James Turk is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and CEO of The Turk Group—a boutique learning and development firm with over 25 years of experience. James designs and delivers leadership, sales, change management, and strategic planning programs for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Spotify, Squarespace, Goldman Sachs, and Equinox. His approach blends a strong foundation in service, life-long learning, and real-world business experience to help leaders become the kind of people others truly want to follow.

On this episode we talk about:

• How James made his first dollar (and learned his first ethical lesson!) selling his sister’s belongings—and then launched a legitimate lawn care business as a teenager

• The value of learning to hustle early, earning the “extras” in life through work and responsibility

• The importance of thoughtful spending—knowing when to invest and when to enjoy spending for its own sake

• Why James self-published his book, The Giving Game: Becoming the Leader That Others Want to Follow, and the lessons learned creating a quality product

• How being of service and adding value shaped his coaching and leadership development philosophy

• The unique art-meets-business history that shaped James’ style, from running a Chicago gallery to acting and performance

• His advice to parents and entrepreneurs about instilling hustle, grit, and sound financial values

• Building a referral-based business with high-profile clients and why relationships and service are more powerful than marketing budgets

• The power of events, comped workshops, and "connector" strategy to maintain long-term business relationships

• How B2C and B2B strategies can reinforce each other, and why giving to your network always pays dividends over time

• James’ book and free resources for new leaders navigating their first 45 days

Top 3 Takeaways

1. Service Drives Success: Approach business and leadership as a “giving game,” not just a guessing game—when you focus on adding value, relationships and opportunities follow.

2. Relationships > Marketing: Doing high-quality work and maintaining great relationships opens doors (and doors within doors). Consistently show up, serve, and keep your word.

3. Be a Connector, Build Community: Hosting events, sharing knowledge, and connecting others multiplies your value and helps you stay top of mind in your network.

Notable Quotes

• “The show is about making more money, but it’s also about building real relationships and adding value—that’s the real long game.”

• “Make yourself easy to work with, keep your quality high, and focus on service; good things will follow.”

• “Every interaction is an opportunity to build your network and your reputation as someone who gives, not just takes.”

Connect with James Turk:

• Website: theturkgroup.com

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