Monday Morning Radio

Most business owners obsess over driving more traffic to their websites. But as Brian Schmitt, CEO of Surefoot and a returning guest, explains, the fastest and most efficient way to grow profits is by converting more of the website visitors that companies already attract into paying customers. Surefoot is a data-driven conversion rate optimization agency for e-commerce brands and a leading authority on controlled consumer experiments — also known as A/B testing.  By testing version ‘A’ of a webpage against version ‘B,’ Surefoot pinpoints which design, headline, graphic, or call-to-action wins more customers. Surefoot’s signature methodology is what it calls the “Revenue Friction Roadmap,” a structured way to uncover what potential customers are thinking but not saying out loud. While most optimization experts aim for a 20–25% bump, Brian’s clients often see nearly double that impact: a 40–44% increase in sales from existing site visitors. Even minor tweaks, Brian explained — backed by hard data — can deliver game-changing results. On this week’s episode, Brian shares actionable steps that any business owner can implement to turn more of their website visitors into loyal customers. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Brian Schmitt, Surefoot Posted: September 29, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 52:45 Episode: 14.17 RELATED EPISODES: Nine Out of Ten New Online Retailers Never Make Their First Sale UX is the Most Powerful Differentiator in Today’s Highly Competitive Business World Yes, She is Crazy — Crazy Like a Fox, Helping Online Brands Achieve Impressive Results

Karen Elliott House was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for her coverage of the Middle East. Arguably, she knows more about the region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, than any other active journalist or author.  For her latest book, Why Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Matters to the World, Karen conducted more than half a dozen in-depth interviews with the 40-year-old Saudi Crown Prince, known universally as “MBS.” For global business owners and executives, the dramatic Saudi transformation over the past decade, spearheaded by MBS, presents both promise and peril: vast opportunities for investment and growth but also political and legal risks that demand careful navigation. The pace of change under MBS has astonished even veteran observers like Karen, who has traveled to the kingdom more than 45 times since the late 1970s. Today, Saudi women can drive, hold jobs across industries, and participate openly in public life. Entertainment venues — from concerts to theme parks — are thriving. Restaurants that once erected wooden partitions to shield women from the public now bustle with mixed crowds. Karen compares his confidence and determination to that of Jack Welch at General Electric or Lee Kuan Yew, a founding father of modern Singapore. Like them, MBS is willing to make unpopular decisions in pursuit of national transformation. Whether his reforms endure, she cautions, depends on two factors: keeping the economy growing and avoiding foreign policy missteps that could unite his enemies. With a half-century potentially ahead of him as the next Saudi King, Mohammed bin Salman will be an unavoidable force in global politics and business. As Karen puts it, Americans must move beyond old stereotypes and reckon with the kingdom as it is — complex, evolving, and essential. Purchase Your Copies of Karen’s Insightful Books on Saudi Arabia: The Man Who Would Be King: Mohammed bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines - and Future Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Karen Elliott House Posted: September 22, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 57:20 Episode: 14.16

Mike Kelly, a veteran of senior leadership roles at Michelin and Macy’s, now coaches business owners and managers through his advisory, Right Path Enterprises. His mission: to help leaders guide their organizations more effectively by first learning to lead themselves. Unlike many experts, Mike believes that genuine influence begins with leading yourself. Investing in personal growth pays dividends at work, at home, and in the community, he says. Mike is the author of Leaderfluence: Secrets of Leadership Essential to Effectively Leading Yourself and Positively Influencing Others. Among the topics Mike discusses on this week’s episode are when to trust the data over your own instinct, how to keep top talent without paying more than you can afford, and why you should encourage your employees to take risks at work. Mike also outlines seven priorities that will enable leaders to look back with confidence, knowing they stayed aligned with what matters most to them. His approach delivers a double benefit: leaders grow as individuals while becoming more effective and inspiring managers. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Mike Kelly,  Right Path EnterprisesPosted: September 15, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 48:378 Episode: 14.15 POPULAR EPISODES: Authors Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley Offer 52 Ways to Bolster Employee Satisfaction and Productivity The Enduring Ability of “The Power of Habit” and “Smarter Faster Better” to Improve Your Life Bestselling Author Joanne Lipman Shares Her Formula for Professional and Personal Reinvention

Mick Torbay has a simple verdict on most advertising campaigns: they don’t work. “Most ads are rubbish,” he declares. “They accomplish nothing, they waste people’s time, and they waste peoples’ money. When the commercial break comes on, people stand up and go to the bathroom or turn the volume down.” It’s harsh, but accurate nonetheless. Ads created by Mick, on the other hand, are the kind that inspire listeners and viewers to turn up the volume, talk about the spots with family and friends, and remain lodged in their brains until they morph into paying customers. Mick, a wildly successful maverick marketer and one of the elite Wizard of Ads partners, is the rare expert who knows — and can explain — why some ads succeed spectacularly while most crash and burn. And he knows who most often is to blame. Brace yourself, as Mick shares his bold ideas and imaginative strategies that lead to long-lasting customer loyalty. If you’re tired of throwing away money on ads that don’t work, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Mick Torbay, Wizard of Ads  Posted: September 8, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 52:50 Episode: 14.14 RELATED EPISODES: Johnny Molson, a Marketing Maestro, on the Two Words That Transform Branding ‘Semple’ Strategies to Rev Your Advertising and Marketing Campaigns Two Living Legends of Marketing Offer You Actionable Tips for Success

More than 80% of Trevor Bower’s customers reorder from him within 30 days. That’s an enviable benchmark in any industry. Trevor owns AdvancedSupps, a single brick-and-mortar health supplements store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with a robust online presence. In his ten years in business, he’s earned an international reputation for formulating unique, high-value supplements and providing unmatched customer education and service.  In a brutally competitive retail environment, Trevor has overcome the odds — not with gimmicks or giveaways, but with a strategy that any entrepreneur — in any industry — can replicate. Among the recommendations he makes: Clarify who benefits most from your products or services, and build around them. Educate your customers and prospects. Markets shift, but your values shouldn’t. Stay grounded in what works for you. Know that “trust” is your real product. Think of Trevor’s insights as the ultimate business supplement: all natural, fast-acting, and formulated to strengthen your bottom line. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Trevor Bower, AdvancedSupps.comPosted: September 1, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 55:24 Episode: 14.13

Overseeing a $10 billion residential and commercial portfolio, Bianca D’Alessio reigns as the  #1 real estate agent in both New York City and New York State. She also stars in HBO Max’s Selling the Hamptons. But Bianca’s rise wasn’t smooth. Early setbacks and bouts of impostor syndrome nearly sidelined her career. Instead, she built a foundation using vulnerability, intentional self-talk, and gratitude to transform herself into one of the most dynamic leaders in real estate. In her new book, Mastering Intentions: 10 Practices to Amplify Your Power and Lead with Lasting Impact, Bianca blends candid personal stories with actionable strategies that any business owner or entrepreneur can apply. Visit this special Monday Morning Radio “Open House” to discover the same practices Bianca uses to master her goals — and how you can apply them to achieve your own business and personal success. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Bianca D’Alessio, Mastering IntentionsPosted: August 25, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 44:04 Episode: 14.12

Gary Engels teaches business owners and entrepreneurs the disciplined sequence of steps that lead to lasting success. His wisdom isn’t drawn from an MBA program or corporate leadership seminars — it’s forged from decades on the mats. “Sensei Gary” is a serial entrepreneur, app creator, and a 4th-degree black belt in Taekwondo.  Gary’s list of ventures and partnerships is long. Among them, he is the founder of Leadership Academy, a martial arts school dedicated to developing leadership skills in students of all ages, and the creator of the Legacy Missions app, which helps users build positive daily habits.  He also serves as CEO of MyGig, which connects businesses with essential services in accounting, marketing, HR, IT, and financial optimization.  Unlike many entrepreneurs who obsess over selling, Gary has built his career on service. His approach begins with a simple question: “How can I help?” Service builds trust, trust builds relationships, and relationships drive revenue. It’s a principle that has kept his martial arts school thriving for 20 years — a milestone that very few such schools attain. So, join us this week in the “Monday Morning Radio Dojo.” Remove your shoes, step onto the mat, and begin mastering the “business katas” that will make you a fierce marketplace competitor. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Gary EngelsPosted: August 18, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 50:12 Episode: 14.11 POPULAR EPISODES: Rob Kessler, a Second-Generation Entrepreneur, Marks a Dozen Years of Innovation, Success, and Struggle Butch Meily on Life with Billionaire Reginald Lewis — and the Personal Price of Ambition Veteran Journalist Al Lewis’s Substack Lets Readers Learn From the Blunders of Others

Marcy Syms became the youngest female president of a publicly traded New York Stock Exchange company when she was named to the position with her family’s business in 1983. At its peak, the Syms chain of off-price, brand-name fashion stores operated 46 outlets across 16 states, generating annual sales approaching $350 million. The chain’s slogan — coined by founder Sy Syms, Marcy’s father — was iconic: “An educated consumer is our best customer.” While Syms was not the very first off-price fashion retailer when it opened its original store in 1959, Sy and Marcy Syms went on to define the sector and dominate it until — faced with increased competition and a soft economy — Syms filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors in 2011 after more than 50 years. Marcy shares her compelling story and the story of Syms Corporation in a new book, set for release on August 26th. The book is titled Leading with Respect: Adventures of an Off-Price Fashion Pioneer. “Respect,” as she explains on this week’s podcast, is the key trait — often misunderstood — of effective leadership. Marcy is a former member of the board at Midlantic Bank and Rite Aid. She is president of the Sy Syms Foundation, which continues her family’s philanthropic legacy supporting charitable, educational, and cultural organizations, including the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. The foundation has awarded over $60 million to worthy organizations. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Marcy Syms, Sy Syms FoundationPosted: August 11, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 49:00 Episode: 14.10 RELATED EPISODES: Hear How Bob Moog’s University Games Became the Largest Independent Game Company in the World How Brian Scudamore, a High School Dropout, Disrupted an Industry and Forged a $600 Million Business Dean Guida Bootstrapped His Way to Building a Multinational Enterprise Software Company    

In a world awash with free educational videos and paid programs from platforms such as Udemy and Teachable, Damon Lembi and his team at Learnit are thriving by delivering impressive results. Their secret? Equipping small and mid-sized businesses with the tools to outmaneuver corporate giants, while helping employees build confidence, sharpen skills, and boost job satisfaction. To date, Learnit has served over 14,000 organizations and helped more than 1.8 million professionals master new skills or improve on existing capabilities. This week, Damon delivers a masterclass on the mindset business leaders must embrace to thrive in today’s hyper-competitive landscape. It’s one of many valuable and actionable business insights we’ll hear from Damon. Please take your seats. Class is in session.  [Be sure to pick up a copy of Damon’s book, The Learn-It-All Leader: Mindset, Traits and Tools] Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Damon Lembi, LearnitPosted: August 4, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 48:25 Episode: 14.9 RELATED EPISODES: Teaching a Person to Fish is Okay; Training Others to Teach Fishing is Sublime Can You Prove the Worth of Employee Training, Community Outreach, DEI, and Other So-Called “Soft Skills”? Trainual CEO Chris Ronzio on Bringing Onboarding and Employee Training into the 21st Century

Ken Banta is the founder and CEO of The Vanguard Network, a by-invitation-only community for top-level executives. He and his firm help C-Suite executives and business owners fine-tune their management skills, build valuable new relationships, and elevate the performance of their organizations. One of Ken’s surprising recommendations is that companies do away with long-term strategic plans and instead focus primarily on the immediate horizon. “The way things move today is so quick and so unpredictable that having detailed strategies …seems to me to be really antiquated,” he says, akin to trying to predict the location of the next lightning strike. Ken is the author of Seeing Around Corners: C-Suite Wisdom from America’s Most Insightful Leaders, a powerful collection of leadership insights from dozens of wise CEOs, general counsels, and boardroom veterans. But Ken’s insights aren’t only applicable to large companies and for-profit organizations. Any effective leader can take away a great deal of actionable advice from Ken’s book and this week’s conversation.  Wouldn’t it be nice to see around the next corner? Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Ken Banta, The Vanguard Network Posted: July 28, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 43:54 Episode: 14.8 POPULAR EPISODES: Discover Johnny Molson’s Proven Method to Win Lifelong Customers and Build Cascading Profitability Why Civics, Good Governance, and Ethics Are Essential for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs Are Your Customers and Clients Likely To Wear Your ‘Team Colors’ As They Clap and Stomp for Your Success?  

Melissa Dinwiddie doesn’t have an MBA. She’s never worked for a consulting giant, such as McKinsey, Boston Consulting, or Bain. She is a ukulele-playing, jazz-singing, Julliard-trained dancer and improv entertainer. Yet when companies, including Meta, Google, Uber, Intuit, and Salesforce, seek fresh thinking on innovation and team creativity, they turn to Melissa for results. Melissa draws parallels between performance troupes, such as her All That Jazz improv jazz group, and business teams. To be successful, she notes, all members must listen closely, support one another, adapt on the fly, and create something from nothing.   Melissa is the founder and CEO of Creative Sandbox Solutions, communication, connection, and creativity experts. Her firm’s specialty is helping teams blast through creative roadblocks. She is the author of The Creative Sandbox Way: Your Path to a Full-Color Life, which she wrote to help readers be comfortable with and embrace their own, authentic creativity. As Melissa explains this week, her unconventional background and unorthodox methods —  including having six- and seven-figure salaried executives build with Lego bricks — consistently unlock breakthrough ideas and enhance team performance. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Melissa Dinwiddie, Creative Sandbox SolutionsPosted: July 21, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 49:42 Episode: 14.7

Mitch Weisburgh is on a crusade to get five million people to change their minds. Literally. A lifelong educator and entrepreneur, he helps teachers and students to mindshift away from reflexive reactions to setbacks, obstacles, and low moods. Rather than give in to them, he shows members of school communities how they can adopt a reasoned mentality that seeks solutions and opportunities, and restores optimism. Mitch’s classroom approach works as well, if not better, for business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs facing professional or personal challenges. The next time your computer system goes down, or your shipment is lost in transit, or your flight is canceled, or a competitor poaches your best employee, you can react or you can mindshift and respond productively. Mitch is the author of MindShifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success. It is the first in a planned trilogy of helpful guides focused respectively on resourcefulness, resilience, and collaboration. As Napoleon Hill observed, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Mitch Weisburgh, MindshiftingPosted: July 14, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 48:23 Episode: 14.6

“Do it before you die.” Those five words sum up Carl Barney’s advice to business leaders and other wealthy individuals to find a deeper level of success and satisfaction by “pre-questing” meaningful gifts to individuals and institutions — not in their wills — but while they can still witness the impact of their generosity. Carl, author of the new book The Happiness Experiment: A Revolutionary Way to Increase Happiness, is a philanthropist who grew wealthy as an educational entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Prometheus Foundation, which identifies and supports independent thinkers who have innovative ideas, work smart, follow through, and achieve results. The Foundation is guided by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, with a healthy portion of Aristotle mixed in.  In his book, Carl makes a key distinction between philanthropy and pre-questing. While both are praiseworthy, pre-questing is a more personal way to express gratitude to those who’ve enriched your life, such as teachers, mentors, colleagues, and friends. Carl has found that making others happy will also make the giver happier. That translates to becoming a better leader, businessperson, family member, and friend. “It’s not enough to feel grateful,” Carl says. “You have to express it — in ways that matter to the people who made a difference in your life.” Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Carl Barney Posted: July 7, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 42:31 Episode: 14.5 RELATED EPISODES: “No-Strings-Attached” Giving is a Proven Method of Maximizing Client Relationships The UnBusiness Story Behind Chapel Dulcinea The World Needs More People Like Margaret and Riyaz Adat

Do you suffer from glossophobia? No pill or injection will cure it. But this week’s guest, Ruth Milligan, has a proven antidote for the nearly eight out of ten people who experience anxiety or fear of public speaking — also known as glossophobia. Ruth is the founder and managing director of Articulation, a 15-year-old executive communication coaching consultancy. She is also the co-author of the new book “The Motivated Speaker: Six Principles to Unlock Your Communication Potential.” Ruth was the force behind one of the earliest TEDx events in the country, TEDxColumbus, where she spent a decade observing both masterful and woeful presenters. That experience laid the foundation for her consultancy, which aims to help anyone who needs to improve their message delivery, whether before a large audience in an auditorium or an intimate group of employees and customers. In Ruth’s experience, what you say matters—but how you say it often matters more. Ruth and her colleagues at Articulation leave it to others to coach clients on content. Her firm’s expertise lies in knowing how to deliver any message in a way that produces the desired results. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Ruth Milligan, Articulation Posted: June 30, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 49:50 Episode: 14.4 RELATED EPISODES: Discover the Power of Effective Communication to Support Career Advancement and Life Satisfaction Three Words and Two Pieces of Advice That Will Make You a Much Better Speaker This is YOUR Blind Voice (Speaking) Audition: Do You Have What It Takes?

What began as a labor of love for Jackie Lapin — traveling the world and taking captivating photos — has blossomed into a thriving business and membership community. Today, Jackie’s The Historic Traveler offers frequent blog posts, a vast library of images, curated reading lists, historical insights, and exclusive travel resources, all designed for those who share her wanderlust. Jackie is a veteran of multiple fields — including working as a pioneering female sportswriter, accomplished PR executive, and marketing strategist. She champions the idea that turning your avocation into a vocation isn’t just possible; it may be the most direct and rewarding path to success. This week, Jackie reveals her blueprint for transforming personal passion into a robust income stream. She also shares insights on how to build a successful business from the ground up. Join Jackie as she travels the world of historic sites and entrepreneurial insights. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Jackie Lapin, The Historic TravelerPosted: June 23, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 48:38 Episode: 14.3 POPULAR EPISODES Living in the Year 1450 (Sort of), Douglas Squirrel Bridges the Tech-Nontech Divide From Classroom to Boardroom: How Teacher Maria Fraietta Turned a $50 Investment into a $34 Million Juggernaut Kickstarter’s CTO Shares Strategies for Delivering Bad News with Clarity, Empathy, and Integrity

The client list of corporations that Steven Gaffney and his colleagues at the Steven Gaffney Company have consulted reads like a Who’s Who of America’s best corporations, including Allstate, Amazon, American Express, Best Buy, Booz Allen, and BP.  And those are just some of the “A”s and “B”s on the roster. Steven’s expertise lies in building consistently high-achieving teams and organizations that set goals, overcome obstacles, and achieve their desired results. The founder and CEO of the eponymous consultancy, he asserts that honest communication and the right mindset will overcome most business maladies. His latest book, Unconditional Power: Thriving in Any Situation, No Matter How Frustrating, Complex, or Unpredictable, offers actionable methods to empower executives and entrepreneurs to maintain a resilient state even in the face of adversity.  It is achievement, not performance, that counts in the long term, Steven counsels. While performance covers behavior and effort, achievement is about outcomes. There’s much to learn in this week’s not-to-miss conversation with Steven, including what any business can do over the next 30 days to progress on the path to greater achievement. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Steven Gaffney, Steven Gaffney CompanyPosted: June 16, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 41:40 Episode: 14.2 RELATED EPISODES: Setting Business Goals and Scoring Them No Matter the Circumstances, Resilience is a Muscle Anyone Can Develop Take it from a Man Who Rowed Across the Atlantic Ocean, You Can Achieve “Impossible” Goals

[With this episode, we launch our 14th year delivering weekly All You Can Eat Business Wisdom. That’s more than 650 episodes — and we’re on the verge of celebrating our one-millionth download.] In two words, Johnny Molson distills what it takes for a business to soar above the ordinary in its advertising and marketing campaigns to attract and keep lifelong customers. Johnny is one of the elite global Wizard of Ads partners. Building on the groundbreaking strategies developed by the legendary Roy H. Williams, he and his fellow Wizards work individually and collectively to help businesses craft powerful brand identities and turbocharge their results. At the heart of Johnny’s method, he explains, is a sharp distinction: the difference between messaging that drives immediate sales and short-term gain — and marketing that builds and sustains long-term customer loyalty and cascading profitability. He also unpacks the proven “60/40 Rule” for marketing budgets and shares why repetition — not reach — is the real key to being remembered. So, what’s Johnny’s two-word magic formula for a steller campaign? Discover the answer as this week’s episode of Monday Morning Radio takes a deep dive into his proven approach. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Johnny Molson, Wizard of AdsPosted: June 9, 2025Monday Morning Run Time: 53:20 Episode: 14.1 RELATED EPISODES: Two Living Legends of Marketing Offer You Actionable Tips for Success Trash-Talking Brian Scudamore Offers Many Pearls of Business Wisdom The UnBusiness Story Behind Chapel Dulcinea  

Are the tradeoffs that highly successful executives make — prioritizing wealth and recognition over family and a more grounded life — truly worth it? That’s the central question that prompted Butch Meily to write From Manila to Wall Street, a memoir reflecting on his time nearly 40 years ago as a close aide to the brilliant but often brash Reginald F. Lewis, the first African-American to build a billion-dollar company. Lewis was a trailblazing businessman and investor who, in the 1980s, bulldozed through racial barriers. Financier and philanthropist Michael Milken described him as “the Jackie Robinson of American business.” Although Lewis died of a brain tumor at age 50 in 1993, the actionable insights gleaned from Lewis’s business life remain relevant to this day, chief among them his motto: “Keep going no matter what.” Lewis reached extraordinary heights, bringing Meily along with him. Nevertheless, the lives of both men serve as a cautionary tale of the price each paid for their achievements. Their enduring legacy: build boldly, lead wisely — but never forget to live. [A native of the Philippines, Meily currently serves as president of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, a private-sector disaster management organization. Earlier in his career, he worked in public relations for both Burson-Marsteller and Howard J. Rubenstein Associates.] Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Rene S. “Butch” Meily, From Manila to Wall StreetPosted: June 2, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 47:30 Episode: 13.48 Pick up a copy of All You Can Eat Business Wisdom for yourself Fun, well organized, and brimming with useful information, this is a book that some will want to read cover-to-cover and others will treat as a reference book to look up subjects as needed; either way, it’s a delight.  — Kirkus Reviews

Like father, like son, entrepreneur Rob Kessler is a talented and ambitious business owner. His company, goTIELESS, has just passed a dozen years of marketing a brand of shirts with proprietary inserts [Million Dollar Collar] designed to be worn without ties. Rob is the son of Richard Kessler, who for 35 years reigned as the diamond engagement ring “King” in Wisconsin and was one of the very first guests this podcast showcased when it launched in June 2012. Among the insights you’ll hear listening to Rob are: Adapt or die Bet on yourself Start lean Serve obsessively Rob’s path has been different than his dad’s. You might say he’s still a diamond in the rough. Yet Rob’s experience, as he shares this week, offers a study in entrepreneurial persistence, innovation, and market adaptation. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Rob Kessler, goTIELESSPosted: May 26, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 42:53 Episode: 13.47 POPULAR EPISODES: Kickstarter’s CTO Shares Strategies for Delivering Bad News with Clarity, Empathy, and Integrity Want the Recipe for Business Success? How About Asking Michelin-Starred and James Beard Award-Winning Chefs? Special Edition: Unveiling the Untold Story of Bernie Madoff, History’s Greatest Fraudster

After more than 15 years as an executive at Meta, eBay, and Target, Anya Cheng set out to launch her own venture, Taelor. Her company uses artificial intelligence and personalized styling to rent clothing to men who dislike shopping, but need to look put-together for professional and social occasions. As she candidly shares this week, her two-year-old company has encountered a full buffet of challenges — from limited resources, both financial and human, to the steep personal transition of relying entirely on her own judgment. Drawing from her successes and missteps, Anya offers ten actionable recommendations that every new and most established businesses should heed. Be sure to have a tablet or pen available to take notes. Above all else, Anya’s journey underscores the grit and adaptability required to build and maintain a new business in today’s startup landscape. Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son duo of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart. Photo: Anya Cheng, Taelor Posted: May 19, 2025 Monday Morning Run Time: 47:07 Episode: 13.46 POPULAR EPISODES: Founder Mike Frick and His Family-Owned Company Embody All-American Values Lessons in Branding, Scaling, Adaptability, and International Relationship-Building Gigi Meier Reinvented Herself After Three Decades in the Banking World and is Loving It