“I actually learn more about people by the questions they ask than the questions I ask them,” Ryan noted, “It shows how much research they’ve done, how much interest they have, and how much curiosity they have.”
As a boy growing up tall in South Carolina, Ryan Alford developed plenty of drive going toe-to-toe with another intense basketball player, young Kevin Garnett, and even played briefly on the same AAU team as the now NBA Hall of Famer. After graduating from Eastside High School, Ryan went to college at Clemson, not to pursue basketball but rather business. From there, he worked as a “Mad Man” in New York before returning to South Carolina to join Erwin Penland, a South Carolina ad agency. Before he was through there, Ryan would be part of a team that built a $50 million advertising account with Verizon Wireless, including the launch of the iPhone, beating out several big Manhattan agencies in the process.
Today, he runs his own marketing consultancy, where he cultivates the kind of “radical” thinking needed to provide world-class services to clients. If you are a business leader interested in maximizing your team’s creativity, this podcast is for you, offering insights that include two entrepreneurial qualities that corporate leaders can cultivate today.
You will learn:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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