on LinkedIn and pick up a copy of her book, 'From Entrepreneur to CEO: How to Position Your Business to Accelerate Growth'.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 218: Deliver a Return on Experience

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 13:58:51 +0000

When you consider the success of your organization, don’t fall into the trap of focusing on the Return of Investment without considering the impact of the Return on Experience. How have your investments into product development, sales, training and marketing impacted customer success? Customer satisfaction and their experience with you, your product and or service is what drives true success. This is the new success metric.

Ed SooHoo, Lenovo’s Worldwide Chief Technology Officer (CTO) - Global Accounts shares how we can leverage communication skills and not just technology to drive experiences as well as growth. Highlights include:

Ed’s leadership journey including his time as a competitive 3 Cushings Billiards professional.

Acronym after Acronym to reflect important concepts and messages.

Connecting through the art of storytelling and learning to ask the right questions; questions that are relevant, contextual and provoking.

Earn the right for engagement.

His passion for continual learning.

Leaders help others become BOLD; in other words, Believe, Own, Live and Drive it.

Follow Ed on LinkedIn, check out his creative content on YouTube and visit lenovo.com for insight into upcoming events and announcements. Ed is truly one that helps Lenovo clients rethink their Now, New and their Next.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 217: Build & Win the Channel

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:30:07 +0000

What differentiates successful channel partner programs from less successful ones? The entire fabric of the Vendor-Partner relationship hinges on agility, alignment of goals and to ensure the best possible partner experience. This is at the heart and foundation of the Lenovo 360 Global Channel Partner Framework.

Pascal Bourguet, the Global Channel Chief & VP International Markets COO at Lenovo shares his vision and expectation for growing and supporting their partner community through their ambitious 360 Global Channel Framework.

Highlights include:

His approach to building global teams with the very best talent.

Being recognized in 2023 as one of the top 50 most influential channel chiefs by CRN.

Planning with the mindset of ‘don't break, but build.’

Building with a view of simplicity, agility and predictability.

4 elements of the value proposition: channel centricity, cloud portfolio, outcome based solution selling, flexibility of service offerings.

Not being satisfied as we 'can further accelerate the program.'

How he is able to perform at his peak performance.

Experiencing the Summer Olympic Games.

Follow Pascal on inkedIn and visit lenovo.com/ to stay informed about product releases, the channel partner program and to learn about the upcoming Lenovo Tech World 24’ Conference.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 216: Soft Skills Success in Real Estate & Sport

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

How can mastering soft skills equate to success for any leader or athlete looking to advance their career or profile? How can growth with interpersonal people skills, social skills, communication skills and emotional intelligence lead to effectively navigating complex environments and achieve amazing goals?

Real estate entrepreneur, author and Founder of Soft Skills Sports, Luke Andrews shares his thoughts on the importance of this skill for every Real Estate professional and Athlete. He has a passion for trying to change lives through normalizing trials, tribulations, failures and successes.

Highlights include:

Correlation between corporate and athletics.

Ask, 'What is my 10 Million Dollar difference?'

Don't shy from your struggles and weaknesses.

Active listening is a must.

3 P's of Preparation, Posture and Projection.'

'Remove the emotion and maintain the passion.'

'You can feel a smile' and this is why he places a mirror on every desk.

To learn more about Luke and his work, visit lukeandrews.us and softskillsports.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 215: Negotiate and Get What You are Worth

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:03:40 +0000

You’ve crushed the interviews and are now being presented with a compensation and benefits package. Should you accept the offer? Have you considered other forms of compensation, such as equity or stock options; or, additional benefits including severance, travel packages and milestone bonuses?

Joining us is Devon Hennig, who shares how he helps leaders take the stress out of negotiating for the best possible deal. He believes that you should never leave ‘money’ on the table and that you should earn what you are worth. Is it time that you got paid and not played?

Devon is the Founder of Boardroom Confidential, A private community for senior executives and the Author of 8 books, including, "The Sr. Compensation Bible" and "How to Be VP."

Highlights include:

Mistakes are often made around how leaders negotiate equity and severance packages.

Understanding more creative forms of bonuses.

Employers are expecting you to negotiate.

The effectiveness of positioning statements.

His book, 'The Senior Compensation Bible' as a resource and guide for defining the ‘what and the how’ in positioning yourself for the most out of your next negotiation.

Producing content on social media platforms.

Soon to uncover his new private community.

Follow Devon on LinkedIn and learn more about Devon’s community by visiting boardroomconfidential.com

Use the Code 'Twins' for your 20% discount when you order your one copy of, ‘The Compensation Bible’.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 214: Forward Thinking Tech Solutions

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 13:37:00 +0000

Having a plan for how technology will evolve and being able to address the demands of a growing consumer base is essential if you want to remain a global leader. Success at this level means having a strategic planning process that factors not only trends, but also potential scenarios. This is looking 2, 3 or even 5 years ahead.

Tom Butler, Executive Director of Worldwide Commercial Portfolio and Product Management at Lenovo shares insight into how he leads with the future in mind. This includes factoring the impact of their global commercial Notebook business; their ThinkPad and ThinkBook.

Highlights include:

Bringing AI capabilities to local devices.

Future forward discussions.

GPU, CPU and the NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

Value of time.

‘Tomisms’ including The 3 P's of Personal, Protected and Productive as well as his STT Culture to empower Speed, Trust and Transparency.

Incorporating activities to stay at his very best.

Connect with Tom on inkedIn and visit lenovo.com/ to stay informed about product releases and learn about the upcoming Lenovo Tech World 24’ Conference.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 213: Customer Success Impacts Growth

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0000

A recipe for any successful organization includes having a great product or service and an effective sales methodology with a forward thinking marketing approach. Core to sustainability and continued growth involves being able to maximize the lifetime value of your customers.

Vic Kasoff, a VP of Partner Success for a national behavioral health company, speaks to the benefit of integrating a well-defined customer success strategy. Customer Success involves understanding and meeting the needs and expectations of your customers. By prioritizing customer success, organizations can increase retention, create loyalty and increase revenue growth.

Highlights include:

Vic’s leadership journey.

Analyzing and understanding the customer journey.

Improve opportunities for new customers by creating advocates who provide referrals, create strong case studies, and finding potential upsells and cross sales.

Be proactive as churn typically happens when there is a disconnect.

The role of storytelling and the essential need for transparent communication, both internally and externally.

Work-life balance involves boundaries and learning to be present.

To learn more about Vic's approach to managing customer success journeys and leadership teams, connect with him on LinkedIn.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 212: The Power of Silence

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:16:01 +0000

Silence can at times seem uncomfortable and invite uncertainty. Does the speaker know what they are talking about; can they navigate and respond to challenging questions; why do they appear so nervous?

How can silence be used strategically to your advantage? How can pausing for a brief moment, grant permission to 'soak' in what has been shared, set the stage for transitioning to the next point or even be used to reset or reframe your thoughts?

We discuss the power of silence and how this can be effective for overcoming those dreaded 'filler words', control the rhythm and set the stage for you to shine as the subject matter expert - SME. A well-timed pause can also present an opportunity to emphasize key points and evoke emotion. Don't forget the impact of silence through your body language.

To learn more about our soft skills training and public speaking coaching, visit appmeetup.com

Also look for our books and journals on Amazon, including our Public Speaking Book, Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 211: Self-Reflection in Leadership Development

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:55:45 +0000

How can taking time to reflect benefit your success journey? Effective leaders understand the value of self-reflection and actively incorporate it into their leadership practices.

In this episode, we will delve into the importance of introspection and the impact examination can have on leadership development. Leadership is not just about guiding others; leadership is also about personal growth through continuous assessment. By taking the time to reflect, leaders can identify both strengths and weaknesses, increase self-awareness, uncover blind spots, and discover patterns of behavior that may be impacting or contributing to their success.

Leaders who prioritize self-reflection inspire their teams to adapt, embrace feedback and innovation, while expecting continuous improvement. Promote learning and growth by making self-reflection a regular part of your routine.

A few examples of effective leaders who practice self-reflection include:

Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.

Howard Schultz, former Chairman and CEO of Starbucks.

Oprah Winfrey, Media Producer and Philanthropist.

Investor, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, Ray Dalio.

To learn more about tools and resources to support your leadership goals, visit appmeetup.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 210: 5 things to do for closing out 2024

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:13:22 +0000

What should you know if you want to close 2024 strongly and ensure a great start to 2025?

5 Things to know plus a Bonus:

1. Know your numbers.

2. Know what your ICP values.

3. Do you need to refine your ICP?

4. Automate

5.Social Media

The Bonus centers around a focus on inspiring your buyers and making the journey easy for them.

Regardless of the responsibility level, every leader, team member and department within the organization must know the numbers that apply specifically to them. They need to understand how 'their part' impacts the overall success of the business.

Perception is key for delivering expectations. How well do you know what your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) is? Consider the 80/20 rule and leverage your partnerships. Ride the momentum into 2025 with these keys.

To learn more about leadership, soft skills and coaching resources, visit appmeetup.com

Ask us about how you can take advantage of the flex dollars your organization provides to support continued education and growth.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 209: Architect the Vision of a Great Channel

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 15:53:13 +0000

The combination of having to navigate the ever-changing tech landscape with buying behavior preferences is transforming how organizations go to market. Trends reveal the importance of being able to engage your channel partners and develop a thriving channel community.

Jeffrey Taylor, Channel Strategy Leader at Lenovo lends his experience with building and supporting an innovative channel strategy and global partner ecosystem.

Highlights include:

Over 80% of Lenovo’s revenue globally goes through the channel.

A focus on developing the Channel led to Lenovo 360, a framework built around the 3 Pillars of ‘Enable, Connect, & Grow.’

Creation of learning paths and certifications, with 38,000 new certifications in 2023.

Soon to launch their Lenovo 360 for MSPs and the importance of Lenovo TruScale.

Listening to the partner and adapting to support their journey.

Importance of storytelling and crafting the right narrative to create personal connection.

Jeffrey’s book, ‘Bigger Than The Widget: Building Meaningful Customer Relationships By Going Beyond Your Product’ and the connection to the V Foundation.

To learn more about Jeffrey, connect with him on LinkedIn or grab him at an upcoming Conference. Also visit lenovo.com to learn more about the partner community. Don’t forget to pick up his book on Amazon and other book distributors.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 208: Go for the Gold

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 21:06:17 +0000

What were your favorite moments from the Summer 2024 Olympic Games? It is amazing to see the world come together as these athletes strive and compete for Gold. It is inspiring to witness their dedication and to be captivated by the Olympic stories. What moments were your favorite?

What are some leadership lessons from the Olympic Games we can apply to accelerate our growth and drive peak performance? We’ve identified 3 key lessons:

Mindset

Coaching

Joy and Tears

Much like an Olympian, there’s nothing more vital for a professional or business leader to have than that of undeterred focus. A resolved mindset with only an expectation of winning. Coaching might just be that missing component for yourself and your organization. We all have blindspots in our leadership and having the right coach and support structure makes all the difference. Celebrate when milestones are achieved; when finish lines have been crossed. Win together! This is the Olympic spirit.

Stay inspired and go after your goals; your gold! Consider adding our leadership journals to support them. Visit appmeetup.com for more information.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 207: Insights and Stories Within the Data

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:46:37 +0000

When you think about the future and growth of technology, start by looking at the numbers. The data reflects a more agile, faster and consumer centric approach to winning. What do the latest trends and data say about your business? What does it mean for how you should approach the market?

We are thrilled to highlight our partnership with lenovo with a special series, beginning with our friend Jay McBain, Chief Analyst for global channels at Canalys, a leading global technology market analyst firm with a distinct focus on channels, partnerships, alliances, and ecosystems.

Highlights include:

Data and more data, reflecting the growth of technology.

The global economy with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $105 trillion with Tech and Telco making up 5%.

Cyber Security and Managed Services growing at 12%, with Managed Security at 15%.

Gen AI $158 Billion.

"One thing has always been constant. Where there's mystery, there's margin"

Lenovo awarded ‘Champion’ Status in Canalys Global Sustainable Ecosystems Leadership Matrix.

Importance of exposing the world to his children and juggling travel schedules with Michelle.

Stay tuned for more content around our new partnership with Lenovo and make sure you are connected with Jay for his blogs and insights surrounding the IT industry, channel management, and some of his own life. Visit canalys.com/insights and jaymcbain.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 206: The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 12:45:10 +0000

A good story can entertain, reaffirm and motivate. The right story has the power to break down negative belief systems and frame an authentic and powerful picture of the amazing leader in you. This points to why it is vital we pay attention to the stories we tell ourselves.

Tina Brigley believes that 'because you created the narrative, you can rewrite it.' This is how she helps leaders work through unconscious chains that may bind them and to show up as their true authentic selves. Tina is a leadership coach with Tina Brigley Coaching and the Co-Founder and the COO of Linked Coach Training, supporting coaches and consultants.

Some of the highlights include:

The power of connecting through stories and storytelling.

Never sacrifice core values.

Build relationships and solve the problems that people are getting stuck in.

How to gain more referrals from your clients

What Tina learned from her TEDx.

And why she focuses on finding alignment instead of balance.

To learn more about Tina, connect with her on LinkedIn and visit tinabrigley.com/

Tina is offering access to ‘The 3 Reasons Why You Self Sabotage and How to Fix it Today!’ by visiting tinabrigley.com/self-sabotage-PDF

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 205: Inspire Your Team to Exceed Goals

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000

What's the recipe for building a winning team? As a leader, how can you inspire and bring the very best out of your team? We’re not talking about just hitting goals, but surpassing them.

No one wants to believe that their contributions are not being noticed or appreciated. They want to know that their knowledge, experience and skills are relevant, valued and necessary to the overall success of the organization. They want to be engaged, motivated and inspired!

Whether you're a seasoned manager, executive or relatively new to leadership, here are Five Ways you can engage and inspire your team:

1. Set Clear Goals

2. Encourage Autonomy

3. Provide Learning Opportunities

4. Reward System

5. Share Positive Feedback

Goals not only need to be set, they must also be clear and understood by every team member.

Autonomy fosters the spirit of ownership & responsibility

When the budget gets tight, avoid the temptation to cut training and learning programs

Not all want to receive recognition the same way. Learn what motivates and encourages them. Reward system helps them to feel appreciated, work harder and strive for excellence

Feedback Loop with constructive feedback

Ask about how we can support your learning and growth initiatives with our resources and Mercury Platform.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 204: Collaboration and Creating Win-Win Partnerships

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 04:01:00 +0000

Can Macs and PCs coexist and thrive together? You don't have to go at it alone when you can develop partnerships to provide the best technology solutions for the organizations you support. Jeremey Kenney, Technology and Integration Manager with GlobalMac iT, sheds insight into how you can achieve a competitive advantage and gain more business through a collaborative approach to winning.

Highlights include:

His growth journey and his role, being responsible for the integration, implementation and adoption of tech.

Being an Apple centric Mac environment specialist and providing a co-managed offering with the mindset of 'collaborate, not compete.'

Approach to adoption and strategies for integration begin with education and showing value.

Special niche with the legal sector.

Their process for identifying and vetting new technology solutions for their clients.

What you should know about Cleveland, including the sports, architecture and food scene.

Connect with Jeremey on LinkedIn and visit globalmacit.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 203: K9s for Warriors

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:00:00 +0000

There are bonds and partnerships that can not only support successful growth, they can foster healing and recovery from traumatic experiences including brain injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A partner of the Twins Talk programs, ConnectWise is committed to bringing awareness and support for our veterans and organizations who champion their mental health wellness and recovery. K9s for Warriors, an organization providing highly-trained service dogs to military Veterans, while contributing to policy-level reform, is one of those organizations.

Andrea Caby Barrow, Invent Programs and Events Manager at ConnectWise, facilitates the partnership with K9s for Warriors and coordinates activities for our IT Nation community. Attendees and members of the community are able to participate in making treats and meet veterans and members of the K9s for Warriors organization through IT Nation Secure and IT Nation Connect. Learn about the formation of this incredible organization from a passionate representative and why more should get involved.

They fought for our freedom, let's empower our veterans and heroes by donating and getting involved with this amazing organization. Visit k9sforwarriors.org/ and make a difference in the lives of our veterans and rescue dogs.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 202: Networking with Purpose

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 12:57:41 +0000

How many conferences and meetings have you walked away puzzled and wondered if attending could be considered a successful use of your time? Given how competitive the current job market is, how can you leverage networking to strengthen your brand and position yourself for greater opportunities?

John Collins, an Account Executive with Agility Partners, a black owned and operated tech staffing company, shares how professionals should network with purpose; placing themselves in positions to be successful.

Highlights include:

John's focus on growing Agility Partner's presence with Microsoft and the community.

Build your brand on LinkedIn as it is your "comprehensive business card."

"Give value before you need it."

Becoming President of the Seattle Chapter of Blacks in Tech.

Trends in the sector, regarding the job market.

Agility Partner's Bridging the Gap Initiative.

Connect with John on LinkedIn and visit agilitypartners.io/ to learn more about how they support leaders with their career journey through their platform.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 201: Just Say No

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 12:30:18 +0000

Explore the power of "no" and why it's essential for self-preservation, setting healthy boundaries, and leading with intention. Define your values, identify your priorities, and communicate your boundaries assertively and respectfully.

Loaded with practical tips, relatable insights and some guidance on how to say no confidently without guilt, ensuring you focus on what truly matters. Discover how mastering the art of saying no can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling career and personal life.

It's time to take control of your commitments and embrace the power of no! Subscribe, leave a review, and share with friends who need to hear this important message.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 200: 200th Episode Milestone

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

You are tuning into the Twins Talk it Up Podcast, and we are incredibly excited and humbled to celebrate another major milestone—our 200th episode! Thank you for being a part of our journey and for supporting us and our program.

In this episode, we reflect back and touch on some of our favorite and meaningful conversations. The Episodes we touch on included:

Episode 50 with Dr. Pat Williams.
Episode 166 with Rob Fegan.
Episode 100 where we talk about the significance of Juneteenth and our Talk it Up book.
Episode 163 with Lisa Bonta Sumii and Dr. Tiana Woolrdige.

What makes our program such a blast is the support from:

Our listeners.

Our amazing guests.

Our incredible team.

Our Journals include:

The Sales Leader Mindset Journal.
The Sales Mindset Journal.
The Leadership Mindset Journal.
The Fearless Woman: A Leadership Mindset Journal.

Our books and journals are available on Amazon and through our AppMeetup programs. Stay tuned for more fantastic content.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 199: Package your Expertise into a Book

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Does authorship matter if you are a business leader? Should writing a book become the norm if you want to increase your influence and impact? While it may not be for everyone, writing a book can strengthen your brand and leave a lasting impression.

A book can become a strategic platform and tool for sharing your experiences and for articulating your philosophy and methodology around pressing topics such as leadership, technology, management and culture. Author, marketing specialist and book coach, Kimberly Day shares how she helps leaders grasp the importance and success that can come as a result of producing a book.

What are additional advantages or reasons why leaders write a book? Kim stated that you should also consider the impact, “Your book is designed for information; your program, product or service is designed for transformation.” Be mindful and intentional with your book.

Additional benefits could include:

Establish credibility and position yourself as a trusted advisor.

Become a lead generator, filling the funnel and shortening the sales cycle.

Culture ambassador.

Leaving a legacy.

Could this be time to write your book? To learn more about Kim, visit her social media platforms through the handle therealkimday

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 198: Inspirational Leadership

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:08:29 +0000

What does an inspirational leader look like? How can you as a leader inspire your team and organization to even greater success? They want to be inspired and they need to be inspired by you. This may not be natural for some but let’s dive into some thoughts about how you can become more inspirational.

Which leaders have inspired you and supported your leadership journey?

Here are 6 thoughts about what an inspirational leader looks like:

1. Focused

2. Balanced

3. Authentic

4. High EQ

5. Accept Accountability

6. Insatiable Hunger

For more leadership tips and training programs, visit AppMeetup.com

Keep leading!

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 197: The Art of Listening

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:51:08 +0000

When every conversation could lead to a new opportunity or lay the framework for a complex challenge, the art of active listening stands out as a crucial skill. Why is listening so vital and reflective of great leadership? How can you improve your listening skills and can this skill be considered an art? Are there any active listening techniques for better communication as a leader?

We explore this concept and art of active listening as this could be the very skill you need to provide more understanding and elevate your conversations.

5 to keep in mind when reflecting on the art of listening:

1. The art of listening is meant to be an active activity, so get engaged.

2. Listen to understand and for context as there may exist a deeper meaning behind what is said.

3. Benefits of listening.

4. Open your posture to mentorship and feedback.

5. Additional tips for better Listening.

Be sure to pick up our Book on Amazon, ‘Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking.’ While you are there, grab the accompanied Workbook. Also, visit AppMeetup.com to learn more about our leadership and soft skills programs

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 196: Partner with an Executive Stylist

Tue, 21 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

How can improving or developing your professional image strengthen your executive presence and brand? First impressions matter, which is why the way you dress makes a huge difference in how you are perceived.

Personal Stylist, Confidence Coach and owner of Styling With Vay, Vay Patel shares how partnering with an executive stylist will allow a leader to focus on what really matters. Jenny Brown, Executive Coach with AppMeetup joins as a co-host.

Highlights include:

Executive stylists or image consultants are not just for professional women, but men can appreciate an expert's touch.

Benefits of having a partnership with a stylist, including an increase in confidence while being able to save both time and money.

There’s a psychological impact of clothing with mindset and ultimately success.

Vay’s tips on how to dress for virtual platforms and how to factor seasonal and special occasions.

Vay stated that ‘if you want to get good at something, you hire an expert,’ and a stylist is another expert; another tool.'

Follow Vay's social media handles and visit stylingwithvay.com for a consultation and perhaps a new strategic partner.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 195: Getting the Most From Remote Work

Wed, 15 May 2024 11:56:20 +0000

Are your remote and hybrid work models achieving the desired outcomes? How are you measuring the effectiveness of this approach? Many organizations are choosing not to go back ‘to the office’ and embrace the reality of remote working arrangements.

Technology Executive Coach Robert Cotton shares what leaders need to consider when managing their expectations of an ever changing workforce. Some of the highlights:

Benefits of remote teams include productivity, savings and lower turnover.

Challenges can include the lack of connectivity, isolation, culture and mindset of leadership.

The impact of geography and recruitment patterns as the talent pool expands.

The necessity of clearly defined communication strategies; tailored and targeted with a feedback loop.

Leveraging technology effectively and the importance of emotional intelligence to drive success.

To learn more about Robert and his coaching, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit robertcotton.coach/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 194: Conflict Can Be an Opportunity for Growth

Tue, 07 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Conflict is not inherently negative and is a normal aspect of human interaction. Avoiding conflict altogether creates silos and internal tension, which in turn impacts organizational culture and performance. While it can seem uncomfortable to address and navigate, conflict can also be an opportunity to learn and for growth. Conflict can provide clarity, help inspire creativity, strengthen culture and build self-awareness.

Owner and Founder of Stearns Consulting, Troy Stearns shares his journey into becoming a conflict resolution leadership consultant and how his time serving aboard a submarine in The U.S. Navy became foundational for honing his skills and strengthening his practice.

Highlights include:

Naval terminology and nomenclature.

A commitment to continuous learning as a key to understanding conflict, communication and growth.

Understanding structure and your people will help to diffuse problems before they arise.

Troy’s Conflict is O.K.A.Y. program, designed to help leaders gain confidence to engage.

5 modes of conflict engagement include competitiveness collaboration, compromising, avoidance and accommodating.

Importance of active listening and the power of self-talk.

Appreciate the challenge to accept different perspectives and cultures; “We're not white, we're not black, we're not brown, we're not yellow. We're all blue!”

To learn more about Troy and his work, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit stearns.pro

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

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Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 193: Champion Diversity and Vulnerability

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:05:19 +0000

Effective leaders not only advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) but also embody vulnerability—an essential quality that cultivates openness, empathy, community and inclusivity. As a leader within your organization, do you help to foster a culture that is safe for dialogue, welcoming of ideas, acknowledging of diverse journeys, providing sponsorships and supporting growth?

Kerry Robinson, Commercial Distribution Director at Ping Identity shares why it is important for organizations and leaders to promote awareness and drive change by expecting and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. You accomplish this by championing all identities.

Highlights include:

How others have supported her leadership journey and set the stage for Kerry to support others. People want to be seen, empower them to show up.

Value of participating in your organization's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs); much like Women of Ping, Ping RED (Racial, Ethnic and Diversity).

Kerry's belief that, "there's nothing more important than to be authentically you."

Kerry's conviction that, "When your most passionate people get quiet, this is when the leaders should absolutely be concerned."

Connect with Kerry on LinkedIn and to learn more about Ping Identity and their partner community, visit pingidentity.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/pitchit

Episode 192: PitchIT Accelerator Program

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:59:04 +0000

The application window for PitchIT 2024 is still open. The annual PitchIT Accelerator Program is now in its 5th year, and we are thrilled to partner again with Sean Lardo, ConnectWise and the IT Nation community.

Sean Lardo, Head Evangelist and a true voice for the partner joins us once again to talk about IT Nation and the upcoming PitchIT Accelerator Program. PitchIT is a worldwide ‘Shark Tank’ like competition that invites organizations to highlight their innovative solutions, be discovered and to learn from the community.

26 vendors are chosen to be a part of this amazing 16-week incubator program, led by industry experts, covering sales, marketing, branding, messaging, product security, and more. From that cohort group, 3 will become Finalists and present live at IT Nation Connect.

Additional highlights include:

PitchIT winning prize of $70,000.

ConnectWise marketplace.

The 3 Finalists alone have generated over $3M in ARR.

To learn more about the Accelerator program and to become a participant:

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 191: Transforming Adversity into Opportunity

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:51:51 +0000

Do executives and coaches need coaching? You’ve been mastering your art as a coach and leader. You’ve learned to draw out the best from your teams and clients. You are constantly asking, ‘how are you doing’ and ‘what are you working on’; but when was the last time you were asked those same questions? If you are going to continue to develop and expect to give the very best version of yourself, how can you not invite coaches to support you?

Jeanne Omlor is a Business Strategist and a certified Servant Leadership Executive Coach with Jeanne Omlor International. Her focus is helping coaches excel in their practice by ‘coaching the coach.’ As Jeanne puts it, there is ‘a flaw, if coaches don't believe that they ever need help, but insist that others need their help.'

Discussion highlights include:

Reinventing herself until she landed where she was meant to be.

Be curious and be willing to ‘up level your skills.’

Ask ‘what is my gap’ as you could need coaching on your mindset, lack of marketing expertise etc.

Working on new offerings as well as her Business of Wealth Impact Podcast Program.

To learn more about Jeanne, visit jeanneomlor.com/ and she is also offering her Client Acquisition Roadmap for free, a strategy overview of how you identify your ICP and grow your practice.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 190: Stress Management Translates into Success

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 15:48:00 +0000

Whether you like it or not, stress and stressful experiences are a part of life. Stress can be compounded and even triggered by various factors, including personal challenges, health concerns, work pressure, or even global events. The key is learning how to manage stress. This ability can significantly impact our overall wellbeing and professional success.

Dat Tran, Leadership coach, Speaker and Founder of Dat Purpose shares his journey and insight into helping leaders and organizations with this area of stress management. Highlights include:

Discovered his purpose and how he helps leaders align with their own purpose.

We can have 'saboteurs', thought patterns that can hold us back from being our best

Defining what positive intelligence is and the importance of training our mind.

Creating a psychological safe place for our people to be at their best.

His Stress Management Framework: Bury. Release & Process.

Importance of leadership to model the framework.

We also dive into strategies for releasing stress, including exercise, breathing and meditation. Understand the language of stress and how to communicate what you are feeling. Don’t bury stress; instead, release and process to ensure continued growth, provide security and nurture an environment for greater success.

To learn more about Dat, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit datpurpose.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 189: Is Podcasting for You?

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 21:46:37 +0000

Are you considering starting a podcast to elevate your voice or to promote your business? Podcasting can be a creative platform and path for harnessing a captive audience and for cultivating a loyal community.

Christopher Hensley, President and CEO of Houston First Financial Group shares his experience from diving into the world of podcasting. He also serves as the Host of the Money Matters Podcast, now a 10-year program that provides important money management education.

Christopher provides his thoughts for organizations and business owners who have been considering podcasting. It 'has to be a passion', understand the potential reach, lower operating cost, opportunities and the collaborative community and network that can be built.

Don’t be afraid to embrace and integrate technology within your business. Leverage AI and cultivate the right mindset when building a great podcast program. Have fun and build your listenership.

Connect with Christopher, follow his Podcast and take advantage of his free Podcast Promoter tool on the Chat GPT Store. Also visit his sites at houstonfirstfinancialgroup.com/ and moneymatterspodcast.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 188: Unstoppable Rhythm of Execution

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

The benefits of the OKR goal-setting process are apparent and core to the success of some of the world’s leading organizations. The Objective and Key Results (OKR) model, when properly implemented, helps to guide the company toward the desired stated mission and vision.

Scott Levy, Founder and CEO of Result Maps shares how organizations can shape culture, elevate communication and increase engagement.

Result Maps is a leading Strategy Execution Software, providing CEOs and leaders of organizations visibility into how their strategy is being executed and the ability to help drive accountability.

Some of the highlights include:

Illustration of music and how in the absence of rhythm, there is nothing but noise and not true harmony.

4 out of 5 don’t understand the direction given by leadership.

Insight into how to get the best from your teams.

Organizational culture of clear vision and being able to learn and fail quickly.

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn and visit Resultmaps.com to learn more about how you can increase the effectiveness of your organization. Scott is also providing a Free-Trial as well as insight into their Vision Course www.resultmaps.com/how-to-build-a-vision-that-sticks

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 187: What About the Cloud? Add Value and Learn

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

What About the Cloud? Add Value and Learn

What should you know about the Cloud and how can aligning with the right partnerships lead to greater success?

Joseph Landes, CRO & CoFounder of Nerdio shares his leadership journey and what he has learned about building a leading and successful organization. Nerdio is a leading software solution provider that empowers MSPs and Technology firms to best deploy, manage, and cost-optimize native Microsoft Cloud technologies.

Some of the key highlights include:

A core belief of ‘Educate First, Sell Second’ leading to their 80/20 and Training Camps.

Find great people, nurture them and then ‘let them rip’; let them lead.

Nerdiocon 2024 and why a destination conference.

Joseph also shares steps that he has taken to help make Nerdio more successful. They include learning from other influential leaders, time management (70% with partners and customers), depth of partnerships with key distributors, and the importance of healthy working relationships such as the one he has with his Co-Founder Vadim Vladimirskiy.

To learn more about Joseph, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit getnerdio.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 186: Public Speaking Increases Sales Success

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:57:12 +0000

If you've wondered why you aren't closing more deals or if you have ever considered if there was a way to increase your close ratios; then this might be the episode for you. You expect to be excellent in your role as a sales professional. Support your own career by investing in public speaking.

Speaking with confidence, speaking to engage and speaking to increase your influence, are all a part of what it takes to find incredible success. In this episode, we share some ideas on how focusing on improving your speaking skills can help you close more deals and to keep winning. This is what we are passionate about.

Some of the Tips we cover include:

Build Trust and Credibility
Engaging and Persuasion
Authenticity
How to handle objections
Value Practice
Study other Speakers & Leaders
Seek Feedback
Be Consistent
Cultivate the right Mindset
Critical Listening

It’s not just what you say, but also how you say it, that will lead to increased engagement and more success.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 185: Communication Tips for Technical Founders

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000

If you desire to create a successful startup or if you are looking to strengthen your startup, what should you keep in mind? Start with a solution that a customer would want or need, build around amazing people and clarify your message. Speaking of that message, what are some communication tips that every technical founder and leader should keep in mind? What are those tips that can help articulate the value you provide?

Tips include:

Know your Audience,
A Compelling Story.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
Body Language.
Feedback.

These 5 tips are invaluable no matter the stage of your startup. Focus on these and watch how improved communication skills can directly impact your organization. These are incredibly beneficial for every technical leader.

To learn more about our training and coaching programs, connect with us on LinkedIn and visit appmeetup.com/

Keep speaking! Thank you for your continued support.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 184: Know Your Brand; Your Brand DNA

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

What is meant by brand value and why is it important to know your brand DNA? People and organizations often buy from you first, before they buy your product, service or organization. Brand value describes the value of brands based on the implication that the products and services with a well-known brand will generate more money and profit than those with a less well known name.

Brands influence and strengthen, while creating loyalty. It's more than your logo, tagline or slogan.

3 Components of Brand DNA:

1. Self-Awareness

2. Defined Goals

3. Consistent Growth

Our encouragement and CTA:

Journal, refine both your Mission Statement and Elevator Pitch.

Keep speaking

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Thank You for your continued support of our programs through our Patreon TwinsTalkItUp, with sponsorships and for sharing our platforms.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 183: Overcome Stage Fright

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:16:49 +0000

We have received from our listening audience and supporters, specific topics that they would like for us to touch on. In this episode, we provide some thoughts on how to address and overcome stage fright. We all have nerves and much of that anxiety stems from a fear of being judged.

Here are some tips we cover:

Clarity of Intention.

Systematic desensitization (gradual exposure to overcome fear).

Avoiding stimulants and understanding your health.

Breathing and grounding techniques.

Management of energy and preparation.

Staying present.

Keep speaking

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Thank You for your continued support of our programs through our Patreon TwinsTalkItUp, with sponsorships and for sharing our platforms.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 182: Sales Leads Marketing

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:25:06 +0000

When was the last time you had a website refresh or brought in an outside agency for a marketing audit? How can this elevate your brand and strengthen your sales?

Serial entrepreneur, author and speaker Charlene Ignacio shares how sales can lead your marketing strategy. Charlene also serves as the CEO of Fornix Marketing Agency, offering outsourced Marketing solutions and serving clients in the tech, MSP/IT, and cybersecurity sectors.

Some of the highlights include:

Her elevator pitch and origin of the Fornix name.

Their ‘secret sauce’ includes the ingredients of Clarity of your Why, Clarity of your Market and how you deliver that service and the Clarity of your ICP - Ideal Client Profile.

Key: Understand the customer journey.

Conducting a LinkedIn review and the importance of strategic relationships.

How she balances her schedule with project stacking and knowing how to say no.

Connect with Charlene on LinkedIn and learn more about Fornix Marketing by visiting fornixmarketing.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 181: Our Recommended Books for 2024

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:57:52 +0000

Which books are a part of your ‘must read’ for 2024 list? Were there any books from 2023 that you never finished? Did they collect dust on your bookshelf and become a part of your office decor?

Be intentional about the books and resources you pursue to support your development. Invest in your professional growth. You deserve it! Align your mind and your books with your growth goals

Here are our recommended books for 2024:

1. "Extreme Ownership: How US Navy Seals Lead and Win'' by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.

2. "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear.

3. The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

4. 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential by John C. Maxwell

5. Beyond High Performance: What Great Coaches Know About How the Best Get Better by Jason Jaggard

Bonus:

Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking by your favorite twins, David Suk Brown and Danny Suk Brown. Go ahead and also grab the Talk it Up Companion Workbook.

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Thank you for supporting our programs.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 180: Turn Sales Experience and Scars into Wisdom

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:10:24 +0000

While painful at the time, scars can serve a meaningful purpose. You have the ability to endure, learn and grow from your experiences. Randy Riemersma, VP Sales, Americas at SiteTracker shares lessons learned from his own leadership journey.

Some of the highlights include:

How he has transformed as a leader over the years.

Leading with affection and humility. Teaches from his 'scar tissue.'

Human behavior modification as a focus to help lead towards an outcome that leaders want.

Leaders cannot live within their comfort zone. Focus on who you want to become.

Don't have a destination mindset; instead, be curious and have a consultant's mindset. This will expand the conversation and not make it a sales pitch.

Using Value Pyramids.

Perceived pain leads to meaningful moves. Expand the pain.

Some of his recommended books include:

The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse

Influence Is Your Superpower: How to Get What You Want Without Compromising Who You

by Zoe Chance

Connect with Randy on LinkedIn.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 179: Make Me a Believer

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 14:30:20 +0000

What does ‘make me a believer’ or ‘make a believer out of me’ mean? While your prospect or client may not say this directly to you, they might hold this position and may be making this stance by procrastinating or avoiding the ultimate goal of signing on the dotted line.

Let’s dive into 4 keys for unlocking more opportunities and for closing more deals. Let’s unlock with these 4 keys:

Excitement

Authenticity

Body Language

Curiosity

Turn them into believers. Let them become an advocate and evangelist of your product or service. Let them be a true partner. For more leadership and developmental ideas, visit appmeetup.com and pick up our book, Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 178: Lead it Like Lasso; Ted Lasso

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:25:03 +0000

The Emmy-award winning television series Ted Lasso has captivated audiences with its heartwarming portrayal of an American football coach turned English Premier League football manager. Ted Lasso has become a symbol of inspirational, empathetic, and humble leadership.

Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, authors of Lead it Like Lasso: a Leadership Book for Life. Your Life, share an entirely different approach to leadership touching on lessons learned from both the show and their own leadership experiences. Within the book is an Assessment for every reader to ‘Discover their own inner Ted Lasso character.’

Some of the highlights include:

Lean into vulnerability and stay true to your core values.

To be a great leader of others, you first need to learn how to lead yourself.

Self-awareness is key.

Inspire confidence in those around you.

Do you have 'Diamond Dogs' in your life?

What’s your favorite quote? Who is your favorite character?

Connect with both Marnie and Nick on LinkedIn, visit leaditlikelasso.com/ and order your copy of Lead it Like Lasso: a Leadership Book for Life, Your Life on Amazon

"Be Curious, Not Judgmental"

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 177: Your Baby is Ugly

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:07:51 +0000

Is your business attractive? You've poured your blood, sweat and tears into building something so special, but what if your baby aka your business is not maturing or healthy? It could be time to take a hard look, accept that it may indeed be an ugly baby and make some decisions.

Business and Executive Coach John K. Jennings, President and Founder of Inspired Business Concepts shares why it is important to identify, strategize, gain control and become victorious with your business. We dive into his new book, Your Baby Is Ugly: 10 Truths Business Owners Need to Hear & How to Overcome Them.

Some of the highlights include:

Importance of listening and to ‘play back what you've heard.’
Organizational culture and unhealthy competition.
Delegating for ‘good enough.’
John was recognized as one of the ‘Top 15 coaches in Louisville.’
Value of public speaking.

To learn more about John, find him on LinkedIn or visit inspiredbusinessconcepts.com/

Go to Amazon and order Your Baby Is Ugly: 10 Truths Business Owners Need to Hear & How to Overcome Them. He is also offering a free Mastermind that coincides with the book launch on January 12, 2024.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 176: Reflect on 2023 and Look Forward to 2024

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 14:00:06 +0000

Happy New Year! As we close the chapter to 2023 and start a new one in 2024, it’s fitting that we take some time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the journey. What have you learned this past year? How have you grown? What victories have you celebrated?

2023 brought about new resources and even more incredible guests. We love elevating and sharing the voices of influential leaders.

Let 2024 build from the momentum of gained experiences and embrace with excitement all that you will accomplish in the New Year.

Thank you for your continued support for our programs and for being a part of this community. Please continue to share this program and our Twins Talk Tech Leadership program with your friends and peers. Consider supporting by becoming a Patron and Sponsor. Stay tuned for even more exciting news. Keep Speaking!

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 175: Speaking Tips for Introverts

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 09:21:41 +0000

Who makes a better public speaker – an introvert, extrovert or ambivert? Most would likely think that the answer is the extrovert. The extrovert by nature is more comfortable with crowds and doesn’t hesitate to take the microphone. Introverts on the other hand prefer alone time and introspection. When considering defining these, consider the concept of energy and how you get energized. Extroverts are energized being around people, whereas introverts are energized by being alone or in small groups.

From our experience in working with and supporting leaders from all backgrounds and levels of responsibility, we have found those who are ‘introverted’ to be some of the best communicators. Here are some of our speaking tips for introverts:

Know your strengths, be authentic and comfortable with yourself.

Like a performance.

Preparation and practice.

Look for opportunities to speak.

Power of the Pause.

Breathing, visualization techniques.

Body language and the impact of smiling.

Go into 2024 with a mindset of growing as a communicator. Follow our platforms, pick up our books, book coaching and enroll in training by visiting dsbleadershiproup.com and appmeetup,com

Keep Speaking

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

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Episode 174: How the Deal Was Done

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

There’s almost nothing more satisfying than winning, unless you fully understand how the victory was accomplished. While we love celebrating wins; we should want to be able to break down the process and factors it took to get that across the finish line.

Andrew Kappel is Principal of Benchmark Signal Consulting and the Host of ‘How the Deal was Done’ podcast. Benchmark Signal Consulting specializes in Sales Optimization and Acceleration Projects for Gong and HubSpot clients.

Some of the highlights from our conversation include:

His leadership journey.

A key to his success was being able to work with and be mentored by amazing leaders.

The ‘most precious resource is time;’ align your solution with what's important to the organization.

Why he started the ‘How the Deal was Done’ Podcast.

Visit benchmarksignalconsulting.com/to schedule your complimentary gong audit. To learn more about Andew, connect with him on LinkedIn and dealstoriespodcast.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 173: Selling and Surfing

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:42:11 +0000

How is surfing like selling? Surfing may appear to be an easy sport or activity, until you put on that wetsuit and hit the water. Builders and sales leaders know all too well this activity or profession called selling is also not as easy as it may appear. In this episode, you will be inspired to not be a spectator but to ‘get into the water’ with an expectation of success.

Scott Leese is a 6X Sales Leader, 4X Founder, 3X author and co-Host of the Surf & Sales podcast. He consults and helps companies focused on scaling from $0 - $25m Annual Recurring Revenue. Some of the highlights of this amazing conversation include:

Overcoming a life-threatening illness and how foundational that experience was for his mindset and his success.

Why it is a disadvantage for leaders who do not adopt, integrate and leverage technology.

The importance of network led growth and partnerships.

The value of documenting your success journey.

The Annual Surf and Sales event.

What he has learned from podcasting.

To learn more about Scott, connect with him on LinkedIn, follow the Surf and Sales Podcast and visit.scottleeseconsulting.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 172: Thread the Winning Pitch

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:33:14 +0000

We are excited to feature the PitchIT Finalists again this year. There were 27 companies that participated in the ConnectWise Accelerator program. Of these, 3 were selected to be Finalists and present their pitch live during ITNation.

The PitchIT winner for 2023 was Thread, a platform empowering MSPs to deliver service right where the end user is; to help MSPs create ‘service magic. Bobby Jacobs, Head of Growth shares:

His leadership journey.

Service co-pilot and Ask co-pilot.

Benefits of integrating Thread with PSA (Professional Services Automation) systems.

Highlight the importance of the ConnectWise community.

Being a Microsoft partner and case study.

Experience being a PitchIT Finalist.

One of their core values is 'be radical' and this showed itself at the Conference with their suits and co-pilot theme.

Connect with Bobby on LinkedIn and visit getthread.com/ to learn more. While you are there, book a demo or click follow the provided link: getthread.com/meetings/bobby193/threadteamdemo

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 171: Voices of ITNation with Jimmy Hatzel and Costa Chatjiantoniou

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:20:13 +0000

CyberQP, Jimmy Hatzel:

What does the elevator pitch sound like coming from Jimmy Hatzel, the VP of Revenue at CyberQP? CyberQP offers Access Management for MSPs including protecting customer admin accounts and automating their security stacks. We touch on their ‘Just-in-Time’ accounts and how CyberQP continues to put forth more QGuard feature enhancements.

Did we mention that this has to be one of the absolute best companies when it comes to merch and booth design? Follow Jimmy on LinkedIn and visit Cyberqp.com to learn more about this amazing company.

Costa Chatjiantoniou, Sherweb:

Head of Sales, Sherweb Cloud Services, Konstantinos Chatjiantoniou aka Costa speaks to the importance of supporting their strategic partners and the ITNation community as a whole. We briefly touch on the new partnership with SentinelOne and gain insight into Sherweb’s enhanced offerings including their White Label help desk platform.

Connect with Konstantinos (Costa) Chatjiantoniou on LinkedIn and learn more about this cloud services and solutions provider by visiting sherweb.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 170: Voices of ITNation with Reed Warren and Michael Crean

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:30:00 +0000

Reed Warren, iT Valuations:

Are you ready to determine your value? We welcome back Reed Warren, CEO of iT Valuations to get an update on his organization and about their involvement with ITNation. iT Valuations supports IT services and tech firms to value their businesses and to facilitate M&A activity - Mergers and acquisitions.

Reed shares what you can expect in 2024, including the progress of their 'Evaluations as a Service Program' and their 'Business Value Transformation Services Program'. To learn more about Reed or to have his team help you navigate an exit strategy or to obtain a true assessment and valuation of your organization, visit itvaluations.com/

Michale Crean, Solutions Granted:

Special update with Solutions Granted is that they have been acquired by SonicWall. SonicWall viewed this leading MSSP as a key piece for enhancing its managed detection and response offering and overall managed services support for MSPs.

Some of the highlights from this conversation:

Impact of his keynote message (Leadership is a Privilege)

How Michael and his team show up to Conferences including their mindset, booth design and of course their team themed dress and apparel.

To learn more about Michael and Solutions Granted, visit solutionsgranted.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 169: Authentic Selling

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:03:53 +0000

Give your leaders the flexibility to accelerate their sales journey by championing their ability to leverage their unique strengths. Empower them to show up and sell as their most authentic selves; to Sell As You Are.

Chris Caldwell is the CEO and Founder of Sell As You Are, a sales training organization with a focus on helping leaders embrace that they are capable of selling more effectively when they sell authentically. Some of the highlights from Chris include:

Importance of mindset. Overcoming limiting beliefs begins with an 'awareness' as 'we see the world through the stories we make up in our mind.

The SAYA 6-Step Framework:

1. Set the Expectation

2. Discovery

3. Buying Process, including Resources

4. Ask for Commitment

5. Proposal

6. What Now Check

'Once you give your proposal, you lose all your leverage'

Understand the value of courage and authenticity.

Chris is leaving a resource to his online mini-course, ‘Stop the Chase. Just go to www.sellasyouare.com/stop-the-chase

Find and follow Chris on LinkedIn

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 168: Leadership Shifts for Greater Success Part 2

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:13:03 +0000

Leaders with a big-picture perspective are able to prioritize, optimize resources, produce efficiency and align teams to the overall vision and objectives of the organization. This is reflective of someone with a growth mindset. We enjoy speaking with influencers who are focused on the success and growth of their people and who understand the importance of empathy and listening beyond spoken words.

Some of the highlights from Part 2 of our conversation with Entrepreneur, fractional Chief Revenue Officer, author and suicide prevention counselor Andrew Hahn include:

How he approaches his role as a fractional CRO.

Lessons from the game of Basketball for the business world.

Tools, solutions and resources to support your leadership & sales teams.

Awareness and perspective of 'being in the right place and right time and hiring amazing people.'

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) versus FOFO (Fear of Finding Out).

The earlier Leadership Teams welcome 'truth', the sooner they can pivot and find success.

Why he became a suicide prevention counselor and his philanthropic work. How this has helped him to better manage and understand people with different experiences.

Connect with Andrew Han on LinkedIn and visit andrewhahn.carrd.co/ to learn more about his fractional CRO services

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 167: Leadership Shifts for Greater Success Part 1

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:58:09 +0000

Experience, conviction and the ability to make well informed decisions can mean the difference between propelling an organization forward or facing uncertainty and setbacks. The best leaders are constant learners and are agents of change. Entrepreneur, fractional Chief Revenue Officer, author and suicide prevention counselor Andrew Hahn shares his thoughts on leadership, being able to successfully scale businesses and why we need to keep pouring into and investing in talent.

In Part 1 of this incredible conversation, you will hear Andrew’s insight into:

How the foundation for success and being able to scale lies in building systems, strategy operations and hiring and developing talent.

Why many sales professionals and account executives need to understand the mindset of the modern buyer and why a collaborative approach is far better.

People buy primarily because of two reasons: Inspiration or desperation.

How self-awareness and listening skills are vital to success.

Hiring talent based on intrinsic characteristics including that of grit and the innate sense of curiosity.

Benefits of having a sales playbook.

Connect with Andrew Han on LinkedIn and visit andrewhahn.carrd.co/ to learn more about his fractional CRO services.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 166: Win the Partner Journey

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

How can you ensure a successful partnership with one of the largest hyperscalers in the world? Investing in your partner journey is essential to growing your business. Understanding programs and available incentives are vital and key to finding success.

It’s been a year since the Microsoft Partner Network became the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. Author, speaker and founder of Venvito Consulting, Rob Fegan shares why he decided to become a resource for Partners looking for greater success with the tech giant.

Highlights include:

Rob’s leadership journey from being a Partner to becoming a champion for Partners.

Keys to successfully navigating within Microsoft's complex ecosystem.

What Microsoft is looking for from Partners.

The 3 R's Framework of Revenue, Relevance and Relationships.

The 3M Framework of Mindset, Messaging and Mechanics.

If you want success as a partner, then understand the Cloud Partner Program, get your solution designations, show up in the marketplace and align with those who want nothing more than for your success like Rob and Venvito.

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn and visit venvito.net, grab the Partner Score Sheet and get started on strengthening your success journey.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 165: Go From Clicks to Clients

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 16:18:00 +0000

Buyers and purchasing agents are more educated, informed and prepared than ever before. They are better positioned to drive the best opportunities, products and services for the organizations that they represent. Sales professionals have to sharpen their skills and leverage technology and social media platforms to find great success.

Sales leader, author and Sr. Partner Sales Manager at AWS, Matthew Rutter shares from his experience about the importance of mastering digital and social selling and how his new book can become a game-changer.

We discuss:

Discovering your digital brand.

Listening skills and strategies to nurture strategic client relationships.

Impact from mentors and coaches.

Amplify your network and implement LinkedIn and Google to your advantage.

Your tagline and exercise to define and refine your digital presence.

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn and pick up his book, Clicks to Clients: Proven Sales Strategies for the Digital Era.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 164: Generate More with an Online Course

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:58:00 +0000

Have you ever explored how you can take your experience, expertise and passion, and turn that into more success? Consider generating more income; more passive income with the creation of online courses.

Heather Baugher is an entrepreneur, a realtor and the Owner of Unitec Digital Marketing. In the midst of disruption, Heather has discovered avenues to live out her passion and purpose. While online courses certainly aren’t the only way to generate passive income, they do offer a unique avenue to build a business and may lead to more freedom and spark more opportunities.

Look for opportunities to now only grow your portfolio; look also for opportunities to serve others. An area of service that has been born through the side hustle of her Make-up Salon has been the ability to serve cancer patients.

Organizations of all sizes are taking advantage of the digital space/digital marketing, why shouldn’t you? Follow Heather on social media and visit unitecdm.com to get more information about online course creation and starting your own digital marketing business.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 163: Unlocking the AthMindset

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Winners are always looking for ways to refine and improve themselves. Having the right tools and mindset can support and accelerate your performance. Dive into how you can harness the power of the mind for peak performance with this new resource by Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW and Dr. Tiana Woolrdige, MD, MPH.

Lisa is the Founder, CEO of AthMindset and is the Mental Health Performance Coach at Oakland Roots SC. Tiana is an author, a Sports Medicine Physician and Pediatrician Doctor. The AthMindset® Workbook: Training Your Mind for Optimal Mental Health in Sport and in Life, is a comprehensive workbook designed to optimize mental well-being and performance. Features within the workbook including how to recognize warning signs, how to build and best utilize the provided tools, and how to approach life post sports.

We cover everything from understanding the stress response to various exercises including visualization and the importance of breathing. Become a mental health advocate, facilitate workshops for your team and organization.

Learn more Lisa Bonta Sumii and her work, by visiting https://athmindset.io/

Follow Dr. Tiana Woolridge on LinkedIn and Instagram under callmedoctor_T

Take control of your mental health and grab this incredible resource and leverage the tools within the Workbook at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-athmindset%c2%ae-workbook

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 162: Intentional Growth through Strategic Partnerships

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 12:37:00 +0000

Being aligned with the right partnerships can lead to increased exposure and accelerated growth. Derek Miner, Partner with Lemonade Stand, a full-service digital marketing firm shares how they live out their motto of ‘Build then Bless’.

Some of the highlights include:

Growth during the Pandemic by showing up for clients.

Lemonade Stand organizational culture & turning team members into philanthropists.

Why words really matter and what Derek enjoys about public speaking and delivering conference messages.

Derek being a fan of quotes and we even touch on some of his own including, 'The small things we do multiplied by time equal the biggest results’ and ‘words move; words can change lives.’

We even touch on a recent keynote Derek delivered, entitled 'Marketing and Leadership Secrets of the Best MSPs: The Five Most Valuable Strategies to Gain More Clients and Keep Them. Follow Derek on LinkedIn and visit lemonadestand.org to see how this intentional partner can produce the results you are looking for.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 161: Continue to Soar in Leadership

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:59:00 +0000

Don’t settle when you can set the stage for continued success and growth as a professional. What will keep you going when others settle? How can you lay the foundation for expecting greatness?

We are fortunate to be joined by a respected technology thought leader, sought after speaker, and supporter of our platform. Danielle Estrada is the General Manager of Consulting Services at Microsoft's Northeast region and she shares some of her leadership journey with us as well as what keeps her and her team performing at their best.

Some of the incredible nuggets include:

Accomplishments can set the stage for you to do more.

Get a seat at the table and find your voice.

Be unapologetically bold; you have something to contribute.

Be comfortable being you, and with how you show up.

Continue to ask how you can increase your impact.

Support and recruit talent from Universities, including our own Howard University.

Be sure to follow Danielle on LinkedIn and visit Microsoft to learn more about their commitment to diversity and to supporting the community.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 160: Miraculous Breakthroughs

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 13:01:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered why despite all of your hard work, you have not quite received the career breakthrough you’ve wanted? Have you felt stuck and unclear about what you should do next? A breakthrough may be what is needed right now to accelerate your abilities and your career.

Entrepreneur, podcaster, influencer and author James Zheng shares his own breakthrough and his new book, ‘The Miraculous Breakthrough Formula: The 7-Day Challenge Biblically Guaranteed To Help You Get Unstuck And Achieve The Impossible.’ We touch on the importance of fasting and how that can be a catalyst for the breakthrough you are looking for. Other highlights include:

Refined niche of working with faith based leaders.

How fasting can bring about clarity and focus.

How the conscious and subconscious mind works to shape behavior and results.

The importance of coaching.

Strong belief that every leader can become an effective communicator.

Follow James on social media, listen to the Kingdom Builders Podcast and pick up his book on Amazon. James is also providing for our listeners a video covering a strategy to get unstuck and breakthrough: https://www.miraculousbreakthroughformula.com/freevideo

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 159: The Essential Upgrade

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:04:00 +0000

A drastic career change may not be the change you envision, but it might be just the change your life needs. A pivot can lead to incredible growth both personally and professionally. Even if you know it is necessary, pivoting may not be easy or comfortable. Pivoting is a mindset and it will take resolve and courage to embrace a new strategy and to chart a new path.

Chandra Sanders, Founder & CEO of Heels N Hustle shares her own journey of turning pivots into opportunities. From this fantastic conversation with Sandra, we also hear:

Her passion to support women and other underrepresented communities.

Her own leadership journey and time at The Mom Project.

What readers can learn from her book, including vision boards and having a growth mindset.

Her thoughts about public speaking.

Pick up a copy of Chandra’s new book, ‘The Essential Upgrade: A Journey of Purpose, Pivots and Power.’ You can learn more about her work, by visiting chandrasanders.co or by following her on Instagram at @officiallychandra

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 158: Results Driven Coaching’

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:01:00 +0000

Time is limited and time is money, but what would you be willing to do today if it would help you accomplish your goals? To what extent would you go or do to see an increase in your performance? Top leaders invest in and incorporate coaching to help drive greater focus and success.

Dr. Fred Petito, Founder of Attain Leadership, is an attorney and executive coach with a niche in supporting marketing executives and marketing leaders. With the changing landscape of technology and the increased complexity of the marketing role, Fred’s professional background perfectly positions him as a trusted advisor and coach.

Coaching helps to bring clarity, accountability and to break through any negative narratives or scripts that leaders tell themselves. Fred believes in the value of curiosity and with using assessments including the Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder and the Leadership Challenge framework.

To learn more about Dr. Petito and Attain Leadership, visit attainleadership.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: EQ & Communication are Keys for Success

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:05:00 +0000

In winding down our special Summer Series, we are replaying a fantastic conversation we had with Tre Gammage, a Speaker, Social Emotional Learning Specialist and the Founder of SEL Educators. We dive into his world as a consultant and how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and great communication are foundational for success. This is reflected in our situational awareness and being able to effectively manage emotion.

Tre is a DISC Certified trainer and touches on the Platinum Rule to understand where tension comes from. As a speaker, he developed a method for writing his speeches called ART and calls on others to become an ARTIST.

ARTIST stands for:

A - Awareness

R - Reflection

T - Transition

I - Inspire

S - Special

T - Things

To learn more about Tre and his work visit SELeducators.com/ and tregammage.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Lessons From Failure

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:48:00 +0000

As we continue with our Twins Talk it Up Summer Series, here is a special replay of our conversation with our good friend Mark Botros, Principal with Noblis, a strategy consulting firm in the Washington DC Metropolitan. In this conversation, Mark shares 3 Dirty Secrets to Failure:

Failure is a frame, not the whole movie.

The road to Success is paved with failure ... among other things.

You may not embrace failure, but the greats do.

Failure can be a great teacher and a pivot to even greater success. To learn more about Mark and to follow his work as a consultant and podcaster, visit markabotros.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Mindset & High Performance Coaching

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:19:00 +0000

As we continue with our Summer Series, fall in love with the challenge of taking it higher both personally and professionally. Invest in your growth by welcoming executive coaching. This is a special replay of our conversation with author, speaker, entrepreneur and mental toughness and high-performance coach, Sheryl Kline. Sherly expects nothing less than Olympic-level confidence and she wants to increase your ‘FBI Strategic’ influence. To learn more about Sheryl, visit sherylkline.com/getacquainted

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Build for Tomorrow

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:31:00 +0000

As we continue with our Summer Series, enjoy this conversation with one of our favorite guests and friend of the show. Jason Feifer is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, a keynote speaker, a podcaster and the author of the book, Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing your Career. Change is inevitable and how you respond could mean all the difference. Become resilient and view change as an opportunity. Be sure to pick up his book and visit jasonfeifer.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Successful Partnerships Begin with Trust

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:36:00 +0000

As we continue our Summer Series for Twins Talk it Up, we revisit another popular episode with the Founders of PartnerTap, CEO Cassandra Gholston and CRO Autum Grimm are passionate about building upon a foundation of trust. You will quickly understand why these two incredible leaders are shaking up the tech sector. To learn more about Cassandra, Autum and PartnerTap, visit partnertap.com or send an email to sales@partnertap.com.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Building Successful Partnerships with Vince Menzione

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:59:00 +0000

As we continue our Summer Series for Twins Talk it Up, we revisit a popular episode with our friend Vince Menzione, CEO of Ultimate Partner, a consulting firm with a focus on helping organizations reach their goals with successful partnering. He is also the Host of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering Podcast. VInce was also a recent panelist at the Microsoft Inspire 2023.

Enjoy and commit your organization to building successful partnerships. For more information about Vince and Ultimate Partnerships, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit https://ultimateguidetopartnering.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Transforming and Diversifying the Tech Community

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Microsoft’s Annual Partner Conference, Inspire 2023 starts this week. In recognition of Inspire, we are replaying another popular episode with Darrell Booker, Corporate Affairs Specialist. To learn more about Microsoft’s NTA program and the work that Darrell is doing, visit http://aka.ms/microsoftcommunities and connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Twins Talk it Up Summer Series: Tech and Modern Mentoring with Lani Phillips

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:23:00 +0000

Will you be attending Microsoft’s Annual Partner Conference? Inspire 2023 starts July 18th and is sure to be a fantastic event. In recognition of Inspire, we are replaying one of the more popular episodes with Lani Phillips, VP US Channel Partners. Keep up with Lani by connecting with her on LinkedIn or by visiting laniphillips.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 149: Gen Z Entrepreneurship

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 14:09:00 +0000

Generation Z also known as Zoomers are our next wave of innovative leaders and entrepreneurs. They are passionate, curious, and bring creativity to finding innovative solutions to challenges. How can they turn their passions into impact? How can they get their ideas to the market?

Recent SMU graduate, Raleigh Dewan is the founder and managing partner of the NB Group, which includes social impact companies such as SteadiSpoon (a self-stabilizing assistive eating device for people suffering debilitating hand tremors) and The Sister Shaq Tea Company (A socially conscious tea company fighting human trafficking in our local communities).

Raleigh is an impressive young leader and we discuss what has been fueling his passion as an entrepreneur. Raleigh believes that Gen Zers are socially conscious and desire to make an impact. He encourages them to consider starting with their own local communities and to never be afraid to ask for help. If you are met with silence or don’t receive a favorable reply, keep asking. 'It's not always how, but who', as in who would be the best person to help.

In speaking with and in mentoring other students he shares the 'explore and exploit' principle.

Connect with your story and support young leaders. To learn more about Raleign Dewan, SteadiSpoon and Sister Shaq’s Sweet Teas, visit thenbgroup.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 148: Sweet Recipe for More Dough (Part 2)

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Part 2 of our conversation with Entrepreneur, Podcaster and Founder Bennett Maxwell of Dirty Dough Cookies.

We dive into his Deeper Than Dough podcast, why he focuses on communication skills and on the importance of mental health. Bennett wants to redefine what success is. He built within the company a vehicle to fund mental wellness centers in K through 12 schools.

Bennett shares what he practices in order run a successful business:

Emphasis on physical health

Emphasis on mental health

Physiological sigh breathing technique to combat stress. Quoted neuroscientist Andrew Huberman (huberman lab podcast)

Ice bath

Sauna

Massage Chair

Light Therapy

Connect with Bennett on LinkedIn, listen to the Deeper Than Dough Podcast, consider becoming a Franchisee and visit dirtydoughcookies.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 147: Sweet Recipe for More Dough (Part 1)

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:03:00 +0000

If you are in search of a winning recipe, then look no further than this sweet episode. Entrepreneur, podcaster and the driving force behind Dirty Dough Cookies’ unbelievable growth, Bennett Maxwell shares his entrepreneurial journey and his recipe for success.

In Part 1 of our conversation with Bennett, we touch on Bennett’s philosophy of building:

1. Simplicity

Provide something that is both simple and scalable.

2. Having and building the right team

Seasoned veterans and 'letting them do what they're good at.’

How in 18 months, they have sold 360 franchises, opening anywhere from 1 to 3 stores a week.

How you can look at challenges as opportunities. They took advantage of a lawsuit and used it to propel their business and their message.

Connect with Bennett on LinkedIn, listen to the Deeper Than Dough Podcast and visit dirtydoughcookies.com/

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this incredible conversation.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 146: Communication and Situational Awareness w/ DISC Part 2

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Part 2 of our conversation with Keith Daw, Founder & Chief Architect of Be Kinetic. We continue to dive into DISC and how this tool can help improve workplace productivity, communication and sales.

Intentionality is key to a successful integration of DISC for all levels of leadership. DISC helps you to respond and answer team members according to their DISC style. This reflects the importance of listening and being able to lean into that secondary DISC Style. A great tip Keith provided for team members to consider during virtual meetings is to add your DISC Style within your name/title area to support that depth of awareness and foster great communication.

Don’t make DISC 'an afterthought'. Add this to your sales enablement and leadership development program.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn and visit be-kinetic.com to learn more about his DISC training.

Here is the Be Kinetic DISC Cheat Sheet: https://bit.ly/ttu-bekinetic

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 145: Communication and Situational Awareness w/ DISC (Part 1)

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:34:00 +0000

Organizations looking to enhance their leadership development initiatives value productivity and performance platforms. How can these tools transform leaders and their understanding of themselves and the people around them? How can they shape communication and strengthen culture and increase success?

Keith Daw, Founder & Chief Architect of Be Kinetic, a communication-centric Go To Market consulting firm shares his thoughts about the importance of incorporating DISC training for every level of an organization. DISC is an acronym that stands for the four main personality profiles described in the DISC model: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Which are you?

DISC can help you:

Improve both self-awareness and situational awareness.

Retain and develop your best talent.

Understand your team and prospects, and adapt to their behavior/personality profile.

Learn how to work together more productively.

Become more effective communicators.

Keith makes the point of, “why would you want to be potential, when you can be kinetic. There’s too much potential out there in business and in life.”

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn and visit be-kinetic.com to learn more about his DISC training.

Here is the Be Kinetic DISC Cheat Sheet: https://bit.ly/ttu-bekinetic

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 144: Microsoft BPGI Recap & BCPA Golf Classic

Tue, 30 May 2023 21:47:00 +0000

A single event can change everything for you and your business. We were fortunate to join other Microsoft Partners and Stakeholders at the First Black Partner Growth Initiative (BPGI) Summit at Microsoft’s HQ in Redmond, Washington. In partnership with the Black Channel Partner Alliance (BCPA) and AppMeetup, tech leaders throughout the country came together for an interactive experience focused on driving innovation and business growth.

The depth of support and commitment from Microsoft and other leading organizations to the growth, development, sales acceleration, and success of the Black partner was amazing. The events of the week included:

Partner Reception

Summit featuring talks and workshops from industry leaders, as well as Senior Microsoft executives.

Accelerator Catalyst Graduation

BCPA Golf Classic

Strategic Networking

Become a supporter of this vision:

Go to Microsoft’s website and searching for the Black Partner Growth Initiative (BPGI)Visit bcpalliance.com

Visit bcpalliance.com

Visit AppMeetup.com

Diversity and Inclusion matters. Join this movement. Ignite the fires of innovation and watch out for the endless possibilities.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 143: Storytelling Success with Video

Tue, 09 May 2023 22:34:00 +0000

You've likely heard the saying that ‘facts tell, but stories sell.’ The art of storytelling through video is a powerful and effective method for strengthening your brand, connecting with your target audience and for communicating value.

John Fragale, Partner at Levitate Media shares his experience in the industry, talks about his mindset and how they’ve navigated the health pandemic. Levitate Media has produced over 10,000 videos and content services through their live and animated work.

John shares insight into:

-Building culture begins with a commitment to hiring the best talent, investing in training and mentorships and by an expectation of transparency.

-Trends including on-site videos, videos for events and the impact of AI.

-Implementation of a strategy during the pandemic with free branded videos for prospects.

-His mindset of taking bold bets, calculated risks and learning from them

-His advice for those interested in the field of marketing. Focus on the value you add and the niche you fit.

To learn more about John, connect with him on LinkedIN and visit levitatemedia.com/

While at the website, take advantage of their ‘Video Budget Calculator’ to get an estimate of future projects. He is also providing a resource with the following link https://rb.gy/3czbk

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 142: Mindset & High Performance Coaching

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:58:00 +0000

What would acquiring Olympic-Level confidence mean for you and your organization? The top performers in the world believe in and invest in coaching. This conversation was so amazing, we had to release this one on both of our programs.

Sheryl Kline is a mental toughness and high performance coach. Her focus is on empowering female leaders to gain clarity on their legacy, build that Olympic-level confidence and to increase their ‘FBI Strategic’ influence.

Studies have shown that having women in key positions of leadership increases both profitability and sustainability of the workforce. Two things that can hold women back from having influence: anger and invisibility. Sheryl has experienced more of her practice moving from an emphasis on mental toughness toward that of emotional agility under pressure.

Some additional insight:

Step into the leader you want to be today
Give yourself permission - empower yourself
Rest is needed to recharge
Stress and procrastination costs companies $1.8 Trillion dollars
Future Casting
Her 3-1-1s
Sister company, 'Girl Up Initiative Uganda'

Be sure to listen to her Limitless Leader podcast and visit sherylkline.com/getacquainted

Pick up her book called, Zoned In: The Mental Toughness required for World Class You and be on the lookout for her next project to be released early 2024 called, The Fearless Female Leader

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 141: Leadership Tips for New Managers

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:40:00 +0000

What should new managers or supervisors know to strengthen their role and ensure success? Are there tips for first-time managers who now have to take on even more responsibilities? Learning how to lead well can take time, patience, and having the right mindset. We’ve put together some tips to help with this transition into your new role.

Tip Number 1: Have defined expectations

Tip Number 2: Past success doesn’t mean future success

Tip Number 3:Watch your speech

Tip Number 4: Clear communication

Tip Number 5: Be consistent

Tip Number 6: Invest in your own professional development

Tip Number 7: Find a mentor or coach

Enter into this position with confidence. Keep learning and keep growing. You will find great success as a leader

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 140: Executive Therapy

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:14:00 +0000

We believe in elevating the voices of incredible leaders. Reflecting on the importance of March being Women's History Month, we wanted to share some of the amazing conversations we've had with some women who are making an amazing impact within their circles. Celebrate Women's History Month by prioritizing mental health. Enjoy this popular re-releasing converation with therapist, speaker, author, mental health expert and Co-Founder of Mosaic Counseling Group, Mandy Morris. To learn more about Mandy, visit therapistmandy.com

There are resources available for business owners, management and executives to support their mental wellness. We welcome our friend Mandy Morris to the program to share how an emphasis on this area can not only lead to a healthier leader, but also to a more profitable and productive organization. Mandy is a therapist, speaker, author, and mental health expert. She is also a co-founder of Mosaic Counseling Group.

Do you have any limiting beliefs, struggle with imposter syndrome, or have been overcome with self-sabotaging behaviors? Mandy shares about her Success DNA program and how its 3 Phases can be broken down into segments:

S - Subsurface Exploration (understanding your Operating System)

U - Uncover Triggers

C - Compounded Life Experiences

C - Current Problems

E - Engaging Solutions

S - Set up Accountability

S - System, New DNA

95% of our brain activity is subconscious. We may have unhealthy or limiting beliefs that require unlearning that which does not serve us. Success DNA is designed to discover and strengthen personal and organizational leadership psychology and principles to unlock potential and activate a new system into strategic systems of growth for the executive and their business.

The purpose of the program is to EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing training is another effective tool, with a 90% effective success rate. Psychological safety and good organizational culture are vital for thriving organizations, with many identifying emotional intelligence or EQ as a key trait for healthy leadership. When discussing anger and anger management, Mandy stated that, 'it's not about right or wrong. It's not about winning or losing it. It's about relationships, and it has to be about relationships'.

To learn more about Mandy and her work, visit therapistmandy.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 139: The Great Resignation, The Great Opportunity

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:40:00 +0000

We believe in elevating the voices of incredible leaders. Reflecting on the importance of March being Women's History Month, we wanted to share some of the amazing conversations we've had with some women who are making an amazing impact within their circles. Become an advocate and celebrate women by investing in professional development. Enjoy this popular re-releasing of our fantastic conversation with Joyce Johnson, Founder and CEO of Why Sales Network. To learn more about Joyce, visit whysalesnetwork.com/

What is the 'great resignation' and what are the opportunities professionals are pursuing? We invite Joyce Johnson to share insight into this era and what leaders are doing to invest in their top talent. Joyce is an author, podcaster, business coach as well as the Founder and CEO of Why Sales Network.

The Covid-19 Health Pandemic was among the many factors that triggered masses to leave their jobs. Many began to re-think where, how, and why they are working the jobs they had. This awakening created a drive for quality of life and work life balance; it created a demand for talent.

Joyce shares what both professionals and organizations are discovering during this period. She speaks about the value of relationships in selling and how the difference between contact and contract is the r, and that the letter r represents relationships. Training topics such as managing a sales force, empathy, and communication are essential to supporting professionals within their organizations. You will not consistently hit targets without having engaged employees.

Joyce touched on lessons learned from watching an NFL Playoff game. She stated that ’thirteen seconds can change your life', and on how preparation breeds success. Know your playbook and you will win the game. Invest in yourself as a leader. Invest in your people. Learn from other voices. Joyce constantly says, 'get up, show up, follow up'.

To learn more about Joyce and to get a free copy of one of her e-books, visit whysalesnetwork.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 138: Coffee Beans of Generosity

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Are you looking for ways to unlock and maximize the potential of your employees and leadership teams? Make them feel supported. Investing in training, leadership development, mental and health wellness as just a few ways to accomplish this. Championing corporate philanthropy and giving back to communities and worthy causes is a smart business strategy. Employees want to work for companies that support causes they care about and increasingly customers want to purchase from companies that give back to their communities.

Michael Mitchell speaks about the importance of supporting the causes that employees are most passionate about. Michael is a seasoned sales professional with Binary Defense and a Board Member of the HOFFA Foundation, a Maryland non-profit working to provide recovery resources, stable housing and employment services for those who are in the process of rebuilding their lives from addiction.

HOFFA stands for Healing Opportunity Free From Addiction.

Learn about the value of Purpose Driven Connections and using Connections Cards.

Impact your community and speak to your leaders about workplace giving, matching gifts, sponsorships and volunteer programs. Be an organization that is known to be generous. Order a bag of HOFFA Beans today. To support The Hoffa Foundation, visit HOFFAFoundation.org

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 137: EQ & Communication are Keys for Success

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Understanding and managing your emotions, as well as being able to communicate clearly your expectations will support your professional development and overall leadership success. Education Consultant, Speaker and Podcaster, Tre Gammage speaks about the importance of situational awareness and being able to manage emotions aka emotional intelligence. His company SEL Educators is an Adult Social-emotional learning platform for educators and school communities.

UC Berkeley research showed that success, both personal and organizational, is roughly 80% emotional intelligence, or EQ, and only 20% IQ. Tre also brings to light what some of the benefits are of Social Emotional Learning and the impact that can be made to your organization.

Hear about his leadership journey, from playing college football at Miami University in Ohio, to becoming a speaking champion and then to growing his consulting practice. He is a DISC Certified trainer and touches on communication styles, the Platinum Rule to understanding where tension comes from. He even developed a method for writing his speeches called ART and to become an ARTIST.

To learn more about Tre and his work visit SELeducators.com/ and tregammage.com/

Tre is also graciously giving our audience his Relationships & Communication Asset Based Assessment and workbook at seleducators.com/sel_downloads

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 136: Concrete Connections

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

From Super Bowl to Super Connections. Whether your team won or lost the NFL Super Bowl, you will certainly be a winner when you download the latest episode with special guest Charles Woods. Charles is an Educator, Speaker, Leadership Consultant, Coach and the Author of Concrete Connections: Building Solid Relationships That Last.

When strategic relationships are established, opportunities are limitless. This powerful compilation highlights powerful thought leaders and their ability to build solid relationships. We ask Charles about:

The value of mentorships
Importance of active listening
His role as an educator
His coaching journey

Learn about his G.R.E.A.T. Acronym:

Gratitude
Resilience
Energy
Accountable
Trust

To learn more about Charles, visit charles-woods.square.site and pick up his latest book, Concrete Connections: Building Solid Relationships That Last

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 135: Build for Tomorrow

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with the saying, "change is the only constant in life." The world is always changing and so are people. Creativity, perseverance and adaptability are often born from change. What a pleasure being able to speak with our friend Jason Feifer. Jason is the Editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, a keynote speaker, a podcaster and the author of the book, Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing your Career.

He is an incredible storyteller or as he puts it, as someone who ‘tells stories in his own voice'. We dive into his book and learn about the fascinating conversations and interviews he has had with historians and amazing leaders.

Here are the 4 Phases of Change that Jason identifies:

Panic
Adaptation
New Normal
Wouldn't Go Back

The key is how efficiently you go through change.

3 Questions to ask:

What new thing is happening?
What new habit or skill am I learning as a result?
How can that be put to good use?

Prepare yourself for change by making yourself adaptable. Be sure to pick up Jason’s book, Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing your Career.

Jason was also gracious enough to provide our listening audience, one of his courses at jasonfeifer.com/free-training-audio-course/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 134: Tech Entrepreneurial Journey

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Passion may be the most intrinsic attribute for any entrepreneur. This fuel drives creativity and a pursuit for success. Much like a moth’s attraction to a fire or bright light, we are driven to learn from incredible leadership journeys.

We are treated to an incredible conversation with Jack Rachmani, CEO and Founder of The Feature Branch. His consulting firm offers digital transformation and outsourcing development services. In other words, they strive to provide the right ‘feature’ and support that their clients are looking for.

We ask Jack to define what success means to him and to provide encouragement for those looking to start their own venture:

Start with identifying your ‘Why’
Pursue your goals despite any fears
Invite in other leaders
Build up your “MVP; your Minimum Viable Product”
Invest in and trust in your people

To learn more about Jack and The Feature Branch, find him on LinkedIn and visit thefeaturebranch.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 133: Technology Evangelism

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

When you speak on behalf of a product or organization, you are in a way evangelizing. When you are passionate about and are responsible for spreading the doctrine of an organization, you are an evangelist.

We are thrilled to be joined by our friend Sean Lardo, ConnectWise Economy Evangelist. ConnectWise is a leading platform of software & services built for Technology Service Providers. Sean focuses on ‘preaching’ the ConnectWise message, winning converts, and on strengthening their strategic partnerships. He is about “working on the journey and experience of MSPs and Vendors”.

We discuss with Sean:

Why shaving his beard is connected to a great cause
How ConnectWise responded to the pandemic.
IT Pitch Acceleration Competition with applications being accepted starting on the 1st of February.
How his Military background became foundational to his leadership.

To learn more about Sean and Connectwise, find him on LinkedIn and visit connectwise.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 132: Integrate with Ntegral

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Who doesn’t love a great success story? We are pleased to be joined by our friend Dexter Hardy, President of Ntegral. Ntegral is a technology and management consulting firm with over 210 products in the marketplace, including their best selling Ubuntu virtual desktop solution. Ntegral is the ‘integration of people, technology and change’. Through Dexter’s success journey, we uncover leadership nuggets and learn about his growth mindset.

While organizations have responded to the health pandemic and state of the economy by laying off employees, Integral has done the opposite by adding more incredible talent to the team. Dexter knew that they needed to pivot and he chose to look at these times as opportunities. From this, came ‘Consulting 2.0’ and a continued commitment to strengthening both their partnerships and client relationships.

Integral has been recognized for their commitment to excellence and have become a valued Microsoft Partner. We also appreciate his endorsement of AppMeetup for their coaching and training programs.

A key to Dexter’s success also lies on a foundation of physical and mental wellness. What will be your keys to a successful year?

To learn more about Dexter and how you can work with Ntegral, visit integral.com/ or send an email to success@ntegral.com

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 131: Lemonade Entrepreneurial Spirit

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:53:00 +0000

We all love to hear stories that can connect and inspire. Some of the most powerful are those that are often born from adversity. You’ve likely heard the expression, ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. John Rowa, President of Lemonade Stand joins us to discuss the importance of helping leaders and organizations get their stories out to the world.

Lemonade Stand is a full-service digital marketing agency with clients all over the world. Speaking of digital presence, they are robust to handle everything from website development to SEO, reputation management and content writing. John stated that “you've got to get your lemonade out there and we want to help people find it.” They also started the Lemonade Stand Stories podcast, where they bring on industry leaders and creatives to highlight how they’ve turned life’s lemons into lemonade.

We touch on some of Lemonade Stand's core values and culture and with their ‘Bless then Build’ mindset or as John puts it, “the Bless then Build Operating System”. Build something and then become a blessing. To learn more about John and Lemonade Stand, visit lemonadestand.org/ and be sure to listen in to the Lemonade Stories Podcast.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 130: A Growth Mindset for the New Year

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 11:04:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Are you excited about the opportunities and possibilities that await you? Thank you for being a part of our journey in 2022. Thank you for continuing with us in 2023.

We discuss some of the victories we’ve had this past year and touch on several expectations for the New Year. We are more than grateful for the amazing guests that have come on the program and look forward to having more leaders joining us, who will lend their voice and share their experiences.

We dive into ways we can begin to harness a growth mindset; a growth mindset that will support your expectations for 2023.

Harness a growth mindset by:

1. Getting clear on what matters to you

2. Develop processes that will fuel your happiness and success

3. Celebrate all and every win this year

Consider focusing on:

1. What can happen instead of what can go wrong

2. Invest in finding and developing the best people

3. Revisit and update if necessary your business plan

4. Invest in your personal health, mental health, and leadership growth

Thank you for partnering and supporting both our Twins Talk it Up program and our book, Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking.

Let’s crush 2023! May this be a year filled with success, joy, and prosperity!

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 129: Unlock Growth with an Indirect Provider

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 13:04:00 +0000

Organizations understand more now than ever, the value of having flexible, scalable, and cost-effective computing power in the cloud. Reducing IT costs, accelerating innovation and security are just a few of the compelling reasons why they embark on a cloud migration journey. We are fortunate to have our friend Michael Slater, Head of Sales - Channel Marketplace for Sherweb join the program to speak about how they provide tailored support for curated cloud solutions, operations & go-to-market strategies for their clients.

We touch on some of the benefits of working with Sherweb compared to directly with Microsoft. As the tech giant continues to grow, there comes a need for more specialized ‘hands on’ training and focused attention, both for technical and sales training. Sherweb essentially helps leverage performance for the channel.

By saying “security is not an obstacle to productivity,” Michael essentially stated how important it is to provide education around cloud security,

We also ask him to speak about their own growth, their acquisitions and about understanding Microsoft's new cloud partner program. He also touches on his growth as a speaker. He might just be speaking at a Conference near you in 2023.

To learn more about Michael and Sherweb, look for him on LinkedIn or visit sherweb.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 128: Business Message Architecture

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 11:17:00 +0000

Success is often dictated by the message that is presented. Is the message clear, compelling and worth listening to? Timothy Pollard, CEO of Oratium joins the program to share how you can structure the perfect story to obtain extraordinary results.

Tim is also the author of two books

The Compelling Communicator: Mastering the Art and Science of Exceptional Presentation Design

Mastering the Moment: Perfecting the Skills and Processes of Exceptional Presentation Delivery.

We ask Tim what organizations often get wrong with their messaging:

TMI - Too Much Information

Confusing & Unclear due to a lack of a narrative flow

Sender Oriented

Tim also touches on a few of the 7 Hallmarks to a great message. This framework includes:

Simple & Crisp

Focus on the Problem (at least one-third of the conversation)

Build Narrative around a few Big Ideas

Retellability: teach and equip on how to tell the story

Tim believes that 'retellability is the single most important word in communication, and unquestionably is the most important word in sales communications.

Listen in as we discuss differences with virtual and in-person communication. Virtual environments tend to amplify messaging mistakes. To learn more about Tim and his work, visit oratium.com. Be sure to check out his 2 books and e-learning courses.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 127: Successful Partnerships Begin with Trust

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Not everyone can have an identical twin, but you can build a successful business with like-minded thought leaders. We are fortunate to have the Founders of PartnerTap join us to speak about their partnership and how organizations can accelerate growth and revenue from leveraging data sharing.

Cassandra Gholston serves as the CEO and is responsible for leading PartnerTap’s strategic vision. Autum Grimm serves as the CRO and focuses on processes that generate revenue and business development. These two amazing leaders experience unbelievable synergy; a deep level of attunement similar to the connection twins have. PartnerTap is the leading partner ecosystem platform for the enterprise, giving partners and sales teams a tool to automate account and opportunity mapping, share and track partner pipeline, identify new sales opportunities, and enable co-selling across complex partner account teams.

We dive into how trust is the foundation for great partnerships. We also touch on trends for 2023, PartnerTap core values, books that they are reading and about those who have impacted their professional growth. Women belong at the helm of great organizations and we are supporters of diverse thought. To learn more about Cassandra, Autum and PartnerTap, visit partnertap.com or send an email to sales@partnertap.com.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 126: Microsoft’s Black Partner Growth Initiative

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:25:00 +0000

Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world, but does it have to be a daunting task to navigate and find success working with the tech giant? What should we know about their Black Partner Growth Initiative (BPGI)?

We are fortunate to have the leaders of Microsoft’s BPGI join us to speak about their Innovation Tour and what Microsoft is doing to elevate the Black Partner. Raamel Mitchell is the Global Director of the Black Partner Growth Initiative, and Regina Johnson is a Senior Manager for Global Partner Solutions, where she serves as the strategic lead for programs with over 1000 tech business owners.

We ask them to share what BPGI is and how Microsoft is supporting Black tech companies and entrepreneurs. We also learn about:

Focus on growing their equity initiative and strengthening their channel partner ecosystem strategy

Commitment to provide access to information, resources, capital and opportunities to connect with like-minded partners

Trends that they see for the upcoming year

Their Partner Community, including BCPA & IAMCP

BPGI Innovation Tour with the next stop being in Atlanta, GA on the 8th of December.

Global Black Partner Growth Initiative Summit in April, being held at Microsoft’s HQ in Redmond, Washington

Bonus: Regina is currently reading Build for Tomorrow by Jason Feifer, and Raamel is reading Age of AI: And our Human Future by Henry Kissinger

Connect with Regina Johnson and Raamel Mitchell on LinkedIn. To learn more about the Microsoft Black Partner Growth Initiative (BPGI), visit https://rb.gy/rnitj7

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 125: The Mental Game

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 22:31:00 +0000

What does the expression ‘game within the game’ mean? How does this apply to both athletes and business professionals alike? It is about making improvements in areas or aspects of their performance outside of the ‘playing field’. It is also about improving and strengthening the mind, as mindset is everything and what often sets apart the best performers.

We are thrilled to have a sports psychologist speak to the importance of winning the mental game. Jason Galea is a sports psychologist and the Co-Founder of HeadSet, an on-line sports psychology program for athletes and coaches. He is also the executive director of San Diego Saints, a non-profit Hockey Club that provides youth and adolescents with the opportunity to learn incredible skills and life lessons built around the sport of hockey.

The design of his work with the HeadSet mental training tool, is to provide a customized plan for enhancing an athlete’s level of mental skill and ability, with the goal of achieving peak performance and confidence. Something that he learned from his mother that is often shared with his clients, which is, ‘you are stronger than you know’. This along with an acceptance of how authentically special you are, will enable you to become centered and to figure out the ‘how’, which will lead to greater success. We also talk about journaling and using mantras (thank you Navy Seals) or sayings to keep you grounded and focused on your goals.

He points out that leaders must have a strong vision that they believe in and that this is something that you have to internally believe is attainable, or it's just a dream. As Jason states, ‘hope without a plan is called a dream… and it aint happening'. One of the most powerful statements he made was, 'what the mind sees, the body believes'. Let’s see it and win the mental game.

To learn more about Jason and his work, visit headsetsports.com. Be sure to download and listen to the Headset Sports podcast and support the work of the San Diego Saints hockey program.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 124: Reasons for an Accountability Partner

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

You’ve tried coaching and masterminds, but should you consider an accountability partner? As driven leaders, entrepreneurs and executives, we may often find ourselves in need of that extra support to reach our business goals. While these services may at times overlap, we want to state that each is different in design and when understood, can maximize your personal and professional growth.

A coach might be a great fit for those looking to accelerate their growth and learning curve. For those looking to be surrounded with like-minded leaders and to strengthen their network, then a mastermind might be the right fit. If you know what you need to do, but find yourself at times procrastinating, not achieving them in the time you expect for them to be achieved, then an accountability partner may be your best bet.

We touch on reasons why professionals might not want to have an accountability partner and on the benefits of having an accountability partner. We also address where you can start looking for that ideal partner, and about the traits or expectations needed for a successful partnership to form. Accountability partnerships are designed to be a two-way commitment; a mutual investment, where your partner’s success feels as if it is your own. Consider adding an accountability partnership today.

Be sure to pick up our book, now available on Amazon, Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 123: Having a Sales Mindset

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Your mindset affects your business and when mastered, can become foundational for incredible success. This is what separates the top sales performers from the pack. We welcome to the program our friend Michael Hammelburger to share what he has learned about having the right mindset for success in sales. Michael is the Founder of Sales Therapy, where he provides training and coaching for professionals looking to improve their selling skills.

Michael believes that sales is an art, a learnable skill and one that should be authentic, always willing to do what is in the best interest of their client or prospect. Sell only what they need and want, and not to hit a quota. The difference between high performers and low performers is often a reflection of those who have a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset.

We also touch on the importance of setting expectations, receiving a “no” and to receive that quickly. Michael stated that getting a “no” should be considered a success, as this avoids pressure and wasting time. You go from being an opponent, to becoming an ally. To learn more about Michael, visit salestherapy.co/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 122: Lessons From Failure

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

How do you respond to failure? Do you embrace times of failure as opportunities for growth? We are fortunate to have our friend Mark Botros join us for this incredible conversation about reframing failure as well as the importance of growing in our awareness and confidence. Mark is a Principal with Noblis in Washington DC and serves as the Host and Executive Producer of The LIFE WORKS Podcast, where he interviews incredible leaders about lessons learned from life and business.

It's one thing to say I failed. It's another to say I am a failure. Mark shares 3 Dirty Secrets to Failure:

Failure is a frame, not the whole movie
The road to Success is paved with failure ... among other things
You may not embrace failure, but the greats do

Additionally, Mark stated that receiving honest feedback is a gift and that experimentation is a safe way to fail. We highlight several influential figures who have made an incredible impact despite their failures. What story of overcoming failure inspires you to overcome and be your best?

Thomas Edison also stated when asked about the amount of times he failed, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” To learn more about Mark, his work and the Life Works Podcast, visit markabotros.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: The Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 121: Comfort Zones & 911 PC Help

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Many entrepreneurs will spend their entire careers in a place where they never venture outside or beyond what they can see or believe that they are capable of achieving. Why is it important to leave your comfort zone and enter a growth zone? How can embracing new experiences and opportunities support your personal and business growth?

We welcome Vlad Galant, Founder and President of 911 PC Help to the program to speak about how going beyond your comfort zone leads to success. Vlad shares some encouraging words for how you can get out of your comfort zones:

Develop a ‘growth mindset’ of dedication & a persistence to ‘keep digging’.

Find like-minded leaders, including peer groups like the Taylor Business Group (TBG).

We explore his leadership journey and how he went from building a business in Lithuania to starting 911 PC Help in San Francisco, California. 911 PC Help offers up a lot more than emergency troubleshooting on demand. They also provide network security, Voice over IP, data protection, cybersecurity and Cloud Computing Services.

Vlad stated that it was vital to educate and teach your customers about cybersecurity and the dangers of breaches, cyber threats and cyber crimes. Having the approach of a co-managed IT perspective lends to the best solutions and the best defense. Are there benefits to outsourcing your IT needs or should you keep them in-house?

If you would like to contact Vlad and his team, you can reach them at 911pchelp.net or email them at info@911pcelp.net

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 120: Women of Color in Tech

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:23:00 +0000

Why do we need to continue to have conversations about allyship, sponsorship and mentorship? Why do we need to keep challenging the data behind the diversity of key leadership and C-Suite positions? We must because we are not where we need to be. More voices of color and women need to be in those influential roles.

Joining us to speak to this is Susanne Tedrick, a Technical Trainer with Microsoft and author of the book entitled, Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators.

Susanne gives great advice about how women and women of color can get started with a career in tech:

Identify your passion and interests

Have informational interviews with tech leaders

Embrace curiosity

We also touch on emerging technologies, the importance of being intentional with networking and why it is vital to work on your soft skills, including public speaking. In fact, she believes that you should look for stages of all sizes to speak.

You will learn about her impact at CompTIA, passion as a trainer with Microsoft and how much of a fan she is of LinkedIn. LinkedIn ‘goes deeper than a resume. It's a living document of your career; to demonstrate your value'

Become an advocate, embrace allyship and mentorship. To learn more about Susanne and to pick up her book, visit susannetedrick.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 119: Digital Marketing Best Practices

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 10:20:00 +0000

What are some digital marketing best practices you can focus on right now to grow your brand and your business? What trends should you be aware of and how can you integrate technology to reach your target audience? We are fortunate to have join the program, Petia A. Abdur-Razzaaq, a Digital Marketing Strategist and Principal of The Stylista Group. Petia is also a Google trained certified speaker.

We ask Petia to touch on her best practices, and some of them include:

Having a great Website to drive traffic

Email Marketing (highest return of investment)

Video Content

Conversational Marketing (including the use of chat-bots)

Leverage Social Media

Petia stated that organizations must be able to tailor their digital strategy and engage with their target audience in order to sustain their loyalty. She also emphasized the importance of being able to know your numbers and to analyze the data collected if you want your business to grow and thrive.

Don’t shy away from outsourcing this function or from bringing in outside marketing agencies to customize your marketing strategy.

To learn more about Petia, visit thestylistagroup.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 118: Executive Therapy

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0000

S - Subsurface Exploration (understanding your Operating System)

U - Uncover Triggers

C - Compounded Life Experiences

C - Current Problems

E - Engaging Solutions

S - Set up Accountability

S - System, New DNA

To learn more about Mandy and her work, visit therapistmandy.com

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 117: Transforming and Diversifying the Tech Community

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0000

How committed is your organization to driving meaningful change on diversity, equity and inclusion? While many high-performing companies already have DEI programs, not all are experiencing or reaching their stated goals due to a lack of true commitment and focus within the communities they are trying to serve.

We are fortunate to have Darrell Booker, a Corporate Affairs Specialist with Microsoft join us to speak about how his organization is helping to transform and diversify the community with their NTA Program. The Nonprofit Tech Acceleration (NTA) program's mission is to match nonprofits that serve Black and African American communities with technology and technological support to help further their mission.

We ask Darrell about the impact being made with the NTA Program and learn how they help businesses implement technology solutions that will best solve their needs. He also touches on how their Concierge team helps the nonprofits implement, deploy and train on the use of Microsoft’s technologies. We also ask him to detail what is meant by technical debt.

To learn more about Microsoft’s NTA program and the work that Darrell is doing, visit http://aka.ms/microsoftcommunities

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 116: Channel Partner Power Couple

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 10:46:00 +0000

We had an incredible time at the Taylor BigBIG Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and we were fortunate to have an amazing conversation with a power couple within the technology channel partner ecosystem. They are influential leaders who have found a way to have success professionally and personally.

This is a special episode with our friends Jay McBain and Michelle Ragusa-McBain. Jay McBain is an accomplished speaker, author and serves as the Chief Analyst of Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems for Canalys. Michelle is also a speaker and serves as Cisco’s Global Lead & Channel Evangelist for MSPs. She heads up the Provider Elevate Team to drive strategy and execution for community, programs, engagement and acceleration.

Jay and Michelle compliment each other's strengths and support each other's individuality. They support each other’s goals as if they were their own. They strive for what they coin “work-life integration”, instead of ‘work-life balance. Jay also noted that with their relationship, it is a “1 + 1 = 3”.

Additional takeaways from our conversation with them include:

-Logistics and clarity of communication

-Work hard and play hard, and their love of travel

-What keeps them inspired

-Marriage can excel regardless of where you are along the Introvert-Ambivert-Extrovert Spectrum

-Organizational culture matters, support for women & diversity

To learn more about Jay and Michelle as well as where they will be speaking, find them on LinkedIn, visit jaymcbain.com/ and about.me/michelleragusa

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 115: Investing in your Passion with Angel Employment

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 10:09:00 +0000

You are likely familiar with or have heard of the term ‘angel investor’, but what about ‘angel employment’? Investing in the dreamer is the focus of angel employment and we are thrilled to have our good friend Gianna Rahmani join us to talk about this concept as well as her soon to be released book entitled, Day Hustle: Receive the Benefits of a Day Job While You Grow Your Side Hustle’. Gianna is a serial entrepreneur, speaker and now author.

Gianna shares about a path toward financial freedom for those who either have a side hustle or an idea for a business. There may be hesitation and fear but she believes that her program will completely eliminate that fear. There are 3 Steps to becoming a Day Hustler and to benefit from angel employer:

1. Read the Day Hustle book

2. Day Hustle Explainer Video via YouTube

3. Application followed by an Evaluation

Don’t let the ‘golden handcuffs’ prevent you from pursuing your dream. Focus instead on having that ‘Honeymoon life’ – a life where you don't need a vacation from. We also ask what keeps her inspired and about some of her favorite words beginning with the letter F. Those ‘F words’ include family fun, faith, fitness, food, finances, freedom and fulfillment. She even shared that one of the podcast programs of choice is Twins Talk it Up.

Learn more about Gianna and pre-order a copy of her book by visiting, dayhustlebook.com/

You can also subscribe to hear blog at //fwordsaremyfavorite.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 114: Do Partner Programs work?

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 08:29:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered why some of the most successful technology firms have partner programs? What can your organization do to strengthen and provide more resources for your partners? We welcome Samuel Valme Jr, Global Director of Partner Programs & Experience with AvePoint to share his thoughts on partner programs and how software vendors can do a better job enabling communities of IT professionals to be more successful.

You have to go beyond the ‘bells & whistles’ of why your technology or services are good. You have to go beyond the basic incentives of rebates and discounts. AvePoint supports their partners with in-depth training, co-marketing opportunities, as well as tools and resources including risk assessment reports, SOW templates and specialized certification programs.

In addition to this, they have focused on strengthening organizational culture and their DEI partner community. Behind Sam’s leadership, the Black AvePoint Excellence (BAE) was formed, focusing on four main pillars: Recruitment & Retention, Professional Development, Community Outreach, and Networking. Their commitment extends to the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP), Women in Technology and the Black Channel Partner Alliance (BCPA).

When asked how other software vendors can imitate AvePoint in supporting their partners, Sam simply stated that they have to “make it a priority”. To learn more about Sam Valme and the incredible work they are doing with their partners, visit www.avepoint.com/partners

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 113: Leaving a Legacy

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 10:20:00 +0000

In honor of our fellow Howard University alumni, Chadwick Boseman, we wanted to do a special episode on the concept of leaving a legacy. Through his humility, passion and love, Chadwick showed us how to continue in his legacy, and inspired us to consider the legacy we are building and leaving for the next generation.

Leaders and business owners should not wait until they are about to retire or move on from this life to consider what their legacy will be; what they will be remembered for. Don’t build your life for short-term gains, but rather for long-lasting and generational impact. There have been both positive legacies and negative legacies. No matter where you are, you can leave an incredible legacy.

We discuss five exercises or ways leaders can not only address where their legacy currently may be, but also how they can focus on building the legacy that they want. They include:

1.Write your own eulogy

2. Interview yourself from a 5, 10 or 20 year older self

3. Write a Bucket List

4. Write a letter or create a video for your children or loved ones

5. Conduct a Cultural Assessment

Be intentional and impact your organization and your community. What’s your legacy going to be?

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 112: Your Leadership is Not your Cape

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 02:04:00 +0000

That unhealthy pressure to do it all and to be everything to everyone can be described as Superwoman Syndrome or Superman Complex, and this can lead to frustration and anxiety.

Our friend Wendy Elover joins us to speak about how this irrational pursuit of perfection can become exhausting. Wendy is the Owner and Progress Partner at My Dreams in Motion Consulting, and she is the author of the book, My Cape is at the Cleaners: Choosing Happy Over Perfect.

Are there unrealistic expectations you are trying to live up to? Wendy wants you to keep that cape at the cleaners. We ask her about the dreaded 4-letter word F-I-N-E. Being fine could mean that you don't want to go beyond your comfort zone. This is where you need to be intentional and choose not to settle. Be willing to be open and honest with yourself and welcome coaching.

Wendy believes that fear can be ego driven. Your ‘Why’ must be stronger than the fear you have. Fear cannot be bigger than what you need to accomplish, than your purpose. She also encourages her clients to celebrate along their journey toward their goals. Achieving a goal is fantastic, but it is even more impactful when you “become a person who is capable of achieving that goal”.

To learn more about Wendy and to get a copy of her book entitled My Cape is at the Cleaners: Choosing Happy Over Perfect, visit www.wendyelover.com

While you are there, Wendy has a special offering for our listeners: 8 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Daily Motivation.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 111: Scale with Peer Groups

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 10:54:00 +0000

We all have blinders which can lead toward a reliance upon strengths and minimize focus on areas of weakness. There are just some things that only a fellow business leader will see and understand. This is the value of peer groups, and an investment on this level can be the difference between incremental and exponential growth.

We are fortunate to have Dennis O’Connell join us to speak about the impact that can come from being in a peer group, and why we need to know and focus on the right numbers. Dennis is the COO of the Taylor Business Group, where his organization coaches Managed Service Providers (MSP) owners on how to maximize the value of their business.

In addition to the groups themselves, Dennis and his team at Taylor Business Group (also known by TBG) provide additional resources and tools to support the partner experience. One of those is a financial & reporting modeling tool, better known as ‘Roadmap to Profitability'. This tool is to help owners identify the areas where they are doing great in, as well as those areas in need of more attention. Dennis believes that this tool helps to understand what 'good looks like’ and without that, you don't know what to target.

Dennis also touched on the importance of having a finely tuned sales engine, and on the areas an owner should focus on in order to best position their business for sale. He stated that buyers look for clean books, great people and good processes. To learn more about Dennis, Taylor Business Group and the upcoming BigBIG Conference, visittaylorbusinessgroup.com/ and don’t forget about his special invitation code (BB22-TBG-DISCO-13FA).

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 110: Power of Peace Leadership

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 08:44:00 +0000

Disputes and differences of opinion can lead to tension in the workplace, impacting both performance and productivity. Knowing how to de-escalate conflict is a necessary leadership skill and should not be reserved just for the HR Department.

By way of Elite Public Image, our friend Kit Cummings joins the program to shed some light on how to de-escalate tension, conflict and have difficult conversations. Kit is an author, speaker, President and Founder of the Power of Peace Project, a 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to redirecting underserved youth, reducing the overall incidence of youth crime, rehabilitating young inmates, lowering academic dropout rates, and inspiring young people to discover and develop their untapped power and potential.

Kit shares principles that are applicable to any environment, from the most dangerous prisons to the most reputable companies. His 7 Principles include:

1. Seek first to understand

2. Find common ground

3. Walk a mile in their shoes before you judge

4. Practice active listening and pause before responding

5. Practice compassionate communication and use your influence for peace

6. When wrong, promptly admit it and quickly make amends

7. Treat with dignity and respect especially when you disagree

Kit strongly believes that servant leadership can inspire, that words are powerful, and that those in positions of influence must also be aware of their own energy and body language. One of his mantras is, “I see you, I feel you, I got you”. Mahatma Gandi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. were agents of peace. You also can move hearts with your message of peace and resolution.

To learn more about Kit, his books and the work he is doing, visit powerofpeaceproject.com/ and kitcummings.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 109: Focus on the Micro You

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 11:32:00 +0000

For so many leaders, the charge has been to sacrifice personal well-being for the sake of the overall entity. If you want to see a drastic change within your organization, you might want to start with yourself. Could effective change be accelerated if you simply begin with a focus on the ‘micro you’?

We welcome Jim Frawley to the program to speak about the importance of coaching and attention to the 'micro you'. Jim is an Executive Coach, Organizational Consultant and CEO of Bellwether Hub, helping corporations maximize their efficiency and elevate growth. Jim is also an author, keynote speaker and a fellow podcaster with a program by the same name Bellwether Hub.

Among the many interests Jim has, he is also an avid runner and has completed an IronMan. We ask him what running has to do with leadership. We also dive into his book entitled, Adapting in Motion: Finding Your Place in the New Economy. He states that no leader can make a change or adapt to change unless they are truly ready and willing.

Jim addresses the question of 'how do you adapt to change, when you don't know what changes are coming? The only way to respond to the macro change is to focus on the micro individual and how they will respond to those potentially difficult moments. This is the fundamental work - to start on yourself before you are able to best support others.

In his practice, Jim uncovers insecurities, unhealthy narratives and belief systems that clients have bought into or have accepted that may not be supporting their ultimate goals. He also encourages the spirit of curiosity and the asking of great questions. He learned that a question is a legitimate request for information, for the purpose of helping leaders come to discovery, to take ownership and to solve challenges.

To learn more about Jim and his work, visit bellwether http://bellwetherhub.com/ Also be sure to check out his podcast by the same name and pick up his book entitled Adapting in Motion: Finding Your Place in the New Economy

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 108: From the Edge of Disaster to Success

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Here is an adage that might sound familiar, ‘you can learn this the easy way or the hard way, but either way, you are going to learn’. Building an organization can be very rewarding, but it does come with its risks. What resources are available to help guide you through potential challenges and how can you successfully lead your organization from the edge of disaster to a position of success?

We are honored to have our good friend Vaughn Thurman join us to speak about the release of his book entitled, Lessons From the Edge of Business Disaster: A Leader’s Guide to Survival and Recovery. Vaughn is the Founder and Chief Evangelist at HighGear, a leading no-code workflow automation platform provider based in Frederick Maryland.

We ask Vaughn about how he was able to take his organization from a position of trying to survive to one that is thriving in our discussion with Vaughn, we also discussed:

The importance of having great counsel

A fate worse than failure

Fostering a great organizational culture where a team can flourish and succeed

The value of learning to say no

When to treasure reputation over personal pride

This quote from Vaughn speaks volumes of the passion he has for his team. "I was working towards the model of a genius with 1000 helpers, instead of someone who is helping 1000 geniuses.” We also appreciate the endorsement for our speaking and training!

For more information about Vaughn and his organization, visit highgear.com

Be sure to also pick up a copy of his book, Lessons From the Edge of Business Disaster: A Leader’s Guide to Survival and Recovery.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 107: Drive Traffic to Increase Exposure and Scale

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Being able to drive more traffic to your website or podcast can translate into incredible growth. This is why so many organizations are looking for creative ways to maximize their search engine optimization (SEO). We have invited our friend Brandon Leibowitz to shed some light on how you can improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and watch your website or program rise the ranks to the top of search-engine results. This means getting on that ever important first page.

Brandon is the Owner of SEO Opitmizers, a digital marketing company that focuses on helping SMBs get more online traffic, which in turn converts into leads, sales and more clients. He is also a podcaster with his program entitled, Get More Sales & Leads Using SEO by Brandon Leibowitz

Some of what you will hear in our discussion with Brandon include:

What is meant by the term backlinks and why this is important for growing your business

The importance of leveraging analytics for analytics, such as Google analytics and Google Search Console

How often there should be new content in the form of blogs or articles on your website

What you should know about ‘key words’, show notes and time stamping

To learn more about Brandon, SEO Optimizers and to take advantage of his special gift for our listeners, visit seooptimizers.com/gift/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 106: Master Speaking to Impact Your Career

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0000

How can mastering communication skills support your career? Why do top performers invest in public speaking coaching and training? We are excited to share notes and this platform with our friend and fellow public speaking coach Brenden Kumarasamy. Brenden is a YouTuber and the Founder of MasterTalk, where he provides tips, coaching and training for driven leaders looking to master the art of speaking.

Brenden believes that if you want to get into a leadership role, it is essential that you master communication. We ask him to speak on how storytelling can be a key skill for advancing the platforms and careers of professionals. He looks at speaking and storytelling as a 'game of prioritization' and much like the completion of any jigsaw puzzle. Focus on one thing at a time, incorporate simple exercises and the art of practice.

He also reinforces what we've experienced through our work with professionals and organizations:

When organizations invest in their people through public speaking training and coaching, they accelerate their growth

Coaching can shorten the runway, leading to results much sooner than without the influence and support of coaching

Consistent practice to consistent results. Brenden stated that confidence cannot be bought, but only earned through repetition.

Brenden also spoke about the differences with presenting in person compared with presenting online. The three were eye contact, energy and audience accessibility. He believes that if you are to use YouTube or any type of marketing tools, that it is imperative to build content around the needs of your clients and the questions that they have about your product or service. Add value by answering their questions.

For more information about Brenden Kumarasamy and MasterTalk, visit his YouTube MasterTalk channel. For our listening audience, he is also offering a free zoom interactive training on communication at rockstarcommunicator.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 105: Protected and Represented

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Having access to legal, accounting and other expertise is important for helping your business scale and grow as efficiently as possible. Add to your team, expert representation who will help protect and support your growth goals. Mariela C. D'Alessio is a Partner, Owner and Chair of Estates & Trusts at Smith, Gildea & Schmidt LLC, a leading Baltimore Regional Law Firm. Mariela is also a member of the Baltimore County Bar Association Executive Council.

Mariela dispels common misconceptions of being a lawyer, how she grows her practice and why public speaking skills are a major component to her success. Leverage your network, strategic partnerships and the power of client referrals.

Mariela is also passionate about education and sharing insight on complex topics for leaders on aspects of the law, specifically estates and trusts. Protect your family and your business by understanding what a Trust, Will and Power of Attorney are and how this can be an incredibly important piece of your Estate Planning efforts.

To learn more about Mariela, her practice and why having legal representation can be a valued partner and team member, visit www.sgs-law.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 104: Successful Design for the Post Covid Workplace

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0000

The ongoing health, human, and economic impacts of the Covid-19 health pandemic have emphasized how important design is for our work and home environments. Commercial space design is a vital partner for creating sanitary spaces, and for controlling the spread of infectious diseases. What does your physical workplace communicate? We welcome our friend Kimberley Karlson, Owner and Principal Designer of Misguided Angel Interior Designs, a Baltimore, Maryland commercial and residential design firm. We are fortunate to engage in a discussion with Kimberley on the importance of creating more collaborative, inclusive and safe workspaces.

Kim strongly believes that great design will lead to safer work environments and an increase in productivity. Her philosophy is that function must always come first, before aesthetics ever enters the picture with design. Her conviction is that as an entrepreneur, you should never stop having a learning mindset. The art of listening has enabled her to continually win business and deliver amazing results. She is incredibly confident and does noty shy in speaking with executives and Board of Directors. Leverage your network and develop a marketing plan to keep that pipeline full.

It’s hard to know exactly what the long-term implications of the Covid-19 pandemic will be, but it’s clear that design experts like Kimberley will be on the forefront of supporting safer workplaces. To learn more about Kim and her work, visit www.misguidedangeldesigns.com

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 103: 7 Forms of Respect

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

The Golden Rule states that you should treat others the way you would like to be treated. The Platinum Rule states that you should treat others the way they want to be treated. What happens if you don’t know how they want to be treated? What happens when miscommunication, misunderstanding and feeling a lack of respect enters the picture? We are fortunate to have Dr. Julie Pham joins Twins Talk it Up to discuss another dimension of this in what she coined as the Rubber Band Rule.

Dr. Julie Pham is an author and the CEO of CuriosityBased, an organizational development firm based in Seattle, WA. We dive into her latest book, entitled, 7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work.

What does respect mean to you? Julie’s research on this topic of respect led to the development of a framework for understanding how to communicate respect within the workplace. Those forms or categories of respect include:

Procedure
Punctuality
Information
Candor
Consideration
Acknowledgment
Attention

Prioritizing and being able to describe your preference, along with learning what other leaders and colleagues prefer will increase both effectiveness and clarity in communication.

Julie also shares that practicing curiosity can be broken down to:

Increasing self-awareness (being curious about yourself)

Building relationships (being curious about others & allowing them to be about you)

Communicating clearly (asking and listening with curiosity)

Building a great culture is critical for the success of any organization. Spark conversation, curiosity and trust. To learn more about Dr. Julie Pham, her work on the topic of respect and to pick up a copy of her book, visit formsofrespect.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 102: Scaling Sales Success

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

The Covid-19 pandemic affected nearly every aspect of life and business, leading organizations scrambling for solutions to stay afloat. Many companies were forced to scale down or close their doors. Others became flexible, resourceful and eventually took advantage of the changing landscape. Through strategic assessment, they sought opportunities for growth and found a way to scale up.

We are pleased to have Dave Mattson, CEO and President of Sandler back on the program to share about his leadership journey, scaling his company for success and about his book entitled, Scaling Sales Success: 16 Principles for Sales Leaders. Sandler is an international training and consulting organization, with over 250 offices in 32 countries, training over 31,000 professionals each year. Sandler was named the top franchise by franchise Business Review and their podcast entitled How to Succeed, has now eclipsed 500 episodes recorded with over 2 million downloads, making it a top 50 podcast on iTunes.

Despite the challenges from the health pandemic, Dave shared that they were able to increase the Sandler organizational staff by 38%, including key Senior Leadership. They were able to rebrand and integrate their own Learning Management System or LMS. They also focused on strategic partnerships, including a new one with HubSpot, one of the industry's leading CRM platforms.

Dave shared about how important it is for leaders to be strategically inquisitive, and that managers should follow the 70/30 rule, meaning that they should be talking only 30% of the time. Being present, ‘knowing your cookbook’ and leading by example are also important elements for success.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 101: Overcome Mountains with Executive Coaching

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

We celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with this special Twins Talk it Up Episode. This was a live recording as a part of the Asian Podcast Festival, and presented by the Asian American Podcasters Association. We were fortunate to have Lei Wang, an Executive Coach, Speaker, Author and Host of the Journey with Lei Podcast, back on the program.

Lei joined us again to speak about her leadership journey; from completing the Explorers Grand Slam to helping professionals overcome their own mountains and ascend to their greatest heights. Lei shares how her own experiences from climbing translate into being able to successfully coach high performers. She touches on how the concept of excitement can be a driving force, inspiring courage, and empowering leaders to attain peak performance.

To learn more about Lei Wang, her coaching or to pick up a copy of her book, visit journeywithlei.com/

#executivecoaching #AAPI #podcasting #twinstalkitup

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 100: 100th, Talk it Up Book & Juneteenth

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

100! Twins Talk it Up has crossed that threshold and we’re celebrating a milestone with this special 100th episode. What began as an idea for a project that we as twins could do together, has turned into something really special. We have had the pleasure of creating content around leadership and communication that we believe would be of value to professionals and executives. Thank you for listening and supporting our program. Thank you for being a part of our success journey.

We have had the honor of being able to speak with incredible thought leaders, authors, and entrepreneurs. We are so appreciative of all the incredible guests we have had on the program and for those who will soon join our program to share their wisdom and experiences.

In this episode, we do 3 things:

Share lessons learned throughout this Twins Talk it Up Podcast journey.

Touch on Juneteenth, its significance within American history.

Highlight our recently released book entitled, Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking.

We are committed to sharing relevant and interesting content. Send suggestions of topics and guests you would love to hear on the program. Please consider sponsoring our program and share this with your friends and peers. Don’t forget to pick up your copy of our first book, Talk it Up: A Guide to Successful Public Speaking.

Here’s to the next 100!

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 99: Intentional Leadership

Tue, 31 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Several key elements go into developing a successful company. Some of those include having strong leadership with a clear vision, structure, top talent, and a healthy culture. Seeking the best talent, retaining that talent, and then the development of that talent is essential.

We are thrilled to have Manish Hirapara, one of the leading digital transformation leaders join us to speak about his leadership journey, supporting the growth trajectory of amazing talent, having augmented reality as a part of his technology solutions deck, and trends within the digital ecosystem. Manish Hirapara is the CEO of PeakActivity, one of the fastest-growing digital strategy and technology implementation companies in the United States.

We ask Manish about what has fuelled his personal leadership and what it takes to build incredible teams. He subscribes to having a growth mindset and on being intentional. You must be intentional with:

Learning and growing

Building the right culture

Celebrating high performers and incorporating ‘Peak Praise”

Team building activities and by investing in what they are passionate about

Involving ‘Peaksters’ in decision making

To learn more about PeakActivity and how they provide support at every point of the digital journey, visit https://peakactivity.com/

To learn what Manish is focused, including his upcoming podcast, visit https://manishhirapara.com/

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 98: Lessons from a Donut Empire

Tue, 24 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month and we wanted to continue to highlight incredible leaders. We are so excited to have an entrepreneur and Donut Royalty with Mayly Tao, LA's self-proclaimed Donut Princess join Twins Talk it Up. Mayle is a serial entrepreneur, with several businesses including Donut Exotics and Donut Princess Los Angeles, a donut bouquet delivery concept. She is also the host of the Short N’ Sweet: A Donut Princess Podcast, where she explores mindset, women empowerment, and provides insight and tips for small businesses. Her family was also featured in the Donut King Documentary (thedonutkingfilm.com), telling the history of her family and the powerful story of Cambodian immigrants owning donut shops, beginning with her uncle Ted Ngoy.

We ask Mayly to share talk about growing up in a family-owned business and the impact of brand identity and having a strong social media presence. We touch on the Cronut (DKronut) craze and what was next after selling DK Donuts. We ask Mayly to talk about the relationship she has with her mother and what inspired her book entitled, An American Dream, with Sprinkles: The Legacy Story of the Donut Queen & Donut Princess. You will be inspired by her mother's strength and learn about the atrocities she witnessed in Cambodia, and what her family had to go through to come to America. The book describes generational differences and cultural importance, including the role of the Asian American woman in her family.

Pick up Mayly Tao's book entitled, An American Dream, with Sprinkles: The Legacy Story of the Donut Queen & Donut Princess. Subscribe to Short N' Sweet: A Donut Princess Podcast and support her small business visit www.donutprincessla.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 97: Selling Through Human Connection

Tue, 17 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to sell through the lens of human connection? Do you believe that we are all in some way involved in selling? We are fortunate to have Alex Smith join Twins Talk it Up to speak about how sales can be viewed from a different perspective. Alex is a Sales Professional with Docebo, a top SAAS Cloud Based LMS – a Learning Management Platform company. He is also the host of the Stories of Selling Human podcast, where he highlights how we ‘sell by being human, not despite it’.

We ask Alex to share what inspired him to begin the Stories of Selling Human podcast. While many of his guests do not come from a traditional sales background, they have experienced incredible success because they have been able to get their prospects to buy into them – into who they are. They have learned the art of connection.

Alex states that his 'understanding strategy is [his] sales strategy'. He believes that you can learn to ask great questions, and that your natural curiosity can be incredibly beneficial. We must be intentional with our human skills and leverage empathy, listening and authenticity.

To learn more about Alex Smith, follow him on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Stories of Selling Human podcast.

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 96: Reaching New Heights

Tue, 10 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

How do you find the courage to climb some of the highest mountains in the world? How do you find the audacity to support and challenge some of the most driven leaders? We are pleased to have Lei Wang, an Executive Coach, Speaker, Author and Host of the Journey with Lei Podcast. Be sure to pick up her book entitled, After the Summit: New Rules for Reaching Your Peak Potential in Your Career and Life.

We ask Lei to share why she decided to take on and complete the Explorers Grand Slam, having reached both the North and South Poles and climbed the highest points on each of the seven continents. Less than 75 people have ever accomplished this feat, with Lei being the first Asian woman.

Lei shares why excitement can be a driving force, helping you to attain peak performance. We touch on how to handle risk, have a growth mindset, pivoting and why investing in coaching will support your vision for ascending to even greater heights.

Lei even shares how she was able to overcome her own fear of public speaking. She was reminded that people come to hear her message and the value that only she could provide them. Now her greatest adventure is the thrill of helping her clients realize their potential and climb their own business mountains; to achieve their summits.

To learn more about Lei Wang, her coaching or to pick up a copy of her book, visit journeywithlei.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 95: Tech Training Solutions & Allyship

Tue, 03 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

We are honored to have Jennifer Didier, President and CEO of Directions Training, a woman-owned business join us on Twins Talk it Up. Directions Training has a global footprint providing customized training solutions for all major technology vendors.

For adoption and a successful implementation to be achieved, they take their clients through their D4 process. The Directions D4 process consists of:

Define
Develop
Deliver
Determine

Jennifer is a true champion and her passion for diversity in thought and leadership within the tech space is clear. She is a Founder of the Women in Technology (WiT) Network. She has created and given away scholarships and resources for women through her WiT Cloud Power Scholarship Program. She also started the Tech in the Right Direction podcast to acknowledge the need for tech equity in the industry.

You can become an ally by promoting and supporting women in technology. It is critical for leaders, especially men in positions of influence to address and understand unconscious biases that they may have. Jennifer stated, “How can you put yourself in your customers shoes and provide them with the right service that they need, if you don't have any awareness of who they are and how they think.”

What does it mean to be inclusive? What does it mean to be an ally for women and minorities?

It is our hope that this episode with Jennifer will fuel you to bridge the divide, and to follow Jennifer’s spirit of, 'Empowering brilliance is the key'.

To learn more about Jennifer, Directions Training and her podcast, visit https://directionstraining.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading:

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 94: Cybersecurity Sales Book for More Bookings

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 09:00:00 +0000

No organization wants to believe that they can be compromised, which is why Managed Service Providers should have more conversations about cybersecurity and risk mitigation with their clients. We are pleased to have our friend Jennifer Bleam back on the Twins Talk it Up program. Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of MSP Sales Revolution, where she helps MSP’s grow and scale their business by adding cybersecurity and best practices to their current tech stack. We invited Jennifer back to talk about her recently released book entitled, Simplified Cybersecurity Sales For MSPs: The Secret Formula For Closing Cybersecurity Deals Without Feeling Slimy.

Who wouldn't want to learn what the secrets are behind some of the greatest recipes, the greatest business successes, and the greatest leadership principles? Jennifer breaks down her secrets for closing more cybersecurity deals. We cover the importance of having a sales process that includes presenting cybersecurity protection as a necessity and not as an afterthought. We ask Jennifer how this can be done without coming across as 'being slimy'. There are plenty of tips and strategies, including how to best take advantage of the discovery process and how to overcome objections. As Jennifer states, "discovery is not about you, it's about the prospect".

Visit mspsalesrevolution.com/ for more information about Jennifer, MSP Sales Revolution, and her book entitled, Simplified Cybersecurity Sales For MSPs: The Secret Formula For Closing Cybersecurity Deals Without Feeling Slimy.

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 93: Motivating & Leading Remote Sales Teams

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Motivating and leading in the remote work environment can be challenging for those who traditionally have relied upon in person, face-to-face conversations with their peers and prospects. Building and maintaining successful remote sales teams requires a balance of creativity, coaching, and a clarity of both expectations and communication.

We are thrilled to have a leader join us on Twins Talk it Up to share how he motivates and builds successful remotes sales teams. Mark Davis is the Inside Sales Manager at Optimize Health, one of the fastest SAAS based remote patient monitoring companies revolutionizing the healthcare sector.

Some of Mark’s strategies for motivating sales professionals include:

Incorporating technology tools
Investing in training and resources for professional development
Consistent coaching and mentoring
Managing goals and expectations
Quality over quantity with meaningful and authentic conversations

He loves seeing his teams win. Make one more call, as that call could very well be the difference and translate into incredible success. You will also appreciate how Mark models what he preaches. He is an avid reader and integrates his love for team sports into his leadership.

To learn more about Mark, Optimize Health or to join his team, connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mark-davis-41721260/ or by visiting www.optimize.health/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 92: The Art of Listening Increases Success

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 22:21:00 +0000

Active listening is a communication skill vital for every professional and can build rapport and lead to increased success. In this episode, we dive into the importance of refining this art of listening. Danny's company AppMeetup provides training to organizations looking for strategies and tools such as Gong that will support the development of their leaders and sales teams.

Research reveals that the top producing sales reps spend on average 40% of the time talking, while lower performing reps spend between 60 - 65% of the time talking. Success equated to the prospect speaking 60% of the time, meaning sales reps that were successful understood the value and art of listening. Do you need a reality check? You might be listening less than you think, and this could be the primary reason why you aren’t closing more deals.

Some of the best practices include:

A. Have a curious mindset.

B. Be aware of body language (both yours and theirs).

C. Don’t interrupt, don’t try to ‘fix’, be patient.

D. Repeat or paraphrase for understanding & repeat or paraphrase for clarification.

E. Take notes, both mental and physical

F. The Power of the Pause.

G. Role-Playing

People don’t like being sold; they want to buy. They often buy emotionally, and a true connection will lead to an emotional bond/create a fondness. Pay attention closely to their choice of words, their body language and if they are responsive to your spirit of curiosity. Growing in the art of listening could be the defining tool and factor in achieving greater success.

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 91: Managing Conflict & Difficult Conversations

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0000

What does the incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars have to do with this episode? Being able to manage conflict and have difficult conversations is a skill and an expectation for those in positions of influence in every organization.

We are so pleased to have our friend Eric Williamson join Twins Talk it Up to speak to this very topic. Eric Williamson is a Business Coach, Speaker, Conflict Resolution Consultant and the Author of ‘How to Work with Jerks: Getting Stuff Done with People you Can’t Stand.’

We ask Eric to share his thoughts about that incident during the Oscars, being in control of your emotions and the importance of cultivating a healthy organizational culture. Every organization needs to be proactive with their training and in their expectations, especially when it comes to managing conflict and with difficult conversations.

He also trains on applying his LUV Principle, which stands for Listen, Understand and Validate. Also, listen for Eric’s 3-Step process designed for working with jerks and dealing with conflict:

Step 1: Assess the situation.

Step 2: Analyze the situation.

Step 3: Act.

To learn more about Eric and his book, ‘How to Work with Jerks: Getting Stuff Done with People you Can’t Stand’, visit https://tailoredtrainingsolutions.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 90: Entrepreneurial Success in Government Contracting

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:37:00 +0000

Congratulations are in order for our next guest, Jasson Walker, Jr. The Founder and CEO of cFocus Software, a $10M in Revenue Company located in the Washington DC region was featured in Microsoft’s Black Partner Growth Initiative Black History Month 2022 Campaign.

Jasson joined Twins Talk it Up to share about his entrepreneurial journey within the Tech and Government Contracting space. We touch on how his ATO as a Service™ helps to automate FISMA, RMF, and FedRAMP compliance and reporting. We dive into some of the partnerships he has, including Microsoft (Gold-Certified), Black Channel Partner Alliance (BCPA) and AppMeetup.

We ask Jasson to share his best tips for winning contracts with the Federal Government. Jasson mentions two keys for success:

-Cultivating relationships with Decision Makers

-Ability to write and articulate your value proposition with Proposals

He also adds that working with the government is all about 'risk-management' and with bringing in the best talent who align with your vision. Acknowledging strengths and placing leadership on the right seats on the bus lead to success. Jasson echoes what we’ve been hearing from other entrepreneurs we’ve had on the program, in that you must be willing to let go, have repeatable processes, and scale with the right leaders. He did not become an entrepreneur to gain freedom as much as he did to gain flexibility.

To learn more about Jasson and cFocus Software, visit https://cfocussoftware.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 89: Live Up to Your Name

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 12:51:00 +0000

The name of your organization can be a major contributing factor in its perception and growth. There are companies whose names have reflected their brand perfectly - including Apple, Starbucks and Google. It's essential that the name is unique, authentic, memorable, and enduring, so it resonates with your target audience. Even more important, is if that name represents the heart of the organization and of its leadership.

We are pleased to be joined by an entrepreneur who has been experiencing incredible success, and who has been living up to the name of his business. Abe Lazar is the Owner and President of Honest Abe Home Services, located in Greater Baltimore Maryland. They believe in and stay by their slogan, “We live up to our name.”

We ask Abe what some of his best tips are and what have been some of the lessons learned in growing his company. He shares his thoughts on mistakes leaders can make including:

Not understanding that you can choose your clients.
Not knowing your numbers.
Not being solid about your business model.
Not building proper processes and protocols.
Not thinking long-term.

We also touch on the significance of building customer loyalty, understanding human psychology, leveraging your network, and why you should protect your work-life balance. Abe stated, "I want my technicians, not to have to live to work. I want them to work, so they can live and then go home and have a normal life." To learn more about Honest Abe Home Services, especially if you are in Central Maryland, visit http://honestabeplumbing.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 88: Open-Ended Success

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 11:29:00 +0000

Great sales questions can provide insight into your buyer’s world. Open-ended questions are designed to qualify and discover, and they can build both rapport and uncover pain. Great questions ultimately help sales professionals secure more deals. If you don't engage and ask the right questions, you are less likely to understand the challenges you need to help solve. But there's also an art to asking great questions.

In this episode, we address the value and wisdom behind asking open-ended questions. You will differentiate yourself by applying the skill of intentional listening, learning to ask the right open-ended questions and when you keep quiet. Silence can be a great tool as prospects tend to feel the need to respond. A good rule of thumb is to have your prospect or client speak 70 - 75% of the time.

It's amazing how a simple question such as, "what does success look like for you" will do. Open-ended sales questions are those with no definitive answer, and are aimed at prompting a longer or more insightful response from the prospect. What are some open-ended questions that have helped you to keep buyers engaged and close more sales?

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 87: Mentally Healthy Leaders

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 22:42:00 +0000

According to research by Bupa Global, it was revealed that 64% of senior business leaders have suffered from mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, and depression.

There is a real need for more business leaders to normalize conversations around mental health. The health pandemic has confirmed this need, especially as more organizations grapple to balance a hybrid and remote workforce with demands for greater efficiency and increased profits.

We are fortunate to have our friend Dr. Stephanie J. Wong join Twins Talk it Up to speak about developing a culture of communication and complete health, to dispel common myths around mental health, and on the importance of incorporating coping strategies. Dr. Wong is a licensed clinical psychologist, entrepreneur, and founder and host of the award-winning, Color of Success podcast.

In addition to her own experiences, Dr. Wong quotes from Dr. Samantha Broadman’s book, ‘Everday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength’, and how a driven professional can find strength within their stress. Dr. Wong believes that you can best manage your stress by assessing your values, inviting transparent conversations with your leadership teams, and by assessing how your management style is impacting your employees.

We ask her to share some of her own coping strategies & outlets. Her hobbies include podcasting and karaoke, the pastime favorite for many professionals within the Asian business community. She believes that it is important that every leader finds and does what will bring them great joy. On a side note, do not get her started talking about which KPop group is the best. It is our hope that this conversation with Dr. Wong will provide some education and inspiration to better understand mental health and how to manage mental health in the workplace. To learn more about Dr. Stephanie J. Wong, visit https://www.drstephaniejwong.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 86: Leverage Training to Create Stickiness

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 00:29:00 +0000

How can an MSP create stickiness with their clients? How can they take advantage of hybrid and remote work models? How can they benefit from an increased need for flexible and specialized training? We are thrilled to have our next guests from ClipTraining on to share how their platform helps to strengthen and keep clients more engaged while increasing profits.

Tim Duggan is the Co-Founder and CEO, and Carl Bauman is the CRO at ClipTraining, an eLearning platform providing cloud-based training resources across a variety of Microsoft Office 365 applications. They are uniquely positioned to become a value add for MSPs who are looking to address and solve another need for training that their customers specifically have.

We ask Tim and Carl to share how an MSP can leverage ClipTraining to increase stickiness, increase margins and grow their organizations. Some of the benefits of their MSP Partner program include:

Access to a library with over 5,000 task-based learning sessions.

Support onboarding training

Access to training for their own (internal) employees.

Take advantage of Microsoft’s co-op funds.

Simple deployment

White label and personalization of training videos with MSPs own logo.

Badges, reward system to encourage learning.

Premium content, including HR training and cybersecurity awareness.

Ability to load and deploy customized video content.

Free webinar on the third Thursday of each month.

In addition to those benefits, which MSP wouldn’t welcome reduced help-desk service calls, freeing up their teams to concentrate on higher revenue generating activities?

Danny's own company AppMeetup is also a user of the Clip Training Platform. ClipTraining will work with you to see if you qualify for co-op funds and our listeners can benefit from three months of free ClipTraining. For a demo or more information about ClipTraining, visit https://www.cliptraining.com/

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 85: Rethink Servant Leadership

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Is it time to rethink what servant leadership is? It is more than just a leadership philosophy; it is the heart of a leader demonstrated with a depth of caring to truly serve, listen to, teach, and even share power. They believe in helping and developing others to achieve their very best.

We welcome our friend Tre Wright, CEO of One Cube Up to share personally why this approach has benefited him throughout his career. In addition to owning his own organization, Tre is an Executive Coach, Speaker and Engineer within the Aerospace industry. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and operates as a Senior Systems Integration Business Analyst for Lockheed Martin.

We appreciate Tre sharing his leadership journey with us and how he continues to emphasize the importance of serving. He learned from one of his mentors that “leadership is about influence” and that by empowering others, your organization can exceed their goals. He also provides a tip for those looking to get promoted, help your leaders achieve their goals. Helping others including your leaders achieve their objectives, will ultimately help you to achieve your own aspirations.

To learn more about Tre and his company, visit onecubeup.com

Tre will make his eBook available for our listening audience, and is giving a discount to his membership site.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 84: Cybersecurity Mindset and Profit

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Cybersecurity should be a topic of conversation every organization has, beginning with their technology teams and any retained managed service provider (MSP). We are pleased to be joined by our friend and highly sought-after speaker, trainer and author, Jennifer Bleam. Jennifer is a member of the CompTIA emerging Tech Council and is the Founder and CEO of MSP Sales Revolution, where she helps MSP’s grow and scale their business by adding cybersecurity and best practices to their current tech stack.

We ask Jennifer to touch on how she helps her clients position their services, and why they cannot shy away from addressing FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). She dispels the notion that security is only a concern for large enterprises and not SMBs.

Jennifer touches on:

The psychology of selling and how we tend to buy with emotion and not logic.
Every MSP business needs a cyber security offering.
The importance of training, including the use of quarterly reviews and network audits
Power of journaling and self-talk
Her 3-Step Process based on the book, Gap Selling, by Keenan. The First Step is to Reveal the Gap, followed by Feel the Gap and then finally Heal the Gap.

For more information about Jennifer and her soon to be released book entitled, 'Simplified Cybersecurity Sales for MSPs’, visit https://mspsalesrevolution.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 83: Finding Money, Finding your Passion

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

The pandemic created significant disruptions around the world, impacting many sectors including higher education. We are fortunate to have our friend and educational professional Stephen Ampersand join the program to speak to this and to share about his own experience as an entrepreneur. Stephen has served in several roles throughout his career, specifically within enrollment management and student affairs. He started Turn the Tassel Consulting Group, a private college planning and advising firm to help students and families navigate educational concerns.

Steve shares about factors that have impacted enrollment, and why he specifically started his own organization. He reflected back to his own life story and discovered his Why. This laid the foundation for his passion and mission. Steve is a strong believer in mentorship, regardless of which industry you are in. We can all benefit from having an outside perspective and guiding voice.

Steve even takes a moment to share his own value proposition and elevator pitch. He says that he has yet to be turned down when he mentions saving students 50% on their college expenses. We would certainly take him up on that offer. To learn more about Steve and how he helps his clients "keep costs down and finish on time", visit turnthetasselconsulting.com or look for T3CG on YouTube.

Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 82: The Great Resignation, The Great Opportunity

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:05:00 +0000

To learn more about Joyce and to get a free copy of one of her e-books, visit whysalesnetwork.com/

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--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Episode 81: A Few Hours Can Make all the Difference

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

How can you maximize your effort to get the most out of your resources and save you both time and money? What if it were as simple as dedicating just a few hours each week? In this episode, we discuss strategies that our next guest not only consults his clients on, but on those he implements within his own practice to achieve incredible growth.

Joining us is Jason Lockhart, CEO of Kitchen & Bath Marketing Solutions, a digital marketing solutions firm focused on serving the Kitchen and Bath Industry. Jason also serves as a Partner at Sinektiks, a creative services design firm. He is also a co-host of the Designer Discussions Podcast, a program around marketing, branding, PR, and business development, for design professionals.

Jason shares some of what he advises his clients to consider when working with his firm. He shares his social media marketing 80/20 rule, which breaks down into 80% value and 20% self-promotion. He is a big believer in email marketing and stated that you only own ‘two properties: your website and your email list’.

If you can manage your CRM, be consistent with your marketing messages and focus on your IPA’s (Income Producing Activities), then you will have identified a formula for doing more with less. Outsource that which can be done by other professionals or organizations and give your attention to those activities where your time would be best spent.

Just a few hours on those IPA’s could make all the difference in being able to scale and effectively grow your business. To learn more about Jason and his organization, Kitchen & Bath Marketing Solutions, visit https://www.kitchenandbathmarketingsolutions.com/There, you will find free resources and information about his book entitled, The Complete Guide to Internet Marketing for the Kitchen and Bath Remodel Industry.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Episode 80: Branding Trends for 2022

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

The global health pandemic has impacted consumer behavior as hybrid and work from home models were implemented and spending habits changed due to a rise of economic uncertainty. Organizations have also had to adjust and have been driven to look at their branding. So, what branding trends will we see in this New Year?

Our good friend Reggie Holmes joins us to share his thoughts and predictions about what this year will look like in area of branding. Reggie Holmes is the Founder and Creative Director at Enthuse Creative, a strategic branding and design studio based in the Washington DC Metro area.

Branding is about influencing perception about your product, service, and organization. In other words, branding is about perceived value. The objective is to attract and create loyalty by delivering positive experiences that align with what the brand promises. Reggie shared that people want something to believe in, which reflects one of the trends of branding. Humanize the brand to create connection and community with your customers.

We also touch on:

Interactive websites to engage your target audience

Being inclusive and incorporating content from customers

Partnerships and aligning brands

Metaverse, NFTs and digital currency

When there should be a brand refresh

To learn more about Reggie and Enthuse Creative, visit https://www.enthusecreative.com/

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--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 79: Mental Health and Sports Performance

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Week 17 of the NFL produced some astonishing drama. The scene was a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets with a star Wide Receiver who abruptly left the field of play. This action led to debate around his attitude and mental health.

We are pleased to have Lisa Bonta Sumii join the program to speak about the importance of emphasizing mental health, and not just physical health. Lisa is the CEO & Founder with AthMindset, LLC and she also serves as the Mental Health and Sport Performance Specialist with the Oakland Roots Sports Club, a professional soccer club in the USL Championship (United Soccer League).

While there have been more athletes including Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles to speak about mental health, more certainly needs to be done. We ask Lisa to share her thoughts about what happened with Antonio Brown and what more could be done to support athletes and their mental health. We touch on goal setting and why the focus should be more on process and performance goals, rather than just on outcome goals.

There needs to be a cultural shift and a holistic approach by both athletes and organizations to ensure the absolute best care, education and resources are available. To learn more about Lisa Bonta Sumii and her work, visit https://athmindset.io/

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Sponsoring, Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 78: New Year, New Mindset, New Investment

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year! We are so excited for the start of a New Year and for the start of this third season of Twins Talk it Up. Thank you for supporting our program.

Last year, we spoke about the impact of goal setting. We expressed how important it was to write your goals down and to consider applying the SMART system to those stated goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time). In this episode, we identify and dive into the key for having a successful 2022. The key to unlocking and capturing an amazing year begins with having the right mindset.

Having the right mindset is rooted in developing the right habit. Habit leads to behavior and behavior reinforces the mindset. Here is a highly recommended Twins Talk it Up book to add to your list. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear is a must read.

Listen in on wisdom that is shared specifically for business owners:

1. Be flexible

2. Take Self-Inventory

3. Leverage your Network

4. Get Certified. There is a rise in programs and resources to help support business owners including Microsoft and Women in Cloud (WIC).

We talk about our businesses (AppMeetup, DSB Leadership Group), our upcoming books and about the Twins Talk it Up Program. Keep a lookout for our books as we provide release dates and even raffle some of them to our loyal supporters. Become a sponsor today by sending an email or DM on any of our social media platforms.

Go into this year filled with anticipation and a resolve to invest in yourself and in your own growth. Have a determined mindset to do whatever it will take for you to experience growth, fulfillment, and happiness. Now go crush it!

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 77: Confident Mindset

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 10:22:00 +0000

What sets top performers apart from the rest? What is that determining factor – that one element needed to set yourself apart? Could it be as simple as having a confident mindset?

We are pleased to have Meshell Baker join us to speak about how this is far too often the missing component for a successful and sustainable career. Meshell is the Owner of Meshell Baker Enterprises, a consulting firm focused on supporting women business owners, and sales leaders with the goal of empowering sales professionals to develop high-performance resilience and unstoppable confidence.

Meshell emphasizes knowledge, training, and competence as a way to strengthen the mindset. She believes that sales is 80% emotional and only 20% logical, which is why prospects are buying you long before they buy your product or service. Therefore, it is so important to be clear on your personal why and on why you are selling.

This conversation produced incredible nuggets and tips, including:

Accepting your own value

Becoming resilient as you will hear rejections

Develop your network and value relationships (your net worth is equal to your network)

Invest in yourself first thing every morning

We dive into this principle of personal daily investment as we touch on the book, 'The Miracle Morning' by Hal Elrod. In it, he lays out the acronym SAVERS, which stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing. He is talking about developing positive habits and mindset by injecting a simple routine.

Meshell states that 'habituating is the only way to achieve [sustained] success'. You need to own your success. To learn more about Meshell and her upcoming Virtual Vision Board Event, visit http://www.meshellbaker.com/

Also take advantage of her Confident Mindset Handout https://bit.ly/TheConfidentMindsetHandout

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

--- more ---

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 76: Better Needs to be Better

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 13:13:00 +0000

Let’s talk about leadership and why it is so important to lead with empathy. Compassion is foundational for a healthy environment, and one that will foster open communication and more valuable feedback.

By now, we imagine that most have heard about the recent events surrounding Better.com and their CEO Vishal Garg. You may have even seen a video of him virtually addressing 900 employees, and stating, "If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off."

We are going to discuss how better can indeed be better. If you want a better organization, however you measure success, then you must be better as a leader. You cannot expect the best from your teams and employees and yet not give them your very best. Invest in learning and in personal development.

Look for the clues – the signs of either a healthy or a toxic culture. Do you have a voice? Can you speak without fear of losing your position? When people don't feel valued, performance suffers. When they don’t feel heard, productivity deteriorates. Better can be better, we all can.

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Episode 75: Driving Economic Impact

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella outlined a commitment to increase diversity in representation and strengthen a culture of inclusion. We are fortunate to have two of the thought leaders helping to lead Microsoft's global channel inclusion strategy.

Karen Fassio is the Director and head of Microsoft One Commercial Partner Group and is responsible for digital partner experience and operations, scale partner engagement and channel inclusion strategy. She is also a Co-Founder of Women in Cloud and has oversight of many programs and associations such as the IAMCP, WIC and BPGI. Regina Johnson is the strategy lead for Microsoft’s Black Partner Growth Initiative, an initiative to increase Black representation within the Microsoft partner ecosystem.

Karen believes that as a company, Microsoft holds itself accountable for the kind of impact they want to make in the world, and that includes rethinking their infrastructure, security protocols, as well as their partner ecosystem.

Regina makes a point that you must first admit that there is a problem before you can truly solve or present a solution for diversifying key leadership or senior-level positions. She also believes that having honest conversations are a part of that first step. She makes it clear that for lasting change to take place, you must be ‘intentional’. This encompasses a foundational shift in both the mindset and culture of the organization.

Karen furthers this point by stating how opportunities could be lost and the overall organization affected, including their partner ecosystem, supply chain, and customer base, all because of a lack of true representation. She stated that organizations on this journey cannot just bring in a single minority or underrepresented leader, and then expect there to be a magnitude of impact. The challenge will be to bring in at a minimum 3 key leaders. We must go beyond a quota and bring in the very best talent into these senior-level positions.

We also ask Karen about her work with the Buck Leonard Foundation (www.buckleonard.org/) and to share about future growth initiatives. Please take a moment to listen to Episode 53: Leading a Campaign to rename the MVP, where we speak with Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of the legendary baseball player Josh Gibson.

Microsoft’s channel inclusion strategy is worthy of imitation. Learn more about their commitment by visiting https://aka.ms/partnergrowth and by emailing ptnrsupp@microsoft.com

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 74: Project Leadership in Everything

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 13:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of the year where parents will begin assembling gifts for their children. Don’t make the mistake of not following the directions. Who do organizations with far more complex projects look to when there may not be a guided set of directions?

We are pleased that our friend Ben Chan is joining the program. He is Management Consultant, the Founder of CLYMB Consulting and host of the Organized Chaos Café Podcast. We ask Ben to reveal the value a good Project Manager can bring to a team and an organization. We touch on everything from the impact of the health pandemic to the dynamics of a team. We even ask him who his favorite comedian is. This is a strategy Ben uses to assess the team members he is leading before every project. This is one of the many techniques he uses to learn the strengths of the members of the team. Would you rather have the absolute best talent or the best possible team chemistry?

Ben shared that from his experience, the root cause for projects failing was due to poor communication. This was shown to be true at every level: stakeholders, sponsors, and team members. We ask him how he holds team members accountable. He referenced personal examples and even the Marvel’s Avengers to discuss the importance of accountability and teamwork. He equated accountability to the word integrity.

Ben also shares why it is so crucial that a project leader be decisive. You cannot afford to waffle on making decisions as that will certainly impact the constraints of Scope, Time and Budget. You will also appreciate his approach to making goals or should we say objectives for the New Year. Project management principles and project leadership can show up anywhere. To learn more about Ben and CLYMB Consulting, visit https://www.clymbconsulting.ca/

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 73: A Journey to Recruit the Best Talent

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 13:00:00 +0000

We are pleased to have Lauren Anderson back on Twins Talk it Up. Lauren is the Owner & CEO of All-In Recruiting & Talent Boutique, an executive search firm, specializing in the direct-hire placement of top talented and diverse professionals.

We are delighted that Lauren shares her entrepreneurial journey and how she sees herself as a gatekeeper and a bridge for those under-represented within the technology sector and within senior level leadership. Lauren speaks about securing and establishing incredible partnerships, including those with Microsoft, HP, Shark Ninja, Revolution Engineering, and the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL.

We ask Lauren to share words of encouragement for those looking to either become entrepreneurs or to grow their partnerships.

She shared:

Do your research and determine what problem you are going to solve.
Leverage your network
Be 'outrageously optimistic'
Be strategic about your approach to potential investment partners and clients

You will also learn from our conversation that Lauren is exceptionally gifted and believes in self-care. Not only can she deliver the very best talent for your organization, we learned that she could also wow you with her singing.

She gives incredible credit to HR leaders as 'they are the hire, fire, and multiplier' of the organization and a key component to their success. Invest in bringing in the very best talent, regardless of gender or ethnic background, and experience incredible growth. To learn more about Lauren as well as All-In Recruiting & Talent Boutique, visit https://www.all-inrecruiting.com/

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

Instagram: @dsbleadershipgroup

Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 72: Leadership Insights for Partner Growth

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 20:39:00 +0000

We welcome a thought leader within the Vendor & Managed Services Providers space to the program. Jay McBain is the Principal Analyst of Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems for Forrester. Jay is a highly sought-after speaker, author and has received numerous accolades, including being named as the 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine.

We ask Jay to share how the pandemic has and will continue to impact the tech channel community. His research certainly piques curiosity from all sectors as he identifies trends and shares fascinating content on channels, partnerships, and ecosystems. Jay touches on the importance of understanding influence and why we should be aware of the numerous social media groups/tools including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Clubhouse and how this can increase engagement with buyers and partnerships.

Jay states that there is a major demographic shift taking place as the majority of technology buyers will be millennials, which indicates a need for understanding the psychology and behavior of purchasing habits of this digital age.

We had to ask Jay about his own growth as a speaker. He shares a lesson he learned early in his career while at IBM, that people will forget what you told them, forget what you showed them and even forget you, so get over yourself. Focus instead on connectivity, energy and perhaps the 1 or 2 points that will resonate.

To learn more about Jay, his work or to inquire about his speaking availability, visit https://go.forrester.com/blogs/author/jay_mcbain/ and http://jaymcbain.com/

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

Instagram: @twinstalkitup

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 71: Leader By Accident

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Not all incredible influencers initially set out to be in the spotlight or to become the leader. Their rise to leadership is usually framed not by a desire for a title but by a respond to a need. Our guest Jim Rafferty shares about this being the case through his new book, Leader by Accident: Lessons in Leadership, Loss and Life. Jim is not only an author, but he is also an entrepreneur serving as the Principle of JMRketing, LLC.

We learn how an unforeseen event led to Jim answering the call to lead and how this would repeat itself years later when he began his own business. We ask Jim to touch on one of his core strengths of storytelling and on the role stories can have in leaving a lasting impression.

We discuss the need for stepping outside our comfort zones, as this is often where we most challenge ourselves and experience our greatest growth. Jim touches on the importance of gratitude and on being able to ‘give yourself a pat on the back’ and how we need to acknowledge our progress. You will be particularly inspired by something as simple as ‘6 more words’ and how words can have an incredible impact personally and organizationally.

After picking up Jim’s book, you will begin to start looking for and apply your own ‘scoutmaster minutes’ in your life. Be leaders of intention even if it is initially by accident. To learn more about Jim Rafferty and to get a copy of his book, ‘Leader by Accident: Lessons in Leadership, Loss and Life’, visit https://www.leaderbyaccident.com/

Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCL18KYXdzVdzEwMH8uwLf6g

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Twitter: @dsbleadership

Episode 70: Leading Through Trials

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 19:35:00 +0000

There’s something to be said about how great food can bring people together. Every region has that special cuisine and dish you need to try whenever you visit. When you mention Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic, you instantly think Crab Cakes and Seafood. We are pleased to have our friend John Minadakis, co-owner of Jimmy’s Famous Seafood and co-host of the Crabcast podcast join us.

We ask John to share about his resolve to call upon the Greater Baltimore community when this global health pandemic crippled the local hospitality industry. We speak about how starting the Famous Fund has helped to mitigate the impact of the pandemic by bringing relief and support for 31 restaurants having raised over $500,000.

John has a set of 'leadership commandments' he lives by. They are:

1. One Strike Policy

2. Support those that support you

3. The Spartan Mindset

4. Take Everything Personally

John states that, "When it's time to feed my family and to keep my father's legacy going…Those are my four commandments, and I refuse to break them."

We also discuss the importance of Partnerships, Guy Fieri as well as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Partnerships are built on trust and a shared vision. He has brokered some incredible partnerships including with the Baltimore Ravens NFL organization. Jimmy’s has been featured on the program, ‘Diners, Drive-ins & Dives.

For more information about Jimmy’s Famous Seafood and to order some of their incredible crab cakes, visit https://jimmysfamousseafood.com/. Also, be sure to listen to his podcast, the CrabCast.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 69: Gender Equity Increases Impact

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 13:45:00 +0000

We can all hope and talk about true equality or we can go after it. We are pleased to have a true change agent and champion for gender equity join the program. Chaitra Vedullapalli is the Co-Founder and CMO of Meylah as well as the Co-Founder of Women in Cloud. She is also an author and an accomplished speaker.

We ask her about her experience with the Cloud and her journey in becoming a tech entrepreneur. It was her desire to increase awareness through an economic development initiative platform to support women technology entrepreneurs by generating $1B in economic access. Chaitra stated that "when you have a tribe, you have a voice and when you have a voice, you can move policies and change the game".

We ask about the Women in Cloud platform and how we all can be advocates and partners in this vision. In one of her TED Talks, 'Creating economic access for women in the age of digital'

Transformation, Chaitra speaks about the importance of creating access. She calls access, economic currency. She also touches on SIP, an acronym for Serving, Influence, and Partnerships. We need to create more access points and share this currency if we are going to see true equity.

We appreciate Chaitra sharing about discovering her own voice and for her emphasizing how important Public Speaking Training organizations like DSB Leadership Group can be for propelling your influence and impact.

To learn more about Chaitra, visit https://chaitravedullapalli.com/ and https://www.womenincloud.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 68: Leading Beyond the Sports Field

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Less than 2% of NCAA athletes ever move on to compete at the professional or Olympic level. Of those who play at the highest level of competition, many are faced with the challenge of answering what a post sports career looks like. Danielle Berman is the CEO of Tackle What’s Next and the host of the Big League Philanthropist podcast. She joins us to share about the journey an athlete goes through when transitioning to life after sports.

No matter the industry, many suffer from an identity crisis, and this is only compounded when that career or position is disrupted. We ask Danielle about imposter syndrome, mental health and helping athletes to shift their mindset – to change the narrative. A part of the Tackle What’s Next platform is centered around community and storytelling. Community to lean in and learn from, as well as storytelling to recognize their story – their brand.

A key to their success is being able to embrace both the challenges as well as the successes of their sports careers. They are some of the best candidates for organizations looking for passionate and goal-oriented leaders. We also touch on how these leaders can be advocates for their communities. Danielle points to the WNBA as an example of professionals using their platform to make an impact.

Danielle also shares what she is learning about herself and her own leadership working with incredibly talented and driven personalities. What are your personal takeaways working with incredibly talented and driven professionals? Let's tackle what's next and focus on building out people and leaders and not just athletes. For more information about Danielle and her mission, visit https://www.tacklewhatsnext.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 67: Leadership Mindset

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0000

There are many incredible benefits of incorporating executive coaching as a part of your strategic growth plan. Increased productivity, maximizing potential, and removing mental barriers are a few worth mentioning. Including coaching and prioritizing mindset development is not an indication of a problem or a sign of weakness. On the contrary, executive coaching is a worthwhile investment that will benefit both you and your people.

One of the most important factors to the success of any organization is that of the leader’s mindset. We discuss the 2 types of mindsets that have been proven to affect a leaders’ ability to set the vision, achieve peak performance and cultivate the right culture.

We break down:

Growth vs Fixed Mindset

Learning vs Performance Mindset

A growth mindset is where you believe that intelligence and talent can be developed with effort contrasted with a fixed mindset which lends to a belief that intelligence and talent are unchangeable. A learning implies a motivation to increase competence and mastery of a skill compared to a performance mindset which has as its motivation to gain favorable judgement or outcome.

We also briefly discuss an industry giant who exemplifies this leadership mindset. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft set as a mission to reform the culture of his company. We look at his book, ‘Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone’. Nadella explains that mindsets– particularly growth mindsets– were his primary focus when revamping Microsoft. With this leadership, the company’s market capitalization and stock price has more than tripled.

Let’s not resist success. Let’s embrace a commitment to invest more in executive coaching and toward the development of the ‘leadership mindset’.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 66: Partner Matching to Maximize Growth & Profit

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Online dating sites are designed to find ideal partners. What can organizations do to increase the probability of finding ideal partners? We are pleased to have Dina Moskowitz, CEO of SaaSMAX join us to share why it is important for organizations to build successful strategic channel partner programs – for organizations to find their perfect matches.

Dina recognized a niche for a partner matching services platform, utilizing data driven intelligence to connect organizations with the right partnerships as well as provide customized channel insights to ‘shorten the runway’ and improve the success of channel sales programs.

Resources including dollars and talent can be wasted without tools and processes for identifying and building of the right partnerships. Instead of jumping to a search engine and combing through your CRM, work with an ever-growing marketplace of over 200,000 partners. the largest online marketplace

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of the success or results comes from 20% of the inputs or in this case, partners. Dina shared that they have discovered this to be close to 95% and 5%, which further makes the point for developing a successful partner strategy. Knowing this will allow for the proper allocation of time and resources including marketing dollars. This will also lay the framework for extending the careers of channel sales directors, chiefs, and reps.

What does your channel partner ecosystem look like? How often if at all, do you monitor and evaluate your channel strategy? Assessing your channel program will help to pinpoint any trends as your current partners may not be your ideal partners in the future. There is no need to ‘swipe right’ when SaaSMAX is the perfect tool for identifying perfect strategic partners.

To learn more about Dina and SaaSMAX, visit https://saasmax.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 65: The Art to having impactful conversations

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0000

We personally learn so much about the art of communication from leaders across all industries. You are certainly in for a treat as we speak with an incredible professional about the art of interviewing and asking great questions.

Michelle Wright is a News Anchor and Morning News Reporter with Cox Media Group and is the Founder of Wright Choice Media. She brings over 25 years of experience including that of an Anchor for Kiss 104.1 FM and as a Media Producer at CNN where she wrote, edited, produced, and anchored news that consisted of top stories from both national and international news wires for CNN’s numerous Radio affiliates around the world.

We ask Michelle a wide range of topics including:

The difference between an interview in person versus a virtual interview.

What it means to talk at someone compared to having an actual conversation.

Why are so many are ‘married to their script’ and lack the ability to connect and engage those they are interviewing.

How to reengage or direct a conversation that has gotten off course.

What can hinder great conversations from taking place.

We also appreciate Michelle’s point of how you must be willing to ask questions that people (your audience) really want to know. Be creative in asking quality questions that are unique and reflective of you doing your research. We are driven to become one of the best leadership communication programs and learning from professionals like Michelle Wright certainly will help with our own development.

You can follow Michelle on Twitter: @michellewright6 and Instagram: @itsthewrightstuff

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 64: Effective Answers to Generate Trust & Wins

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Sales leaders are equipped with scripts, guides, playbooks and are trained to ask penetrating discovery questions. How often are these same professionals taught and coached on how to provide appropriate answers; answers that build rapport, trust, and ultimately generate a higher percentage of wins?

Dr. Brian Glibkowski joins the program to share from his research and training on how leaders can influence decisions by learning a framework of answer types. Brian is a University Professor, TED Talk speaker, the CEO of Semplar Science, and the author of the book: Answer Intelligence: Raise your AQ.

He believes that “Questions are for curiosity and answers are for influence", which is why he developed the Answer Intelligence (Answer AQ) model. This framework is designed to complement a similar framework of questions into answer types. These 6 answer types include: Story, Metaphor, Theory, Concept, Procedure and Action. He also speaks to the 5 high AQ practices that every professional should know, and they include: Provide 6 answers, Answer twice, Provide compliments, Answer with style and Answer in context.

Identify the key questions, before and during a conversation, and then communicate the right answers. There really is a big difference between providing a good answer and providing a great, dare we say the right answer. Intelligence AQ helps professionals communicate their value proposition and build greater trust with prospects and clients. He challenges professionals to be the best in their field by understanding that AQ is a skill that can be improved upon. He calls leaders to become students of their craft and of their organization’s story.

To learn more about Dr. Brian Glibkowski and his work, visit www.raiseyouraq.com . Also pick up his book, Answer Intelligence: Raise your AQ.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 63: Coaching Your Teams to Success

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:00:00 +0000

What does leading a sales team have in common with coaching football? What lessons can you learn from what many consider is the greatest college football coach of all-time? We are pleased to have Mike Girouard join us to speak about coaching similarities he sees between sales and the sport of football. He also shares his thoughts on how sales leaders can accelerate the development and performance of their sales teams through coaching.

Mike Girouard an experienced Vice President of Sales and Chief Revenue Officer in the technology and healthcare IT field with Aesto Health. He was also the former SVP of a Multimillion-dollar IT Services Firm and one of Cisco’s largest partners in the Southeast.

We ask Mike to share how he coaches his teams to success. He believes assessments like DISC can prove invaluable as sales professionals are not all motivated the same way. He also speaks about what takes place during his sales meetings aka the huddle, and how they can be used for sharing best practices as well as for dissecting both wins and losses. He often asks, “what's the most insightful thing we can learn from our customers”? This creates a collaborative environment where every team member eventually coaches everybody else.

You will hear Mike’s passion for his people and even how he identifies talent for leadership positions. He states that “you can spend time with the rockstars”, but you have to be able to “polish off the piece of coal to realize that there is a diamond in there”. He also shares two ways to establish trust: be vulnerable and to get into the trenches with your team. Go and coach your teams to success. To learn more about Mike and Aesto Health, visit https://www.aestohealth.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 62: Recipe for Success

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:38:00 +0000

The pandemic immersed the world into a deep health and economic crisis. With so much uncertainty, it is startups, small businesses and the spirit of entrepreneurship that are driving signs of growth and recovery. We are honored to have our friend Rich Munguia join the program and spread a little support for the entrepreneurial community. Rich is the Founder, CEO & Sr. Advisor of Elite Speaker Services as well as the Founder, CEO & PR Advisor of Elite Public Image.

Rich, much like other serial entrepreneurs including Elon Musk and Richard Branson, are exceptionally creative, full of ideas and driven to set up new ventures. These leaders are problem solvers and Rich identified a solution for connecting events and organizations with incredible talent. He created a platform with the speaking bureau to highlight a wide variety of speakers, and a public relations organization to support the brand and image of those professionals. Do you believe you have any solutions to pressing needs?

We ask Rich to share his recipe for success. He shared 4 ingredients:

1. One Brand at a time. Know which brand requires your focus.

2. There are two sides to every coin: One side is the brand strategy, image development & PR, and the other side is the prospecting, client conversion & acquisition, relationship management, sales, monetizing, etc. While both sides are important, which side of the coin needs your attention today?

3. There are three basic elements for long lasting success in any business or financial exploit: (1) A problem or issue exists, (2) You provide a solution, (3) There is something special or uUnique about you or your organization

4. Four Elements: (1) Your Effort, (2) Your Skill - How Proficient you are at whatever you do, (3) Your Character, Attitude & Charisma – How likeable you are – Being kind, being selfless, being attractive, being genuine, being friendly, being humble, etc. (4) A little bit of Luck

Are you making the most of the opportunities you get?

If you are looking for a keynote speaker for an upcoming event, start with the hosts of your Twins Talk it Up Podcast. You can also reach out to Rich and his team will make sure you have the right voice with the right message. Learn more about Rich by visiting https://elitespeakerservices.com/ and https://elitepublicimage.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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https://ultimateguidetopartnering.com/

Episode 61: Building Successful Partnerships

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:54:00 +0000

As identical twins, we understand the value of harnessing our unique strengths and abilities to increase both exposure and opportunities for success. In today's fast-paced environment, a "do-it-alone" approach is not the best strategy for growth. Collaboration and strategic partnerships between complementary businesses are fundamental to improving business outcomes. We are pleased to have a thought leader who specializes in consulting businesses on building successful partnerships. Vincent Menzione is the Founder of Ultimate Partnerships and is the Host of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering podcast, where he spotlights leadership and partnership principles. Vince shares with us what his principles are for building successful partnerships. His 8 Operating Principles to Successful Partnerships include: Growth Mindset, Shared vision, Extreme Commitment, Consistent communication, Maniacal focus, Shared vision, Brand elevation, Results-orientation and Agility. If you are wondering why Trust is not one of his principles, Vince makes the point that "trust is not one of them [principles], because trust is in all of them". He also shares what he sees as some of the greatest points of failure in developing partnerships. These include: not having the right mindset, not having a strong communication strategy and a lack of clarity around mutual goals. There may be times when organizations need to fix or repair their strained or unbalanced partnership. They need to move from a "transaction relationship to a transparent one". Remember, that we are better together than to try and go it alone. Vince believes that partnerships can be the key to organizations achieving their greatest results. Is it time for you to engage in building strategic partnerships? Is it time for you to strengthen and leverage your existing partnerships? Let's build successful partnerships. For more information about Vince and Ultimate Partnerships, visit

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Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 60: Core Values of Winning Organizations

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:38:00 +0000

What are your company’s values? Do you have a consistent way of communicating and reinforcing them? Core Values cannot just be words mounted on the walls of your organization; they must be lived behaviors. We are pleased to have the CEO of Rachuba, Theresa Leatherbury join us to speak about what core values are why they are so important. Rachuba is a Real Estate Management and Construction firm located in Greater Baltimore. We ask Theresa how Rachuba developed their core values and what some of the potential mistakes organizations make when establishing their core values. She strongly believes that an organization should embrace input from the entire organization and not simply put forth a set of core values using a top-down approach. Theresa speaks about empowering all Rachuba employees to uphold and exercise their core values. This applies to every level of interaction: vendors, subcontractors and even clients. We appreciate Theresa shedding light into how they cultivate and support their core values within the organization. Core values and company culture may need to be strategically reevaluated and refined to ensure they are reflective of the organization you are building. Here are Rachuba's Core Values; and they happened to work around the spelling of their organization: Respect Achieve Excellence Collaboration Honor Understanding Build Relationships Accountability To learn more about Theresa and Rachuba, visit

https://www.rachuba.com/

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https://gavriellaschuster.com/

Episode 59: Becoming An Agent of Change

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to be an agent of change? What does it take to be a champion of change? How do you find your passion and pursue it? We are honored to have Gavriella Schuster join us to speak about how she became an agent of change and how her work is impacting the landscape of the technology industry. She is passionate about closing the gender gap by empowering women in technology and believes it will take intentional leadership to accomplish this. Gavriella served as a Channel Chief and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft and now builds her platform as a thought leader with consulting, training and serving on numerous Boards as an advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. You are certain to be inspired by Gavriella and her passion for guiding businesses and leaders in developing a roadmap for true equity. We have to be willing to take responsibility and ask the right questions. We have to be willing to listen to the voices and needs around us. Listening to Gariella will spur you to realize that you can also become an agent of change. This is a multipronged approach including an organizational shift in expectations and policies including the publishing of diversity figures and salary ranges (illustration the SHE index) as well as an increase of allyship. Gariella speaks about her BeCOME framework and how we can become agents of change when we embrace four simple actions: Connect, Outreach, Mentor and Empower. Connect: Connect within the community and with women in your network. Outreach: Examine recruiting, hiring and supplier selection practices. Mentor: Mentor and sponsor to close the gap as they learn from your experiences. Empower: The most impactful thing you can do for another human being is to empower them and give them a voice - a seat at the table. For more information about Gavriella and how you can BeCOME an Ally and agent of change, visit

Here is a link to her TEDx talk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/gavriella_schuster_become_an_ally_how_to_achieve_gender_equity

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Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 58: Put the PR in Partnership Relationship

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 10:42:00 +0000

It has been said that image is everything. How an organization manages their image can lead to greater momentum and growth, or it can damage their reputation and increase the risk for great loss.

We are thrilled to have Jennifer McGinley, CEO of JLM Strategic Communications join the program. JLM Strategic Communications specializes in Media Relations, Community Outreach and Reputation Management. We ask Jennifer to share her thoughts as to when an organization should engage a Public Relations Firm. She shares that it is not a matter of "if" a crisis will happen, but rather a matter or "when" a crisis will happen. Preparation and media training are keys to a successful communications strategy. Leaders need to be clear, consistent and authentic and remember that this needs to be the commitment for both external and internal communication. PR is an inside out approach, where the overall message is perfected first with your internal team and employees as they are your best advocates. They support your brand with word of mouth, social media and overall productivity. Jennifer also touches on how PR is focused on the relationship you have internally and the relationships you have externally with your target audience as well as influencers within the market. PR supports the overall strengthening of your brand while building credibility. PR helps with managing and communicating the who, what, when, where, why and how. We really appreciate her direction for organizations to stay engaged with their audience. Her mindset is 'don't post and ghost'. Be consistent with your activity and message. Remember to put the PR in Partnership Relationship For more information about Jennifer and JLM Strategic Communications, visit

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Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 57: Coaching for the Gold

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

The Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan have just concluded and we were treated to incredible sports competitions by elite athletes from all around the world. These incredible Olympians have trained for most of their lives for these Golden opportunities. What do all of these participants of the games have in common? Whether it is a first time Olympian or a decorated veteran like Allyson Felix or Katie Ledecky, they all have coaches. Despite their skill set, talent and knowledge, they believe in and rely on coaching to help them improve and perform at their best.

If the top competitors and performers in the world believe in and benefit from coaching, why wouldn’t business leaders? We are thrilled to have our friend Shawn SommerKamp, an executive coach and the Founder of Motivationeer Christian Coaching join us to speak to this very point. We ask Shawn to share about why high achieving business professionals would want to invest in coaching and how this partnership can help to remove blinders and barriers to success. You will appreciate his perspective of how coaching is meeting executives and leaders where 'they are' instead of injecting your own agenda. We address accountability, communication, finding the right coach and how organizations can create and support a culture of coaching. For more information about Shawn and Motivationeer, visit https://www.motivationeer.com/ Be sure to Support and Follow us by Subscribing & Downloading

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Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 56: Building a Super MSP

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Vulnerabilities and cyber disruptions exist, but how concerned should you and your organization be? Every leader and company should be aware of what a breach can cause: a tarnished brand and reputation, data recovery and even an extreme financial loss. We are pleased to have the leaders and visionaries of Aegis Innovators join us to speak about their journey and the importance of protecting your organization.

Reza Palizban, Oscar Rodriguez, Ashok Patel & Eddie Bader provide a picture of cybersecurity trends and share about their commitment to the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP). We ask the team about zero trust strategy and if organizations should invest in cyber insurance. You will hear how protecting your company is much like protecting your home. You must protect your house on several levels.

This team of leaders have incredible chemistry and are resolved to build an incredible organization – to build a super MSP. They bet their future on trusting in each other and on providing both education and solutions for complex IT issues.

For more information about these incredible leaders and Aegis Innovators, visit https://www.aegisinnovators.com/

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Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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www.sandler.com/dave-mattson/

Episode 55: Don’t Sell Blind

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Are there any blind spots you should be aware of with your leadership or with your business? What has the pandemic exposed or provided as far as opportunities for even greater growth?

We are honored to have the CEO & President of Sandler Training, Dave Mattson join us to discuss the importance of being aware of what blind spots could exist and on the role of training for our sales teams. Sandler Training is a leading international training and consulting organization headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland. There are now over 250 offices in 32 different countries, training over 31,000 professionals each year. He is also the author of several books including 2 Wall Street Journal & Amazon bestsellers.

We discuss the landscape of sales training and about his book, The Road To Excellence: 6 Leadership Strategies To Build a Bulletproof Business. Dave speaks to the landscape of sales and why it is so vital to have skilled sales leaders. We briefly touch on the DISC personal assessment tool and how this can improve communication and success with both prospects and clients. In case you are curious, Dave Mattson and Danny Brown are both DC and David Brown is a DI. We ask Dave how leaders can fall prey to the 'Blind Spots Syndrome', where their businesses go off track. Dave speaks to what leaders can do to address 14 leadership oversights or what he calls 'blind spots'. We also discuss his '6 P's of the Excellence Process'. They include: Planning, Positions, People, Processes, Performetrics and Passion. After hearing this, we know you will not only pick up Dave's book, but that you will also recommit and invest in more training. You expect the best from your people and in return, they deserve your best. We appreciate Dave sharing about the growth of Sandler Training Corporate and how he continues to take inventory and push for innovation. He has graciously agreed to come back to the program to speak more on sales training and about his latest book. To learn more about Dave Mattson and Sandler Training, visit

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 54: NFL Hot Topics with Jim Trotter & Steve Wyche (Part 2)

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 52: NFL Hot Topics with Jim Trotter & Steve Wyche (Part 2)

Part 2 We are honored to have Jim Trotter and Steve Wyche, sports journalists from the NFL Network join the program. Jim Trotter is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and is currently the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Steve Wyche also serves as a panelist on NFL program 'The Aftermath', and hosts various NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame specials. Jim and Steve are graduates of Howard University and are storytellers and influencers with incredible impact even beyond the world of sports. They also host the 'Huddle and Flow' podcast, where they present fantastic conversations with amazing guests and their producer Thomas Warren is of course a Howard Alum. We pick up on the responsibility the media has and how their work needs to be grounded in truth. Even when looking for that story or angle, they have to be fair, accurate and consistent. We also talk about Naomi Osaka and the importance of mental health. They share about how the Health Pandemic has impacted their ability to access and connect with NFL players. They are both unbelievable storytellers which is clearly reflected in their work with the Huddle and Flow podcast. We appreciate the respect and chemistry these two leaders have with each other. This is certain to be one of your favorite episodes to listen to. Be sure to follow Jim Trotter & Steve Wyche and their Huddle and Flow podcast,

----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 53: Leading a Campaign to rename the MVP

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 12:49:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 53: Leading a Campaign to rename the MVP

Each year, the Week of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is kicked off by events leading up to the All-Star Game between the American League and National League. The week includes entertainment, an All-Star Futures game, a Celebrity softball game and the highly anticipated Home Run Derby. Perhaps what fans enjoy most are the stories that surround the game of baseball itself. We all look for those stories- stories that inspire and go beyond the game itself. One of the stories you may hear is one that surrounds the naming of the game's MVP. The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is annually given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League.

In this episode, we are pleased to be joined by the great grandson of the legendary baseball player Josh Gibson. Sean Gibson is the Director of the Josh Gibson Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing academic and athletic programs for youths to discover and reach their potential. Sean is also leading a campaign to rename the MVP in honor of his great grandfather. His great grandfather like so many was denied an opportunity to play in the Major Leagues. Sean shares some of the incredible stories surrounding his great grandfather, the Negro Leagues and icons of the great game itself.

Word is that 3 names are being considered for this honor: Frank Robinson (only player to win the MVP for both Leagues), former Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (who signed Jackie Robinson) and Josh Gibson. It's uncertain when a decision will be made on the renaming of the MVP, but you can join the campaign, sign the petition and stay involved. Enjoy the All Star week and the amazing stories surrounding 'America's Pastime'.

To learn more about and support the Josh Gibson Memorial MVP Award Campaign and the Josh Gibson Foundation visit https://jg20mvp.com/ and https://www.joshgibson.org/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 52: NFL Hot Topics with Jim Trotter & Steve Wyche (Part 1)

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 52: NFL Hot Topics with Jim Trotter & Steve Wyche (Part 1)

Part 1 We are honored to have Jim Trotter and Steve Wyche, sports journalists from the NFL Network join the program. Jim Trotter is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and is currently the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Steve Wyche also serves as a panelist on NFL program 'The Aftermath', and hosts various NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame specials. Jim and Steve are graduates of Howard University and are storytellers and influencers with incredible impact even beyond the world of sports. They also host the 'Huddle and Flow' podcast, where they present fantastic conversations with amazing guests and their producer Thomas Warren is of course a Howard Alum. Steve and Jim share about their journey from attending Howard University to the NFL Network. We also learn about some of their more memorable Huddle and Flow interviews. This reflects their ability to bring in great guests and draw out amazing stories. We dive into hearing their thoughts about diversity in the NFL, including the hiring of coaches, Black quarterbacks and the executive leadership of the NFL franchises. We can focus on the number of minorities who are hired as head coaches, and yet not look at the diversity in ownership and senior leadership. We also discuss the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and how leaders like Deion Sanders and Eddie George can bring more visibility and focus to HBCU programs. The health pandemic affected certainly impacted the talent from the FCS being drafted. We talk about narratives around players from NFL franchises who position themselves and draft boards for their targeted players. In addition, the media also has a role in what stories are presented. Be sure to follow Jim Trotter & Steve Wyche and their Huddle and Flow podcast,

----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 51: Empathetic Leadership

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 11:51:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 51: Empathetic Leadership

So much has changed over the years as far as technology goes and the advancement of medicine; but the best tool for any physician may be that of empathy. In this episode, we welcome Dr. Melissa Li-Ng to share about the importance of empathetic leadership. Dr. Li-Ng is the Medical Director of International Operations at the Cleveland Clinic. She is also a Public Speaker and has spoken around the world.

Dr. Li-Ng not only defines what empathy is but she shares with us about why is it so important for today's organizations? As a leader you need to also understand context - where others are coming from including their situation, history, environment and experiences. Without empathy, you can command tasks but you cannot change hearts and minds.

Dr. Li-Ng speaks about the importance of self-care and how without self-care, the empathetic leader will eventually burnout. She also states how leaders need to be authentic in expressing their concern and care for their people. Empathy is expressed not just with words but also with listening and with action.

Although empathy can be an innate trait, it can also be learned. Appreciate Dr. Li-Ng's encouragement for organizations to invest in leadership training and training around empathy. There are incredible costs and benefits for embracing a culture of empathy and for making training a part of their overall strategy. Listen for the correlation she makes of empathetic leadership impacting revenue.

For more information about Dr. Melissa Li-Ng and her speaking, visit https://elitespeakerservices.com/speakers/melissa-li-ng/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 50: Naked Coaching

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 50: Naked Coaching

What does it mean to be 'comfortable in your own skin’? How can being naked and exposed help you grow professionally? Now that your curiosity has been piqued, listen in on our conversation with Dr. Pat Williams about the importance of coaching, vulnerability and confidence in working with an executive coach.

Dr. Pat Williams is a Master Certified Coach and a pioneer in the world of Coaching as he was one of the founding members of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He founded additional organizations: The Institute for Life Coach Training; and Coaching the Global Village, an initiative to bring coaching methodologies to villages in developing countries and to leaders of non-profits and the nongovernmental organizations who serve them. Pat is also a member of the Forbes Coaching Council, is a much sought after speaker and an author/co-author of multiple books.

We dig into his book, ‘Getting Naked: Emotional Transparency with the Right Person at the Right Time, in the Right Place’. He creatively uses imagery to convey that being comfortable with emotional nakedness (and not physical nakedness) is where transparency and vulnerability with the right people and at the right times can lead to an increase in self-awareness and magnificent opportunities for growth. Dr. Pat believes that great coaching is about 'discovery' as the partnership of coaching is to help unlock and help the professional answer the question of 'who are you' and stepping into what they want and into the unknown.

We ask about his chapter entitled '50 shades of play' and ask him to share about the 6-step process or the tool of naked self-disclosure. These steps include: Recall, Reflect, Reveal (on paper), Reveal (to others), Reboot and Restart.

Learn more about Dr Pat Williams by visiting drpatwilliams.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 49: Caring Leadership

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 49: Caring Leadership

In this Twins Talk it Up episode, we welcome Heather Younger to share her thoughts on the topic of caring leadership. Heather is an international speaker, the founder of Employee Fanatix, the host of the Leadership with Heart podcast and the author of the book, The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading With Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations.

Heather shared that it was the 'end-user' who determines if the leader truly cares. You cannot have caring leadership without a certain level of vulnerability, transparency and authenticity. She also stated that we can even "authentically be a jerk". This is why self awareness is so important. Leaders that are people focused and heart focused, foster a culture of listening. Caring leadership engages the workforce and is about action - action that is consistent and shows kindness to those we lead.

Heather also provided some insight into the ROI of caring leadership. You can measure caring leadership and in her book, Heather highlights 9 of the most common behaviors demonstrated by caring leaders. Be a caring leader and see the impact on your organization. For more information about Heather Younger and her book, visit https://heatheryounger.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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https://www.futureof.school/

Episode 48: Introverted Leadership

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 48: Introverted Leadership

Do extroverts, introverts or ambiverts make the best leaders? Are we referring to personality types or to energy types? You may be surprised to learn what we individually claim to be more aligned with. We welcome Godwin Chan, a fellow podcaster and self-professed introvert to the program. Godwin is the host of the Digital Introverts Podcast, where introverts share their success and failure stories and discuss how they thrive in the digital age. He is also the author of a book entitled, "Digital Introverts: Why Today's Most Successful Individuals Harness Introversion to Thrive". We ask Godwin to define the terms extrovert, introvert and ambivert, and to share which has the advantage when it comes to leadership within our organizations. Are there any specific advantages that those who are more aligned as introverts have? How does culture and our society factor into this, and can we welcome diversity of thought? We also ask Godwin to share some of his thoughts on working with those who lean more toward introversion. Learning to be comfortable with silence and sharing appreciation can go a long way with creating a dynamic team. ----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 47: Courageous Communication

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 03:31:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 47: Courageous Communication

Have you ever been in an environment or situation where you felt afraid to speak up and share something truthful? Our special guest is an advocate for courageous communication and she shares her incredible story and work with us. We welcome Ruchi Singh, an International Speaker, Mindset Coach, Trainer and Author.

Her personal story of courage inspires so many others to have courageous conversations. Ruchi shared about the importance of owning your story and how we add value to other people when we first begin to add value to ourselves. She states that communication is a 'power skill' and not a 'soft skill', which is why it takes courage to express yourself.

Stand by your truth and choose courage. You will love the quotes and be reminded that there are examples of courage all around you.

Learn more about Ruchi by visiting https://www.ruchisinghtalks.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 46: Relationship Selling

Tue, 25 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 46: Relationship Selling

How do Commercial Real Estate (CRE) firms grow their portfolio? We welcome Art Putzel, Principal & Broker with Trout Daniel & Associates to speak on this. Art shares his thoughts about the value of relationship selling and how focusing on interactions with both current and potential clients can lead to incredible success. Building a relationship strategy should be at the heart of every client-centered organization, especially when you factor the length of the sales cycle. Developing great, long-term relationships will increase the likelihood of repeat business and lead to a wealth of solid referrals. There is an adage that you either need to know your jewelry or know your jeweler - It's about trust. Art also discusses the importance of staying true to your brand; how vital communication is within the CRE space and what he believes to be the outlook for the remainder of 2021, going into 2022. Learn more about about Art and his firm by visiting https://www.troutdaniel.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 45: Futuring, The Impact of Alignment

Mon, 17 May 2021 12:46:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 45: Futuring, The Impact of Alignment

Would you like to “go futuring”? This is something that our special guest helps to answer for his clients. We welcome to the program our friend Jerome Bethea aka JB the Wizard. JB the Wizard is a speaker, voice over artist, author, actor, producer and coach. You may have heard his name from various productions, including Prison Break. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, sales leaders and celebrities.

We ask JB how he came to be known as JB the Wizard and who were some of his favorite actors and p He also shares with us about his book, 'Alignment Alchemy' and how there are 5 ingredients that-if acted upon-can help create a life where a leader can overcome mental blocks and come into alignment. When someone is in alignment, there is a clear path to their atomic core, and that atomic core produces the peace, motivation and energy needed to accomplish their goals. Listen as he speaks about coming into 'oneness' and that his goal is to 'see you in the present'- a world where you design your future.

Learn more about JB the Wizard by following him on social media under "JBtheWizard" or by visiting https://connectwiththewizard.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 44: Tech and Modern Mentoring

Mon, 10 May 2021 14:37:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 44: Tech and Modern Mentoring

In this Episode, we speak with Microsoft's Vice President of US Channel Sales, Sherlaender "Lani" Phillips. In addition to serving on several Boards and her volunteer work, she also champions Microsoft’s Black and African American partner growth initiative. This initiative also includes their partnership with the Black Channel Partner Alliance (BCPA).

She is completely comfortable with being an example and model for women wanting to thrive in technology. She also believes in providing a platform through her 'Modern Mentoring Sessions' for professionals looking to grow in their own careers. We cannot wait for Lani's leadership book around leading with your head and heart, and it will include her concept of 'Modern Mentoring' with 15 attributes of what it means to be a modern leader. We also look forward to seeing her take the stage with a TEDx Talk.

Lani shares with us her “6 steps to having an authentic conversation”? This was born from the challenges we've experienced around social injustices and the need to have difficult conversations.

Those steps are:

1. Show up & Listen with Empathy

2. Be Vulnerable

3. Demonstrate Active Listening

4. Validate Feelings

5. Asking How you can Help

6. Follow Through (Action)

To learn more about Lani Phillips, visit https://laniphillips.com/

----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 43: Iron Sharpens Iron, Talk About Mentorship

Tue, 04 May 2021 10:27:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 43: Iron Sharpens Iron, Talk About Mentorship

The title of the latest Twins Talk it Up episode, Iron Sharpens Iron: Talk about Mentorship was taken from the book of Proverbs, chapter 27, verse 17 in the Bible. This was chosen to highlight the focus of our conversation. We are honored to have one of our mentors and good friend Steve Cannon join us. Steve is an author and speaker, and he also serves as an Elder and Minister with the Rise Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

We ask Steve to define what mentorship is and to share personally what he believes are some benefits of implementing mentorship as a part of your personal and professional growth. He also addresses what a successful and health mentorship looks like. It is crucial that both communication and expectations are clear. What is the growth plan? How should a mentee and mentor prepare for their meetings?

One of Steve's newest projects is his work on a book on the topic of mentorship. Grab some of his other resources:

Guru Wisdom

Checklist for Change Journal

Sharing Your Faith: Creative Ways to Reach a Hurting World for God

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 42: Write your Story

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 02:42:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 42: Write your Story

In this episode, we speak with our good friend Chris Jones. Chris is an author, business owner and fellow podcast host. His podcast is the same as the name of his book, ‘The Art and Business of Writing.

He works with seasoned professional writers in the area of coaching; and he helps industry leaders and professionals write their books by providing editing, co-authoring or ghost writing services. He shared with us that the process of writing a book is not as daunting as you might think and that you could be looking at 9-month to a year from start to completion. He believes that every leader and coach has a message and should consider writing a book as this can add to your credibility, authority and ultimately be a 'game changer'.

Completing a book is a journey and will increase your confidence as a leader. What you are doing is of incredible value, and can impact your community, organization and spheres of influence. He also provides his thoughts on how to leverage your social media platforms, and with how your audience can be integral in your work to complete your book.

Learn more about Chris and his work at https://www.chrisjonesink.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 41: Scaling Black-owned Tech Firms

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:57:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 41: Scaling Black-owned Tech Firms

In this episode, we are honored to have the Board and Founding members of the Black Channel Channel Alliance (BCPA). The members include our very own co-host Danny Suk Brown as well as Frank Valdivieso, Nyasha Tunduwani, Lauren Anderson and Jasson Walker.

The BCPA was formed by a vision to address the need for more Black-owned businesses to have a voice and presence within the Tech space. They noted that less than 1% of Microsoft Partners in the United States are Black-owned. The Black Channel Partner Alliance (BCPA) is committed to help scale Black-owned firms through mentorship, coaching, training and exposure to a community of thriving technology organizations.

It's clear that these leaders are passionate about their mission. We learn about their entrepreneurial journey, the value of mentorship, partnerships and learn about some of the overall goals of the BCPA. Some of their goals include 100 partners with 800 new tech jobs, 1000 digital transformation projects and $100M generated additional revenue in the next 3 years. You will be inspired by their words of wisdom and by their vision for the BCPA.

Learn more about the BCPA by visiting https://bcpalliance.com/ or send an email to outreach@bcpalliance.com.

To learn more about the Board members: Frank Valdivieso and Gryphon Consulting at https://www.gryphon-consulting.com/

Nyasha Tunduwani and Real Impact Technology Consulting at https://rlimpact.com/

Lauren Anderson and All-In Recruiting at https://www.all-inrecruiting.com/

Jasson Walker and cFocus Software at https://cfocussoftware.com/

Danny Suk Brown and AppMeetup at https://www.appmeetup.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 40: Our Top 3

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 10:02:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 40: Our Top 3

In this episode, we respond to those who have asked what our favorite Twins Talk it Up episodes have been so far. You can imagine how much of a challenge this was, as we have had nothing but incredible guests on the program. We begin with discussing our sentimental favorite episode; episode 15, entitled 'Wakanda Forever'. Chadwick Boseman was a fellow Howard University Bison and a generational talent. We admire how he led and lived with incredible courage.

We actually then do the impossible and followed the "Rule of 3" in choosing 3 of our favorite Twins Talk it Up episodes. Not only did we each choose 3 episodes, we also shared our Top 3 Podcast Shows; our Top 3 Books, and our Top 3 personal lessons we've learned or areas we are focusing on.

We would also love one day to have the incredible thought leaders we mention in this episode on our program.

Danny's Top 3 Twins Talk it Up include:

Episode 13: Twins & Sales Leaders with Mike & Steve Merrill

Episode 32: Your Money Matters with Jon Goodman

Episode 38: Cloud & Diversity with Tony Safoin

David's Top 3 Twins Talk it Up include:

Episode 22: Integrity in Business with C. Mack

Episode 24: Facial Communication with Dan Hill

Episode 35: Directing the Airways with Katlyn Lovelady

David's Top 3 Podcast Shows:

1. The Gary V Audio Experience

2. The Dean Graziosi Show

3. Bema Podcast with Marty Solomon

Danny's Top 3 Podcast Shows:

1. Huddle and Flow with Jim Trotter and Steve Wyche

2. The Secret to Success with Eric Thomas (ET)

3. Being Super with Supermanthony Bonus Podcast: Big Life Kids Podcast by Big Life Journal

Danny's Top 3 Books:

1. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

2. The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma

3. Super Connector by Scott Gerber & Ryan Paugh

David's Top 3 Books:

1. A Promised Land by Barack Obama

2. Coach Em Way up: 5 lessons for leading the John Wooden Way by Jason Lavin and Lynn Guerin

3. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

Danny's Top 3 Leadership Lessons:

1. Be authentic

2. Lift your employees & others around you up

3. Get coaching

David's Top 3 Leadership Lessons:

1. Swallow the Frog, do the hardest thing first

2. Express gratitude aka gratitude journal

3. Highlight your strengths aka my niche on public speaking. Looking forward to our book coming out on public speaking. Talk it Up: A guide to successful public speaking

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 39: Power of Affirmations

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 11:59:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 39: Power of Affirmations

In this episode, we speak with James and Becky Zheng. James and Becky are transformation coaches & entrepreneurs who help people live a life of design through education, mentorship, and ministry. James also runs The Morning MindSET Podcast where he shares practical wisdom on how to make proper mind shifts, empowering leaders to accomplish more impact and success in their lives. If you can win the morning, you can seize the day.

Special surprise to learn that Becky is also a twin. We ask them to define what affirmatinos are and how they have used these positive statements to shape their own mindset. This habit or daily ritual also led to James starting the Morning MindSET podcast where he provides daily short positive uplifting messages.

They talk about the conscious and the subconscious mind and how you can create new beliefs. Creating positive affirmations may be as simple as starting with "I am" statements. Statements such as I am beautiful, I am successful. The key is to connect these statements - these declarations on an emotional level and to say them consistently as if you are already there or that you have already accomplished your goals. The "last 4 letters of the word enthusiasm is iasm which can been seen as I Am Sold Myself."

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 38: Cloud & Diversity with Tony Safoian

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 05:04:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 38: Cloud & Diversity with Tony Safoian

In this Episode, we speak with the President and CEO of SADA Systems, Tony Safoian. Sada Systems is a world leading technology consulting and cloud services firm. Tony is also the host of the Cloud N Clear podcast, where he shares his thoughts and insights on the cloud and how cloud services can best support organizations.

Tony shares about his partnership with Google and about experiences with building an incredible organization. He provides his thoughts on the advantages of using the cloud and cloud services. We also learn how Sada Systems has been able to navigate during the health pandemic with incredible success.

You will be inspired to hear Tony speak on the importance of diversity, gender and equity initiatives. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk as is evidenced by Sada bringing on the very best talent regardless of their background or where they are located. Research reflects how diversity drives innovation and growth. This focus to build a diverse and talented organizational culture has to be intentional and driven from the top down.

To learn more about Tony and Sada Systems, visit https://sada.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 37: Storytelling in Content Marketing

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 16:03:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 37: Storytelling in Content Marketing

In this episode, we speak with Ruthie Bowles of Defy The Status Quo. Defy the Status Quo is a woman, minority and veteran-owned authority marketing consulting firm. As the chief strategist, she focuses on helping organizations create and position their stories to become visible experts in their industries. Did I mention that Ruthie also is a podcaster?

Ruthie speaks on how storytelling is all about connection and that you should begin with the end goal in mind. Authenticity and trust must be foundational in discovering and developing an effective story. Storytelling can be the secret sauce for attracting the right audience. You won't be the right fit for everyone but you can be the best and right fit for the right audience.

Is there ever a time you need to rebrand and tell a different story? With a full rebrand, you create an entirely new identity for your business. Ruthie shares when a company should shift and rebrand with a new story. She speaks about conscious consumerism. This is where your target audience puts their loyalty and their money where their hearts are. Your story will keep them 'reading' and will keep them engaged.

You can learn more about Ruthie Bowles and her work at https://defythestatusquo.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 36: Build your Brand Right

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 12:22:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 36: Build your Brand Right

In this episode, we meet with our good friend and fellow Howard University Bison Shala Graham. Shala is a brand strategist, speaker and writer. Shala shares about the importance of having a solid and effective brand. Your brand is your reputation. You have to be aware of your target audience and then manage that reputation while building upon your brand values. Your Brand is the foundation of your marketing.

Think about the most valued brands in the world and what makes them so effective. Brands like Google, Amazon and Apple are extremely successful as they know their audience and they stay true to the areas/niches that they specialize in. This allows them to be the right fit and the right solution. Do you know who your audience is and are you firm in your niche? You may not be the right solution for everybody; but for somebody, you are the perfect solution.

Shala poses the question of what makes your organization different. Volvo is extremely different than other manufacturers such as Subaru or Honda in the minds of potential buyers and yet they are all cars.

Branding changes should only happen when values change and when those you are trying to serve (your audience) change. Remember that it could take years and decades to build a brand - build a company's reputation and yet it can really take just one bad mistake or one instant to tarnish or destroy it. Authentic branding is about trust and your target audience needs to trust you and your organization.

Learn more about Shala Graham and her work at https://www.shalawgraham.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 35: Directing the Airways

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 02:07:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 35: Directing the Airways

In this episode of Twins Talk it Up, we speak with Katlyn Lovelady. Katlyn is an air traffic controller and also serves in the Air National Guard.

Communication skills are vital in the air space. Clarity of speech between Ground Control, the Tower and Aircraft is vital to ensure safety for both crew and the passengers they serve. Regarding intentional listening, Katlyn shared some incredible insight about being able to listen to the silence - that what is not being said can be just as important as what is being said. Having a calm and confident tone also is crucial to the overall success of the mission.

As a leader, never let your ego get in the way of the goal. Lives are at stake. While others may only see 'their part', you as the leader must keep your focus on the big picture and communicate the plan. "They want to the plan to succeed as much as you do". Give everyone an opportunity to excel in their role and surprise you.

Here are the 3 leadership lessons Katlyn said that she has learned through being an air traffic controller:

1. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

2. If you wouldn't want what you said "played back", then don't say it.

3. Tell the team your plan.

Love Katlyn's confidence and the pride she has with being one of the few women in this role. You can do "hard things."

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 34: Skale up Your Performance

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:47:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 34: Skale up Your Performance

In this episode, we speak with Jake Dunlap, CEO of Skaled Consulting. Skaled Consulting helps sales and marketing professionals as well as organizations scale more efficiently by using technology & consulting. We are grateful that Jake was able to join us despite the challenges due to a loss of power that the majority of the State of Texas was experiencing.

Jake shares his thoughts about how the organizations that are thriving are those who pivot quickly to optimize & customize their sales processes and product set. He states that "the companies that are winning, do not hold onto the past. They are focused on what the buyer is doing and on what can I do to sale and get in front of them." The landscape has now changed and sales professionals need to become more proficient in the virtual space and grow in their soft skills such as public speaking and storytelling.

In responding to the question of 'virtual fatigue', Jake shared that "every call you have is somebody's first experience with you and your company". You have to first be excited about your position and your product and then you have to be passionate about the buyers you serve.

We speak about leveraging platforms and tools that best serve professionals and their organizations; and how vital it is to interact and stay connected with other leaders, prospects and clients. Jake was gracious enough to offer provide a link for a free 60-day trial of Sales Navigator.

Learn more about Jake Dunlap and Skaled Consulting at https://skaled.com/

LinkedIn Navigator trial for our listeners: http://bit.ly/Jake60SalesNav

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 33: Workplace Fusion

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 14:38:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 33: Workplace Fusion

In this episode of Twins Talk it Up, we are joined by our good friend and fellow coach and speaker Gerald Leonard. In addition to being a speaker, Gerald is also a professional bassist, corporate trainer, author and the owner of Principles of Execution.

He has successfully integrated his love for music into his books and consulting practice. He blends the art and appreciation of music into his training, specifically around project management & organizational culture. Next time you listen to your favorite song or genre of music, think of the final product and how balanced the various sounds are. With the same expectation, a successful organization blends and balances 'voices' or 'instruments' to increase productivity and create harmony.

We appreciate Gerald's insight into his daily meditation, discipline of goal writing and the practice of visualization. What a great point he made of our how our brain can be affected by these principles - the reticular activating system (RAS) - to shape and promote the thinking and life you want.

Find out more about Gerald Leonard and his books (Culture is the Bass& Workplace Jazz)by visiting geraldjleonard.com or https://workplace-jazz.com/

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 32: Your Money Matters

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 14:29:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 32: Your Money Matters

In this episode of Twins Talk it Up, we spend some time with our good friend Jon Goodman. Jon is the Managing Principle of JCG Advisory Partners, an investment advisory & wealth management firm located in Bozeman, Montana. We cover everything from Rocky Mountain Oysters to principles of personal Investing. We even throw in some conversation about basketball and Coach K of Duke.

Jon asked the question of what if "people tithed to themselves"? Imagine the impact if more people invested in themselves with education and healthy financial habits. One of the resources Jon shared with us is his MillionaireMe app. MillionaireME was designed to provide a platform where investors can with a support system become after-tax millionaires in retirement. Jon's tip during this health pandemic: "don't touch your face, don't touch your mouth and don't touch your money".

It's never too late or too early to invest. Jon shares his thoughts on Robinhood, Cryptocurrency and even the GameStop frenzy. Appreciate his analogy of surfing and encountering waves you've never seen nor surfed before. Cannot replace education, experience or time. There is value in working with a financial expert and the more research you can do before you get involved with any type of trading or investing is to your benefit.

Invest in yourself and invest in your future because your money matters. Learn more about Jon and the MillionaireMe app by visiting https://www.joncgoodman.com/ and https://www.mymillionaireme.com/

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 31: Improve your voice with AI

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:41:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 31: Improve your voice with AI

In this episode of Twins Talk it Up, we speak with Debra Cancro. Debra is the Founder of Voicevibes, an AI-powered practice and coaching platform that helps leaders and sales professionals become more effective communicators and win more deals.

Debra shares from research how professionals are perceived when they speak and how this could impact their overall success. Amazing to learn that people and organizations were 13 times more likely to buy from those they believed were confident. Great insight on the effectiveness of a speaker who sounds 'boring' compared with a speaker who comes across as just arrogant.

Voicevibes is an incredible tool for managers, sales directors and C-Suite members. This tool presents another opportunity to support the growth of every organization's greatest asset: their people. We believe through our partnership, Voicevibes has the ability to complement our niche - to further the impact that can be made with our clients.

Find out more about Debra Cancro and Voicevibes at https://www.myvoicevibes.com/ If you believe Voicevibes can be a great resource for the development of your leadership and people, reach out to us at the DSB Leadership Group directly for a special code.

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 30: Carry a Flag, Carry a Message

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 30: Carry a Flag, Carry a Message

In this episode of Twins Talk it Up, we speak with my friend Andrew Buerger. Andrew is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and the founder of Jodi's Climb for Hope, which has raised over $850,000 for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Cancer research.

Andrew shares about what lessons can be taken away from leading organizations and climbing mountains. We also dig into his book entitled, Carry a Flag from Pain to Passion. Andrew also talks about the importance of knowing what our 'Why' is. Quote, When you "have a why to live, you can bear with almost any how" (Viktor Frankl) . Identify you why "so that" (Simon Sinek, Start with Why).

Upon reaching the summit, why do climbers plant flags? What is the message behind the flag? What is your summit and what is your message? You flag - your message must be planted. Our motivation will carry us to complete our mission. Andrew's vulnerability and passion for life will amaze you. What an inspiring message to carry a flag from pain to passion. Live everyday with a sense of purpose.

For more information and to support Andrew's mission to "take a bite out of disease", visit Jodi's Climb for Hope's website at https://www.climbforhope.org/

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program. Netflix should become a corporate sponsor as we mentioned the company numerous times in this episode.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 29: Rewired

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 29: Rewired

Welcome to another episode of Twins Talk it Up. My twin and I are thrilled to have our friend Joel Landi of The Performance Group join us. Joel is a speaker, author and a business performance coach. He is the author of the book, Rewired: Power up your Performance, Relationships & Purpose.

We ask Joel about his professional background and his love for racing motorcycles. We then take a deep dive into his book as he shares why it is so important to to identify and challenge limiting beliefs, as they are the root of resistance to change. Joel believes that the brain can be 'rewired' for our benefit and growth. He also shares stories of infusing elements of adventure through exhilarating excursions; and how these can be monumental for confronting fear and igniting change.

3 reasons why people stop taking risks:

1. Fear

2. People; Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend most of our time with.

3. Stories; limiting beliefs

Appreciate Joel's point about implementing coaching. Coaching improves objectivity and helps to address potential obstacles and blind spots. Coaching can be a valued tool if there is a willingness to be coachable (see the value of being challenged and inspired); and if there is the 'secret sauce' of vulnerability and trust.

Learn more about Joel Landi at https://theperformancegroup.us/ and pick up his book, Rewired: Power up your Performance, Relationships & Purpose.

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program.

----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 28: MLK Day

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 28: MLK Day

In this Episode of Twins Talk it Up, we want to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day also known as MLK Day is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is a day to remember and celebrate his life and his achievements. It is a day to honor his legacy and sacrifice by serving our communities and sharing stories of sacrifice, struggle and victory.

We wanted to highlight 3 aspects of his leadership - 3 key areas we all can emulate as leaders. Dr. King was a voice and model of these 3 keys of great leadership: Empathy A Learner Speak up

Great leaders make it a goal to understand those they have the privilege of leading. Can you walk a mile in someone else's shoes? Can you grasp what they are feeling? Empathy is a willingness to link arms and march together.

Leaders love to learn. They are just as committed to being great students as they are to being great teachers, trainers - to being great leaders. Invest in your own personal and professional growth.

Leaders speak up even when it's uncomfortable. They speak when others cannot. They speak because a message needs to be heard. Don't run from challenging conversations. Leaders speak up.

We hope you take time to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and that you choose to honor him and his dream by serving, sacrificing and imitating the 3 keys to great leadership we spoke about.

Don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating and sponsor this program.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 27: Servant Leadership

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 27: Servant Leadership

In this episode of the Twins Talk it Up Podcast, we are joined by my good friend Kevin Johnson. Kevin is a speaker, writer, trainer, pastor, and the CEO of the Johnson Leadership Group.

Today's topic is on Servant Leadership and Kevin is the ideal guest as he has not only authored a book on this; but he also delivers trainings and keynote speeches around what it means to be a servant leader. We ask about his journey and what eventually led him to writing his book entitled, Leadership with a Servant's Heart: Leading through Personal Relationships.

Servant leaders show they at they care and take a genuine interest in their people. They find ways to serve them and lead by example. Servant leaders are also great listeners and great communicators. Imagine the impact that can be made and how the overall corporate culture can be impacted by this type of leadership.

Kevin shared about what he calls the "Iceberg effect". What you see is only around 20% of the iceberg and when you equate that to people, you can miss the other 80% - 80% of who they really are. His point is to not make quick judgments but to get the know who they really are. Understand the power and importance of recognition.

Learn more about Kevin Johnson at https://thejohnsonleadershipgroup.com/ and don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a 5-Star Rating.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 26: Setting 2021 Goals

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 01:21:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 26: Setting 2021 Goals

Happy New Year! We are thrilled to begin Season 2 of the Twins Talk it Up Podcast. In this first episode of 2021, we wanted to talk about the importance of setting goals.

We briefly reflect back on 2020: the health pandemic, call for social justice, the struggle for security & sense of normalcy. We then jump into setting goals for this New Year. We challenge you to ask the question of 'What’s next?'

Far too many people wait for things to happen to and for them. And then there are those who go after something; they are intentional. It is the ones who go after something who experience true growth and success.

Here are a few things to consider when setting 2021 goals:

Write your goals down

-Establish a goal around each of these 5 categories: Personal, Relational, Financial, Physical & Business/Professional.

Measure & implement

-Create or use systems for achieving your goals. Consider the SMART acronym. SMART stands for: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant & Time.

Build habits

-Work backwards from your stated goals and develop habits. Don't forget to 'make your bed'.

Here are some of the resources we shared about:

Tracking system Buddy system/Executive coaching

Public Speaking Facebook: facebook.com/groups/publicspeakingpoints

Coaching: dsbleadershipgroup.com/executive-coaching-dsb-leadership-group/

Coaching Group: davidbrown1.podia.com/public-speaking-coaching-group

*Schedule your complimentary discovery call

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 25: Beyond Blending In

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 11:18:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 25: Beyond Blending In

In this Episode, we are joined by author, speaker and coach Wendy Kim. Wendy is also the owner of Your Dream Realized Coaching.

What would lead a successful corporate professional to leave her field and become a Coach for women of color? She is passionate about empowering and helping women to both find their voice and embrace their identity. She shares about the overall need and benefit to organizations embracing more diversity within their leadership/executive teams. It cannot be a mindset of just 'checking a box'; they must be willing to financially invest into obtaining this.

We asked Wendy what led her to writing her book, Beyond Blending In: An Immigrant Daughter's Guide to Overcoming Cultural Bonds for a Life of Authenticity and Abundance. We know personally of the challenge of growing up trying to understand where we fit in being biracial.

She shares insight from studies on diversity and creativity. She also talks about breaking stereotypes and you will love the story she shares about Japanese Whiskey.

Learn more about Wendy Kim at https://www.beyondblendingin.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 24: Facial Communication

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 24: Facial Communication

In this episode, we are thrilled to spend some time with author, trainer and speaker Dan Hill. Dan is an expert on facial decoding, identifying and capturing emotions and is the President of Sensory Logic.

Dan tells others that he quantifies 'gut reactions' based on peoples' facial expressions. Actions speak louder than words and our body language, specifically our faces 'speak' the loudest. There are 23 expressions on the face that reveal 7 core emotions. Muscle movement in the face reflect interest level and this can help executives close more deals.

Through his trainings and his books entitled Emotionomics & Famous Faces Decoded, Dan shows how emotions can be hidden in plain sight on all of our faces. Facial coding is a tool to learning how emotions shape, reflect our personalities and drive behavior. They can also benefit professionals and organizations with uncovering opportunities by leveraging emotions for success in branding, product design, advertising, sales, customer satisfaction, leadership, and employee management.

Dan also shared about his latest work on a book entitled, The Devil's Dictionary, not be confused by Ambrose Bierce. He goes into other aspects of emotions through this book and will challenges readers to think and behave differently.

Take your own emotional temperature. Become self-aware. He also puts a charge to our listeners to take it to another level.

Learn more about Dan Hill and his work at https://www.sensorylogic.com/

----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 23: Building Trust

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 13:39:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 23: Building Trust

In this episode of Twins Talk it Up, Danny and I welcome Matt Blake. Matt is the President of Blake Consulting and Sales Training. Matt is an incredible leader and supports business owners and professionals with training and coaching.

We asked Matt to define trust and to share about why this is such a critical component in determining the success of a leader. Trust goes both ways as executives and owners need to trust in their people as much as they hope and expect for their people to trust in them and in their leadership.

Organizational culture is reflected in the amount of autonomy and trust employees feel that they have to not only do their jobs but to support the overall growth of the company. More executives need to take an active interest in their people and understanding what makes them 'tick'? Executives should learn more about who their people are and actually listen to them. They need to ask how the company can help employees meet their personal goals? This is where trust begins.

Trust is reflected when people are not afraid to make decisions or make mistakes. Every mistake can be correctable. Matt said that if mistakes are not being made, then people aren't learning and growth is not taking place. Mentor, coach and stop 'managing' and watch trust turn into a great organizational culture.

Learn more about Matt Blake and his training at https://www.blake.sandler.com/

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 22: Integrity in Business

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 22: Integrity in Business

In this episode, Danny and I welcome thought leader C Mack. C Mack is a successful business executive who has worked in the Consumer Package Goods, Transportation Services and Financial Services Industries. He has been instrumental as a business strategist and as a mentor to numerous professionals.

We speak so often of key leadership traits and today we dive into perhaps the most vital. Our topic today is around the leadership trait of integrity. We look to define what integrity is and why it matters in business. We appreciate C Mack sharing personally from his experiences as it pertains to our topic. He opens up about what he learned from his career and the opportunities that are present for every leader.

Warren Buffet shared that when he hires professionals, he looks for character. He specifically said that he looks for Intelligence, Initiative and Integrity. If it can be identified that the professional lacks integrity, the other 2 qualities don’t even matter. Build great organizations with the right professionals from the beginning. This is how you create a culture of integrity.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 21: The Health Pandemic Led to a Vision

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 21: The Health Pandemic Led to a Vision

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode, we are joined by our good friend Cordell Carter. Cordell is the Executive Director of the Socrates Program with the Aspen Institute. The Socrates Program is a forum for emerging leaders to convene and explore contemporary issues through expert-moderated dialogue. He also serves as a Strategic Advisory Board member at Fvlcrum Fundsll; an organization focused on creating generational wealth in minority communities.

We discuss how the Health Pandemic led to his latest inspiration. How did Covid-19 hit so close to home? Why is this event so important?

The event will help raise awareness and bring together incredible partnerships and is entitled the Afro-Latinx Festival of the Diaspora, and will be held early Spring of 2022. His vision is to celebrate the contributions of Afrolatinos through the power of networking, cultural exchange, artistic showcases, culinary presentations, and of course education.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 20: Not giving up on your Sales People

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 08:30:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 20: Not giving up on your Sales People

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode, we are joined by Derek Shebby of Modern Sales Training. We discuss why it's important to never give up on your sales professionals.

We ask the obvious question of what causes sales professionals to quit? They typically come into their sales role to be successful and make money. Perhaps they become disillusioned thinking success would come easier or come sooner. Leadership needs to take responsibility for their sales teams - for their development. It may not be their sales people who 'suck'; they might 'suck'. Training is needed for both the sales professionals and management teams.

Is there ever a time a Sales Manager or a Sales Leader should give up on a sales professional? Derek says that they need to fight for their sales people. We must exhaust every resource to ensure their success. They must know that leadership believes in them.

You will get a kick out of how Derek compares the type of path sales professionals can take and still be successful. Not all sales leaders are meant to be or want to be managers or directors. Some prefer to be Michael Jordan, while others choose to be Phil Jackson. The goal is still the same. The goal is to win Championships. A sales professional may choose to stay in the sales role or become a sales manager. The overall goal is to win as a team.

Learn more about Derek Shebby and Modern Sales Training at www.modernsalestraining.com

----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

Support and Follow us:

Episode 19: Navigating Leadership in Times of Disruption

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 13:39:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 19: Navigating Leadership in Times of Disruption

In this Twins Talk it Up episode, we speak with author and corporate trainer Tony Chatman about navigating leadership in times of disruption.

Tony shares the difference between change and disruption. Change can be planned while disruption seemingly comes out of nowhere. Leadership is tested during these times of disruption but they still need to respond. They are considering now only the growth of their organizations, they also have to be considerate of their employees and their emotional and technological needs.

Tony is the author of the book, 'The Force Multiplier’, where he writes about how leaders can build trust, loyalty and can get the best out of their teams. How can we during this challenging time maximize our efforts as leaders? True leadership is about relationships.

Unconscious bias as a key topic for organizations to address. Honesty, communication and teamwork are essential for a healthy and functional organization. A lack of awareness can lead to blind spots and an unhealthy corporate culture.

Love that Tony spoke about how many within the C-Suite can suffer from imposter syndrome. We actually spoke on this in an earlier episode.

Tony and Danny go into a dialogue about their love of music.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 18: Future of Education & Leadership

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 11:27:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 18: Future of Education & Leadership

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode, we are joined by educational thought leader Antonio Boyd. We have known Antonio for over 27 years going back to our days at Howard University.

Antonio Boyd serves as the COO of Future of School a non-traditional learning platform that started off years ahead of this learning curve we have been forced into because of the health pandemic. He also is CEO, President of two other organizations: Think Tank Consulting Group & Crash Zone Entertainment.

The Future School is a blended learning format focusing more on experiential learning. K-12 education because of the health pandemic has led to education and schools to utilize more of an online platform. He sees the educational space becoming more of a blended model, physically at the school and online space. He calls this crisis schooling.

We speak about health pandemic and how the virus has affected not only students but also educators and teachers. Now more than ever, we need great leadership at every level including within our government to support our educational system.

Technology is playing a vital role in shaping how our educational system will evolve. Partnerships with Google and Microsoft have helped to support the necessary changing educational landscape. There has been a growth in a "pod" style of learning to support families and communities.

We must also be aware of the needs and health both mentally and physically of our educators, administrators and support staff.

http://www.thinktankconsultinggroup.com/

Fixing Education During the Pandemic:

(https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-f...)

The Future of Our Schools: An Urgency For Change:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GLEF...)

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 17: Twins & Entrepreneurs Keisha Sumner & Kenya-Marie Farmer

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up Episode 17: Twins & Entrepreneurs Keisha Sumner & Kenya-Marie Farmer

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode, we are joined by entrepreneurs and twins Keisha Sumner & Kenya-Marie Farmer.

We first met Keisha and Kenya while we were all students at Howard University. We discuss life growing up as twins and how they ended up collaborating on their joint business venture, Raw Vegan Sistas. Keisha in addition to being a Health & Wellness Coach, spends much of her time with research into the public health sector. Kenya currently is a TV Producer, Program Manager and a Health & Wellness Coach.

We need to consider taking care of our health now or come to the realization that it could cost us more in the future. You can "pay the price later or pay the price now".

Great charge from the entrepreneurs: "When you're being led to do something, when you're being led to do a business, when you're being led to create or to do something... Do it. Do it scared."

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 16: Conquering Imposter Syndrome

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 16: Conquering Imposter Syndrome

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode we discuss how to conquer imposter syndrome.

What is imposter syndrome? What if I have feelings of being 'found out' or proven to be a 'fraud'?

How can someone conquer imposter syndrome? To combat this, consider the following:

Reframing Taking ownership

Stop comparing

Don't play it safe

Redefine your purpose

Be connected

Stay vulnerable

Invest in coaching. The greatest athletes and performers in the world understand the value and invest in coaching. You are worth it. Invest in yourself.

You are incredible.

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 15: Wakanda Forever, Leadership lessons from Chadwick Boseman

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 15: Wakanda Forever, Leadership lessons from Chadwick Boseman

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode entitled: Wakanda Forever; we take a moment to look back at leadership lessons we can Lessons from Chadwick Boseman.

Chadwick Boseman was a fellow graduate of the incredible Howard University. His dedication to the community and to playing roles so gracefully and powerfully while maintaining his privacy is something to be commended and imitated.

While there are so many leadership lessons we can learn from Chadwick and how he lived his life, we want to discuss 3 of them:

1. Build for more than one

2. When to be private vs when to be public

3. Deep sense of Awareness

Which role was your favorite? What leadership lesson can you learn from and implement?

Thank you Chadwick. May your memories and example shine for all generations. Wakanda Forever!

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 14: Why it’s important to know and share your Story

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up Episode 14: Why it's important to know and share your Story

In this Twins Talk it Up Podcast Episode, Danny and I take discuss why it’s important to know and share your Story.

We all love stories. What if I told you that your story needs to be told – that your story needs to be heard? What if your story could inspire others to hold onto to hope?

Great stories can be born from almost anywhere. Your story may start because of hardship, trials or even tragedy.

What are the elements of every great story? Ask yourself, what is the conflict? Who is the hero? Is there a villain? What’s the point of the story? And why would that matter to me?

Tell your story in your own voice.

Let us help you with your story. ----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 13: Twins & Sales Leaders Mike & Steve Merrill

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up: Twins & Sales Leaders Mike & Steve Merrill

In this Twins Talk it Up Episode, we are joined by sales leaders Mike & Steve Merrill. The Merrill brothers are not only incredible sales leaders; they are also twins.

We discuss what it was like growing up as twins and how this has supported their professional growth. We discover how they both found their way into having sales careers. Interesting that Steve and Mike worked at the same time in the same company on two different occasions.

Fascinating that they attribute some of their communication skills used within their work environments to their relationship as twins.

Steve and Mike both share tips for sales professionals. Great insight of how organizations buy you before they buy your product. You are more than your sales script. Celebrate small wins as sales cycles can vary (pending industry). If you are not sold on what you are selling, you will not be very successful. Preparation and knowing your prospect is key to closing more deals.

Steve Merrill is a Digital Marketing Strategist and a Senior Sales Executive with Salesforce.

Mike Merrill is an Enterprise Sales Executive with Amazon. Mike also delivered a TEDx Talk entitled, "What Pig Farming Taught me about Business".

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Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 12: Celebrate Any and All Victories

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twinks talk it Up: Celebrate Any and All Victories

In this Episode of the Twins Talk it Up Podcast, we discuss why you should celebrate all the victories in your life. Don't reserve your celebrations for the 'large' and significant victories, but celebrate even the smallest of victories. These are stepping stones.

Do you have a 'Victory Journal'? This is where you write down any and all of your victories. Ask us about the Affirmations Worksheet. This is where you create and state often your own "I am" statements. Say, "I am awesome!" How do you celebrate? Interestingly enough that Danny likes chocolate. Go from victory to victory. Do the most difficult things first.

Facebook Speaking Group where we celebrate Victory Friday: C-Suite Executive Speaking Points.----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 11: Do you need to Warm Up?

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up: Do you need to Warm Up?

In this Episode of the Twins Talk it Up Podcast, we discuss the importance of implementing a warm-up routine before you ever 'take the stage'. We discuss if it is even necessary to warm up before you speak.

We take a look at sports, musicians, singers and performers on all levels and if they implement a warm-up routine.

What constitutes a good warm-up? Are there techniques or exercises you can use to warm up?

Find out what will work best for you to get into the right frame of mind and ready to rock and roll. ----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 10: Introduction to the Twins

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twinks talk it Up: Introduction to the Twins

Welcome to the Twins Talk it Up Podcast.

This is a rebrand from the DSB Leadership Speaking podcast to the Twins Talk it Up Podcast.

In this episode, we introduce ourselves to the Podcast universe. We may be genetically the same but we are uniquely different. We love training on leadership and communication concepts and are passionate about our story as twins from multiracial background.

Subscribe and join us as we support professionals in their pursuit of becoming more effective speakers while increasing their value and influence. Let's have some fun along the way and get into some interesting about twins as well. ----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 9: Lessons Learned from the Bubble

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 14:46:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up: Lessons Learned from the Bubble

In this episode, we discuss 5 leadership lessons that can be learned from the NBA bubble. How can we expect companies, organizations, schools and families who are not equipped like the NBA to deal with this health pandemic?

By having a plan to restart the season, there was a greater opportunity for success. NBA took something that was very challenging and was able to make it work. Do you have a plan to navigate these turbulent waters?----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 8: Communicating with Empathy

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up: Communicating with Empathy----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 7: Non-Verbal Communication

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 14:23:00 +0000

Twins talk it up: Non-Verbal Communication----more----

Together, we will explore tips and tools to increase both your influence and value. Along the way, let’s crush some goals, deliver winning sales pitches, and enjoy some laughs.

Danny Suk Brown and David Suk Brown train on speaking and presentation skills. They also share from their keynote entitled, “Identically Opposite: the Pursuit of Identity”.

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Episode 6: How Not to Begin a Speech

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up: How Not to Begin a Speech

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Episode 5: How to Begin a Speech

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Twins talk it Up: How to Begin a Speech

DSB Leadership Podcast:

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Episode 4: Essential Qualities of a Leader

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up: Essential Qualities of a Leader

In light of the current climate, leadership is truly needed. We discuss 5 qualities that we believe are essential for an effective leader. Communication is certainly one of those. What do you suppose the other 4 are?

DSB Leadership Speaking Podcast:

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Episode 3: Conquering Nerves

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:30:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up: Conquering Nerves

How do you conquer speaking anxiety? While we will cover the fear of speaking in future episodes, we discuss several strategies for conquering nerves. Which of these do you find most helpful?

DSB Leadership Speaking Podcast:

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Episode 2: Expressing Gratitude

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 11:11:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up: Expressing Gratitude

Why can it be so difficult for leaders to use the power of their voice and express their gratitude? 2 simples words of 'thank you' can transform both the leader and the organization.

The DSB Leadership Speaking Podcast:

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Episode 1: Intro Episode

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:01:00 +0000

Twins Talk it Up: Introductory Episode

Why the Podcast and who we are.

We are indeed twins. We also happen to be speakers, trainers, coaches, and entrepreneurs. We are passionate about supporting leaders in their growth to becoming more effective communicators.

Subscribe and enjoy!

DSB Leadership Podcast: