Podcasts about vistage

In this episode of the Arete Podcast, Richard Triggs sits down with Richard Palmer, Co-Founder and Partner at Qurate Advisory, to explore what it really takes to build a business that has lasting value. Richard has spent more than 25 years across corporate advisory, investment, governance, technology, M&A and executive leadership. His career has taken him from New Zealand to the UK and Australia, through high-growth technology, venture capital, funds management, CEO roles, board advisory and now Qurate Advisory, where he helps Australian business owners prepare for growth, succession, acquisition and sale. This conversation is a practical and honest look at the reality of business ownership. Richard and Richard discuss why so many owners start with the dream of building an asset, but end up creating a job for themselves instead. They explore why most businesses never sell, what makes a business genuinely valuable, and why value is ultimately about cash flow, risk and transferability. They also unpack the human side of business transition. Richard explains why many deals fail not because the business lacks value, but because owners, families or shareholders are not aligned on what they actually want. The conversation covers succession, trust, resilience, leadership, business owner pressure, Vistage, AI, tax, capital readiness and the importance of preparing for exit long before you want to exit. At its heart, this episode is about building with intention. It is a reminder that business owners can create income, impact and a valuable capital asset, but only if they start thinking about value early and treat readiness as a discipline, not a last-minute event. Key Timestamps 2:37 - Why Qurate Advisory exists and the problem it solves for business owners 5:49 - Lessons from the high-growth technology world at Orange 9:39 - Why running a business is very different from investing in one 18:10 - How Qurate Advisory began and why business transition starts with people 21:42 - The simple equation behind business value: cash flow and risk 27:00 - Why misalignment between owners, families and shareholders kills value 35:40 - How AI is changing risk, valuation and exit planning 47:02 - Why business owners should be capital ready every day, not just at sale USEFUL LINKS: Richard Palmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmpalmer1/ Qurate Advisory: https://qurate.com.au/ Richard Triggs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs/ Arete Executive Website: https://www.areteexecutive.com.au

Chris Sutton, CEO of Sutton Engineering, shares his journey in MEP engineering and founding his company. He discusses expanding to New York, the importance of mission-critical work, and transitioning from a hustle mindset to structured growth. Chris highlights leadership challenges, personal development through Vistage, Strategic Coach, and EOS, and emphasizes defining a company's 'why' and building strong relationships. The episode covers strategic hiring with tools like the Culture Index and Kolbe assessments, payment challenges in commercial projects, and using technology for growth. Chris concludes with insights on automation, process improvement, and advice for young professionals.

Jeff Dudan's free digital copy of his book What does it take to turn business chaos into a repeatable formula for success? In this episode, Jeff Dudan sits down with Troy Hazard - global keynote speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur, TV host, and former Global President of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) - for a wide-ranging conversation on peer networks, business acquisitions, and the mindset shifts that separate good entrepreneurs from great ones. Troy shares the hilarious story of how three bottles of wine at a lunch in Brisbane launched a 15-year journey that took him to the top of EO's global leadership. He breaks down why he deliberately looks for 'unsexy' businesses most investors ignore, why he makes himself redundant as fast as possible after acquiring a company, and why leaving money on the table for the buyer is actually the strategy that creates premium exits. You'll also hear a powerful framework for evaluating distressed businesses - one that starts not with spreadsheets, but with candid conversations over coffee. Plus, Troy and Jeff explore the transformative power of EO, YPO, Vistage, and peer mastermind groups for entrepreneurs who didn't follow the traditional MBA path. Key topics covered: • How EO and YPO create life-changing peer networks for entrepreneurs • Why the best advice comes from people with nothing to gain from you • The 'unsexy business' acquisition strategy that creates outsized returns • How to evaluate a distressed business when the P&L tells you nothing • Why making yourself redundant is the fastest path to a profitable exit • The psychology of selling a business at a premium price • Vulnerability as a leadership superpower • Why confidentiality inside peer groups unlocks radical honesty  Guest: TROY HAZARD Guest YouTube: https://vimeo.com/troyhazard  Guest Business YouTube: Guest Website: https://troyhazard.com/  Guest Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyhazard/  #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #TroyHazard #JeffDudan #EO #YPO #businessacquisition #peerlearning #leadershipmindset Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Dudan's free digital copy of his book What does it take to turn business chaos into a repeatable formula for success? In this episode, Jeff Dudan sits down with Troy Hazard - global keynote speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur, TV host, and former Global President of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) - for a wide-ranging conversation on peer networks, business acquisitions, and the mindset shifts that separate good entrepreneurs from great ones. Troy shares the hilarious story of how three bottles of wine at a lunch in Brisbane launched a 15-year journey that took him to the top of EO's global leadership. He breaks down why he deliberately looks for 'unsexy' businesses most investors ignore, why he makes himself redundant as fast as possible after acquiring a company, and why leaving money on the table for the buyer is actually the strategy that creates premium exits. You'll also hear a powerful framework for evaluating distressed businesses - one that starts not with spreadsheets, but with candid conversations over coffee. Plus, Troy and Jeff explore the transformative power of EO, YPO, Vistage, and peer mastermind groups for entrepreneurs who didn't follow the traditional MBA path. Key topics covered: • How EO and YPO create life-changing peer networks for entrepreneurs • Why the best advice comes from people with nothing to gain from you • The 'unsexy business' acquisition strategy that creates outsized returns • How to evaluate a distressed business when the P&L tells you nothing • Why making yourself redundant is the fastest path to a profitable exit • The psychology of selling a business at a premium price • Vulnerability as a leadership superpower • Why confidentiality inside peer groups unlocks radical honesty  Guest: TROY HAZARD Guest YouTube: https://vimeo.com/troyhazard  Guest Business YouTube: Guest Website: https://troyhazard.com/  Guest Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyhazard/  #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #TroyHazard #JeffDudan #EO #YPO #businessacquisition #peerlearning #leadershipmindset Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it actually take to unite a divided team, a divided community, or a divided country? This week, Jon Goehring and Coach Jim Johnson sit down with Chip Webster, entrepreneur, former president of Vistage Florida, chairman of the board of Tampa Bay Watch, and founder of Unity in Service, a nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding trust through community action and civic engagement. Chip is also the author of Unity in Service, and this conversation is one of the most timely and thought provoking the Lounge has delivered.Chip opens with a candid and honest assessment of what is driving division in our country and why the solution starts not with politicians but with each of us. He shares what he discovered driving five loops around the country in an RV, talking to everyday people in RV parks from Seattle to Florida, and why his simple experiment of saying hello to strangers everywhere he went revealed something profound about how disconnected we have become from one another.The conversation shifts into deeply practical leadership territory from there. Chip breaks down why running to conflict rather than away from it is one of the most important skills any leader can develop, and shares his three step framework for having tough conversations before small tensions become major fractures. He also unpacks why clarity around what success actually looks like is the single most underrated tool a leader has for keeping a team aligned and moving in the same direction.Jon and Coach dig into Chip's hard won lessons from decades of working with CEOs through Vistage, including the patterns that separated the leaders who built lasting companies from those who burned out fast. The answer comes back to culture every time, and specifically whether the leader sees their role as serving the people around them or extracting value from them.Chip also shares two of his most memorable hiring stories, one that taught him the cost of hiring a friend and one that showed him exactly how far a bad actor will go to fake credentials, and what he learned from both about how to hire slow and fire fast.The episode closes with a powerful vision for what genuine unity looks like in practice, why having a goal bigger than yourself is the foundation of any truly cohesive team, and how something as simple as a micro validation, holding a door, making eye contact, saying hello, can begin to rebuild the trust that division erodes.Whether you are leading a team through internal conflict, trying to build a culture that actually holds together, or simply looking for a reminder that we have far more in common than the noise suggests, this episode will challenge and inspire you.Connect with Chip: unityinservice.org Email: chip@unityinservice.org Grab Unity in Service on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unity-Service-Pathway-Responsible-Citizenship/dp/B0DVJBFP8N

Andrew and Jay explore the tension between confidence and delusion in entrepreneurship, the challenge of scaling a company without losing yourself, and the reality that what got you here might not get you there. They also dig into Vistage vs. hands-on consulting, the value of networking in real life, productive failure, family business dynamics, and why some people seem to operate in an entirely different league.

America is about to turn 250 years old. My guest today believes this moment is asking something from all of us. Not a celebration or parade, but a reckoning, a chance to find our way back to each other. Brandon Peele is a bestselling author of 6 books on purpose and civic leadership, is Executive Director of the National Pilgrimage, and a trusted keynote speaker and consultant. His work sits at the intersection of purpose, democracy, and what it means to be a nation. On June 9th, 2026, a caravan of diverse Americans will set out on the National Pilgrimage — driving through the heart of this nation, sitting with people along the way, and asking the questions our political system never asks: What values should guide us? What would it take for this to be a great place for all of us to raise children? What kind of country do we want to leave for the next generation? The journey culminates in the National Assembly — a virtual gathering open to everyone on July 6th and 7th, 2026, from 5 to 8 pm PDT, where your voice will be heard and counted. Six storytellers will then travel to Chicago, and on July 9th — the anniversary of the 14th Amendment — they will read aloud a new national covenant. PBS documentarians are capturing every mile.You'll learn more details and how to get involved. We discuss why empathy is the core mechanism of e pluribus unum — out of many, one — and why, just like any organization, we need a shared moral vision to know where we're going and who we want to be. Brandon shares the three layers of democracy and why our nation's problems are as much moral, psychological, and spiritual as they are political.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.Listen in for…The purpose of government and how we have forgotten the core vision of our democracyHow the founding beliefs of spirituality and Natural Law shaped the countryA shared vision of what we can all be as diverse AmericansWays you can join in or support the pilgrimage and virtual assembly "This is not about politics. This is about a shared moral vision that includes all of us, and so I don't care how you voted or if you voted. I don't care how you make love. I don't care how much melanin is in your skin. You're an American, and you belong in this conversation." — Brandon Peele References:The Empathy Edge:Dr. Claire Yorke: Can Empathy Fix Broken Politics?Sam Daley-Harris: Reclaiming Our DemocracyJames Coan: Closing the Perception Gap that Tears Us ApartAbout Brandon Peele: Executive Director, National PilgrimageBrandon Peele is a best-selling author and the Executive Director of the National Pilgrimage. He's trusted as a keynote speaker, consultant, and program leader by organizations such as Google, Harvard Business School, Johnson & Johnson, Stanford University, JDRF, Morgan Stanley, U.S. Marine Corps, YPO, University of California - Berkeley, Vistage, Forum for Workplace Inclusion, LinkedIn, the U.S. Navy, Slalom Consulting, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the University of Minnesota.He is the author of Bison Medicine (2025), Purpose Work Nation (2022), The Purpose Field Guide (2019), and Planet on Purpose (2018), and co-author of Purpose Rising (2017) and The Purpose Blueprint (2015). His work has been featured by news organizations such as USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, the US Business Journal, and Forbes.Connect with Brandon:Brandon Peele: nationalpilgrimage.usLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bpeeleInstagram: instagram.com/natnlpilgrimageThe National Pilgrimage and Assembly: chuffed.org/project/nationalpilgrimageSynanim (platform enabling the Assembly's virtual collaboration): synanim.comConnect with Maria:Books: Red-Slice.com/booksSpeaking: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossLinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a LeaderLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red SliceGet your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com

In this episode, I'm joined by Jim Ristuccia, a former US Naval officer, founder/CEO, and Vistage Chair in San Diego who leads peer groups for CEOs of $5M+ companies and small business owners in the $1–10M range. We break down what actually happens inside a Vistage meeting—especially the “issue processing” that surfaces blind spots through uncomfortable but growth-producing questions. Jim shares how AI started showing up consistently after a 2024 speaker session, including a case where an IP law firm put its team through AI bootcamps, tripled personal productivity, and grew revenue 50–60% in a year. We discuss the adoption gap (CEOs vs. leadership teams vs. employees), why employees often feel threatened, and how leaders can create psychological safety. We also dig into practical implementation via AI champions, committees, process mapping, low-hanging-fruit use cases, and measuring ROI through time savings, productivity, and revenue.01:56 What Vistage Really Is02:45 Issue Processing Secret Sauce04:46 When AI Hit the Groups06:43 Why Some CEOs Lag on AI08:44 Use Cases vs Business Model Shifts09:45 AI Readiness and Industry Friction11:20 Leading Change and Finding Use Cases13:25 Prompts Training and Psychological Safety15:01 AI Champion and Process Mapping16:04 Why People Quit16:32 Build AI Champions17:58 Pick Use Cases Fast18:33 Measuring AI Impact20:00 Beyond Time Savings21:02 Culture and Safety23:48 Compliance and Knowledge24:32 Jobs and Business Models27:38 Adoption Takes TimeConnect with Jim: • https://jimristuccia.com/Connect with Raul: • Work with Raul: https://dogoodwork.io• Free Growth Resources: https://dogoodwork.io/resources

The hardest part of leadership is not the big decision, it's making it when you have nowhere safe to think out loud. We sit down with Andy Scott, a Vistage chair in the San Francisco Bay Area, to unpack why peer advisory groups have become a quiet advantage for CEOs and senior executives who want better judgment, stronger teams, and real accountability without hidden agendas. If you've ever felt the weight of “lonely at the top,” this conversation gives you a clear picture of how trust and confidentiality actually function inside a high-performing CEO peer group.We also get tactical on LinkedIn strategy and prospecting. Andy shares how he uses LinkedIn Sales Navigator to define an ideal leader profile, search with purpose, and then use member connections to spark warm introductions instead of relying on cold outreach. Richard connects the dots to broader business development and hiring: filters are only useful when you know what to do after the lookup, and relationship-based engagement is what turns lists into conversations.Then we go where every leader is being pushed right now: AI. Andy walks through his learning curve from ChatGPT to Claude, and why leaders who ignore AI are choosing to fall behind competitors who are already speeding up operations and decision-making. Richard shares a practical framework for building a “virtual board of directors” to stress test choices from multiple perspectives before you commit.If you're curious about experiencing this approach in real life, we also preview a June 2 workshop in downtown San Francisco that blends AI and LinkedIn insights with Vistage-style issue processing. Subscribe for more leadership and technology conversations, share this episode with a fellow leader, and leave a review with the biggest decision you're trying to make right now.

“The Role Of A Lifetime” Join me and my guest Pam Sherman (thepamsherman.com). Pam is an actor, writer, leadership consultant and recovering lawyer who was profiled in People Magazine about her transition from lawyer to actor. She works with Fortune 50 companies, law firms, advertising agencies, and is a highly rated global resource for the leadership organizations EO, Vistage, and YPO. Her nationally syndicated column, The Suburban Outlaw was published in the Democrat + Chronicle and on the USA Today Network for 15 years. Her new book Play You, the Role of a Lifetime has just been released. SHOW NOTES SPONSORED BY: Power of You! Find out more at https://leader.blainebartlett.com/power-of-you Summary In this engaging conversation, Blaine and Pam Sherman explore the intersection of theater, leadership, and the Soul of Business. They discuss how authenticity, believability, and relationship management are vital for effective leadership and building trust in organizations. Key  topics The connection between theater and leadership The concept of believability versus authenticity The importance of relationship management in business How to bridge the believability gap for better influence The role of emotional intelligence and relational awareness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You learned how to prompt. Great. Now what?Most business leaders have figured out how to get decent answers from ChatGPT or Claude. But there's a massive gap between writing good prompts and actually building things that run your business. The people closing that gap right now aren't developers. They're business people who figured out one thing: you don't need to code when your browser can do it for you.In this session, Chris Daigle will open his actual setup — Claude Code paired with a browser agent — and build real solutions live. Not slides. Not theory. You'll watch him set up OAuth integrations, automate LinkedIn workflows, and tackle the kind of backend tasks that normally require a developer. All through a browser. All without writing a single line of code manually.Chris calls this evolution "thinking in builds" — the next level beyond prompting. It's where you stop asking AI for answers and start asking it to do the work. And the tools to do it are shockingly accessible: a free browser agent and a $20 Claude subscription.Chris Daigle is the founder of ChiefAIOfficer.com, where he helps mid-market executives and their teams develop AI strategy, implement AI across departments, and become AI-enabled businesses. He trains Chief AI Officers, keynotes at YPO and Vistage events, and has been deep in the agentic AI space since its earliest days. Chris brings the rare combination of strategic thinking and hands-on building.In this session, you'll discover:- How to pair Claude Code with a browser agent like Comet to build real workflows — step by step- What "thinking in builds" means and why it's the skill that separates AI users from AI builders- How to automate OAuth setups, API integrations, and other backend tasks without touching code- Real examples of browser agent workflows you can copy and use immediately- Why even seasoned AI professionals are underestimating what browser agents can do right now- How to safely sandbox your AI agents so they don't destroy your production environment- The exact copy-paste workflow Chris uses to go from idea to working solution in minutesThis is the session where prompting graduates to building. If you've been watching everyone talk about agents but haven't actually deployed one yourself, this is your starting point.About Leveraging AIThe Ultimate AI Course for Business People: https://multiplai.ai/ai-course/YouTube Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Multiplai_AI/Connect with Isar Meitis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isarmeitis/ Join our Live Sessions, AI Hangouts and newsletter: https://services.multiplai.ai/eventsIf you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, leave us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

On today's episode, I welcome Pam Sherman, Author of the new book Play You: The Role of a Lifetime — Bridge the Believability Gap to Boost Confidence, Connection, and Impact. Pam is an actor, leadership consultant, and President of The ShermanEDGE who has spent her career helping leaders ignite audiences with who they truly are. A former lawyer turned professional actor — a transition profiled in People Magazine — Pam now works with Fortune 50 companies and global leadership organizations, including YPO, EO, and Vistage, guiding leaders to communicate with greater authenticity and impact. In Play You, Pam introduces the concept of the “Believability Gap” — the space between who we are and how we show up. Drawing on techniques from the stage, she reveals how acting tools can help leaders embody their core character more fully, strengthen confidence, and connect more powerfully with teams and audiences. The book challenges the common belief that authenticity alone is enough, showing instead that believability — the ability to truly inhabit your message — is what drives influence and trust. In this episode, Pam shares how her unconventional journey shaped her leadership philosophy, why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have, and how small shifts in presence can dramatically change the way others experience us. We discuss overcoming self-doubt, navigating toxic cultures, breaking the “fourth wall” in everyday communication, and how teams can collaborate more effectively when individuals close their believability gap. A compelling conversation for founders, leaders, and anyone ready to step into their own role of a lifetime. Whether you're looking to boost confidence, reconnect with your purpose, or increase your impact, this episode offers practical tools and inspiration to help you “play you” more fully — starting now. Don't miss it!   Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.   To learn more about Pam Sherman and Play You:https://www.thepamsherman.com/play-youhttps://www.thepamsherman.comhttps://www.instagram.com/thepamsherman/https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-sherman/   Sponsored By: LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. AT&T Business - Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Intuit QuickBooks Payroll - Keep your focus on the big picture and get ready for what's next. Learn more at Quickbooks.com/workforce 1-800-Flowers - Visit 1800Flowers.com/KARAGOLDIN to claim your Double Roses offer before they're gone! HomeServe - Go to HomeServe.com to find the plan that's right for you.   Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/828

https://youtu.be/9jLLr7IPej0 Ethan Giffin, Founder of Groove Commerce and author of Closing the Digital Revenue Gap, is driven by deep curiosity, a passion for technology, and a desire to help businesses solve problems that directly impact revenue. With over two decades of experience in eCommerce, Ethan now focuses on helping manufacturers and distributors build scalable digital revenue channels that complement their sales teams and improve overall business performance. We explore Ethan's Revenue Framework for Manufacturers and Distributors, a practical system for building and scaling digital revenue channels in complex B2B environments. The framework guides companies through Discover, Build, Pilot, Activate, and Optimize—starting with cross-functional alignment and strategy, followed by building the right system, testing it with key customers, scaling adoption across the customer base, and continuously improving performance. Ethan explains why B2B eCommerce is far more complex than a typical website project, how “quiet friction” can silently drive customers away, and why successful digital transformation requires long-term commitment, internal buy-in, and the right systems in place. — 5 Steps to Closing the B2B Revenue Gap with Ethan Giffin Good day, dear listener. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and my guest today is Ethan Giffin, the Founder of the Groove Commerce, eCommerce Agency, trusted advisors to manufacturers and distributors, and author of Closing the Digital Revenue Gap. Ethan, welcome to the show.  Very excited to be here, Steve. Very excited to be here. Thank you.  Well, we’ve known each other for quite a few years, probably, I don’t know, five or six years.  2018.  So 2018. So that’s eight. Eight years.  Eight years. Yeah.  Oh my God. Okay.  Eight years.  So we’ve known each other a long time. I think you’ve been on one of the early versions of this podcast as well. But things have changed a lot since then. That was five years ago. And your business has transformed, and you have niched your business dramatically since. So I thought that it would be great to have a conversation and talk a little bit about where you come from, what you’re trying to achieve, what matters to you, and also the system that you developed, which I thought was very impactful for manufacturers. So before we dive into that, tell me about your personal ‘Why’ and how you manifesting it in your business?  How many hours do you have, Steve? How many hours do you have? I think my personal “why” is that I have a deep curiosity about life in general. I've also always enjoyed technology and driving technology, and I've always enjoyed sales. A very odd to put all of that together, but I think that's really has created my personal “why.” I'm just an amazingly curious person and want to continue to learn. And actually love helping people solve their problems that help make them money. It's pretty simple to me in that regard.Share on X If you asked people in my EO chapter, they would say, “Oh, you always ask great questions.” So I just love being curious and helping people.  Yeah, definitely. The area you're working in is very fast-moving, with lots of changes—especially with AI happening and so much innovation in technology. A lot to be curious about. I was personally very curious about the system that you developed. You call it the eCommerce Revenue Program Framework. And we are framework junkies here on the Management Blueprint, and I’d love to learn about what that does for manufacturers, distributors. What are the main pillars, and how does that system work? How do you generate revenue for them? That’s a great question. It’s a great question. So I’ve been building websites for well over 30 years and building eCommerce sites for, I think 22 years at this point. 2004 was my first really in-depth professional eCommerce website. Over that time, I've worked with a ton of different types of organizations, and a lot of common themes started to present themselves. As Groove has continued to evolve, we began to work a lot more with manufacturers and distributors who wanted to create online buyer portals so their customers could come in and buy from them.  And they call it B2B eCommerce, and it’s very different from B2C eCommerce. Generally, you have to be approved to buy. There’s just a lot of things that goes into kind of replacing working with a salesperson, so to speak, in many of these industries. And I just found a lot of common threads. I also found a group of folks who may not be as digitally mature in the eCommerce space as other folks. And I needed to lay out a system that both the CEO, the CFO, the CTO, and the CMO could all understand and work within, and have some level of accountability within that.  Yeah. Just one thing I’d like to mention here. I had a Vistage member when I started my Vistage groups who was running a distributorship, and they really struggled this idea that they wanted to sell online, but they were afraid of upsetting their distributors. They didn't want to be seen as competing with them. So it was a very complex and politically difficult situation. You're probably going to talk about that as well.  Well, it’s a little bit different, right? So the concept of what we’re doing is actually helping someone that has, maybe they’re a manufacturer and they sell to distributors. They’re not selling to the public. They’re selling to an approved group of their customers that are able to come in and buy from them anytime they want 24/7 without human intervention. And so that’s the concept of what we create. So we actually help them create a real digital revenue channel within their organization. And people are like, well, wait, does that mean you don’t need salespeople? No. Most of these organizations have long running sales teams, and actually the sales team can leverage the platforms to help their customers and accounts buy more, so that they can spend more time actually selling than hand-typing in orders and being an order taker.  And so it allows their customers to come in and reorder whenever they want and buy at more frequent intervals and see their pricing, have their payment terms, et cetera. Very different from, say, going to an online T-shirt shop, putting in your credit card, and they ship it to you. Sometimes customers are able to buy on credit, and you’re tracking how much credit they’ve utilized within the ERP system. A very different and much more complex transaction. We think that manufacturers and distributors should have at least 10% of their overall revenue flowing through a digital platform like that. Our average customer is anywhere between $100 million and $400 million in revenue. So that's $10 to $50 million flowing through that channel. And so some industries with more digitally mature customers can go much higher than 10%. And it’s just a much cheaper way to operate.  So let’s say I’m a manufacturer and I manufacture widgets, and these widgets are being distributed through vendors who install these widgets into machines. Retail customers don't really understand our widgets, so we're not selling to retail. We're fully salesperson-based, and we'd like to go online. We'd like to get 10% or 15% of our sales online. What does it take for us to transform our business to partially online?  Yeah. That’s a great question, Steve. That’s a great question. I'm going to walk you through it very simply. I will say most CEOs or VPs of marketing think about a project like this as just a website. That's the wrong way to think about it. This needs to be a true revenue channel within the organization—a true top-down initiative that has accountability from all sides—because it's much bigger than that. If you’re talking about $10, $20, $30, $50, or even $100 million going through a system like this, it's not just about building a website. And that’s a really common mistake that the prospects and customers that we’ve gotten have often done.  Their IT might say, “Oh, we have a WordPress website. Let's use WooCommerce for free.” Or, “I saw Shopify on Jim Cramer. Let's try Shopify.” Most of those direct-to-consumer systems don’t have the right kind of features and functionality, nor is the process to pick the software first. So what we actually tell our customers and prospects is, “Hey, we've got to take a step back.” We have a five-step lifecycle that takes about three years for a company to go from zero to kind of fully digitally transformed in terms of their eCommerce. We start with what we call the Discover phase of the lifecycle. And that is where we work, consult, understand, and build alignment between the sales team, the finance team, customer service, operations team, the warehouse, and the IT team to build this kind of alignment where all the groups of the…Share on X  In that process, we’re helping them to pick a software to utilize, to run all of this, and that will connect to their ERP system accordingly. The next phase in the process is the Build phase, and that is more traditional—like any website—where we architect, design, and build the full system. For a modern manufacturer, that generally takes about six to eight months to go through that process. Some are a little faster, some are a little longer, depending on the organization. But is this because there are thousands of SKUs, or why does it take so long?  Because there’s complex integrations with their accounting and ERP systems. The catalog is often not ready for prime time. Maybe it's in the ERP, but it contains a lot of internal slang and doesn't have photos for everything. They're often missing data or specifications. For instance, sometimes Amazon has better product descriptions and more measurements than the manufacturer's own website. So these are the kind of things that we need to go to. The Discover and Build phases together can take anywhere between eight and 12 months—or longer—depending upon the size of the organization. The next step, the next lifecycle here is called the Pilot phase, and this is something people often forget about. What they don’t do is they don’t pilot these types of systems with a handful of their top customers. Customers that would never fire them, or that are willing to go on a little bit of an R&D journey with them. They don’t pilot these systems and have them start to utilize it in a white-glove way, and they don’t often have the same kind of white-glove service with their internal sales teams to help them get going. So this Pilot phase is very important to start seeing early adoption—both internally and with the customer.Share on X  Sorry to interrupt, but I'm curious—how do you get those customers to actually invest time in piloting a system like that when they already have a salesperson who knows them and their needs?  Well, generally, up to this point, we've internally surveyed and built a system that can handle these customers. Most of your top customers want you to succeed. Quite honestly, they may already be experiencing friction in the sales process currently is holding them back and they may be like, “Oh, I can just go in and press one button to reorder my weekly order—thank God!” Most of the time, they volunteer to pilot the system. In fact, these are the ones that you want to pilot the system, the ones that are willing to do that, and you need to take them through that process with a white-glove level of service, even holding weekly office hours if you need to.  But what you want to see in that pilot is see those customers make not only their first order, but maybe their second, third, or fourth order, depending upon what their typical intervals are. And so we want to get that up and running and get some early kind of wins there and get both the internal team and the customers feeling like, Hey, this is really working for us. And then the next phase after that, we call it the Activate phase. Again, these websites are very different than a direct-to-consumer site, where they usually have an improved list of customers and they’re hidden behind a password. The next phase is the activate phase, and that’s where you want to get all of your customers in the system placing their first and second orders and getting it going. And you want to roll that out.  Generally, it might take you a good 10 to 12 months to get everybody rocking and rolling with this part of the system. But once they do, and once they start making their first, second, third order, you’ve built muscle memory over time. So this activation phase is really important. I was recently talking to the VP of marketing at a $400 million distributorship. He was telling me that they had invested seven figures in building this system, and they spent 18 months connecting it into all their financial systems. Again, $400 million. And they had only done about $200,000 in their first nine months having the system live. And what they didn’t do was they didn’t figure out how to activate their customer base. Because I asked them, how many customers do you have? Well, we’ve got about 180,000 customers.  Well, how many are in the system? 15,000. And next thing, and I’m like, well, you haven’t done yourselves any favor here. So you need a very solid plan to activate. That takes about the first two years, right? The first year is kind of architecting and building the system. Year two is really piloting and activating the system, but by year three, you've got more mature scorecard.Share on X You are starting to find ways to optimize, to reduce friction in the buying process. Maybe you’re introducing more products to your catalog. You’re introducing your customers to more product offerings that you may have, or maybe you’re finding even new industries that you can easily plug into the system and generate more revenue. And we call that the Optimize phase. And that continues to just spin in a flywheel once that’s up and running. That’s fascinating. So I wonder—how do you get the sales team to buy in? Is there an advantage for them, or they feel like sometimes that the digital channel is going to compete with them?  Yeah, well, that buy-in can come from a lot of feelings. I’ve had to stand up in front of national sales meeting audiences and talk about these kind of things. And so I would say, out of the gate, salespeople are nervous that you’re trying to take their commission away. When their customers buy through these systems, they need to get the commission off their accounts as they normally would. Maybe you raise expectations, right? In terms of what you’re looking for them to sell, or their annual quota. Perhaps you want them to sell a little more now that they have this electronic tool—but they need to share in the revenue that comes through these systems. The second part is that, according to McKinsey Consulting, 70% of all digital transformation projects in the mid-market fail to meet their original stated goal. So what happens is that people make wrong decisions, or maybe they pick software before they put alignment together. And so the salespeople, maybe they’ve had a poor experience or two with a CRM rollout, or an ERP rollout, or a previous eCommerce rollout that wasn’t thoughtfully planned. And so you’ve got to figure out how to build that confidence and trust back with folks. And then the last piece is you’ve got to give them a voice in the process. A traditional website project may not include the head of sales for the organization, but for our discoveries, we like them to attend at least the first couple days of that.  So this is a huge project—two or three years working with a client. How important it is that you keep an eye on the pulse of the client, keep listening, and make sure buy-in continues to be strong? Yeah, I think it's very important. One of the best parts about all of this is everything is trackable. We can track which customers have logged in, we can track how frequently they log in. We can track how frequently they buy, and then we can leverage technology to go out and kind of tickle them, remind them—“Hey, it's been a while since you ordered. Why don't you come back and check this out?” It is an ongoing relationship, but that relationship changes and evolves over the course of working together. I think once you get over the kind of discover-and-build phases and into the pilot, the relationship begins to evolve and change. Clients get really excited about milestones, like the first $100,000 in orders that come through the system or the first six-figure order that comes through unattended. There’s a lot of things that you want to think about and celebrate along the way when you’re working together.  Do you find that clients are willing to think long-term and commit to three-year plans where they’re willing to invest time and money into building this channel out over a period of time, as opposed to trying to get a silver-bullet solution that will happen overnight? I think it depends on where they are. From our client’s point of view, if they’ve bought into working with us, they believe and understand that this isn’t just a one-project kind of operation to build a 10–15% revenue channel within the organization. There’s no long-term contracts on our side to do it. It’s kind of broken up into kind of multiple phases and pieces. We actually do that so we can make sure that they’re ready to move on to the next step in that. There is some heavy lifting that comes from the first year of actually building a system and getting all the integration parts working through that —which is challenging. I get questions often about this. There's usually a buying committee that makes decisions on these types of project and expenses, and the CFO is always a part of that conversation. And I think the transparency that we do offer a CFO to say, listen, this is what you should expect over a three-year period.  If both sides do what they’ve agreed to do here, this is what it can get to. And I believe that maybe it might cost them $50 or $60 an order for a human in their call center to actually get the order over the phone and type it in. And kind of follow along with that from an ongoing kind of basis. And it might cost $3, $4, $5 for an order of that scale to come out of an eCommerce system. So there's definitely optimization that happens all the way around. Salespeople are able to do more, and customer service is able to focus on actually helping people, not entering orders.Share on X  Yeah, I was wondering—let’s say my widget manufacturer, we increase, we get 10% into the digital channel in a period of three years, maybe 10-15%. How much of that is accretive to the actual sales in your experience? And how much of it is kind of cannibalizing some of the actual sales?  I think it’s a little bit of both. Customers will generally buy more from you if it’s easier to buy from you. And I think there’s a real optimization in terms of expenses and costs that happens when you bring it all on.  So there’s a little bit of top-line growth and a lot of profitability improvement, margin improvement. Margin improvement.  Yeah. That’s very interesting. So, Ethan, you're coming out with the book Closing the Digital Revenue Gap. What prompted you to write this book, and what is it about?  I felt like I’ve got over 20 years of stories from being on the road. And I felt like it would be a lot of the same challenges would happen over and over again on these types of projects. So I sat down and wanted to really write about these stories, the challenges, and how we made it through them, and give the reader some things to think about as they’re going through challenges like that. And just understand that they’re not alone, that other people, that other organizations have had similar challenges over the year. So I wanted to get that out on paper and have it in a holdable form. Sorry, I don’t have them. I’m still waiting for the hardcovers to come in, so I don’t have one to show you today. But the reasoning is I felt like I wanted to tell my story and the stories of the journey I’ve been on of building these types of sites and systems over the years. Yeah. I’m sure you have a lot of war stories. Can you share one or two with us—something that was really difficult but then created a breakthrough, or a situation where someone was very skeptical and then came around?  Yeah. I think one of the big stories I like to talk about is quiet friction. Every business has quiet friction in it that may affect their customers, and they don't even know it.Share on X So, here where I'm from in Baltimore, they recently passed a law where it costs five cents for every grocery bag that you use at the grocery store, right? There’s one grocery store in the area that carries a handful of my favorite things to make pizza. They carry these special pepperonis, special cheese, like all the things. And I love making pizza. And I’m always so happy when I’m going to this store to get those things because I know I’m going to make pizza, and I love it. Well, with this law coming and happening, most grocery stores that you go to that have a self-checkout will have an option.  How many bags did you use? 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. And the bags are right there. It's on the honor system. Well, this grocery store chain at their self-checkout locks the grocery bags up, and you actually have to go get the self-checkout assistant to come over, swipe his badge, type in a whole bunch of like characters on the touchscreen, and then get a bag out of a locked cabinet and give it to you. And it’s created so much friction with me that I actually hate going to that grocery store now. And it’s kind of ruined the experience of me buying three of my favorite things to do my favorite thing. If I ask most manufacturers to say, think about your business. Is it actually hard to buy from you? Sit and ponder that a bit. What kind of quiet friction do you have within your organization? And most of them, you can see the steam come out of their ears once they realize what’s creating those types of challenges for them. What kind of quiet friction do you have in your company that might not make people like leave immediately, but if somebody else gives them the opportunity to buy what you sell from them much easier without making it a pain in the ass, they might like, kind of gradually move, float away from you. And I think that’s where you start to just like miss compatibility with all of it.  Yeah, I love that you approach it from this angle—it’s the friction. If you remove the friction, the flow of business accelerates. It's like widening a gorge: a lot more flow can go through, and it’s so easy to miss the friction because you don’t see it. It’s something that is holding you back. And if you remove it, the effect is probably cumulative. If you have all these little things that don’t count on their own and they are immaterial on their own, but cumulatively they are absolutely disastrous. Love it. So we live in the AI age, and I can’t avoid asking a question on AI as well: how are your clients, customers taking advantage of AI?  It’s all over the place, right? I would say a lot of our customers are using AI to help with an email here or there. Maybe they have some Industry 4.0-type IoT devices connected in their factory that leverage, or are able to leverage AI for creating dashboards. But it really is generally through the use of software that we’re seeing that kind of happen overall. But one of the areas that we found AI to be fantastically helpful these days is helping to build a public-facing catalog—being able to leverage tools within AI to stock in data from various sources and get that into a structured format that we can leverage and import into a system. So we’re doing those types of projects a lot with folks. They’re still looking for coaching and help in those areas. So AI is still an emerging area, but we’re trying to, like, every day figure out how to leverage AI more and more with what we’re doing.  Is it possible to use AI in optimizing these web properties, these eCommerce systems?  I don’t think so yet. I mean, I think AI can make recommendations about things, but I wouldn’t trust AI to just auto-optimize what I was doing. I would also say that most of the folks, unless you’re really getting 50,000, 60,000, a hundred thousand visits on a single webpage—a million visits on a webpage—you’re not getting enough to statistically create a winner in that. So it’s all about using those types of things responsibly. But we are seeing AI really come to light in terms of the traditional eCommerce search, right? eCommerce search has always been keyword-driven, but we have certain platforms and tools that we plug into sites now that are able to search PDFs and even CAD files and all types of things in terms of being able to answer questions. That’s very interesting. So Ethan, you’ve been running a business for over two decades now, at least. That’s what I’m aware of. We mentioned 2004. I think Groove was started in 2004.  Seven, officially seven. But the precursor days before it was actually Groove.  Okay. Alright. So 2007. Still, it’s coming up on 20 years. So what is, in your experience, the most important question any entrepreneur should be asking themselves?  I would ask themselves if they have niched down enough within their industry. I would say that’s probably one of my biggest mistakes: not niching down fast enough and really focusing on a single area with that. So that would be the thing that I would want to say if I was an entrepreneur, and I have told people that, and to write a book.  Is this partially why you wrote the book?  It is.  Yeah.  Yep. Yeah, I’ve been doing more and more keynote speaking, and I knew I needed a book if I wanted to elevate myself to the next level. So before we wrap up, I can’t hold myself back from bringing this up, but you’re also an accomplished DJ. You started your career DJing, and you still do it sometimes for friends.  Yes.  What did DJing teach you as an eCommerce entrepreneur? How do you see life differently, or the world, or business owners differently because of DJing? Well, that’s a great question, and it’s affected me. I started DJing when I was 15 years old. I’m 51 now. And I do focus now on working with some nonprofits locally here in Baltimore, and I DJ their galas, and we put on a big show. And I would say that, interestingly, DJing has moved into digital. When I started as a DJ, I had 12-inch records that we would put on a turntable, and you’d have to have a dolly and crates of records that you would have to haul around. And now I can have 50,000 songs on my laptop in front of me, and I have these devices that spin like turntables that I can DJ on. And that—quite frankly—that transition for me to go from analog to digital was quite difficult. And I really did my own little mini digital transformation to figure out how to do that, and I was against it for a long time.  It really helped me understand more what our customers are going through as they’re thinking about that and having much more empathy. So it is that transition. I used to work at a nightclub, and we had to bring somebody in from Italy to program the lighting equipment that we had at the time in the 1990s. And now I have a light show that is driven by the waveform in the music, and it manages the lights through AI. I had it set up within an hour of getting the software. And so it’s just been tremendous to understand and see like how that has gone from analog to digital. And it’s been very helpful on the journey to teach our clients how to go from analog to digital as well.  I love it. I mean, that’s such a huge challenge with all this technological evolution going on—to keep up with that, stay fresh, and stay young with the technology, and you’re doing that. So that’s awesome. So if we have in the audience some manufacturers, distributors, or someone who is very passionate about eCommerce and wants to talk to you, learn from you—where can they go, and where can they connect? Where can they get your book? How does it work?  Absolutely. So if this resonated—if this message resonated with any of your listeners—we’re waiting for our first initial batch of books to come in, and I’ve held some back to give away. I would love to offer a complimentary book to any of the listeners of this podcast that it resonated with, as well as offer a free consultation as part of that. And if they go to www.b2becombook.com, they can request a free copy, and we’ll send it out as soon as we get them in. Sounds good. So B2B is B2B, right?  B2B. Yep.  So definitely check this out. And if you enjoyed the show, make sure you subscribe and keep coming back, because every week I get an exciting entrepreneur on the show. And Ethan, thanks for coming and sharing your goodies and wisdom. Thank you so much for having me. I always appreciate seeing you.  That was a great pleasure. Thank you. Important Links: Ethan's LinkedIn: Ethan's website:

What if the reason your marketing "isn't working" these days isn't your team — but your strategy? In today's environment, buyers are changing faster than most companies can keep up. Sales teams are frustrated. Leads are down. And what used to work suddenly doesn't. The real issue? Most organizations are still operating with outdated assumptions about how to turn their prospects into customers. In this episode, Rachel sits down with Karen Hayward, Managing Partner & CMO at Chief Outsiders and author of Stop Random Acts of Marketing, to unpack what modern growth really requires — and why CEOs must reclaim ownership of it. Karen brings more than 20 years of experience advising Fortune 1,000 and mid-market companies. At Chief Outsiders, she leads a team of 40-plus CMOs and CSOs, helping organizations align sales and marketing around the voice of the customer to accelerate revenue. She's a Vistage and TEC-certified speaker, guest lecturer, and trusted advisor to CEOs and private equity leaders ready to build growth engines in today's marketplace. In this episode, Karen breaks down how to replace marketing chaos with a disciplined strategy. The Modern Buyer Has Changed — Has Your Strategy? Today's landscape paints a generationally different picture of consumer behavior than the one many of us grew up with. Nearly 65% of B2B buyers are now Millennials or Gen Z. They research independently. They distrust early sales engagement. They want rep-free or digital-first buying experiences. And increasingly, they're discovering companies through AI platforms. If your growth engine still relies on cold outreach and traditional sales funnels, you're misaligned with how today's customers actually want to buy. Karen explains that marketing now owns the majority of the funnel. Her advice? Start with the voice of the customer. Interview recent wins and losses. Identify what customers truly value — not what you assume they value. Then align positioning, messaging, and sales enablement around that insight. From Random Acts to Real Results One of the most common mistakes Karen sees? Companies executing disconnected tactics without a cohesive strategy. Instead, she urges leaders to focus on three foundational pillars: Deep customer insight Clear competitive positioning Honest understanding of company strengths Only then should you invest in acquisition. Karen also shares tactical wins leaders can implement immediately: Record discovery calls and use AI to tighten proposal alignment Run an AEO grader report to evaluate how AI platforms see your business Build robust FAQ content based on real buyer questions The throughline? Discipline over randomness. Marketing remains full of engagement metrics and busy dashboards, but true success relies on measurable growth. Enjoy this episode with Karen Hayward… Soundbytes 09:21 – 09:32 "About 65%-plus of B2B buyers today are millennial or Gen Z. And they buy drastically differently than baby boomers do." 37:46 – 38:30 "By the time the salesperson gets engaged, you have very little time to build trust. So how do you coach yourself to get better on the at-bats that you have given how little time you have? So the one thing I would do with the sales team, or with BD people, or with founders, or with you — if you're talking to clients — is I would record the initial conversation with the client and understand what their needs are. I would record that. And then I would send a follow-up email to them with a summary of what they said, and I'd ask them to correct me." Quotes "Marketing now owns most of the sales and marketing funnel." "Stop doing random acts of marketing and hoping something works." "You can't rely on your sales force to tell you why you're winning and losing." "Open the door and ask about them first." "Engagement doesn't pay payroll." Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.chiefoutsiders.com/profile/karen-hayward Phone: 650-823-4292 Connect with Karen Hayward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhaywardcmo/ Connect with brandiD Find out how top leaders are increasing their authority, impact, and income online. Listen to our private podcast, The Professional Presence Podcast: https://thebrandid.com/professional-presence-podcast Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Growth is hard. Growth inside a family enterprise is harder. Because in a family business, every strategic decision carries emotional weight. Every acquisition, every hiring choice, every leadership disagreement touches not just the company — but the relationships that built it. That's where family business governance becomes the difference between sustainable growth and generational fracture. In Episode 127 of The Family Biz Show, Christina Armentano, third-generation leader of Paraco Gas Corporation, shares what it really takes to grow a multi-location energy company without breaking the family behind it. Her insights reveal that family business governance isn't theory. It's daily discipline.   The Founder's Grit Is Not a Governance Strategy Christina's grandfather was born in 1929, the year of the Great Depression. He didn't finish grade school. He started working young. He built the company through charisma, salesmanship, and relentless drive. That founder grit built the foundation. But grit alone doesn't sustain three generations. As family enterprises mature, family business governance must evolve beyond personality and instinct. What works for a founder rarely scales to siblings, cousins, and future generations. Growth demands structure.   Why Outside Experience Strengthens Family Business Governance Christina didn't step directly into the family company. She spent nearly a decade outside the business: Executive search MBA Internship at the largest propane company in the U.S. Turned down multiple early opportunities to join Why? Because strong family business governance requires competence, not entitlement. When next-generation leaders build experience elsewhere, they return with: Credibility Financial discipline Confidence Perspective Governance begins with earned authority.   Two Roles. One Discipline. One of the most powerful lessons in this episode: "You have your shareholder role and then you have your employee role. Those are two very separate roles." This distinction is the heart of effective family business governance. Ownership thinks long-term. Employees execute short-term. Shareholders protect capital. Employees protect performance. When these roles blur, conflict accelerates. When they're clearly defined, growth stabilizes.   Communication Is the Engine of Family Business Governance Christina shares her grandfather's advice: "Do right by the business and the business will do right by you." That statement reflects mature family business governance thinking. Open lines of communication. Business lens over personal lens. Disagreements that are never personal. Clear separation between family emotion and enterprise decision-making. Without disciplined communication, growth becomes personal. With governance, growth becomes strategic.   Acquisition Growth Without Governance Is Dangerous Paraco has completed more than 60 acquisitions. That kind of expansion requires structured family business governance. Christina breaks acquisitions into two stages: Due diligence Transition Strong governance means: Written checklists Clear deal leadership Objective financial review Emotional detachment from transactions Written transition plans Ego left at the door One critical lesson: retain what you have first. Retention is governance. Foundation is governance. Infrastructure before scale is governance. Without disciplined family business governance, acquisition momentum becomes chaos.   Selling a Business Requires Governance Discipline Too Christina emphasizes something most owners overlook: "The deal is never done until the deal is done." During a sale process, owners must continue running the business as if no deal exists. Why? Because strong family business governance protects optionality. If performance slips, leverage disappears. If emotion rises, valuation suffers. If the owner becomes dependent on the deal, negotiating power evaporates. Governance protects freedom.   Industry Leadership as Governance Maturity Christina serves as President of the New York State Propane Gas Association. When propane faced regulatory bans in New York, competitors collaborated to protect the industry. This reflects expanded family business governance thinking. Governance is not just internal. It's external influence. It's political awareness. It's industry collaboration. Mature family enterprises understand they are stewards of an ecosystem, not just operators of a company.   Coaching, Peer Groups, and Governance Accountability Christina credits her Vistage experience for sharpening her leadership. Peer groups: Call out blind spots Pressure-test strategy Provide emotional separation Create accountability Outside perspective strengthens family business governance by preventing insularity. Family enterprises that refuse external input often stagnate.   The Three Rules That Protect Growth Christina's closing advice distills governance into three principles: Family members must want to be there. Separate personal from business. Give yourself grace — but earn your seat. Each one reinforces family business governance at a human level. Engagement. Clarity. Discipline. Without those, growth fractures relationships. With them, growth strengthens legacy.   The Real Purpose of Family Business Governance Family enterprises are uniquely powerful because they combine trust and long-term thinking. But that same proximity creates risk. The purpose of family business governance is not control. It is alignment. Alignment between: Ownership and leadership Growth and stability Family values and enterprise vision When governance is intentional, growth compounds. When governance is ignored, conflict compounds. Episode 127 is a masterclass in how disciplined family business governance allows you to scale acquisitions, navigate succession, develop next-generation leaders, and protect the family behind the enterprise.

A veteran CEO peer-group leader and lifelong entrepreneur, Chip Webster shares how decades inside Vistage (and later Tiger 21) taught him that trust, accountability and curiosity are the real engines behind successful businesses and healthy communities. After COVID, he and his immunocompromised wife bought an RV and crisscrossed the U.S., where countless conversations in RV parks inspired his new book Unity and Service about rebuilding civic connection through "micro validations," volunteering, and engaging beyond our silos. The episode closes with a blunt, practical challenge.

In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Ryan Hogan, a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Talent Harbour, shares his incredible journey from bankruptcy to scaling a business to $55 million using EOS and other tools. Ryan discusses the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, including the crucial role of communication, accountability, and structure in scaling a business. Ryan's entrepreneurial journey spans various ventures, from a murder mystery company to Hunt a Killer, where he pivoted to subscription boxes and landed major retailers like Target and Walmart. He attributes much of his success to implementing EOS, joining peer groups like Vistage and EO, and surrounding himself with brilliant problem-solvers. He offers valuable advice for entrepreneurs, including the importance of having an operating system, seeking business coaching, and investing in peer support. Ryan's journey serves as an inspiring example of resilience, learning from failure, and the strategic approach needed to grow a business. CONNECT WITH DEBRA:         ___________________________________________         ►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner ►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au ►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/ ►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/ ___________________________________________ RYAN'S DETAILS: ►Ryan Hogan – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanehogan/ ►Talent Harbor – Website: https://talentharbor.com/ Episode 256 Chapters:   00:00 – Introduction 00:42 – Entrepreneurship and Communication Challenges 02:39 – Ryan Hogan's Entrepreneurial Journey 04:10 – Transition to Hunt a Killer 45:25 – The Role of EOS in Business Success 45:38 – Talent Harbour and Future Plans

Are you trying to grow your business alone? What if the fastest way to scale wasn't more hustle — but better peers?In this episode of The Business Ownership Podcast I interviewed Bob Carrothers. Meet Bob, your dedicated partner in leadership growth. With over 28 years of experience in leadership development and executive coaching, Bob has guided CEOs and C-suite executives towards success and fulfillment.At Vistage Worldwide, Bob leads peer-to-peer boards where CEOs and executives enhance their skills and make informed decisions. But Bob offers more than facilitation. He provides personalized coaching, connects you with expert speakers, and taps into a global network of over 45,000 board members.Bob's track record speaks for itself. As a six-time recipient of the Chair Excellence Award, his coaching is grounded in practical experience, offering valuable insights from his own entrepreneurial journey.Certified in Emer genetics and Predictive Index, Bob understands human behavior deeply. Through these assessments, he empowers leaders to unlock their potential and achieve their goals.Bob Carrothers isn't just a coach; he's a mentor, guide, and advocate dedicated to shaping the future of leadership, one CEO at a time.Could peer support be the advantage your business is missing? Learn how to tap into collective wisdom & find out what's possible with the right peers. Check this out! Show Links:Bob Carrothers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobcarrothers/Vistage Website: https://www.vistage.com/Book a call with Michelle: https://go.appointmentcore.com/book/IcFD4cGJoin our Facebook group for business owners to get help or help other business owners!The Business Ownership Group - Secrets to Scaling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessownershipsecretstoscalingLooking to scale your business? Get free gifts here to help you on your way: https://www.awarenessstrategies.com/

Send us a textWhat if the difference between stalling at $8M and exiting at $55M wasn't luck, but a set of repeatable choices about people, process, and stage-fit hiring? That's the jump Ryan Hogan made, and we unpack exactly how he did it—from the hard lessons of a viral zombie race that crashed to the systems and recruiting moves that helped Hunt A Killer scale fast without losing its soul.We start with the foundation most founders skip: vision, mission, and values that actually drive decisions. Ryan explains why talent sits on top of that foundation—and why mis-hires rarely come from bad resumes, but from poorly defined problems and vague expectations. We dig into the mistake of hiring a leader from a $100M company to run a $25M org, and how to find operators who have done the exact jump you need right now. You'll hear how to set roles by outcomes, not titles, run a blank-slate org chart to reveal gaps, and reset expectations with early hires as the company evolves.Then we get tactical on recruiting. Real recruiting isn't posting and praying; it's outbound sourcing, targeted outreach, and selling a meaningful mission to candidates who aren't looking. Ryan shares why small and midsize companies need expert, stage-aware recruiting to win, how structured interviews and reference loops beat gut feel, and how EOS and peer groups like Vistage create the cadence and accountability to keep teams aligned as complexity grows. The result is a blueprint for building teams that scale, stay aligned, and deliver measurable outcomes under real-world constraints.If you're a founder, operator, or hiring manager who wants compounding growth without the cultural hangover, this conversation gives you the playbook: hire for the stage you're in, design the org you actually need, and treat recruiting like the competitive advantage it is. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a builder who needs it, and leave a quick review—tell us the one hiring move you'll change this quarter.Support the show

What if your journey from poverty to six countries was shaped by stepping stones of relationships? In this episode, Ghazenfer Mansoor shares how Technology Rivers helps health tech companies build HIPAA compliant software products and helps healthcare service businesses 10x their operations through AI and technology. With a computer science background and experience building a recruitment SaaS company, Ghazenfer started Technology Rivers with one core philosophy: build it right the first time. Too many founders hire developers and end up with never-ending products that keep building but never launch. His team focuses on helping startups with limited money build the right MVP so they can get traction, get customers, and secure more funding. The work creates a double bottom line: supporting businesses solving world problems while creating opportunities and livelihoods for people across six countries. He reveals that his journey wasn't shaped by one person, but by stepping stones of relationships. Growing up in Pakistan in poverty, mentors and friends guided him toward education and opportunities that eventually brought him to the US. Coaches, entrepreneurial groups like EO, and books like "Who Not How" all shaped his direction. The most powerful story? Exchanging business cards at a conference. Months later, that person called about a project. Over six years, that one card exchange generated close to $2 million in business.   [00:05:20] What Technology Rivers Does Software development business serving health tech companies primarily Started helping all verticals but gradually focused just on health tech Help companies build HIPAA compliant software products Work with healthcare service businesses, help them 10x operations through AI and technology [00:06:00] Build It Right the First Time Wanted to fix problem of never-ending products that keep building but never launch Companies hiring developers with products that are never ending Founders have limited money, need to build right MVP to get traction and funding Help startups build products right the first time so they're not broke if it doesn't work [00:08:00] Creating Double Bottom Line Impact Help companies create solutions that solve world's problems Every founder working with them is solving something, changing the world Also creating opportunities for people supporting those projects Team in six different countries, many in growing economies, creating livelihoods [00:10:20] AI is the Biggest Shift Started career in early web, but AI is even much bigger shift Mind blowing how things are moving, but also creating opportunities Much easier now for people who want to create companies and solutions AI not just solving existing problems but bringing new problems to solve [00:12:00] Journey Shaped by Series of Relationships Not just one person, journey shaped by series of relationships as stepping stones Growing up in Pakistan, mentor guided him to take risky opportunity That opportunity created by colleague in same company Friend said "you have to do your master's degree" when Ghazenfer only had diploma [00:13:00] From Poverty to Possibility Friend showed the path, arranged meeting, pushed toward higher education Was in poverty, didn't have means for education People supported along the way giving opportunities on jobs or introducing to something Each opportunity helped get to next step [00:13:40] Coming to the United States Would not have been in US without those opportunities Friend introduced to recruiter who was recruiting for company in US Coach helped see certain things in way he hadn't seen before Entrepreneurial groups (EO, Vistage forums) helped shape journey [00:14:40] Books That Shaped Direction "The Great Game of Business" by Jack Stack - partnership made based on this book "Who Not How" by Dan Sullivan - amazing book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith "How to Win Friends and Influence Others" by Dale Carnegie [00:15:40] Taking the Leap Created own podcast, started speaking engagements Wrote first book "Beyond the Download: How to Build Mobile Apps That People Love, Use, and Share Every Day" Now writing another book All these people contributed to growth, wouldn't be fair to point to just one person [00:19:20] Clients as Partners and Coaches Client gave guidance and tips that helped do things in certain way Coaching came directly from client to team: "If you do it this way, this would help me" Relationship with clients has always been as partners Client guided in terms of how to do things, shaped development effort [00:22:00] Co-Creation is Key Software development and product development can only work if co-creating Not about giving instructions and just doing it Believe in co-creation as collaborative effort Client comes with idea, have to discuss, brainstorm, come up with right way [00:23:40] Challenging in a Positive Way Someone said "you would challenge our client's business approaches" Don't challenge their decision, communicate and make sure they hear alternate options Challenge in positive way: "Have you thought about this alternate option?" Show three ways of doing something with one recommendation [00:24:40] Three Options, One Recommendation Not making decision for client, letting client make decision Giving enough information to make the decision If only give one option and it doesn't go well, it's a problem Software products need that product approach with enough guidance and information [00:27:00] The Power of Physical Business Cards At conferences, people say "Who uses cards nowadays?" Challenge: Once you leave a conference, how do you remember who you connected with? If just connect on LinkedIn, no reference left when you have thousands of contacts Physical cards are cheaper and provide tangible reminder [00:27:40] The $2 Million Card Exchange Years ago at conference, sitting with someone, exchanged cards Few months later, guy called: "We were on same table, you gave me your card" Working on global software project, needed help Got that project, then partner introduced them to another company [00:28:40] Six Years of Business from One Card After six months of work, got another project, then another one Over six years timeframe, got close to $2 million in business From that one card exchange From that point, focused on improving quality of card and keeps bunch with him [00:29:20] Cards Keep You Top of Mind Cards are cheap but provide reminder when back at home or office In sales they talk about follow ups: be in front of people at right time Traditional way but works for Ghazenfer Still keeps bunch with him all the time [00:36:20] Be the Go-To Person Book "Networking is Not Working" by Derek Coburn resonated Want to be go-to person for anything - even if someone needs a plumber Are you the person who's connected to many that friends always call? If you are that person, makes huge difference   KEY QUOTES "Software development, product development can only work if you are co-creating something. If the clients are giving instructions, then we're just like everybody else, then we are not really doing our work. We believe in co-creation." - Ghazenfer Mansoor "You wanna be the go-to person for anything. If somebody even needs a plumber, who do they call? Are you the person who's connected to many that your friends are always calling you?" - Ghazenfer Mansoor (quoting Derek Coburn) CONNECT WITH GHAZENFER MANSOOR 

In this episode, Joe Crane sits down with Ryan Hogan, a Navy veteran who transitioned from enlisted aircrewman to Surface Warfare Officer while building a career as an entrepreneur. With 15 years of active duty experience and a tenure in the Reserves, Ryan discusses the "trial-by-fire" lessons learned from early ventures like WarWear and Run For Your Lives, emphasizing the unique challenges of managing a business while serving on active duty. The conversation centers on Ryan's success as the co-founder of Hunt A Killer, the high-growth mystery game he eventually sold. He credits much of his scaling success to the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and peer-to-peer learning through Vistage, which helped him transition from a founder-led startup to a systems-driven organization. Following the sale, Ryan launched Talent Harbor to fix the inefficiencies he encountered in the hiring industry. He introduces the "Recruiting as a Service" (RaaS) model, which replaces traditional high-commission headhunting with a transparent, flat-fee monthly rate. By treating recruiting as a core operational competency rather than a one-off task, Ryan is now helping other founders build more efficient systems for finding and retaining top-tier talent. Episode Resources: Talent Harbor Ryan Hogan - LinkedIn   About Our Guest Prior to founding Talent Harbor, Ryan Hogan co-founded Hunt A Killer, a subscription-based interactive murder mystery experience. In 2019, Hunt A Killer was named by Fast Company as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies. In 2020, Inc Magazine named it the fastest-growing CPG company. Ryan started his career enlisting in the U.S. Navy as an MH-53E aircrewman, and transitioned to officer where he served as a Surface Warfare Officer onboard various warships. Along the way, Ryan founded WarWear and Run For Your Lives, honing the entrepreneurial skills that he would use in Hunt A Killer, and now Talent Harbor.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Jacqueline Wales. Together we explore: What is fear? Four professional fears Fear as information Fear based behavior E.A.R.: Face it, Explore it, Act on it, Rise with it Self-compassion Do you have enough information for the judgement you have made? Not fearless, but fear intelligence Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration   Jacqueline Wales has spent over 18 years helping leaders and teams around the world transform fear into clarity, courage, and trust. Her work is grounded in a simple truth — fear isn't the enemy. It's data. When you learn to read it, you lead differently. Jacqueline is a passionate champion for being fearless. She is the author of Fear Intelligence: A Practical Framework for Leading Beyond Fear, The Fearless Factor, The Fearless Factor at Work, and When The Crow Sings, a novel. She is a TEDx and Vistage speak, founder of Transformational Strategies for Success programs and a trusted advisor to senior executives who are ready to transform their professional and personal lives.   jacqueline@jacquelinewales.com jacquelinewales.com linkedin.com/in/jacquelinewales   Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.   #Fear #Emotions #LeadershipDevelopment #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication

When Andrew Wynne coaches, he invites leaders to make a powerful choice: keep playing not to lose—defensive, cautious, and closed—or step up and play to win by creating the kind of collaboration where everyone can succeed. He builds trusted, safe containers where truth can land, people feel genuinely seen and heard, and leaders discover the “victory speech” they're really working toward. Andrew is a mirror—listening with his ears, eyes, and whole-body presence—bringing both intimacy and accountability to the conversation. Guided by the belief that we go further together, and anchored in the wisdom that “cast your bread upon the water and it will come back buttered,” Andrew helps leaders build trust through reliability, credibility, and deep connection. About Andrew Wynne – Executive Coach, Leadership Mentor & Vistage Chair Andrew Wynne brings more than 25 years of executive experience across multiple countries and industries, blending deep commercial insight with a genuine passion for understanding human behaviour. As the former Managing Partner of a successful management consulting and coaching practice, Andrew has spent his career helping leaders and organisations elevate performance through clarity, connection, and courageous decision-making. He is an Associate with the Stephenson Mansell Group (SMG), Australia's longest-established executive development firm and a recognised leader in coaching, mentoring, and leadership development. SMG's faculty has supported more than 6,000 executives across 600 organisations, including senior leaders from over 30 of Australia's Top 50 companies—work that Andrew continues to advance through his thoughtful, presence-driven coaching style. In addition to his executive coaching work, Andrew serves as Chair to three Vistage Australia groups, guiding CEOs and business owners through meaningful conversations, strategic challenges, and trusted peer advisory. Vistage is the world's largest CEO coaching organisation, supporting more than 45,000 leaders in 35 countries. A Professionally Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation and a graduate of the Professional Coaching Course at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business, Andrew is committed to lifelong learning. He continues to study, refine, and master cutting-edge coaching techniques to support leaders in becoming more effective, more aware, and more human in the way they lead. Connect with Andrew:Website: https://andrewwynne.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-wynne/

In this episode, Eric Coffie sits down with Christine Hopkins, the CEO behind ASCII Federal Services, a 4PL (fourth-party logistics) company that manages end-to-end supply chain—from procurement and tracking to warehousing, inventory optimization, deliveries, and disposal. Christine shares how an existential crisis during COVID wiped out nearly 90% of revenue, forcing a bold pivot into federal contracting through restructuring ownership, becoming a Woman-Owned Small Business, and leveraging commercial past performance to compete. She walks through her methodical approach: getting registered, submitting "practice bids" for feedback, winning a first prime contract in 18 months, then scaling carefully to protect performance and reputation. The biggest lesson? Relationships and networking are the real differentiator—especially for agencies that avoid risk. Christine also breaks down the conferences, CEO peer network support (Vistage), and learning resources that accelerated her growth—and closes with a reminder that sustained success requires taking care of yourself so you can show up fully. Key Takeaways Relationships are the strategy: Government (and primes) buy from people they know and trust—networking isn't optional, it's the edge. Win methodically, not emotionally: Use "practice bids" to learn, protect performance, and scale slowly so you don't overload your team or reputation. Resilience + restructuring wins: A smart ownership/size restructure plus strong commercial past performance can open the door to prime contracts fast—even after a major revenue hit. If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/  Website: https://govcongiants.org/  Connect with Encore Funding: https://www.encore-funding.com/  Connect with Christine:  LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineseal/ LinkedIn corporate: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-supply-chain-international-llc Website: www.asciLLC.com

I met Sandy Gennaro at a business summit called Vistage. Sandy was the keynote speaker this past April at the Summit in San Antonio. Vistage is an organization that facilitates peer advisory group advice, 1-to-1 executive coaching, industry networks, exclusive events and more. Sandy Gennaro and I talk about his career and his book, Beat the Odds in Business and Life. We also discuss the hidden legal issues he experienced or witnessed in business. The best part of our show is Sandy’s legacy. You will be sharing this episode with all of your friends and family. Sandy writes about his experiences in more detail in his book called Beat the Odds in Business and Life. Buy it from his website www.SandyGennaro.com. Remember to call our sponsor, Financial Planning HQ to get your true financial plan. Instead of trying to sell you overly complicated financial products, Financial Planning HQ focuses on creating comprehensive strategies that give you and your family the highest probability of achieving your goals. For a complimentary consultation with Joseph Warren at Financial Planning HQ, call (210) 748-6699. That’s (210) 748-6699... “With a plan, yes you can.” If you have questions about business contracts, contact an attorney. Attorneys at Marquardt Law Firm, P.C. focus on business and estate law, including last wills, living trusts, and tax protected inheritance plans – new businesses and old businesses which might have issues with corporations, contracts, LLCs, or family partnerships. Learn more at www.MarquardtLawFirm.com. Be sure to visit www.TalkLawRadio.com to search the archives for previous shows. Join Todd Marquardt every week for exciting law talk on Talk Law Radio! The mission of Talk Law Radio is to help you discover your legal issue blind spots by listening to me talk about the law on the radio. The state bar of Texas is the state agency that governs attorney law licenses. The State Bar wants attorneys to inform the public about the law but does not want us to attempt to solve your individual legal problems upon the basis of general information. Instead, contact an attorney like Todd A. Marquardt at Marquardt Law Firm, P.C. to discuss your specific facts and circumstances of your unique situation. Like & Subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/@talklawradio3421 Listen here! www.TalkLawRadio.com Work with Todd! https://marquardtlawfirm.com/ Join attorney Todd Marquardt every week for exciting law talk on Talk Law Radio!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Re-Release: On this Live Greatly podcast episode, Kristel Bauer sits down with Amy Sandler, Principal Coach and Podcast Host at Radical Candor, to discuss how to successfully give and receive feedback at work and in life.  Tune in now! Key Takeaways From This Episode How to give feedback at work without being a jerk What is radical candor  Should you give positive and negative feedback at the same time? Tips to be better at giving and receiving feedback About Amy Sandler: Amy Sandler is Principal Coach and Podcast Host at Radical Candor, where she's also served as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Content Officer. Amy has trained tens of thousands of people worldwide, ranging from CEOs and leadership teams to recent graduates just starting their career. Her leadership philosophy focuses on empowering people to develop greater awareness, resilience and compassion, essential foundations for teamwork and shared success.   A pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based leadership practices to the workplace, Amy was selected in 2014 to be one of the first 30 certified teachers of the Search Inside Yourself leadership program developed at Google. Amy brought mindfulness training and breathwork meditation to executive coaching organizations Vistage and YPO, where she also served in leadership roles.  Amy has an AB and MBA from Harvard University and an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. A certified breathwork meditation teacher, Amy is in the third year of a medical Qi Gong teacher certification program. She has performed stand-up comedy and walked on fire seven times.  Connect with Amy: Website: https://www.radicalcandor.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysandler/  About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer: Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker and TEDx speaker supporting organizations and individuals on their journeys for more happiness and success. She is the author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business November 19, 2024). With Kristel's healthcare background, she provides data driven actionable strategies to leverage happiness and high-power habits to drive growth mindsets, peak performance, profitability, well-being and a culture of excellence. Kristel's keynotes provide insights to "Live Greatly" while promoting leadership development and team building.   Kristel is the creator and host of her global top self-improvement podcast, Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. As an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant having practiced clinically in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel has a unique perspective into attaining a mindset for more happiness and success. Kristel has presented to groups from the American Gas Association, Bank of America, bp, Commercial Metals Company, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank and many more. Kristel has been featured in Forbes, Forest & Bluff Magazine, Authority Magazine & Podcast Magazine and she has appeared on ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago, Fox 4's WDAF-TV's Great Day KC, and Ticker News. Kristel lives in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area and she can be booked for speaking engagements worldwide. To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here. Website: www.livegreatly.co  Follow Kristel Bauer on: Instagram: @livegreatly_co  LinkedIn: Kristel Bauer Twitter: @livegreatly_co Facebook: @livegreatly.co Youtube: Live Greatly, Kristel Bauer To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here. Click HERE to check out Kristel's corporate wellness and leadership blog Click HERE to check out Kristel's Travel and Wellness Blog Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.  Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations.  They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests.  Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content.  Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.

In this episode of Founder Talk, Christoff Poppe, founder of Half of Eight and a Vistage Chair who works with CEOs across industries, breaks down why peer groups are becoming a non-negotiable advantage for top leaders today. He's in the room for the hardest conversations CEOs have: succession issues, hiring freezes, layoffs, stalled growth, shifting economies, AI disruption. And he's seen how peers uncover blindspots that no book, consultant, or board meeting ever will.Christoff explains why CEOs need people around them who challenge their assumptions, call out their patterns, and push them to lead with clarity even when the future is uncertain. He shares what he's learned guiding leadership teams, why nearly every strategic issue is actually a people issue, and how the right peer advisory group can prevent costly mistakes before they happen.We dig into the pressures CEOs feel but rarely talk about: decision fatigue, loneliness at the top, managing fear inside organizations, and the struggle to evolve when your company grows faster than you do. Christoff also reveals the three traits that determine whether a CEO thrives or stagnates and how peers accelerate that transformation.You'll learn:✅ Why CEOs need peers who will challenge, not comfort them✅ How peer groups expose blindspots you can't see on your own✅ Why isolation slows down decision-making and increases risk✅ What great leadership actually looks like in uncertain markets✅ How to lead through fear, hesitation, and rapid change✅ Why belonging, clarity, and accountability outperform raw strategy✅ How peer advisory groups help CEOs grow personally AND scale their companiesIf you're a CEO, founder, or executive searching “how do I scale smarter,” “why leadership feels lonely,” or “how to make better decisions in uncertain times,” this episode gives you the perspective you've been missing — the peer advantage every leader needs.Connect with Christoff:Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoffpoppe/Guest Website: https://www.halfofeight.com/If you are a B2B company that wants to build your own in-house content team instead of outsourcing your content to a marketing agency, we may be a fit for you! Everything you see in our podcast and content is a result of a scrappy, nimble, internal content team along with an AI-powered content systems and process. Check out pricing and services here: ⁠https://impaxs.com⁠Head to our website to stream every episode on your favorite platform, join the Founder Talk community, and submit questions for future guests–all in one place: https://foundertalkpodcast.com/Timecodes00:00 Introduction and Guest Background00:13 Economic Uncertainty and CEO Confidence03:39 Impact of AI on Employment10:33 AI in Video Editing and Business Adaptation18:25 The Role of Vistage in CEO Development27:02 Personal Reflections on Business Growth33:32 Rethinking Business Success Metrics34:17 Legacy and Personal Fulfillment35:22 Generational Differences in Work Values36:35 Balancing Personal and Professional Goals37:29 Empowering Employees for Business Growth38:38 Navigating Business Succession Planning40:46 Pursuing Passion Over Profession51:15 The Rise of the Gig Economy55:55 Investing Beyond Your Business01:00:25 The Meaning Behind 'Half of Eight'

Sam Reese is the CEO of Vistage, the world's largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders. Sam joins Adam to share his journey and his best lessons and advice. Sam and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: career success, coaching, mentorship, feedback, trust, and much more.

Simple Numbers, Big Profits with Greg Crabtree: How to Scale Without Debt or Chaos   Most business owners chase revenue—and lose sight of profit. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani sits down with Greg Crabtree, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits, to cut through the noise and talk about what really drives a successful business. A self-described "recovering accountant," Greg shares how data—not opinions—can transform how entrepreneurs see their numbers, make decisions, and grow sustainably.   If you've ever felt like your financial reports are confusing or your growth isn't showing up in profit, this conversation will show you exactly where to look and what to fix.   In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why accounting data is often misleading—and how to use "simple numbers" instead. How to measure labor efficiency so your team drives profit, not just revenue. The power of gross margin as the real top line of your business. Why debt-free growth is possible with strong cash discipline. What Greg's 100-company study reveals about the real state of today's economy.   Key Takeaways: Gross Margin is King – Stop paying attention to revenue. Profit lives in the margin. Know Your Labor Efficiency Ratio – Every $1 in labor should create $2 in gross margin. Cash is a Strategy – Keep two months of operating expenses in the bank—your safety net for growth. The Economy is Shifting – Growth won't come from the market; it'll come from taking share from weaker competitors. Simplify Your Dashboard – If a number doesn't drive a decision, take it off the report.   Bio: Greg Crabtree, speaker, author, entrepreneur and financial expert.  Greg founded his own firm Crabtree, Rowe and Berger to focus on helping entrepreneurs build their economic engine.  After being named to the INC 5000 list for 2019, Greg's firm merged with Carr, Riggs & Ingram CPA's and Advisors, a top 20 U.S. Accounting firm to help broaden their impact on the entrepreneur community. Greg serves as the Partner in Charge of the Simple Numbers Consulting unit. In 2011, Greg's first book "Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits" shares his core principles of how to turn your business into a wealth building engine.  In 2014, Greg contributed a chapter to Verne Harnish's book, "Scaling Up" on how to improve profits though labor efficiency.  In 2020, Greg released his newest book, "Simple Numbers 2.0: Rules for Smart Scaling".  Greg is a frequent speaker to groups like EO, Scaling Up (Gazelles), Metronomics, Bloom Growth, Vistage, ACETECH and many Mastermind groups and has presented in over 15 countries.  Greg also chairs the EO@Wharton Executive Education program for the last 7 years and serves as an EO Accelerator trainer since inception of the Accelerator program. Both books are available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible.   Links: Simple Numbers - https://www.simplenumberscri.com/ Greg Speaking - https://gregcrabtree.net/   Conclusion: Greg Crabtree reminds us that business success isn't about how much you sell—it's about how efficiently you turn effort into profit. The future belongs to entrepreneurs who understand their numbers, make decisions from data, and lead with discipline. As Greg says, "You don't need more data—you need the right data."   Whether you're running a $1M or $10M business, this episode will help you stop guessing, start measuring, and finally take control of your profits.   #ProfitFirst #SimpleNumbers #GregCrabtree #BusinessProfitability #CashFlow #Entrepreneurship #FinancialClarity #FractionalCFO #ProfitAnswerMan #SmallBusinessFinance #GrossMargin #BusinessGrowth #CashManagement #LaborEfficiency #ProfitabilityMatters   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.

In this special memorial episode of the Arete Coach Podcast, host Severin Sorensen honors the extraordinary life and influence of Larry Cassidy—Marine Corps officer, corporate leader, Vistage Master Chair, mentor, and friend. Drawing from multiple past interviews, Sorensen reconstructs Larry's story, weaving together personal history, powerful coaching moments, signature questions, and original tribute songs written in Larry's honor. Born in 1937 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Larry excelled academically and showed an early aptitude for public speaking. He later served as a Marine Corps Lieutenant and Captain, leading Marines in the Pacific region with discipline, courage, and “bark on the wood” truthfulness—a philosophy that shaped his entire coaching career. After a distinguished corporate career at General Mills, Quaker Oats, and Wilson Sporting Goods, Larry became a Vistage/TEC Chair in 1987. Over 38 years he earned numerous Vistage awards—including the Robert Nourse Chair of the Year Award and multiple Master Chair Awards—and became one of the most respected leaders in the Vistage global community. Sorensen pays tribute to his friend through archival dialogue, reflective commentary, and two original songs: “Bark on the Wood – The Unvarnished Truth” and “He Learned to Listen to Understand.” Larry discovered his true calling—guiding leaders through curiosity-driven, truth-seeking, deeply human conversations. He built a reputation for: piercing, soul-searching questionsempathetic listeningcourageous truth-telling (“with the bark on”)community-building (“The Romper Room” chair gatherings)and an unwavering belief in each leader's potential The Arete Coach Podcast continues to explore the art and science of executive coaching at the highest levels. You can find more about this podcast at aretecoach.io. This episode was recorded on the 23rd day of November, 2025. Portions were previously recorded on January 4th, 2021, December 22nd, 2022, and December 12th, 2024, Copyright © 2025 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

When a crisis strikes, leaders have two choices: react (and possibly make mistakes) or respond with strategy, clarity, and confidence. This week, we're joined by Tara Goodwin, founder of Goodwin Consulting and one of Boston's top crisis communications experts. For more than 30 years, Tara's helped CEOs, public figures, and global brands manage high-stakes reputation challenges—from Fortune 500 energy companies to Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and Aerosmith's Joey Kramer. She's a sought-after international speaker and Vistage workshop leader, a trusted media voice featured in Business Insider, and the author of a forthcoming book on how to lead through the toughest moments of your career.In this conversation, Tara shares the secrets of staying calm when the world's watching—why speed can be the enemy of accuracy, how to turn internal chaos into clear communication, and what every leader should do before the crisis hits. If you care about reputation, leadership, and the stories that define us—this episode is for you. The PR Podcast is a show about how the news gets made. We talk with great PR people, reporters, and communicators about how the news gets made and strategies for publicity that drive business goals.  Host ⁠⁠Jody Fisher⁠⁠ is the founder of Jody Fisher PR and works with clients across the healthcare, higher education, financial services, real estate, entertainment, and non-profit verticals.  Join the conversation on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ at @ThePRPodcast. The PR Podcast: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePRPodcast/Twitter - https://x.com/ThePRPodcast1Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theprpodcast_/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theprpodcast Tara Goodwin: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/taragoodwin1 Goodwin Consulting:Website - https://goodwin-consulting.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/goodwinconsultingFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoodwinGroupPR

Send us a textIn this episode of Joey Pinz Discipline Conversations, we sit down with Terry McGill, CRO and Partner at Pegasus Technology Solutions, to explore the intersection of barbecue passion, business leadership, and MSP strategy.Terry shares his journey from Toronto to Dallas, his love for mesquite smoking, and how food and relationships connect to leadership. We dive into Pegasus's approach to managed services, including co-managed IT, cloud strategy, and client partnerships. Terry also discusses the challenges MSPs face—cybersecurity, talent retention, and growth—and how discipline, peer groups, and culture fuel long-term success.✨ Highlights:Pegasus's “culture over growth” philosophy in the competitive MSP landscapeThe role of peer groups (Evolve, EOS, Vistage) in shaping business successHow discipline applies equally to fitness, family, and building a sales engine 

Episode 163: Urs Koenig & his book, Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good HumanABOUT URSUrs is a bestselling author, one of the world's leading experts on humble leadership, a former UN peacekeeper and NATO peacekeeping commander, a highly accomplished ultraendurance champion, a widely published professor, and a seasoned executive coach and keynote speaker with more than three decades of experience helping hundreds of leaders and dozens of executive teams unlock new levels of achievement across four continents. He is the founder of the Radical Humility Leadership Institute and speaks frequently on the topic of leadership to corporations and associations across the globe. His message of Radical Humility in leadership has inspired teams from across the spectrum, including Amazon, Starbucks, the Society of Human Resource Management, HP, NATO, Vistage, and Microsoft. He holds a PhD in geography and a Master of Science from the University of Zürich, Switzerland, and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. Urs is the loving father of two teenage boys who make commanding soldiers look easy. He lives in Seattle, Washington.CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS• The selfish part of service.• What you're willing to sacrifice.• Achieving prestige and good money -- but hating the job.• Urs coaching in different environments -- in competition, military service, academics, executive. • Considering what you don't want to regret.• Moving your body for mental health.• The purity in ultra-endurance sports.• The downside of being too competitive.• Tough on results, tender on people.• Talking about real stuff.• Humility is no replacement for incompetence.• "Parenting is the hardest job I've ever loved."• The Talent in the Room.The MAIN QUESTION underlying my conversation with Urs is, How do you balance both confidence and humility in your life, work, and leadership?FIND URS· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urs-koenig-ab3828/· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urs.koenig.7· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@urskoenig3484/· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koenigurs/LinkedIn – Full Podcast Article: CHAPTERS00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast – Urs Koenig00:30 - Introduction & Bio02:03 - Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?06:30 - How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?13:18 - The draw on Urs to ultra endurance racing.18:26 - Urs's relationship with his father.21:37 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?23:47 - What do you consider your superpower?25:13 - The origin of humility in Urs's life.28:58 - What does leadership mean to you?29:48 - Can you introduce us to the book we're discussing?33:27 - Can you provide a general overview of the book?51:05 - What's changed in you in the process of writing this book?53:06 - What's next for your writing?54:26 - What book has inspired you?56:55 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.Learn more about The Book Leads and listen to past episodes:· Watch on YouTube· Listen on YouTube Music· Listen on Spotify· Listen on Apple Podcasts· Read About The Book Leads – Blog PostFor more great content, subscribe to my newsletter Last Week's Leadership Lessons, if you haven't already!

In this episode, we're joined by Mike Goldman, a leadership team coach, to talk about finding the business model that will work for you, building warm leads, and hiring the right team to scale your business.Mike opens up about his career leap into the coaching business, the vital role of his wife's support in his journey, and the power of credibility and warm referrals in connecting with the right leads.This is your reminder that deciding not to quit is how you win. Start being proactive today, create a bedrock foundation of relationships and referrals, and develop your team's talents as a leader. Come and join me in this episode of The Coaching Equation: From Management Consultant to Million-Dollar Coach: Mike Goldman's 20-Year Journey from Financial Hell to 7-Figure SuccessEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review!Mike Goldman is a leadership team coach, bestselling author of two books, Breakthrough Leadership Team and Performance Breakthrough, and host of The Better Leadership Team Show. He's a TEDx speaker and speaks internationally to groups of business leaders, such as the Young Presidents Organization, Vistage, and the Entrepreneur's Organization. During his 30+ year coaching and consulting career, he has worked with clients including Disney, Verizon, CHANEL, and Polo Ralph Lauren. His insights have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Chief Executive Magazine, and he is widely regarded by CEO's as the expert on building great leadership teams. As both coach and speaker, Mike is on a mission to help CEO's grow their business and have more impact while creating a more engaging, fulfilling environment for their team using his Breakthrough Leadership Team approach. Connect with Mike Goldman!Website: https://www.mike-goldman.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikegoldmancoach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgoldman10/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikegoldmancoach X (Twitter): https://x.com/mgoldman10 Ryan Lang is the CEO of EMPIRE Partners and Quantum Empire, and a highly sought-after performance coach and consultant. He helps establish business owners, coaches, and thought leaders transform from elite practitioners to transformational leaders by building businesses on five critical pillars instead of one wobbly leg. Over 20 years, he has guided 1000+ professionals to predictable, profitable growth using his Whole Performance Coaching methodology—combining sales mastery, strategic marketing, and human optimization principles that create lasting stability.Connect with Ryan Lang!Website: https://www.ryanrlang.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realryanlang/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lang-b46a545b/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.lang.984 Learn more about Empire Partners: Website: https://empirepartners.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.co

In this episode, Dustin sits down with Mike Stratta, CEO of Arcaléa, to unpack how AI is reshaping marketing strategies across industries—and what that means for higher ed. From his frustrations with top-line-only marketing to developing a data-powered product called Galileo, Mike shares how higher ed institutions can finally move beyond assumptions and start measuring what really works. They also reflect on key takeaways from the eduWeb Summit, where curiosity, collaboration, and AI-driven strategies took center stage.Guest Name: Michael Stratta, CEO, ArcaléaGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Mike Stratta is the founder and CEO of Arcalea, a firm that develops AI-driven marketing products and services for higher education and other industries. With more than 25 years of experience, Mike helps universities and C-Suite leaders transform complex data into actionable growth strategies. He has advised and lectured at the University of Chicago, Loyola's Quinlan School of Business, and Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, where Arcalea's Galileo platform is also used to teach marketing optimization. A three-time Inc. 500 and Financial Times Fastest-Growing Companies honoree, Mike has launched multiple AI products in the past two years. He is a Vistage member, former Entrepreneurs' Organization board member, and has worked with leading institutions and global brands alike. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

This episode is brought to you by https://www.ElevateOS.com —the only all-in-one community operating system.Ever wonder how vulnerable your multifamily business really is?In this episode of the Multifamily Collective, I share the concept of red teaming—a bold, eye-opening practice born in the cyber world but packed with power for every corner of your organization.I walk through how placing someone inside your team to think like a competitor or bad actor helps uncover weak spots in your systems, your leadership, your marketing—and yes, even your people strategy.This isn't theory. It's practical, tactical leadership.I first experienced this through Vistage, surrounded by sharp minds from every industry—pest control to bakeries. And trust me, when nine people try to put your business out of business in real time, you learn fast what really matters.Here's my challenge to you:Form a red team.Pressure test your vulnerabilities.And emerge sharper, smarter, and more secure.Like if you're ready to think like a disruptor.Subscribe if you're committed to leveling up your leadership in Multifamily.For more engaging content, explore our offerings at the[https://www.multifamilycollective.com](https://www.multifamilycollective.com/) and the [https://www.multifamilymedianetwork.com](https://www.multifamilymedianetwork.com/)Join us to stay informed and inspired in the multifamily industry!

I'm pleased to interview one of our Biz Book Pub Hub Partners. Our Hub Partners are experts who support entrepreneurs along their author journey.  Today's guest is a book marketing strategist. If book marketing feels like a never-ending to-do list, you're not alone. She works with nonfiction authors—especially business owners, coaches, and consultants—who want to grow their impact and income through their books without feeling like they've sold their soul to sales. Instead of chasing short-term accolades like bestseller status, she helps authors shift toward strategies that feel good and build long-term results: clarifying their message, deepening reader relationships, and building community around their ideas. Through her Buzzworthy Book Experience and signature BEES Marketing Method, she helps authors create visibility, authority, and income, with strategies that feel authentic, not exhausting. Her approach centers on simplicity and alignment with your values, whether you're launching your first book or reimagining your next move. Please join me in welcoming Judy Baker.  In this episode, we discuss the following:

Ever wondered what it's like to work with a coach who refuses to sugarcoat the truth? In this episode, we sit down with Paul Glover, the self-proclaimed "No B.S. Executive Leadership Coach" who's built his practice on brutal honesty and genuine results."I'm not going to try to convince you," Paul tells us about his approach to potential clients. "If what we've done up to this point doesn't convince you, then you need to find somebody else." It's this refreshing directness that sets the tone for our entire conversation about what real leadership development looks like.From discussing why empathy is a skill set that can be learned to exploring why human psychology hasn't changed since Marcus Aurelius was complaining about the Roman Senate (Camden's words: "complaining about going to work because the people in the Senate are assholes"), Paul shares insights from his unique journey as an ex-white-collar felon and "recovering" federal trial lawyer.Whether you're looking for a leadership coach or trying to become a better leader yourself, Paul's perspective on the exchange of energy in coaching relationships and why critical thinking is a learnable skill will challenge you to rethink what growth requires. Just don't expect him to be "soft and cuddly" about it.More About Paul:About Me: I'm the No B.S. Executive Leadership Coach, Challenging the Best to Be Better in organizations with revenue up to one billion dollars.  I'm also an ex- white-collar felon, a "recovering” federal trial lawyer, a TEDx speaker, an approved Vistage and YPO Speaker on leadership in the Post-Pandemic work environment, the author of WorkQuake™: Making the Seismic Shift to a Knowledge Economy, a Forbes contributor, a Starbucks addict, and a Chicago Bears fanatic.#10xYourTeam #NoBSLeadership #ExecutiveCoach #BrutalHonestyWins #LeadWithTruth #CriticalThinkingMatters #EmpathyIsASkill #LeadershipWithoutExcuses #WorkQuakeWisdom #RealTalkLeadership #GrowOrGo #PaulGloverChapter Times and Titles:The YouTube Rant [00:00 - 01:30]Otis's passionate plea for subscribers"Hit the stupid subscribe button. It costs you nothing."Setting the tone for an unfiltered conversationMeet Paul: The No-BS Coach [01:31 - 10:00]Introduction to Paul's backgroundFrom federal trial lawyer to executive coachThe philosophy behind his direct approach"I Don't Coach People I Don't Like" [10:01 - 20:00]Paul's criteria for client selection"I look at coaching as an exchange of energy"Why compatibility matters more than credentialsThe Guide in the Hero's Journey [20:01 - 35:00]The tension between guiding and knowing betterPaul's approach to the coaching relationship"I'm not into persuading you to enter my coaching program"Empathy as a Learnable Skill [35:01 - 45:00]Breaking down leadership into skill sets"People who aren't empathetic, empathy is a skill set"The importance of delivery in leadershipTimeless Human Psychology [45:01 - 53:30]References to stoicism and Marcus AureliusHow human nature remains consistent through historyApplying ancient wisdom to modern leadership challengesPrison Leadership? [53:31 - End]Lighthearted discussion about potential book titlesFinal thoughts and contact informationStandard outro and wrap-upPaul Gloverhttps://paulgloverspeaks.com/

Jay and Andrew discuss the true cost of doing business with “big name” clients who act like bullies. You know the ones. They demand unfair terms, they're slow to pay, they're quick to add red tape. Jay shares a personal story about walking away from a prestige customer that wasn't worth the stress, cost, or collection headaches. Andrew adds cautionary tales, including lessons from a fellow shop owner who took the bait on a massive PO and paid the price in blood, sweat, and sleepless nights.They also talk about the power of peer advisory groups like Vistage and Convene. How do you avoid flying blind in your business? Get in a room with people who've already made your mistakes, and who won't let you keep making them.Plus: hear about their strategies for preventative maintenance, visual controls (including genius 3D-printed “No Touchy” signs), and the delicate balance between food trucks, team morale, and post-lunch productivity crashes.

In this episode of Cherokee Business Radio, Joshua Kornitsky interviews Laird Carmichael, an executive coach and Vistage Chair. Laird discusses his journey from global manufacturing leadership to facilitating peer advisory groups for business owners and executives. He explains how Vistage fosters collaboration, accountability, and growth through structured group meetings and coaching. The conversation explores the […]

5-Day Storytelling ChallengeWhether you're looking to boost sales, enhance marketing, or captivate audiences in meetings, this challenge is for you.To sign up, go HERE.SHOW NOTES:In this episode of Stories With Traction, Matt Zaun sits down with David Nast, CEO of Nast Partners, to explore how creativity, storytelling, and grit have shaped his life from the stage as a rock musician to the boardroom as a business coach.David shares how writing fiction every morning has not only improved his mental clarity but also increased his business performance. With 21 novels written and three CEO roles under his belt, David unpacks the lessons he's learned from building multiple Vistage groups and transitioning away from high-pressure industries into more purpose-driven work.In this episode, they dive into:✅ Why creativity isn't a luxury, it's a leadership tool✅ How daily writing (even fiction!) can lead to a 39% increase in productivity✅ Why starting with “mood” makes you a better storyteller, songwriter, and coach…and much more!BIOS:David B. Nast is the CEO and Managing Partner of Nast Partners. He's a three-time CEO, an award-winning business coach, and a Vistage Chair. David combines behavioral science, AI, and leadership coaching to help organizations eliminate bias in decision-making and build healthier, more productive teams. Outside of business, he's a novelist, a former rock musician, and a lifelong Prince fan.Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who shows business leaders how to inspire action and drive results through the power of strategic storytelling. With a track record of catalyzing significant sales growth for over 300 organizations across industries—from financial services to health and wellness—Matt's approach has been proven to deliver measurable impact.

Welcome to the Arete Coach Podcast hosted by Severin Sorensen with an episode titled "Leading with Kindness: On Executive Coaching and Cultural Intelligence." In this episode, Severin engages with Dr. Krista Crawford, a distinguished Vistage Chair, speaker, consultant, professor, and leadership strategist. Krista holds a PhD in Organizational Management and is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). With over 30 years of experience spanning human resources, organizational development, and executive leadership, she has significantly impacted leaders across corporate and nonprofit sectors. This episode was recorded on March 26th, 2025, via Zoom. Krista's journey into executive coaching and Vistage Chairing is as unique as it is inspiring. After decades in HR, where she led organizations with up to 8,000 employees, Krista transitioned into leadership coaching serendipitously during the COVID-19 pandemic. A neighbor introduced her to Vistage, leading to her eventual certification and the establishment of multiple peer advisory groups. Her career is deeply rooted in observing and addressing the human dynamics within organizations. Krista identified early the gaps in leadership development, particularly how some employees flourish while others feel disconnected. Her doctoral research focused on "social monitoring" and "cultural intelligence," exploring how individuals adapt and integrate into diverse cultural settings. Conducted in Belize with service-learning students, her research revealed that active engagement with local cultures significantly enhances cultural intelligence. Beyond her coaching, Krista serves as an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech and Champlain College, teaching leadership, ethics, and organizational development. She brings a rich blend of academic rigor and practical experience, leveraging her HR expertise, research acumen, and passion for continuous learning to guide executives and emerging leaders. Key Insights 1. The Art of Listening and Pausing Krista emphasizes the importance of listening to hear rather than listening to respond. In coaching, silence is a powerful tool, allowing clients to reflect deeply. She practices intentional breathing to create space for reflection and meaningful dialogue. 2. The Power of Vulnerability and Group Dynamics She highlights how vulnerability within peer groups fosters deeper trust and growth. Krista shared a pivotal moment when a group conflict tested cohesion; addressing it transparently strengthened the group's unity and resilience. 3. Job Crafting for Engagement Krista advocates for job crafting, encouraging leaders to engage employees in designing roles that align with their strengths and passions, thus enhancing satisfaction and retention. 4. Measuring Success Through Joy Joy serves as Krista's personal metric for professional fulfillment. She believes that work should bring joy and that leaders should reassess their roles when joy diminishes. 5. Use of Psychometrics and AI in Coaching Krista integrates tools like Wiley DiSC and various psychometric assessments to deepen understanding of team dynamics. She also creatively employs AI for ideation, content creation, and meeting preparation, demonstrating adaptability to emerging technologies. 6. Kindness and Continuous Learning as Guiding Values Krista's mantras of "kindness is underrated" and lifelong learning reflect her approach to leadership and coaching. She stresses the importance of being both kind and courageous in providing candid, constructive feedback. The Arete Coach Podcast explores the art and science of executive coaching. You can find more about this podcast at aretecoach.io. This episode was recorded on March 26, 2025 Copyright © 2025 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Charlie Garcia is the Managing Partner at R360, a global invite-only community for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. R360 is dedicated to helping members and their families flourish across six capital dimensions: financial, intellectual, social, human, emotional, and spiritual. Charlie is a decorated United States Air Force veteran and has advised six US presidential administrations. He also founded Sterling Financial Investment Group, one of the fastest-growing private companies in the US, and has served on several corporate and governmental boards. In this episode… For many high achievers, building wealth and success doesn't always translate to fulfillment or impact. Entrepreneurs often face burnout, decision fatigue, or isolation, especially after a major liquidity event or business exit. Without the right community or purpose, even the most successful individuals can feel directionless or disconnected from their true potential. Charlie Garcia, a former Air Force captain turned financial entrepreneur, offers a compelling framework to shift this narrative. Drawing from his journey through military service, founding Sterling Financial, and advising six US Presidents, Charlie emphasizes aligning personal values with purpose. Through his leadership at R360, he encourages ultra-wealthy individuals to focus not just on financial growth but on flourishing across six dimensions of capital — financial, intellectual, social, human, emotional, and spiritual. He also shares how peer-based accountability, strategic mentorship, and lifelong learning communities like YPO and Vistage helped him evolve as a leader. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Charlie Garcia, Managing Partner at R360, about building purpose-driven wealth and community. Charlie shares insights into scaling Sterling Financial, lessons from the White House Fellowship, and how values-based leadership shaped the creation of R360. The conversation highlights the significance of aligning one's life purpose with personal and professional goals and the value of authentic leadership.

Guest Paul Glover is the No B.S. Executive Leadership Coach, assisting leaders in organizations with revenue up to one billion dollars.  He's a Tedx speaker, an approved Vistage and YPO Speaker on leadership in the Post-Pandemic work environment, the author of WorkQuake™: Making the Seismic Shift to a Knowledge Economy, a Forbes contributor, a "recovering” federal trial lawyer, an ex-felon, a Starbucks addict, and a Chicago Bears fanatic. Summary: Why this discussion matters In this candid and compelling conversation, Paul Glover shares his journey from successful labor lawyer to convicted felon and how a transformative prison experience led him to embrace vulnerability, personal accountability, and leadership coaching. Drawing on the metaphor of the "medieval fool," Glover emphasizes the value of truth-telling advisors and the importance of self-care and legacy in leadership. His coaching philosophy demands commitment, honesty, and hard work. Three Takeaways The Power of a "Fool": Inspired by the medieval fool who had the psychological safety to tell the king hard truths, Glover advocates for everyone to have a "fool" in their life – someone who provides honest, unfiltered feedback to expose blind spots and ensure accountability. His wife played this critical role during his imprisonment and continues to do so. Accountability as a Catalyst for Change: Glover's own profound transformation was rooted in taking full responsibility for his illegal actions and the devastating impact on his family. He emphasizes that true change and growth, both personally and in leadership, require unwavering personal accountability. Legacy and Self-Care in Leadership: Glover's coaching philosophy prioritizes building a lasting legacy—improving an organization for future leaders—over short-term, ego-driven gains. He also stresses that dedicated self-care is non-negotiable for effective leadership. Social Media Paulglover@sbcglobal.net paul@paulglovercoaching.com paulgloverspeaks.com   TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsVweR4yXz4

As founder of OC Growth Advisors, Marla works with business owners and their employees to improve focus and processes for growth and greater profitability. She has run several successful organizations, including one she sold in 2015 for 15 times EBITDA. Marla has served on multiple non-profit boards as well as two for-profit Boards. She is also a chapter chair for WPO, Women Presidents' Organization, which is an international organization of women business owners. Marla's clients range from service industries to construction to manufacturing, in the $2 million to $50 million range. Her clients say she helps keep them focused on the business, versus working in the business. Her 14 years in Vistage and 11 years in WPO have trained her to be continuously looking for tools to help the businesses run more efficiently. She wants her clients to enjoy their business until they wish to sell or transition the business to employees or children. Marla is a CPA and an MBA and has taught at Chapman University and UCI. In addition, Marla volunteers to help new or developing businesses succeed. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.

Channing Hamlet, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Objective, Investment Banking & Valuation, joins Amanda Ma, CEO & Founder of Innovate Marketing Group, to discuss the rising "flight to quality" in the event industry. Learn how consolidation is transforming the landscape — and how event businesses can adapt, scale, and thrive in a shifting market.About the guest:Channing Hamlet is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Objective, Investment Banking & Valuation. He leads the firm's Business Services & Life Sciences Practice. With over 25 years of experience in investment banking and business valuation, Channing brings deep expertise and strategic insight to Objective's clients. His recent notable transactions include the sale of 360 Destination Management to H.I.G. Capital and Supreme to Trinity Hunt Partners. An active member of the Los Angeles advisor community, Channing has served on the boards of the Exit Planning Institute, ACG LA, and EO LA. He is also passionate about philanthropy, particularly through his involvement with Reality Changers.  Prior to joining Objective, Mr. Hamlet served as a Managing Director of Cabrillo Advisors, where he was instrumental in both leading their M&A execution and growing the valuation practice from inception into a national entity serving more than 700 clients in five years. Previously, he served as a Director at Vistage; Principal at LLR Partners, a $260 million private-equity firm; and member of Legg Mason's Investment Banking group. He has a Master's Degree in Operations Research and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 79 licenses and is a Registered Representative of BA Securities LLC, Member FINRA SIPC.Connect with Channing Hamlet on LinkedIn hereRead about the sale of 360 Destination Management Group hereDownload the The Introspective CEO's Guide to Selling a Business, a high-level workbook covering key considerations for those contemplating a sale here.Objective, Investment Banking & Valuation is a leading firm serving middle market companies across key industries including Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare Tech, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Technology. We offer M&A advisory through our investment banking group and a full suite of valuation services for tax, financial reporting, and strategic planning. Since 2006, our team has completed over 500 M&A deals and thousands of valuations. Learn more at objectiveibv.comThis podcast episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice. Securities offered through BA Securities, LLC, Member FINRA, SIPC. Objective and BA Securities, LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities.EventUp is brought to you by Innovate Marketing Group. An award-winning Corporate Event and Experiential Marketing Agency based in Los Angeles, California. Creating Nationwide Immersive Event Experiences to help brands connect with people. To learn more, click here⁠⁠.Follow us!Find us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn, ⁠⁠⁠⁠EventUp Podcast LinkedIn⁠⁠ , and ⁠⁠Instagram

Welcome to the Arete Coach Podcast, hosted by Severin Sorensen. With an episode titled "Will Over Skill: Building High-Performance Teams Through Purpose-Driven Leadership." In this episode, recorded via Zoom on November 13, 2024, we are joined by Pete Sciabarra, an executive coach, Vistage Chair, and former Vistage corporate executive. Pete brings a unique blend of military, corporate, and coaching experience to the conversation. As a former U.S. Navy captain and helicopter pilot, he transitioned into executive leadership, ultimately holding senior roles at Vistage, where he oversaw a $25 million segment of the business that achieved the company's number one ranking. Pete Sciabarra's journey is marked by dedication to service and leadership excellence. From his early days at the Naval Academy to his role as a helicopter pilot during Desert Storm, Pete's military career shaped his leadership philosophy. His path took an unexpected turn when his son was diagnosed with autism, leading him to pursue a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego, focusing his research on adults with autism. This personal challenge transformed his understanding of human potential and care. As a Vistage Chair in San Diego, Pete facilitates executive peer groups that help CEOs and business owners break through barriers, fostering collaboration and personal accountability. His expertise in crisis leadership proved invaluable during emergency relief efforts for businesses affected by major hurricanes. Beyond his professional life, Pete's commitment to service extends to coaching high school varsity inline hockey, bringing the same focus on teamwork and resilience from the boardroom to the rink. Pete's experience with Vistage demonstrates the transformative power of peer advisory groups. He emphasizes that successful peer groups aren't just about business advice—they're about creating a safe space where leaders can share challenges they might not discuss elsewhere. The key to successful peer groups lies in selecting members who are lifelong learners and who understand they don't have all the answers, creating an environment where vulnerability and growth can flourish. The Evolution of Leadership in the AI Era as artificial intelligence reshapes business landscapes, We explore frameworks and AI like Wiki, SWOT, Porters Five Forces, and Blue Ocean Strategy. Pete highlights that while AI tools can enhance decision-making and analysis, they won't replace the need for authentic leadership and human connection. He emphasizes that successful leaders must adapt to new technologies while maintaining focus on people-centric leadership, caring deeply about their team members' needs and development. The Importance of Continuous Learning and Adaptation Throughout the episode, Pete's journey from military service to executive coaching underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation. His experience shows that effective leaders must remain curious, humble, and open to new perspectives. Whether it's embracing new technologies like AI or understanding different leadership challenges, success comes from maintaining a learning mindset and being willing to question established assumptions while staying true to core values of integrity and service. The Arete Coach Podcast seeks to explore the art and science of executive coaching. You can find out more about this podcast at aretecoach.io. This episode was recorded on November 13, 2024. Copyright © 2024 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Welcome to the 200th episode of the Arete Coach Podcast, marking a remarkable four-year journey exploring excellence in executive coaching. In this special milestone episode, host Severin Sorensen weaves together insights and wisdom from 29 distinguished Vistage Chairs who have shaped the landscape of peer group leadership and executive coaching. From the touching first episode featuring the late Richard Bosworth from the UK, to transformative perspectives from leaders like Fred Cheney, Ozzie Gontang, and Larry Cassidy, this episode captures the essence of what makes great coaching truly extraordinary. Viewers will hear powerful insights about authentic leadership, the art of strategic listening, and creating environments that foster transformation. Listen as these great coaches, current and former Vistage Chairs, share their personal journeys, challenges, and the profound lessons they've learned about helping others achieve excellence. Whether you're an experienced coach, an aspiring leader, or someone passionate about personal growth, this landmark episode offers invaluable wisdom about the power of peer learning and the enduring impact of skilled coaching. This 200th episode features illuminating conversations and wisdom from twenty-nine distinguished current and former Vistage chairs: Richard Bosworth from the UK, who set the foundation with the first episode; Norma Rosenberg, Bud Carter, Dr. Gail Schaper-Gordon, Garth Jackson, Georgeanne Goldblum, and Jim Handy, who shared insights on leadership excellence; Mikki Williams, Perry Maughmer, Dr. Alan Weinstein, Bridget Wenman, and Tony Lewis, who brought diverse perspectives on coaching methodologies; Cindy Hesterman, Conor Neill from Spain, Laura Gordon from the UK, and Louis-Samuel Jacques from Canada, representing global coaching practices; Janet Fogarty, Dr. Michael Denning, Michele Berry, and Les Whitney, who demonstrated coaching innovation; Jeannette Hobson, Larry Cassidy, Carol Steinberg, and Ozzie Gontang, who exemplified coaching wisdom; and Katherine Crewe, Tom Cuthbert, Kevin McKeown, Chip Webster, and Fred Chaney, whose compelling stories rounded out this milestone episode. #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #Vistage #Excellence #Coaching The Arete Coach Podcast seeks to explore the art and science of executive coaching. You can find out more about this podcast at aretecoach.io. This episode was recorded on 11/20/24. Portions were originally recorded on podcast episodes from April 2020 through 11/20/24. Copyright © 2024 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Welcome to the 200th episode of the Arete Coach Podcast, marking a remarkable four-year journey exploring excellence in executive coaching. This episode is titled, "Wisdom Walkers: A Celebration of 200 Episodes in the Pursuit of Arete." In this special milestone episode, host Severin Sorensen weaves together insights and wisdom from 29 distinguished Vistage Chairs who have shaped the landscape of peer group leadership and executive coaching. From the touching first episode featuring the late Richard Bosworth from the UK, to transformative perspectives from leaders like Fred Cheney, Ozzie Gontang, and Larry Cassidy, this episode captures the essence of what makes great coaching truly extraordinary. Viewers will hear powerful insights about authentic leadership, the art of strategic listening, and creating environments that foster transformation. Listen as these great executive coaches and current and former Vistage Chairs share their personal journeys, challenges, and the profound lessons they've learned about helping others achieve excellence. Whether you're an experienced coach, an aspiring leader, or someone passionate about personal growth, this landmark episode offers invaluable wisdom about the power of peer learning and the enduring impact of skilled coaching. This 200th episode features illuminating conversations and wisdom from twenty-nine distinguished current and former Vistage chairs: Richard Bosworth from the UK, who set the foundation with the first episode; Norma Rosenberg, Bud Carter, Dr. Gail Schaper-Gordon, Garth Jackson, GeorgeAnne Goldblum, and Jim Handy, who shared insights on leadership excellence; Mikki Williams, Perry Maughmer, Dr. Alan Weinstein, Bridget Wenman, and Tony Lewis, who brought diverse perspectives on coaching methodologies; Cindy Hesterman, Conor Neill from Spain, Laura Gordon from the UK, and Louis-Samuel Jacques from Canada, representing global coaching practices; Janet Fogarty, Dr. Michael Denning, Michele Berry, and Les Whitney, who demonstrated coaching innovation; Jeannette Hobson, Larry Cassidy, Carol Steinberg, and Ozzie Gontang, who exemplified coaching wisdom; and Katherine Crewe, Tom Cuthbert, Kevin McKeown, Chip Webster, and Fred Chaney, whose compelling stories rounded out this milestone episode. #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #Vistage #Excellence #Coaching The Arete Coach Podcast seeks to explore the art and science of executive coaching. You can find out more about this podcast at aretecoach.io. This episode was recorded on November 20, 2024. Portions drawn from podcast interviews recorded from April 2020 through October 2024. Copyright © 2024 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.