“The Champion’s Code: Building Relationships Through Life Lessons of Integrity and Accountability from the Sports World to the Business World”

The best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross Bernstein is an award-winning peak performance hall of fame business speaker whose keynoted conferences for Fortune 500 companies on all seven continents and has been featured on CNN, ESPN, Fox News, and “CBS This Morning,” as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today.

Ross’ program is all about the DNA of what makes champions in sports so unique and how that relates to business. It’s based on a series of books he wrote in which he was able to interview more than 1,000 professional athletes and coaches that all had one thing in common — they were all members of championship teams. In his research, he concluded that the same metrics and characteristics that were common among champions in sports, were also common among peak performers in business. There are reasons certain teams win consistently, whereas others don’t… and Ross explains why. It’s based largely on the “Good to Great” concept of how the best companies are able to separate themselves from the rest of the pack through servant leadership, by creating a culture of excellence, by developing deeper relationships, and by giving extraordinary customer service.

Ross weaves sports stories, about the DNA of champions, along with stories of companies who he has worked with around the world — and shares best practice ideas on ways to overcome disruption, while ultimately building stronger relationships. At the core of his message is the simple fact that we like to do business with people who we trust, who we like, and who just “get it”— CHAMPIONS.

In an engaging, provocative, and visually entertaining style, Ross will use inspirational stories and poignant life lessons from the world of sports to show attendees how to:

• Create a “culture of excellence” by giving extraordinary customer service
• Generate momentum by utilizing the “currency of karma”
• Follow their moral compasses to win “the right way,” with respect, ethics, and integrity
• Be better leaders and create more “buy-in” by embracing change and failure
• Evolve from “order takers” to “trusted partners” by enhancing the quality of their relationships

Ross Bernstein

Ross Bernstein is the best-selling author of nearly fifty sports books! He is an award-winning, Hall of Fame, peak-performance, business speaker who’s keynoted conferences on all seen continents and has been featured on CNN, “CBS-This-Morning,” ESPN, and Fox News, as well as in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today.

His mission today is to get us all thinking differently about how we can raise our game to the next level.

Get the results from ISA’s recent PULSE SURVEY to Manufacturers and IMRs on what the future IMR agency will look like and need to do to thrive and remain relevant in our channel. We’re unpacking the gaps and opportunities between Manufactures and IMRs. Survey results will be shared side-by-side to spark the discussions needed around the alignments and disconnects so we can close the gap and create a stronger future together.

Brendan Breen and an IMR/Manufacturer panel will walk you through the analytics and takeaways to help position your agency and sales strategy for the future.

Brendan Breen

Brendan brings over 10 years of experience from the association world to ISA. Focused on the evolving needs of our stakeholders, Brendan develops and drives strategies that ensure ISA Leads the Channel Forward® helping member companies thrive.

Join Harly Savage and a panel of your peers as they walk through the “how” to future proof the IMR/Manufacturer partnership. As in any relationship, it’s about both sides doing what it takes to keep the partnership healthy and thriving. Get the first look and learn about the SCORECARD this taskforce of IMRs and Manufacturers have put together to help both the IMR and Manufacturer future proof their relationship.

Harly Savage

Harly grew up with Hassay Savage Broach Co. and was the 3^rd generation family member at the company when he started his professional career there in 2000. Harly headed up the Sales and Supply Chain teams at JDH Pacific from 2006-2017 and was importing OEM industrial components from Asia for Fortune 1000 manufacturers. Coast Industrial Sales, founded in 1982, welcomed Harly into the Industrial Manufacturer Representatives family in 2017.

Harly and his wife Cee are blessed with 5 year old son Talan Boon and 3 year old daughter Raya Reyn. Travel, nature walks, sports, arts & crafts, and reading are some of the regular Savage family activities … and of course dinosaurs for Talan and princesses for Raya!  Harly studied International Business at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ and went on to gain his MBA at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. Harly currently sits on the ISA/IMR Committee and enjoys giving back to the industry that has been so instrumental in his family’s legacy.

Join Brendan Breen and a panel of your peers as they walk through the thought process when IMRs are the right fit for a Manufacturer’s sales strategy. Direct vs variable costs, Distributor/End User access, growth/retention strategies, and more are all part of the science and the art. Get the first look and learn about the FIT GUIDE this task force of IMRs and Manufacturers have put together to help the principal and sales leader make the right decision for their organization.

Brendan Breen

Brendan brings over 10 years of experience from the association world to ISA. Focused on the evolving needs of our stakeholders, Brendan develops and drives strategies that ensure ISA Leads the Channel Forward® helping member companies thrive.

Join Brendan Breen as he facilitates round table breakouts to talk through the learnings of the day. NETWORK with your peers to exchange ideas, stimulate your creative juices and land on your key takeaways to put into practice and hit the ground running when you get back to the office. Don’t sweat the virtual, we’ll keep the breakout groups small so everyone gets a front row seat and can engage in the conversation. You will get a copy of the collective learning and will walk away with a broader and deeper understanding of the topic. ISA Roundtables – the power of peer to peer learning!

Brendan Breen

Brendan brings over 10 years’ experience from the association world to ISA. Focused on the evolving needs of our stakeholders, Brendan develops and drives strategies that ensure ISA Leads the Channel Forward ® helping member companies thrive.

Join hosts, Craig Lindsay and Patrick Curry, for a quick end of day Q&A and wrap up as day one of SalesWerks comes to a close.

Chill, relax and raise a glass. Reconnect with friends of old and make new acquaintances. We may be virtual, but networking is in our DNA!

Craig Lindsay

Craig established Pacesetter Sales & Associates in 1992 after spending 14 years in Distribution which provided him with a good understanding of the Canadian market to help Manufacturers develop their business in an ideal market for the Independent Rep model. Initially focused on Safety Products yet with a view to the future, Craig established a second division within Pacesetter committed to providing selling services to a channel of Industrial product Manufacturers. Now with two divisions and national representation in both, Craig leads a team of 15 people focused on providing quality partnerships with industry-leading Manufacturers in the Canadian market. Past Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Professional Sales Association, Past Board of Directors member for MANA, Craig is now Chair of the ISA IMR 2.0 Committee representing IMR’s on the ISA Board of Directors.

Patrick Curry

Patrick Curry is a leader in manufacturing who has significantly impacted sales, quality improvement, and on-time delivery for the companies he’s been a part of. Patrick is President and Partner of Fullerton Tool Company, a manufacturer of precision-made solid carbide cutting tools. He is also, President and Owner of Endurance Carbide, a manufacturer of carbide dies, bushings, gages, punches, and quills. He is a third-generation Curry involved in both companies and continues to invest in equipment, facilities, and personnel development for both companies. As President, Patrick is responsible for creating and leading the company’s vision and implementing the necessary strategies to enable that vision for both Fullerton Tool Company and Endurance Carbide.

Patrick gives back to the manufacturing industry and local community through his service on a variety of Boards and Committees, including the Michigan Manufacturing Association, Great Lakes Manufacturing Association, and the Saginaw Future. He was named Michigan Manufacturer of the Year in 2014 and also received the Michigan Economic Bright Spot Award.

Patrick earned his BSBA in Industrial Engineering and Production Management from Central Michigan University. Patrick and his wife reside in Saginaw, Michigan, and have 3 children together – Greyson, Aidan, and Isabella. Patrick is active in community youth sports programs and enjoys traveling, golfing, fishing, and hunting in his leisure time.

Join Brendan Breen as he facilitates round table breakouts to talk through the learnings of the day. NETWORK with your peers to exchange ideas, stimulate your creative juices, and land on your key takeaways to put into practice and hit the ground running when you get back to the office. Don’t sweat the virtual, we’ll keep the breakout groups small so everyone gets a front-row seat and can engage in the conversation. You will get a copy of the collective learning and will walk away with a broader and deeper understanding of the topic. ISA Roundtables – the power of peer-to-peer learning!

Brendan Breen

Brendan brings over 10 years’ experience from the association world to ISA. Focused on the evolving needs of our stakeholders, Brendan develops and drives strategies that ensure ISA Leads the Channel Forward ® helping member companies thrive.

James Dorn

James is the President & CEO of the Dorn Group. He is a proven leader with more than 25 years of consulting experience helping growth-minded executives across manufacturing and distribution firms build modern revenue growth strategies. James is a true innovator and results-oriented executive that draws upon a mix of market-back principles, competitive intelligence, agile strategic planning and data-driven decisions to help commercial teams more effectively acquire, grow and retain customers. He emphasizes the power of alignment across the product, marketing, sales and service teams for helping industrial firms build more efficient and effective business models that win market share.

J. Schneider

J is the Managing Director of the Consulting Practice at the Dorn Group. J is an enthusiastic and collaborative leader, author and public speaker with the unique ability of helping leadership teams both formalize their vision for growth and implement change management across cross-functional teams. With over 25 years of conducting business in the EU, South America, EMEA and Asia for global manufacturers and distributors of industrial, commercial, aerospace and high-tech solutions, J brings unique, well-informed operating insights to the table that show industrial focused firms how to reduce unnecessary inefficiencies while hitting growth targets. J captures experiences from the field to fuel a customer–back approach in helping industrials develop company-wide innovation, strategic plans and customer experience improvements.

Converting LinkedIn Connections to Conversations – Prospecting 2.0

Prospecting in a post-COVID world requires next-level digital skills. If you are in Sales or Marketing, getting more “at-bats” with decision-makers is the difference-maker. It’s all about starting the conversation, getting your ideal buyers excited to take your call… but you have to earn the right to make that happen!

In this 60-minute session, Brynne Tillman, CEO of Social Sales Link and the LinkedIn Whisperer will take you through the journey of positioning yourself as the subject matter expert and thought leader that is attracting the right people on a consistent basis.

What you will learn:

• The social selling mindset that proves to your buyers that they actually matter to you
• Positioning your profile to be value-centric not just a resume or worse yet a pitch deck
• Finding and engaging targeted connections that you have been ignoring
• Leveraging your clients to get referrals
• Exactly what to do and say to get raised hands and appointments set

Brynne Tillman

Brynne Tillman is the LinkedIn Whisperer and CEO of Social Sales Link.

For over a decade she has been teaching Entrepreneurs, sales teams and business leaders how to leverage LinkedIn for social selling.

As a former sales trainer and personal producer, Brynne adopted all of the traditional sales techniques and adapted them to the new digital world.

She guides professionals to establish a thought leader and subject matter expert brand, find and engage the right targeted market, and leverage clients and networking partners for warm introductions into qualified buyers.

Join Dave Wright and a panel of your peers as they walk through the power of SalesWerks CERTIFICATION. You will learn what it takes to get certified, stay certified and get the first look at the next step of certification – 3.0.

Your SalesWerks Chairs will join in to bring it all together for a final wrap-up and Q&A.

Dave Wright

Dave is the president of W.G. Wright & Associates based in Portland, Oregon. W.G. Wright was started by Bill Wright in 1977. Dave joined the company in 1987 and purchased it in 2000. W.G. Wright services the Construction, Industrial, and Safety markets in the five Pacific Northwest states. Dave has served on the IMR committee for six years. When not working, Dave enjoys supporting his alma mater the University of Oregon, golfing, hiking, and barbecuing. Dave and his wife Sarah live in West Linn, OR.

Craig Lindsay

Craig established Pacesetter Sales & Associates in 1992 after spending 14 years in Distribution which provided him with a good understanding of the Canadian market to help Manufacturers develop their business in an ideal market for the Independent Rep model. Initially focused on Safety Products yet with a view to the future, Craig established a second division within Pacesetter committed to providing selling services to a channel of Industrial product Manufacturers. Now with two divisions and national representation in both, Craig leads a team of 15 people focused on providing quality partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers in the Canadian market. Past Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Professional Sales Association, Past Board of Directors member for MANA, Craig is now Chair of the ISA IMR 2.0 Committee representing IMR’s on the ISA Board of Directors.

Patrick Curry

Patrick Curry is a leader in manufacturing who has significantly impacted sales, quality improvement, and on-time delivery for the companies he’s been a part of. Patrick is President and Partner of Fullerton Tool Company, a manufacturer of precision-made solid carbide cutting tools. He is also, President and Owner of Endurance Carbide, a manufacturer of carbide dies, bushings, gages, punches, and quills. He is a third-generation Curry involved in both companies and continues to invest in equipment, facilities, and personnel development for both companies. As President, Patrick is responsible for creating and leading the company’s vision and implementing the necessary strategies to enable that vision for both Fullerton Tool Company and Endurance Carbide.

Patrick gives back to the manufacturing industry and local community through his service on a variety of Boards and Committees, including the Michigan Manufacturing Association, Great Lakes Manufacturing Association, and the Saginaw Future. He was named Michigan Manufacturer of the Year in 2014 and also received the Michigan Economic Bright Spot Award.

Patrick earned his BSBA in Industrial Engineering and Production Management from Central Michigan University. Patrick and his wife reside in Saginaw, Michigan and have 3 children together – Greyson, Aidan, and Isabella. Patrick is active in community youth sports programs and enjoys traveling, golfing, fishing, and hunting in his leisure time.

Brendan Breen

Brendan brings over 10 years of experience from the association world to ISA. Focused on the evolving needs of our stakeholders, Brendan develops and drives strategies that ensure ISA Leads the Channel Forward® helping member companies thrive.