Ross Shafer shares expert advice on leadership strategies, enhancing customer experience, and his stories of navigating the entertainment industry on his blog. Drawing from his experience as a business consultant, keynote speaker, and Emmy-winning TV host, Shafer provides actionable insights tailored for professionals in various fields.
Dealing with rude behavior at work isn’t just frustrating — it’s a culture killer. If you’re a manager struggling to curb disrespectful behavior, you’re not alone. Post-pandemic shifts have made rudeness more common. Here’s why it’s happening, how it affects your company culture, and what you can do about it. Why Workplace Rudeness Is Increasing…
Think your loyal clients will automatically stick with you forever? Think again. One small mistake can cost you millions — and it happens more often than you think. Why Client Relationships Matter More Than You Think A common mistake many businesses make is assuming that clients will always remain loyal without consistent effort. The truth…
The #1 quality of a customer service superstar isn’t technical skill or product knowledge — it’s their ability to care deeply about the concerns of others. The best customer service employees consistently think from the customer’s point of view, not their own inconvenience. They are humble problem-solvers who listen actively, respond thoughtfully, and remove friction…
Why Personal Branding Is Essential for Career Success in 2025 In an age where job competition remains fierce—even amid widespread talent shortages—professionals must find ways to stand out. The secret? A powerful personal brand. Your personal brand is how the world perceives your value. It’s not about flashy self-promotion—it’s about consistently showcasing your personality, leadership,…
Tom Brady: A Leadership Case Study in Excellence and Influence As a former college football player and leadership consultant to Fortune 500 companies for over 22 years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe a wide range of leadership styles. One individual who stands out as a prime example of what true leadership looks like, both…
What if your success wasn’t based on your education, talent, or even your network—but your integrity? After delivering a keynote in Detroit, I met a CEO whose billion-dollar business thrives on one simple, old-school principle: surround yourself only with people of unshakable integrity. After a keynote presentation in Detroit, I sat next to a man…
Starting a business consulting career is exciting, but scaling it into a high-earning, long-term profession takes strategy, discipline, and strong client relationships. After more than 25 years working with clients across industries—from Fortune 500 companies to mid-sized businesses—I’ve discovered the key traits that separate thriving consultants from those who struggle to find consistent work. If…
Ross Shafer On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Successful Author or Writer Kristin Marquet for AUTHORITY MAGAZINE 2-09-2022 …I didn’t know that writing jokes and telling carefully crafted stories were being noticed by my heroes. So, I was blown away when The Tonight Show Host, Johnny Carson, sent me a handwritten note…
Ross Shafer On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis of Authority Magazine Meet Ross Shafer Ross Shafer is an Emmy-winning television host, best-selling author, and former stand-up comedian turned keynote speaker. With over 2,500 paid speeches and 11 published books—including his latest, RATTLED —…
The Customer Is Always Vulnerable: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Key to Customer Loyalty Forget the tired, old adage; “The customer is always right!” It’s just not true…or even relevant, anymore. A Better Truth: “The Customer Is Always… Vulnerable.” Whether you’re in retail, B2B, healthcare, hospitality, or tech, one truth remains constant: your customer feels…
From Pet Shop Manager to Late-Night Talk Show Host: How Thinking Bigger Changed Everything Why would I, an overweight, scraggly-bearded Pet Shop manager, ever think I had the qualifications to compete as a late-night talk show host against legends like David Letterman and Johnny Carson? The answer is simple: I believed no dream was too…
How Did Bill Nye the Science Guy Become Famous? The Real Story Behind the Breakout Star of Science TV Bill Nye, famously known as “The Science Guy,” is a pop culture icon whose name is synonymous with making science fun, cool, and completely unforgettable. But how did a Boeing engineer transform into one of the…
Powerful Opening Lines & Ice Breakers to Captivate Your Audience As a speaker, your opening lines and ice breakers set the tone for your entire presentation. The first few moments are crucial—they can either engage your audience or lose their attention before you’ve even begun. Whether you’re speaking at a corporate event, a conference, or…
Public speaking is one of the most powerful tools for personal and professional growth. Whether you’re speaking to a small team or a packed auditorium, mastering this skill can elevate your leadership presence, expand your influence, and help you advance faster in any industry. Think about it—great communicators get noticed. They inspire teams, persuade clients,…
In tough times, most companies become obsessed with their competition. They want to know if others are struggling too.Progressive Insurance wants to know what GEICO is doing. Macy’s wants insider information about Nordstrom. Ford wants to know Chrysler’s secrets—and so on. And because I speak or consult with more than 70 organizations a year (often…
Post-Recession Business Strategies: How to Thrive After an Economic Downturn Recessions come and go. Afterward, will you change the way you do business? While economists analyze GDP growth and unemployment trends, business leaders must face a more pressing question: How will your business operate in a post-recession world? This isn’t about rebuilding the past —…
This article is for speakers. For pastors. For teachers. For attorneys. For salespeople. For parents. For anyone who influences behavior with their words. In other words, you. If you’re a motivational speaker, you already know stories are your sharpest tool. But if you’re just recycling the same old Greatest Hits every time you’re onstage, you’re…
I get asked all the time, “How do I write a book? Where do I even start?” The truth is, writing your own book—especially if you’re planning to self-publish—doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, speaker, or creative professional, a book is one of the best ways to establish authority, generate…
I wrote my book, Behave Like a Startup, because too many of my Fortune 1000 clients were baffled by a painful trend—they were losing deals, relevance, and even top talent to scrappy startup companies with no track record and barely any resources. These legacy companies were doing everything “right”: Award-winning sales and marketing teams Strategic…
Ross Shafer here and when I’m alone a my hotel room I think about the successful people the ones I admire and how they got there…so today I want you to meet my friend, John Lloyd. John is one of those people who refuses to fail at anything but he would be the first to tell you, he’s not a guy who focuses on being #1.
in this episode I want to talk about the evolution in the ways Your Customers WANT to be served. Last week, I was lucky enough to spend time with a company called NICE –…NICE has a groundbreaking Cloud-Based software suite called CXONE – that will help you perfect the customer experience…which you need to do because 80% of customers will bail on you after just ONE bad experience…now I have to tell you that I am not being paid to say this.
Hi, I’m Ross Shafer and I thank you for finding the Relevant leaders Club where I’m dedicated to keeping leaders and team members relevant; which means you have to matter to your customers and your co workers or they will just flat out leave you – and in this episode I want to talk about motivating yourself and your workforce with something simple.
Are you about to turn your business over to a son or daughter…and you’re freaking out? I hear this a lot. And as much as you love them, you’re terrified your child will decimate everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Wow…you think a lot of yourself don’t you? You think you’re the only one who can run your business? The only one who can sustain your baby?
Are you good at dealing with change? You’re not? I’ll make you feel better. The number one reason companies hire me is to help their teams deal with change…because a merger or acquisition is disruptive. A change in management is disruptive. Too often, team members don’t know what their jobs are anymore…or even if they still have a job.
In this How to start a small business series, I’ve talked about cash flow management, how to find your customers, and today I’ll describe how to KEEP your customers coming back. It’s one thing to do clever marketing to attract customers but you want to sustain your business so you need return customers Here’s the First tip.
You want to start a small business but you don’t want to blow your life savings doing it. Good. I want to talk to those of you who are dying to start your own business…but you’ve heard that 50% of all small businesses fail within five years.
Are you an OK…but not a great negotiator when it comes to making a business deal? I can help you learn How to Negotiate a purchase whether it’s real estate…another business…or better terms on an existing deal…how do you get what you want?
Do you get intimidated when you have to make a pitch to the Big Client? This week I want to talk to you about overcoming the feeling of being intimidated when you’ve finally landed a meeting with that major client. You want a sale but you don’t want to look – or sound stupid. Lets say you’re trying to convince a BIG retail chain or a major distributor to do business with you.
Ah I know what you want. You want Instant credibility with your clients and customers. Today, I want to talk about how you can achieve instant credibility…even in a business where you have no experience or track record. I was at the Natl. Portable Storage conference this week and I met an enterprising woman I’ll call Emily.
Are you insecure about an area of your life? Are you trying to keep your insecurity a secret? I might have some insight for you. This week I want to talk about your insecurities…and more specifically how to “manage” them. The fact is, you might not fully conquer your fear of not being smart enough, not skinny enough, not wealthy enough, or not talented enough. However, I would argue that regardless of what YOU think are your shortcomings, you can still be an inspiring leader or parent. I can say that because I’ve met a lot of successful people…with low self-esteem.
Does your brand have a strong enough “story” that your product or service sells itself? A strong brand story stirs emotions in people…gives people a compelling reason to buy. And the story has to be simple and powerful enough so that you can’t wait to repeat the story to your friends. If a brand causes you to “feel something” there is a good chance you will become an UNPAID salesperson for the brand.
You know how we’ve been told, “Never Judge a Book by Its cover? Well THAT’s wrong and I’ll tell you why. Sometimes a book or product doesn’t sell because you haven’t communicated the purpose well enough. It’s marketing that I want to talk about today. How do you get people to pay attention to YOU. First, what you sell has to be in high demand…and quickly communicated. I love old newspaper ads that get to the point. Headache? Instant Cure.
Is there a difference between Management? and…Leadership? YES! This week I want to talk about the vast difference between Management and Leadership…because a lot of people think they mean the same thing. They don’t. I was doing Q & A for a large association in Miami this week and I thought leaders would want to spout off about it…but the majority of the discussion came from employees and staff. Non-managers see it this way. We HAVE to do what management says…but we WANT to do what leadership says.
I’ve got a totally fresh approach for teaching customer service. I’ve actually invented a bulletproof way for your entire team – from the entry level on up – to instantly start improving your customer experience. A bold statement, right? Well, I’ve written and produced (14) HR training films on this subject and written books on Customer Empathy and Customer Urgency. And over the years, I’ve seen the formulas for building a “customer centric culture” get more and more complex.
I want to talk about when loyalty happens. It’s the final moment of every transaction. All of our lives we’ve been told to make a good first impression…and that’s certainly important but the most important moment is our final impression. How your customers feel at the end of the transaction influences if they will come back…and more importantly, what they will tell other people about you.
As you know, at the very core of great leadership is being able to make good decisions every day. How can you do that? I suggest that you start preparing your decisions and your actions well in advance. Great leaders premeditate how they will respond to every situation so they are never surprised, they’re never shocked and they know if they already know how they will respond to all kinds of scenarios. They won’t have to make crucial decisions under pressure or in some cases, a crisis.
Hi I’m Ross Shafer and I want to thank you for finding the Relevant Leaders Club where each week I post a video on how to build your business or your career. This week I want to talk to you about how you can be more interesting in an elevator… literally. I’m talking about how to give a better Elevator Pitch. Some people call it an Elevator speech; it’s the story you tell to explain what you do in 30 seconds or less.
I’m frequently asked, “What is the one mistake I should avoid?” Believe it or not, there IS one mistake that can derail you and I’ll bet you’re doing it right. I’m Ross Shafer and I want to thank you for finding the Relevant Leaders Club where each week I post a new video to help you grow your career or your business. Today, I want to talk about the dumbest blunder that we all make. I’ve been guilty of this myself. In fact, I always kick myself when I realize I’m doing it again.
I’m Ross Shafer and I want to thank you for finding the Relevant Leaders Club where each week I post videos to help you grow your business and your career. Today I want you to rethink who you take inspiration from. Too often we look at the rich or famous on TV and think I WANT THAT LIFE but I have no idea how to get there? IT’s not magic. It’s not connections. It’s about drive. Desire. It’s rejection and never giving up. And right about now I know you’re saying BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, I’ve heard this all before, Ross. Well, here’s a story you haven’t heard.
Ok, you’ve just turned 50… and your life didn’t turn out like your thought it would, so what do you do now? Hi I’m Ross Shafer and I want to thank you for finding the Relevant Leaders Club where each week I post a new video to help you grow your career or your business. Today, I want to talk to you about what’s going through your mind as you turn 50 or 60. Or, if you’re in your late 40’s… you’re close enough to get a lot out of this message.
I’m on a rant today and want to warn you about motivational speakers – the ones who are dangerous. This is no joke. Hi everybody I’m Ross Shafer and I want to thank you for finding the Relevant Leaders Club where I post new videos every week to help you grow your business and your career. Today, I want to warn you about dangerous motivational speakers; which pains me because as a business author and speaker, my clients think of ME as one of those guys. But I don’t ask my audiences to physically risk life and limb to prove a point.
This week I want to talk about why coaches are important and why wildly successful leaders still feel the need to be coached. You first introduction to coaching was a kid playing sports. We all had bad coaches who thought leadership was yelling… so the word coach still makes you cringe. But if you had a good coach, you learned discipline from the coach, you learned to push yourself further when you felt like quitting, and a good coach taught you skills and techniques that made you better than you ever thought you could be.
Today I want to talk about fear; the kind of fear that threatens to shut down your business or your career. I’ve talked to you about my being a serial entrepreneur and how some of my ventures failed miserably while others turned out to be very successful. My friends tell me I’m a guy who is fearless about making decisions. That may be what it looks like but I have a system for squashing fear and I’ll describe how you can make that system work for you too!
This week I want to talk about how easy it is to disconnect from the people who keep your company alive. Look, I know you have demands coming at you from all sides because, as leaders, we’re expected to drive growth, manage people, and cut costs. If revenue is lagging or costs are escalating, we call a meeting and strategize, we buy industry research, and we hire third-party companies to compile Big Data.
Today, I want to talk about how to motivate your team…even when you don’t feel like it. You’ve heard the cliché “it’s lonely it is at The Top.” It’s true. Until you are sitting in the leader’s chair you never realize how isolated it can feel. Truth is though, even top tier leaders need a little motivation and validation – at the same exact time you’re supposed to be leading the troops. So how do you pull that off?
Today I want to talk to you about how to sell more…of anything. As you can guess, I have been a part of a lot of sales meetings and the number one question I get is this, “How can we boost our sales?” I have a very simple answer. If you want to sell more, you have to tell a better story. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling automobiles, financial services, or B2B software programs, the top salespeople always have the best value proposition.
Today’s lesson is this. You have an idea you think will revolutionize your division or propel your company into the Fortune 100. How do you pitch THAT IDEA to the boss? Step 1: Take the time to put your proposal in writing. And be organized. State the problem. State how that problem is currently being solved (or not) and finally, explain why your idea makes sense.
Today, I want to talk to those of you Certified Financial Planners about what you can do to differentiate yourself from the so-called bigger firms. First of all, it may shock you to know that in most industries, BIG fears SMALL. It’s sounds counter-intuitive but if you operate a smaller office, in a local community, you have an enormous advantage. You are a name, and a face, and have a place of business in your community.
I created the Relevant Leader’s Club is to keep you relevant, as a leader. Being relevant is very different from just being current. Current is being aware that your business is changing…but being relevant is making sure that you matter to your team and your customers. If you don’t matter they will leave you and nobody will care. Staying relevant (as a leader) is where I know we can have some fun.
Behave Like a Startup By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer Has Your Company Felt Complacency Creeping in? When your company first launched, did you shake the world with something new and groundbreaking? Were you the unlikely underdog that unseated the industry leaders? Over time, have you had so much success that you’ve slowly…
Could you run a company if the serious threat of bankruptcy were looming? C’mon, it’s much easier for a leader to run a company when business is bright and rosy…but you need to be a leader who can face reality, jump into an unexpected firestorm, and rescue your company from market obliteration. A leader like…
Are you ever curious about why some people get hired over others? Me too. Luckily I have a sneaky way to find answers to these kinds of questions. I ask them in plain view of the world! Last month, as I was filling in as the morning drive talk radio host on Denver’s 710AM –…
We are all guilty of coming up with what we think is a brilliant idea and trying to run fast with it. We are so convinced that our idea is so “White Hot” that we don’t even bother to ask anyone if our idea has actual value. After all, others may not see the “vision”…
First, this is not a commercial for the swag you see above. But I have to tell you the brand name because it’s relevant to the story. Secondly, this is not a story about food. It’s about relevance on a couple of levels. Ok, disclaimers turned in. Let’s move on to the tale. As some…
Let’s assume you want to grow your business. Maybe you want the skills to transition to a new career. Suppose you want a better personal life than you had last year. Those aspirations can be the seeds of motivation. But none of those things will ever happen without motion of some kind. But what are…
Mid-Life Crisis much?! Almost everyone over 50 years old has asked the question. “I’m 50. Now what do I do?” Chances are you have been working for a quarter century (or more) and will recognize one or more of these scenarios. (1) You’ve worked at the same organization for most of your life. You wonder if…
Our team is frequently hired to advise companies on how to become more relevant. Actually, companies want us to tell them how to be “the MOST relevant” in their industry. This is a challenge because we have yet to come across the 100% perfectly relevant organization. You’d think we had found that perfect company by…
Your skills are important to a lot of people. Other people depend upon your contributions. And, if you have made a commitment to your employer (to do a particular job) then you are expected to be there and perform that job. If you don’t show up, you might be jeopardizing the efforts of your entire…
Are you feeling like you don’t matter to your company anymore? Have you recently been passed over for a promotion or a raise? Maybe you’re even afraid your job will be phased out? If you feel that way, you are probably right. But we can help. (That’s why we wrote this book). We want you…
Hi! Ross Shafer for the Relevant Report, and I am about you make you a rock star at your next sales presentation. Hopefully you have gotten your world-class graphics together…and even more hopeful that you are NOT going to be using a flip chart or white board like the one you see here. Maybe you’ve upgraded…
Hi Ross Shafer for the Relevant Report and I am in the Bahamas…Nassau…Paradise Island….and that is the Atlantis hotel in the background. So why would I be reporting from here? I’ll tell you why. Just a few years ago it was unheard of for an organization or company to hold a meeting at an expensive, exotic…
Ross Shafer for the Relevant Report. Today, I want to talk about how to conquer burnout…in your job or career. If you’re feeling burned out at work it is probably because you’re being asked to work ridiculous hours – nights – weekends – holidays – and every day you come home exhausted; virtually paralyzed to…
I want to tell you about a true American success story…born from noticing the obvious. Recently at a Denny’s Franchise Owner’s meeting I met a young man named Glenn Beattie. Glenn scraped together enough money to buy a Denny’s restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. He wasn’t afraid he’d lose money because he had noticed something obvious…
Hi Ross Shafer with the Relevant Report. I just got into the Orlando airport and, on my flight, I was sitting next to a woman who I would guess was between 75 ad 80 years old. She was coming to Orlando to visit her grandkids. A man on the other side of us struck up…
Ok, this is my last Relevant Report from Vienna, Austria. I have to say that I was struck by the vast history and influence of this country… a country that brought the world Mozart, Beethoven, Licht, Strauss, Sigmund Freud, and the world’s greatest movie star, Arnold Schwarteznegger? But instead of thinking about what Austria has brought…
This is Ross Shafer reporting from Vienna, Austria; where I have just heard the Vienna Boys Choir. Imagine this group from a “brand perspective.” The Vienna Boys Choir has been performing for 500 years! How does a brand last 500 years!? Extreme Excellence. Thousands of boys ten-to-thirteen years-old audition for these roles and only the…
Have you ever been asked to do something you weren’t qualified for…and you said NO because of fear? Well, after this story maybe next time you’ll say YES. This is exactly what happened to my friend speaker/author, Dr. Nido Quebin. The board of struggling High Point University in North Carolina asked Quebin to be their…
How do you get ahead at a big company? Are the odds too high to be the top dog? If that’s what you think I’ve got something inspiring for you. I was the Keynote speaker at a recent Verizon Wireless meeting in Newark, NJ where an impressive woman spoke before I went on. Her name…
Here’s a problem that probably keeps you up at night. What do you do about those people in your organization who aren’t productive? The ones who are just not pulling their own weight? I’ll pass along a profound tip I learned from Jack Welch – the former CEO of General Electric…which is incidentally the largest…
Ross Shafer’s newest book (Grab More Market Share) was written for any CEO, President, Manager, or business owner who wants to garner more market share in a flat (or declining) economy. Face it, even the world’s best experts have no idea when (or if) the economy will “rally.” So stop waiting. If the entire economy…
