The Business Elevation Show With Chris Cooper - Be More. Achieve More

Are your people really giving their best? Possibly the most fundamental issue impacting productivity today is a lack of engagement. This is such an issue that within my own business we are determined to help address the problem. I am therefore absolutely delighted to welcome ‘Engage For Success’ who have created the voluntary movement promoting employee engagement in the UK. Their aim is that everyone working in the UK should want, and be able, to give their best each day, so that each day is a great day at work, and that workplaces in the UK are thriving, growing and developing through the commitment, energy, and creativity of the people that work in them. My guest Cathy Brown is Executive director for Engage for Success, and passionately believes that helping people find a better way to work can make a big difference to people’s lives, their organisations and ultimately to the country.

What is the smart way to get to the top of the professional ladder? Such that you still have a life! My guest Heather Townsend is an expert at how to get to the top of the professional services industry. During this interview we will discuss Heather’s advice on getting on in your career drawn from her research for her successful book ‘How to make partner and still have a life’. Whatever your industry there will be tips and ideas in this interview that can help you. Heather Townsend is the award winning and best-selling author of 4 books including ‘The Go-To Expert’ and ’The FT Guide To Business Networking’. Her books have sold over 20,000 copies and been translated into at least 6 different foreign languages. Over the last 12 months she has helped her clients add at least £1 million in fees to their client portfolio.

With the technological revolution, podcast and online radio have become an increasingly popular way to elevate your business, add more value, build connections, communication skills, learn from experts and elevate your brand. My guest Eamonn O’Brien from Ireland has for several years hosted his own successful podcast show ‘The Reluctant Speakers Club’. Eamonn is also a highly experienced speaker and has run countless training courses about developing communication skills in the USA and Ireland. Therefore with my own Business Elevation show currently running to over 210 hours of interviews, I thought it was time to collaborate with one of my experienced podcast pals to share our top tips to creating a successful show and platform. So if you are looking to develop your own show, are running a show currently or simply want some inspiration about how to become a great guest then this will be one interview you must listen to!

In today’s world, sustainability is in the forefront of many leader’s minds. But how can that be translated into the way we lead our businesses? After 13 years with American Express leading an international cultural change initiative, Elisabet Vinberg Hearn started leadership consultancy Think Solutions in 2001. She has a proven track record in building strong teams, developing exceptional leadership, driving cultural change and creating excellent customer experience. Elisabeth is also award-winning author of “The Team Formula” and “Leading Teams – 10 Challenges: 10 Solutions. Join us as we discuss how we can become a sustainable leader by managing the environmental, human and financial resources of our business.

If you were asked right now how much your reputation is worth, what would you say? It’s hard to put a monetary value on something that you may think is intangible…but, if your reputation were damaged or ruined, you’d be willing to pay almost anything to get it back! Mike Mooney is currently Senior Vice President of Business Operations for Roush Fenway Racing, one of NASCAR’s premier racing organizations. He has launched and led high profile sponsorships for companies such as Sprint, Walmart, Johnson and Johnson and Mercedes-Benz. His experiences led him to write Reputation Shift – 5 High-Performance Truths to Win in the Reputation Economy. Mike states a consistent disconnect between two key elements that drive strong reputations - values and behavior. Join us this week as Mike explains how we can avoid damage to our reputation, and how proactive reputation management can lead to a better life.

So how do you create a breakthrough idea and then generate a following around it? Recently, we had some great insight from marketing expert David Newman on Thought Leadership Marketing. However, I wanted build on this show and welcome Dorie Clark, author of ‘Stand Out’ which was named as the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. Magazine. When, as Dorie puts it, ‘the best career insurance for individuals and the best growth strategy for a business, is to become the recognized expert in your field’ this an area we must understand. People trust experts and will of course pay a premium to work with them. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, Dorie is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, TIME, and Entrepreneur and today a marketing strategy consultant and speaker for clients including Google, Microsoft, Yale University, Fidelity, and the World Bank. Join us to hear the wisdom from someone who walks the talk and can help us to elevate our business and personal success.

If you want to be the number 1 influencer in your industry, you’ve got to get bigger media visibility. Based on her international bestseller, Guerrilla Publicity, I will be discussing with guest Jill Lublin her simple strategies to go from unknown to newsworthy. Jill Lublin is an international speaker on the topics of Radical Influence, Publicity, Networking and referrals. She is the author of 3 Best Selling books including Get Noticed...Get Referrals' McGraw Hill and co-author of Guerrilla Publicity, Adams Media and Networking Magic Morgan James. She is CEO of a strategic consulting firm and has over 20 years’ experience working with over 100,000 people plus national and international media. Jill teaches Publicity Crash Courses as both live events and live webinars and consults and speaks all over the world. Join us to learn proven secrets to understanding what the media wants, and short-term doable tactics that boost visibility for you and your brand.

According to the Gallup Engagement Index, a staggering 87% of employees worldwide are not engaged at work. With a backdrop of a world where we seem to have a crisis of engagement, disengagement within organisations is also very serious and has potentially long-lasting repercussions. As someone who is passionate about engagement, I wanted to introduce you to fellow engagement expert Paul ter Wal who is an internationally sought-after employability expert & work health architect living in Holland. For more than 20 years he has been in the speaking, consulting & training business for executives, HR directors & employees. Paul works on both sides – employer & employees – to create work happiness & loyalty. His concept is based on finding the “Non-Negotiables” & the core values of the individual as well as the company. Join us for this week’s show where I will discuss with Paul, his perspective on how you can achieve more employee engagement and happiness, for a more profitable business!

How are you spending your precious 90,000 hours at work? I am delighted to invite you to listen as I interview The Boardroom Poet, Libby Wagner about how to become the best version of yourself by spending your time in work in a way that inspires you and makes you proud. Libby came very highly recommended to me by my network as a true inspiration. She is a poet, author & speaker and one of the only former poetry professors warmly invited into the boardroom. As a trusted advisor for presidents, CEOs & exec directors Libby has positively influenced the cultures of numerous well known Fortune 500 clients. As a best selling author we will be discussing her latest book - What Will You Do With Your 90,000 Hours? Join us for some true wisdom to help you utilise your precious hours at work, well!

Want to lead with 'Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise'? During this show I will be talking with Peter Cook about the ideas from his latest book published by Bloomsbury. We will discuss the art and discipline of creating great ideas and converting them into even greater innovations in business, society and the world. This will also include wisdom from his interviews with the likes of Richard Branson and James Dyson. Peter Cook is a fascinating leader whose passions offer a unique blend of science, business and music. He delivers keynotes around the world that blend business intelligence with parallel lessons from music via The Academy of Rock. He is author of and contributor to eleven books on business leadership, acclaimed by Tom Peters, Professors Charles Handy and Harvey Goldsmith CBE. Join us for a fascinating interview which will also include inspiration from Peter's passion for music and his rock star connections.

Would you like to learn how to best position yourself and have influence in your marketplace? My guest Mark Levy, says that your marketplace position drives all your initiatives. It’s your point of differentiation, your competitive advantage. It’s why clients choose you instead of a firm that’s bigger, faster, closer, and cheaper. So how do you pick the proper position? Mark Levy is the founder of Levy Innovation LLC a positioning firm that helps consultants and other thought leaders to increase their fees by up to 2,000%. Clients have come from the White House, been CEO’s of major organizations, from Harvard Business School, Major League Baseball and TED and TEDx speakers. He has written for the New York Times, written or co-created 5 books,and created magic tricks and shows performed in Carnegie Hall and Las Vegas, and on major TV networks. Join us and find out how Mark has helped his clients position themselves and massively increased their fees and influence.

How confident and effective are you on camera? Smartphones and webcams now enable anyone to connect face to face across the world for business and personal promotion. But how well do you present on screen? During this interview, I will be talking to Lottie Hearn about overcoming your fears, learning what works for you and how to get your message across with confidence, credibility and charisma. Whether you're the expert in your field, the face of your team or attending an online interview, according to Lottie you must be real for your viewer. Lottie is the Confidence on Camera Coach who helps you to be the best presenter you can be. Through her unique presenter programs thousands of presenters have been empowered by her playful style and on screen smile. Join me with the author of 'Confidence on Camera' to learn how to do just that!

Have you ever considered whether Social Media is simply a fun distraction - or a serious business tool that can skyrocket your business? My guest Philip Calvert is a Social Selling expert and the founder of a thriving niche social networking site, who will reveal little-known secrets to winning new customers through LinkedIn and Social Media. He is the founder of an award-winning niche social networking site, whose expertise in Social Media is in demand at conferences and events worldwide. Philip is a recognised expert on how to use LinkedIn as a powerful sales, marketing and communication tool, with many of his clients reporting new customers the very first time they used the online networking techniques he teaches. Having attended one of Philip's programmes, I can assure you that this will be an interview of great value and one where note taking is a must!

Effective listening produces change and creates possibilities. It is one of those skills that many people in business undervalue at their peril! My guest Stephanie Winters is an expert at illustrating the power of listening and helping us to explore ways to Listen Differently®. After more than two decades of playing the cello for thousands of people across the globe, Stephanie came to understand that listening like a musician is a valuable skill that transfers to work as well as everyday life. She created Listen Differently®, a collection of keynotes, workshops and concerts, so that anyone can access the power of their listening and get the listening edge. Join us to find out more about how you can Listen Differently® and build a vital skill that can give you and your business a vital competitive advantage.

For the past 30 years, business leaders have been exhorted to move faster and adopt a “ready, fire, aim” approach to the growth of their business. As the level of change and turbulence increases in all markets, all organizations must adapt—quickly!—or risk decline and decay. But what are the real behaviors, processes, and techniques that are critical to lead your organization at pace without creating confusion, frustration, and unnecessary risk? My guest Stuart Cross is a consultant, coach, speaker and author who helps world class companies dramatically accelerate profit growth. Since its launch in 2006 his firm, Morgan Cross Consulting, has attracted clients including Avon Cosmetics, Alliance Boots, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Aimia Inc. Join us for a show where Stuart will share powerful strategies and pragmatic tools from his late book ‘First and Fast…’ to enable you to increase the pace of your business and accelerate growth year after year.

Simon Sinek told us to ‘Start with Why’ but HOW do you turn that into sustainable business results? Brands that achieve rapid growth have a clear sense of purpose and successfully translate that into a great experience for their customers and employees. During this show my guest Shaun Smith, will share examples on how to do this from leading brands, such as LEGO, Zappos, Lush and Nissan. Shaun has been a leader in expanding management attention from the narrow focus on customer service to the wider, more strategic drive towards customer experience. He is the founder of Smith+co the leading UK based customer experience consultancy. He is also co-author of five ac-claimed business books, his most recent being, ‘On Purpose, delivering a branded customer experience people love’. Shaun has spoken to audiences across the world. Join us and experience the wisdom of one of the leading international thought leaders on customer experience.

What would you learn if you worked with the best of the best? Can you imagine the wisdom you would acquire, not only managing and sailing some of world’s most exclusive yachts, but also learning from some of the most elite businessmen in the world? My guest Paul Adamson has done this. As a professional yacht skipper his services became so in demand that Former Formula 1 Team Boss, BBC F1 Analyst and Business Tycoon, Eddie Jordan head-hunted Paul and asked him to manage the build of his new £6m Super-Yacht and Captain it around the world sailing 38,000 miles through 5 oceans! Today, Paul teaches his concepts in Leadership, Self-Development and Success through speeches and corporate training across Europe. Join us to gain a rare insight into the mind-set and practices of some of the world’s leading business tycoons.

During this interview we will be exploring the parallels between aviation and corporations and how human failure follows a dire logic. Whether it be a disastrous plane accident or a bank accidentally giving away 320 million to an insolvent US company! With my guest Peter Brandl we will be looking at when it is time for the warning lights in the ‘company cockpit’ to come on. Peter Brandl is an internationally sought-after communication expert, professional pilot and flight instructor from Germany. He has had speaking engagements in 14 countries on 3 continents and authored multiple books. “Crash Communication” is published in English by Morgan James Publishing New York. His book “Hudson River: The Art of Making Tough Decisions” was selected as one of the best career books in Germany. Join us for a fascinating show that could help you avoid some disastrous mistakes.

Delighted to welcome you to my 200th 'Business Elevation' show on Voice America and welcome back one of the UK's leading coaches Martin Palethorpe. During this show, I will share some key insights that have stuck with me from 200 interviews with experts and high achievers. Then focus in with Martin on his thoughts about getting our minds out of the way to enable us to realize our potential in business and life. Martin is a published writer & an inspirational conference speaker on High Performance. He has also raced to the Magnetic North Pole and run across three of the world’s most remote deserts. Join us to celebrate 200 shows and learn from our remarkable guest.

So what is intrapreneurship and how can it improve your business performance and stop talented people leaving your organisation? My guests are business transformation expert Gareth Bullen and the UK thought leader on Intrapreneurship, Jamil Ahmed who work together at the Centre for Enterprise, helping organisations increase engagement, performance, customer service and innovation through building energising, intrapreneurial cultures. During this show, they will help us understand it and explain how disruption is leading to a greater need for intrapreneurship and engagement. Also, the fascinating story of how they met and how their different strengths and backgrounds make their business more successful. In addition we will discuss why they are building an organisation in a once troubled part of the United Kingdom (Harehills, Leeds) and their vision of bringing wealth and opportunity to it. Join us to learn about intrapreneurship and how you can benefit.