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August 2014

In This Issue

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1 BigLearning
2 BigNet
3 BigPassion
4 BigBites
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Exclusive Speakers Exclusive Speakers
1 BigLearning
transformation

When should professional development stop? Never. According to our very own Jonathan Wygant, Founder and CEO of BigSpeak, in his recent article in CEOWORLD Magazine, "Increase Productivity and Profitability Through Continued Learning," continued learning has three clear benefits for companies: reduction in employee turnover, better employee adaptation to new technologies, and an increase in the quality of leadership. Thinking long-term, investing in your employee's training and development beyond the initial on-boarding process "will pay big dividends for your organization, resulting in increased productivity and profitability."

Wygant also provides a few options for organizations to take advantage of professional development for their employees:

  • Bring in expert keynote speakers
  • Provide ongoing coaching
  • Hire a consultant
  • Provide tuition reimbursement for certification programs or degree programs

The takeaway from Wygant's article is that "you are missing out if your organization doesn’t support continued learning." Continued learning by employees creates a clear win-win for both the company and its team members.

Read the full article here.

 

1 BigNet
connected

It's 2014 and the Net is still a brave new world for many entry-level professionals and business leaders alike. BigSpeak speakers Mike Walsh, Laura Stack, and Erik Qualman have taken it upon themselves to help guide those befuddled by the constant barrage of new tech.

In a new article from futurist and innovation expert Mike Walsh entitled "The 5 Things Every CEO Needs To Know About The Cloud," Walsh demystifies the ubiquitous yet mystical "cloud" that has become a standard part of the professional world. Particularly, Walsh identifies the top five strategic opportunities that "cloud" technologies provide organizations: Re-imagine work, reboot it, re-invent engagement, re-write the rules, and re-evaluate the costs. Walsh emphasizes that strategic discussions regarding the "cloud" can help organizations re-imagine the ways that they do business.


Mike Walsh
BigSpeaker Mike Walsh
Futurist, Innovation and Technology Speaker and Authority on Emerging Markets

Always in demand for his fresh insights and practical future-focused strategies, Mike Walsh has advised CEOs and senior management teams at multinational companies including: the BBC, Fujifilm, Richemont, MSN, Star TV, Televisa, Philips, and HSBC.

Contact us to have Mike Walsh speak about future tech and innovation at your next event.


Laura Stack takes a different approach in her latest piece, "Handle With Care: Avoiding the Dangers of Social Media," targeting the everyday professional and his/her social media use. Stack suggests you evaluate your use of social media and its ROI. "Unless social media provides part of your income or your job requires you to monitor it, then it has a lousy Return on Investment." If the ROI isn't there, Stack says to drop it and focus on what does matter.


Laura Stack
BigSpeaker Laura Stack
Productivity and Performance Expert, Best Selling Author

Widely regarded the leading expert on employee productivity and workplace issues, Laura Stack has been featured on CBS's The Early Show, CNN, NPR, Bloomberg, NBC, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes magazine. Her client list includes top Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Wal-Mart, IBM, GM, Lockheed Martin, Wells Fargo, and Time Warner.

Contact us to have Laura Stack speak about productivity and high-performance processes at your next event.


Also focused on social media is new BigSpeak speaker Erik Qualman, social media expert and author of Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business. Back in 2011, Qualman created a video with some surprising information on the impact that social media and technology in general is having on society and business. Among the facts and data, Erik shared the following quote: "We don't have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it." Check out the video, it's very interesting. And that was in 2011—imagine all that has changed in the past 3 years.


Erik Qualman
BigSpeaker Erik Qualman
Author of Socialnomics and Social Media and Technology Expert

Erik is the "Digital Dale Carnegie" thought leader on how companies should use social media to increase customer engagement and increased sales.

Contact us to have Erik Qualman speak about the power of social media and big data at your next event.

 

1 BigPassion
The Virgin Way

Virgin founder, global entrepreneur, visionary, and BigSpeak speaker Richard Branson has just released his new book The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership (Portfolio, September 2014).

In The Virgin Way, Branson gives an inside look into his unique "swashbuckling" leadership style that has allowed him to grow Virgin into the international superconglomerate it is today. A critical component of his leadership is his emphasis on passion, as discussed in this excerpt from the book on Inc.com. According to Branson, "It is this passion-fed formula that has allowed the Virgin Group to launch hundreds of new Virgin companies in scores of very diverse businesses..."

This unique perspective comes from a man who dropped out of school at sixteen, suffers from dyslexia, and has never worked for anyone but himself. He may be famous for thinking outside the box—an expressio he despises—but Branson asserts that "you'll never have to think outside the box if you refuse to let anyone build one around you."


Richard Branson
BigSpeaker Sir Richard Branson
Founder and President, Virgin Group, Global Entrepreneur, Adventurer and Philanthropist

Sir Richard Branson is a world expert on entrepreneurship, leadership, aviation, hospitality & leisure, telecommunications, financial services, health & wellness, and clean energy. Sir Richard's favored speaking topics are on leadership, branding, corporate social responsibility and adventure.

Contact us to have Richard Branson speak about entrepreneurship, corporate culture and leadership at your next event.

 

1 BigBites

 

NBA Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Earvin "Magic" Johnson was in Santa Barbara earlier this month and stopped by the BigSpeak office to speak on leadership and the importance of being the best. Magic Johnson's key takeaways from his talk were to strive to be the best in class, over deliver on your promises, and always remember that reputation is everything. In any industry, as well as in personal life, these three elements can ensure you continued and lasting success. The picture to the right is a selfie of one of our agents Amy Eddy with Magic Johnson.

Magic Johnson

Douglas Conant

Like Alan Mulally of Ford, Douglas Conant transformed a FORTUNE 500 company. From 2001 to 2011, Conant served as CEO of The Campbell Soup Company where he led over 18,000 people, reversed a precipitous decline in business performance, created significant shareholder value, and dramatically improved employee engagement. Douglas Conant and his work while at Campbell Soup are featured in the recent Fast Company article, "How Campbell's Soup's Former CEO Turned The Company Around."

 

Beyond the Keynote

BigSpeak

We look forward to serving your speaking and training needs in 2014 and beyond!

Check out BigSpeak Consulting for the top business trainers and full-spectrum business solutions.

Contact us:

805.965.1400
speakers@bigspeak.com

BigSpeak Speakers Bureau
23 South Hope Avenue, Suite E,
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
www.BigSpeak.com

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