Grit to Great

Advertising Hall of Famer Linda Kaplan Thaler demonstrates that with the right attitude and determination, success is within reach.
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Photo credit: Amy Postle
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Speaking Engagements

A powerful, entertaining, and inspiring speaker, Linda Kaplan Thaler shares stories from the front lines of the advertising business, showing firsthand the impact of determination and focused attention.

Physical & Digital Books

Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval reveal the real secret to success: the incredible power of perseverance. These two women from the Bronx relied solely on their own hard work to make it to the top, and in Grit to Great, they share strategies to help you succeed, too.

Digital Content

Bonus Content

Curated content enhances Linda’s lessons on and secrets to success.

Getting from Grit to Great: Linda Kaplan Thaler discusses how more than anything else, determination was a defining factor in her success.

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“[Linda’s] stories of hard work and perseverance not only inspired our audience of top business leaders but gave them tools they could use right away.”
C-Suite Network, Chairman
“Linda is a terrific speaker….she’s inspiring and she captured the imagination of my team.”
Len Fogge, President, Marketing and Digital, NBC Entertainment
“Linda’s talk lifted the crowd and gave us an energy boost that made the day.”
SocialMedia.org, CEO
“Witty, warm and smart, Linda is the real deal….A truly authentic motivational delivery and a hit with our audience.”
The Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management, President & CEO
“Linda is a down-to-earth, whip-smart treasure trove of advice and wisdom. …She’s a role model and inspiration to every young woman out there.”
VCU Brandcenter, Director

Program Topics

  • Grit to Great: How Perseverance, Passion, and Pluck Take You from Ordinary to Extraordinary

    Linda Kaplan Thaler takes on a topic that is close to her heart: the power of grit. Using research, personal stories, and “how-to” tips, she reveals how grit is something everyone—from entry-level employees and budding entrepreneurs to C-suite executives—can and should leverage for success in their own lives.

  • The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness

    Through her own experiences and captivating examples from the business world, Linda demonstrates why nice people finish first and encourages teams to cultivate kindness in the workplace and beyond.

  • The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference

    When pursuing a big goal, it’s easy to forget that small actions can often make a crucial difference. In this talk, Linda Kaplan Thaler explores how even the smallest actions and gestures can have outsized impact on even the most distant-seeming goals.

Grit to Great

We are all dazzled by the notion that there are some people who get ahead, who reach the corner office because they are simply gifted, or well-connected, or both. But research shows that we far overvalue talent and intellectual ability in our culture. The fact is, so many people get ahead–even the gifted ones–because they worked incredibly hard, put in the thousands of hours of practice and extra sweat equity, and made their own luck. In a book illustrated with a cornucopia of stories and the latest research on success, the authors reveal the strategies that helped them, and countless others, succeed at the highest levels in their careers and professions, and in their personal lives.

Available in hardcover, eBook
160 pages; September 8, 2015

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Grit to Great

“You don’t need to be brilliant or incredibly talented to become hugely successful. But what you do need is to read this book. Grit to Great teaches us all how to develop our grit quotient so almost any goal is possible.”

—James Patterson, bestselling author, former CEO of J. Walter Thompson

“An insightful guide to achieving success in work and life, filled with real-life stories, tools, and techniques that can help us all live with more passion, perseverance and resilience.”

—Arianna Huffington
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Learn how Linda Kaplan Thaler’s strategies for finding success in the workplace and beyond can motivate your team.

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