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/