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[0:14] Robert Bannon: Welcome to the round table, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. I look, I love Robert. I love people named Robert. I already know that our next guest is going to be my buddy because we share a name. So listen, we're on the round table. We're on the Broadway Podcast Network, we're on Broadway World, and one of my favorite things is to read books to inspire me and inspire you. And our next guest, I don't know, I was counting, but I lost count. I don't know, 16 books. He's written a lot of books. He's run an incredible company. He's worked with many Fortune 500 companies to get it together. I call him a PR Maven and Guru. Maybe he can give us all some pointers on how to get out here and do what we're doing.

His books are out and they've been inspiring people all around the entire world, and they're out and about now. We can get your copy on the newest book. I already put mine in the Amazon cart. Where's your Amazon cart? You need to get your Amazon cart and get your book, and we're gonna talk all about it. Our guest today, I'm really excited and inspired to be here. The book is out. Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership is called Character. It's got all of the ingredients, how they led and led with grace and humility. The best leaders are the ones that are just good, genuine people, and he's gonna tell us about it. Robert Dilenschneider is here, and I'm excited to have you.

[1:25] Robert Dilenschneider: Mr. Bannon, it's lovely to be on the show. You have a great reputation, and you've done a fantastic job over the years. So this is a real privilege to be with you.

[1:34] Robert Bannon: No, it's a privilege to be with you. Do you know what you've done in your life? Do you get it?

[1:40] Robert Dilenschneider: I try to get it. I told my kids, but they don't agree.

[1:45] Robert Bannon: That's their job.

[1:47] Robert Dilenschneider: But in business, how do you describe your title? Do you have a way to describe yourself in your business world?

[1:56] Robert Dilenschneider: I try as hard as I possibly can to advise people at all levels, whether it's a CEO of a big corporation or somebody trying to get a job, somebody in the corporation who's trying to do work. I try to advise them on the next step for them and what they should do. Too often, people take that next step and don't know what to do, and they fall into a trap. Unfortunately, there are people out there that try to damage other people. If you're in that trap, you could be damaged very easily. So take your care and take advice and do the right thing. Very important. I worked with a guy today who wanted to pay $90,000 to somebody. I said to him in a nice way, don't pay the money. He said, What do you mean I've got to pay?

I said, No, you don't. I said, let me come up with two or three alternatives for you. He said, What do we do with the 90,000? I said, put it in the bank and get some interest on it. But don't pay the money. Because the people who want him to pay the money are trying to shaft him. So he won't, I don't think he'll pay the money.

[3:11] Robert Dilenschneider: I spoke about 15 minutes ago to a beautiful, beautiful woman. She's constantly hit on by other people. She said, What do I do? I really don't like this. And she's not connected with anybody. I said, look, you just need to be very careful, find a way to turn people off when they try to hit on you. That's what you should do. And she said, Do you want to practice it? And I said, I don't hit on anybody, so I'm not sure I can, but I'll do what I can to help you. So this afternoon we're gonna have a conversation with this woman, and I guess I'm gonna say, you know, you want to have a coffee or a drink or whatever to try to get her moving. And she's gonna come up with the answer. And if she doesn't, and my guess is she won't, I won't have to talk to her about how to do that. So the biggest issue for her place will be not getting into the situation, and that's the biggest and smartest thing for her to do.

[4:18] Robert Bannon: I love that people come to you. You become a problem solver for people or a motivational, you uplift people, you give them the courage and strength to do what they are afraid to do.

[4:31] Robert Dilenschneider: Yes, and I think that's correct. Oftentimes it's people in a situation where they just don't know what to do, and they're flouncing around and not knowing what to do, they frequently do the wrong thing. When they do the wrong thing, it can be pretty embarrassing because once you fall into the hole, it's tough to climb out. So that's the issue.

[4:55] Robert Bannon: Well, look, reading about you and your career from Ohio State to Notre Dame or Notre Dame to Ohio State or however the direction it went in, and then your journey to business. Why did you go into PR? Why was PR your group and all the success that you had as a businessman? Why out of all the businesses out there was that the avenue that attracted you?

[5:15] Robert Dilenschneider: Pure luck. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and my dad ran the newspaper there, and one day he came home for lunch. He never came home for lunch, and we're just sitting at this round table, and he slid across the table the ticket. I said, What's this? He said, It's a bus ticket to New York City. Go to New York City and make your way. I said, But dad, I don't know anybody in New York. He said, You'll figure out how to meet them. So I did take the Trailways bus to the Port Authority Terminal. I then walked over to Times Square. And if you've been in Times Square, Bob, you've met some curious people, I'm sure. But I did meet a guy who told me he's very well connected. You don't belong in Times Square.

You don't belong on Broadway. Go see somebody else. So I went to Old VM, the advertising company, and they offered me a job at $11,000 a year. That's a long time ago. And I said, I'll take it. The guy who offered me the job was named Sam Fry. I said, Mr. Fry, I'll take it. Fry said, I want you to go over to this other firm, Hill Moulton, and see if you like them better. I said, Mr. Fry, I want your job because I was terrified it was gonna go away. But he said, No, no, it'll be here tomorrow. Go over to the other firm, which I did. Fry had offered me 11,000. Hill and Moulton offered me 10,000, and I took it because I really liked the people. They were all from my part of the world, pretty much all the same values.

I really liked it. And so I was there for many, many years. I started right at the bottom. I was the youngest person in the firm, and I ended up running the firm of 12,000 people with 56 offices all over the country, all over the world. And so that's what happened. And then about 20 years ago, I said to myself, this is crazy. Why don't I just start doing this for myself? And I broke away and started my own company, and it's worked out pretty well. That's a long-winded way of answering your question.

[7:27] Robert Bannon: Do you make good money doing that? That's for sure. PR firms and all, but what gave you the courage to start your own business?

[7:35] Robert Dilenschneider: The guy who was overseeing Hill and Oldman at that time asked me to break the law. I said, you know, I can't do that. I said, you'd be pretty good, but I can't do it. And he said, No, you have to break the law. I said, I'm not gonna do it. So we're at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York, which dates back because it's closed now. I walked out on 52nd Street, and he said, What are you gonna do? I said, I'm not gonna go back and work for you. I'm not going to break the law. And the other guy said, What are you gonna do? I had no idea. I walked home. I went to my apartment at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street. I got into the apartment and the phone started ringing from people I knew who became my clients, big clients, and it was terrific.

Ford Motor Company is one of them, and it was wonderful. I had Ford for the last 25 years, a great client. A great company, and right here in Detroit. That's why he said that because we're right here in this. The other thing the Ford people want is they don't want the Lions to lose, and they don't want the Tigers to lose, but they're both lousy teams, so they both lose.

[8:51] Robert Bannon: We're trying to get better, Robert. We're trying to get better at the Lions are trying. I don't know about the Tigers, but oh, and definitely not the Pistons, but when you started this business and had success, and people come to you and want help, and you help businesses and you get businesses off the ground and you help them with all of the press and PR and all of the things, and like I said, if you ever hired a publicist or PR team, they do hard work. There's no hours you give up a lot of your life to this business. What is the payoff for you as the businessman? I know there's more, it's more than just money.

[9:26] Robert Dilenschneider: It's really seeing people capture their potential. That's really what it is, and we all have potential. Most of us can't figure out what the potential really is. But it's seeing unlocking that potential and giving people the chance and the right to do what they can do so well. That's what the payoff really is, and I love doing that because these people become friends for the rest of your life, and it's very, very important to know people like that. I don't care who they are, what walk of life they're in, what race, what creed, I don't really care. I want to do what I can to help other people.

[10:10] Robert Bannon: And so then you must have had the idea along your way that you could help a lot more people if you published works. So, what was the decision? And how is it 16 books? Is it more? How many books is it?

[10:21] Robert Dilenschneider: 23 books. Two of them have been bestsellers. The current one's doing quite well. I've got another one on the griddle now, and it's gonna be on the issue of reputation and responsiveness.

[10:40] Robert Dilenschneider: We'll see what happens. But um, I wanted to make some extra money, I wanted to spread, get my reputation out there. I wanted to uh let people know that there were ideas that are different from what they normally uh deal with. That's why I wrote the books. And the book right in the book just fun. I remember uh interviewing Colin Powell, very famous uh former Secretary of State, General Powell. Well, I used to live in Five Tudor City Place in New York, and Powell used to walk by the apartment on his way to work at the UN. And I said to him one day, I walked out of my apartment building. I said, You're General Powell. And he looked at me like I was crazy. I said, Bob Dilenschneider, I'd like to spend a few minutes with you.

And we did a park across the street, spent three hours talking about Powell's view of life and all the rest of it. So that worked out pretty well. What I've done since then, just quickly, Robert, is I've tried to find people who are really deserving of attention. And there's a man named Lou Gehrig who played first base for the Yankees 2100 games straight. Babe Ruth was the guy that got the attention, but Lou Gehrig was the great player. And at the end of his end of his career, very famous, Gehrig said in a movie, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the earth. And of course he was. Never sought exposure. I said to him, Look, you've got to get some exposure for this. He said, No. He said, as long as the insulin's out there, people are using it.

That's my goal. So I felt really terrific about that. And uh to a little degree, well, not a large degree. I was part of that part of that process. Valerie Giscard d'Estaing used to run France. And Valerie Giscard d'Estaing tried to create the European Union before it was even a glimmer in people's eye. And I got together with him and a man named Helmut Schmidt, who at that time was in Germany, and we talked about what the European Union could do. And they both said, Giscard said this. He said, This won't work. And I will sacrifice my career. They said, but I'm going to try. And we did try it. And eventually today, we have the EU. I don't know how the EU is going to help the poor people in Ukraine.

I don't know what they're going to do about Putin. I don't know what their reaction is going to be to the man in Washington, Donald Trump, but I know they're out there and they're going to try. I know that for a fact. And the fact that you have uh have the inside track or have have relationships and built relationships with people is astounding. Uh it's astounding. I know that's some Rolodex, but that's due to your ability to motivate people to do their best.

[13:41] Robert Dilenschneider: Try to do that as hard as I possibly can. Tomorrow is my son's birthday. He's 39 years old. I'm giving him a great book to the Western world. Uh and my wife said, nobody's gonna read these books. I said, yes, this boy will do it. There's more than 50 books in the series. And I said, there are great ideas in these books. He will take some of the ideas and shape his life. So I'm excited by that. That is that is really exciting. And some of your books. If you're looking for inspiration, like the new book that that is out, Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership. Um, you can get it wherever books are sold. We can also, while we're talking, talk about your website. You can go to RobertLDilenschneider.com, and you can see all the books and all the information about that.

It is what do you think is and the book, by the way, the book that you just have out is a is profiles and all sorts of amazing people that you can get inspiration from. You you pulled out all the facts and for us to get right to the meat nitty-gritty of what they've done. Right. What is it? I was unable to get her was Gertrude Stein. And Gertrude Stein used to say, I live in Paris. My home is in the in uh United States, but my life is in Paris. I really wanted to interview her. Couldn't do it. Couldn't get her to sit down. Well, maybe there's another book. Maybe you know, get we don't, I don't give up. I could be. So what is the is one of the tricks out here? I I'm not you, but people have asked me about this little platform.

And um, and uh sometimes you just have to ask and take the step and and and and go out there on a limb, like you asked Colin Powell. People ask me about getting guests, some like you on my show. Sometimes it's about taking one step and keep going and the path follows. So, what what advice do you give to people who are trying to make a name for themselves out here?

[15:31] Robert Dilenschneider: Uh don't uh take it uh yourself seriously. Uh look at the person you're trying to deal with and take them seriously. Understand what their motivation is, how you can help them if you do that and then actually step forward and make something happen, your life will be very, very different. Uh, don't be greedy about yourself. Uh, don't look for personal adulation. Just don't do it. And uh, but help the other person on the other side of the table. You'll find it's much more rewarding than uh some story in the New York Times or the Detroit News.

[16:07] Robert Bannon: Yeah, agreed. A hundred percent. So, this book that you have out now, who is it for? Who who would best benefit from uh from getting a copy? I'm sure buy a copy and then give a copy to somebody who needs a uh a thumbs up or a little help.

[16:22] Robert Dilenschneider: I think uh young men and women graduating from high school all the way up through college could benefit from this book because there are lessons in the book that, if applied, can last you for the rest of your life. I'd like to say that CEOs should benefit. Maybe they can, but most of the CEOs I know, and I know a lot of a lot of them have figured it out already, and they're not gonna like what's in the book. So that's the way it goes. And uh I try to give the book to people uh that uh are in clubs, uh, people that uh uh I try to give it to people that have problems. I try to give it to people in my church. Uh I'd like to send, I have sent just the other day to every member of Congress. I'm gonna send it to all the cardinals who are gonna be part of the Congolese. Those are the people who are gonna get the book. And if just two or three of them out of hundreds read the book or get something out of it, I've succeeded.

[17:23] Robert Bannon: I really love that. I I was gonna ask you, and we're not a very political show, uh, but I but the world, some people will say the world's crazy, and some people will say the world's great, and there's such various jaded opinions. Do you are are we in trouble? Or should we be worried? Someone with your business acumen. Um are we are the is the best yet to come, or should we be hiding in our cellar? What what is what is your take on it?

[17:47] Robert Dilenschneider: I think the best is yet to come, but I think we're in a very, very perilous situation right now. I think I'm looking at Mr. Putin, I'm looking at Mr. Xi in China. I'd like these guys to be people you like to have over for a dinner. They're not coming. And uh I'm worried about people like that. Uh I'm worried about people who frankly are greedy, and uh they look to put uh money in their own pocket and uh burnish the reputation. I'd like to get back to uh very serious people, a golden rule, people that uh anything goes, anything goes, they'll do it. That's what I'd like to get to. We're a long way from that. But this is a this is America. We live in a great place. Uh it's better than any other place in the world, whether you're in Fort Lee or in Detroit. It's a great place to be.

[18:41] Robert Bannon: The Italian restaurants in Fort Lee are marvelous, by the way.

[18:44] Robert Dilenschneider: Yes. I uh listen, what when you come to New Jersey? I know you're a hop jumping over the bridge. When you come to New Jersey, I'm taking you out to a good Italian restaurant in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

[18:56] Robert Dilenschneider: That's a deal. I'd love to do that. I really would.

[18:59] Robert Bannon: I would too. I I would really love to do that, would be my honor, truly. Fried calamari on me.

[19:05] Robert Dilenschneider: Um that's a deal. I've been asked what I want for dinner, and I'm now gonna say fried calamari.

[19:12] Robert Bannon: That's good. Perfect.

[19:13] Robert Dilenschneider: It's perfect. Um, perfect. You you say you have more books, you have more things coming out. Do people follow you? Uh uh is there a way that we could stay up to date with you?

[19:23] Robert Dilenschneider: Uh the website's the best way, and I get a lot of interviews. Fortunately, people like you, and they hear me doing this, and they then f come to see me. Uh a week does not go by where I've got several hundred requests for information. I can't deal with all of them, but I try to deal with as much as I possibly can.

[19:46] Robert Bannon: Well, I'm excited. I want people, it's this is I'm sitting in a school. I'm sitting in a high school. This is the perfect book for people out here. I'm sitting, all my teacher friends, all of the parents out here, my friends that have anyone family. This is the perfect book. You're gonna look for something to give to your sons and daughters this uh graduation season or Father's Day, Mother's Day, the perfect thing that you want to give some uplifting inspiration to. Life lessons, encourage, integrity, leadership, character. Oh, that's a word we really need more than ever uh out here in the world. Uh and character, the and the and the strength of someone's character means something for sure.

[20:22] Robert Dilenschneider: Oh yeah. Mr. Bannon, it's been great to be with you. Your character is quite one to be to be lauded, and it's a real honor to be here with you. I hope next time you're in the New York area, you'll call me I was coming in. I'm having a big Italian wedding on 525. So I'll be back in in Jersey. So I'll be I'll be back the whole month. So I I'm ready. Just give me a call. I'm ready, okay?

[20:45] Robert Bannon: That's the deal. Thank you so much. An honor to have you here, sir.

[20:48] Robert Dilenschneider: I've really pleased to be here with you. Congratulations. Good luck in Detroit.