Award-Winning Author Keynote Presenter Executive Business Coach

Professor Dawn Fotopulos is the Hidden Profit Prophet. She is the award-winning author of "Accounting for the Numberphobic; A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners," (AMACOM Books), winner of Best Business Book in Economics from Small Business Trends in 2015.

Ms. Fotopulos has successfully launched over eighty different businesses and product lines in the financial services, consumer products, real estate development, high technology and nonprofit sectors. As the founder of Hidden Profit Prophet.com, she has also saved more than 300 small businesses from closing their doors.

As a successful turnaround expert, entrepreneur, management consultant, and college professor, Dawn Fotopulos's background has allowed her to work in the trenches with a wide range of businesses at various stages of growth. She understands why so many of America's businesses are NOT profitable and knows how to help improve the future and the action steps needed in order to get there.

Professor Fotopulos served as a Vice President in the Consumer Bank at Citibank and ran the Marketing Group for Corporate Card Products, the fastest growing and most profitable product line in the institution at the time of her tenure. She currently serves as Distinguished Associate Professor of Business at The King's College in New York City. With wit, humor, and tons of stories taken from her rich first-hand experiences, Dawn Fotopulos will improve your profits by 50% and your cash flow 100% if you follow her prescription. Salesmen, marketing staff, human resource professionals, IT professionals, and customer service professionals gain a full understanding of how their efforts drive the success of the business. Even CPAs and ProAdvisors gain a new understanding of how to engage their numberphobic customers, improve client satisfaction and increase the revenues of their practices as a direct result of applying Dawn's Accounting for the Numberphobic concepts.

With Fortune 500 executive experience, a business degree from Cornell University, an MBA with distinction from New York University's Stern School of Business, and accolades from the Kauffman Foundation's Growth and New Venture Programs, Dawn Fotopulos brings a depth and breadth of practical, in-the-trenches wisdom and experience that leave listeners walking away with immediate, usable action steps that will change the face of business "as usual." Using humor and stimulating stories to keep audience members engaged, Dawn Fotopulos coaxes skeptics on what they can do with the resources they already have in order to unlock the hidden profits in their businesses.

For booking inquiries and availability, please contact the agent who provided this information to you.

Watch Dawn’s Video Clips:

How to Kill the Company in Four Short Weeks

There are millions of books that point the way to managing well, but few in business are listening. When Dawn Fotopulos challenges your employees to view how to guarantee their failure in business, a “Screwtape Letters” approach to management, it forces their brains off of autopilot, makes audience members laugh and gets them to look squarely at reality in the mirror. This presentation has received standing ovations in North America and Eastern Europe. Both for profit and nonprofit organizations have seen almost overnight results after they have heard these key, results-generating ideas. This talk can be presented as a customized 60-minute keynote, a 90 minute interactive breakout session or a hands-on, 3-hour workshop.

Customer Service - the Killer App Based on Harvard Business School case studies and research, this talk gives managers and senior executives OMG revelations about how their Customer Service units are the single most important operating unit in their entire company. Dawn shows audience members, by the numbers, how retention, repeat purchases and referrals will exponentially grow revenues and their bottom line. Using examples from Dell Computer, Service Master, and Progressive Insurance Company, Dawn reveals how to leverage Customer Service representatives to make any company's client base bullet-proof to competition.

Financial Literacy for Numberphobes

"My accountant deals with numbers...” "I'd rather spend the weekend with my mother-in-law!" Few entrepreneurs like the numbers, but they ARE the global positioning satellite for running a business. Dawn takes accounting and makes it fun. Her goal: to double business survival rates. This program has been presented to accolades at the Levin Institute in New York City and Entrepreneur's Organization. Independent sales people in real estate, travel, insurance and financial services don't understand they are business owners, not just sales people. Customized breakout sessions and workshops have been developed for these hired gun constituencies. Participants will learn:

• How to work half as hard and make twice the money • How to know if a client is profitable or not and how to build a profitable client portfolio • How to never forget how to tell if a product or service is profitable and what to do about it if it isn't.

Women in Business, incubators, Shark Tank-type pitch conferences are perfect platforms for this talk. Shortened versions have been given to Chambers of Commerce, The Texas Independent Auto Dealer's Association, and Women‘s President's Organization. “I've been a member of EO (Entrepreneurs Organization) for two years and in that time have heard 50-60 high powered speakers talk to us about our businesses. Of that group, I count Dawn Fotopulos as the most high value, best take away, most directly actionable speaker to date. No other individual has had such a profoundly transformative and positive impact on my company's business. The number of "ah-ha" moments were striking. I'm also not the only person amongst my colleagues who feels this way. Half a year on we continue to cite the potency of Dawn's teaching.” – Chris Phoenix, CEO, Phoenix Media People don't often make the connection between their daily activities and their business metrics. Dawn Fotopulos solves this problem in her seminars. As a master storyteller, she uses humor and her wealth of business experiences to bring an otherwise dull subject to life. When I first had the pleasure to see Dawn address a large audience, I was struck by her command of the room. She made us think, she made us laugh, and she delivered a powerful message. As a fellow Wall Street refugee and full-time public speaker, I take special notice when I'm in the presence of a master. Dawn, simply put, is world-class. - Michael Zumchak, Director of Training, Easy Excel Classes.com

Popular Keynote & Workshop Presentations

Leadership for Introverts

Jim Collins of "Good to Great" fame says every company needs Level 5 leaders and that most are made, not born. This presentation smashes common Western assumptions that leaders are extroverts, ego-driven and “out front.” It reaches managers at all levels of the organization to identify their Level 5 potentials and the unconventional people hidden in their organization, that if developed, could turbo-charge the future of the business. Audiences will hear stories of underperformers becoming superstars, failing businesses hitting the J-curve; salespeople will overshoot expectations after hearing this talk! Humor, pathos, wit and world-class experience turning around 300 businesses with the content of this presentation. If you care about future profits, and engaging the hearts and minds of your managers and staff, you cannot miss this!

Sales Budget Boogie How to build sales budgets that are aggressive, achievable, and relevant. This talk is about strategy and is pitched to C-P level executives as well as field sales staff. It will take the audience through a bottoms up approach to sales budget development to get corporate and field staff on the same page. Sales goals will become a shared vision and not just a tops down exercise in futility. Dawn’s experience as a line manager of a $130 million dollar business at Citigroup and 25 years as a consultant to major profit and non-profit companies will be used as examples of what is possible in their organizations. The companies who apply these proprietary principles will achieve more, make more money and retain their best sales staff.

Cash is Not King - It's Emperor! This talk was originally given in webinar format for Cox Small Business Network. If blood is to your body as cash is to your business, then managing cash is mission critical. Few businesses do this well. Dawn's award-winning book, "Accounting for the Numberphobic; A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners," AMACOM Books (Best Business Book of 2015 Small Business Trends) is the guiding text for this talk that has saved hundreds of businesses from bankruptcy.

• How to negotiate the purchase order, pricing and payment terms upfront

• Your invoice is a marketing tool- use it!

• Keeping track of who owes you money

• Collecting without a migraine

Business owners and managers have said, "I took your advice and I actually got paid! I couldn't believe it!“ “There's a magic that happens when Dawn Fotopulos speaks at an event. People actually put down their smartphones. They lean forward. They listen. They open their minds. They leave transformed. And it happens with one of the most challenging subjects for business owners: their numbers. Hands down, Dawn is the best speaker on this topic. Intelligent, yet approachable. Engaging, yet far deeper than mere entertainment. She does her homework, knows her audience, and respects the opportunity being given to her each time she steps on stage.” - Nina Kaufman, Small Business Attorney, Speaker, Author, Consultant

Popular Keynote & Workshop Presentations

Way-finding: The Ultimate Guide for Repeat Visitors

All tourists are moving away from something and toward something else- “bucket lists” “dream vacations” and “a day in the life” are all about aspirations before we leave this planet. All humans need a way to beam out of their everyday lives to reach for something extraordinary, beautiful, inspiring, refreshing and memorable. The travel and tourism industry is the only industry that has the capability of making dreams accessible to everyone, even people on a budget or those who are not seasoned travelers. Life is not just about “rise and grind”. There’s beauty, music, vistas, unconquered territory that speaks to our souls. Instead of “selling” new visitors, let’s inspire them, woo them, and hear and capture their stories so we can inspire others with them. And instead of tourists, let’s convert them into locals by the time they leave. Let’s make their stories part of our larger history and build emotional ties so strong, they can’t wait to come back and to share their experience with friends and family. This talk will inspire way-finding for those who enable visitors to make this life-long memories.

• Answer “why”

• Mind of the visitor; where they’re coming from

• What they’re reaching for; dreams, rest, memory, refreshment, joy

• Reach the heart; the mind remembers

• Your corner of Eden; the reals gifts are free

• Recording stories three “R’s”; remembrance, romance, re-visit

• You’re not Disneyland; You’re the real deal

Expectations vs. Reality: Creating the Ultimate Visitor Experience

“I’ve always wanted to….” Visit a part of the world, climb a mountain, go zip lining through the rainforest, see how the best wine in

the world is made, visit the Pacific Coast, rugged and unspoiled. When someone has a dream they have expectations in their mind as to what the reality will be like. Most expectations are built on dreams not reality. Most expectations are never met. But what if we could understand our visitors so well, that the reality is far better than anything they could have ever expected? What if we could find ways to welcome visitors so warmly that they had a tear in their eye when they went home knowing they left a part of themselves behind? This talk is designed to help all facets of the travel and tourism industry stop telling and selling and start listening to the experience your visitors are aching for but can’t articulate. It’s a new way of engaging a tourist and helping them feel like an insider soon after they arrive. It’s a way of communicating new possibilities they hadn’t thought about and instead of meeting expectations, you delight them with surprises and inspiration they never knew was waiting.

• Where visitors are coming from

• What visitors are looking forward to; how do we put a lai around everyone’s neck?

• Not all visitors are created equal; segment your visitors to tailor the experience

• Expectations vs. Reality; bridging the gap

• Carving your name in a tree; leaving a piece of your heart behind

Popular Keynote & Workshops for TOURISM

Are You A Host or an Ambassador? Give Your Visitors a “BLAST”

Hosts are busy people. There’s a lot to do when a visitor arrives either to slumber, tour, explore or dine. What if there’s a new way of being when they arrive? What if the real hospitality comes from the “how” you do what you do instead of “what”? This talk will inspire travel and tourism professionals to think of themselves in a completely different way and to treat their visitors like honored guests, not just revenue streams. Ambassadors are standard bearers; they are keepers of the reputation of a region with history, culture, and promise. Every ambassador in the world reveres history’s significance, records the present for posterity and invests in the future to bequeath to the next generation. This inspiring talk will convert participants from hosts to ambassadors with a renewed vision for the importance of their role and new and creative ways to embrace it fully. Definitions:

Host:

- A person, place, company, or the like, that provides services, resources, etc., as for a convention or sporting event

- A person who receives or entertains guests at home or elsewhere: the host at a theater party.

- Something that provides lifeblood to a parasite

Ambassador:

- A diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.

- A diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization

- An authorized messenger or representative.

• Be clear on your mission; repeat visitors who become apostles

• It’s not what you do but how you do it that matters

• Missed opportunities are new opportunities

B.L.A.S.T.

• Build expectations before arrival; 90% of impressions are made before arrival.

• Listen: what matters to them; needs, concerns, dreams before arrival and during stay.

• Act on risks and opportunities

• Suggest: build a profile of what brings them joy; the visitor thinks they know.

• Time to celebrate and wave handkerchiefs from the dock…

“Dawn Fotopulos has the eyes and ears of a SuperHero, the brain of a super computer. She also has the heart of a lioness which she passionately uses to improve the lives of entrepreneurs like myself or intrapreneurs working in large companies. After 28 years in the automobile business, she showed me how to correctly drive my business into the next chapter and I feel empowered to mash the gas like a NYC cabdriver. As a board member of the Texas Independent Auto Dealers Association, we hired Dawn to teach our dealers the same strategy. She ran two different breakout sessions at our annual conference; one on Finance for Numberphobes and the other Preparing for the Pivot for Autodealers in the Buy Here Pay Here business (the riskiest used car segment). This petite blond woman shows up to address a large group of salty auto dealers and earns their respect almost immediately. (She did extensive research before arriving and it showed.) She hit it out of the ballpark based on participant responses. Three months later, people who attended said she was one of the best speakers we had at the conference. Spending an hour with Dawn Fotopulos is the best business investment any board member or event planner can make. She doesn't just engage the audience; she changes people futures.” - CEO, BROKEN ROAD TOWING

Popular Keynote & Workshops for TOURISM

How Disneyland Trains Street Sweepers: Creating an Unbeatable Customer Experience

Too often we look at the big picture forgetting that impressions and memories are made on the ground in the small interactions. The Disney Company understands this profoundly. Everyone from the lowest paid to the highest paid is trained, as part of their corporate culture, to engage, listen and respond to visitors. This includes answering questions, providing directions, making suggestions for the best photo op, the best ice cream and planning ahead to watch to end of day parade. This talk uses Disney’s ethos and applies it to the travel and tourism industry’s “boots on the ground” for education, inspiration and application. These are the building blocks for creating an unforgettable visitor experience in ways that don’t require large monetary investments.

• Street sweepers are market researchers- what do visitors need? Care about? Best place to take pictures!

• “The happiest place on earth”- is your claim true?

• Where is your “happy place”?

• What’s your tag line? How do you know it’s true?

• Building evidence through stories

• Capturing images, emotions, memories real-time

• Co-creating with visitors to help tell your story; visitor life events

• When do we need beauty, adventure, new understanding, refreshment?

Dawn’s Seacloud story: “you gotta get out of this city”

Every city dweller needs a break

Running away or running toward?

• Hotel owners, restaurant owners, gallery, tour guides- take the time to listen

• Don’t observe visitors- come alongside them and hear their stories

• Don’t just serve visitors- honor and celebrate them!

“I've had the pleasure of interviewing Dawn Fotopulos a few times around the topic of her award-winning book "Accounting for the Numberphobic; A Survival Guide..." The book is illustrated by Disney artist Ron Bucalo and is a brilliant romp through the basics of small business accounting and finance to make better business decisions. It's the only book on accounting that will make you laugh.

But Dawn Fotopulos LIVE is something bigger and better on a whole other level.

The humor and passion she brings to the subject is rooted in her commitment to helping businesses succeed by simply seeing and understanding the story their financial reports are telling them. If finance is the heart and lifeblood of your business, your financial reports are the pulse and Dawn Fotopulos is the doctor that helps it all make sense. Your marketing and sales departments will finally be able to speak the same language as your CFO. Your executive teams, including marketing, HR and sales, will finally be rowing in the same direction because they'll understand the big picture. No one gets everyone on the same page faster or with breakthrough humor like Dawn. Every business needs this.” - CEO, DIY MARKETERS; BIZAPALOOZA

Popular Keynote & Workshops for TOURISM