Episode 051: Suzanne Kelly – From CNN To Raising $1.5 Million For A StartUp…

Suzanne Kelly is an incredible learning leader. She truly understands the importance of understanding your environment and surrounding yourself with the right people. We are extremely fortunate to have Suzanne share her knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.

Suzanne Kelly is CEO and Publisher of The Cipher Brief (www.thecipherbrief.com), an online news service for national and global security developed for the business audience. She is a former CNN Intelligence Correspondent and co-founded, co-developed and served as co-editor of CNN's national security website. She identified, negotiated and managed the network's co-sponsorship (along with The New York Times) of the Aspen Institute's annual security forum.

Her first non-fiction book was published by (Harper) Collins in 2009, and offered the only inside look at the rise and fall of private security contractor Blackwater, 'Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War'.

Episode 051: Suzanne Kelly – From CNN To Raising $1.5 Million For A StartUp…

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The Learning Leader Show

“Network news is a cut throat business.”

Some Questions I Ask:

• What are common characteristics of high achievers?
• Describe your career and experiences working internationally for CNN
• What was your process for starting your own business?
• How did you raise over $1 million for your start up? Who did you go to first?
• Why did you write a book about Erik Prince (CEO of Blackwater)?
• Do you think you need to be polarizing like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs to excel as a top level CEO?
• What do you think of Donald Trump and the Republican Debates? How about Carly Fiorina?
• What does being a learning leader mean to you?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The importance of understanding the environment you work in
• Why working in network TV is a cut throat business
• The process to starting her own business and raising over $1 million
• The importance of being prepared for your opportunity
• Details around Blackwater and the use of civilians in war
• The work ethic of single moms and how they’ve inspired some of the best spies in the CIA
• The Cipher Brief is the place you go to see how country solves national security issues. It will be 100% Unbiased

“Some of the best performing CIA spies in the world are motivated by the work ethic of single mothers.”

Continue Learning:

• · Go To Suzanne’s website: The Cipher Brief
• · Read Suzanne’s book: Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War
• · Follow Suzanne on Twitter: @SuzanneKelly_

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Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion

Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content. Suzanne Kelly is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From Suzanne Kelly’s LinkedIn

Kelly is CEO and Publisher of The Cipher Brief (www.thecipherbrief.com), an online news service for national and global security developed for the business audience. Acting as both an original content provider and a curated aggregator, The Cipher delivers a timely news product that helps companies accurately anticipate and safely navigate the complex, unstable, global environment.

Kelly is a former CNN Intelligence Correspondent and co-founded, co-developed and served as co-editor of CNN's national security website. She identified, negotiated and managed the network's co-sponsorship (along with The New York Times) of the Aspen Institute's annual security forum.

After leaving CNN, Kelly founded and launched AragornCo, a boutique consulting and strategy agency working for clients operating in the national security space.

Kelly also led strategic and crisis communications for ACADEMI, a global security services provider. She had responsibility for conceptualizing, managing and implementing strategies to assist the company in bringing security services to the private sector.

Her first non-fiction book was published by (Harper) Collins in 2009, and offered the only inside look at the rise and fall of private security contractor Blackwater, 'Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War'.

Earlier in her career, Kelly worked as a war correspondent in Kosovo, and a was business and political reporter based in both Bonn and Berlin, Germany.

She spent nine years working as a news anchor for CNN International based in both Atlanta, Georgia and Berlin, Germany for a series of news programs broadcast live around the world, including a morning news program broadcast throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.