Passion and the Mirror, with Ira Blumenthal – Episode 292 of The Action Catalyst Podcast

Considered a modern-day business “Renaissance Man,” Ira Blumenthal was the founder and president of CO-OPPORTUNITIES, Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting company that has counseled world-class clients such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Kroger, McDonald’s, Harrah’s, American Airlines, Disney, United Artists, Marriott, Exxon, Walmart and others in areas related to “branding,” “strategic alliances,” “change management,” “reinvention,” and “business development.” Noteworthy, Ira has the proud distinction of being the single-longest continually retained consultant in The Coca-Cola Company’s history (26 years).

In early 2019, Ira aligned with Southwestern Family of Companies in a dual role… Co-President (and Co-Founder) of The Pat Summitt Leadership Group and President of Southwestern Impact, A “Venture Catalyst.”

Ira is a published author. His successful first book, Ready, Blame, Fire! (Myths and Misses in Marketing) was followed by the nationally acclaimed Managing Brand You, published by The American Management Association and printed in two languages and audio (www.ManagingBrandYou.com). It focuses on personal branding. Ira is the recipient of the prestigious “George Washington Honor Medal for Literary Excellence” (The Freedoms Foundation). In June 2019, Ira’s newest book, Your Best Is Next was launched.

The former host of a popular radio talk show, “Success Talk,” Ira has interviewed “success stories” such as General Colin Powell, Mario Andretti, Tommy Lasorda, Debbi Fields, Dr. Richard Carlson, and other notables. He has been a visiting professor at The University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University and was the inaugural Executive-In-Residence at Georgia State University’s School of Hospitality. Before founding CO-OPPORTUNITIES, Inc., Ira was a division CMO at The Sara Lee Corporation and then served as President of Rymer Foods, an NYSE public corporation he led to quantum leap growth from $90 million to well over $250 million in three-plus years. He is the recipient of the highest honor in the food business, “The Key Person Award,” and has been honored with numerous civic and professional awards and has been on a number of boards.

These days, Ira delivers over 40 speeches annually and has delivered over 2500 in his career to well over 1.2-million people on five continents. He has served as the “speaking opener” for the likes of President George Bush Sr., General Colin Powell, Lech Walesa, the late Pakistani President Benazir Bhutto, Henry Kissinger, Tommy Lasorda, Cal Ripken Jr., Bob Dole, and others. Highly respected as a business development and branding expert, to include “personal branding,” Ira has been quoted and featured as a “subject matter expert” in numerous media sources such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN, BrandWeek, Entrepreneur Magazine, Executive Excellence, Marketing News, and more.

He has also done work with and for high-profile icons such as Zsa Zsa Gabor, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), the estate of the late Pat Summitt, media mogul Ted Turner, and others.

With his friend Aerosmith lead singer, Steven Tyler, in collaboration with Youth Villages, Ira was a co-founder of “Janie’s Fund” (www.janiesfund.org), a philanthropic organization that provides help to “at-risk girls.” Ira also sits on the board of BLAZE Sports, the legacy Paralympic organization as well as on the advisory council of the Global Restaurant Leadership Conference (Dubai).

On a personal note, Ira is a tireless community activist and youth coach (coached both state and national championship teams). He was a highly acclaimed collegiate athlete and also competed internationally. Early in his career, Ira coached football and lacrosse at Towson University. Originally from New York, Ira lives in Atlanta, GA, with his red-headed Missouri bride, Kim. They have been married 37 years. He is the father of two daughters, three sons, and has eight grandchildren (another on the way). He and Kim are avid hikers and recently started their piece-by-piece trek of The Appalachian Trail.

Ira’s two favorite quotations are “The true measure of a man is how many lifetimes he can cram into one…” and “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you found out why.”

The Action Catalyst is presented by the Southwestern Family of Companies. With each episode, the podcast features some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Learn more at TheActionCatalyst.com, subscribe below or wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to leave a rating and review!

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