The television show Shark Tank showcases five tough, self-made multimillionaires and billionaires who entertain business pitches from entrepreneurs seeking their investment. As one of the investors on Shark Tank, Mark Cuban brings his unique experience to help entrepreneurs get their lucky break.
Mark learned early in his career that working for someone else was not in his DNA. He was fired twice from corporate jobs before he decided to start his first company, MicroSolutions eventually selling it in 1990 for $6 million to CompuServe.
Mark Cuban went on to invest in and sell multiple companies and became known for his knack for serial entrepreneurship. He has been a featured speaker at leadership conferences and is a sought after opinion in the media regarding business leadership or entrepreneurship.
When it comes to business, investing in startups, and entrepreneurship, Mark Cuban has positioned himself as a thought leader by leveraging his “street cred” and business acumen.
Being a thought leader is more than being an expert in the industry. Thought leaders are able to leverage their experience and voice to bring profit to the bottom line. One easy way thought leadership can accomplish this goal is through client engagement.
So how do you get started?
According to Forbes Inc., answering client questions is a great thought leadership strategy that produces results. It’s a way to engage clients by providing content to address their questions or concerns.
The first step toward building a successful thought leadership marketing strategy is to develop content to address the most important questions first. If your clients begin to see that you are listening to and addressing their concerns, you create a positive brand image and build client trust.
Another benefit to a successful thought leadership marketing strategy is SEO or search engine optimization. When candidates go to search for information on a brand, the ranking of search results will display content based on ranked results. There are a number of tools influencers use to increase their SEO ranking of content published by thought leaders. Using this tactic takes you into the realm of leading the message about your talent brand.
Leveraging SEO can help you manage what clients and prospects see when they search for your brand. This strategy is becoming invaluable for companies that want to leverage their thought leadership strategy to further client engagement.
Companies are always looking for the most effective recruiting strategy that will separate their brand in the market. Thought leadership marketing is an effective way to build “street cred” with your audience and increase your client engagement.
If you’d like to really up your game, check out my previous post: Content Marketing for Recruiting
About me
and Sprint Recruiting

Trent Cotton is a highly accomplished leader and strategist with extensive experience in organizational development, talent management, and business operations. With a strong background in HR leadership, he has a proven track record of designing and implementing innovative HR programs that drive employee engagement, retention, and business performance.
As an experienced executive, Trent has worked with some of the world’s leading companies, where he has led and supported HR initiatives across a broad range of functions, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, diversity and inclusion, performance management, and employee relations. He is also highly skilled in HR technology implementation, data analytics, and HR process improvement, helping organizations to optimize their HR operations and drive business results.
If you follow his blog http://www.sprintrecruiting.com or have read his book, Sprint Recruiting, you would experience his raw communication style, his ability to build and lead high-performing teams, and his strategic mindset. He is passionate about creating workplaces where employees can thrive and grow, and he is committed to helping organizations leverage the power of their people to achieve their business objectives.
In addition to his professional experience, Trent is actively involved in his community and has served on several boards and committees supporting education, workforce development, and diversity initiatives.
In his free time, Trent has written two books: “The 7 Deadly Sins of HR” and most recently, “Sprint Recruiting”. He will be releasing “The High Performing Recruiting Team” in the fall of 2023 and “FutHRist” in 2024.
He’s an active participant in the HR Industry and is asked to participate in roundtables or provide keynotes for many organizations. His blog Sprintrecruiting.com reaches thousands of readers and provides unique insights on a range of recruiting topics.
Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter for more.
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