Meet Ted Rubin | Speaker / Author / Strategic Advisor… Straight Talk

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ted Rubin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ted, what is the most important factor behind your success?
For me, and my personal brand and making my way through a career, it has been, and is still is, all about being me. It’s that time of year for plenty of posts on how to “transform” yourself for the new year, and setting goals to better yourself is certainly a worthy pursuit no matter when you do it. But I can’t help thinking that sometimes, we get so caught up in trying to live up to other people’s expectations that it’s easy to lose sight of what makes us unique as individuals.

I may not always say exactly what you want to hear, but what I do say is coming from an honest place… so it is easy for me to be consistent, because I always say what I mean and mean what I say. My opinions are just mine, and I try to provide enough background that you’ll understand where I’m coming from, even if you don’t ultimately agree.

On a marketing, social, and influence level, you’ll often go much farther being authentic than you will by only saying and doing the expected. Being who you are, connecting with the people who matter, and refusing to be dragged down by the negative, ultimately makes for a happier life with more freedom. Just be “you,” and the rest will come along.

A quote I shared often with my daughters as they were growing up and learning to feel good about being themselves… “Be who you are and say what you feel, because, in the end, those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.” ~Dr. Seuss

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My Personal philosophy and a quote I do my best to live by… “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

I have been a leading Social Marketing Strategist, International Keynote Speaker, Business Advisor and Author, Connector… StraightTalk. In March 2009 I started using and evangelizing the term ROR, Return on Relationship™, hashtag #RonR…. a concept I believe is the cornerstone for building an engaged multi-million member database and engaged community, many of whom are vocal advocates for your brand. I built these for e.l.f. Cosmetics as the Chief Marketing Officer between 2008 and 2010, OpenSky where I was Chief Social Marketing Officer until the end of April 2011, and for Collective Bias (whose Advisory Board I joined in January 2011) where I became Chief Social Marketing Officer, and an equity partner, May 1st 2011. I worked closely with Collective Bias since it was founded by John Andrews who I met through the blogging community when he was leading Emerging Media at Walmart. I left his position as Chief Social Marketing Officer of Collective Bias on August 31, 2013n and remained an Advisor and principal shareholder until the November 2016 seven-figure acquisition by Inmar.

➡️ My comprehensive background here… LinkedIn.com/in/TedRubin ⬅️

In the words of Collective Bias Founder John Andrews… “Ted, you were the vision, heartbeat and soul of Collective Bias, thank you for building a great company. From innovations like cb.Socially to the amazing relationships you built with the blogger community, clients and employees, you drove the epic growth. You will be missed!”

With e.l.f. Cosmetics from 2008-2010, OpenSky from 2009-2011 and Collective Bias, I has become known for my active use of Twitter where I have in excess of 1,000,000 followers throughout my network, and grew 100,000+ followers for e.l.f. Twitter handles in 2009, over 200,000 for OpenSky in 2010, and well in excess of 2MM for Collective Bias in 2013… all with deep engagement and interaction.

Many people in the social media world know me for my enthusiastic, energetic and undeniably personal connection to people. I was the most followed CMO on Twitter according to Social Media Marketing Magazine; one of the most interesting CMOs on Twitter according to Say Media, #13 on Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers, and number #2 on the Leadtail list of Top 25 People Most Mentioned by digital marketers, and most recently to the leadersHum Global Power list of the Top 200 Biggest Voices In Leadership for 2022. Return on Relationship, ROR, #RonR, is the basis of my philosophy… It’s All About Relationships!

My book, Return on Relationship, was released January 2013, How To Look People in the Eye Digitally was released January 2015 and The Age of Influence… Selling to the Digitally Connected Customer in 2017. Ted released his latest book in December 2021, along with business partner and Retail Thought Leader John Andrews, titled Retail Relevancy.

From an early age, my Dad instilled in me the value of being a giver. He led by example, always extending a helping hand to our neighbors, fixing things, and offering assistance in any way possible. His acts of kindness were not driven by any expectation of reciprocation; he sought only friendship, a smile, or the satisfaction of knowing he had made a difference.

A “Giver’s Gain” Philosophy…

In following his footsteps, I, too, have become the person who stops to clean up a turned-over garbage can and put it back in its place, regardless of where it happens. I believe in the principle of ‘Liking’ others first, without waiting for them to ‘Like’ me in return. This approach, rooted in enlightened self-interest, has simple yet powerful benefits. When you do good for others, they are more likely to do good for you in return.

The beauty lies not in seeking direct rewards, but in cultivating a reputation as a generous individual. In business, just like in life, your actions become your brand, while your reputation becomes what people remember and share. This approach yields dividends daily, and I noticed immediate rewards in the form of personal satisfaction and contentment… a Return on Relationship that is yours no matter what.

However, there is a boundary I draw. When it becomes apparent that someone is merely a taker, never giving back to me or others, I have to protect my own well-being and set limits on such relationships. Similarly, in the business world, if a company has the means to compensate me fairly but chooses to take advantage of the situation, I must draw a line to safeguard my interests.

My Dad taught me to never forget the people… and that advice will serve you well in business and your personal life. If you forget the people, you’re overlooking the most important part.

Your Brand is what you do, Your Reputation is what people Remember AND Share… Stand out by ‘Liking’ them before they ‘Like’ you!

I now work closely with companies that put the relationship first such as… Evergreen Trading, The Actionists, TheCouponBureau, and Brand Innovators.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I am a “best friend” myself and that is with Raleigh local John Andrews. I come and go from Raleigh due to our association, so I have to say that I go wherever he takes me, and can always be sure that it will be fun, interesting, and we will meet new people along the way. And John LOVES to spend time with friends and make new ones, so if you are coming to Raleigh I suggest touching base with me and I will make an intro.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was taught by my Dad, both of my parents, to look people in the eye when speaking to them… get to know who they are and what is important to them. Let me tell you a story.

I’m an older guy… 65 years old and I graduated college in 1980. Upon graduation I started my first job which was in sales. I got a call from my dad after my first week of work and he says, “So when’s your first meeting?”

I said, “It’s Friday.”
He said, “Well, what time is the meeting?”

I said, “10:00.”

He said, “When are you gonna go there?”

I said, “I’ll probably get there about five to 10.”

He says, “No. Get there at 9:00. Walk around the neighborhood. Get to know what other businesses and restaurants are there. Get into the office. Find out what other companies are in the building. Try to get into the office of the person you’re meeting with and see what diplomas are on the wall, what photos are on the desk. Is he/she a father/mother, a grandfather/grandmother? Does she golf, does she fish? Does she ski? Where did she go to school? Find points of emotional connection where you can have a conversation with her/him other than business that’s important to him/her.”

Now, today you don’t have to get there an hour early. All this information is available digitally, but most of us aren’t bothering to use it… same as before, even with the complete ease of this research.

We’re worried about bringing people to our pages, instead of going and seeing all the information they’re offering us on theirs. I rarely get on a call, even with friends and associates without checking their pages first… and definitely when talking with someone I have not communicated with in a while.

My Dad’s advice was to make sure to do your research before you go in, after you meet, and regularly along the way. Now it’s as simple as a click of a button—and then bothering to read something and seeing how it relates to you and them. And don’t forget if you engage… the potential value can be unlimited.

My Dad taught me to never forget the people… and that advice will serve you well in business and your personal life. If you forget the people, you’re overlooking the most important part.

Look People in the Eye Digitally… because Relationships are like muscle tissue, the more you engage them, the stronger and more valuable they become.

Website: https://tedrubin.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedrubin

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedrubin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TedRubin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tedrubin

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TedRubin/videos

Other: http://returnonrelationship.com/ https://prevailingpath.com/ https://retailrelevancy.com/

Image Credits
John DeMato, DeMato Photo… https://linktr.ee/dematophoto