Kaplan Thaler Productions

What Kaplan Thaler Productions does

Kaplan Thaler Productions is a privately-held, founder-led personal-brand enterprise based in New York City, established in 1997 and operating under the name and identity of advertising executive Linda Kaplan Thaler. The company generates revenue through two primary streams: paid keynote speaking engagements at corporate conferences, association events, educational institutions, and private functions, and royalties from four national bestselling books co-authored with Robin Koval — 'The Power of Nice,' 'GRIT to Great,' 'The Power of Small,' and 'Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World.' Speaking engagements are booked direct via the company website and span enterprise clients (Gartner, ESPN, Fidelity Investments, Wendy's), nonprofit organizations (ADL, Girl Scouts, UJA), and academic institutions (University of Michigan, University of Tulsa, Hunter College), with documented events reaching London, Tokyo, Basel, and Barcelona.

The offering is built on Thaler's accumulated creative equity as an Advertising Hall of Fame inductee, with authorship credits on the Aflac duck, the Toys 'R' Us jingle, the Clairol Herbal Essences 'Yes Yes Yes' campaign, and the Kodak Moments jingle. Her formal training from the Upright Citizens Brigade theatrical improvisation program is leveraged as a differentiator for live corporate engagements. The business also produces episodic creative advertising campaign work for clients, including the ADL 'Imagine' viral video (over one million views in week one, White House screening) and the Extended Fertility 'eggsy' campaign. There is no proprietary technology platform, software product, or app; the asset base is the founder's personal brand, content library, and creative IP.

The revenue model is professional services plus one-time book licensing. Speaking pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; books are distributed through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks with no proprietary storefront. Customer acquisition relies on earned media (CNN Money, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, AdAge, BBC Radio 4), organic social, referrals from named C-suite clients, and direct website inquiries. The company has 11-50 employees, no external institutional funding, no parent company, and operates as a sole-proprietor-style personal brand.

Name

Kaplan Thaler Productions

Legal name

Linda Kaplan Thaler

Website

https://kaplanthalerproductions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kaplan Thaler Productions is a New York-based, founder-led personal-brand enterprise monetizing keynote speaking engagements and national bestselling books by Advertising Hall of Famer Linda Kaplan Thaler, serving enterprise, nonprofit, and academic clients globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Speaking Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSACADAK

Speaker, Entertainment & Talent Booking (Corporate)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Corporate Event & Meeting Services

SECONDARYMPAGAGAC

Corporate Conferences & Sales Kickoffs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYBPAFAEAD

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Brand Strategy & Creative Services

SECONDARYBPAFAEAB

Naming & Verbal Identity

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Brand Strategy & Creative Services

Keywords

• Keynote speaking services
• Motivational speaking
• Bestselling business books
• Advertising campaign creation
• Corporate leadership speakers

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Speaking Engagements: Keynote speaking fees for corporate conferences, conventions, and private events. Revenue generated through direct booking of Linda Kaplan Thaler for speaking appearances, with clients including enterprise companies, associations, and educational institutions.
2. Book Sales: Sales of published books including 'The Power of Nice,' 'GRIT to Great,' 'The Power of Small,' and 'Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World.' Books are sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks as national bestsellers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kaplan Thaler Productions is a personal brand speaking and authorship business led by Linda Kaplan Thaler. It sells keynote speaking engagements on leadership, perseverance, and brand messaging topics at corporate events, conferences, and private functions, and publishes bestselling business books including 'The Power of Nice,' 'GRIT to Great,' 'The Power of Small,' and 'Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World.' The business also creates advertising campaigns, jingles, and viral video content for major brands.

Product overview

Kaplan Thaler Productions is a personal brand and speaking business led by Linda Kaplan Thaler, an Advertising Hall of Fame inductee. The company offers motivational keynote speaking services based on Thaler’s bestselling books (The Power of Nice, Grit to Great, The Power of Small, Bang!) and creates advertising campaigns including iconic jingles and viral content. The portfolio consists of published books, speaking engagement services, and creative advertising work — not a unified software platform or tech product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Power of Nice: A speaking topic and bestselling book about the power of kindness in leadership and business
• Grit to Great
• Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World
• The Power of Small

Products and services

• The Power of Nice National bestselling book co-authored with Robin Koval exploring how kindness, empathy, and a collaborative spirit lead to better business outcomes and personal success. Sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks.
• Grit to Great National bestselling book co-authored with Robin Koval revealing how extraordinary success comes from ordinary beginnings through grit factors including guts, resilience, initiative, and tenacity. Sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks.
• The Power of Small Book exploring how small details and little things make all the difference in innovation, discoveries, careers, and daily life. Sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks.
• Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World Book providing strategies for creating dramatic, memorable messaging that helps brands achieve iconic status. Sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks.
• Keynote Speaking Services Motivational and business leadership speaking engagements for corporate events, conferences, and private functions. Topics include The Power of Nice, Grit to Great, Bang! messaging strategies, The Power of Small, and Playing Around at Work. Delivered for enterprise clients including Gartner, ESPN, Fidelity Investments, Wendy's, and Virtuoso, as well as educational institutions and nonprofits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million views within first week for ADL 'Imagine' viral video
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Upright Citizens BrigademinorOthersLinda Kaplan Thaler holds a degree from the acclaimed Upright Citizens Brigade and is an accomplished theatrical improviser. She leads improvisational sessions for corporate meetings using these skills.
• BBC Radio 4minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured guest on BBC Radio 4 'Toast' podcast discussing Toys R Us and brand leadership topics. Broadcast date to be announced.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Seth Godin: Long-standing marketing/leadership keynote speaker and prolific bestselling author of books such as 'Purple Cow' and 'Tribes.' Closely comparable model of thought-leadership keynote fees fueled by a backlist of books.
• Simon Sinek: Leadership keynote speaker and bestselling author ('Start With Why,' 'Leaders Eat Last'). Operates an analogous business of high-fee corporate keynotes built around a small number of flagship book concepts.
• Guy Kawasaki: Marketing and innovation keynote speaker and author ('The Art of the Start,' 'Enchantment'). Comparable as a multi-book author monetizing credibility from prior tech/marketing executive experience through keynote fees.
• Brené Brown: Research-driven keynote speaker and bestselling author ('Daring Greatly,' 'Atlas of the Heart'). Comparable in monetizing academic/research credibility through a premium speaking and book publishing business.
• Jay Baer: Marketing keynote speaker and bestselling author ('Youtility,' 'Talk Triggers'). Closely matches Kaplan Thaler's positioning as an enterprise-focused marketing speaker whose platform is built on books and signature concepts.
• Marcus Buckingham: Leadership and strengths-based keynote speaker and bestselling author ('First, Break All the Rules,' 'StrengthsFinder 2.0'). Comparable in selling leadership keynotes to enterprise audiences backed by an authored methodology.
• Sally Hogshead: Advertising and branding keynote speaker and bestselling author ('Fascinate,' 'How the World Sees You'). Mirrors Kaplan Thaler's exact combination of ad-industry credentials, keynote business, and book-driven platform.
• Tom Peters: Business management author and keynote speaker ('In Search of Excellence,' 'The Little BIG Things'). One of the longest-running and most direct comparisons for a business-keynote + bestselling-book business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lindathaler2
• Facebookfacebook.com/LindaK.Thaler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-kaplan-thaler-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kaplan Thaler Productions