The Official Website of Brad Szollose

Business Coach, Author, and Professional Speaker, Brad Szollose is passionate about helping people. After his high impact motivational programs, your audience will leave your event armed with success strategies and action steps, empowering them to embrace change…not resist it. From groups of 6 to 6,000 people, Brad’s programs help with the tools, the confidence, inspiration and the motivation necessary to take action for immediate and lasting change.

Brad has over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience yet is no stranger to the Boardroom – during the Dot Com Era of the early 90’s, Brad co-founded K2 Design, Inc. which later raised over $7 million through private placement and an IPO.

Brad’s tenure at K2 was explosive– the company experienced 425% growth for 5 straight years, expanded from 2 business partners to 4 partners and 60+ employees with offices worldwide and valuated at over $26 million.

As an Executive Brad applied his unique management style to a young, tech savvy Generation X & Y Workforce producing great results. Brad’s management model won K2 the Arthur Andersen NY Enterprise Award for Best Practices for Fostering Innovation Among Employees.

Brad is a contributing author of several top-selling books, including When Would NOW Be a Good Time?: Discovering the Magic of Taking Action. Brad’s book Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia – Multi-generational Management Ideas That Are Changing The Way We Run Things is scheduled for worldwide release during the Fall of 2010.

Brad travels the globe speaking to businesses, executives & entrepreneurs on Information Age Leadership Strategies, Gen Y Management and New Business Models for an ever-shrinking planet.

The Long Story

Brad Szollose started his first business in 1979 at the age of 16. Ironically, that was the same year he won his first design award for a state-wide catalog cover design competition. Having an extensive art program at Lebanon High School in Pennsylvania helped fuel his decision to become a graphic designer instead of a professional drummer.

Brad attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and graduated with honors in illustration, graphic design, and cartooning with a degree in Visual Communications.

Brad moved to New York City in 1984 and quickly became a noted multi-media designer, freelancing for such companies as The Caribiner Group, producers of corporate theater and related promotional and entertainment events.

During his tenure at these companies, Brad worked on the national and international sales meetings for the following corporations: American Express, BMW, Banco Popular, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bozell, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coty, Ethicon, Ford Motor Cars & Lincoln Mercury, IBM, Mercedes Benz, Merck, Mobile, Novartis, Pfizer, Rhône Poulenc Rhorer, Novartis, Seagram’s, Self Magazine, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Sunoco, Tahitian Noni, Vintner’s, WavePhore and Xerox.

In this capacity, Brad managed a team of designers, photographers and programmers in the production of full-scale, big-budget national sales meetings. With a track record in traditional design and the technical mastery of 70-millimeter film, Brad developed a reputation for creating never-before-executed special effects.

After almost 10 years as a professional designer
and creative director, Brad wanted to try
something new.

In 1993, Brad co-founded K2 Design, Inc. with
Douglas Cleek before the average person had
heard the word “Internet,” or the term “Silicon
Alley.” Both Douglas and Brad envisioned a
full-service, totally creative, interactive studio
that specialized in building brand awareness
and 1:1 relationships over the Internet.

Little did they know that the Dot Com boom
was about to begin and K2 was positioned to
ride the wave.

With Brad and Doug helping to drive the award-winning creative enterprise, David Centner as CEO and Matthew De Ganon as chairman, K2 was able to expand from 16 employees to a workforce of over 60. This hyper-growth positioned K2 as an industry leader, along side such companies as Agency.com, DoubleClick and Razorfish. K2 went public in 1996 with an IPO on NASDAQ, raising over $6 million in public monies and over $1 million in private placement.

Brad became the Brand Manager and Creative Director for K2’s public and investor image. Day to day, he designed and managed a team of Generation X & Y employees raised on the Internet and video games – and developed a way to manage their multitasking and creative nature.

Eventually and due in part to 95-hour work weeks, Brad stepped down from his C-Suite executive position in 1998 to pursue other business ventures. He remained active on K2’s board of directors until 2001.

Since then, Brad has coached entrepreneurs, executives and businesses alike on managing their organizations in an age of radical change. Projects have included product launches, leadership training, emerging technology consulting, Generation Y Management, technological comprehension and executive coaching.

With almost 30 years as an entrepreneur, owning everything from single proprietorships to a publicly traded company, to sitting on the board of directors, Brad is one of the few business coaches with experience in both entrepreneurial start ups to executive board level management and strategy.

Brad’s workshops bring talented people together to learn how 21st Century technology and Information Age thinking is impacting us all.

Brad lives with his wife in New York City.