Amplifying a Big Persona to Elevate a Successful Professional Story.

Andrew. Katrina. Harvey. Maria. The destruction caused by these massive storms was devastating, but one company has been a beacon of hope for many people in the wake of history’s largest disasters: BELFOR Property Restoration – the global leader in disaster recovery and property restoration. With more than 8,000 employees worldwide, BELFOR has been led by its CEO, Sheldon Yellen, for more than 30 years. But Yellen isn’t your typical CEO. Avoiding suits, email and smartphones, he is known company-wide for his Emmy-nominated appearance on Undercover Boss, his genuine warmth, deep compassion and “on-the-go” enthusiasm. In a company that has a great business story to tell, it quickly became clear to Brian that Sheldon Yellen was the best business story BELFOR could ever share.

Once you know the name, you’ll see BELFOR everywhere. At 53-feet long, two stories high and decked out with the latest mobile technology, the Mobile Command Center makes its way around the country in the aftermath of major disasters to serve as BELFOR’s “rolling headquarters.”

Sheldon Yellen writes each and every one of his 8,000+ employees a handwritten birthday card and always has a stack of cards on hand, because his business philosophy revolves around appreciation and compassion for those who represent his company all over the world and at all hours of the day.

On his 60th birthday, Sheldon’s employees surprised him with more than 8,000 birthday cards. Their well wishes filled Sheldon’s office and as a notoriously emotional boss, the gesture brought the CEO to tears.

An Expert Voice on Outstanding Results AND Outstanding Culture

Although Yellen had served as a media expert on disaster preparation and recovery in the past, stories about his unique leadership and management approach had yet to be told. What CEO has written a personal birthday card to every single person in the company – without fail – for three decades? What CEO speaks to the positive lessons learned as an Elvis impersonator – jumpsuit and all – and isn’t afraid to share the photos? So, while Team Brian continued to position Yellen as a disaster recovery expert, we also began to tell his story of leadership. Leveraging our strong storytelling chops, Brian cultivated reporter relationships by highlighting a CEO whose unconventional leadership was the foundation of a company in which loyalty, passion and commitment weren’t just buzz words – they were BELFOR’s core principles. The colorful and compelling story of Sheldon Yellen opened the eyes of national business reporters to a different way to lead a wildly successful company.