How Ken Schmidt Saved Harley-Davidson

This episode of Start With a Win dives into the remarkable story of how a motorcycle brand transformed from the brink of collapse to becoming an iconic global powerhouse. Host Adam Contos sits down with Ken Schmidt, the former head of communications at Harley-Davidson, who reveals how shifting focus from simply selling products to creating authentic human connections reshaped the brand’s destiny. Packed with powerful lessons on leadership, loyalty, and the psychology of consumer behavior, this conversation is a masterclass in standing out and building unshakable emotional bonds with customers.

Ken Schmidt is one of the business world’s most demanded executive advisors and speakers, driven by the acclaim he earned leading Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s against-all-odds turnaround in the 1990s from the brink of financial ruin to global dominance. He’s the author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance, the host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast, and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training. Ken’s success, unconventional business approach, and playful outspokenness led him to consulting assignments with household-name brands and transformed him into a highly requested speaker with more than 1,200 keynotes presented globally to date.

00:00 Intro
01:52 What is fun about a company at it’s worst point?
05:01 What should you be known for to get this?
11:36 Can you find glorious discoveries by an accident? 
16:08 What are your five pillars?
21:01 Great businesspeople never talk about what they sell…   
22:06 What is noise of a business?
28:10 Is efficiency the key?
31:37 What are your three to five words as a leader?    
34:40 I do this over coffee…
 
https://kenspeaks.com/
https://www.torquesessions.com/

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