Jon Schallert is an internationally-recognized speaker and small business expert who teaches businesses and communities how to turn themselves into Consumer Destinations.  Schallert speaks to thousands annually on his proprietary 14-step “Destination Business” process, which he developed over the course of twenty-one (21) years of working with small business owners. 

Jon’s Destination Business strategy has been used extensively by cities, towns, downtowns, shopping centers, retail chains, franchises, and independent small business owners. 

Jon Schallert was born in Wisconsin, raised in Colorado, and graduated from the University of Colorado.  For ten years, Schallert worked for greeting card giant Hallmark Cards, where his unique marketing strategies were publicized throughout the company as “the Schallert Method”.  Hallmark used his expertise on a nationwide multi-million dollar new product rollout, and tapped Schallert’s experience for their national reinvention of their card shop channel into "destination" stores. 

In 1996, Schallert left his successful career at Hallmark Cards and started his consulting firm, The Schallert Group, Inc.  He began speaking to small business owners in cities, downtowns, and communities around the country.  After years of annually conducting hundreds of on-site consultations, and studying the most successful small business owners in the country, Schallert developed his proprietary 14-step Destination Business process that he teaches today. 

In 2002, while maintaining his extensive travel and speaking schedule, Schallert launched his “Destination Business BootCamps”, where clients spend two and one-half days with him, learning how to reinvent their businesses and marketplaces into Destinations.  His BootCamps are now conducted four times a year in Longmont, Colorado..

In 2004, in order to give more assistance to small business owners, Schallert started his small business one-on-one consulting program, the “Destination Success Network”.  Members of the Destination Success Network call in to receive monthly consulting assistance from Schallert, receive Schallert’s monthly, subscription-only newsletter, “Destination Business”, and participate in group Tele-Seminars. 

In 2007, The Schallert Group, Inc. invested in rich media training technology to bring Schallert’s proprietary workshops to small business owners around the world.  Now, owners can access Schallert’s exclusive trainings at Destination University (www.DestinationUniversity.com).  The Schallert Group is the only small business consulting firm in the country employing this technology to train small business owners. 

Schallert’s insight is frequently seen in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Entrepreneur Magazine.  He is the only consultant in the world to receive the “Top Motivator” Marketing Award from Potentials Magazine.  He is a member of the National Speakers Association, the International Downtown Association, and the National Main Street Network.