"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence." - Buddha

Technology has changed the way businesses and people operate. One by one traditional industries are disrupted by new entrants and new technologies. Most of which didn't exist even a year earlier. A constant flow of new products, new systems, new technologies and new competitors force us to adapt or die. Those who view Chaos and change as a challenge, and as a way to make their professional lives exhilarating and fun, will thrive. Those who do not will slowly - and in some cases rapidly - perish.

In this talk we examine the idea of Chaos management. We challenge participants to embrace the Chaos. Our goal is to help them learn to embrace the idea that managing their way through chaotic situations can be an incredibly valuable, exhilarating and fun skill to possess.

Talk Highlights Include:

• The great tidal wave
• Chaos can be fun.... when you are expert at controlling it
• Zen in the storm
• The practical elements of chaos capitalization
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it." - Lau Tzu

To make a connection with people and to lead effectively you have to be able to Flex on the fly. Having the ability to read body language, tone, messaging, facial expressions and personality type is an incredibly powerful business tool. Having the ability to take what you've observed and use it to tailor your approach is what we call Flex. And those who can successfully Flex do more business, close more often, win more support and have more fun. Having a culture of Flex can be an institutional game changer.

In this talk we help participants understand the practical elements and importance of internal and external Flex . During this discussion we provide a toolbox to help participants "Flex on the fly" while leading and working with colleagues, clients and prospects.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Why Flex is critical in the 21st Century age of the free agent
• The power of becoming a walking talking personality test
• The CARE model as your personality radar
• Translating reads into behaviors and messages
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"I love working with customers. Sales has really influenced everything I do. It has instilled in me the important traits of operating with a sense of urgency and listening to people." - Jeffrey R. Immelt

Having the ability to create and deliver clear, concise messages is an important attribute for all financial professionals. Sometimes your pitch is delivered in an elevator, by video conference, in a boardroom and sometimes you might make a pitch by letter or in an email. Getting your message right the first time is crucial if your objective is to win as often as possible.

In this talk we build our discussion around the concept of pitches and presentations and how to deliver them clearly and effectively. In this session we focus on how the best think about, build and deliver messages that win.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Balls, strikes and wild pitches
• The essence of the powerful simplified message
• The importance of message packaging
• Make the delivery memorable and avoid the pitch-book robot trap
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

Millennium Talks can be purchased as stand alone sessions, as a complete package or as a custom built Talk Block. Pricing is customized on a client-by-client basis so please email or call for a custom quote.

"There's nothing as exciting as a comeback - seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance." - Rachel Griffiths

The road to the top can be treacherous. Throughout our careers we can all, hopefully, expect to experience periods of great success and prosperity. But, we should also expect a healthy dose of challenging times when we slip, fall or things come crashing down around us. Those of us with high levels of resilience and resolve, and who have the ability to continuously Bounce back from struggle and adversity, are the ones who will survive, thrive and find their way back to the top.

In this talk we discuss people's ability to Bounce or - to use a more conventional term - make a comeback. We go beyond the single comeback and move toward the development of a Bounce mindset. We focus on the comeback skills that provide a small group of professionals with a significant competitive edge over the rest.

Talk Highlights Include:

• The highs too high and the lows to low
• Learning to love the chaos and accept the challenge
• Why some people would rather stay on the canvas
• The 5 elements of a heroic Bounce back
• 3 of our favorite financial industry comeback stories
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches - with enough guts and gumption, hard work and nose to the grindstone - was once at the core of the American Dream." - Robert Reich

Some of the most inspiring stories of success come to us compliments of people who took an unconventional path to the top. Stories of people who traversed the "Horatio Alger-esque" Back-Roads to the top provide us with non-conventional roadmaps for success. And these stories bring about hope for those for whom the path to success is not paved with golden bricks. Some started their journeys in the mailroom, others in a retail store, on the factory floor, delivering pizzas, driving a truck or even as a Wall Street shine boy. These stories are more prevalent than ever before. What we can learn from them is not usually written about in business school textbooks or talked about in business school classrooms.

In this talk we profile some of the best rags to riches Back Road stories from some of the most inspirational people to have taken the road less traveled to the top. We focus heavily on the mindsets and actions of each story's protagonist.

Talk Highlights Include:

"Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward; if you go forward, you have to jump together." - Yo Yo Ma

Sometimes you have to take a Leap! Some people are risk takers and others are calculated risk takers. There is an enormous difference between the two. One can often lead to disaster and the other can often lead to consistent success. Taking risks is not a bad thing. However, gambling blindly for the sake of a thrill can be. Developing a culture focused on high probability risk taking can be the difference between explosive growth and organizational stagnation.

In this talk we examine the concepts of risk taking and risk mitigation. We discuss why these ideas can often go hand in hand. In fact... they almost always do.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Smart risk and dumb risk and gambling versus calculation
• Climbing El Capitan is crazy unless you know what your'e doing
• The catastrophic consequence reminder
• The mindset and process of risk mitigation
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

Leadership is always one of the common denominators uncovered when studying the behaviors and attributes of the most successful among us. Unfortunately, most people have a shallow view of what the term leadership truly means and how it actually works. Being an individual top-performing superstar is one thing. Being a top-performer who can lead, inspire, motivate, teach and turn help others become leaders themselves well.... that is a different story. An organization characterized by a culture of leadership almost always finds it's way to the winners circle.

In this talk we discuss the concept of leadership from the perspective of those who have enthusiastically followed great leaders and, in the process of following, became leaders themselves. Our questions?: What was it about them that made following them the right decision? How did they do it? How did they get you to follow them?

Talk Highlights Include:

• The two common denominators of great leadership
• Why individual superstars only sometimes become great leaders
• The $ math of leadership
• The 7 core leadership styles and The 8th Leader
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"You can feel the vibes, feel the people pulling for you." - Julius "Dr. J" Erving

He's got a great Vibe! Why he has a great Vibe shouldn't be a big mystery. Having a business with great energy has a lot to do with the Vibe of the individuals on the team. When teams have a great Vibe, and when they Vibe well together, they tend to gel as a team. And, when they gel, they compete harder and win more often. When a strong Vibe exists projects seem more rewarding, teams spend more time together and problem solving becomes more collaborative. When a negative Vibe exists momentum stalls, energy depletes, cultures crack, team players exit and the organizational ecosystem eventually breaks down.

In this talk we look at the concept of cultural and personal Vibe. Vibe is an idea that extends beyond any single individual. Vibe is about about the community and the team. Vibe touches everything including messages delivered to clients, partners and the community.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Scientifically defining Vibe
• Profiles of teams and individuals with great Vibe
• Drivers of bad Vibe
• Drivers of good Vibe
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"I've always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you've got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish." - Chuck Norris

The one with the most skill or highest intellect isn't always the one that succeeds. It is often the one with a relentless sense of Drive and commitment who sustains the journey and crosses the finish line first. Establishing and maintaining a high level of personal and professional Drive might sound like a very innate and intangible quality. But, in reality, there are patterns of behavior and mindset that can be learned from those among us with the most Drive.

In this talk we look at motivation, inspiration and personal fuel. We work to help participants understand where Drive originates and how they can get it and keep it.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Where Drive originates
• Why Drive is one of the keys to long term success
• Success stories of 3 with great Drive but perceived limited skill
• The killer of Drive: fear of the unknown journey
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"Paul Bunyan blew It.... Don't let your bank make the same mistake" - Rich Henry

The legendary Disney story of Paul Bunyan, Babe The Big Blue Ox and Joe Mufaw (the man with the chainsaw) provided an incredible lesson about thriving in the age of technology when it was originally popularized by William Laughead in 1916 as a promotional pamphlet for the Red River Lumber Company. Bunyan's story provides our first popular glimpse into the power of technology to change and rapidly disrupt industries and traditional systems of high performance.

In this talk we revisit Paul's iconic story through the lens of his monumental mistake and with a laser focus on the financial services industry. We also consider the dawn of the chainsaw age while comparing and contrasting with the evolution of technology in the financial services industry. We provide a roadmap for what we can do to make early technology adaptation a way of life.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Paul Bunyan's monumental mistake
• The story's glorious alternate ending
• How financial institutions have "Bunyan'd" technology
• The 5 tech mindsets of the most successful FI's
• The 5 tech mistakes that every FI must avoid
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity." - Joshua Waitzkin

The business world is overrun with shallow cliches that provide very little specific tactical direction. One of the most overused of these is the phrase "going to the Next-Level". This statement sounds great when delivered, but what does it really mean? And, more importantly, how do I actually get to this Next-Level? Those who've made it to the top have left behind a detailed and instructive roadmap for those seeking to take this journey. It is up to us to learn from them as we embark on our own trip.

In this talk we take the mystery out of the term "Next-Level" for those who are actually looking to get there. The session delivers an institutional framework for leaders seeking to establish a culture characterized by continuous gradual improvement

Talk Highlights Include:

• Introduction to Level 1,2 and 3 performance
• Profiles of people who've gone to Level 3
• Common mistakes that keep 1's and 2's from getting to Level-3
• Best-practices for increasing the velocity of your journey
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it." - Wayne Gretzky

When he was asked if his talent was a gift from above hockey's greatest player Wayne Gretzky responded by saying: "My talent was Wally Given". He was referring to the coaching he received from his dad, and to the countless hours they spent perfecting his game on the rink in their backyard in Brampton, Ontario. Becoming great at anything requires far more hard work, blood, sweat and tears than it does luck. Many who've made it to the top refer to the process of becoming elite as "The Grind." They seem to more prideful of their ability to Grind than they are of the actual successes brought about by the Grind.

In this talk we examine the work ethic of some of the greats. We also provide a platform for anybody to initiate and sustain their own personal journey toward maximizing their own potential.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Gifted or not?
• What Gretzky, Yo-Yo Ma and Baryshnikov all have in common
• Defining greatness in the context of personal potential
• Mistakes to avoid and best practices to create your own gifts
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." - Ernest Hemingway

One of the most effective ways to connect with and influence people is to ask a question, shut up and listen. Unfortunately, we live in the age of talkers. The art of listening seems to be on it's way to becoming more of a lost art. Top-performers seem to listen better than the rest of us and, in fact, they seem to prefer listening over talking. Being a great listener can be very scientific. There are behavioral patterns and there can be a process.

In this talk we present a strategy for asking great questions with the idea of shutting up and listening to what is being said as the goal. More importantly, we demonstrate how asking questions and follow-up questions is actually the best form of listening there is.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Is technology and a pampering society killing listening?
• How saying very little can brand you as being very smart
• Types of listening and mistakes to avoid (active and passive)
• The Secret Weapons - The clarifying and follow-up questions
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player." - Bill Gates

Whether we like to admit it or not we are all somebody's Frankenstein creation. Our early Dr. Frankenstein's were our parents, friends and family members. From there our teachers and professors filled this essential developmental role. Hopefully, we had great mentors guiding the way as we embarked on our professional careers. Even the best-of-the-best in sports, music and business still lean on the counsel of coaches, mentors and advisors. So why do so many of us resist the idea of being coached?

In this talk we discuss the importance of having coaches, coaching others and being highly coachable. Coaching and receiving coaching can be of two of the trickiest conversations. But, rest assured, there are coaching best practices that can help ensure success.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Consultative coaching versus "smash-mouth" coaching
• Finding a great coaches
• Knowing when to coach and when to shut up
• The anatomy of a highly effective coaching conversation
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company." - Jane Austen

Can you initiate and maintain an interesting conversation for 18 holes, the length of a dinner or ball game? Do you know how to engage others in business brainstorming sessions? Do you know how to conduct a consultative conversation? Do you know how to make conversations interesting and highly effective? The art of facilitating highly engaging social and professional conversations is most certainly one of the hallmarks of high performance.

In this talk we drill down into the concept of conversation. We maintain a heavy focus on understanding what questions are most effective in various settings and also, how to make a conversation flow.

Talk Highlights Include:

• The good, the bad and the ugly - when it goes wrong
• Lessons from Barbara Walters, Howard Stern and Oprah
• Strategies for different types of conversations
• The question toolbox
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

Millennium Talks can be purchased as stand alone sessions, as a complete package or as a select combination package. Pricing is customized on a client-by-client basis so please email or call for a custom quote.

"As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life." - Amy Poehler

As technology changes the way we work and communicate, the idea of Collaboration with others becomes more important than ever before. We have to work together if we expect to compete and win in a world where intense Collaboration and idea sharing is becoming the rule instead of the exception. In the future, high performance teams will all be characterized by the quality of their Collaborative efforts and the Collaborative culture in which team members operate.

In this talk we share best practices to increase team effectiveness, team participation and Collaboration. The goal of the talk is to help highlight the growing importance of a culture of teamwork and Collaboration versus a culture of isolation and self preservation.

Talk Highlights Include:

• The new model of Collaboration, teams and teamwork
• Why some superstars never won a championship
• Examples of great teams in business, sports and the arts
• Best practices for becoming an elite team player
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"So much of life is a negotiation - so even if you're not in business, you have opportunities to practice all around you." - Kevin O'Leary

In life we find ourselves negotiating for most things. Sometimes we negotiate with our employers, sometimes with teammates, sometimes with clients and sometimes with our spouses and children. Back and forth negotiation is everywhere. Working with others to get them to yes, and to secure a mutually beneficial agreement can be a very powerful and useful skill when developed properly. Unfortunately, many people consider negotiations to be a battle or fight that should end with winners and losers. The best know that dealmaking is really all about reaching a "win-win" conclusion. Win-win negotiations build trust and smooth the way for future opportunities.

In this talk we cover three of the more commonly reported corporate deficiencies: Asking for the business, negotiation and closing. This talk is one of our more specific sessions and in it we delve deeply into the practical and tactical elements associated with successful Deal making.

Talk Highlights Include:

• "I come in peace but I'll fight if I have to"
• Taking the "cheese" out of asking for the business/closing
• The practical anatomy of a great negotiation strategy
• Silence, patience, pauses and stepping back - the dealmaker's secret weapons
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively" - Bob Marley

Life should be about more than the size of one's bank account, what car they drive or whether they fly first class, coach or on a private jet. Or maybe it shouldn't be? What matters is that the Dashboard we each use to measure the quality and success of our lives must be our own. Having a Dashboard that includes gauges that are unique and important to us personally is what enhances our sense of self-worth and self-respect. And, the pursuit of personal self-worth and self-respect, in most cases, brings about the most material success... even when that wasn't your original objective.

In this talk we challenge conventional thinking about how we measure success. We ask questions about things other than material success: What drives a person? What makes them genuinely happy? What is the legacy they hope to build and leave behind? And maybe..... how much money did they make? The objective of this talk is to force participants to think, for lack of a better term, "outside of the box" around how they measure their success and quality of life.

"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people." - Mahatma Gandhi

When you ask the leaders of great teams why they continuously outplay their competition, they very often reference the quality of their people and their Culture. When asked to elaborate many will point out that their people ARE their Culture. True sustainable competitive advantage is about people and Culture, but most don't even know what theirs is or how to leverage it. The best do. Culture and people are the secret sauce.

In this talk we drill down into two of the bigger picture elements associated with long term success: Culture and people. By profiling organizations with winning Cultures we make the case for Culture and for why people and team are two of the primary ingredients. Culture is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Talk Highlights Include:

• Defining Culture
• Profiles in excellence in various fields Vis-a-Vis Culture
• How to define the Culture of any team
• How to lead Culture over the long term
• How to make it a Culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

"Time management is probably the biggest thing I've had to learn to deal with being on the PGA Tour, whether it be media or figuring out how many weeks to play in a row. That's been the biggest adjustment, coming from amateur and college golf." - Rickie Fowler

Calendar management does not necessarily equate to high level time and productivity management. The calendar is one element in a broader formula for total productivity and Efficiency. Being effective at being Efficient is a must for anybody expecting to perform at a very high level in any field. But how do we make that a reality day to day?

In this talk we look at basic and advanced time and productivity management. And we share the slightly unusual - but highly effective - productivity mindsets and strategies of the most Efficient people we've studied.

Talk Highlights Include:

• The basics: Calendars, scheduling, planning, organization and delegation
• Advanced: Networks, high closing ratios, referrals and COI coverage
• Biggest time wasters
• Translating the basic and advanced tactics into your own productivity strategy
• How to make it a culture through messaging, implementation and sustainment

Sometimes you have a message you want to get across, a philosophy you want to reinforce or a theme you want driven home with your team. But, you just don't have the time, research or content to do it on your own. And sometimes you just need 3rd party validation and industry expertise to help support your strategy. You pick the topic... and we take care of the rest for you.

So.... you pick the topic... give us a week and we'll be ready to go!

Millennium Talks can be purchased as stand alone sessions, as a complete package or as a select combination package. Pricing is customized on a client-by-client basis so please email or call for a custom quote.

• Single 90-Minute Webinar - $3,750 USD
• On-Site Keynote Address - $15,000 USD
• 10 Webinar Talk-Block - $35,000 USD
• 20 Webinar Talk-Block - $65,000 USD