Praise for Monday Morning Radio
No one has done more over the past half-century to chronicle the culture and evolution of business journalism—and the experiences of we who practice it—than Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter Dean Rotbart.
As co-host (with his son Maxwell) of Monday Morning Radio, Dean continues to deliver media that matters to a large and loyal audience of small business owners and entrepreneurs who bank on the actionable insights shared by guests (I’m honestly proud to have been among them) on the podcast. Expect to be inspired and energized by the best of those insights while reading All You Can Eat Business Wisdom.
— Alfred A. Edmond Jr. Senior VP/Executive Editor, Black Enterprise
Monday Morning Radio has a sophisticated, thoughtful approach. It tackles meaty, important topics in a captivating and entertaining fashion. Dean and Maxwell are superb.
— Gregory Zuckerman Special Writer, The Wall Street Journal
As a small business owner, I look to Dean Rotbart for incredible interviews, deep insights, and entertaining interviews. Having been on the show myself, it’s like conversing with an old friend outside on the patio. Nothing pretentious. Totally relaxed. Always enlightening.
I’ve recommended Monday Morning Radio to every entrepreneur and business owner I know.
— Clay Stafford Bestselling
Author & Filmmaker, and Founder of Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference
I’ve known Dean for well over a decade and have had the pleasure of appearing on Monday Morning Radio several times.
Dean is an exceptional advocate for and friend to small businesses. We are proud to have him as one of our original “All Kids Bike” national ambassadors, joining our nonprofit mission to provide every child in America the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike!
— Ryan McFarland Founder
and
CEO
of Strider Bikes Founder and Board Member, All Kids Bike
The magic of Monday Morning Radio is the wide variety of topics it covers that are relevant to business owners and entrepreneurs. The same podcast that regularly offers actionable advice on increasing profitability and employee retention also finds room to share fascinating small business tales such as those detailed in my book, Retail Gangster: The Insane Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie. Week-to-week, subscribers never know in advance what the topic will be, but they can be confident it will be worth their time.
— Gary Weiss Award-Winning Investigative Journalist and Author
I love Morning Monday Radio. Host Dean Rotbart’s deep experience reporting on business pays off in his smart questions about business success and failure. You’ll discover great insights in this anthology!
— Gary Hoover Executive Director, American Business History Center
Monday Morning Radio brings something wonderfully unexpected by looking at issues important to small business owners from different perspectives. No surprise, there, with a host like Dean Rotbart, whose work at The Wall Street Journal earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination; he and Maxwell ask questions outside the usual boxes so that listeners get fresh perspectives to bring the insight that can be useful for them.
What does a poet have to tell you about being an entrepreneur or running a business? There’s one place to find out this and a whole lot more from people inside and outside the usual business communities.
— Matt Mason Author and Nebraska State Poet (2019-2024)
Dean has deep background and knowledge in media and business, and is also a compassionate and thoughtful interviewer. Which means he doesn’t just get great guests but extracts great thoughts that stand out from the herd. You can really tell when a host knows his stuff and knows what to ask, and Dean stands out.
—
Matt Murray Editor in Chief, The Wall Street Journal (2018-2023)
Monday Morning Radio offers great advice and tips for anyone interested in business, particularly small business owners. I can’t wait to read about past shows.
— Chris Roush Executive Editor, Business North Carolina, and Founder, Talking Biz News
A Monday Morning Radio
Anthology of Actionable Advice
All You Can Eat Business Wisdom
Maxwell Rotbart
Co-Host & Associate Producer
TJFR Press
Denver, Colorado
All You Can Eat Business Wisdom
Maxwell Rotbart
Published by TJFR Press
200 Quebec Street Building 300, Suite 111 Denver, Colorado 80230
Copyright © 2024 by TJFR Press All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce or transmit in any form or by any means — electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording — or by an information storage or retrieval system, must be obtained by contacting the author via email at mondaymorningradio@gmail.com .
Ordering Information
For additional copies, visit www.GutenbergsStore.com or Amazon.com .
Library of Congress Control Number: 2024908396
ISBN 9798324120047
Book Editor: Dean Rotbart
Text Production: Avital Romberg
Copy Editing and Proofreading: Talya Rotbart
First Edition: May 2024
Table of Contents
Foreword: Dean Rotbart
— Founding host and executive producer, Monday Morning Radio
Chapter One: Ken Blanchard: Simple Truths But Profound Leadership Tools
— Leadership guru and author of The One Minute Manager and more than 50 other business books (With Randy Conley, Blanchard vice president and trust practice leader)
Chapter Two: Charles Duhigg: The Amazing Benefits of Good Habits, Preparedness, the Right Business Culture, and Connection
— A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and the author of The Power of Habit, Smarter Faster Better, and Supercommunicators
Chapter Three: Mike Kaeding: Utilize Proven Technologies and Techniques Adapted From Other Business Sectors
— A visionary residential real estate developer and CEO of Norhart, Inc.
Chapter Four: Ramon Ray: Forget Modesty. Celebrity CEOs Thrive by Building a Strong Personal Brand
— An effervescent small business evangelist, entrepreneur, public speaker, and author of The Celebrity CEO
Chapter Five: Robert L. Dilenschneider: A Proven Formula Anyone Can Use to Obtain Power and Wield Influence
— Author, historian, and founder of The Dilenschneider Group, considered by many in the field to be the dean of American public relations executives
Chapter Six: Michelle D. Gladieux: Communication Skills as a Key Determinant of Happiness and Reputation
— A workplace-communications specialist, teacher, keynote speaker, and author of Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges
Chapter Seven: Carl J. Schramm: Entrepreneurial Success Requires Passion, Determination, and a Willingness to Experiment and Innovate
— Distinguished professor at Syracuse University, author, and an internationally recognized leader in entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth
Chapter Eight: Blaine Oelkers: Your Mind Is Your Most Potent Business Tool
— A leading authority on personal implementation and America’s only Chief Results Officer
Chapter Nine: Bert Gervis and Tracy Posner: Holy Bat Logic! Companies Can Do Well By Doing Good
— Cofounders of Gentle Giants Products, a pet food company widely acclaimed for its business ethics, product quality, and financial success
Chapter Ten: Roy H. Williams: Steps That Turn Words into Magic and Dreamers Into Millionaires
— A widely acknowledged marketing genius, bestselling author, and co-founder of the non-profit Wizard Academy in Austin, Texas
Chapter Eleven: Ryan Deiss: It’s Who You Serve, Not What You Serve, That Counts
— A serial entrepreneur, leader in the digital marketing space, and founder of the Traffic & Conversion Summit
Chapter Twelve: Stephen Semple: Harnessing Unconventional Marketing to Build Your Business Empire
— A marketing and advertising expert specializing in designing and executing winning campaigns for small and mid-sized owner-operated businesses. Director of Wizard of Ads Canada and host of The Empire Builders Podcast
Chapter Thirteen: Joanne Lipman: Closing the Gender Gap at Work and Reinventing Your Career
— Former deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal and editor-in-chief at USA Today, as well as a bestselling author and lecturer at Yale University
Chapter Fourteen: Phebe Trotman: Before You Call It Quits, Read This Chapter — MVP soccer athlete, author, coach, and expert on the importance of resilience
Chapter Fifteen: Jen Sincero: It is Never Too Late to Change Trajectories From Failure to Soaring Success
— Self-development expert and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
Chapter Sixteen: Fauzia Burke: How to Influence People and Win Friends
— Founder and president of FSB Associates, a full-service marketing and publicity firm that specializes in creating awareness for books and authors
Chapter Seventeen: Karen Wickre: Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Sustain Relationships and Form Valuable New Connections
— A veteran Silicon Valley influencer, early Google executive, and author of Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count
Chapter Eighteen: Dave Combs: Make Your Own Kind of Music
— One of the most successful songwriters and independent music distributors you’ve probably never heard of. He is the author of Touched by the Music: How the Story and Music of “Rachel’s Song” Can Change Your Life
Chapter Nineteen: Tom Ziglar: Unlocking the Steps That Lead to a Successful Life
— As CEO of Ziglar, Inc., he continues the teachings and fosters the legacy of his acclaimed father, the late Zig Ziglar
Chapter Twenty: Gregory Shepard: It’s Likely You’d Never Hire Someone Like Gregory Shepard, And You’d Be Mistaken
— The head of a capital partnership focused on technology investments, he has achieved remarkable success despite being autistic, dyslexic, and having a sensory condition known as synesthesia
Chapter Twenty-One: Ray Bard: That’s What They Said — Wise Words to Live A Fired-Up! Life
— Founder of the eponymous Bard Press, publisher of 32 business and self-help titles, 18 of which became national bestsellers
Acknowledgments
Chapter Five
A Proven Formula Anyone Can Use to Obtain Power and Wield Influence
Robert L. Dilenschneider
Genuine Success Is About Giving Back
FIVE ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
1. Identify your values and practice them in your business.
2. Remain steadfast in your positions, regardless of whether others challenge them.
3. Always tell the truth, even when it’s unpleasant. Your employees, customers, and investors will respect it.
4. To stand still is inevitably to move backward, often into oblivion.
5. Successful companies and entrepreneurs are obligated to contribute to society.
It’s the Idea That Counts the Most
Robert L. Dilenschneider wrote the seminal 21st-century book on power and influence, and how to obtain and wield both.
The founder and principal of The Dilenschneider Group, a strategic communications concern, he is a prolific author, historian, thought leader, and legendary communications counselor. In his books and his consultancy, Dilenschneider draws wisdom from an assemblage of visionaries — living and gone — from Moses to Muhammad Ali, Jean-Jacques Rousseau to Michael Bloomberg, Joan of Arc to Malala Yousafzai.
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, the son of a newspaper executive, Dilenschneider undertook the actions he now advocates to become a confidant and advisor to global CEOs, political leaders, Wall Street kingpins, media tycoons, philanthropists, and other societal influencers.
Regardless of pedigree or wealth, anyone can rise to prominence and have an impact on the thoughts and behaviors of others, he maintains.
“What really counts is the idea,” along with a sense of purpose and persistence, Dilenschneider says.
He points to Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, an Albanian nun working as a school principal in India.
On September 10, 1946, she was riding on a train from Calcutta to Darjeeling in eastern India when she had an epiphany and decided to devote her life to serving India’s poorest citizens. Bojaxhiu — better known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta — founded the Missionaries of Charities, a movement that, in her lifetime, spread well beyond Southern Asia.
Mother Teresa, winner of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, was not a politician, CEO, or billionaire. In fact, she took a vow of poverty. But she had an idea, and she stuck with it.
“What you’ve got to do,” Dilenschneider says, “is have people talking about you and about your idea. You don’t have to talk about it. Get other people to talk about it.”
Practically speaking, Dilenschneider advises crafting one or two well-worded sentences to describe an original inspiration or to differentiate a new product or company:
Write a simple sentence, not a paragraph. One sentence about what you want to do and why you want to do it. A lot of people can’t do that. Once you have that sentence written, then figure out how you’re going to expand on that sentence. That’s the way power and influence work.
Robert L. Dilenschneider
The Virtue of ‘Printegrity’
Dilenschneider was greatly influenced by his father, Sigmund John Dilenschneider, who colleagues and friends called “Dil.”
As Dilenschneider wrote for the website Savvy Dad, Dil was a man of impeccable integrity. Dil joined the Columbus Citizen in 1950 as advertising director and was named the newspaper’s business manager in 1951.
As a boy, young Bob remembers Dil taking a late-night phone call from Cussins & Fearn, the paper’s largest advertiser. The company operated a Columbus-area store chain selling a wide variety of items from farm supplies to furniture.
“Huddled beneath the basement steps, in my secret spot, I could hear the tension in [my Dad’s] voice,” Dilenschneider wrote.
As Dilenschneider recounted, on the other end of the call was a senior executive for the retailer who was urging Dil to squash a story about a Cussins & Fearn executive who had committed suicide.
“Dad said he couldn’t. He promised to present the story respectfully. He pledged not to splash it across the front page. But the story would run,” Dilenschneider recalled. “A long silence ensued.”
Next came the ultimatum. Kill the story entirely, or Cussins & Fearn will pull all its advertising from the paper.
“My dad didn’t flinch,” Dilenschneider wrote in his Savvy Dad essay. “‘I’m sorry, I’ve got to do it, and I hope you can understand why. We would like to retain your advertising but not this way.’ My father hung up.”
Dil did run the story, and Cussins & Fearn proceeded to pull all of its business from the Columbus Citizen — a huge setback.
At least it seemed so until a few days later, when Fred Lazarus, founder of the Federated Department Store chain — parent of Abraham & Straus, Filene’s, and Bloomingdale’s — invited Dil for a visit. When Lazarus learned that Cussins & Fearn, a competitor, had discontinued advertising, Lazarus doubled his ad buy.
“Dad’s stance could have destroyed the newspaper he had worked so hard to build. But he was willing to take that chance,” Dilenschneider wrote. “His responsibility to his readers to tell the truth and not hold back newsworthy events meant everything.”
Dilenschneider, ever the wordsmith, coined a term to describe his father’s principle: Printegrity — defined as integrity in every word allowed into print.
“Because of my dad, I try every day to live exactly that way.”
Have It Your Way
Attaining power and influence is easier than most people imagine, Dilenschneider says. Take, for example, shift managers at Burger King who, in their own way, exert power and a degree of influence over employees, vendors, and customers.
What is far rarer, and, in Dilenschneider’s view, infinitely more important, is using power and influence wisely, with integrity, and for the benefit of others.
Genghis Khan, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Pol Pot each exercised command for all the wrong reasons. Ditto Enron’s Kenneth Lay, Adelphia Communications’ John Rigas, HealthSouth’s Richard Scrushy, Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes, and, of course, Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff.
Rather than use “fear and strength to achieve their aims,” Dilenschneider affirms, history’s best leaders fostered goodwill and inspired those around them. “They all knew who they were and constantly acted in alignment with their ideals.”
At one time or another, Dilenschneider advised six of the leaders who Fortune once listed as the “Ten Toughest Bosses.” Demanding they were, he acknowledges. But they were also decent.
They made decisions that held sway over the fates and lives of tens of thousands of people working for them. I know they agonized in most cases over them, and I know they wanted to try to do the right thing.
People need to say to themselves, “I’m going to try to do the right thing. I’m doing the right thing for my society. I’m doing the right thing for myself.” It’s extremely important.
Master of the House
Monsieur Thénardier, in the universe of Les Misérables — the Victor Hugo book turned acclaimed musical — is an innkeeper in the Parisian suburb of Montfermeil.
Robert L. Dilenschneider
Although Thénardier introduces himself in the stage play as the rare honest businessman, it quickly becomes apparent that he’s everything but. Thénardier boasts that he waters down the wine, stuffs his sausages with ground horse kidneys and cat livers, and charges add-on fees for his facility’s lice and mice. Plus, there is a tax for sleeping with the window shut.
People recognize sleaze. Dilenschneider insists his clients be truthful and forthcoming, and it’s one of his core recommendations for all business people and professionals.
“Honesty is essential,” he avows. “Anything a leader says should be the truth, and it should be something that could be challenged and still stand up.”
“You really have to find the right way — the truthful way — to tell your story. If you try to skirt it, it’s not going to work, and eventually you’ll be found out.”
When companies tell the truth, he continues, everybody wins — the shareholders, the customers, and the employees.
If not for the unethical behavior of others, Dilenschneider might never have left the comfort and prestige of his position as president and chief executive officer of the venerable Hill and Knowlton (H&K) public relations agency in October 1991 to launch his own firm, The Dilenschneider Group.
Dilenschneider didn’t name names. But in a 2022 interview with Mahan Tavakoli, host of the Partnering Leadership podcast, he shared his reasoning for striking out on his own.
“I was asked to break the law, and I said to the person who asked me, ‘I could do this and do it really well.’ But I said, ‘if I broke the law, you’d have to go to jail, too.’ I said, ‘I don’t think you should be in pinstripes.’”
That very same day, by chance, Dilenschneider was having lunch at New York’s Four Seasons restaurant. At the next table was August Busch III, CEO of Anheuser-Busch. Busch offered Dilenschneider a contract for $3 million.
“I said, ‘August, I can’t really take this contract. I’m leaving the firm this afternoon. I won’t be there,’” Dilenschneider recalled on Tavakoli’s podcast.
After explaining the circumstances of his departure, Dilenschneider and Busch each went their separate ways.
Dilenschneider walked to his Fifth Avenue and 87th Street co-op apartment from the restaurant, which, at the time, was located on the ground floor of the Seagram Building at 99 East 52nd Street. Almost as soon as he arrived home,
Dilenschneider received calls from Chase Manhattan Bank, W.R. Grace, and Ford Motor Company, each having learned from Busch that Dilenschneider was leaving H&K to launch an independent firm. “That’s how I started the business,” Dilenschneider recalled.
We Can’t Rewind, We’ve Gone Too Far
The MTV of today is decidedly different from the network that launched on August 1, 1981, as “Music Television.” Twenty-first-century teenagers associate MTV with series such as Teen Mom, Broke-A$$ Game Show, Caught in the Act: Unfaithful, and Buckwild.
Originally, MTV just played music videos, a relatively new concept at the time.
The first video it ever broadcast — 90 seconds after the network’s launch — was “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles, a British New Wave duo. The song’s lyrics include the verse:
Video killed the radio star In my mind and in my car We can’t rewind, we’ve gone too far Pictures came and broke your heart
Put the blame on VCR
The choice of song was no accident. After the 3-minute-and-25-second video finished airing, an announcer attempted to provide context to MTV’s formation:
Man invented the radio. And the phonograph. High fidelity made quite a splash. But it was full-stereo sound that made the explosion. Soon television came along and gave us the gift of sight. But it was cable that gave us the freedom of choice. For a while it seemed there was nothing new on the horizon.
Announcing the latest achievement in home entertainment: The power of sight — video; the power of sound. MTV — Music Television.
When it began, MTV was revolutionary, changing not only the music industry but greatly influencing fashion, language, and lifestyle.
Just as video killed the radio star, DVDs replaced video tapes. Blu-Ray briefly stole the show before the emergence of streaming.
What will come next is as yet unknown, but metamorphosis is inevitable. “The pace of change is accelerating every day,” Dilenschneider observes. “If
Robert L. Dilenschneider
I’m going to keep with it and be successful, I better change too.”
Witness, among many, many others that failed to evolve with the times: Tower Records, Borders, Circuit City, Radio Shack, MySpace, Woolworths, Sears, and the quintessential poster child of missed opportunities, Blockbuster.
Business owners mustn’t be complacent with their existing products, management style, employee pool, client base, or economic model, Dilenschneider says. They should constantly be scouring the horizon for the direction in which the world is heading.
Youth is a Matter of Mind, Not Age
Three days after the assassination of his brother, Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy, on June 5, 1968, Edward “Ted” Kennedy delivered a eulogy. His remarks are widely considered among the most memorable speeches of Ted’s long public career.
Ted shared a portion of a speech that Bobby delivered in South Africa in 1966, almost exactly two years to the day before he was shot dead in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Ted condensed and rephrased some of Bobby’s words but not his core message:
Surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again. The answer is to rely on youth — not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. The cruelties and obstacles of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to the obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans. They cannot be moved by those who cling to a present that is already dying, who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement and danger that come with even the most peaceful progress.
Much of Dilenschneider’s advice to “young people of all ages,” especially those who are just entering the professional world, echoes Bobby and Ted Kennedy’s message.
“Think about your future and develop a sense of determination,” Dilenschneider advises.
Every action taken, whether by those fresh out of university or those within sight of retirement, should be devoted to achieving their goals.
“There are so many people who are not determined, who just throw up their hands and say, ‘Let it come to me.’” Dilenschneider observes. “You can’t do that. You have to go after it yourself.”
As he elaborates:
You might have a terrific career. You might be a really wonderful person. You might be somebody that everybody wants to be like. But the key [to true success in life and business] is not any of those things. The key is, what are you going to do for other people? How are you going to move society? How are people around you better because you showed up?
The sooner people start asking themselves those questions, preferably early on in their careers, the more valuable they will be professionally and the sooner they’ll start making a meaningful difference in the world.
A Few Final Thoughts on Leadership
Power, influence, and leadership are intertwined. It’s difficult to excel at one without the other two.
Only one of Dilenschneider’s books, soon to number a library of 20, explicitly addresses leadership in its title — A Briefing For Leaders: Communication As the Ultimate Exercise of Power, released in 1992.
Yet every book he has written since his first — Power and Influence in 1983 — qualifies as a manual for those in positions of authority.
From the time he was a boy eavesdropping on his father’s call with the imperious executive from Cussins & Fearn, Dilenschneider has understood that leadership is forged in the crucible of integrity, courage, resilience, and self-confidence.
As he affirmed over the course of his multiple appearances on Monday Morning Radio:
• “Remember the values that are important to you, that you learn throughout your life, and always be sure that you apply those values to your decisions.”
• “Have courage. Stick with what you came with. Many people will try to knock you down. If you get knocked down, stand up.”
• “Be brave. Oftentimes there are people who don’t like what you’ve done. Just stand up and say, ‘I’m going to do that, and here’s why I’m going to do that.’”
• “It doesn’t matter if every decision is exactly right. You’re going to score points over time by sticking with your decisions, by being brave, by being proud, by being firm, by remembering your values — not changing. Those are really important things. And there’s no question in my mind,
Robert L. Dilenschneider
if you do that, you’re going to be very successful.”
Robert L. Dilenschneider is considered by many of his peers to be the dean of American public relations executives.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with an M.A. in journalism from The Ohio State University, he first entered the field of public relations in 1967.
Possessed of a keen intellect and vast knowledge of history and its relevance today, his defining attribute has been his high standards and strong moral principles.
As a youth, Dilenschneider attended one of the nation’s top academic institutions for young men. As he wrote in the Foreword of his 2015 book, The Men of St. Charles: A Generation From The Turbulent ‘60s Reflects On Life:
We were the sons of Moms and Dads who came out of World War II, put their heads down and built a post-war nation that would be the envy of the world. They lived the American Dream.
Each of the young men at St. Charles [a preparatory school in Columbus, Ohio] enjoyed what their parents created for them in whole or in part. Each went on to make an important statement in society, each in his own way. They did it because of who they are. But they also did it because, at St. Charles, they were grounded in the basics of a life of quality and lasting values — honesty, integrity, dignity, giving back and a lifelong zest for learning.
Dilenschneider worked for Hill and Knowlton for almost a quarter century, rising to the position of president and chief executive officer. On his watch, H&K’s revenues tripled to nearly $200 million.
Over the course of his entire career, Dilenschneider has hired more than 3,000 successful professionals and advised thousands more.
The Dilenschneider Group, DGI, which he launched in October 1991, never grew as large as other leading American public relations agencies, such as Burson-Marsteller, Edelman, Ketchum, or Weber Shandwick. But DGI’s stellar reputation for providing strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies and leading families and individuals worldwide is unmatched. The agency is best known for its expertise in mergers and acquisitions, crisis communications, government affairs, and international media.
In 1986, when Dilenschneider was named CEO of H&K, he hired Joan Avagliano as his assistant. She remains with him almost four decades later. Her title, “assistant,” is bogus. She is an indispensable aide-de-camp who
juggles key responsibilities, including client relations and all administrative functions.
“I credit Joan with my success,” Dilenschneider says. Which, without a doubt, is accurate.
Maintaining a working partnership for nearly forty years, as Dilenschneider and Avagliano have done, says a great deal about their character and loyalty.
Throughout his career, Dilenschneider has received many honors, served on multiple boards, and was awarded two honorary doctorates.
Perhaps most impressive among all his recognitions is his investiture as a Knight of Malta, an elite religious order of the Roman Catholic Church with roots that date back to the 11th century. The order’s motto is “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum,” Latin for “Defense of the Faith and Assistance to the Poor.”
Dilenschneider’s wife, Jan, is a renowned expressionist painter, whose work has been shown at the prestigious Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier in Paris’s historic Le Marais district and featured in a record-breaking solo show at the Bellarmine Museum in Fairfield, Connecticut.
The Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider Gallery is located at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in New York City. [http://tinyurl.com/Dilenschneider-Gallery]
The Dilenschneiders have two adult sons and three grandchildren.
Robert L. Dilenschneider
Scan the QR Codes Below to Listen to Robert L. Dilenschneider’s Appearances on Monday Morning Radio
PR Strategist Robert L. Dilenschneider Looks to History for Decision-Maker Role Models
Also available to stream or download from http://tinyurl.com/MMR010620
The One Defining Trait Shared Early in Adulthood By 25 of History’s Heroes
Also available to stream or download from http://tinyurl.com/MMR122021
Events in Russia, China, and Domestically Punctuate the Need for Topnotch PR
(A Panel Discussion with Robert L. Dilenschneider, Jack Devine, and Virginia A. Kamsky)
Also available to stream or download from http://tinyurl.com/MMR031422
A Proven Formula Anyone Can Use to Obtain Power and Wield Influence
Also available to stream or download from http://tinyurl.com/MMR091823
Robert L. Dilenschneider Websites and Social Media
The Dilenschneider Group: http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-DilenschneiderGroup
Individual: http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-Dilenschneider
LinkedIn: http://tinyurl.com/Dilenschneider-LinkedIn
Robert L. Dilenschneider
Books by Robert L. Dilenschneider
The Corporate Communications Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Public Relations Expert. New Millennium Press, 2000.
http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-CCBible
Moses: CEO: Lessons in Leadership. New Millennium Press, 2003. http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-Moses
Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World. Citadel Press, 2020.
http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-Decisions2
Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together. Citadel Press, 2022.
http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-NailingIt
The Public Relations Handbook. Matt Holt Books, an imprint of BenBella Books, 2022 — editor.
http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-PRHandbook
The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence: Everything You Need to Know. Matt Holt Books, an imprint of BenBella Books, 2023.
http://tinyurl.com/AYCEBW-PowerInfluence
About The Author
Maxwell Rotbart is co-host and associate producer of Monday Morning Radio, the podcast started by his father, Dean Rotbart, in June 2012.
Maxwell joined Monday Morning Radio full-time in 2023 after spending a decade as a middle-and high-school history teacher.
He brings to the podcast and All You Can Eat Business Wisdom a deep desire to educate business owners and entrepreneurs on techniques they can use to achieve greater professional success and personal fulfillment.
Maxwell peppers his writing and interviews with relevant historical anecdotes that provide context for today’s challenges.
He is completing his master’s degree in history from the University of Nebraska.
A fifth-generation Coloradan, he attended high school in Los Angeles and now lives in Denver. Despite the pain, he is a fan of the Colorado Rockies.
All You Can Eat Business Wisdom is Maxwell’s first book written for adults.
Be Our Guest
Monday Morning Radio always welcomes innovative business owners, entrepreneurs, and business experts who can bring fresh, actionable insights to our global audience.
Likewise, if you are interested in being featured in Volume Two of All You Can Eat Business Wisdom, please let us know.
We invite your application at https://tinyurl.com/MMR-Guests.
Left to Right:
Row One — Chris Kane, Evan Hafer, Frank Armbruster, Helen Yu, Ruben Gonzalez, Randall Lane
Row Two — Radhika Dutt, Raj Venkatesan, Jeff Sexton, Minal Bopaiah, Melissa Joseph, Sarah Cooper
Row Three — Gary Hoover, Anton Suddia, David Hailey, Julie Winkle Giulioni, Daniel Burrus, Alfred Edmond, Jr.
Row Four — Bill Fox, Hanah Polotsky, Gregory Zuckerman, Vicky Brown, Gary Weiss, Gino Wickman
Row Five — Jane Boulware, Joseph Fung, Carina Ramirez Cahan, Jake Williams, Ryan Erickson, Lynette M. Smith
Row Six — Nick Loper, Christopher Kolenda, Lori Poland, Robin Landa, Clay Safford, Gene Sticco
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Winners of the Nonfiction Authors Association Gold Medal
A thrilling and inspiring tale of journalistic dedication — Kirkus Reviews
On September 11, 2001, The Wall Street Journal’s main newsroom — located just across the street from the World Trade Center — was severely damaged by falling debris and flaming smoke. This is the true story of how the traumatized men and women of the Journal and Dow Jones overcame their personal anguish and confusion and rallied to publish a Pulitzer Prize-winning edition on September 12th.
Dedication and Service masterfully tells the story of Genesee Fire Rescue, a remarkable volunteer company located in the foothills west of Denver. The book is an inspiring testament to the enduring spirit of American volunteerism, a beacon that continues to shine in towns and cities nationwide, often with little fanfare.
Available from Gutenberg’s Store https://tinyurl.com/gutenbergs
Monday, Monday So good to me Monday mornin’, it was all I hoped it would be
—
John
Phillips,
The Mamas & the Papas (1966)
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Praise for Monday Morning Radio
Dean and Maxwell offer an important addition to the podcast universe. They ask the tough questions backed by a deep understanding of business.
—
Alan Murray, CEO, Fortune
I highly recommend Monday Morning Radio to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a curious mind who appreciates actionable insights. Hosts Dean and Maxwell Rotbart ask questions that are insightful, in-depth, and well-researched.
— Jane Boulware, author and former corporate vice president, Microsoft
FEAST ON SUCCESS: Unlock the Secrets of Business Mastery with All You Can Eat Business Wisdom
With nearly one million downloads since its inception, the weekly Monday Morning Radio podcast has featured an unparalleled array of business owners, entrepreneurs, and experts who share their experiences and insights.
Dean Rotbart, an award-winning author and former financial columnist with The Wall Street Journal, is the podcast’s founding host and executive producer. In 2023, Maxwell Rotbart, Dean’s son and the author of this volume, joined as co-host and associate producer. Maxwell reviewed nearly 600 episodes of Monday Morning Radio to select the guests featured in this anthology.
Chapters Include:
• Ken Blanchard: Simple Truths But Profound Leadership Tools
• Charles Duhigg: The Amazing Benefits of Good Habits
• Michelle D. Gladieux: The Key Determinant of Happiness and Reputation
• Mike Kaeding: Utilize Proven Strategies Adapted From Other Business Sectors
• Joanne Lipman: Closing the Gender Gap at Work and Reinventing Your Career
• Blaine Oelkers: Your Mind is Your Most Potent Business Tool
• Stephen Semple: Unconventional Marketing to Build Your Business Empire
• Roy H. Williams: How to Turn Words into Magic and Dreamers Into Millionaires
• Tom Ziglar: The Steps That Lead to a Successful Life
All You Can Eat Business Wisdom is a rich buffet of practical advice. Readers will want to fill their plates and return for seconds.
About the Author: Maxwell Rotbart is an educator and historian.
