Peter Kozodoy is the author of Honest to Greatness, an Inc. 5000 serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and business coach who works with organizations and their leaders to help them overcome self-limiting bullsh*t and use brutal honesty to achieve massive success.
But it didn’t start that way.
At 17, he was an Olympic-hopeful figure skater who was sure he would achieve his childhood dream of attending Harvard University.
By 18, he had missed both the Olympics and Harvard, and found his life spiraling out of control…until he finally discovered the power of brutal honesty, particularly when it comes to being honest with yourself.
From the depths of 2008, Peter and his business partner built an Inc. 5000 marketing agency that would go on to work with startups to the Fortune 500, and local car dealers to Warren Buffett. Peter’s tough lessons learned — in business, leadership, and entrepreneurship — have appeared in Inc., Forbes, The Huffington Post and more, and his work at GEM has earned Telly, Pixie, Communicator, Aurora, Davey and W3 awards.
He has shared his story at TEDx, CEO Clubs of America, Digital Book World and many other conferences and corporations, spreading his mission to help leaders use brutal honesty to achieve massive success in business and in life.
Peter has been a member of both Entrepreneurs’ Organization (New York Chapter) and the Young Entrepreneur Council, and has served on the boards of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement in Connecticut. He holds a BA in Economics from Brandeis University (Summa cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and an MBA from Columbia Business School, and also holds a black belt in Taekwondo which earned him a trophy that’s taller than he is (which, admittedly, isn’t very tall).
Featured Topics:
Honest to Greatness: The Greatest Leaders Use Brutal Honesty
In this fun, high-energy keynote that shatters your comfort zone, Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and TEDx speaker, Peter Kozodoy, helps leaders use strategic brutal honesty to achieve transformational outcomes in business and in life. Using case studies, profound stories, and tactical plans from his award-winning book, Honest to Greatness, Peter will rapidly shift you into “honest alignment” with who you really are, what you really want, and what you must do to move your business forward and achieve greatness.
- How to use strategic brutal honesty to improve your sales, marketing, recruiting, and more
- The simple, 2-question technique to shake off the self-limiting BS that prevents us from success, and
- How to use honesty like a Jedi mind-trick to spark creativity, resolve interpersonal conflicts, and become a more effective and empowered leader.
- Peter conducts keynotes and workshops both in-person and virtually, and bulk book package discounts are available.
The Hourglass of Honesty — How to Transform Yourself And Your Business Into an Innovation Machine
Peter conducts a workshop in conjunction with his keynote. First, he delivers a condensed version of the talk that shows how to use honesty to create industry-dominating growth results. Then, he helps teams work through the leadership frameworks in his book — including the Hourglass of Honesty, the Inverse Triangle, the Flawed Diamond and more — in order to uncover hidden opportunities for innovation and growth.
- Understand the leadership frameworks in the book, and learn how to use them to create business results
- Brainstorm innovative solutions to corporate problems by being honest about the industry and its opportunities/challenges, honest about the people who influence the organization both on the outside and from within, and honest about their own limiting beliefs as leaders
- Identify immediate action steps that will transform the business into a clear, differentiated and honest growth machine with a winning culture to match
- Have a ton of fun with experiential exercises that get people energized and excited!
What people are saying…
V.P. Enrollment Management
Peter has an innate creative ability to assess corporate culture and strategic vision, and deliver to his clients outstanding products that move organizations closer to achieving their goals.
Sage Intacct Specialist
Peter is nothing short of inspiring. On top of being a leader of a successful company, he is fully capable of “walking the walk.”
V.P. Marketing and Sales
Peter and I have worked together on numerous marketing projects and I always love the experience. Peter is one of the smartest and sharpest people I know. And, he’s fun to work with!
B2B Bootcamp
B2B Bootcamp is Peter’s workshop for helping founders create and effectively sell high-ticket products and services to other businesses. “Campers” move through his 5-step curriculum with hands-on training and customized templates to help them create and execute a high-growth sales plan.
Quote:
“No matter what business you’re in, what your goals are, or what obstacles confront you, honesty must come first.”
Unfortunately, most leaders and organizations are stuck following archaic, detrimental business practices. Meanwhile, savvy consumers and employees across every generation are making their stance perfectly clear: They are not interested in supporting organizations that seem inauthentic, soulless, or untrustworthy.