Dark Horse: How Challenger Companies Rise to Prominence

In Dark Horse: How Challenger Companies Rise To Prominence, business veteran Dan Mack takes you inside the minds, hearts, and boardrooms of dark horse companies who winning big despite having the odds stacked against them. From the beloved Wiffle ball and bat to the highly stylized line of Method soap, and PURELL hand sanitizer, there is no shortage of dark horse companies to root for in the American business race today. Early Praise for DARK HORSE: “Dark Horse is an insightful look at companies who came out of nowhere to establish themselves as leaders… Dan Mack does a great job of telling their stories and combining his own experiences and has produced a must-read book for anyone who is inventing or re-inventing their business.” Ken Martindale, President and COO, Rite Aid “We all have aspired to ride a dark horse, but this elusive creature has always been an unpredictable path to growth. Dan has handed us the playbook by breaking down for all of us how dark horses win and how you, too, can outrun your better resourced competitors and upset industries.” Eric Ryan, co-founder, Method Home Inc. “Dark Horse offers a humane view of business and brand success that you're unlikely to find in any business school or MBA program. We love it when the underdog pulls into the lead and wins the race, don't we? If you dream of becoming the dark horse in your consumer product space, you need to read this book.” Perry Marshall, author of Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords and 80/20 Sales and Marketing

Dan Mack brings twenty-five years of strategic sales, business development, and national industry insights to his clients. Dan is founder of Mack Elevation Forum, a strategic sales practice that provides alignment and growth consulting to health and wellness organizations. Dan Mack served as the Vice President of Sales & Customer Marketing at DenTek Oral Care, a manufacturer of specialty oral care items. Mack was responsible for leading the customer strategy, and sales more than doubled during Mack's tenure. Prior to DenTek, Mack was the V.P. of Consumer Sales at GOJO Industries. While at GOJO, he developed and led a national sales organization which helped grow the PURELL consumer business almost four-fold over his seven-year tenure. Mack started his career with GlaxoSmithKline and held many leadership roles including National Manager of Sales Training and Divisional Sales Manager. Dan has led a number of led key note addresses in the package goods industry and contributes editorials on sales strategy, organizational effectiveness, customer alignment, and executive training. His industry specialization is in helping companies facilitate higher-level retailer/supplier co-creation engagements and is a specialist in value creation. He lives in Chicago with his wife and family.