Few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard. A prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate individuals in business today. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.

Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken also spends time as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees.

Ken has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the fields of management, leadership, and speaking. The National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the "Council of Peers Award of Excellence." He was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International. Ken also received The Thought Leadership Award for continued support of work-related learning and performance by ISA--The Association of Learning Providers. Ken has been inducted into Amazon's Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-selling authors of all time. The business school at Grand Canyon University bears his name. In addition, Ken teaches students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Ken received a master's degree from Colgate University, and a bachelor's and PhD from Cornell University. An avid golfer, Ken belongs to the Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland.

Dr. Marc Muchnick is a leading authority on human behavior who is on a mission to help people live life with no more regrets. Marc's last book, The Leadership Pill (coauthored with Ken Blanchard), was a best seller on the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and Amazon.com lists, has sold over 125,000 copies, and has been translated into 18 languages worldwide.

Beyond being an engaging author, Dr. Muchnick is an online professor and research mentor for over 12 years in the Ph.D. and MBA programs at Capella University's School of Business and Technology. Marc has chaired over 70 doctoral dissertations and taught over 150 courses in his academic career.

In addition, Dr. Muchnick is a sought after motivational speaker, life coach, and consultant. He is also the founder of People First Group, LLC, a consulting firm servicing leading organizations including start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 companies such as Dell Computers, Sony, Invitrogen, Hilton Hotels, Delta Air Lines, McDonald's, AT&T Wireless, Fidelity Investments, IBM, Bayer, Boeing, Estee Lauder Companies, Cox Communications, Zales Jewelers, Petco, Marriott Hotels, JC Penney, Republic Waste Services, Symantec, National Car Rental, the Federal Reserve Bank, Cigna Healthcare, the Central Intelligence Agency, Aveda Salons, University of Nebraska, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotels.

Marc lives in San Diego with his wife, two children, and dog Cali, and is in his 19th year as a Big Brother in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program of America. Marc is a leader, a motivator, a coach, an educator, a problem solver, and an individual who inspires others by walking his talk.