New York Times bestselling author and business-philosophy and leadership expert Mark Sanborn is our distinguished guest on this week’s edition of the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast, hosted by Lucas McCann and presented by Big Red M. In addition to his writing, Mark is a prolific and highly sought-after speaker who is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Cavett Award, the highest honor from the National Speakers Association.Mark knows the business of associations inside and out, as you’ll hear in this interview. He’s spoken to many associations in his illustrious career and served as volunteer president of the National Speakers Association in 2004.He joined High Point University’s Access to Innovators program in 2019 as Leadership Expert in Residence. [Previous podcast guest Scott McKain is also a member of this prestigious program.] Mark also serves as president of Sanborn & Associates. The interview kicks off with an exploration of the four principles from The Fred Factor (the book for which Mark is best known). These principles impact every aspect of any business:1. Everyone makes a difference. It’s just a matter of what kind of difference you want to make, and it’s important to be intentional about it.

2. You can add value to anything you do, and it does not necessarily have to cost you a nickel.

3. It’s all built on relationships. [Associations: pay attention — it’s not just the quantity of members but the quality of relationships members have with the association and with one another. “Numbers and data are less powerful than relationship capital,” and that’s always a challenge to address, as Mark tells us.]

4. You’ve got to reinvent yourself every day. You have to keep things fresh.Ready to learn more?

Get The Fred Factor here: https://www.amazon.com/Fred-Factor-Passion-Ordinary-Extraordinary/dp/0385513518

Visit Mark’s website here: https://marksanborn.com/

As a prolific business author and speaker (having delivered over 2,000 presentations in 36 countries) who is a member of both the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame and the Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame, Scott McKain is also an "associations guy."

He joins the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast this week, presented by Big Red M, to discuss what works and what doesn’t in today’s world of associations and business, along with reflections on what he’s learned in his decorated career that’s included writing some of the best business books of the past few decades.You can check out all of Scott’s books referenced in today’s episode here: https://scottmckain.com/bestselling-business-books/ As Scott discusses with our host, Lucas McCann, we can all learn from the traditional three-act story arc when solving the challenges of our members, as Scott elaborates in this interview (which reminds us to stop skipping Act 2)!Scott also brings to our attention his passion for seeking "reverse mentorships," where someone much younger mentors you on how they see the world. This can lead to better connections, understanding, and a greater overall culture to be a part of, regardless of the mission of your workplace. In addition to his writing and speaking, he currently serves as "Corporate Educator in Residence" at High Point University.

Visit Scott McKain's Website: https://scottmckain.com/Learn more about Big Red M: https://bigredm.com/

A calm, measured approach to dealing with the avalanche of change that keeps hitting us all these days is a top priority and listeners of the 6 Degrees of Associations Podcast this week, as presented by Big Red M and hosted by Lucas McCann, are in for a treat.

Randy Pennington, author of Results Rule and a longtime friend and consultant to the association community, is our guest for an episode aimed at anyone facing the challenges of leadership, mental and emotional wellness, and the anxiety of how and when to respond to change. Randy is the CEO and founder of the Pennington Performance Group. The bottom line from Randy is that change is hard, but ultimately how you choose to respond to it…ends up defining you.

• You can learn more about Big Red M here: https://bigredm.com/
• Learn more about the Pennington Performance Group here: https://www.penningtongroup.com/
• See Results Rule on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Results-Rule-Build-Culture-Competition/dp/0471782742