CEO, 5 STAR BDM | Executive & Personal Brand Strategist | Agentic AI-Powered Thought Leadership + Visibility Systems | Host, Follow The Brand™ | BRAVE Blueprint™ | Board + C-Suite Positioning

░▒▓█ GRANT MCGAUGH █▓▒░
I build leaders who are brave enough to be followed—and strategic enough to monetize their authority.

If you’re an executive, founder, or consultant who is highly capable but under-recognized, the issue is rarely talent. It’s positioning, visibility, and a personal brand that doesn’t match your impact.

I’m Grant McGaugh (FHIMSS), CEO of 5 STAR BDM, creator of the BRAVE Blueprint™, and host of Follow The Brand™. Before 5 STAR BDM, I spent 20+ years as an award-winning Business Development Executive in telecom, IT, and healthcare, earning Presidents Club, Gold Sales Champion, and multiple top-performer awards while selling complex cloud and data center solutions.

Today I use that same revenue-focused discipline to help leaders turn expertise into executive presence, market authority, and inbound opportunities through a blend of personal brand strategy, business development thinking, and AI-powered visibility systems.

WHO I WORK WITH
• Executives seeking promotion, board readiness, and C-suite visibility
• Founders and consultants who are still the best-kept secret and want premium positioning
• Healthcare and technology organizations that need a stronger executive story and market presence

WHAT WE ACHIEVE
• Clear, differentiated positioning your market instantly understands
• A recognizable personal brand and narrative that opens doors
• Consistent thought leadership aligned with revenue and opportunity
• More inbound: speaking, podcasts, partnerships, and right-fit clients

HOW WE DO IT – BRAVE BLUEPRINT™
Boldness – own a point of view that makes you the signal, not the noise.
Resilience – turn lived experience into strategic advantage.
Authenticity – originals convert; copycats compete on price.
Vision – lead the market conversation instead of chasing trends.
Execution – build repeatable systems for content, visibility, and relationships that compound over time.

PROOF
• 20+ years as a top-performing Business Development Executive in telecom, IT, and healthcare
• Grew books of business and territories by double and triple digits while closing multi-million-dollar solutions
• Helped leaders go from almost invisible online to daily inbound opportunities, speaking invitations, and 5–10x growth in content reach

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME
• Private Brand Strategy Intensive
• AI-Powered Visibility & Growth Program
• Executive Coaching for Promotion / Board Positioning

Next step: Message me “BRAVE” with your role + goal (promotion, board seat, 7-figure scaling, or authority build).

Or connect with a short note to stay in touch.

Excited to welcome a true mentor and thought leader in healthcare technology and personal branding. This individual has been a guiding force in my journey into podcasting and social media.

With a successful podcast and social media program, plus a role as CEO of 5 STAR BDM, their insights are invaluable. Honored to have this award-winning author and co-moderator as a guest.

Welcome, Grant McGaugh! #HealthcareTechnology #PersonalBranding #ThoughtLeadership #Mentorship #SocialMedia Christopher Kunney, FHIMSS, eFACHDM, MSMOT

undefined undefined

Top 50 Global Thought Leader Personal Branding

Project 12, is one of the flagship initiatives of SHE Holdings LLC , marketing, publishing and advertising company. SHE Holdings LLC works in collaboration with Shas Community Initiatives, Inc. 501c3 for the Project 12 Initiative. The purpose is to showcase and highlight positive men of color and encourage the next generation of men. Our goal is to help change the imagery of the black male in a society where there is so much negativity being depicted. This has created a stigma with our next generation of men creating a sense of their lives are less valuable than others. We highlight men from various spheres of influence such as educators, physicians, attorneys, coaches, community leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and much more. The initiatives has help establish many lasting relationships amongst the men

Project 12 - Mr. December 2024

Keynote Speech - Gold Medal -  The Personal Brand of You
Keynote Speech - Gold Medal - Business and Technology
Fireside Chat - Gold Medal - Black Business Opportunities in the Metaverse
Panel Discussion - Gold Medal -  Why Branding is Important 
Anchor  - Gold Medal 4-Hour Moderator for BBX Speakers

5 TIME GOLD Medalist BLACK BUSINESS OLYMPICS 2022

Nominee for excellent service in the South Florida community

African American Achievers 2020

Featured in Miami Herald and Sun_Sentinel

https://issuu.com/miamediagrp/docs/legacy_miami_mag_dec_2019-edited

Top Black Healthcare Executive 2019

Advanced Technology Executive

Achieved 150% of Quota 2014

Sold 1st Cloud Branch Solution

Sold  All  New Logos

Promotoed to Sr Global Account Executive Jan 2015


Honors

Top Sales Achiever

Million Dollar Club

Sales

Presidents Club

Black Business Expo

Gold Medal

LinkedIn

What Is Generative AI?

Transforming Business with AI Agents: Autonomous Efficiency and Decision-Making

  Course: Generative AI for Business Leaders 57m  Generative AI for Business Leaders

How to Boost Your Productivity with AI Tools

BizHack Academy

AI for Marketing and Sales 2024 Cohort 2

Microsoft

Copilot for Microsoft 365

What Is the Metaverse?

ServiceNow

Partner Sales Specialization: IT Service Management 

Cloud Credential Council (CCC)

Cloud Technology Associate

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

IT BUSINESS CONVERSATIONS 2017

Cisco

Selling Business Outcomes

EMC Sales Portfolio

Veeam Software

VMSP 9.0

VMware

VSP 2016

CenturyLink

Centurylink Cloud Sales Expert

Service Now

Avaya

Avaya Sales Expert

Centurylink Colocation Expert

Ciena

Ciena Sales Expert

Avaya Professional Sales Specialist

BizHack Digital Marketing Edge 

Centurylink Cloud Workload Series Cloud Apps and No Sql Platform

Centurylink Colocation Sales Expert

Centurylink Driving Cloud Adoption

Challenger series

Cisco  Selling Business Outcomes

Cisco Sales Expert

Miller Heiman Account Mgmt

VMSP

VMWare Certified Associate

VMware Certified Associate - Data Center Virtualization

vCloud Air Fundamentals

DeVry University

N.A.H.S.E. FLORIDA.

South Florida HIMSS

Black Business EXPO

ICABA

5 STAR BDM

Sedi CASE  USVI

Cornhusker Capital

AGILE Infoways

ForbesBLK

HIMSS South Florida Chapter

Volico Data Centers

National Association of Health Services Executives

Connection

Zones, Inc.

Mobile Application Anti bullying for at risk children

Building Bridges Communications

Podcast Production

Sold Multisite  International MPLS and Colocation project for large logistics company.  Deployed SIP  over Cisco VOIP in a Hybrid topology network

WAN Optimization and Colocation Project

Sold Multi Million dollar Avaya VOIP Project  project  to replace aging Cisco solution.  Installed over 25 VOIP Gateway servers, 1000 endpoints and 300 seat Contact Center.

Avaya VOIP and Contact Center Solution

Linkedn Optimization

Website Design

Skills Gap Analysis | SWOT | Media Kit | Personalized Video | Brand Blueprint

Brand Strategy

Brand Strategy | Brand Guideline | Professional Video | Website Design | Ecommerce

Businness Development

STAFF AUGMENTATION

advanced upgrade of compute and storage power and throughput for clinical and administrative users of highly adaptive applications and services

VDI Upgrade

Moved large regional 
healthcare client from legacy centera platform to EMC ECS

EMC ECS Storage Upgrade 

Implemented complex multistage Cisco Unified Communication Solution.  Solution deployment included  including, VOIP, Presence, Cisco Contact Center,  Call Recording, IVR, WFM , CVP and Natural Language ASR.

Negotiated a managed services solution for support of UCCX/CVP platform and IVR applications as well as enhanced business and technical insight for customer service operations.

IP Telephony and Contact Center Solution

CEO at 5 STAR BDM | AI Business, Finance & Technology Architect | Top 10 Global Thought Leader in Personal Branding 2024 | Top Voice Thinkers360 2024 | Healthcare Advocate & Podcast Host | Top 30 Global Gurus 2025

░▒▓█ GRANT MCGAUGH █▓▒░
🌟 Welcome to My World 🌟

Hi there! I’m Grant McGaugh, a Business & Technology Expert, Healthcare Advocate, Personal Branding and Podcast Host dedicated to elevating humanity through the power of shared knowledge. As the CEO of 5 STAR BDM, my mission is to transform brands and drive innovation across industries.

🚀 My Professional Journey 🚀

🌱 Entrepreneurial Spirit:

Founder & CEO, 5 STAR BDM: Helping entrepreneurs and small businesses build strong, impactful brands. Branding & Business Development Expert: Recognized as a thought leader in the healthcare community. Published Author & Speaker: Featured in top-tier publications and industry events.

🌟 Leadership & Impact:

Strategic Roles: From Strategic Account Manager at Avaya to Advanced Technology Executive at Zones, Inc. Healthcare Leadership: Board Chair at HIMSS South Florida Chapter and National Board Member at the National Association of Health Services Executives.

🎙️ Follow The Brand Podcast 🎙️

Founder & Host: Award-winning podcast focusing on personal brand enhancement.
Best Podcast Award 2023: Recognized for excellence in personal brand development.
Author: Three influential eBooks on brand development.

🔧 5 STAR BDM Services:

🌟 Signature Branded Programs
📊 Digital Strategy & Transformation
💡 Business Intelligence
📈 Digital Marketing
🏅 Personal Branding

🌟 What Others Say 🌟
"Grant’s knowledge and expertise helped me define and shape my next career chapter. His deliverables produced actions that proved positive change and beneficial to my career trajectory. He is excellent in his stead!" - Lynetta Boyd

📈 Success Stories:

Implemented high-value business development for top companies like Agile Infoways and Cornhusker Capital. Navigated and thrived in the ever-changing personal brand landscape.

🎯 Ready to Transform Your Brand?

Let’s Connect: Reach out for a free consultation.

Join My Network: Let’s explore how we can elevate your brand together.
🌍 Join the Movement:

Follow The Brand Podcast: Tune in for insights from industry leaders.
Connect on LinkedIn: Let’s build a future of innovation and excellence together.

Testimonials:
"Grant is not only a highly knowledgeable HIT executive but also a skilled brand promoter. He is able to work with clients to define and then appropriately elevate their personal brand for maximum impact. A great communicator, Grant is someone you can depend on to deliver results." - Deborah Lee-Eddie

Are you an executive ready to lead, but feel overlooked in a noisy digital world? At 5 STAR BDM, we empower leaders like you to amplify your influence with a powerful personal brand using our proven BRAVE Brand Blueprint. Gain visibility, build trust, and attract high-value opportunities. Don’t let others control the narrative—take charge of your digital reputation today. Book your free consultation now to start making your impact felt! 🌟 #PersonalBranding #ExecutiveSuccess

Schedule a Meeting - 5 STAR BDM

Unlock your business's full potential with our Business Brand Questionnaire! Assess where your brand stands in the market and identify key areas for growth using our proven BRAVE framework. In just minutes, gain valuable insights to refine your strategy, increase market visibility, and drive growth. Don’t leave your brand's success to chance—take the questionnaire now and start building a brand that stands out. Click here to get started! 🌟 #BusinessGrowth #BrandStrategy #MarketLeadership

5 STAR BDM Business Brand Assessment Quiz  - 5 STAR BDM

Elevate your executive presence by taking the next step—complete our Personal Brand Questionnaire today! In just minutes, discover where your brand stands and how to enhance your visibility and influence using our proven BRAVE framework. Get instant, personalized insights to transform your professional future. Don’t wait—unlock your potential and redefine your impact now. Click here to start your journey! 🌟 #ExecutiveLeadership #BrandStrategy

Personal Brand Questionnaire - 5 STAR BDM

BUILDING BRIDGES COMMUNICATIONS

Develop mobile application for at risk children

Guide the direction of the Southeast Chapters of NAHSE

HIMSS

N.A.H.S.E. FLORIDA

Toastmasters International

VITAS Healthcare

Helping Elderly patients giving them activities and helping them with daily chores

JM Family Enterprises, Inc.

Program Chair responsible for events and webinars for our 2000 members in South Florida 

ICABA World Network

Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC)

CEO, 5 STAR BDM | Award-Winning Business Development Executive & Personal Brand Strategist | AI Thought Leadership & Visibility Systems | Board & C-Suite Positioning | Host, Follow The Brand™ | BRAVE Blueprint™

Last March, I left Miami and came home to Omaha.

After 30 years building healthcare technology solutions across the country, I could have stayed in the sun. But when I saw what was happening in North and South Omaha—communities with massive entrepreneurial potential but limited access to the AI tools reshaping every industry—I knew exactly where I needed to be.

The same system failures that took my father's life taught me something critical: real change doesn't happen from a distance. It happens when you show up.

That's why I'm building the Omaha AI Business Accelerator, launching Spring 2026 in partnership with BizHack Academy and the City of Omaha. Our first pilot is sponsored by the Omaha 100 Inc—a powerful statement that local leaders believe in local transformation.

This isn't another "tech for tech's sake" program. It's designed specifically for underserved small businesses—the corner stores, service providers, and entrepreneurs who've been locked out of the AI revolution while watching it transform everyone else's industries.

If you're a small business owner in Omaha, a corporate partner interested in sponsorship, or a community leader who wants to help shape this—let's talk.

This accelerator will prove that AI adoption isn't a coastal luxury. It's an Omaha imperative.

And it starts where I started: at home.


Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS

Proud moment for 5 STAR BDM.

Our HQ is now rooted in Omaha’s Enterprise Center—a city quietly becoming a serious force in innovation, finance, and applied AI.

This isn’t just an office.
It’s infrastructure.

From here, we’re building a future-facing AI Business Accelerator for operators, founders, and enterprise leaders who are done experimenting—and ready to operationalize AI for real growth.

Omaha has the talent.
The Midwest has the grit.
AI is the lever.

We’re not watching this shift—we’re building the foundation for it.

If you’re serious about AI as a growth strategy, pay attention.

How the Crucian Christmas Festival showed us the future of cultural media—and why most networks are getting it backwards.

Tempo Networks Anthony Weeks

How the Crucian Christmas Festival showed us the future of cultural media—and why most networks are getting it backwards I just got back from St. Croi

Open article: What Happens When You Stop Broadcasting at People and Start Broadcasting With Them by Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS • 9 min read

What Happens When You Stop Broadcasting at People and Start Broadcasting With Them

A Fortune 500 healthcare executive was 15 minutes from a $2 million HIPAA violation last month—not because her AI failed, but because her compliance team almost stopped thinking.

A conversation I'll never forget by Grant McGaugh | 5 STAR BDM Three weeks ago, I interviewed a Fortune 500 healthcare executive on my podcast. Brilli

Open article: The Three Skills That Will Separate Leaders from Spectators in the AI Era by Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS • 8 min read

The Three Skills That Will Separate Leaders from Spectators in the AI Era

"It took 140 years for the surname 'McGaugh' to mean the same thing for both the white lineage and the Black lineage—that's four generations of brand equity inequality under the same name. Turns out, the most powerful differentiator in business isn't what you build—it's what you're brave enough to remember." - Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS

A Black History Month reflection on leadership, legacy, and the truths we inherit In 1905, my great-grandfather needed witnesses to claim his land. He

Open article: The Dream That Split a Name by Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS • 7 min read

AI just stopped being your assistant.

It’s becoming an actor—planning, deciding, and executing at machine speed.

This Tuesday, January 27 at 12:00 PM ET, I’m going live on Follow the Brand TV (LinkedIn Live) with Dr. Djamila Amimer (CEO, Mind Senses Global) to break down what Agentic AI really means for leaders responsible for revenue, risk, and operating performance.

Click Here to View:  https://lnkd.in/gmdus288

If you’re a CEO, COO, CIO/CTO, Head of Ops, or Transformation leader, this isn’t a “future of AI” conversation. It’s a how-to-lead-now conversation.

We’ll cover:

The 3 shifts most leaders are missing (and why 2026 is different)

Where autonomy is safe vs. where it becomes a liability

How to govern machine-speed decisions without killing the speed advantage

The hidden cost nobody budgets for: purpose displacement (and how to redesign work before culture breaks)

Set a reminder and join us live Tuesday at Noon ET.

#AgenticAI #AILeadership #DigitalTransformation #CIO #COO #EnterpriseAI #Governance #FutureOfWork #FollowTheBrand

Agentic AI isn’t a trend—it’s a workflow advantage when it’s deployed with controls, metrics, and accountability. Here’s the board-ready framework I use to separate real deployments from hype. - Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS

Agentic Ai Beyond the Hype

AI's impact isn't a standalone event; failures occur when responsibility blurs.

As AI adoption accelerates, leaders face pressure to innovate rapidly, often outpacing their grasp of legal, ethical, and strategic implications. This lack of foresight creates real risks. The challenge lies in AI's pervasive influence on decisions, strategies, and interactions.

Governance clarity and strategic thinking are now paramount. #AIGovernance #Leadership #Innovation #Ethics #Strategy

Most companies are piloting AI. Few are scaling it.
Here's why

5starbdm.com

Agentic AI  The NEW OS for Work

"Most people are studying AI. A smaller group is quietly building leverage, assets, and authority—and that gap is about to decide who stays relevant."

Kellen Coleman

How Two Unconventional Strategists Are Building While Everyone Else Is Studying A conversation between Grant McGaugh and Kellen Coleman that nobody as

Open article: AI Won’t Replace You — But Someone Using AI Will by Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS • 5 min read

AI Won’t Replace You — But Someone Using AI Will

Google yourself in ChatGPT. If it can't explain why you're the obvious choice for your next opportunity, you don't exist in the AI era.

When AI answer engines decide who gets discovered, authenticity becomes algorithm currency. Grant McGaugh’s rise from healthcare technology veteran to

Open article: The BRAVE Framework: How Grant McGaugh Built the #1 Personal Branding Podcast and Pioneered Authority in the AI Discovery Era by Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS • 13 min read

The BRAVE Framework: How Grant McGaugh Built the #1 Personal Branding Podcast and Pioneered Authority in the AI Discovery Era

Your brand was built on promises to customers; it will be destroyed by AI decisions you can't explain to the board.

Daniel Ikem Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS #FollowtheBrand

GatherVerse AI Summit 2026 Day One. This generation's job is to reshape the world, not inherit outdated systems.

AI will fundamentally change business and job roles. Embrace the change, and focus on where you fit into the new landscape. Don't cling to old mindsets that have shaped the world for the past century.

Technology transcends borders; this is an opportunity to redefine the future. 
Joysorlyn Dixon Christopher Lafayette Russell Bundy Anar Bayramov Orestis Spyrou Kamilah Sanders
#Innovation #FutureOfWork #Leadership #ChangeManagement #AI

Every year, when the trade winds soften and the Caribbean sun hangs just a little lower in the sky, St. Croix awakens to something timeless.

Blair Jackson, PharmD., MSHI, Deonne Francis, MHA and 12 other attendees

Crucian Christmas Festival - A Cultural Experience

Capital Access is the Civil Rights issue of our time - Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. Anthony Weeks

Tears of joy are the best kind. It's an incredible feeling when all the hard work pays off and a dream is realized.

Success requires dedication, perseverance, and time. It's also important to prioritize mental health because without a healthy mind, it's difficult to thrive or support others. Uplifting ourselves is the first step in uplifting our community. #Success #MentalHealth #Motivation #Community #SelfCare

The $21 billion gap between companies deploying AI and companies discussing it just became unbridgeable

Inside Amazon's $12.6 Billion Bet on the Future of Intelligence By Grant McGaugh CEO, 5 STAR BDM Picture this: A warehouse robot navigates through fiv

Open article: The AI Trinity: When Machines Learn to See, Think, and Create by Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS • 10 min read

The AI Trinity: When Machines Learn to See, Think, and Create

Agentic AI is transforming AI from a passive assistant to an active planner and decision-maker. This shift changes everything, impacting operating models, risk exposure, governance, and competitive landscapes.

Leaders need to understand how to leverage the benefits—speed, smarter decisions, and efficiency—while mitigating the risks of automation and compliance.

What strategic guidance are executives seeking as AI evolves from simple assistance to proactive action? #AgenticAI #AIStrategy #Leadership #Automation #Innovation

taplio

Grant McGaugh's Linkedin Analytics

Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS

Performance ScoreGrant McGaugh, FHIMSS's LinkedIn Performance

What is Grant talking about?

Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Grant McGaugh's Linkedin Analytics

Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS's LinkedIn Performance

What is Grant talking about?

Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Grant McGaugh's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreGrant McGaugh, FHIMSS's LinkedIn Performance

Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS's Best Posts (last 30 days)