Episode Spotlight

Stepping on a few people on the climb to the top is common strategy for those trying to succeed in business. Even entrepreneurs are guilty of this approach, confusing aggressiveness with ambition. Our mothers always told us that you catch more bees with honey, so why can’t we apply this to business when trying to make connections that propel us forward? After all, starting up a business requires a dose of kindness when rounding up investors, partners and people who support your dream.

The authors of The Power of Nice, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, encourage the listeners of StartupNation Radio to plant the seeds of niceness on their path of entrepreneurship. They outline ways to find your inner nice guy and reasons why successful people have encouraged rather than alienated others.

About Robin Koval

Robin Koval has been a driving force in the advertising world for over 20 years. A marketing strategist and new products expert, her experience spans almost every category from beauty and beverages to distilled spirits and pharmaceuticals. Her successes include the daring “Yes, Yes, Yes” of Herbal Essences and the Aflac Duck quack heard round the world. Simply put, Robin helps marketers get noticed. While her mark has been on the management side, her roots are creative, having begun her career as a graphic designer. She has made an art form out of problem solving and making her client’s sales skyrocket. Robin is the President of The Kaplan Thaler Group and is responsible for the general management of the agency including client services, strategic development, and new business and KTG’s Buzz unit. A founding member of the agency with Linda Kaplan Thaler, she has helped KTG grow from a fledgling start-up to $1 billion dollars in billings.

About Linda Kaplan Thaler

Linda Kaplan Thaler has been responsible for some of the most touching, relevant and famous commercials during her 25 years in the advertising and entertainment business. She is acclaimed within the industry for her innovative and topical approach. Much of her work has become part of the American pop-culture landscape. She has authored and composed campaign jingles that are among the industry’s gold standard. Some examples are: “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid” (Toys ‘R’ Us), “Kodak Moments” (Eastman Kodak), and “The Heart of Communication” (Bell Atlantic). Of her 13 Clio Awards, two were for Best Original Music and Lyrics.

Today, Linda is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of The Kaplan Thaler Group, which she founded in 1997. KTG has been ranked by industry publications as the fastest-growing New York agency and touted for its breakthrough creative and immediate results. Its blue-chip clients include Procter & Gamble's Clairol Herbal Essences, Dawn and Swiffer, Aflac, Continental Airlines, Marshalls, Pfizer, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Office Depot, Outback Steakhouse, the American Red Cross, Revlon, U.S. Bank and Trojan.