Ira Blumenthal Speaker Biography
Highly Motivational Branding and Marketing Expert
Ira Blumenthal collects quotations. One of his favorites is โThe true measure of a man is how many lives he can jam into one lifetimeโฆโ Ira has certainly jammed many lives into his productive, successful life. From college football and lacrosse coach to business executiveโฆ from consultant to talk show hostโฆ from university professor to public speakerโฆ from author to philanthropistโฆ and moreโฆ lots of lives hereโฆ diverse, distinctive and dynamic.
Your Best is Next!
He is respected as a subject matter expert on helping corporations, associations and individuals create a brighter future in the midst of changes, challenges, even chaos. His customizable speech title says it allโฆYour Best is Next!
Consultant
After serving as the CMO of a division of Sara Lee, then the President of a $300-million food company, Ira founded and presided over CO-OPPORTUNITIES, an Atlanta based consulting company that advised companies such as Nestle, Tyson, Kroger, Harrahโs, American Airlines, Disney, United Artists, Exxon, Walmart and more. Noteworthy, Ira is the single longest continually retained consultant in the 134-year history of the Coca-Cola Company as a lead consultant for 26 years. He is the recipient of the highest honor in the food industry, โThe Key Person Award.โ His expertise? Branding, Change Management, Strategic Alliances and Business Development.
Media
Having published over 200 magazine articles and three books, Ready, Blame, Fire! (Myths and Misses in Marketing), Managing Brand You (best seller), and Your Best Is Next. Ira is a respected author who received โThe George Washington Honor Medal for Literary Excellenceโ (Freedoms Foundation). Ira has been featured and quoted in media such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, BrandWeek, USA Today and more.
Honors and Philanthropy
He has hosted a radio talk show (โSuccess Talkโ)โฆ served as a visiting professor (Michigan State University, the University of Notre Dame, Kennesaw State University, etc.)โฆ was the โExecutive In Residenceโ at Georgia State Universityโฆ presided over a foundation (Ted Turnerโs โCaptain Planet Foundationโ)โฆ is on the board of Blaze, The Legacy Paralympic Organizationโฆ and with his friend, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), co-founded and serves on the Executive Council of Janieโs Fund, an organization that raises money for programs for โat riskโ and โabusedโ girls.โ
Keynote Speaker
Delivering over 2500 speeches on 5 continents as well as serving as the โopenerโ for the likes of both President Bushes, General Colin Powell, Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger, Lech Walesa, Cal Ripken Jr., Tommy Lasorda and othersโฆ Ira is a high-energy, high-content, passionate public speaker with a motivational flair. He customizes his speeches which are both onstage (live) and online (virtual). As well as serving as a speaker, Ira is a dynamic emcee and panel moderator. From Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dubai, England, France and throughout the U.S., Ira is a respected, profound thought leader.
Athletics
On a personal note, Ira is a tireless community activist and youth sports coach (with a state and national championship to his credit). Ira was both a member of a collegiate national championship team and a โWorld Cupโ athlete as well as a college Football and Lacrosse Coach (1974 US โCoach of the Yearโ).
Originally from New York, Ira lives in Atlanta with his bride of 39 years, Kim. He is the father of 5 children and has 10 grandchildren. Another of Iraโs favorite quotations is Mark Twainโs โThe two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you found out whyโฆโ Renaissance Man, Ira Blumenthal, surely found out his why.
Ira Blumenthal Speaking Topics
Your Best Is Next
Whether itโs corporations, associations or even individuals, you canโt have a better tomorrow if you continue thinking about yesterday. Weโve seen chaos, a pandemic, economic challenges, business uncertainty and greater changes than ever before. Weโre confused, overwhelmed, frustrated and often impatient. This is NOT business as usual. This is business as UN-usual. And so, the threshold question for us all is simpleโฆ โWhatโs next?โ Itโs clearly time for RECOVERY and pushing the RESET button on our businesses and lives. It has been said, โIf you want to predict the future, create it!โ This customizable program (onstage OR virtual), YOUR BEST IS NEXT, is precisely about creating the future and teaching your organization how to insure that their BEST IS truly NEXT.
Change Is Inevitable. Growth Is Optional. (Change, Re-invention)
There is one constant in life (and business)โฆ change! Yet, change is not new. What is new is the incredible speed of change. Industries, companies and careers have gone from โdistinctionโ to โextinctionโ because of their inability to adapt, adjust and master change. This session offers a high-content, high-energy, โhands onโ approach to embracing, as well as capitalizing on change in business building. After all, change is to business what oxygen is to life.
Managing Brand You (Personal Branding)
What if you thought of yourself as a brand? Everyone struggles with what they stand forโฆ or what theyโd like to stand forโฆ Each one of us is a brand. This speech focuses on the disciplines of business branding and applies them to the process of crafting, developing, extending, managing and protecting your most important brandโฆ โBrand You!โ Ideal for business executives, sales professionals, even non-business audiencesโฆ this is an interactive, high-energy, fun-filled educational (and inspirational) speech (and workshop) experience. What if you thought of yourself as a brand?
Brand-Building For Your Future (Branding)
Products are consumed. Brands are purchased. In our branded world, we make Xerox copies, blow our nose in Kleenex, snack on Jell-O, relax in the Jacuzzi and cover wounds with Band-Aids. From Nike on our hats to Tommy on our shirts to Swatch on our watches and Starbucks in our cups, branding is critical to business development. This session focuses on the philosophy, strategy, guiding principles and โbest practicesโ to create, build, maintain and manage brand success. After all, regardless of what your title is, everyoneโs a brand managerโฆ Great examples, provocative anecdotes and purposeful humor make this a great session, especially when customized for the industry, client and event. Everyoneโs a brand manager!
Balancing High-Tech and High Touch in Business-Building
In the words of Bill Gates, "Technology is a tool, an enhancement, an enabler. It can be an enormously helpful servant but a dangerous master..." Although the benefits of technology are vast, we depend too much on "high tech" communication with employees, customers, consumers, suppliers and distributors and depend too little on "high touch" communication. This interactive, action-packed, fun-filled, highly relevant speech is focused on strategies, tactics, tips and techniques designed to help business professionals connect, engage and grow mutually beneficial enterprise through dynamic interpersonal relationships.
Myths and Misses in Marketing (Marketing, Business Development)
Based on Iraโs book, โReady, Blame, Fire!โ, this energetic speech (or workshop) focuses on challenging conventional wisdom. Targeting the fourteen greatest โmythsโ in marketing (i.e. โBigger Is Better!โ, โClose Enough Is Good Enough,โ โThe First One In Wins,โ โIt Wonโt Happen Here!,โ etc.), participants learn from history (the โmissesโ) and gain a well-defined understanding of the โcompelling imperativesโ for success in a complex, highly competitive business climate. The focus of this session is on business development, quantum leap growth, alternative channels of distribution and marketing success.
Ira Blumenthal Books
Your Best Is Next: How to Live Your Fullest Life During Your โGun Lapโ
Purchase BookManaging Brand You
Purchase BookReady, Blame, Fire
Purchase BookIra Blumenthal Videos
Ira Blumenthal Speaker Testimonials
"Ira has a unique knack for engaging an audience. And while the audience is engaged, he educates them. One thing you can be guaranteed with Ira is that you never know what he's going to do next. He is an incredibly dynamic and knowledgeable speaker."
- Chuck O'Dell | Division President Marriott
"If Ira Blumenthal could pitch, field, and bat as well as he communicates, I'd own his contract. He's destined for the speakers Hall of Fame."
- Mike Ilitch | Founder and Chairman, Little Caesars; Owner, Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings
"Your seminar on co-branding was definitely a hit, and helped make this year's conference our biggest and best ever. We have had tremendous comments about your presentation from our distributors and employees alike."
- J.L. Whitehurst | Manager-Marketing Department Exxon Company, USA
"Here it is ten days later and I am still energized by your presentation. How the heck do you do that on a regular basis? What kind of vitamins are you taking? I think you could tell by the extended ovation that you were well received by the footwear executives."
- Barbara Singer | Vice President of Communications Footwear Industries of America