| As the former director of communications for Harley-Davidson, Ken Schmidt played an active role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history – and got paid to ride motorcycles. He is widely known and respected as one of the business world’s most outspoken and provocative thought leaders and has partnered with many of the most successful brands. Schmidt’s formal association with Harley-Davidson began in 1985. As a specialist in corporate positioning and media relations, he was asked to work with the then struggling Harley-Davidson to help restore the company’s image and create demand for its motorcycles. Within a few short years, Harley-Davidson became one of the most visible and frequently reported-on companies in the world, while sales of the motorcycle rocketed upward. Today, Schmidt is a frequent speaker to business groups and academic communities throughout the world. After all he has accomplished his philosophy of life and business hasn’t changed: “never do what’s expected, make yourself as noticeably different as possible, and have a lot more fun than you’re supposed to. |  |