One bottle of root beer started the whole thing

February 10, 2021 by debbieb Leave a Comment

Back before the coronavirus shutdown, I took Brenda to dinner at a treasured restaurant in Cincinnati. Let’s call it Fancy Place. It started as a birthday celebration, but before we had our entrees, things took a surprising turn.

Our waiter was incredibly welcoming and professional, obviously well trained. The management of Fancy Place has a reputation for schooling their staff meticulously in how to treat every guest so that each person experiences their visit as a special moment.

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Leadership 401: Turning to jerks for wisdom

January 26, 2021 by David Martin Leave a Comment

The squeaky wheel may get the grease, but the skilled driver reaches their destination.

Whether you’re trying to upgrade your business results or you’re a new President of the United States (leaning left or right), you need to understand a secret of why many fail and a few succeed to lead change.

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I still hear about my work with David Martin, some five years ago. People at my company will say things like, ‘She made huge strides when she worked with David’ or ‘You should have seen how much positive change she accomplished during that time.’ All good things!
Beth Himes
Vice President, Local & Regional Business Service Operations, Aetna

David has become one of my most trusted business advisors. I initially looked to him for guidance in stepping-up my individual performance and leadership but our relationship quickly evolved to where I seek David’s problem-solving skills for the key strategic issues and challenges facing my business. David’s clear thinking helps me sort through the ambiguities that seem to be ever present in today’s tough business climate.
Erik G. Birkerts
CEO, Clean Energy Trust

I am amazed at what I’ve accomplished with David’s help. He has given me the skills and tools to keep me moving forward. More than once, I’ve marveled at his insight and ability to clearly express very complex concepts. I thought coaching was going to be hard, but it was the best thing that happened to me.
Farhad Aghdami
Partner, Williams Mullen

David Martin is brilliant. His style feels so intuitive, like being coached by a hybrid of Phil Jackson and your closest friend. His ability to hone in quickly on what may be blocking success is swift — but what separates him are his creative and easy-to-implement tools. Plus it’s fun to be his client.
Gracia Walker
Director, Business Development, Yum Yum NYC, LLC

David sets very high standards of performance for himself and his clients. He has a very engaging style, listens acutely and devises action steps that are built around current business needs. It’s the results that matter. During the time David spent with me and my team, my region earned the honor of ‘Most Improved’ in our first year, a top third ranking in our second year, and a National Performance Award as the fifth region in the nation in our final year!
Jeff Holland
Regional Vice President, GlaxoSmithKline

David has provided me with sound, mature and measured advice and perspective. He’s extremely skilled at strategic thinking and identifying effective tactical action plans. I highly recommend David Martin.
John A. Schauss
CFO, Media General, Inc.

David played a critical role in developing a strategy for initiating a series of new partnerships, and then helped us launch them by devising tactical plans. He identifies gaps and then works with you to close them, so you can focus on areas that are key to driving success.
Kurt Thearling
Head of Decision Sciences, Vertex Business Services

My time with David was head and shoulders above any coaching experience that I’ve ever had. He developed a deep understanding of my style and situation and provided concrete practices for me to work on that improved my game substantially.
Rob Finnegan
Managing Partner, 2nd Order Solutions