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Douglas Zarkin

@dougzarkin

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🏆Brand Expert | 🎖2x Crain's NY Notable | 📚Author #MovingYourBrand | 📺 As seen on ABC, NBC & more | 👨‍👩‍👦 Dad | 🎾 Tennis Enthusiast

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3 years ago

I NEED YOUR VOTE. Last time I ran for anything, it was Senior Class President. I lost. Bigly. Still bitter. A few decades later, I’m running again. This time for the chance to create a fully funded 6-episode podcast with iHeartMedia.

DUMB & STUPID: The intersection we all occasionally find ourselves stuck at.
Smart people make dumb decisions. Great brands do stupid things. And good businesses mistake being busy for actually going somewhere.
No success porn. No five-step frameworks. Just smart, funny, brutally candid conversations about getting stuck, getting unstuck, and one question: Are you moving, or are you just in motion?

Help me make this thing real. https://tophost.org/2026/doug-zarkin by @dougzarkin

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14 days ago

What do you think? by @dougzarkin

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2 months ago

Doug Zarkin already told us a leader celebrates their flaws instead of hiding from them.

Turns out he holds his parenting to the same standard.

Asked what he hopes his kids say about him in ten years, he didn't ask for a perfect record. He hoped they'd say he was hard on them sometimes, and that they'd understand it came from wanting nothing but their joy, health, wealth, and happiness.

Same person at work and at home. That's the part people miss. by @dougzarkin

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2 months ago

A manager doesn't readily admit fault. A leader celebrates their flaws.

A manager is worried about things getting done. A leader is worried about somebody learning while things get done.

The real job isn't hitting the deadline. It's building people who can hit the next one without you.

Where's the line for you? Manager mode or leader mode this week? by @dougzarkin

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2 months ago

Doug Zarkin gave me a line I haven't stopped thinking about.

Come in with a notebook, not a playbook.

A playbook assumes you already know your team. His answer was pure football. You can't run a pass offense without a good quarterback. Can't run a defense without good linebackers. Assess the talent before you call the play.

Most new leaders skip straight to the plan.

What's the first thing you assess when you step into a new team? by @dougzarkin

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2 months ago

by @dougzarkin

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3 months ago

Grateful for the opportunity to step onto the red dot with the team at @tedxapex TEDx Apex—thank you for the platform and the push.

Here’s a quick teaser from a talk that’s coming your way in June.

Funny thing about moments like this… you don’t really remember how it went. You prepare, you step up, and then it’s a bit of a blur. I think it went well, but like any talk, the real measure isn’t how it felt on stage. It’s what happens after.

Did it land?
Did it make someone think differently?
Did it make someone feel seen?

That’s the bar.

Looking forward to hearing your reactions when the full talk drops next month. Stay tuned. 🎤 by @dougzarkin

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6 months ago

taken in Roslyn, New York by @dougzarkin

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6 months ago

Who doesn’t love an Abuela. by @dougzarkin

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