Book Frankie

Turning Disruption into Opportunity: Thrive through Innovation and Authenticity

As an expert in Innovation and change management, Frankie Russo has helped hundreds of people ignite innovation and transform into authentic leaders at the four organizations he has led, authored two bestselling books, and achieved 60X growth with his tech company in three years [Inc. 500].

Since 2005, Frankie Russo has been building the Russo Capital portfolio of companies throughout multiple industries, including technology, advertising, marketing, music, automotive, agriculture, publishing, and finance. The companies he has invested in have offices in the USA and India and serve 121 US Markets.

Russo and his team have led 2 of his companies to become some of America’s fastest-growing, privately owned organizations for 8 years in a row [Potenza Inc. – Inc. 5000 in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 | 360ia – Inc. 500 in 2019, 2020, 2021]. In 2017, his company became one of the top 50 companies in southwest Louisiana. Russo was named ABIZ Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011, Top 20 Under 40 Honoree by The Daily Advertiser in 2014, and Founders to Watch in 2019 by Startup Weekly. In addition, he has been featured in several media outlets, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Times, and Inc. He has also earned many Addy and Telly awards for his work at Potenza Inc.

The Art of WHY (2016), Russo’s first book, was on Amazon’s best seller list in the self-help category, and has been readapted and expanded into his second book: the rules-defying Breaking WHY (2022). He currently conducts a series of book tours and talks around the country to help his audience Soar through seismic shifts and uncertainty. Frankie’s highest calling is his family, and he happily lives with his wife and six children in Louisiana.

Organizations that Russo has collaborated with who have embraced authentic leadership were able to adapt and innovate through massive change. In his latest talk, “Soaring Seismic Shifts,” Russo shares the five critical unlocks for thriving in the face of unprecedented change by leading with authenticity.

“Frankie’s keynote on thriving through Seismic Shifts was the bright spot of our event. Our attendees walked away with real tools on how to thrive as authentic leaders in this time of massive changes and shifts in our businesses.”

—Nathan Arant, Ignite Mastermind Events

“Frankie brought a fresh, exciting perspective on how our Apple Specialists can be a true disrupters with authentic purpose at our Apple Partner Symposium!”

—Emory Osgood, Apple Inc.

“I’m a speaker, I teach speaking, and part of my job is evaluating speakers. When Frankie Russo spoke at our annual event, I was interested in hearing not just what he had to say but whether he’d be a more typical ‘motivational’ speaker. He wasn’t. He had substance and was vulnerable, sincere, and relatable. He had obviously done his homework and knew what we do, where we’re going, and perfectly identified our ‘weird’ as an organization. I highly recommend Frankie.”

—James Warda, Former Senior Communication Manager, Boeing

“My favorite part of our conference—and the real show-stopper—was a talk from Frankie Russo. He changed our thinking and our individual strategies as he facilitated a discussion on success through authenticity and creativity. Describing the experience as compelling and highly effective just scratches the surface.”

—Julie Nielsen, Oyster Organizational Development

“Listening to Frankie was amazing. He’s a gifted speaker, but you don’t feel like he’s ‘a speaker’. His speech perfectly hit the chord I had hoped it would hit at our organization’s event, and we still regularly use some of the practical tools Frankie gave us for unlocking creativity in our organization. Two thumbs up!”

—Julie Sacks, President, HCCI Institute

“Frankie Russo really brought the fire to our event! I was blown away with how many attendees left inspired, and we are having him back again for next year’s event!”

—Audrey Davis, Executive Director, Hope for Humanity

“Attendees are still telling me how Frankie’s keynote speech was the most valuable moment of their conference experience. Many walked away with actions that made a real difference in their organizations!”

—Louise Leopold, Digital Dealer Conference

“Attendees of Innovate South raved over Frankie's keynote presentation on ‘Soaring Seismic Shifts.‘ Frankie's talk genuinely spurs people to become a leader that anyone will follow.”

—Destin Ortego, Innovate South Conference

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