Penny Zenker is the host of the new show, âTake Charge of Your Productivityâ on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel, each Monday at 7 am Pacific Time.
1. Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Wilmington, Delaware and then moved across the border to Chadds Ford, PA. An interesting fact about me is that I spent most of my adult life, 16 years living in Zurich Switzerland.
So although I am American, I don’t know how a lot of things work here. I moved back about 3 years ago and I am rediscovering the American Culture. My experiences meeting people from many cultures and walks of life really helps me to appreciate the differences and similarities in our individual make-ups. Thatâs largely what intrigued me to dig deeper into the neuro-strategies side of the work that I doâ¦My time abroad gave me a hunger to understand why people do what they do and to use that perspective in my coaching.
2. What do you do in your free time?
I love enjoying time with friends and family, doing something adventurous, movies, or just reading a book.
3. What are the top 3 books you recommend for business strategy and personal development?
For personal development I recommend âThe Power of Full Engagementâ by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, “Awaken the Giant Within” by Tony Robbins, and”The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg
For business development I recommend âBusiness Strategy: Blue Ocean Strategiesâ by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, âThe Challengerâ by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon, and âThe Ultimate Sales Machineâ by Chet Holmes.
4. What are you currently reading?
The Identity Code – Larry Ackerman. Larry will be one of my guests on the show. I chose to interview him because of the work I have done in understanding the power of our identity and how it is really the strongest force that drives us. I am interested in reading various perspectives on a topic so I can combine that with my experiences to create deeper meaning and fully formed lessons for myself.
5. How did you get into the profession of business coaching?
I realized that I love building businesses and making companies and people work more efficiently; I wanted to balance this love and the love of my family. I was having a conflict of interests with my two loves in the direction I was going. I realized I didnt need or want to be CEO for a company in Switzerland as I was being put forward for, but rather I wanted to support multiple companies and create personal growth for myself and others without the conflict of interest that comes with leading a large organization. It became clear to me after working with a few coaches that coaching was the best solution for me. It turned out even better than I ever imagined because I am so passionate about working with people in this capacityâ¦for me it goes much deeper than the business aspects.
6. Who is your mentor? Or What are the qualities one should look for in a business mentor?
Steve Linder is one of my mentors for his ability to provide easy frameworks of teaching/learning and enabling me to support others as they navigate their personal paths.
Tony Robbins for his artistry and mastery in working with people for amazing breakthroughs.
Peter Hofer for his ability to remove the obstacles that kept me from my motivation at times, his lessons on how to keep learning, and his power to enable others to use their skills/talents. All three of them taught me to discern when to lead and when to listen, and the importance of focusing on the core decisions and what really matters.
7. How many clients have you worked with in your career?
I have worked with hundreds if not thousands of clients in all sorts of different capacities and disciplines. One of my core strengths is in communication and productivity.
8. Do you or have you ever worked with a business coach for your own business and personal growth?
Absolutely, I work with a coach! I want to be the best so I work with the best. It is that simple. I also work with a mastermind group to continue to push each other to be the best we can be. It is essential that we surround ourselves with people who will help us to progress and grow.
9. What are your goals for having a radio show with VoiceAmerica?
I aspire to reach thousands if not millions of people and provide them with new perspectives to improve the quality of their lives and the quality and profits of their businesses. I think there are a lot of people who could benefit immensely from coaching that either havenât heard of it or donât think they have access to it. Doing this radio show, coupled with creating an online program that gives my clients access to my services from anywhere at anytime is how Iâm going to affect major change.
10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Supporting and speaking on transformational platformsâ¦and possibly creating a platform so inspiring that it influences millions of people to learn the key principles of energy management to increase their results. I want to provide support, worldwide, to anyone who is ready to take charge of his or her life and business. I mentioned my cultural background and perspective in an earlier question and that has really influenced my path: I have seen the ripple effect when people take charge of their energy and choose a more fulfilling life. It has an enormous impact, not just on themselves or their family, but on their whole community as well.
Penny Zenker is the host of “Take Charge of Your Productivity” on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel. Entrepreneurs and executives seek the coaching expertise and experience of Penny Zenker, ACC, a certified business coach. In addition to her own coaching organization, Penny serves as a Tony Robbins and Chet Holmes coach with BBI, Business Breakthroughs International. She is a Certified Neuro-Strategist.
An entrepreneur at heart, Penny founded and later sold a successful multi-million dollar technology company in Switzerland. Under her leadership, the company established a well-recognized brand for itself and developed software products sold internationally. Through all of her work, Penny has been keenly focused on driving productivity and integrating technology to improve efficiencies.
Penny spent five years researching the human psyche with a focus on productivity and why we do the things we do. She studied a variety of techniques and methodologies and reviewed many significant time management programs on both a strategic and tactical level. Through that process, she identified the importance of ten critical elements and incorporated energy management into her client coaching.
Pennyâs radio program is based on her Take Charge of Your Productivity program, highlighting the ten key elements that are the foundation for all time and energy management efforts that create performance and balance. Penny provides key notes, private webinars and one-on-one coaching in this area of specialization.
