Dean Brenner

The hardest thing for any subject matter expert (SME) to do is to explain his or her area of expertise in simple and clear ways. When we are “in” it, when we are living the topic every day, and when we know a lot about it, it is really hard to distance ourselves from it and […]

I love the quiet of the early mornings. One of my favorite things to do is wake up early, pour a cup of hot coffee and just listen to the silence. I start my day that way as often as possible. It centers me. And it is even more powerful on important days and anniversaries […]

In this episode we interview long-time friend and advisor Phil Bonanno on the art (and a little bit of the science) behind understanding your customer, and figuring out how to connect with them. Phil has a unique take on human connection, and how it plays into the ways we communicate and sell. And he is […]

This blog and our company are all about communication skills. And one of the most important elements of communication is gratitude. So, here we go. Time for a little gratitude. My colleagues and I know good teaching when we see it. Not only do we teach communication skills every day. But we have a lot […]

I have spent a lot of time wrapping my head around Monday’s announcement of the death of former Georgetown basketball coach, John Thompson. For the last several days, I have been reflecting on what the man meant — to my alma mater, the sport of basketball, the fight against racism, and to so many people, […]

I was at an outside social event this weekend, in a spot near a street with a lot of background noise. Everyone was behaving well and had their masks on. And as I was there, I realized that it was my first time wearing a mask for an extended period of time, where I was […]

We were having a conversation with a good friend and client of The Latimer Group last week. During our discussion, we mentioned some ideas around the concept of “consensus” as it differs from the concept of “persuasion.” Our work has always been focused on helping our clients build the skills of persuasion, and our clients value that […]

We were having a conversation with a good friend and client of The Latimer Group last week. During our discussion, we mentioned some ideas around the concept of “consensus” as it differs from the concept of “persuasion.” Our work has always been focused on helping our clients build the skills of persuasion, and our clients value that […]

We were having a conversation with a good friend and client of The Latimer Group last week. During our discussion, we mentioned some ideas around the concept of “consensus” as it differs from the concept of “persuasion.” Our work has always been focused on helping our clients build the skills of persuasion, and our clients value that […]

One night last week, I was going through some old files in my basement, and stumbled across a box simply marked “Desert, Spring 2002.” I knew immediately what it was… in May 2002, right around the time I was launching The Latimer Group, I took some time to clear my head and enrolled in an […]