Today’s guest is Brian Smith, the Founder of UGG a company started on shores of Southern California that would become a globally recognized brand. He is the author of The Birth of a Brand, and one of the most sought after speakers and business leaders in the country. Brian tells the tale of starting UGG and eventually selling it in the late 90s, writing The Birth of a Brand during the recession from years of notes on building UGG, and how he became a keynote speaker using many of the themes from the book. We discuss the speaking business as it existed prior to the global pandemic and how speakers are continuing to work without being able to travel. If you are a speaker concerned about the future of your industry this episode has great insights into speaking during COVID-19, what the future of speaking might look like, and why being social will always be a key to successful speaking. Three Key Takeaways: How thought leaders can take one modality and use it in different formats. What stages a thought leader can expect their business go to through and how they compare to stages of life. What keynote speaking for thought leaders looks like now and might look like in the future.