Brian Kurth

Current

Board Member at Northwest Academy - Portland, OR
President at Brian Kurth + Company
Author at Test-Drive Your Dream Job: A Step-By-Step Guide To Finding And Creating The Work You Love

President at VocationVacations

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1 more...

Past

Director, Business Development at Telenisus
Product Management Mgr/Director at Ameritech
Business Sales at ATandT

Regional Trainer at May Department Stores

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1 more...

Education

Loyola University of Chicago
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Professional Training & Coaching

Brian Kurth’s Summary

Brian Kurth is the founder and president of Brian Kurth + Company (www.briankurth.com), a career consultancy revolutionizing career development and transition through mentorship, and VocationVacations (www.vocationvacations.com), the only company of its kind providing 1-3 day career mentorship experiences for adults.

Brian is a recognized career development and transition expert and has made guest appearances on NBC's TODAY Show, CNN, CNBC, FOX News, ABC News, MSNBC, Bloomberg Television and National Public Radio (NPR), and his career advice has been featured in articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, O, The Oprah Magazine; BusinessWeek, Fortune Magazine, Men’s Journal, MORE Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company and Black Enterprise Magazine, just to name a few. In 2006, he co-executive produced This Job’s A Trip for the Travel Channel. Brian is the author of the how-to book, Test-Drive Your Dream Job – A Step-By-Step Guide To Finding and Creating The Work You Love (Hachette, 2008).

Before launching VocationVacations & Brian Kurth + Company, Brian spent more than a decade in the corporate world which included living and working in Chicago and abroad in Tallinn, Estonia and Budapest, Hungary; working his way up in product marketing within the telecommunications industry with AT&T and Ameritech; and finally becoming the director of business development for a dot-com.

Brian lives in Portland, Oregon and works wherever his MacBook and iPhone take him.

For speaking engagement requests, please contact George Greenfield at CreativeWell in New York at:
george@creativewell.com

For media requests, please contact Dianne Haines in Portland, OR at:
dianne@vocationvacations.com

Brian Kurth’s Specialties:

Career Transition, Career Development, Career Strategy, Career Coaching, Career Consulting, Mentorship, Professional Speaking, Media & Public Relations, Branding and Entrepreneurialism

Brian Kurth’s Experience

Board Member

Northwest Academy - Portland, OR

(Education Management industry)

September 2009 — Present (3 months)
President

Brian Kurth + Company

(Professional Training & Coaching industry)

August 2008 — Present (1 year 4 months)

Brian Kurth is the founder of Brian Kurth + Company and VocationVacations, the leaders in career mentorship, transition and reinvention (MTR).

As a sought-after speaker, Brian is known for his wit, wisdom and common sense. He can open minds to new career and lifestyle possibilities and how to turn those possibilities into realities. He has spoken to a diverse range of companies and groups including AARP, Ameriprise, Disney, Intel, Microsoft, and colleges, universities and alumni associations.

Get Brian talking (no problem there!), and he will explain how to explore and discover a new career by working through a proven eight-step process centered on mentorship and the importance of hands-on experience in one’s personal and professional transition and reinvention. Bringing the lessons and experience learned from a decade-long successful career in the corporate word, his entrepreneurial endeavors since 2004 and his own self reinvention, it’s no wonder Brian is considered the guru of career mentorship, transition and reinvention and is the media’s “go-to” guy for guidance and advice on how to find and work with a mentor and use the lessons learned to make informed career and lifestyle decisions.

As the author of the how-to book, Test-Drive Your Dream Job – A Step-By-Step Guide To Finding and Creating The Work You Love (Hachette, 2008), Brian is a recognized career transition expert and has made guest appearances on CNBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, NBC’s TODAY Show and National Public Radio (NPR), and his career advice has been featured in articles in Black Enterprise Magazine; Fast Company; Fortune Magazine; Men’s Journal; The New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine and The Wall Street Journal, just to name a few.

To book Brian for a speaking engagement, please contact:
George Greenfield
Creative Well
973.783.7575
george@creativewell.com

For press inquiries, please contact:
Dianne Haines
503-939-0121
dianne@vocationvacations.com
Author

Test-Drive Your Dream Job: A Step-By-Step Guide To Finding And Creating The Work You Love

(Public Company; AMZN; Internet industry)

January 2008 — Present (1 year 11 months)

"The mix of candor, concrete advice and real-life stories adds up to a must-read for those who are ready to shove aside the status quo and take a chance at a more satisfying career."
(USA Today )

"This is far more than a collection of motivational quotes. Test-Drive Your Dream Job offers concrete examples and practical solutions for the disenchanted. Highly recommended!" (Curledup.com )

"If you have ever worked at a job that you hated, you know how downtrodden you can get. Finding your dream job always seems like an arm's length away, but it doesn't have to be that way. This book lays out the step by step path that you need to create your dream job. Inspiration abounds within the pages of this book."
(Laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com )

"This revolutionary, hands-on program from the founder of VocationVacations will help you mesh your working life with your deepest sense of self..."
(The Sunday Oregonian )

"You can make money and love your job. However, be smart about any job transitions. Read this book first!" (Reviewyourbook.com )

"Test-Drive Your Dream Job is both an engrossing chronicle of Kurth's journey to creating his own dream job and a sourcebook for those who can't afford a mentoring fee or would prefer to set up a test-drive themselves."
(Bookpage )

In TEST-DRIVE YOUR DREAM JOB, you'll discover how you can identify, explore and experience your dream job, and how or if you want to pursue it. Author Brian Kurth, founder of VocationVacations, offers professional, personal and financial perspectives on how to transition into a new career and turn your dream job into a reality without risking your current job or jeopardizing your financial stability.

Brian Kurth is a sought-after career transition expert and speaker. He has shared his wit and wisdom in appearances on NBC's TODAY Show, CNN, and FOX News, and has been featured in articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
President

VocationVacations

(Professional Training & Coaching industry)

January 2004 — Present (5 years 11 months)

Brian Kurth is the founder of Brian Kurth + Company and VocationVacations, the leaders in career mentorship, transition and reinvention (MTR).

As a sought-after speaker, Brian is known for his wit, wisdom and common sense. He can open minds to new career and lifestyle possibilities and how to turn those possibilities into realities. He has spoken to a diverse range of companies and groups including AARP, Ameriprise, Disney, Intel, Microsoft, and colleges, universities and alumni associations.

Get Brian talking (no problem there!), and he will explain how to explore and discover a new career by working through a proven eight-step process centered on mentorship and the importance of hands-on experience in one’s personal and professional transition and reinvention. Bringing the lessons and experience learned from a decade-long successful career in the corporate word, his entrepreneurial endeavors since 2004 and his own self reinvention, it’s no wonder Brian is considered the guru of career mentorship, transition and reinvention and is the media’s “go-to” guy for guidance and advice on how to find and work with a mentor and use the lessons learned to make informed career and lifestyle decisions.

As the author of the how-to book, Test-Drive Your Dream Job – A Step-By-Step Guide To Finding and Creating The Work You Love (Hachette, 2008), Brian is a recognized expert in the field of MTR and has made guest appearances on CNBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, NBC’s TODAY Show and National Public Radio (NPR), and his career advice has been featured in articles in Black Enterprise Magazine; Fast Company; Fortune Magazine; Men’s Journal; The New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine and The Wall Street Journal, just to name a few.

To book Brian for a speaking engagement, please contact:
George Greenfield
Creative Well
973.783.7575
george@creativewell.com

For press inquiries, please contact:
Dianne Haines
503-939-0121
dianne@vocationvacations.com
Director, Business Development

Telenisus

(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

February 2000 — September 2001 (1 year 8 months)

Designed business development strategy resulting in revenue-generating alliances in the field of managed Internet security for NTT (Japan) and Articon Integralis (UK & Germany). Negotiated vendor contracts with Cisco and Nokia. Acted as point person for Telenisus during prospective European and Asian companies’ acquisition due diligence efforts.
Product Management Mgr/Director

Ameritech

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; AIT; Telecommunications industry)

September 1995 — February 2000 (4 years 6 months)

Generated new product revenue of $30 million, 25% above objective. Implemented national and international data strategy. Led promotions team comprising product marketing, billing, and IT. Developed and implemented new optional calling plans for business customers including governmental tariffing and competitive pricing strategy.

Managed 15 Hungarian product managers at Matav, Hungary’s telephone company. Grew Matav’s business customer revenue stream by 15%, to over $40 million. Introduced promotions, market communications, loyalty incentives and an educational program to shift Matav’s image as a former Communist-run monopoly to a customer-focused, market-driven company. Defined Matav’s product pricing and marketing strategies in advance of Hungary’s new competitive marketplace.
Business Sales

ATandT

(Professional Training & Coaching industry)

February 1993 — September 1995 (2 years 8 months)

Sold business telecom calling plans and consistently exceeded AT&T sales objectives by more than 20%. Earned place on AT&T’s fast-track Leaders’ Council Program (LCP).
Regional Trainer

May Department Stores

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MAY; Retail industry)

August 1988 — February 1990 (1 year 7 months)

Wrote and produced sales associate training program for more than 1,000 employees across ten Famous-Barr department stores.

Brian Kurth’s Education

Loyola University of Chicago

MA , Political Science , 1990 — 1991

Activities and Societies:

Earned full, academic scholarship
University of Wisconsin-Madison

B.A. , History, Political Science and Int'l Relations , 1984 — 1988

Activities and Societies:

Dean’s List; Order of Omega Honor Society, Vice President

Additional Information

Brian Kurth’s Interests:

Spending time with family and friends is #1 for me. Also a huge animal lover. I travel too much to own a dog but I'm lucky to have a hilarious cat who thinks she's a dog. When I have the time, I really love to be outdoors hiking or biking. I enjoy all types of food -- I'm a big-time foodie who can't cook, however. Also into microbrews and wine varietals.