The Action Catalyst With Rory Vaden

Chuck Runyon is the CEO at Self Esteem Brands: Anytime Fitness & Waxing The City. With more than 20 years of experience managing, owning and franchising health clubs, Chuck Runyon has distinguished himself as a leading authority in the field of fitness. Runyon revolutionized the fitness industry when he and Dave Mortensen co-founded Anytime Fitness – an alternative to big-box gyms which typically feature expensive “frills” that few members actually use or need. Under Runyon’s leadership, Anytime Fitness has earned numerous industry accolades, including the #1 Franchise on the planet, according to Entrepreneur magazine in 2015 & 2016, “One of America’s Most Promising Companies,” according to Forbes, and the “Fastest-Growing Fitness Club in the world,” according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). Additionally, Anytime Fitness has been honored as a “Top Franchise for Minorities” and “The Best Place to Work in Minnesota” three years in a row. In 2012, Self Esteem Brands

Dustin Hillis is an entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Southwestern Consulting. He has a degree in Psychology and is the author of the book Navigate: Selling The Way People Like To Buy and Co-author of newly released Navigate 2.0. He is the co-creator of the sales training curriculum Top Producer’s Edge & Manager’s Edge, which has been fully integrated by more than 5,000 sales professionals worldwide. More than just a teacher of sales, Dustin is a Top-Producing practitioner.  As a rookie dealer at Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct sales company in the US, he finished as the #1 salesperson among over 3,000 salespeople worldwide. A few years later, Dustin broke the over 160-year-old all-time sales record earning a profit of over $100,000 in a 14-week summer as a Junior in college. He is currently the #1 salesperson out of over 150,000 salespeople in the history of the company. Show Highlights: When scaling, duplicate your best practices. - Dustin HillisIt is the proven systems that are

Mark Divine is a highly sought after speaker, coach, author and makes frequent media appearances to discuss Seal way of life.  He is a U.S. Navy SEAL. BUD/S Class 170 Honorman, author and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Unbeatable Mind, Seal Fit & navySEALS.com . Mark is a highly sought after speaker for corporations where his Unbeatable Mind program is helping to forge mental toughness among business leaders. He lives in Encinitas, CA., several blocks from the SEALFIT Training Center, the 20,000 square foot facility where he enjoys training with his family and team. Show Highlights: You are capable of 20 times more than what you’re facing. - Mark DivineWin in your mind before the battle. - Mark DivineI cannot rely on the old way I use to perceive things. - Mark DivineDevelop Control over your breath and use it as a center for everything else. - Mark DivineBreath will lead you to be in physiological control of your body. - Mark DivineThat which you focus on tends to grow and take over. -

Ron Alford, Partner of Southwestern Consulting, is a certified Top Producer Consultant Sales and Leadership Coach. He specializes in teaching ethical sales techniques and strategies that individuals and teams can use to immediately grow their sales. Josh Hudson, President at Hudson's Furniture, is a leader of over 350 employees and 17 stores. He is an athlete and a father of four. Josh has been coaching with Ron for over a year. Show Highlights: Sometimes we need to learn to accept things. - Josh HudsonI learned how to look at myself and realized I was part of the problem. - Josh HudsonWe all see things differently, no one is right or wrong, just different. - Josh HudsonDo everything to understand what is going on with your coaching client. - Ron AlfordLook for reoccurring themes and think big picture. - Ron AlfordOur strengths can sometimes be our challenge as well. - Ron AlfordWe are not just building revenue, we are building a life. - Ron AlfordMy marriage has even gotten better as a r

John David Mann is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Public Speaker, and Entrepreneur. As an award-winning author, his writings have earned the Axiom Business Book Award (Gold Medal, for The Go-Giver), the Nautilus Award (for A Deadly Misunderstanding), and Taiwan’s Golden Book Award for Innovation (for You Call the Shots). The Go-Giver was also honored with the Living Now Book Awards “Evergreen Medal” in 2017 for its “contributions to positive global change,” and cited on Inc.’s “Most Motivational Books Ever Written” and HubSpot’s “20 Most Highly Rated Sales Books of All Time”; The Go-Giver Leader was listed on Entrepreneur magazine’s “10 Books Every Leader Should Read” and Forbes magazine’s “8 Books Every Young Leaders Should Read.” His 2012 Take the Lead (with Betsy Myers) was named Best Leadership Book of 2011 by Tom Peters and the Washington Post. His books are published in more than two dozen languages and have sold more than 2 million copies. John coauthored the international bestselling classic 

Donald Miller is a student of story. He’s the author of New York Times Best Sellers: Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and his most recent book Building a Story Brand. He co-wrote the major motion picture “Blue Like Jazz” which debuted at the SXSW Film Festival and was listed as one of the top four movies to get you through freshman year by USA Today. Currently, he helps people live a better story and helps leaders grow their businesses at www.storybrand.com. Donald lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Betsy, and their chocolate lab, Lucy. Show Highlights: If you confuse you lose. - Donald Miller ‏If your branding is confusing you’re invisible. - Donald Miller ‏Customers give you zero time to learn about your brand. - Donald Miller ‏Your customer is the hero, not you. - Donald Miller ‏A story starts when a character has a problem. - Donald Miller ‏Communicate in a customer centric message. - Donald Miller ‏If there are not stakes in the story, there is no story. - Don

DeVon Franklin is a New York Times bestselling author, spiritual success coach, and the CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a production company in conjunction with 20th Century Fox. He is the producer of the box office hit Miracles from Heaven and the upcoming animated film, The Star, for Sony Pictures Animation. He’s Dr. Oz’s go-to guy for spiritual success coaching on The Dr. Oz Show and he’s the co-host of the TLC event series, This Is Life Live. Variety named DeVon one of the “10 Producers to Watch” and Beliefnet called him one of the “Most Influential Christians Under 40.” He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Wait (co-written with his wife, award-winning actress Meagan Good) and Produced By Faith. Find more at devonfranklin.com. “In the 20 years I’ve known DeVon, he’s lived his life the same way he makes his movies: with commitment, humility, and a work ethic that demands respect.” – Will Smith Show Highlights: Your discipline contributes to your destiny. - DeVon FranklinWh

Kris Allen was born June 21, 1985, in Jacksonville, Arkansas. He had an early interest in music, which stayed with him through college, church involvement, and missionary work in other countries. In 2009, he became a finalist on the eighth season of American Idol, and triumphed over fellow finalist Adam Lambert in the season finale. He was the first married contestant to win the competition. Show Highlights: My dream was so big, I didn’t know how to move towards it. - Kris AllenI was surprised at the results every round. - Kris AllenAll the time I spent playing in my room and in bars prepared me for the show. - Kris AllenI am incredibly lucky and blessed that this happened to me. - Kris AllenI do not take winning American Idol for granted. - Kris AllenMy time on the show felt incredibly surreal. - Kris AllenWhen Ryan announced my name, I knew life was going to change. - Kris AllenI thought I would never play an instrument again. - Kris AllenLearning to play again has been hard, but I am a better

Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of five books including Do Over: Make today the first day of your new career,and his newest book, Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done. For 20 years he’s helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. Most recently he’s spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences, colleges, companies and churches. Featured regularly on national media, Jon has been seen on CNN, Fox News, Good Day LA and several other key outlets. In addition, Jon is also a big proponent of social media with blogs that have been read by 4 million people and more than 290,000 twitter followers. In 2010 he used his influence with his tribe to build two kindergartens in Vietnam. Jon lives with his wife Jenny and two daughters in Franklin, TN. Show Highlights: Which lessons about goals work and which are causing damage? @JonAcuff“Shoot for the moon so you’ll land with the stars” d

Ken Blanchard is a prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant. He is respected for his lifetime of groundbreaking research and thought leadership that has influenced the day-to-day management and leadership of people and companies throughout the world. With a passion to turn every leader into a servant leader, Ken shares his insightful and powerful message with audiences around the world through speeches, consulting services, and bestselling books. When Ken speaks, he speaks from the heart with warmth and humor. No matter how large the audience, he is able to communicate with each person as if the two of them were alone and talking one on one. He is a sophisticated storyteller with a knack for making the seemingly complex easy to understand. Ken's impact as an author is far reaching. His iconic 1982 classic, The One Minute Manager, coauthored with Spencer Johnson, has sold more than 13 million copies and remains on bestseller lists today. In the past three decades he has authored o

Debbie Lee is an author, public speaker and CEO of America’s Mighty Warriors who travels the nation telling her son's amazing story and advocating and supporting our troops, their families and families of the fallen. Debbie understands the sacrifice our troops make and that “Freedom isn’t free.” On Aug 2, 2006 she received a knock on the door that would forever change her life. She was notified that her son Marc Alan Lee had been killed in action becoming the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq. Since that day Debbie has dedicated her life to honoring our troops and the families of the fallen, defending our defenders and fighting to keep the freedoms that our troops have fought for. She has worked tirelessly to ensure that our troops and military and Gold Star families have access to respite and important services that help assist recovery after injury or loss. By God’s strength she chose to rise above the most devastating circumstance of her life to impact other’s lives giving them hope and encouragement. In r

Ben Newman is a Best-Selling Author, International Speaker and highly regarded Performance Coach whose clients include Fortune 500 companies, business executives, high performing and professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, WNBA as well as the NCAA. Ben’s most recent book, “Leave YOUR Legacy” was ranked by CEO READ as a Top 25 business book of 2015! Recently, Ben joined Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney to kickoff Jon Gordon’s Power of Positive Summit that included Tony Robbins, Michael Hyatt, Lewis Howes, Tamika Catchings, Andy Andrews and other great speakers from around the world. Ben also serves as the Performance Coach for the record setting 5-straight Division I National Football Champion North Dakota State Bison. Known for his ability to inspire and motivate with actionable steps, Ben has presented to numerous FORTUNE 500 companies and other notable organizations, including Great West Life-Canada, the United States Army, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Quicken Loans, Cintas, Northwestern Mut

Dr. Gary Chapman has degrees from some of the most respected colleges and seminaries. He's written some of the best-selling books of the past decade and appeared on thousands of radio and television programs across the country. But Dr. Gary Chapman knows more than just a lot of scholarly theories and practical advice—he knows people. He knows how to relate to people, how to have fun and how to make people laugh. Chapman is a well-known marriage counselor and director of marriage seminars. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, that air on more than 400 stations. The 5 Love Languages, one of Chapman’s most popular titles, topped various bestseller charts for years. It has been published in 50 languages, sold more than ten million copies and is currently on the New York Times best-seller list. 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of The 5 Love Languages book.  Chapman has been directly involved in real-l

Jason Dorsey wrote his first bestselling book at age 18. He’s the most sought-after Millennials and Gen Z researcher and speaker, receiving over 1,000 speaking requests each year. His gift is solving tough generational challenges for companies and leaders through his unique research, results-based consulting, and acclaimed presentations. He delivers practical solutions grounded in research that drive measurable results for clients. Jason has been featured as a Millennials and generations expert on 60 Minutes, 20/20, The Today Show, The Early Show and over 100 more TV interviews. Adweek calls Jason a “research guru” and The New York Times featured him in its cover story on marketing to Millennials. His repeat clients include industry leaders such as Mercedes-Benz, Four Seasons Hotels, SAS, Wells Fargo, VISA, and many more. Jason has headlined speaking events from India and Egypt to Ireland, Chile, Canada, Norway, and all 50 US states. Jason is the Co-Founder and Millennials and Gen Z Researcher at The Ce

Dianna Booher is the bestselling author of 47 books, published in 60 foreign-language editions, with nearly 4 million copies sold. Her personal development topics include leadership communication, executive presence, writing, and life balance. Her most popular titles include: Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, and Act Like a Leader• What MORE Can I Say? Why Communication Fails and What to Do About It• Communicate With Confidence: How to Say It Right, the First Time and Every Time• Speak With Confidence: Powerful Presentations That Inspire, Inform, and PersuadeCommunicate Like A Leader: Connecting Strategically to Coach, Inspire, and Get Things Done National media such as Good Morning America, USAToday, The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Bloomberg, Forbes.com, FOX, CNN, NPR, Success, FastCompany.com, and Entrepreneur have interviewed her for opinions on critical workplace communication issues. Keynotes, consulting, and training clients include IBM, Exxon Mobil, JP Morgan C

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international bestselling author and noted expert on leadership, team building, customer service and change. He has created and appeared in 20 videos and numerous audio training programs. His video series Team Building: How to Motivate and Manage People made it to the #2 spot for bestselling educational video series in the U.S. Mark’s list of over 2600 clients includes Costco, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, KPMG, Morton’s of Chicago, New York Life, RE/MAX, ServiceMaster, ESPN, GM, IBM, Avnet, Sandvik and John Deere. Show Highlights:  The only thing holding you back from getting better is the lack of desire to do so. - Mark SanbornStrength overused becomes a liability. - Mark SanbornUse all four areas of the potential matrix to create synergy in improvement. - Mark SanbornThe path to improvement is

Henry Bedford is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Southwestern Company. He achieved a B.A. in Economics from The University of The South and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He has more than 30 years in sales and business management with progressive promotions within the company. Henry began his career with the Southwestern Company as a Student Dealer in 1972 and he specializes in financial management, creating equity plans, and leadership. Show Highlights: The more layers you have in between the leadership and others, the less leaders are in touch with the real needs of the company. - Henry BedfordUse the “Show me” approach. - Henry BedfordI don’t want to be right, I want to be for what’s right. - Henry BedfordAs you move away from emotions and closer to the facts, everyone starts to agree. - Henry BedfordIn our startups, we put very little capital on the front end. - Henry BedfordFor startups: create a tract to run on, put everything in writing, and begin leading

Tom Bilyeu is the co-founder of 2014 Inc. 500 company Quest Nutrition — a unicorn startup valued at over $1 billion — and the co-founder and host of Impact Theory. Tom’s mission is the creation of empowering media-based IP and the acceleration of mission-based businesses. Personally driven to help people develop the skills they will need to improve themselves and the world, Tom is intent to use commerce to address the dual pandemics of physical and mental malnourishment. Tom is a forever student of life. His obsession with mastering skills has molded him into a well-rounded leader, battle-hardened and unafraid to fire moonshots. Show Highlights: If you’re willing to do the hard work to execute your vision there is little that is off limits. - Tom BilyeuSocial media isn’t a distraction, but a powerful tool to build community. - Tom BilyeuNobody will act for the many but people will act for the one. - Tom BilyeuWhen you have a team willing to dream big and do what needs to be done to execute on

Dave Brown is a Founding Partner of Southwestern Consulting and one of the driving forces in making Southwestern Consulting what it is today. He is a world leader in training people to eliminate their call reluctance through his award winning speech and book Painless Prospecting. He lives out the 160+ year Southwestern Principles in all he does. Dave is a sales and sales leadership practitioner first and everything else second. When he is not on stage or on the phone selling something he is spending time with his wife, kids, friends and dog. He is still very active with sports around his community and is a wine fanatic that is preparing the soil on his land outside of Nashville for their family’s future Tennessee Winery already named "Brown Family Sellers.” Show Highlights: Learn to say positive things about rejection. - Dave BrownPray for your nos. - Dave BrownAsks everyone, even if they reject you, for referrals. - Dave BrownWhen you're rejected, you are intercepting the negativity for some

When Ziglar Family CEO, Mark Timm, heard Zig Ziglar speak for the first time almost 3 decades ago, it changed his life direction. Mr. Ziglar’s timeless principles inspired Mark to start more than a dozen successful businesses. But when his business success didn’t transfer to his family life, Mark and his wife Ann got intentional about applying those time-tested Ziglar principles to leading and growing a successful, blended family with six children. Today as CEO of Ziglar Family, Mark passionately shares the Ziglar principles that have worked so well for his family to empower millions of other families around the world. Ziglar principles have guided Mark to significant achievements, from becoming a national FFA officer as a teen, to becoming a highly successful entrepreneur and starting more than 12 businesses.  He has spoken professionally for over 25 years, giving thousands of speeches to over one million people in 48 states. But his highest priority is to keep his family as the most important thing. Togethe