Why the Military and the White House All Called on THIS Man to Fix Their Systems

Guest: Ken Schmidt, former Harley-Davidson communications leader; author of Make Some Noise.

What we cover

• Why “being good” is just table stakes, not a strategy

• The bold move: stop advertising, start test rides with real customers

• Remember & Repeat: what you want people to say about you

• Putting leaders on the front lines (town halls, listening tours)

• Building emotional loyalty and community that outlasts product cycles

• Turning bored teams into energized ones through human connection

• Internal customers: breaking silos by serving each other first

• Practical plays you can use this week

Practical takeaways

• Write your “R&R” sentence and align your whole team on it

• Schedule 2 customer conversations this week; bring a senior leader and take notes

• Host a 30-minute internal town hall: one question, all ears

• Define one tiny, memorable experience at the first touchpoint (phone, lobby, email)

• Track and celebrate moments of “enthusiasm spread”

Resources

• Ken’s site: kenspeaks.com

• Book: Make Some Noise (Ken Schmidt)

• Connect: LinkedIn (Ken Schmidt)

Shout-out

Huge thanks to Ken for bringing the heat on humanizing business.

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