Is it possible to get your marketing wrong by over-branding your event? And where are many event marketers getting the languaging wrong? Kraig Kleeman shares why the focus on product-centric language in branding needs to shift towards outcomes and creativity. This episode also learns from his insightful journey to becoming a $30 million entrepreneur in four short years, by using the power of external perspectives from less mainstream sources to get there.
Kraig Kleeman is a successful combo of corporate honcho meets rock and roll performer. A lover of the performing arts, Kraig has coupled that passion and his business acumen to craft mesmerising corporate events. He is the founder of Rock The C-Suit, Kraig Kleeman Live and an established showrunner for global events such as The World Leaders Forum. He is also the bestselling author of A Winning Brand and The Must React System.
Quotes from this episode:
"It is very, very possible to over-brand".
"There's just something to be said for having an insatiable curiosity, being willing to make your life committed to understanding the power of external perspectives".
-Kraig Kleeman
**To get your free vinyl, email kraig@kraigkleemanlive.com and let him know you heard him on this podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Can I ask you about branding, because this is one of
the other areas that you areexpert in.
You authored a bestselling bookcalled the Winning Brand.
Where do people or most peopleget it wrong with branding at
their events?
I mean, is it possible to evenover brand your event?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I love that question.
Thank you so much.
It's very thoughtful.
I want to say that I think it'svery, very possible to over
brand.
I have found over the yearsthat a lot of branding
professionals focus on productbenefit, language and value
(00:38):
proposition, oriented languageversus outcomes or versus what I
call the four pillars of buyerthought topics, trends, metrics
and outcomes.
And I think when folks begin toabandon the hey, it's all about
me, me, me, my value, our valueproposition, our product, our
(01:03):
benefit, our features but movesinto the realm of creativity and
reflecting outcomes andparticularly integrating some
performing arts, some creativitywith it.
It goes a lot further, so funny.
I'll tell you a little storymany years ago, after I'd
(01:25):
authored my first book, whichthen spawned some consulting
engagements and speaking atconferences, and then that led
to a pretty robust consultingpractice that I had for a number
of years.
And now on the weekends I wouldalways wear my shades, I'd
always look kind of the rocker,look like he's here me now.
(01:46):
And when I would go on myconsulting gigs, of course I
would either sport code,business casual sort of thing,
and so I remember I was at witha group of friends.
This was in essentiallydowntown Chicago and we have a
little barbecue.
But he had me over there, about10 or 12 of us who've known
each other for a long time, andI said, hey, what do you even
(02:08):
have to?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
what do you even have ?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
to.
And I said you know, I've gotsome consulting work I'm doing
all week next week on site and Ithink I'm going to dress just
like this.
And you know I was dressed likethis, you know.
And they said what?
I said yeah, I'm going to ditchthe sport code, I'm going to
ditch the button up, I'm goingto ditch all of it, I'm just
going to be me.
(02:30):
And they said and your businessis going to go on the tank?
I said or I might just build abrand.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You know when you say you're talking about black
t-shirt and your your trademarkdark losses and the hair band
correct.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yes, yes I am.
And back then there was a peacesign necklace that I always
wore I don't do that muchanymore, but I used to for years
and you know, they said You'recrazy.
And they said and I said, whoknows, I might just build a
brand.
And then it turns out that,with the exception of the really
you know what the legalprofession and the finance
(03:06):
profession that tends to alwaysbe really suited up and buttoned
up, with those exceptions,everybody just think embrace it.
Everybody just say Craig, wow,it's great to see you.
Awesome, you're really unafraid, aren't you?
And I said I guess I am.
But I will tell you that the myreal reason was because I knew
(03:26):
I'd be more comfortable, I wouldthink better, I would be me.
You know that let me do itsbest work and then secondarily,
maybe build a brand along theway, and I guess, to some degree
, I guess I have you know.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, and times have changed as well.
I mean, do you think that ifyou went into the legal
corporations and the financialyou know corporations today with
your you know, with your usuallook, do you think that would be
more acceptable today?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
First of all, I never abandon my usual look.
I mean, I can always boost itup a little bit, I can always
change it up a little bit, buttypically this is me.
I don't recall, at least inrecent days, connecting with
some of the more insurance orfinance folks that I don't know
(04:20):
are necessarily conservative buttheir business requires that
they project conservative kindof image.
I don't know, I don't know,maybe I'll just blend right in,
maybe I'll try one sometime soonand let you know.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I was thinking the mind rock and roll and
entrepreneurship.
I'm sure there's something inthat space that might actually
move in that direction.
So I guess what people doreally are most curious about.
I mean, for yourself and yourtrademark dark glasses.
Are those part of your branding?
I mean, how did those becomepart of your identity and your
(04:56):
celebrity?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Boy, I will tell you there's a little bit of a story
there.
So I just started doing it onthe weekends or maybe in the
evening.
I used to live in downtownChicago for a number of years
most of my adult life andthere's a great music scene in
Chicago.
I'm a big fan of the blues andChicago's got a whole slew of
(05:19):
live blues clubs and I was hungout with the artists.
So I just dressed like this.
But what happened?
Was it actually now is a?
These are prescription glasses.
It's now a medical condition myeyes, I know.
When there's too much light Iget headaches and I don't want
(05:41):
to over index on this.
It's not super serious.
But in conversations with mymedical doctors more than one
they said Craig, this isn't abig deal.
There is a way to treat thisfrom a surgery perspective.
There are always risks withsurgery.
But the other way to treat itis to always wear your
(06:03):
sunglasses when you're any timelight, even like right now.
I'm in my studio and my brightlights are on and the doctor
said we know you're going towear your shades all the time
anyway, so just roll with whatyou've been rolling.
So in the answer to yourquestion, if first it became not
(06:23):
so much a brand, just kind ofhanging out with the creative
types, then later spinning itinto my business and now,
finally, a medical conditionthat pretty much keeps them on.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's
the truth.
It is a story for sure, a storythat's just evolved all by
itself and it's become part ofyour brand.
That's really interesting.
But what is so curious is, Imean, all this is converged to
your company.
Whatever you're doing isworking, because I mean, you've
grown your company to $30million in something like four
(07:00):
years, and that sounds likestaggering success.
I guess the most obviousquestion is people might be
wondering is how did you do that?
What was your path to successand why do you think you've
succeeded when so many othershave struggled or failed?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Boy, I will tell you that.
Let me be clear there have beenplenty of failures along the
way in my life.
You know.
I'm sure I appreciate the kindwords but I can promise you it
hasn't been all being successfulat the capital asks.
There are plenty of things I'dlove to do again and wish I
could do it again, but can't,and live with it.
So there have been a lot oflearnings.
(07:37):
Of course, I think the mostimportant thing that has helped
me particularly in the last fouror five years really, because
now I'm juggling, you know,multiple ventures at this moment
and I think the thing that hasreally more than anything has
been a renewed commitment toquiet time and inner peace and
(08:02):
solace.
And you know I have a bit of anextraverted personality, so
it's really easy for me to kindof get out with the crowd and
turn on the personality.
And you know, when thelockdowns hit I felt a little
bit like a prisoner in downtownChicago.
So I bought this condo 300miles south of Chicago.
(08:25):
That's about an hour from whereI grew up and my parents aren't
getting any younger.
So I thought, okay, I'll buythis condo.
Has some advantages beautifullocation, great view of the
river, and I'll just sit out thepandemic and then maybe air be
and be it and keep it as avacation place.
Well, during the pandemic Ijust I could walk out my front
(08:47):
door and be in these bluffs,these small mountains, and so
fast forward to the tip.
I now hike five miles almostevery day.
I go to the gym, this beautifulathletic center that's part of
a private college up on the topof the bluffs nearby.
Work out there at least three,four days a week.
I really commit probably threeto four hours a day to solace,
(09:13):
which includes hiking in thebluffs and interacting with
nature I've never had aninterest in before and now I
feel like I can't live withoutit, and, of course, hit the gym
and all that is part of it.
And I want to tell you that thesolace, the quietness, the inner
peace, the not being enslavedto my phone, you know, every
(09:35):
minute of every day, turning offthe notifications, you know,
checking out of, you know,rather than Netflix, you know,
do the hike and all those sortsof things, has really given me
the clarity of mind and theability to juggle the three
things that I've got to want togrow a company on the other side
(09:56):
of the world that I'd like toget to a thousand employees in
about 18 months and continuewith Rock.
The C-suite and Craig Cleimanlive with intensity.
I will tell you.
It's the quiet place ofreflection and thinking through
all the issues that's reallygiven me the power to jump in
and be as effective as I am.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
That is so amazing, because it's not surprising that
you talked about, you know,giving yourself time to
contemplate, protect that time,but do you say that you commit
four to five hours daily?
I mean, that is commitment tosuccess in a way that I've not
heard defined anywhere else,really.
So I'm just amazed at that.
(10:40):
If you did have, you know, alearning to share, though, from
the bumps that you've had alongthe way, what would that be?
I mean, if somebody came to youand you said, well, don't learn
my success, that's obvious, butlearn from my failures, what
would be the story you wouldshare, or what would be the
learning that you would share?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, that's a really good question and I'll just be
very, very honest with you inthat I completely abstain from
alcohol.
You know 100% Now.
I won't participate in it for avariety of reasons, you know
physical health and mentalhealth.
And I will tell you there werea couple of folks that I was
doing some significant businesswith and in a moment of just
(11:22):
being out and about and yuckingit up, you know, and at a party
and stuff, I just didn't have agood off switch and I had more
to drink.
This was some years ago.
I had a little more to drinkthan I should have and I said a
few things that really gummed uplike a very profitable
relationship that both personalfriendship as well as like
(11:44):
business stuff, and I found thatwe moving things that adversely
impacts clear mindedness, likeI think my biggest stumblings
and failures, as I look back,were when I allowed myself to be
subjected by other influencesthat eroded my clear mindedness
(12:08):
and my level headedness and Ithink omitting that has been one
of the single because thingsthat that's brought improvements
and that caused me to stumblealong the way.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Wow, Thank you for sharing that.
That is so valuable, thatawareness piece that I think is
worth our time that we, I guess,don't do often enough or well
enough.
I just or just don't giveourselves that one hour a day
and just to see what needle wecan move along that direction.
I just love that.
(12:39):
You know you have progressed sofar and that was the reason why
I did that is because you werewilling to commit that time to
what might look like inactivityor it might look like I'm not
actually contributing towardsthe success of my company by
doing time out.
That just blows my mind.
So thank you so much forsharing that.
(12:59):
You've not only set the bar atmany events.
You must have heard a lot ofideas as well as you attend
those events.
You've even featured at theexperiential marketing summit in
Las Vegas this year.
As far as events, marketing,human trends, you know what can
you share with us?
I mean, you've been like thesponge that's been taking all
(13:20):
the great ideas.
So what do you think we shouldknow?
Any learnings that we should bepaying attention to, Boy?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I think that you know , first of all, I think, just
always having that attitude ofwanting to improve.
And you know, one of myfavorite books that I've read in
the last probably 10 years now,is the autobiography of Steven
Jobs.
Did you have to read StevenJobs autobiography?
No, I haven't, boy, I would.
I would recommend you put thatone on your list.
(13:47):
And what a lovely book and whatan interesting story.
And I'll tell you that one ofthe things I've learned from
just following his life and notthat his life was pristine and
perfect in every way itcertainly was not, but he had a,
you know, he transformed sixindustries.
Of course he's probably the themodern day father of
(14:10):
indentivness.
I mean probably you.
Someday in textbooks in schoolhis name will probably be up
there with the right brothersand alexander grandbell and
others.
But the one of the key takeawaysthat I I got from studying his
life is his profound commitmentto the power of external
(14:32):
perspectives.
And, for example, if you or Iwere a senior manager, manager
on steven job staff, and we werenot curating world-class
content and distributing it toour teams, if we were not
engaging with world-classconsultants, not attending
world-class events and thentaking those learnings and
(14:54):
improving them in our teams.
We would last five minutes, youknow, as a direct report to
steven jobs and and I thinkthere's just something to be
said for having an insatiablecuriosity, being willing to, to
make your life committed tounderstanding the power of
(15:17):
external perspectives and, and,and being able to bust into
something new that appears to beeffective, or at least examine
it at all times, and that wouldbe one of the biggest takeaways
I could give to anyone in myprofessional orbit fantastic.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Can I just ask a final question?
I mean, if you were in a roomfull of marketing executives and
movies and shakers and you justheard something that you think,
wow, you guys got to listen tothis what is it you would be
sharing with them?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
it would probably be a bit surprising, but I would.
I would share with them.
I'm sure I would share this.
You know Bob Dylan, who's youknow folk rock artist
extraordinary, certainly not new, but he's the only
singer-songwriter to win a NobelPrize for Literature, and so
(16:19):
his lyrics are absolutelyamazing.
They're filled with depth andrichness and poetry almost
beyond imagination.
And I know his music is a bitof an acquired taste.
I mean, it was for me years agowhen I was introduced to Bob
Dylan.
I would truly encourage chiefmarketing officers to lean in to
(16:40):
Bob Dylan and other artistslike that who have, almost in a
mesmerizing manner, have takenlanguage and, really without
even knowing it, applied inhermeneutics, syntactical
linguistics and a lot of otherpoetry capabilities inside of
their music and have just wowedaudiences globally decade over
(17:05):
decade over decade.
So I would encourage the CMOsto really advance themselves on
the creative level and let thataffect their planning and the
way that they move ahead, and Ithink they would potentially
benefit from it greatly.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Wow, craig, thank you so much, and I know that there
are so many more gold nuggets inthat tank of yours.
I'm sure those books thatyou've got which I must get my
hands on as well are full ofeach one of those points.
They're gonna be loaded withstuff that can really move the
(17:39):
needle for many people.
I think that's what I'm gettingfrom you, and I love that
you're one of those people thatI can probably talk to for hours
and hours on end, but I doappreciate you so much.
How do people connect with you?
If they wanted to find out moreabout you or reach you directly
, or just making queries, youbet the best way to reach me is
(18:00):
probably just at Craig atCraigClemenLivecom.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
That's all the case at Craig with a K and Clemen
with a K.
Craig at CraigClemenLivecom.
And you know what, if anyone inthe audience sends us an email
to that email address, we justreleased our first vinyl album,
rock the C-Suite.
So if anyone from your audiencesends me an email at that
(18:28):
address and references you,we'll send them one of our vinyl
albums just for fun, just as agift.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Amazing.
Thank you so much for that.
I didn't even get to talk toyou about swag, because you have
the most amazing merchandise atyour events and how you can
make your event more memorablejust using the vinyl album, for
example, and a couple of otherbits and pieces.
But I just love how it's notjust the event experience and
(18:57):
what you learn from it, what youlearn from the speakers, but
it's also what you take homewith you, and swag is done so
badly in a lot of events.
I was talking about it tosomebody the other day.
We were just shaking our heads,going how many things do we
need to?
Are we bringing home from ourevents and just they end up in
the bin?
Or they end up we just passthem on to somebody else.
We're not actually using them,we don't find them adding value
(19:20):
to our lives, but there's somuch room to do that in a much
more imaginative way, and that'swhat you do as well.
So thank you so much, craig.
I know you have a trademarksign off.
Do you want to do that?
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, sure, sure, let's do it.
My name is Craig Clemen.
I am the founder, the showrunner and executive producer of
Rock the C-suite.
And Craig Clemen live Peacecheers.
I'm out.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Thank you so much, craig.
I have had so much fun and Ihave learned so much from you.
Thank you for enriching my life.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
It's a pleasure.
You're very kind, thank you.
Can I ask you about branding, because this is one of
the other areas that you areexpert in.
You authored a bestselling bookcalled the Winning Brand.
Where do people or most peopleget it wrong with branding at
their events?
I mean, is it possible to evenover brand your event?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I love that question.
Thank you so much.
It's very thoughtful.
I want to say that I think it'svery, very possible to over
brand.
I have found over the yearsthat a lot of branding
professionals focus on productbenefit, language and value
(00:38):
proposition, oriented languageversus outcomes or versus what I
call the four pillars of buyerthought topics, trends, metrics
and outcomes.
And I think when folks begin toabandon the hey, it's all about
me, me, me, my value, our valueproposition, our product, our
(01:03):
benefit, our features but movesinto the realm of creativity and
reflecting outcomes andparticularly integrating some
performing arts, some creativitywith it.
It goes a lot further, so funny.
I'll tell you a little storymany years ago, after I'd
(01:25):
authored my first book, whichthen spawned some consulting
engagements and speaking atconferences, and then that led
to a pretty robust consultingpractice that I had for a number
of years.
And now on the weekends I wouldalways wear my shades, I'd
always look kind of the rocker,look like he's here me now.
(01:46):
And when I would go on myconsulting gigs, of course I
would either sport code,business casual sort of thing,
and so I remember I was at witha group of friends.
This was in essentiallydowntown Chicago and we have a
little barbecue.
But he had me over there, about10 or 12 of us who've known
each other for a long time, andI said, hey, what do you even
(02:08):
have to?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
what do you even have ?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
to.
And I said you know, I've gotsome consulting work I'm doing
all week next week on site and Ithink I'm going to dress just
like this.
And you know I was dressed likethis, you know.
And they said what?
I said yeah, I'm going to ditchthe sport code, I'm going to
ditch the button up, I'm goingto ditch all of it, I'm just
going to be me.
(02:30):
And they said and your businessis going to go on the tank?
I said or I might just build abrand.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You know when you say you're talking about black
t-shirt and your your trademarkdark losses and the hair band
correct.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yes, yes I am.
And back then there was a peacesign necklace that I always
wore I don't do that muchanymore, but I used to for years
and you know, they said You'recrazy.
And they said and I said, whoknows, I might just build a
brand.
And then it turns out that,with the exception of the really
you know what the legalprofession and the finance
(03:06):
profession that tends to alwaysbe really suited up and buttoned
up, with those exceptions,everybody just think embrace it.
Everybody just say Craig, wow,it's great to see you.
Awesome, you're really unafraid, aren't you?
And I said I guess I am.
But I will tell you that the myreal reason was because I knew
(03:26):
I'd be more comfortable, I wouldthink better, I would be me.
You know that let me do itsbest work and then secondarily,
maybe build a brand along theway, and I guess, to some degree
, I guess I have you know.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, and times have changed as well.
I mean, do you think that ifyou went into the legal
corporations and the financialyou know corporations today with
your you know, with your usuallook, do you think that would be
more acceptable today?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
First of all, I never abandon my usual look.
I mean, I can always boost itup a little bit, I can always
change it up a little bit, buttypically this is me.
I don't recall, at least inrecent days, connecting with
some of the more insurance orfinance folks that I don't know
(04:20):
are necessarily conservative buttheir business requires that
they project conservative kindof image.
I don't know, I don't know,maybe I'll just blend right in,
maybe I'll try one sometime soonand let you know.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I was thinking the mind rock and roll and
entrepreneurship.
I'm sure there's something inthat space that might actually
move in that direction.
So I guess what people doreally are most curious about.
I mean, for yourself and yourtrademark dark glasses.
Are those part of your branding?
I mean, how did those becomepart of your identity and your
(04:56):
celebrity?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Boy, I will tell you there's a little bit of a story
there.
So I just started doing it onthe weekends or maybe in the
evening.
I used to live in downtownChicago for a number of years
most of my adult life andthere's a great music scene in
Chicago.
I'm a big fan of the blues andChicago's got a whole slew of
(05:19):
live blues clubs and I was hungout with the artists.
So I just dressed like this.
But what happened?
Was it actually now is a?
These are prescription glasses.
It's now a medical condition myeyes, I know.
When there's too much light Iget headaches and I don't want
(05:41):
to over index on this.
It's not super serious.
But in conversations with mymedical doctors more than one
they said Craig, this isn't abig deal.
There is a way to treat thisfrom a surgery perspective.
There are always risks withsurgery.
But the other way to treat itis to always wear your
(06:03):
sunglasses when you're any timelight, even like right now.
I'm in my studio and my brightlights are on and the doctor
said we know you're going towear your shades all the time
anyway, so just roll with whatyou've been rolling.
So in the answer to yourquestion, if first it became not
(06:23):
so much a brand, just kind ofhanging out with the creative
types, then later spinning itinto my business and now,
finally, a medical conditionthat pretty much keeps them on.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's
the truth.
It is a story for sure, a storythat's just evolved all by
itself and it's become part ofyour brand.
That's really interesting.
But what is so curious is, Imean, all this is converged to
your company.
Whatever you're doing isworking, because I mean, you've
grown your company to $30million in something like four
(07:00):
years, and that sounds likestaggering success.
I guess the most obviousquestion is people might be
wondering is how did you do that?
What was your path to successand why do you think you've
succeeded when so many othershave struggled or failed?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Boy, I will tell you that.
Let me be clear there have beenplenty of failures along the
way in my life.
You know.
I'm sure I appreciate the kindwords but I can promise you it
hasn't been all being successfulat the capital asks.
There are plenty of things I'dlove to do again and wish I
could do it again, but can't,and live with it.
So there have been a lot oflearnings.
(07:37):
Of course, I think the mostimportant thing that has helped
me particularly in the last fouror five years really, because
now I'm juggling, you know,multiple ventures at this moment
and I think the thing that hasreally more than anything has
been a renewed commitment toquiet time and inner peace and
(08:02):
solace.
And you know I have a bit of anextraverted personality, so
it's really easy for me to kindof get out with the crowd and
turn on the personality.
And you know, when thelockdowns hit I felt a little
bit like a prisoner in downtownChicago.
So I bought this condo 300miles south of Chicago.
(08:25):
That's about an hour from whereI grew up and my parents aren't
getting any younger.
So I thought, okay, I'll buythis condo.
Has some advantages beautifullocation, great view of the
river, and I'll just sit out thepandemic and then maybe air be
and be it and keep it as avacation place.
Well, during the pandemic Ijust I could walk out my front
(08:47):
door and be in these bluffs,these small mountains, and so
fast forward to the tip.
I now hike five miles almostevery day.
I go to the gym, this beautifulathletic center that's part of
a private college up on the topof the bluffs nearby.
Work out there at least three,four days a week.
I really commit probably threeto four hours a day to solace,
(09:13):
which includes hiking in thebluffs and interacting with
nature I've never had aninterest in before and now I
feel like I can't live withoutit, and, of course, hit the gym
and all that is part of it.
And I want to tell you that thesolace, the quietness, the inner
peace, the not being enslavedto my phone, you know, every
(09:35):
minute of every day, turning offthe notifications, you know,
checking out of, you know,rather than Netflix, you know,
do the hike and all those sortsof things, has really given me
the clarity of mind and theability to juggle the three
things that I've got to want togrow a company on the other side
(09:56):
of the world that I'd like toget to a thousand employees in
about 18 months and continuewith Rock.
The C-suite and Craig Cleimanlive with intensity.
I will tell you.
It's the quiet place ofreflection and thinking through
all the issues that's reallygiven me the power to jump in
and be as effective as I am.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
That is so amazing, because it's not surprising that
you talked about, you know,giving yourself time to
contemplate, protect that time,but do you say that you commit
four to five hours daily?
I mean, that is commitment tosuccess in a way that I've not
heard defined anywhere else,really.
So I'm just amazed at that.
(10:40):
If you did have, you know, alearning to share, though, from
the bumps that you've had alongthe way, what would that be?
I mean, if somebody came to youand you said, well, don't learn
my success, that's obvious, butlearn from my failures, what
would be the story you wouldshare, or what would be the
learning that you would share?
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, that's a really good question and I'll just be
very, very honest with you inthat I completely abstain from
alcohol.
You know 100% Now.
I won't participate in it for avariety of reasons, you know
physical health and mentalhealth.
And I will tell you there werea couple of folks that I was
doing some significant businesswith and in a moment of just
(11:22):
being out and about and yuckingit up, you know, and at a party
and stuff, I just didn't have agood off switch and I had more
to drink.
This was some years ago.
I had a little more to drinkthan I should have and I said a
few things that really gummed uplike a very profitable
relationship that both personalfriendship as well as like
(11:44):
business stuff, and I found thatwe moving things that adversely
impacts clear mindedness, likeI think my biggest stumblings
and failures, as I look back,were when I allowed myself to be
subjected by other influencesthat eroded my clear mindedness
(12:08):
and my level headedness and Ithink omitting that has been one
of the single because thingsthat that's brought improvements
and that caused me to stumblealong the way.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Wow, Thank you for sharing that.
That is so valuable, thatawareness piece that I think is
worth our time that we, I guess,don't do often enough or well
enough.
I just or just don't giveourselves that one hour a day
and just to see what needle wecan move along that direction.
I just love that.
(12:39):
You know you have progressed sofar and that was the reason why
I did that is because you werewilling to commit that time to
what might look like inactivityor it might look like I'm not
actually contributing towardsthe success of my company by
doing time out.
That just blows my mind.
So thank you so much forsharing that.
(12:59):
You've not only set the bar atmany events.
You must have heard a lot ofideas as well as you attend
those events.
You've even featured at theexperiential marketing summit in
Las Vegas this year.
As far as events, marketing,human trends, you know what can
you share with us?
I mean, you've been like thesponge that's been taking all
(13:20):
the great ideas.
So what do you think we shouldknow?
Any learnings that we should bepaying attention to, Boy?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I think that you know , first of all, I think, just
always having that attitude ofwanting to improve.
And you know, one of myfavorite books that I've read in
the last probably 10 years now,is the autobiography of Steven
Jobs.
Did you have to read StevenJobs autobiography?
No, I haven't, boy, I would.
I would recommend you put thatone on your list.
(13:47):
And what a lovely book and whatan interesting story.
And I'll tell you that one ofthe things I've learned from
just following his life and notthat his life was pristine and
perfect in every way itcertainly was not, but he had a,
you know, he transformed sixindustries.
Of course he's probably the themodern day father of
(14:10):
indentivness.
I mean probably you.
Someday in textbooks in schoolhis name will probably be up
there with the right brothersand alexander grandbell and
others.
But the one of the key takeawaysthat I I got from studying his
life is his profound commitmentto the power of external
(14:32):
perspectives.
And, for example, if you or Iwere a senior manager, manager
on steven job staff, and we werenot curating world-class
content and distributing it toour teams, if we were not
engaging with world-classconsultants, not attending
world-class events and thentaking those learnings and
(14:54):
improving them in our teams.
We would last five minutes, youknow, as a direct report to
steven jobs and and I thinkthere's just something to be
said for having an insatiablecuriosity, being willing to, to
make your life committed tounderstanding the power of
(15:17):
external perspectives and, and,and being able to bust into
something new that appears to beeffective, or at least examine
it at all times, and that wouldbe one of the biggest takeaways
I could give to anyone in myprofessional orbit fantastic.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Can I just ask a final question?
I mean, if you were in a roomfull of marketing executives and
movies and shakers and you justheard something that you think,
wow, you guys got to listen tothis what is it you would be
sharing with them?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
it would probably be a bit surprising, but I would.
I would share with them.
I'm sure I would share this.
You know Bob Dylan, who's youknow folk rock artist
extraordinary, certainly not new, but he's the only
singer-songwriter to win a NobelPrize for Literature, and so
(16:19):
his lyrics are absolutelyamazing.
They're filled with depth andrichness and poetry almost
beyond imagination.
And I know his music is a bitof an acquired taste.
I mean, it was for me years agowhen I was introduced to Bob
Dylan.
I would truly encourage chiefmarketing officers to lean in to
(16:40):
Bob Dylan and other artistslike that who have, almost in a
mesmerizing manner, have takenlanguage and, really without
even knowing it, applied inhermeneutics, syntactical
linguistics and a lot of otherpoetry capabilities inside of
their music and have just wowedaudiences globally decade over
(17:05):
decade over decade.
So I would encourage the CMOsto really advance themselves on
the creative level and let thataffect their planning and the
way that they move ahead, and Ithink they would potentially
benefit from it greatly.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Wow, craig, thank you so much, and I know that there
are so many more gold nuggets inthat tank of yours.
I'm sure those books thatyou've got which I must get my
hands on as well are full ofeach one of those points.
They're gonna be loaded withstuff that can really move the
(17:39):
needle for many people.
I think that's what I'm gettingfrom you, and I love that
you're one of those people thatI can probably talk to for hours
and hours on end, but I doappreciate you so much.
How do people connect with you?
If they wanted to find out moreabout you or reach you directly
, or just making queries, youbet the best way to reach me is
(18:00):
probably just at Craig atCraigClemenLivecom.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
That's all the case at Craig with a K and Clemen
with a K.
Craig at CraigClemenLivecom.
And you know what, if anyone inthe audience sends us an email
to that email address, we justreleased our first vinyl album,
rock the C-Suite.
So if anyone from your audiencesends me an email at that
(18:28):
address and references you,we'll send them one of our vinyl
albums just for fun, just as agift.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Amazing.
Thank you so much for that.
I didn't even get to talk toyou about swag, because you have
the most amazing merchandise atyour events and how you can
make your event more memorablejust using the vinyl album, for
example, and a couple of otherbits and pieces.
But I just love how it's notjust the event experience and
(18:57):
what you learn from it, what youlearn from the speakers, but
it's also what you take homewith you, and swag is done so
badly in a lot of events.
I was talking about it tosomebody the other day.
We were just shaking our heads,going how many things do we
need to?
Are we bringing home from ourevents and just they end up in
the bin?
Or they end up we just passthem on to somebody else.
We're not actually using them,we don't find them adding value
(19:20):
to our lives, but there's somuch room to do that in a much
more imaginative way, and that'swhat you do as well.
So thank you so much, craig.
I know you have a trademarksign off.
Do you want to do that?
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, sure, sure, let's do it.
My name is Craig Clemen.
I am the founder, the showrunner and executive producer of
Rock the C-suite.
And Craig Clemen live Peacecheers.
I'm out.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Thank you so much, craig.
I have had so much fun and Ihave learned so much from you.
Thank you for enriching my life.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
It's a pleasure.
You're very kind, thank you.
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