Entrepreneurs and CEOs Host Radio and TV Programs to Increase Revenue

Being recognized in the supermarket is an extra perk for charismatic CEOs, who are now taking to the airways. According to INC.com, name and voice recognition have made stars out of entrepreneurs, who already sport a smooth sales pitch, and expert information. Many are hosting their own radio and TV programs, as an alternative to commercials and infomercials. Radio and TV producers are teaming up with multi-talented executives, who enjoy moonlighting as broadcasters. Call-in and talk formats enable business owners to share their knowledge, and to answer precise questions from listeners.

Adam Bold's radio show The Mutual Fund Store, has 4 million listeners, and is so successful, that Bold was also recruited by PBS to host a television spin off program. With revenue for his investment company at 24 million this year, he is sure that his mutual funds radio program provided greater visibility for him and his business.

A plastic surgeon in Bal Harbour, Florida, Michael Saulzhauer, has a weekly call-in show Nip Talk. Discussing topics from botox to reconstructive surgery, many of his listeners have become patients, and as a result, he has greatly increased his annual income. Saulzhauer has commercial advertising spots on the show, while also offering giveaways, where listeners can win free services such as laser treatments, and free consultations. "This gets people in the door, and they'll usually go on to purchase another product at some point down the line," he comments. He believes that broadcasting would be beneficial to all businesses.

Josh Dorfman, also a broadcasting entrepreneur, started his journey with a blog about green living, then added an Internet radio show, and wrote a book. That led him to his program, The Lazy Environmentalist, which airs on Sirius Satellite Radio every weekday. This greater exposure and recognition has contributed to the tremendous growth of his company, Viavi, in Brooklyn, New York, which sells ecofriendly furniture. Sometimes the broadcast has been instrumental in securing corporate accounts. When Dorfman invited a developer to be on the show, with plans to build a certified green high rise on New York's Roosevelt Island, he also landed a contract for Viavi to provide furniture for the outside area of the building.

Other entrepreneurial themes for broadcasting include real estate shows, legal shows, health shows, gardening shows, psychology shows, and many other professions. Laura Smith, program director at Lime, a green living channel, of Sirius Satellite Radio, says, "There's been a great opportunity for people with specific topics to go on the air. There's a place for everything right now."