Dain Dunston helps some of the world’s smartest companies build cultures of innovation. For more than 25 years, he’s coached leaders on how to communicate with their people to build teams that are branded to the bone. Dain has worked with leaders in many of the world’s top automotive, high-tech, health care, retail and hospitality companies—IBM, Lilly, Bayer, Office Depot, Sherwin-Williams, Carlson, BMW and Audi—helping them link purpose to performance, inspiring game-changing thought and building great brands.
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Dain writes and consults on businesses that are radically disrupting their industries with new ideas and cultures that are branded to the bone. He is the co-author of Nanovation, How A Little Car Can Teach The World To Think Big, with best-selling authors Drs. Kevin and Jackie Freiberg (Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success). It’s the authorized story of the innovation behind the Nano, the world’s cheapest car, and the wave of less-is-more innovation that is dramatically challenging innovators to work smarter. Available in bookstores now!
For the past 20 years, Dain has provided communication strategy for some of America’s most respected companies. Working in a variety of media, from CEO speeches to comedy videos, Dain’s knowledge of business, organizational dynamics and engagement make him a valued partner in getting your message out.
Core Competencies:
leadership development, culture building, executive coaching, message strategy and content management, creative direction, speech writing and coaching, live element and video writing, comedy writing and directing.
Current Projects:
Strategic communications and culture building – Eli Lilly:
For two business units, Dain has designed a two-year strategic plan to help the organization build a culture of innovation that’s ready to lead revolutionary change in their industry and deliver off-the-chart levels of customer experience and patient survival.
Strategic communications and culture building – TGI Friday’s:
Under the new leadership of Nick Shepherd, a longtime client of Dain’s and former COO of Blockbuster, Friday’s is in the middle of a dramatic and successful turnaround in the casual dining marketplace. They’ve engaged to help them craft the brand story and build a culture of innovation and service at their next International Conference.
Message Strategy and Executive Speeches — Whataburger:
The cult favorite Texas hamburger chain brings a couple of thousand managers and employees together for a bi-annual family convention. Execute speeches and speech coaching along with a history module about the founding family.
Innovation Workshops:
For Pitney-Bowes executives, to engage employees in innovative thinking, at a series of road show presentations at the plants, led by the CEO.
CEO Speeches:
In the past few years, Dain has written keynote speeches for Trudy Rautio of The Carlson Companies, Nick Shepherd of TGI Friday’s, Eric Danziger of Wyndham Hotels, Julian Day of Radio Shack, Mike Ullman of JC Penney, Wayne Orchowski of BMW USA, Jim O’Sullivan of Mazda USA, Bob Mazzuca of the Boy Scouts of America, Greg O’Brien of Jones Lang Lasalle and Doug Brooks of Brinker International. In addition, he’s written for key executives at those companies and Jaguar, Mazda and Sherwin-Williams, among others.
Celebrity Presentations:
For IBM, Dain created, wrote and directed one-man shows for John Travolta, Tommy Lee Jones, Patrick Stewart, Dick Cavett, Pat Oliphant and Planet Earth’s Alastair Fothergill.
On a personal note
In addition to his corporate work, Dain is an award-winning playwright who has studied with Horton Foote and Romulus Linney. He has worked as a professional wine taster. And he is a sports car enthusiast and an avid collector of American outsider and folk art. He lives with his wife, writer and art dealer Jean Compton, and two dogs in the sunny hills outside of Austin, Texas.