“It’s amazing how you shine when you take the polish off. Ditch the Act is a timely user manual on how to turn your awkward vulnerability into a powerful brand asset.”
“Leonard and Ryan’s book, Ditch the Act, is absolutely timely. Large companies across the globe are biting the dust as the best of their leaders are putting on charades instead of providing authentic leadership. Leaders who are ‘real’ are talent magnets and they build great institutions with enduring customer relationships. Authentic leaders drive tremendous efficiencies through increased transparency. Through examples, exercises and exploration, the authors have created an immensely readable and practical book on contemporary leadership.”
“Beautiful, brilliant must-read book! Ditch the Act will remind you that there are global forces and shared experiences that bring us together. It’s a roadmap to real authority and influence rooted in finding your truth and being yourself.”
“Being vulnerable isn’t the easiest thing in our society, but it is one of the most compelling ways to connect. In the noisy digital world we are tired of hype, being sold to, being told what we are doing or how we look isn’t good enough. We are craving honest communication about shared human experiences, validation and reassurance we’re not alone. Ditch the Act offers the answer to making the online experience with brand followers more human, meaningful, worthwhile and valuable. This book has inspired me to do more of this and build a connected community that thrives together.”
“Ditch The Act is brilliant in its mastery for helping you move from ‘Acting’ to ‘Authenticity’. It’s that genius that propels you to success. I deeply understand the value of being truly authentic now…meaning, I wish I had this book much earlier in my career and personal life. It would have saved me a lot of headaches and accelerated where I really wanted to go. Straight to the top, with no pit stops. It will do just that for you.”
“I’m a believer that books come to us at the exact right moment. If we allow them to, they can and will change our lives. This is one of those books. While the focus of Ditch the Act is personal branding, this book is so much more than that. It’s a raw, real look at what it takes to make connections into today’s saturated online world. While I’m an advocate of personal branding, what often gets overlooked is the importance of vulnerability and authenticity. There’s a disconnect between purposeful connection and random interaction. If you’re looking for a playbook to building a powerful personal brand, this book is for you. Through real-life stories, detailed insights and actionable exercises, you’ll learn how to gain authority and credibility to dominate your market.”
“As a Sr. Software Engineer and Developer Evangelist at Microsoft for over 10 years, much of what I find that builds camaraderie between teams is when managers and employees begin to act as a family and treat each other with love and compassion, while understanding that everyone is in it together. Ditch the Act shows you how you can maximize your relationships in the office to better improve both your internal and external connections and put you on the fast track to realize your career goals, better lead your team, or showcase your expertise outside of the office so that you are a true reflection of what your company has to offer.”
“If you think you already know how to generate impact, present in public and create a strong personal profile, you are wrong, and you need to read this book now. Ditch The Act is an essential read for anyone that wants to create a meaningful impression in today’s online and social media-driven world. Authenticity is key, but it is not easy to be authentic, innovative, impactful and unique. This book will help you get there.”
“Social media platforms have fundamentally changed how we show up and relate to the world. We think we have to present a whitewashed, perfect peek into our lives. God forbid that we’d share anything too authentic, too transparent, too real. But what is really underneath that fear? Why are we so scared of people seeing the real us? In Ditch the Act, Leonard and Ryan have done a superb job of giving us permission to not only show up and share our more authentic selves, they’ve also included numerous thought-provoking, step-by-step exercises to blast through our fears and achieve a much deeper relationship with our online and offline audiences. I’ve heard it said that we don’t suffer from a ‘time famine’ in today’s world; we suffer from an ‘intimacy famine.’ We’d rather do anything than share vulnerably what’s really going on. I see this book as a new movement to turn the intimacy famine around and create much, much deeper connection with one another.”
“At Zoom, we know the power of human to human connection. In a world where there is more digital connection than ever before, a reminder to be more human when on digital platforms is highly valuable. In Ditch the Act, Ryan and Leonard dive deep into how to showcase your real and whole-self, both online and offline, in a way that builds trust by being truthful.”
