Today we’d like to introduce you to Daren Martin.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Eleven years ago, I sold a company I started and ran for over 30 years. I decided to go into consulting and had some early wins with large and small companies which propelled me forward and established me as a trusted advisor to C-Level Executives and Business Leaders at all levels. After being exposed to what I call the good the bad and the ugly I decided to write about my experiences working with a variety of Company Cultures and Leadership styles.
I published two books in 2016. A Company of Owners has been a huge hit with Executives, individual contributors, and Entrepreneurs alike. We are heading to our third printing and it has been called “Best book I have read since Good to Great” by several C-Level Executives.
Whiteboard: Business Models that Inspire Action is the first of its kind, hand drawn/written business books. The late great Leonard Cohen loved it so much he sent me an autographed copy of his poetry book. It is the first of my books to be printed in another language. Amarin Publishing is releasing it in Thai which is particularly gratifying since I grew up in Bangkok.
The books opened multiple doors including Keynote speaking opportunities for Bayer Crop Science, The National Restaurant Associations’ Innovation Summit, Verisign, Praxair, QSC, The International Panel Physicians Association, The Presidential Scholars, and more.
I published two more books in 2017. The Sink: Radical Transformation with One Small Change is about leaving the world better than you found it. And, Beached Whale: Learning to Swim in the New Ocean, a wakeup call and practical path forward for companies that find themselves stuck on a sand dune.
I have been branded The Culture Architect. I am convinced we are going through a massive shift in the way we think about and do work. I consider myself an Evolutionary who is out to Evolutionize Corporate America and companies all over the world. There is a reason the average company has a 29% engagement rate. I don’t believe it has to be that way. My Keynotes, books, podcast, and consulting are geared around showing a new path forward that greatly benefits companies large and small as well as the people who show up to work everyday.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road to where I am now has been a bumpy, winding, pothole-laden path. Personal and professional upheaval including a divorce required me to start from scratch a number of years ago. I used to get dressed up and go sit in a Starbucks somewhere early in the morning trying to figure out how to launch my new career as a consultant. Getting up the nerve to talk to a person who everyone seemed to know one morning landed me my first client. Working my connections and heavy networking landed me my first big opportunities.
I came to a crisis point where I decided I was going to stop talking about what I was going to do (write a book, establish my brand, etc.) and was actually going to DO it. People talk about opportunity knocking as if some grand advance is going to show up at your house and knock on your door. Opportunity does knock but it is you doing the knocking until the right doors open.
Overcoming fear, ego, and limiting beliefs were big steps in giving myself permission to be successful.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My ability to read people both individually and as a group place me in a unique position to assess company cultures and leadership and show practical steps for better results. My PhD in Psychology and thousands of hours of conversations with all kinds of people give me profound insights into what companies and leaders can do to perform at a peak level. I am unafraid to speak the truth regarding what is broken and am also equipped with the tools to actually improve the situation. CEO Bruce Sammis said “Daren Martin changed the trajectory of our company. We would not be where we are today without Daren Martin.” Growing up in Southeast Asia and having been in over 40 countries give me a broad perspective and worldview.
My books are simple quick reads with high impact. Most successful business people don’t have the time or patience to read 400 page repetitive business books. One of my favorite unsolicited reviews of A Company of Owners is “Imagine a guy from Brisbane laying on the couch reading your book and intermittently jumping up, pumping his fist in the air and shouting “f*** yes'”.
In my speaking, I abandoned things like PowerPoint years ago. I go for full on audience engagement. I want them to be entertained and educated all at the same time. My goal is to have them walk out with new ideas and behaviors that impact them from that day forward.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Southeast Asia during the height of the Vietnam war. We lived in Rayong, Thailand for a few years and we used to go to Utapo Airforce base to watch the B-52s take off. From 3.5 years of age to 18 I was mostly in Bangkok with intermittent spells in Louisiana where I was born. I graduated from the International School of Bangkok and returned to the US.
I was outgoing growing up but in retrospect not very confident. I loved having fun and hanging out with friends and wasn’t very serious about my studies. I read, road my bike, played the drums, listened to music, and spent as much time as I could with friends.
Pricing:
- My typical keynote is $15-25k but can vary depending on the engagement.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2011 Cedar Springs
Dallas, TX 75201 - Website: www.DarenMartin.com
- Phone: 469-471-5548
- Email: Daren@DarenMartin.com
- Instagram: darenmartinphd
- Facebook: https://goo.gl/Abhxg6
- Twitter: @DarenMartin
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
