VitalSmarts Co-Founders Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winners in Utah Region

Business Wire, June 11, 2007

SALT LAKE CITY -- VitalSmarts, an innovator in corporate training and organizational performance, today announced that the company's co-founders, Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan and Mike Carter, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award in the Utah region. According to Ernst & Young, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. The VitalSmarts team was selected by an independent panel of judges and the award was presented at an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year gala event in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 7, 2007.

"We feel honored to have received this recognition from Ernst & Young," said Al Switzler, co-chairman and co-founder of VitalSmarts. "An award like this pays tribute to our Utah-based organization and to our entire network of colleagues, associates and clients who have greatly contributed to our overall success. We feel fortunate to be part of an organization that is mission-driven - one that not only provides training that produces sustained business results in the organizations we serve, but also creates that same level of change in people's personal lives."

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program celebrates its 21st anniversary this year and continues to honor entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

"Ernst & Young is honored to recognize extraordinary business leaders, such as Al Switzler, Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Mike Carter, and the company they have built," said David Jolley, managing partner of Ernst & Young's Salt Lake office.

As a Utah region award winner, the VitalSmarts co-founders are now eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 17, 2007. The national Entrepreneur of the Year celebration is part of Ernst & Young's Strategic Growth Forum. The overall national Entrepreneur of the Year award recipient is then considered for the world event held in Monte Carlo.

About VitalSmarts

VitalSmarts is an innovator in corporate training and organizational performance. The company is home to the award-winning Crucial Conversations[R] and Crucial Confrontations[TM] Training and the New York Times bestselling books of the same titles. Both training programs and books deliver a powerful set of influence tools that builds teams, enriches relationships and improves end results. VitalSmarts has been ranked twice by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America and has taught more than two million people worldwide. www.vitalsmarts.com

About the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

The Entrepreneur Of The Year[R] awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year[R] Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006, honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 125 cities and 40 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, is committed to enhancing the public's trust in professional services firms and in the quality of financial reporting. Its 114,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. Further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/perspectives. Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, a U.K. company limited by guarantee, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited does not provide services to clients. Ernst & Young LLP is a U.S. client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.